Arsene Wenger [Coach]

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger rubbishes Platini claims

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is amazed at criticism from UEFA president Michel Platini over his recruitment of the world's best young players.

"I am quite amazed because it is in total contradiction to the policy of UEFA because they try to bring in the home-grown players," Wenger told a news conference at Arsenal's training ground.

"I cannot see how UEFA can, on the one side, instigate a rule that favours that and, on the other side, criticise the clubs that do it.

"I don't understand because our purpose is to give a good life to a player who wants to become a good football player. I don't see what is wrong with that."

Asked about Platini's concern at the growing investment in English clubs by foreigners, his fellow Frenchman Wenger said: "Of course, the concern is understandable.

"But it is down to football bodies like FIFA and UEFA, and the FA, to make sure people who invest money do it with the right purpose and respect the rules. It is down to them to make sure the rules are respected."

[Freddy Adu]

Wenger: Reading success down to Arsenal academy

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists Reading are a prime example of why there is no need for foreign limits in the Premiership.

John Halls, Graham Stack, James Harper and Steve Sidwell have all played for the Royals after coming through Arsenal's youth system and Wenger said: "The rule for success is just live around Arsenal and pick off the players who do not make it completely and I promise you will have a very good team.

"There are very good players who will not all make it here but when they drop out they will still make a good team.

"Harper and Sidwell did not get in here because they had Petit and Viera and Edu in front of them. I think to force the clubs in England to have only English players in the side would be detrimental to the smaller clubs."

Others players plying their trade in the Premiership having graduated at Arsenal include Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, Blackburn midfielder David Bentley, West Ham defender Matthew Upson and Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes.

Wenger added: "I am happy if they have a good life. Sidwell was an important player for them because he had a good partnership with Harper.

"Sidwell's aim was to become a professional football player at a top team. He is. "If we have just contributed a little bit we are happy with that. We take the criticism, no problem.

"As a manager you want to have a positive influence on the life of your football players."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger won't write-off Lehmann

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger isn't writing off Jens Lehmann at Emirates stadium.

Wenger said: "If the situation is still like this in January we will see. We are still in November. November and December is plenty of time to win his place back.

"He is up for the challenge because he is 200% professional."

Lehmann has not played for Arsenal since August 19, when he allowed David Dunn's 25-yard-strike to slip through his hands as Blackburn earned a 1-1 draw.

Lehmann turned 38 on Saturday but Wenger said: "Jens doesn't want any presents. Jens wants to play because he thinks he is the best keeper.

"It makes it worse to put him in and out again. He has done nothing wrong. Almunia has been in the team and the team is doing well. It is as simple as that."

[Freddy Adu]

Ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho slams Wenger's Arsenal

Jose Mourinho has slammed Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for damaging English football.

And the former Chelsea chief poured scorn on the Gunners' claims that they have not bought success - even though he spent £225million on new signings during his reign at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho said: "Unlike Arsenal, we tried to build success through a concept of using English players.

"We wanted to project a positive image of Chelsea without running the risk of filling the club with lots of foreign players.

"That would bring us problems in handling the dressing room and in the Press which is sensitive to the use of English players.

"The people in England don't easily forgive clubs which misrepresent their championship with a complete intake of foreign footballers."

Mourinho is furious at suggestions he owed his Chelsea success to Roman Abramovich's cash while Wenger produced all his own stars.

The Special One asked: "Do people really think only Chelsea have spent a lot of money?

Arsenal also spent a lot and when they needed to build a new team brought in players like Thierry Henry, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and many others.

"Did they all come for nothing? Of course not. With those players Wenger won championships, he won time and, because he is a manager with admirable ability, he won people's respect.

"But in building success he started in the same place as Chelsea. It was only later Wenger cemented his policy of relying on developing young players."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger slams foreign limits debate

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has urged the Premiership to ignore the dinosaurs and refuse to consider introducing foreign quotas.

He told The Sun: "I have always believed that sport should be about quality. Hiding behind artificial rules would not help anyone.

"It doesn't make bad students better if you put down the level of the class. It makes them worse. Only by competing against the best in the world can you improve levels. The public want to see the best. If you organise a golf tournament, people go to watch Tiger Woods, whether that is in Scotland or anywhere else.

"When you go to Wimbledon, you want to see Roger Federer. That is what people demand today. The world has moved on. People demand to see the best in the world and you cannot get them to watch a level down any more.

