Yaya Toure and Kun Aguero campaigning for Messi

 

 Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has joined teammates, Kun Aguero in urging his former colleague Lionel Messi to make a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

Temui Cinta Baru, Aidil Zafuan Bakal Nikah Mac Depan

Setelah berpisah dengan aktres Rita Rudaini menjelang Aidilfitri yang lalu, pemain pertahanan skuad bola sepak Johor Darul Takzim, Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak nampaknya telah pun mempunyai perancangan untuk berkahwin sekali lagi.

Louis van Gaal hints at interest in becoming new Tottenham manager

Louis Van Gaal will leave his post as Holland manager after the 2014 World Cup.

Louis van Gaal has emerged as a surprise contender to take up the vacant managerial position at Tottenham Hotspur after admitting a desire to work in the Premier League, though the current head coach of Holland has made it clear he would be unwilling to take the Spurs job until after the summer's World Cup as he is unwilling to share club and national duties.

 

Van Gaal will take the Dutch to Brazil before leaving the post after the tournament to be succeeded by Guus Hiddink, who has already rejected the chance to take over at White Hart Lane. With Frank de Boer and Fabio Capello keen to see out the current campaign with Ajax and Russia respectively, and Mauricio Pochettino unlikely to be prised away from Southampton, that would appear to strengthen the hand of the current caretaker manager, Tim Sherwood, to take the role on an interim basis for the rest of the campaign.

 

The Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, was not present as Sherwood oversaw the 3-2 victory over Southampton before Van Gaal was interviewed by the Dutch television station, NOS, on Sunday evening. "I'll never comment on offers," said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager. "I've always said I want to work in the Premier League eventually, so there's a chance. There are times a deal is announced and there are times it's in preparation. At that time there's no time for media. But everyone who knows me knows I won't do a job share."

 

That unwillingness to share duties with the national team would appear to rule out Van Gaal in the short term, while Sherwood, who would like the role full-time, pushed his own credentials with his first win at St Mary's. He hopes to speak to Levy before the Boxing Day visit of West Bromwich Albion to ascertain the length of his stint in charge, though the chairman is also expected to sound out Glenn Hoddle, whom he sacked from the job more than 10 years ago, as he considers his options.

Sherwood will definitely be in charge for the visits of West Brom and Stoke City to White Hart Lane after Christmas but will seek clarification on his position from Levy as he aspires for longer-term involvement.

 

"I will have a chat with the chairman and see what's best for the football club moving forward," he said. "I need to know what they're thinking. I don't want this job for five minutes. That's of no interest to me. So are we going to move it forward or not? I need to talk to the chairman and see what he's got planned.

 

"There are some great candidates out there for this job. It's a massive club with history and tradition but whatever happens needs to be right for me, too. Whoever takes this job is in a good position. André has left the club in a good state; there's nothing wrong with the job he's done. Hopefully whoever is put in charge can take it on to the next step."

 

Sherwood stressed that he had no qualms about working under the director of football, Franco Baldini, whose own position could yet come under scrutiny. "I don't know any different, do I?" said Sherwood. "He's not going to interfere, anyway. And I can adapt to anything." He added that "the last thing we need" were further additions to the squad in next month's transfer window, an admission that may endear him further to the hierarchy given the panic-inflated nature of the market in January.

The reintegration of Emmanuel Adebayor, one of the club's highest-paid players, has ensured the interim manager has started on the right foot. The Togo forward's attitude had been doubted by Villas-Boas, the striker having failed to impress after starting the season late as he coped with the death of his brother, Peter, in the summer. Yet Sherwood has selected him in both of his games to date and been rewarded with three goals.

 

"I want to thank all my team-mates," said Adebayor. "They have been there for me, they tell me to keep working hard and my chance will come. He [Sherwood] told me, 'Emmanuel, I've known you for a long time and I need you to get out there and play your football. I will not tell you anything new. You have been around the block, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, so you know how to play.' For me that was big confidence.

 

"It's been hard, not only for a few months but in 2010, 2012 … My brother passed away and it was emotionally difficult. He was my senior brother so, for me, it's for him. He left a son behind. I want to take care of him and his family. I went to the funeral and when I came back I lost my place in the team. I kept doing my job and, as my father told me, 'Keep working hard.' Today it paid off and I am very happy."

