Delight for under-pressure Houllier

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier was pleased with the effort of his players after their ‘massive’ 1-0 win against Newcastle on Sunday.

James Collins’ first-half header eased the pressure on Houllier’s side as they moved five points above the relegation zone.

“The players’ work-rate, their determination for each other was good,” Houllier told Sky Sports.

“I praise all the players because we used 13, for their effort today. You could see from the start they wanted it. It’s a massive win.”

“In fairness we knew we missed a turning point at Bolton, but this time at home we did extremely well.”

Houllier said despite reports he was unpopular among the Villa Park faithful, he was confident he had the support of chairman Randy Lerner.

“I don’t think there’s too much pressure on me because the most important thing is the support I get from the chairman and the chief executive and that was clear all through the week,” he said.

“It’s not about Gerard Houllier, it’s about the club. We are here for the club.”

The visitors had several players missing from the teamsheer, including strikers Leon Best and Shola Ameobi and suspended midfielders Cheik Tiote and Kevin Nolan.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew bemoaned the absence of the quartet afterwards, but nonetheless thought his side could have grabbed a late equaliser.

“I think we just missed the core of our team today. (We missed) some big players, and probably for Villa it was a good call because of the players missing,” Pardew said.

“Having said that it was a gallant effort. In our passing we could?ve been crisper and better, yet we still could have nicked something at the end.”

The loss means Newcastle are just seven points clear of the relegation zone. But with his side in ninth, Pardew is hopeful his side can soon cement their Premier League status.

“Everybody in the division is the same. We just need to get to those 41-42 points so we’re comfortable,” he said.

“There is plenty of games (and we have) plenty of good players, (and we) want to finish stronger than that if we can.”

Sun 10 April, 2011

Delight for under-pressure Houllier

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier was pleased with the effort of his players after their ‘massive’ 1-0 win against Newcastle on Sunday.

James Collins’ first-half header eased the pressure on Houllier’s side as they moved five points above the relegation zone.

“The players’ work-rate, their determination for each other was good,” Houllier told Sky Sports.

“I praise all the players because we used 13, for their effort today. You could see from the start they wanted it. It’s a massive win.”

“In fairness we knew we missed a turning point at Bolton, but this time at home we did extremely well.”

Houllier said despite reports he was unpopular among the Villa Park faithful, he was confident he had the support of chairman Randy Lerner.

“I don’t think there’s too much pressure on me because the most important thing is the support I get from the chairman and the chief executive and that was clear all through the week,” he said.

“It’s not about Gerard Houllier, it’s about the club. We are here for the club.”

The visitors had several players missing from the teamsheer, including strikers Leon Best and Shola Ameobi and suspended midfielders Cheik Tiote and Kevin Nolan.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew bemoaned the absence of the quartet afterwards, but nonetheless thought his side could have grabbed a late equaliser.

“I think we just missed the core of our team today. (We missed) some big players, and probably for Villa it was a good call because of the players missing,” Pardew said.

“Having said that it was a gallant effort. In our passing we could?ve been crisper and better, yet we still could have nicked something at the end.”

The loss means Newcastle are just seven points clear of the relegation zone. But with his side in ninth, Pardew is hopeful his side can soon cement their Premier League status.

“Everybody in the division is the same. We just need to get to those 41-42 points so we’re comfortable,” he said.

“There is plenty of games (and we have) plenty of good players, (and we) want to finish stronger than that if we can.”

Sun 10 April, 2011

Hodgson delight at comeback win

West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson sung the praises of his players after they won 3-2 at Sunderland on Saturday.

Hodgson’s dream run as Albion manager continued as he went unbeaten for the seventh match in succession and saw his side enter the top half of the English Premier League table.

West Brom trailed twice but second-half strikes to Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner wrapped up a terrific away win, which left Hodgson glowing.

“I thought the players showed enormous character and ability in the second half to come out again and I thought, quite frankly, we were good value for our 3-2,” Hodgson said.

“Today was a very important victory, because it’s not easy to come to the Stadium of Light at any time and win matches.”

“And when you’re fighting for your life at the bottom to win, it’s even better.”

But despite sitting 10th on the table, Hodgson says his side are not safe from relegation.

“We’re not over the line, 39 points isn’t over the line,” he said.

“But it’s a lot happier position to be in, with 39 with six to play rather than 31 or 32 with six to play, which some of our rivals have got at the moment.”