"It would kill the Premiership from being the best league in the world. You'd see a massive reduction in the quality if the choice were cut. FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants to protect the World Cup and the UEFA Cup.

"It's different if you ask him to protect the quality of the game. I would not be happy if one day you say: "Sorry, you cannot play � I know you are better but you are not from the right place." The real question is how can England take the opportunity to produce world-class players.

"English people are proud to have the best Premier League in the world but they also want a very good national team. Are they both possible together?

"At the moment, I do not think it is possible."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal trialist 'best in Africa'

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal have invited TP Mazembe striker Tresor Mputu for a ten day trial with a view to purchasing the DR Congo player.

Salomon Idi Kalonda, Mazembe boss, remarked, "We have agreed that Mputu will leave the country later this week for trials with Arsenal.

"We have several offers for him from clubs in Europe particularly Belgium and France.

"But Arsenal offers him the best opportunity of becoming a world-class player."

Kalonda believes that the hype surrounding 'the new Samuel Eto'o' is well justified.

"He is one of the most talented players to come out of Africa in the past two years. Indeed, Mputu was the top scorer in the continent-wide Champions League competition this season, netting nine goals in just six matches as the Lubumbashi-based club failed to make the group stages.

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger: England can make Euro2008

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes England can still qualify for Euro 2008 despite progression to next summer's finals now being out of their hands.

The Frenchman claims Russia could slip up against Israel in Tel Aviv on Saturday which would throw Group E wide open and boost England's chances of securing their place in the finals in Austria & Switzerland.

"I am positive for England, because I feel it is difficult (for Russia) to win in Israel," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"Overall I hope it will go well for England, because I know the discussion which will come out if it does not go well is always the same.

"I feel England have quality and I hope they will go to the European Championship."

However, Wenger believes England's potential failure to reach a major competition for the first time since 1994 could end up being a blessing in disguise.

"It would, of course, be a massive blow if they did not make it," he added. "But it happened to France in 1994 - they did not go to the World Cup and then won the World Cup in 1998.

"So it would be a massive disappointment, but football will go on.

"Here even the day after a big disappointment, there is always hope for the future, that England can win the next competition.

"That is for me the biggest charm in this country."

[Freddy Adu]

Bould reveals English talent coming through at Arsenal

Arsenal have often being criticised for a lack of English talent in their ranks, with Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte the only regulars in Arsene Wenger's first-team squad.

However, the Gunners have a strong home-grown contingent in their youth set-up, and hopes are high for the likes of Henri Lansbury, who has featured in the Carling Cup.

Arsenal Academy coach Steve Bould told the club's website ************ "What's important is that we are getting a lot of good kids in and it is a big bonus that lots of them are English and I have to say that they are very, very good players.

"We certainly don't know how far they are going to get - but we have a lot of good English players.

"That is great for the club and the fans want to see English lads in there, and they also want to see good players and we have plenty of those from home and abroad."

[Freddy Adu]

Bould reveals English talent coming through at Arsenal

Arsenal have often being criticised for a lack of English talent in their ranks, with Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte the only regulars in Arsene Wenger's first-team squad.

However, the Gunners have a strong home-grown contingent in their youth set-up, and hopes are high for the likes of Henri Lansbury, who has featured in the Carling Cup.

Arsenal Academy coach Steve Bould told the club's website ************ "What's important is that we are getting a lot of good kids in and it is a big bonus that lots of them are English and I have to say that they are very, very good players.

"We certainly don't know how far they are going to get - but we have a lot of good English players.

"That is great for the club and the fans want to see English lads in there, and they also want to see good players and we have plenty of those from home and abroad."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger: We'll see Eduardo best in January

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is confident Eduardo da Silva will come good at Emirates stadium.

Eduardo has taken time to settle after his summer move from Dinamo Zagreb. But he has been a consistent performer for his adopted country Croatia during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign and he is likely to face England on Wednesday.

Wenger said: "He is getting sharper now, and we will see the real Eduardo after January."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger eager to help England

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has vowed he is "happy to help" if the Football Association want to consult him for advice about the vacant England manager's job but emphasised he is not interested in succeeding the sacked Steve McClaren.

The Football Association will now begin their search for a successor and the soul-searching continues for answers to the abject failure of some of the Barclays Premier League's top stars who again failed to deliver for their country.

