Tom Hicks Jr resigns as Liverpool director

Liverpool have announced that Tom Hicks Jr, son of co-owner Tom Hicks, has resigned as a director of the club and parent company Kop Holdings.
Hicks Jr stood down in the wake of a row with a supporter, who alleged the American had sent him abusive emails.
Following his departure, Hicks Jr apologised for his "mistake" in a statement to Press Association Sport.
"I am very sorry for my harmful words. To the fans and club, please accept my sincerest apologies," he said.
"I have great respect for Liverpool Football Club, especially the club's supporters.
"I do not want my actions to take away from the club's future, therefore I am resigning from the board."
His departure has led to a restructuring of the board of both the club and its parent company.
Casey Coffman, the executive vice-president of Hicks Holdings, has replaced Hicks Jr, with Liverpool chief financial officer Philip Nash and the club's commercial director Ian Ayre joining him as directors of both companies.
Hicks Jr was seen as a key figure on the Anfield board, comprised of Hicks and his father, co-owner George Gillett and his son Foster and managing director Christian Purslow.
However, Hicks Jr's position came under increasing pressure from supporters' groups as a result of allegations over the weekend regarding his abuse of a fan who had contacted him directly to discuss the state of the club and its finances.
The Spirit of Shankly, a group of fans committed to the removal of Hicks Sr and Gillett, had called for Hicks Jr to resign on Sunday.
They were also critical of the club's hierarchy for remaining silent on the issue.
Co-owners Hicks Sr and Gillett have endured a difficult time at Liverpool since taking over at Anfield in March 2007.
Supporters have regularly voiced their dissatisfaction at the level of debt taken on by the club after the buy-out by the American duo.
Hicks and Gillett have admitted they are keen to attract new investment to the club, with Saudi Royal Prince Faisal reportedly interested in buying a stake.
Their cause has not been helped by a decline in performance on the pitch, with the Reds losing seven league matches already this season, leaving them well off the pace in the title race.
Liverpool failed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, after finishing third behind Italian's Fiorentina and French side Lyon in Group E.
Meanwhile England youth international Nathan Eccleston, 19, has signed a new contract which will keep him at Anfield until June 2013.
The forward made his first-team debut as a substitute in the Carling Cup fourth-round defeat at Arsenal and was given his Premier League bow late on in the loss at Fulham three days later.

France 1-1 Rep of Ire (agg 2-1)

Gallas (right) scored the crucial goal as Ireland appealed for a Henry handball

By Lyle Jackson

The Republic of Ireland suffered cruellest of World Cup exits as France went through with a goal which should have been disallowed for handball.

Thierry Henry clearly handled before playing the ball for William Gallas to score the equaliser which saw France win the play-off 2-1 on aggregate.

The Irish led from the 33rd minute after Republic skipper Robbie Keane shot past Hugo Lloris from 10 yards.

But Giovanni Trapattoni's side went out to the controversial extra-time winner.

The debate will rage on about the goal that took France to the 2010 finals in South Africa and how the officials failed to spot such a blatant handball and will likely reignite the debate about video technology being introduced.

After the anger about Fifa's decision to seed the play-offs, the Irish will feel robbed and unfairly treated when up against a bigger nation.

Republic players protested strongly when Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who was hampered in his sighting of the incident, gave the goal.

It is hard to imagine a more heartbreaking end to Ireland's attempt to reach the finals after going through their group, which included champions Italy, unbeaten.

France, in the stadium where they won the 1998 World Cup, started the match more confidently.

But they suffered a ninth-minute blow when Julien Escude was forced from the field with a head injury and was replaced by his Sevilla team-mate Sebastien Squillaci.
Squillaci had a chance in the 20th minute from Henry's cross but sent his header over the crossbar.

For the Republic, Kevin Doyle also went close from a Liam Lawrence cross but failed to make good enough contact with a close-range header under pressure from Gallas.

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Ireland were looking more and more dangerous, and when the goal came it was created and finished by three of their experienced stars aiming to play in the World Cup finals for a second time.
Kevin Kilbane played a neat ball through to Damien Duff on the left and he chased to the byline to pull it back for Keane.

The Republic's record goalscorer accurately side-footed beyond the dive of goalkeeper Lloris from 10 yards for his 41st international goal in 96 appearances.

Suddenly, the Irish dream was on and the French team and supporters were stunned.

Half-time arrived with Irish confidence soaring, and their keeper Shay Given so far untroubled
They started the second half encouragingly and a chance fell the way of Manchester United defender John O'Shea, who shot rashly over from a tight angle.