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce lamented his side’s defensive errors and the fact they could not hold onto their 2-1 lead.

“We had a disappointing 20 minutes after taking the lead twice,” Bruce said.

“When you take a 2-1 lead at home you should be good enough to stay on and take the three points.”

“Defensively, we’re all over the place. That’s the big situation. We were rock solid there up until the turn of the year and now we have to score three or more goals to win a football match.”

“We have to go back to the training ground, keep working at it and get our defensive shape back.”

The result means Sunderland have won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions and Bruce admits his side will have an uphill battle to turn around their form.

“It’s a big disappointment and we’re up against it at the moment. The only thing we can do is batten down the hatches, keep going and come out fighting,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep on going. All we can do is keep plugging away.”

Sat 9 April, 2011

Hodgson delight at comeback win

West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson sung the praises of his players after they won 3-2 at Sunderland on Saturday.

Hodgson’s dream run as Albion manager continued as he went unbeaten for the seventh match in succession and saw his side enter the top half of the English Premier League table.

West Brom trailed twice but second-half strikes to Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner wrapped up a terrific away win, which left Hodgson glowing.

“I thought the players showed enormous character and ability in the second half to come out again and I thought, quite frankly, we were good value for our 3-2,” Hodgson said.

“Today was a very important victory, because it’s not easy to come to the Stadium of Light at any time and win matches.”

“And when you’re fighting for your life at the bottom to win, it’s even better.”

But despite sitting 10th on the table, Hodgson says his side are not safe from relegation.

“We’re not over the line, 39 points isn’t over the line,” he said.

“But it’s a lot happier position to be in, with 39 with six to play rather than 31 or 32 with six to play, which some of our rivals have got at the moment.”

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce lamented his side’s defensive errors and the fact they could not hold onto their 2-1 lead.

“We had a disappointing 20 minutes after taking the lead twice,” Bruce said.

“When you take a 2-1 lead at home you should be good enough to stay on and take the three points.”

“Defensively, we’re all over the place. That’s the big situation. We were rock solid there up until the turn of the year and now we have to score three or more goals to win a football match.”

“We have to go back to the training ground, keep working at it and get our defensive shape back.”

The result means Sunderland have won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions and Bruce admits his side will have an uphill battle to turn around their form.

“It’s a big disappointment and we’re up against it at the moment. The only thing we can do is batten down the hatches, keep going and come out fighting,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep on going. All we can do is keep plugging away.”

Sat 9 April, 2011

Pinto delight at Barca extension

Veteran Barcelona goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto says he is delighted to have signed a one-year contract extension with the Catalan giants.

The 35-year-old, who deputises for Barca number one Victor Valdes, inked a new deal with the Spanish champions on Wednesday, a contract that should see him remain at the Nou Camp until the end of next season.

Pinto arrived at Barcelona in January 2008, and after a five-month loan spell from his parent club Celta Vigo – where he spent a decade – he was offered a permanent deal in May 2008.

“I’m very happy because this is where I wanted to be,

Mourinho´s derby delight

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was delighted with his players after they beat cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Saturday.

Goals to Karim Benzema and Mesut Oezil scored first-half goals for Real and, although Atletico grabbed an equaliser in the dying stages through Sergio Aguero, Mourinho’s side hung for an crucial away victory.

“It was a very important victory. Atletico Madrid played a great game and were excellent in attack. For us it was a great win,” Mourinho told Eurosport.

“Things were difficult for us. In the first half we controlled the game very well and in the second we have been able to contain Atleti. The second half was very difficult for us. We did not have the necessary intensity and we were tired, especially (Cristiano) Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.”

Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria was left out of the side and replaced by French midfielder Lassana Diarra in order to make the side more compact, according to Mourinho.

“I opted for three midfielders because I knew the team was tired and to make the team more compact,” he said.

“I wanted to rest some players but I did want to risk our championship chances ending today. It was a risk but you have to take each day as it comes. Now we will have three days of rest.”

Mourinho reserved special praise for the ‘fantastic’ Iker Casillas and also made mention of referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes’ performance.

“The referee had a great game as it is not difficult to officiate such a match,” he said.

“Perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo could have had a penalty but overall he had a great game.”

Sun 20 March, 2011

Mourinho´s derby delight

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was delighted with his players after they beat cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Saturday.

Goals to Karim Benzema and Mesut Oezil scored first-half goals for Real and, although Atletico grabbed an equaliser in the dying stages through Sergio Aguero, Mourinho’s side hung for an crucial away victory.