Wenger, though, reflected on the experiences of France, who failed to reach the 1994 World Cup in the United States, but then won it four years later as hosts.

The Frenchman, often criticised for a lack of home-grown talent in his own squad, said: "I don't think it is a disaster, but it is a massive disappointment.

"It is up to England to see how they respond to the situation now.

"Immediately, in the present, it is a massive handicap. On the future for the World Cup 2010 it can be an advantage if the right measures are taken now."

Wenger was himself once approached for the England job by the FA, but has always maintained his interest lies only in club football.

"I am always happy to help if I can," Wenger told ************.

"I am not sure I am really gifted for that, but if they want to know my opinion - and it is a confidential one - then I am always happy."

Wenger, who recently agreed a new deal to keep him at Emirates Stadium until 2011, still believes an Englishman would be best suited to the job of national team boss.

"If I was English then of course [I'd be interested]," the Frenchman, 58, said.

"But I am not so it is a 'no'. That is in line with what I have always said.

"In my opinion, the England manager should be English."

[Freddy Adu]

"Wigan played well defensively. We needed something special and some patience to find an opening, and Gallas found it. He is a forgotten centre-forward because he knows where to be in the box and he can always turn up with a goal when you need it."
- Arsene Wenger

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
"We needed something special and some patience to find an opening, and Gallas found it.

"He is a forgotten centre-forward because he knows where to be in the box and he can always turn up with a goal.

"Once again we found the resources to win the game. It is not the first time, so I do not feel it is a coincidence."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger dismisses Euro ban

Arsene Wenger has shrugged off his Champions League touchline ban, labelling it "artificial" and suggesting it would not prevent him from communicating with his players.

The Arsenal boss will be confined to the stands for his team's final Group H match, at home to Steaua Bucharest on December 12, after his sending-off at Sevilla on Tuesday, and Uefa could ban him for longer because the governing body is unhappy that he did not retreat to the stands after his dismissal.

Article 70 (2) of Uefa's disciplinary regulations states that a manager who is suspended is "not allowed in the dressing room, tunnel or technical area before and during the match nor is he allowed to get into contact with his team".

When Jose Mourinho, the then Chelsea manager, was suspended for both legs of his side's Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in 2005, there were allegations that he was smuggled out of the dressing room in a laundry skip after the first match, having given team talks before the game and at half-time.

Wenger joked that he would "try to improve the size of our [laundry] basket" but he sees an easier way around the inconvenience.

"You can always communicate [with the bench]," he said.

"It is a very artificial rule. If I say something to the guy next to me, he can communicate with the guy down on the bench. I don't need to communicate directly. It is a little bit an artificial ban. You can always communicate if you really want to."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:

"I watched them against Blackburn and they were good but I still feel we can beat them.

"They are overall a side which is physically compact and very direct. Gabriel Abgonlahor and John Carew up front give you a lot of problems.

"They have a good midfield - I rate Gareth Barry, Nigel Reo-Coker and Stiliyan Petrov, they are all good young midfielders and I was very impressed by their defence against Chelsea at the start of the season."

[Brasil]

Wenger denies Lehmann homecoming rumours


Written by: AFP

	Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed rumours linking unsettled goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, seen here in November 2007 in Hanover, with a return to his native Germany in the January transfer window.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed rumours linking unsettled goalkeeper Jens Lehmann with a return to his native Germany in the January transfer window.

The 38-year-old lost his place in the Gunners first team to Manuel Almunia at the end of August and has not been able to win it back, leading to speculation he could opt for a switch to the Bundesliga to ensure he remains Germany's first choice in the run up to Euro 2008 next sumer.

Wolfsburg are reportedly ready to offer Lehmann a ticket home but Wenger insisted he had no plans to let the veteran go.

"It's not true," Wenger said. "It's only newspaper talk because nothing concrete has been discussed between me and Jens and nothing between me and Wolfsburg.

"At the moment I do not want to speculate on any movement in the transfer window. We want to focus on our games and Jens is part of that."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:

"We go into a period now from the end of November to March where everybody fights for something.

"During this period the points are especially hard to get because there is always something at stake.

"At the end of March it becomes easier to take points, but during these four months you can make a difference."