A second goal for Trapattoni's side would have left the French needing two to make the finals.

The big chance came in the 61st minute when Duff was put through by Lawrence's fine pass.

The Fulham winger attempted to place his shot past Lloris but defender Bacary Sanga got a slight deflection on the ball and the home keeper was able to save diving to his right.

Manchester United's Darron Gibson replaced the injured Glenn Whelan in the Irish midfield and then O'Shea hobbled off and Paul McShane came on.
As the half wore on, France gained the upper hand with Nicolas Anelka flicking a header wide of the far post.

But then Keane was almost in again, only to run out of space after getting past Lloris with the ball going behind for a goal-kick.

France surged forward late in the game, trying to grab the goal which would have sent them to South Africa without the need for extra-time.
That would have been cruel on the Irish, who deservedly remained on terms at the end of the 90 minutes.

French fans were convinced the 1998 winners should have had a penalty in the first period of extra-time when Anelka went through and fell as keeper Given came out.

But, instead of pointing to the spot, the Swedish official ruled the Chelsea forward had not been fouled and gave a goal-kick.

If Ireland were a shade fortunate then, they were on the wrong end of an outrageous verdict minutes later as Gallas scored the disputed goal.

The arguments may rage on, but the Republic of Ireland's World Cup journey is at an end.

Who has qualified for South Africa 2010?

The Greeks celebrate by hoisting coach Otto Rehhagel aloft

Find out who will be playing alongside hosts South Africa at the 2010 World Cup with BBC Sport's definitive guide to who has qualified and when they wrapped up their place at the finals...

Full list of qualified teams

URUGUAY (18 November, 2009)

Two-time world champions Uruguay clinched the 32nd and final place in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Costa Rica. Oscar Tabarez's men will reflect on their priceless 1-0 victory in San Jose on Saturday, which meant all they needed was to avoid defeat in Montevideo on Wednesday. They took the lead through Sebastian Abreu and although Walter Centeno equalised for Costa Rica, the visitors failed to level the tie.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez: "There is a lot to improve on. We'll do so and we'll have the World Cup to prove it. I'm very happy, mostly for the kids. The ones who are younger than eight-years-old have never seen this and now they can live it."

FRANCE (18 November, 2009)

Perhaps the most controversial qualification. Having finished a point behind Serbia in Group Seven the French, led by Raymond Domenech, were paired with Republic of Ireland in the play-offs. A 1-0 win in Ireland was followed by a game of huge talking points in France, with the Irish going in front through Robbie Keane and taking the tie to extra-time. France won it, but with a goal from William Gallas that came from a blatant handball from Thierry Henry.

France coach Raymond Domenech: "It was hard, laborious and indeed miraculous. I was sure we would make it though. We are happy, like the whole of France football. I knew we were going to make a 1-1 draw."

PORTUGAL (18 November, 2009)

Despite having Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning Fifa World Player of the Year, in their ranks, Portugal made hard work of qualifying. They were languishing in fourth in Group One at one stage before a late rally earned them second and a play-off berth. Without the injured Ronaldo they secured a place in South Africa thanks to two hard-fought 1-0 victories over Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz: "Bosnia are a good team but Portugal are too strong for them because we have an explosive combination of confidence, desire and determination. I must congratulate my team for a spirited performance, while Bosnia will have gained respect after getting this far and proving to be stiff opponents."

SLOVENIA (18 November, 2009)

Matjaz Kek's side reached their second World Cup finals thanks to a surprise play-off defeat of much-fancied Russia, having finished second in Group Three behind Slovakia. A late reply left them trailing 2-1 after the first leg in Moscow and Zlatko Dedic's goal in Maribor proved enough to earn a victory on the away goals rule.

Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek: "They are men of merit for continuing the Slovenian football fairytale. They have become immortal. We were better from the first minute of the game and we earned the right to go to South Africa."

GREECE (18 November, 2009)

Euro 2004 champions Greece qualified for their first World Cup since 1994 thanks to veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel, who masterminded their success in Portugal. Having finished second in Group Two behind Switzerland they met Ukraine in a two-legged play-off and won 1-0 in Donetsk after a 0-0 draw in Athens, with Dimitrios Salpigidis getting the winner.

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel: "I'm proud of my players. They put all of their heart and soul into today's match. It was really tough to contain Ukraine's attacks throughout the match but we did our best and luckily we managed to do it and achieve the desired result."