“It was a very important victory. Atletico Madrid played a great game and were excellent in attack. For us it was a great win,” Mourinho told Eurosport.

“Things were difficult for us. In the first half we controlled the game very well and in the second we have been able to contain Atleti. The second half was very difficult for us. We did not have the necessary intensity and we were tired, especially (Cristiano) Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.”

Argentina attacker Angel Di Maria was left out of the side and replaced by French midfielder Lassana Diarra in order to make the side more compact, according to Mourinho.

“I opted for three midfielders because I knew the team was tired and to make the team more compact,” he said.

“I wanted to rest some players but I did want to risk our championship chances ending today. It was a risk but you have to take each day as it comes. Now we will have three days of rest.”

Mourinho reserved special praise for the ‘fantastic’ Iker Casillas and also made mention of referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes’ performance.

“The referee had a great game as it is not difficult to officiate such a match,” he said.

“Perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo could have had a penalty but overall he had a great game.”

Sun 20 March, 2011

Scaloni delight with mature Lazio

Lazio defender Lionel Scaloni said his side’s experience helped them keep a clean sheet in their victory over Palermo on Sunday in Serie A.

The Roman club triumphed 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, courtesy of a first-half brace to Giuseppe Sculli.

But 32-year-old Scaloni said the striker’s defensive capabilities in the clash was just as crucial.

“Yes, it was a great match, above all we showed our maturity, because today we played against a great team and a draw would have meant losing fourth place in Serie A, with the derby on Sunday ahead of us,” Scaloni said.

“The team played excellently in the first fifteen to twenty minutes, it was clear we wanted to win. That’s why I say Lazio has improved a lot especially in our attitude.”

“We now start difficult matches differently from last year. We played against a great team and the goals came one after the other. That was important for us. However, it’s also true they created difficulties for us. It was always two against one, (but) luckily (Giuseppe) Sculli and (Alvaro) Gonzales came to help me and we managed to win the match.”

The win put Lazio back into fourth place on the table – 10 points from league leaders AC Milan – but Scaloni said the club had more realistic ambitions than dreaming of the Scudetto.

“We are on our way. I think we need to take one match at a time. We need to keep playing like we did today, especially the way we played early on in the match. If we play like this for 45 to 60 minutes then we might have a chance to battle for third place,” the Argentine said.

Mon 7 March, 2011

Scaloni delight with mature Lazio

Lazio defender Lionel Scaloni said his side’s experience helped them keep a clean sheet in their victory over Palermo on Sunday in Serie A.

The Roman club triumphed 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, courtesy of a first-half brace to Giuseppe Sculli.

But 32-year-old Scaloni said the striker’s defensive capabilities in the clash was just as crucial.

“Yes, it was a great match, above all we showed our maturity, because today we played against a great team and a draw would have meant losing fourth place in Serie A, with the derby on Sunday ahead of us,” Scaloni said.

“The team played excellently in the first fifteen to twenty minutes, it was clear we wanted to win. That’s why I say Lazio has improved a lot especially in our attitude.”

“We now start difficult matches differently from last year. We played against a great team and the goals came one after the other. That was important for us. However, it’s also true they created difficulties for us. It was always two against one, (but) luckily (Giuseppe) Sculli and (Alvaro) Gonzales came to help me and we managed to win the match.”

The win put Lazio back into fourth place on the table – 10 points from league leaders AC Milan – but Scaloni said the club had more realistic ambitions than dreaming of the Scudetto.

“We are on our way. I think we need to take one match at a time. We need to keep playing like we did today, especially the way we played early on in the match. If we play like this for 45 to 60 minutes then we might have a chance to battle for third place,” the Argentine said.

Mon 7 March, 2011

Redknapp delight at spirited display

Harry Redknapp again praised the resilience of his Spurs side after they came from behind to post a 2-1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

After falling behind to an early Asamoah Gyan goal, Spurs hit back through a header from Michael Dawson just before half-time, with Niko Kranjcar producing a stunning long-range winner just before the hour mark to seal all three points for the Londoners.

It was Spurs’ sixth away win this season and lifted them into fourth in the English Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

“This team doesn’t give up and there is a great spirit at the club,” Redknapp said.

“It’s difficult to come back when you go behind in the Premier League but we’ve managed to do it again.”

“Sunderland started brightly and scored their goal but the game settled down after that and I thought there was something in it for us.”