[Brasil]

News

Arsenal manager Wenger eager for home comforts Written by: AFP Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger watches his team lose 2-1 against Middlesbrough in their English Premiership football match at The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, north-east England, 9 December 2007. Home is where the heart of this season´s Premiership title race is if Wenger is to be believed and the Frenchman will be relieved to return to the sanctuary of the Emirates Stadium next weekend. MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AFP) - Home is where the heart of this season's Premiership title race is if Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to be believed and the Frenchman will be relieved to return to the sanctuary of the Emirates Stadium next weekend. There are few more dangerous visitors than Chelsea in a fixture which is already being billed as make or break for these great London rivals. But after four successive away fixtures Arsenal fans will share Wenger's joy that football is finally coming home. Sunday's 2-1 defeat against a Middlesbrough team previously rooted in the bottom three ended Arsenal's unbeaten start to the league season. It also marked the culmination of a gruelling period of travel and a coincidental run of injuries affecting the creative core of their squad. Wenger hopes France midfielder Mathieu Flamini and Dutch international forward Robin van Persie will return to face Chelsea but doubts persist over the long-term fitness of Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb. "We lost the game against Middlesbrough because we deserved to lose it," explained Arsenal's frank coach. "We were jaded physically after four away games on the trot. "I always have confidence in the team I pick and don't want to talk about the players who were missing. But at the moment we are without a lot of midfielders and that is affecting our creativity. "It doesn't mean we should concede a penalty after four minutes. But it looks like the title race will be tight so the rest of the Premiership will be delighted," he added. Wenger is right. At the peak of their 22-match unbeaten league run the Gunners had looked a class apart from their Premiership rivals and the competition for English football's top prize again seemed to revolve around a one-horse race. Victories for Chelsea and Manchester United at the weekend, coupled with Arsenal's loss, have though breathed new life into what was looking like a tired procession. So why the sudden demise of Wenger's previously unflappable youngsters? The danger signs were flashing loud and clear during a sluggish display in Seville and Aston Villa dominated the second half of their league game against the Gunners days later. At Newcastle's St James' Park last Wednesday an early Emmanuel Adebayor goal was not enough to secure victory and the home team were ultimately unfortunate to come away with a 1-1 draw. Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate was determined to capitalize on Arsenal's fatigue and glut of absentees. "We thought this might be a good time to play them," he later conceded. "I watched Arsenal at Newcastle and knew we had a chance. In the end we fought and scrapped but we felt we had to play positively. If you play football against Arsenal then there's always a chance you can beat them. But we also know that they can destroy you because they are an outstanding team. "There's no question that was the best performance of our season so far. Hopefully the players can see what they're capable of now. We keep telling them but they need the belief. Now we have a massive game at Derby next week." It was only last season that Middlesbrough's chairman, Steve Gibson, criticized Arsenal for damaging the very fabric of English football by concentrating their recruitment policy on foreign players. But a repentant Gibson explained: "I said it and I realized I was wrong. "I rang David Dein (then Arsenal's vice-chairman) and asked him to convey my apologies to Arsene Wenger. I wish we could produce a team that could one day play like Arsenal." On Sunday, Middlesbrough did that and more. Now former England defender Southgate must ensure his players display the same passion and endeavour against the lesser lights of England's Premier League.

[Cristiano Best 07]

I personally think that he dislikes the Arsenal supporters because they don't show up in large numbers for away games.

[Brasil]

Wenger expects four-horse title race in Premier League


Written by: AFP

	Arsenal captain William Gallas celebrates after scoring his side´s first goal against Chelsea during their Premiership match at home to Arsenal at the Emirates football stadium. Arsenal won 1-0.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger has the destiny of the Premier League in his control but the Arsenal manager expects a four-way battle before he gets his hands on the title.

Wenger's side remain one point clear of Manchester United at the top of the table after William Gallas clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners showed they could withstand the pressure of playing catch-up after briefly losing top spot to United, who won 1-0 at Liverpool earlier Sunday.

They are now six points ahead of Chelsea and 10 clear of Liverpool and it would be easy to interpret those results as proof that Arsenal and United will stay the course better than their rivals.

But Wenger refused to write off Chelsea and admitted he is sure all four of England's big guns will slug it out until the end.

"We are confident. The belief is there but I prefer that it remains a four horse race because it is more interesting," Wenger said.

"It makes a day like this great for the Premier League. As long as there are four teams in it the interest is even bigger.