 

Sherwood, who hopes Mousa Dembélé will recover from an ankle injury in time for the Boxing Day fixture, said: "Listen, we all know about Adebayor and we all know he's a top player. He doesn't need any motivating to go and play now because he's not played for a long time. He's a top player."

Everton climb into the top four after Ross Barkley's winner at Swansea

Ross Barkley leads the celebrations after scoring Everton's winner at Swansea

Roberto Martínez admitted that he is running out of superlatives with which to describe Ross Barkley. The Everton manager stood with one arm aloft and a wide grin on his face after the 20-year-old capped another hugely impressive performance with an exquisite free-kick, six minutes from time, to seal victory and lift the Merseyside club into the top four.

 

On a cold afternoon in South Wales it was a moment to warm the hearts of England fans as well as Everton supporters. Outstanding against Arsenal a fortnight earlier, Barkley enhanced his burgeoning reputation with another fine display that showcased his prodigious talent. Composed in possession, powerful running with the ball and comfortable shooting with either foot, he was a joy to watch, in the second half in particular.

 

The only blemish was when he struggled to get the ball out from under his feet in the 55th minute, after being put clean through by Steven Pienaar, but that will not have been the moment that Everton fans headed back to Merseyside talking about. After taking the lead through a superb shot from Seamus Coleman, Everton looked like they would have to settle for a point when Bryan Oviedo deflected Dwight Tiendalli's shot into his own net four minutes later, but Barkley had other ideas.

Having cracked a left-foot shot against the crossbar prior to Coleman's breakthrough Barkley, sporting a new military haircut, stepped forward using his right foot and swept a curling free-kick that seemed to beat Gerhard Tremmel for pace as much as anything as the ball crashed in off the underside of the bar.

 

"The winning goal is technically as good as it gets," Martínez, the Everton manager, said. "Ross Barkley, whatever you want to say about him, you will always end up with an understatement. He's an incredible listener, he is a young man with incredible potential, every game he comes up with something different, every game he shows you that he can develop. I'm extremely proud to see him grow and enjoy his football."

 

Martínez smiled when it was put to him that Barkley had revealed on television that he does not practise free-kicks. "He doesn't. You could see that Rom [Romelu Lukaku] and Ross were fighting, because Rom really practises. I think Ross is the sort of player that gets fed by feeling and he felt he had to take the free-kick. It's a real natural talent that he has – right, left, great balance. We didn't know he could take free-kicks – but it's good to know from now on."

 

Martínez was thrilled with a result that lifts Everton to within two points of Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, and stretches their unbeaten run to 10 matches. With two home games to come, against Sunderland on Boxing Day and Southampton three days later, optimism abounds. "We're gonna win the league," chanted the travelling supporters at the final whistle.

 

Michael Laudrup, in contrast, was unable to conceal his disappointment. The Swansea manager felt that his side were worthy of a point and believed that Everton had settled for one when Martínez withdrew Kevin Mirallas and Pienaar 12 minutes from time. There was admiration, though, for the goal that Barkley produced to win the game. "He's definitely a big talent and he already has a lot of things even if he is so young," Laudrup said.

 

It is difficult to see the festive period providing much cheer for Swansea. They travel to Chelsea on Boxing Day and face Manchester City and Manchester United in two of their next three league matches. To compound matters, Laudrup is facing the prospect of being without Michu for some time. Last season's leading scorer was absent here with an ankle injury and Laudrup expects to learn within the next 24 hours whether the Spaniard has a chance of playing at Chelsea or if he requires surgery.

Swansea badly missed Michu's presence on a day when Everton always looked more threatening. The game came to life in the second period, when Barkley's influence started to grow, although he will not want to review footage of the breakaway that should have led to him opening the scoring. Oviedo linked with Pienaar and the goal opened up only for Barkley to end up on his backside with the ball rolling harmlessly into the hands of Tremmel.

 

Barkley, though, showed his class moments later. After skipping away from Jonathan de Guzmán with a lovely piece of skill, Barkley drove at the heart of the Swansea defence, shifted the ball on to his left foot and drilled a shot from the edge of the area that Tremmel pushed on to the bar and over. It was a fine save by the Swansea goalkeeper but he was beaten in spectacular style two minutes later when Coleman, who was keen to get forward from right-back at every opportunity, thumped a swerving 30-yard shot inside the near post.