“I just felt if we could score before half-time we’d have a big chance and I fancied us to go on and win the game in the second half.”

“Niko popped up with another fantastic goal and it’s something he practises after training every day. He’s a top, top player.”

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, meanwhile, lamented the equaliser his side conceded just before half-time as the turning point in the game. The result was his side’s third-straight loss, although they remain in seventh place.

“We started so well but the goal just before half-time killed us,” Bruce said.

“We still haven’t learned our lesson from the Stoke game (a 3-2 loss last weekend), and we’ve talked about it before.”

“It was a simple lack of concentration from a corner and because of that we were deflated going in at half-time.”

“We didn’t pick up Dawson, who’s their best header of the ball – for all our hard work, it’s happened again.”

“For me, that moment cost us the match.”

“I have to hold my hands up for the second goal – it was a wonder strike. But there’s a frustration there because we should have got something from the game.”

Sat 12 February, 2011

Redknapp delight at spirited display

Harry Redknapp again praised the resilience of his Spurs side after they came from behind to post a 2-1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

After falling behind to an early Asamoah Gyan goal, Spurs hit back through a header from Michael Dawson just before half-time, with Niko Kranjcar producing a stunning long-range winner just before the hour mark to seal all three points for the Londoners.

It was Spurs’ sixth away win this season and lifted them into fourth in the English Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

“This team doesn’t give up and there is a great spirit at the club,” Redknapp said.

“It’s difficult to come back when you go behind in the Premier League but we’ve managed to do it again.”

“Sunderland started brightly and scored their goal but the game settled down after that and I thought there was something in it for us.”

“I just felt if we could score before half-time we’d have a big chance and I fancied us to go on and win the game in the second half.”

“Niko popped up with another fantastic goal and it’s something he practises after training every day. He’s a top, top player.”

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, meanwhile, lamented the equaliser his side conceded just before half-time as the turning point in the game. The result was his side’s third-straight loss, although they remain in seventh place.

“We started so well but the goal just before half-time killed us,” Bruce said.

“We still haven’t learned our lesson from the Stoke game (a 3-2 loss last weekend), and we’ve talked about it before.”

“It was a simple lack of concentration from a corner and because of that we were deflated going in at half-time.”

“We didn’t pick up Dawson, who’s their best header of the ball – for all our hard work, it’s happened again.”

“For me, that moment cost us the match.”

“I have to hold my hands up for the second goal – it was a wonder strike. But there’s a frustration there because we should have got something from the game.”

Sat 12 February, 2011

Dalglish delight at Reds win

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish praised his ‘fantastic’ side after they won 3-0 at Wolves on Saturday.

A Fernando Torres brace and a Raul Meireles strike gave the Merseyside club a much-needed win which lifted them into the top-half of the table.

Dalglish said his side deserved the three points and was pleased with what he deemed a convincing display.

“The way the lads competed was fantastic and it was a reflection of what they’d been like since we’ve come in,” Dalglish told SkySports.

“I think it’s nothing short of what we deserve. I think if you come to Molineux and you don’t put in a performance, there’s no way you’re going to get a result.”

Dalglish also made special mention of his goal-scorers that secured the club’s first away win since October.

“I thought he (Torres) was fantastic, apart from the two goals he worked his socks off. He was threatening a lot. That performance will do for us every day of the week,” he said.

“Raul played very well today; he made the first goal and scored the second. He is a very good footballer and it takes a bit of adjusting to get to the speed of the Premiership. But he’s getting up to that level week in week out.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy bemoaned his side’s defensive errors, which began when defender Ronald Zubar played Meireles onside, which led to the first goal, scored by Torres.

“I think we let them off the hook by trying to play offside after 30-odd minutes,” he said.

“We then got done by a wonder-strike which no-one is stopping – you could have put two goalkeepers in. The third one is incidental because the game was finished – two mistakes and a wonder strike.”

McCarthy also sung the praises of Dalglish, who he feels is more supported by Liverpool than previous manager Roy Hodgson.

“I think he is enjoying a support and a warmth Roy didn’t,” he said.

“He has garnered and nurtured that and they are on a better roll than they were because of it.”

Sat 22 January, 2011

Dalglish delight at Reds win

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish praised his ‘fantastic’ side after they won 3-0 at Wolves on Saturday.

A Fernando Torres brace and a Raul Meireles strike gave the Merseyside club a much-needed win which lifted them into the top-half of the table.