"The other two are still involved. Liverpool had the biggest disappointment because they dropped points at home but they are not out of it. Neither are Chelsea because they showed here that they are a good team."

This was a statement game for Arsenal. Their purist principles have never been in doubt but for too long they have been vulnerable against teams who try to rough them up.

Chelsea set out to do just that but Wenger's youngsters proved they have the spirit and determination to go toe to toe with anyone.

It made for a brutal clash. No quarter was asked or given and at times the game resembled a bar-room brawl.

Referee Alan Wiley booked nine players, four from Arsenal and five from Chelsea, but right until the end the bone-crunching tackles threatened to boil over into anarchy.

Wenger made no apologies for the physical nature of the contest.

"The spirit in the side in absolutely amazing. Where we have improved is in the fight," he said. "We were not dominated in the duels and the one-on-ones. Overall we dominated that area and that is not normally the case."

The spiteful atmosphere that surrounded Ashley Cole's first return to Arsenal following the Chelsea left-back's controversial transfer last year turned out to be the perfect backdrop to the match.

Cole was jeered throughout and his frustration boiled over when he made an obscene gesture at the Arsenal fans after the final whistle.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant has more pressing concerns than Cole's temper. John Terry will have scans on an ankle injury that forced him to come off before half-time.

Terry, who had been involved in a flare-up with Cesc Fabregas moments earlier, was caught by Emmanuel Eboue's late tackle.

Grant believes Terry has ligament damage rather than a break and will be praying the England defender is back soon.

With Didier Drogba absent and Andriy Shevchenko short of confidence, Chelsea lacked a cutting edge.

They fell behind in first half injury time when Petr Cech made a rare, costly error. The keeper misjudged Fabregas's corner and Gallas, a former Chelsea player, was on hand to head into the empty net.

Shevchenko's one threating moment came late on but Manuel Almunia, who had a fine game, brilliantly tipped his free-kick over.

Grant, whose side lost for the first time in 17 matches, is convinced Chelsea did enough to show they can still feature in the title battle.

"It is disappointing but if we continue like this it will be ok for us. It is not the end of the world," he said. "Six points at this time of the season is nothing. It will not be easy, but it is possible.

"Arsenal had all their players and we did not but there was no difference between us and them."


More like a 5-Horse Race, don't count Manchester City out.

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger: Bendtner staying

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was quick to put a lid on his derby win euphoria on Saturday by saying that Nicklas Bendtner is at Emirates to stay.

The striker scored his side's winner in the 2-1 win over Tottenham, and the Denmark international's future at the club has been speculated on of late due to his bit-part use by Wenger.

However, talk of another loan move for the 19-year-old was given the short shrift by the French tactician.

"Nicklas is here for four more years and we want to keep him," said Wenger unequivocally in the Sunday Mirror.

"Nowhere else in the world do you have so many young players in a club. He is only 19 and he is good enough to have a long-term future here.

[Freddy Adu]

Bendtner: I don't want to leave Arsenal

Nicklas Bendtner is backing Arsenal's youngsters to keep the club top of the table.

The 19-year-old Denmark striker will turn down any possibilities of moving on loan next month as he feels the younger players at the club can have a big say in winning the league.

"I'm staying here no matter what happens," he said. "Moving now or going on loan would not be what I want.

"It is the squad that wins all the games. You need to have a strong squad. If someone is tired later in the season it is important that you have someone who can come in and take over."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger: We can win Premiership

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is 'convinced' his side can lift the Premier League trophy this season.

Saturday's 2-1 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur ensured that The Gunners remain top of the table over Christmas.

And Wenger is confident that his players can remain at the Premier League summit until May.

"I am convinced we can remain there. We have 43 points from 18 games and are in a very strong position," he said in the News of the World.

"This win showed we have the maturity and mental toughness to succeed - I've always thought it.

"We have had some tough games recently and have come through them."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal boss Wenger rules out January spending spree


Written by: AFP

	Arsene Wenger, pictured on December 1, is planning to ignore the January sales because he believes Arsenal have enough strength in depth to last the pace in the Premier League title race.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger is planning to ignore the January sales because he believes Arsenal have enough strength in depth to last the pace in the Premier League title race.

Wenger will be without Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue for a month in the New Year while the defenders play at the African Nations Cup.

The transfer window opens in January but the Gunners boss feels he has enough cover and doesn't want to sign a player who would be consigned to the reserves when Toure and Eboue return in February.

