football
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Simeone plays it cool
Atletico travel to Sevilla on Sunday looking to keep pace with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the table.
The capital club have lost their last two matches on the road, though, at Celta Vigo in the league and at Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in midweek.
Atletico, who were also Champions League finalists last term, lost key players like goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Diego Costa in the summer, while the likes of Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann arrived.
And Simeone wants to wait until the end of the season before comparisons are drawn between his teams.
"I do not compare with last year's team," he said at a press conference. "There are new players and at the end we can assess what this squad did.
"You can not compare constantly. But we are having a good season. We were competitive in the Copa Del Rey, won the Supercopa, we are alive in the Champions League and we still have many expectations in the league.
"The season is still good and in the end we'll see if it will be good or very good."
Sevilla enjoyed a rather more profitable trip to Germany in midweek, winning 3-2 at Borussia Monchengladbach to progress in the
Europa League, and are chasing Champions League qualification.
They have endured a tough run in the league of late, though, losing three of their last four matches.
"It would be a morale booster to beat the champions," Sevilla coach Unai Emery said.
Koke could return in midfield for Atletico after injury.
Milan held to goalless draw
AC Milan missed the chance to jump towards the European places in Serie A after struggling throughout a goalless draw with Chievo at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
A comfortable victory in Verona would have boosted Filippo Inzaghi's men to within three points of fifth-placed Fiorentina but relegation-threatened Chievo needed the point more and worked hard for it.
Keisuke Honda came closest to breaking the deadlock with an audacious effort shortly after half-time and Chievo might have snatched several goals on the break had Diego Lopez not been switched on.
Grayson praise for Preston
Grayson's side boosted their automatic promotion hopes with a fifth consecutive league win, all achieved without conceding a goal.
Oldham, with Dean Holden in caretaker charge after Lee Johnson left to join Barnsley, were crippled by a long injury list.
Preston cashed in with a ruthless display, starting in the second minute when Paul Huntington headed home a Paul Gallagher corner.
Chris Humphrey hit the crossbar from long range and former Oldham player Daniel Johnson doubled the lead after 32 minutes with a crisp 14-yard shot.
Joe Garner forced in Callum Robinson's cross to make it three after 52 minutes, and Jermaine Beckford completed the rout eight minutes from time when he converted a pass from fellow substitute Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
Grayson said: "It was a fantastic performance against a team who are up there in the table.
"That sort of performance has been coming for a while because we've been playing well and making chances. We thought there would be a game when we scored a few.
"The early goal gave us a perfect start and it calmed everyone down against a team with a new manager in charge.
"We built from there, but even in the last five minutes we were still closing down as a team and keeping our shape and discipline.
"At half-time we told the players to keep doing the same things because, with the players on the pitch and the options on the bench, we have a potent threat.
"It's testament to the team's desire that we've won five games and kept five clean sheets on the trot, but we've got to keep our work rate because there are still a lot of points to gather."
Holden, who was handed the Oldham job on a temporary basis after being first-team coach under Johnson, admitted it had been a baptism of fire.
He said: "I was buzzing before the game and couldn't have done any more preparation, but it's a bad day and very, very disappointing.
"I told the lads to be positive and make a fast start because we needed to stop Preston getting into their stride, but we conceded early because people didn't do their jobs on a set-piece.
"There were too many bad decisions, especially in the second half, and we need to look at why players made those decisions in a pressured environment.
"Good work ethic is a given because you've got to have that passion burning inside you, but you also need a clear mind.
"There's no way it was a 4-0 game, but the scoreline tells you different and all the goals we conceded were poor.
"At 2-0 we were still in the game and I thought we could get back into it, but we didn't show the right response or mentality."
Rooney: Ref got it wrong
The forward scored both goals in a 2-0 victory, but the game was overshadowed by referee Roger East’s bizarre decision to send Brown off, even though team-mate John O’Shea had tripped Radamel Falcao.
In a statement released via the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), East insisted it was not a case of mistaken identity and he did in fact mean to send Brown off.
But Rooney, who played alongside both Brown and O’Shea for United, says the referee made a mistake.
“I don’t think it was Wes – it looked like Sheasy so the referee has got it wrong and I’m sure they will look at that and rescind Wes’ red card,” he told Sky Sports.
Rooney played up front on Saturday afternoon and scored his first league goals of 2015 as United reclaimed third position in the Premier League.
And despite a run of games in midfield, the United skipper insisted he is happy to play anywhere for Louis van Gaal.
“I have done that throughout the years whether I’ve worn the armband or not. That’s something I have always done,” he added.
“I have played in midfield before I have played out wide before. At times you have to see what is best for the team.
“That is what the manager and I have felt and that’s why I have been back in midfield. I love playing football and wherever the manager wants me to play I will play.”
Asked whether the players’ understanding of Van Gaal’s philosophy was coming together, Rooney replied: “Yes it does.
“We knew that obviously it would take time with a lot of changes and a different style of playing football. It’s probably taken a little longer than we would have liked.
“I think even last week we played well and didn’t deserve to lose the game but we’re getting there and if we can get into the top four this season we can really kick on from there.”
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