ALGERIA (18 November, 2009)

They did it the hard way, the Algerians, after being forced to go to a one-off play by Egypt when they lost 2-0 in Cairo in the final group game as the two sides finished neck-and-neck at the top of Group C. They came through the contest at a neutral venue in the Sudanese capital Khartoum thanks to defender Antar Yahia magnificent first-half volley that crashed in off the crossbar.

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane: "They played with heart - they had so much heart and I think that's what made the difference. I think we will have time to prepare ourselves for the Cup in Africa now.

CAMEROON (14 November, 2009)

Cameroon avoided drama on the last day of qualification as their 2-0 win in Morocco rendered Gabon's result in Togo meaningless. Goals from Achille Webo and Samuel Eto'o sent the Indomitable Lions to the World Cup for the sixth time - a new African record. Cameroon were bottom of their group after two games, before Paul Le Guen took over as manager from Otto Pfister.

Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen: "The key has been the talent of the players. We didn't undergo a dramatic change of personnel but I wanted to change the team dynamic. I wanted them to want to come and play for the national team and I sought to give them the best conditions possible."

NIGERIA (14 November, 2009)

Nigeria qualified in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win against Kenya in Nairobi. The Super Eagles had to win to have any chance of denying Tunisia. They fought back from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but conceded a 79th-minute equaliser, only for Obafemi Martins to seal an emotional win.

Nigeria coach Amodu Shaibu: "This is a typical Nigerian side which you can never rule out when it is faced with adversity. It's fantastic. Now we have to go back home and map out the preparations."

NEW ZEALAND (14 November, 2009)

The Kiwis sealed a berth at only their second World Cup finals with a 1-0 aggregate play-off victory over Bahrain, winning the second game in Wellington in front of a New Zealand record football crowd of 35,100 thanks to Rory Fallon's header just before half-time.

New Zealand coach Rickie Herbert: "We've all worked hard, we all backed the system that we truly believe was good enough to win it and they've gone and done it. Tonight is about these boys, about a group who believed and have never stopped believing, and their dream continues which is fantastic."

HONDURAS (14 October, 2009)

A 1-0 victory over El Salvador and a crucial last-minute goal by the United States against Costa Rica clinched Honduras' place in South Africa next year. It is only the second time they have qualified for the finals, the other being in 1982 - and it has all happened while Honduras has been in turmoil following a military coup in June.

Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda: "Today it's the Honduras fans' and their team's turn to celebrate, thanks to the work of many years. Now we have months of work, months of matches and let's hope this victory works out for the good of all."

ARGENTINA (14 October, 2009)

After a troubled qualifying campaign, Diego Maradona's side came good in their crunch match in Uruguay, with Mario Bolatti's late goal securing the 1-0 win which secured their place at South Africa. Argentina had only failed to qualify for a World Cup once in their history - in 1970 - but their win secured the fourth and final qualifying spot in the South America group.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona: "I would like to thank the team for giving me the privilege to lead Argentina to World Cup. Thank you to the Argentine people who had faith. This is for those who did not believe in the national team and treated me like dirt - they will now have to accept this."

SLOVAKIA (14 October, 2009)

Slovakia qualified for their first World Cup finals after beating Poland 1-0 to finish top of Group Three thanks to a third-minute own goal by Seweryn Gancarczyk and some key saves from Jan Mucha.

Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss: "We played well in these qualifiers, we were lucky today but we've also put a lot of heart into the game. People deserved this and I'm glad that we made Slovaks happy."

SWITZERLAND (14 October, 2009)

Switzerland got the point they needed to qualify in their final match against Israel but not without a struggle - Ottmar Hitzfeld's side were hanging on even after their hosts had Avihay Yadin sent off after 59 minutes. The Swiss went on an eight-match unbeaten run after a surprise defeat by Luxembourg to reach the finals.

Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld: "The goal was to qualify and we made it - the goal is achieved. Compliments to the whole team and to each and every player. It's another success for me and a dream being fulfilled, it's a present that Switzerland has given me."

UNITED STATES (11 October, 2009)

The US had to work hard to seal qualification with a 3-2 win over Honduras, but Bob Bradley's side did enjoy the luxury of having a game to spare.

United States coach Bob Bradley: "We're very proud. We understand the responsibility we have every time we step on the field for our fans, for our country."

MEXICO (11 October, 2009)

Mexico made sure of their 14th appearance at the finals with a game to spare after a comprehensive 4-1 victory over El Salvador - despite a swarm of bees in the goalmouth halting play for 10 minutes. Javier Aguirre's side won six of their nine games to seize the initiative in the group after the job had been started under previous coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Mexico captain Rafa Marquez: "This is a great team and Javier Aguirre is a great coach. We worked hard and got the job done, the credit goes to all to my teammates and to the coach. They are all amazing."