"Kolo Toure goes off to the African Nations Cup shortly and we may lose Alex Song for it as well," Wenger said.

"Even with Johan Djourou returning from Birmingham we would then be left with three specialist centre-backs.

"If I signed another one we'd have too many after the African Nations. Sometimes you just have to suffer during the tournament and let your players play."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal´s Wenger starts title countdown


Written by: AFP

	Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger grimaces during his side´s Premiership match at home to Tottenham at the Emirates stadium, December 22. Wenger is already counting down the days until the end of the season as Arsenal try to hold onto their position on top of the Premier League.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger is already counting down the days until the end of the season as Arsenal try to hold onto their position on top of the Premier League.

Wenger's side lead Manchester United by one point going and the Gunners boss knows that the last four teams to be in pole position on Christmas Day went onto win the title.

He would happily end the season now if he could but the Frenchman, whose side travel to Portsmouth on Wednesday, believes Arsenal have the staying power to hold off United regardless.

"It's important to be top and I hope the statistic proves right," Wenger said. "If it does then let's just go straight to the end of the season now!

"But really I feel it's too early to say. In the last two seasons at this stage there was only one team involved - Chelsea or Manchester United. This year there are more teams in it so it's impossible to say how things will happen. Being top now is no insurance.

"However, this is one of the few years we have beaten Tottenham home and away. It's a good sign and it should increase the belief of the team. It shows we can get three points without being at our best."

Arsenal's gritty home wins against Chelsea and Tottenham proved they have the character to fight for their first title since 2004, and the return of Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb has given a renewed verve to their midfield.

Even so Wenger would love a present from an old enemy over Christmas.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane was a constant thorn in Wenger's side during his time at Manchester United. But now he can help the Gunners by inflicting defeat on United at the Stadium of Light.

Keane has been experiencing the downside of managerial life recently as a series of controversial decisions have sent his side spinning into the relegation zone.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been impressed by Keane since he moved into the dug-out but admitted he warned his former star he should stick to the easy life when he retired.

"I never told him to be a manager," Ferguson said. "It doesn't matter whether you are a top player or not. It is a hard profession to go into, harder than it has ever been.

"We have foreign ownership and a different type of media. The demands are far higher than when I first started."

Chelsea remain in the title hunt after Sunday's win at Blackburn and will hope to close the gap on the top two by gaining revenge over Aston Villa, who beat them earlier this season.

Blues manager Avram Grant is surprised that the big four are all still in with a chance of winning the league at the midway point of the campaign.

"I think it's unusual to have four teams fighting for the title in December," Grant said. "All four teams won their first game of the Christmas programme, so for you and us it will be an exciting title race this season.

"For us, six points is a gap we can make up."

Liverpool's convincing win over Portsmouth last weekend settled a few nerves at Anfield after successive league defeats. But Rafa Benitez's side have no room for error as they try to catch up with Arsenal.

Reds striker Dirk Kuyt believes they have to win all three Christmas matches, starting at Derby,

"We have to win our next three now at Derby, Manchester City and at home to Wigan and if we can get nine points from those games I think we will get closer to the other teams," Kuyt said.

"We want to go on a run and win a lot of games. Every defeat in the league is big one for us because you just want to win and compete with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea so we can't afford to lose many more."

[Freddy Adu]

Arsenal´s Wenger wants Lehmann to stay


Written by: AFP

	Arsene Wenger has admitted he would prefer if German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann (seen here warming up in October 2007) stayed with Arsenal.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger admitted Friday he would prefer if German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann stayed with Arsenal.

Lehmann, 38, has been out of Arsenal's first team since losing his place to Spaniard Manuel Almunia in September and has been courted by Bundesliga sides VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund.

As Germany's first-choice goalkeeper, Lehmann is under pressure to play regular football and the national side's head coach Joachim Loew has expressed his concern.

Wenger said: "I believe first he has to make his mind up: does he want to stay with us or not? I personally would prefer him to stay and he has to make his mind up first and then we will see together."

And the Arsenal manager said that he does not expect to boost his squad during the January transfer window despite losing both Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure when they join the Ivory Coast squad for the African Cup of Nations.

"We knew (about) that before the season started and we expected (Emmanuel) Adebayor to leave, so the good news is that Adebayor doesn't go. But we are not in the market at the moment," said Wenger.