 

At that point Everton were in control but through a combination of poor defending and bad luck, the visitors conceded an equaliser in the 70th minute. Ben Davies's deep cross from the left seemed fairly harmless but Pienaar allowed Tiendalli to get in front of him and the full-back's volley, which was heading wide, took a deflection off Oviedo and beat Howard. That was the cue for Barkley to take centre stage once again.

 

Man of the match Ross Barkley (Everton)

Malky Mackay handed stay of execution by Cardiff City's Vincent Tan

• Mackay to remain at Cardiff for 'foreseeable future'
• Tan's ultimatum is withdrawn but manager still vulnerable

Graeme Swann retires from international and first-class cricket

 

• Bowler will not play in the final two Ashes Test matches
• 'It's time for someone else to buckle in and enjoy the ride'

Cardiff City's Malky Mackay clings on but sacking looks a formality

 

The Cardiff City manager, Malky Mackay, is privately resigned to the fact he will be out of a job by the end of the weekend

Manager could leave club before Saturday's match at Liverpool. Plus, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Sven-Goran Eriksson in frame.

Luis Suárez signs long-term deal to stay at Liverpool until 2018

 

Luis Suárez puts pen to paper on his new four-and-a-half-year contract at Melwood training ground

Uruguay striker to be paid £200,000 a week. Plus he added, 'I can achieve the ambitions of winning trophies here'

Samsung’s Video Campaign Pits Earth’s Soccer Stars vs. Aliens

 

TO promote its Galaxy mobile devices, Samsung Electronics is taking, fittingly, a galactic approach, with an international marketing campaign that blends science fiction with soccer fandom.

Spurs sack Villas-Boas after Liverpool rout

 

Andre Villa's Boas has been sacked by Spurs.

Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked as manager of Tottenham Hotspur after 17 months in the role, the English Premier League club announced on Monday.

Nicklas Bendtner returns in style to set Arsenal fair for defeat of Hull

 

Bendtner scores 1st goal since loan to Juventus

At some stage this wave is going to break.

Luis Suárez scores four times as Liverpool demolish Norwich City

 

 

Torture by Luis Suárez is routine for Norwich City but that does not diminish his capacity to astonish.

Bryan Oviedo ends Everton's 21-year wait at Manchester United

 

 

For David Moyes, it was a night that overflowed with indignities.

Anak Harimau mengaum!

 

                                                  

Skuad bawah 23 tahun negara (B-23) bangkit dengan ledakan tiga gol pada babak kedua untuk mencatat kemenangan 3-1 ke atas kelab divisyen tiga Jepun, FC Ryukyu pada aksi persahabatan di Stadium Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, malam tadi.

Gareth Bale on Fire as Ramos got RED card

 

Gareth Bale scores Real Madrid's opening goal against Galatasaray

Real Madrid made light of the first-half dismissal of Sergio Ramos to secure a 4-1 win at home to Galatasaray that put them through to the last 16 of the Champions League as Group B winners.

Youthful Giggs shines on

Ryan Giggs enjoy her 40th birthday with 5-0 win over leverkusen

Manchester United manager David Moyes paid tribute to Ryan Giggs who, two days before his 40th birthday, gave a dazzling exhibition in their 5-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen.

Vidal the "HERO"

 

Alturo Vidal scores 2 goals

Juve's 3-1 victory on Wednesday means they need only a draw at Galatasaray on December 10 to progress, a stunning turnaround after their worst ever start to a Champions League group campaign saw them take three points from four games.

Top 10 Icelandic Players Who Have Played in the Premier League

 

Iceland Football Squad

Most of you probably know Eidur Gudjohnsen and Gylfi Sigurdsson, but what other Icelandic players have graced the pitch in the Premier League?

Manchester City ran RIOT Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester City's Alvaro Negredo (centre right) celebrates with team-mate Yaya Toure

Manchester City ran riot against Tottenham as they cruised to a 6-0 win in the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

All Top 7 Best Football Adverts

 

The Famously person, Eric Cantona

Football has been the basis for some of the best and most memorable television adverts over the years. These classic offerings from Nike, Adidas and Pepsi feature many of the world's great players and showcase a perfect blend of fun, showboating and imagination. Lets start count down from 7..