CHILE (11 October, 2009)

Chile reached South Africa courtesy of a 4-2 victory over Colombia, and they were indebted to substitute Jorge Valdivia who scored one goal and created the other three. It is Chile's first appearance at the World Cup finals since 1998.

Chile captain Claudio Bravo: "It was our mission to change the face of Chilean football. It was an exceptional campaign, based on discipline, consistency, confidence and belief. But this isn't the summit, we can achieve great things and will work to do so."

ITALY (10 October, 2009)

Italy sealed the chance to defend their world title in South Africa in dramatic fashion, equalising in the last minute in Ireland to snatch a 2-2 draw and top spot in Group Eight. Mauro Camoranesi cancelled out Glenn Whelan's opener for Ireland, but Sean St Ledger's goal looked to be taking the group to the final round of matches until Alberto Gilardino's decisive late goal.

Italy striker Alberto Gilardino: "The game was tight until the end. And qualifying for the World Cup, this is even more beautiful. We deserved the draw. When they scored to make it 2-1, we were not attentive. Thank goodness we equalised."

SERBIA (10 October, 2009)

Serbia beat Romania 5-0 in Belgrade to earn automatic qualification for the 2010 World Cup as unassailable leaders of European qualifying Group Seven. Nikola Zigic gave the Serbs a half time lead before they hammered home their superiority after the break through goals from Marko Pantelic, Zdravko Kuzmanovic and a Milan Javanovic double.

Serbia coach Radomir Antic: "I'm extremely happy, as we sealed a World Cup spot in style. If we continue like this in South Africa, we will be a power to reckon with at the World Cup."

DENMARK (10 October, 2009)

Denmark reached their first major tournament since the 2004 European Championship courtesy of a 1-0 win over Sweden in Copenhagen. Midfielder Jakob Poulsen's low, long-range strike in the 79th minute was enough to see off second-placed Sweden and ensure the Danes progression with one round of games remaining in Group One.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen: "We played a better game so our win was well deserved. All the players who have been on the team have been fantastic."

GERMANY (10 October, 2009)

Germany have not missed a World Cup finals since 1950 and that record was extended as they booked their place with a 1-0 win away to their group rivals Russia. Miroslav Klose's 35th-minute strike clinched the win and saw Germany, who played the last 22 minutes with 10 men after Jerome Boateng was sent off, win the group with one round of matches remaining.

Germany coach Joachim Loew: "We said from the start that we wanted to play for a win here, and so go forward. Of course we had a bit of luck in some situations, one has to say that."

IVORY COAST (10 October, 2009)

Ivory Coast drew 1-1 with Malawi in Blantyre to become the second African side to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa from the qualifiers. Chelsea's Didier Drogba came on as a substitute to score the crucial equalising goal for the visitors after Jacob Ngwira's opener. The Ivorians, who have 13 points from five matches, have an unassailable lead at the top of qualifying Group E.

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba: "I am very happy indeed because Ivory Coast is going to the World Cup for the second time."

PARAGUAY (9 September, 2009)

Paraguay secured their place at a fourth-straight World Cup finals with two games to spare after a 1-0 win over Argentina. Nelson Valdez's goal earned his side victory over Diego Maradona's struggling outfit in the South American qualifying group as Paraguay joined Brazil in qualifying for South Africa in 2010.

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino: "In the national team, you work for two possibilities - you can work for having a job or for making history. I want to work for the second option."

SPAIN (9 September, 2009)

Spain matched the feats of England and Netherlands, qualifying for the 2010 World Cup with two qualifying group matches to spare thanks to a workmanlike 3-0 defeat of Estonia in Merida. Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata got the goals to make it eight straight wins for the European champions, with Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1-1 draw with Turkey ensuring their smooth progress to the finals for the ninth straight time.

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas: "This goal is very important for me, especially for the confidence it gives me. It's a pleasure to play with these players and in front of these fans. Eight wins out of eight, not many countries can say that."

ENGLAND (9 September, 2009)

England swept into the finals with a 5-1 rout of Croatia, their eighth victory in eight Group Six matches, as Fabio Capello's side ensured their progress to the finals with two matches to spare. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard each bagged a brace, with Wayne Rooney adding a fifth, as the Wembley crowd were treated to a superb home win that went some way to making up for Croatia stopping England from qualifying for Euro 2008 under Steve McLaren.