Dalglish said his side deserved the three points and was pleased with what he deemed a convincing display.

“The way the lads competed was fantastic and it was a reflection of what they’d been like since we’ve come in,” Dalglish told SkySports.

“I think it’s nothing short of what we deserve. I think if you come to Molineux and you don’t put in a performance, there’s no way you’re going to get a result.”

Dalglish also made special mention of his goal-scorers that secured the club’s first away win since October.

“I thought he (Torres) was fantastic, apart from the two goals he worked his socks off. He was threatening a lot. That performance will do for us every day of the week,” he said.

“Raul played very well today; he made the first goal and scored the second. He is a very good footballer and it takes a bit of adjusting to get to the speed of the Premiership. But he’s getting up to that level week in week out.”

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy bemoaned his side’s defensive errors, which began when defender Ronald Zubar played Meireles onside, which led to the first goal, scored by Torres.

“I think we let them off the hook by trying to play offside after 30-odd minutes,” he said.

“We then got done by a wonder-strike which no-one is stopping – you could have put two goalkeepers in. The third one is incidental because the game was finished – two mistakes and a wonder strike.”

McCarthy also sung the praises of Dalglish, who he feels is more supported by Liverpool than previous manager Roy Hodgson.

“I think he is enjoying a support and a warmth Roy didn’t,” he said.

“He has garnered and nurtured that and they are on a better roll than they were because of it.”

Sat 22 January, 2011

Cahill delight at Australia triumph

Australia midfielder Tim Cahill has praised the discipline and work-rate of his Socceroos team-mates after their 4-0 win over India in the Asian Cup.

The Socceroos got their Qatar campaign off to a near-perfect start on Monday, with Everton talisman Cahill getting on the scoresheet in either half beside strikes from Harry Kewell and Brett Holman.

The only downside for Australia was a sluggish second half that produced few real chances and nearly gifted India a shock goal when Sunil Chhetri beat the off-side trap in the dying stages.

But Cahill said there were plenty of positives to take from the Socceroos’ opening Group C match ahead of their crunch fixture with South Korea on Friday.

“I think we can take a lot from the disciplined performance and the way we moved the ball,” Cahill told Fox Sports.

“We knew beforehand that India were going to be dangerous, we knew the style they played and watched a bit of video about them and we minimised their chances.”

“I think it’s critical that you get the early goal and thankfully enough we got the goals today.”

“What this comes down to is discipline and work-rate and showing a good attitude to play football and not letting anything else get to us.”

Cahill opened his account in the 11th minute after meeting Brett Emerton’s pin-point pass at the goalmouth, and nabbed his second on the other side of the break with a header from Luke Wilkshire’s free kick.

“I’m delighted. It’s special because when you score it rewards your hard work off the pitch and it rewards your hard work on the pitch,” Cahill said.

“I’ve come into this tournament pumped. I’ve tried really hard with Everton to keep myself as fit as possible and I’ve come here and I’ve prepared really well and I’ve made sure that I can leave everything on the football pitch.”

“I felt brilliant. People keep asking questions about big tournaments and whether players can step up, but I’m willing to step up to the pedestal.”

Cahill also attracted attention for making a ‘telephone’ gesture while celebrating his goals, and revealed it was a sign of solidarity for those affected by floods in the Australian state of Queensland.

The star midfielder is auctioning a trip to Everton for two fans, with proceeds to go towards flood relief.

“Everyone knows the devastation of the floods in Queensland,” Cahill said.

“I just thought to myself during the week to do something special. I rung up (airline) Emirates and they donated two business-class flights from any port, and then I’ll invite two people to Everton to come watch me play, get a signed boot, signed shirt, meet the players and give them a money-can’t-buy experience.”

“We put it on eBay and the telethon is on now. I want people to get behind it because I’m so far away and there’s so little you can do.”

“It’s beautiful because you can play football and you can send messages by showing your passion so I’m very proud of what’s happened tonight and I’m proud of Australia for the way they deal with the devastation in Queensland.”

Mon 10 January, 2011

Cahill delight at Australia triumph

Australia midfielder Tim Cahill has praised the discipline and work-rate of his Socceroos team-mates after their 4-0 win over India in the Asian Cup.

The Socceroos got their Qatar campaign off to a near-perfect start on Monday, with Everton talisman Cahill getting on the scoresheet in either half beside strikes from Harry Kewell and Brett Holman.

