Bitter PSG boss slags off Stephane Sessegnon

21 Mar 2011 - 19:52:52

Twisting like a dumped ex. Antoine Kombouare, boss of Paris St Germain has been slagging off Sunderland midfielder Stephane Sessegnon, over his move to Wearside. Like a bitter ex girlfriend that just can’t quite get over being binned, the twisting manager tried his best to hang on to the midfielder in the January transfer window but simply just couldn’t. Sessegnon wanted to come to Sunderland so much so he took a pay cut, saying to the Sunderland board “I will play that well for Sunderland you will want to pay me more”, he was that impressed he turned down the opportunity to speak to two other premiership clubs (one has been named as Everton). Anyhow the sad PSG boss has taken two months to think of something, speaking to a French sports paper, "Sessegnon didn't accept competition." “He saw Ludovic Giuly take his place in the team and he gave up. He put the blame on the rest of the squad and on me, "He is a quality player but he decided not to come to training anymore, saying 'I want to leave'.” "The club could get up to €8million for his transfer to Sunderland. That would be fantastic. "That sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated, you have to fight against it. "If Sessegnon had stayed, he would be an outsider, he would not exist anymore. Today, without him, we are working much better."

View the original article here

Read more...

Liverpool owner Henry impressed with Dalglish

Liverpool owner John W Henry has praised Kenny Dalglish's work at Anfield but reiterated that he was not prepared to discuss his long-term future at the club.

Dalglish has seen Liverpool exit the FA Cup and Europa League since taking charge until the end of the season following Roy Hodgson's departure, but their league form has improved and the 2-0 win at Sunderland on Sunday keeps their faint hopes of returning to Europe next season alive.

"He has done very well," Henry said in the Daily Mirror. "It's all very positive. Someone was saying that people weren't happy here, but I think since that person left people are happier."

On Dalglish's future, he added: "What is going on in that regard is private. It is something called the Liverpool way and you do these things behind closed doors. I am not going to talk about these things."

Henry accepted that - with a four-point gap to make up on Tottenham having played an extra game - it will be difficult for Liverpool to qualify for the Europa League but feels they still have a chance.

"We will have to have a lot of days like [the victory at Sunderland] to do that," he said. "Tottenham are in fifth and they look very good so we will have to play extraordinarily well, and we will have to win when they come to Anfield to have a shot at that, but we will do our best."

Dalglish, like Henry, has been reluctant to discuss his future in public and dismissed recent stories in the press about the contract negotiations.

"I have seen I have asked for four years," Dalglish said. "Well, I don't know who I am supposed to have asked. I have seen I was offered two - don't know where that has come from.

"People ask if I have spoken to the owners and of course I have. I speak to them regularly every week. It is their club, and they are fantastic owners, very supportive. There have been no detailed discussions about next season.

"Until there is something to be said, there is nothing. For me that is not a problem. For me, the club is most important, bar one instance when I left the club last time. There is no pressure on anyone."

View the original article here

Read more...

Toon duo issue apology over nightclub pics

Newcastle's Leon Best and Stephen Ireland have issued an apology to the club and its supporters after being pictured in a nightclub on Friday evening.

The pair had been ruled out of Saturday's game at Stoke, which Newcastle lost 4-0, through injury but accept going to a bar was ''inappropriate.''

A statement released through the club read: ''Although we had both been ruled out of the game at Stoke and didn't travel with the team, we realise that going out to a bar was inappropriate ahead of Saturday's game and we fully regret doing so.

''We were asked to have our photograph taken and we removed our shirts as a tongue-in-cheek joke between friends, but of course the resulting coverage in the press suggests a far different night out.

''Whilst our actions were wrong, neither of us had consumed alcohol and we were out for only a very short period of time.

''However, with the team having an important game at Stoke the following day, we should never have put ourselves or the club in that position.''

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was asked about the situation after Saturday's game and said: ''That is a situation I have to look at on Monday morning. It is news to me. It is not an ideal situation when you have a game on Saturday, even though they are injured. I will look at that.''

View the original article here

Read more...

Redknapp: Man Utd winning title by default

Harry Redknapp says the poor form of Chelsea and Arsenal means they are "handing the title" to a Manchester United team he rates as one of the worst in recent times.

United extended their lead at the top of the table to five points on Saturday as Arsenal had to battle back from 2-0 down to draw with West Brom, and although Chelsea have improved, they are still nine points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's side with a game in hand.

The current leaders have not impressed with regularity this season, winning only four of 15 away games, and Tottenham boss Redknapp believes they could win their 19th league title virtually by default.

"Really we are handing the title to Manchester United this year," Redknapp said. "This is as poor as Manchester United have played in years, but they keep stumbling along and nicking results when they should have got done.

"Chelsea have blown up, Arsenal too - it is there for somebody this year to win the championship."

Though Tottenham's recent poor form means they have fallen to fifth place and are now struggling to ensure their qualification for the Champions League, Redknapp believes two high-profile signings could ensure the North Londoners are in title contention for next season.

"I don't think the other big clubs have got anything that Spurs don't have," he said. "People might think I'm mad to be aiming to win the league but I think it is possible.

"But if I do win one it will be a bit of a miracle, won't it? I think if I did then I'd probably retire. But I do think it is possible. If we can go and get a couple of Luka Modrics, people like that. We've got to believe we can achieve anything here."

View the original article here

Read more...