Footballbits and pieces

• Real Mallorca 0-0 Real Madrid

The result means Barcelona have already opened up a two-point lead over Mourinho’s Madrid thanks to their 3-0 thrashing of Racing Santader. Mourinho said he needs more time to work with his players but the Portuguese mastercoach knows he can’t afford to slip too far behind Barcelona, who lost just once last season.

Mourinho was satisfied with his side’s defending and build-up play but costly misses from Gonzalo Higuain in particular made for an unhappy La Liga debut for the former Chelsea and Inter boss.

“One positive is that from a defensive point of view we didn’t have any problems,” Mourinho said. “Another positive is the enormous number of chances we created in the second half. The negative is obviously the result. It is important to defend well and score when you are not at your best and we are far from our best. We didn’t play well but we did enough to win. We had five or six chances but didn’t take any of them and I am disappointed about that. We were solid defensively and if we had scored we would have taken the three points.”

In a further worry for Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo picked up an injury in the match. The club’s record signing is expected to undergo tests on Monday ahead of the international break. Mourinho admitted the timing of the break, which means his international players will be absent for most of the next two weeks before his home debut against Osasuna, was not ideal given his need to work with the squad.

“We need time to work on things but we don’t have much time at the moment. There is nothing we can do about it,” he said. On the immediate concession of the title race lead to Barcelona, he added: “There is a big difference between the finished product and a team in construction, like we are.”

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Wayne Rooney ended the longest barren streak of his career when he drove home the penalty that put United on their way to a 3-0 win over West Ham at OldTrafford.

It was the first time he had found the net since March 30, 13 matches previously, a run that started with an ankle injury that many felt affected his performances in those four desperate games for England as they crashed out atthe first knock-out phase in South Africa.  And Phelan believes it tired the striker out.

”Wayne came back to us a little bit dishevelled from his England exploits,”Phelan told BBC Radio Manchester. ”But as long as you keep your head up and keep persevering, things like this will happen.

”Strikers can’t score every week, much as they would like to. Hopefully now hecan relax, enjoy his football and carry on from where he left off.”

Fabio Capello recently claimed it took Rooney 600 minutes to reach his optimumat the start of every season. The 24-year-old has still only reached half that tally and Phelan accepts there is still a bit of work to do before Rooney is back to his best.

”He is not 100% fit yet,” he confirmed. ”He is still short on certain aspects of his game but that will come. Now he has got a couple of games with his national team and that willpossibly help him.”

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Wesley Sneijder feels Dirk Kuyt would be a great signing for Inter

Rafael Benitez is understood to be keen on taking Kuyt, whom he signed for Liverpool from Feyenoord in 2006, to Inter this season, prompting Reds boss Roy Hodgson to accuse his predecessor of reneging on an agreement not to make an approach for any Liverpool players.

Sneijder, who played alongside Kuyt as Netherlands reached this summer’s World Cup final, believes Inter should press ahead with the deal, though, and says he has spoken to club president Massimo Moratti to recommend his signing.

“I hope that before the end of the transfer session he can be here with us,” Sneijder told NOS. “Dirk already knows what awaits him at Inter and I am certain within a week my team-mates will be desperate to play with him.

“I’d love him to come here. With him it’s like you’re playing with 12 men, as he knows how to do everything – protect the ball, run and score. He’s very welcome at Inter and not just because he’s Dutch. I talked to everyone about him, even with Moratti.”

Kuyt’s agent, Rob Jansen, earlier revealed the player may be keen on a move to Inter.

“The clubs continue to talk but Dirk has told Liverpool he no longer wants to be involved as this is something that regards his career and life,” he said. “It doesn’t mean he wants to leave at all costs but when a club like Inter comes along it’s normal to look into it further.”

Hodgson said on Wednesday, though, that the player had not said he wants to leave and that he is not for sale.

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Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 26 August 2010 – 10:51
Author: Michael Weightmann

There’s a new name being sung on the terraces of St James’ Park, a new number 9 ready to usher the club into a new era. If Sunday’s performance and hat trick against Aston Villa are anything to go by, the Newcastle United fans have a lot to look forward to with Andy Carroll, and the Gateshead born striker has already stated that he sees his immediate future on Tyneside. But the man with the worst haircut in football also has a chance to be a star on the international scene too. Let’s not forget the last Number 9 from Tyneside to wear the England shirt and his strike record of 30 goals in 63 games They breed finishers in the North East; Shearer, Milburn, Clough and the Three Lions’ record scorer, Bobby Charlton was also born up there.

It’s early days in Carroll’s career to be mentioned with those greats and even though he has been overlooked by Capello for the qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Switzerland, he certainly has all the attributes that could see him go all the way to the top.

Capello’s Young Guns

The England boss has already stated that he wants to invest in youth, and that he sees them as an integral part of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. The Italian made a token gesture in the Hungary friendly, bringing in the likes of Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs, but why not go the full whack; get in players who can be the mainstay of the team for the next decade. Let’s be frank would Andy Carroll do a worse job than any of the forwards at the World Cup? As well, why start testing a 29 year old Zamora when there is a similar player eight years younger who could come in and be moulded into the finished article. With Rooney only three years older, the Three Lions could have a partnership for countless tournaments akin to some of the greatest; Shearer-Sheringham, Lineker – Beardsley – it may be short term pain, but has the potential to be very long term gain.

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Fabio Capello has found himself under pressure following England’s World Cup failure

Former Chelsea manager Mourinho, who worked with England stars such as Frank Lampard and John Terry for three years at Stamford Bridge, says the Three Lions, who disappointed at the World Cup, will never win under Capello.

“It is clear. Capello will not work for England,” Mourinho told the Daily Mirror. “He does not know the players. They are frightened of him and they can’t play for him.”

“For me, it is a mess for England. Players need clear tactics. They cannot be confused about what they have to do. It is the manager’s fault. And it is a big shame.”

England take on Bulgaria next week at Wembley in their first Euro 2012 qualifier, followed by a trip to Switzerland on September 7, and Mourinho thinks it will be more of the same from former Real boss Capello.

“The problem is the manager. He has a one-track relationship with players. Ask anyone here at Real Madrid. He can’t change. You cannot go around just shouting at players. They need to feel special.”

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