The only downside for Australia was a sluggish second half that produced few real chances and nearly gifted India a shock goal when Sunil Chhetri beat the off-side trap in the dying stages.

But Cahill said there were plenty of positives to take from the Socceroos’ opening Group C match ahead of their crunch fixture with South Korea on Friday.

“I think we can take a lot from the disciplined performance and the way we moved the ball,” Cahill told Fox Sports.

“We knew beforehand that India were going to be dangerous, we knew the style they played and watched a bit of video about them and we minimised their chances.”

“I think it’s critical that you get the early goal and thankfully enough we got the goals today.”

“What this comes down to is discipline and work-rate and showing a good attitude to play football and not letting anything else get to us.”

Cahill opened his account in the 11th minute after meeting Brett Emerton’s pin-point pass at the goalmouth, and nabbed his second on the other side of the break with a header from Luke Wilkshire’s free kick.

“I’m delighted. It’s special because when you score it rewards your hard work off the pitch and it rewards your hard work on the pitch,” Cahill said.

“I’ve come into this tournament pumped. I’ve tried really hard with Everton to keep myself as fit as possible and I’ve come here and I’ve prepared really well and I’ve made sure that I can leave everything on the football pitch.”

“I felt brilliant. People keep asking questions about big tournaments and whether players can step up, but I’m willing to step up to the pedestal.”

Cahill also attracted attention for making a ‘telephone’ gesture while celebrating his goals, and revealed it was a sign of solidarity for those affected by floods in the Australian state of Queensland.

The star midfielder is auctioning a trip to Everton for two fans, with proceeds to go towards flood relief.

“Everyone knows the devastation of the floods in Queensland,” Cahill said.

“I just thought to myself during the week to do something special. I rung up (airline) Emirates and they donated two business-class flights from any port, and then I’ll invite two people to Everton to come watch me play, get a signed boot, signed shirt, meet the players and give them a money-can’t-buy experience.”

“We put it on eBay and the telethon is on now. I want people to get behind it because I’m so far away and there’s so little you can do.”

“It’s beautiful because you can play football and you can send messages by showing your passion so I’m very proud of what’s happened tonight and I’m proud of Australia for the way they deal with the devastation in Queensland.”

Mon 10 January, 2011

Mancini´s Tevez delight tempered by loss

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said the news that captain Carlos Tevez was staying at the club was the silver lining to their loss to Everton.

Mancini’s men flopped to a 2-1 defeat at Eastlands on Monday, missing the chance to head the English Premier League table on Christmas Day for the first time in 81 years.

But while the Italian was shattered to drop points at home, the fact that his leading goal scorer Tevez withdrew his transfer request on Monday was a relief.

“I think that is important news, and is the only good news this evening. He (Tevez) is very important for everyone, for the club, for the squad, for him,” Mancini said.

Mancini said City’s slow start cost them all three points.

“We lost the game in the first 10 minutes, we conceded the first goal to easily, we slept on the first chance that they had,” he said.

“We conceded the second goal, when we were with 10 men (Pablo Zabaleta was off the field receiving treatment at the time). I think we had a lot of chances the second time, the second half.”

“We are frustrated for this, we had a big chance to go top (at Christmas) after 80 (81) years. But now we must restart, the season is long, I think if we understand that we can’t sleep when we play this game, maybe we can go on the top in the future.”

Mancini added that striker Mario Balotelli’s early substitution was ‘probably’ due to a knock to his knee, but did not confirm the extent of the injury.

Everton manager David Moyes was full of praise for his side, but added that their inability to beat lower-ranked teams was the major factor in their position in the bottom half of the league table.

“I think we can compete at the top end, but we’ve not been able to compete at the bottom end, because we’ve not been able to beat the teams below us, especially at Goodison (Park). I think when it’s come to the bigger games I think we were able to respond to the challenge,” Moyes said.

The Scottish boss credited his midfielders for their efficiency in possession.

“It was tough for us even when it was 11 men, I thought Man City played better than last year. I thought last year we had played better football,” he said.

“Tonight, it was (Mikel) Arteta and (Steven) Pienaar that made more of a difference when we had the ball. I thought the resilience and the competitiveness as a team (was good).”

“When it went to 10 men, I thought this is going to be a long (day), it was long as it was, but it was going to be longer. I thought they did a great job, resilient, stuck to our task, and ardent defending at times, blocking shots and getting in the way of things. And the goalkeeper (Tim Howard) as well, made some terrific saves.”

Tue 21 December, 2010