England captain John Terry: "When we play like that, pressing and working the ball, we're a difficult opposition for any side. Don't forget, it's taken a year for us to get this good, and we've got a way to go to get to where we ultimately want to be. But we're on track."

GHANA (6 September, 2009)

Ghana defeated Sudan 2-0 in Accra to become the first African side to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa from the qualifiers. Inter Milan's Sulley Muntari and Chelsea's Michael Essien scored the goals in each half to give Ghana an unassailable lead at the top of qualifying Group D.

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien: "The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa."

BRAZIL (6 September, 2009)

Brazil are the only team to have appeared in every World Cup finals and they made sure that record would continue in the best possible fashion, beating their bitter rivals Argentina 3-1 on their home turf. Two goals from striker Luis Fabiano and another from defender Luisao was enough as they inflicted only the second home defeat in World Cup qualifiers on Diego Maradona's struggling side.

Brazil coach Dunga: "We're happy. We beat a great team with great champions. Lionel Messi might be the best player in the world. We beat Argentina, which had not lost a match at home in qualifying."

NORTH KOREA (17 June, 2009)

Iran's failure to defeat South Korea in Seoul earlier in the day meant North Korea only needed to draw in their final group match against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. They did exactly that, with a 0-0 result, putting them into their first World Cup finals since 1966. Back then, they were memorably beaten 5-3 in the quarter-finals by Portugal - despite taking a 3-0 lead.

North Korea coach Kim Jong-Hun: "It was so hot in Saudi Arabia and as you know the journey from Korea was long, but our belief in the ability of the players snatched the ticket to South Africa."

THE NETHERLANDS (6 June, 2009)

The Dutch won 2-1 away to Iceland to become the first European side to qualify for next summer's tournament. Goals from Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel put Bert van Marwijk's team in the driving seat before Kristjan Orn Sigurdsson pulled a goal back.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk: "My goal was to qualify for the finals so now we have a year to prepare. Winning six straight World Cup qualifiers deserves a compliment."

SOUTH KOREA (6 June, 2009)

The South Koreans secured a seventh successive World Cup finals place thanks to a 2-0 victory over United Arab Emirates in Dubai. Park Chu-young and Ki Sung-yueng grabbed the goals as Huh Jung-Moo's outfit strolled to a place in Africa's first World Cup.

South Korea coach Huh Jung-Moo: "I'm really happy that we made it. We are all satisfied with a performance that saw us ensure a place in South Africa. The players were excellent throughout the qualifiers, they did a great job."

AUSTRALIA (6 June, 2009)

The Socceroos eased into the World Cup without so much as even conceding a goal in the six matches it took them to qualify. A 0-0 draw against Qatar in Doha wrapped things up for Pim Verbeek's team after they picked up 14 points in Group A of the final Asian qualifying phase.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek: "The World Cup is a great, great event and I'm already looking forward to going there. We have to go and do it better than last time."

JAPAN (6 June, 2009)

Takeshi Okada's Japan became the first team to book their place after earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Uzbekistan in Tashkent. Shunji Okazaki grabbed the only goal of the game after nine minutes to book a fourth successive finals berth.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada: "We played very well. I think we should continue playing this style in the remaining matches."

FULL LIST OF TEAMS AT 2010 WORLD CUP

HOSTS: South Africa

AFRICA QUALIFYING: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria

ASIA QUALIFYING: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea

EUROPE QUALIFYING: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland

SOUTH AMERICA QUALIFYING: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA AND QUALIFYING: Honduras, Mexico, United States

ASIA/OCEANIA PLAY-OFF New Zealand

Full World Cup qualifying tables on Fifa.com (The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites)

Rooney is no diver

Wayne Rooney has come in for some criticism after he was booked for diving, having spoken out against it in the past, but I don't think that makes him a hypocrite.

There are situations in the game when players anticipate the tackle coming and there is a difference between that and outright diving.

Wayne isn't a player who would actively look to go down under a challenge. After the incident, he was straight back on his feet and didn't even appeal for the penalty.

There is a lot of media hype around the issue of diving at the moment, and every incident is likely to be scrutinized in great detail. Conversely, Steven Gerrard was denied a penalty that should certainly have been given against Arsenal, although I don't think his reputation counted against him in that situation.

These decisions by the referee are so spur of the moment and they are always going to cause debate. Fortunately, players do tend to have their luck evened out over the course of the season.

Manchester City's Craig Bellamy was a victim of a poor decision this weekend which unfortunately led to his dismissal - he was shown a second yellow card for simulation when the replay showed he was caught.

A referee has to be 100 per cent certain if a player is to be booked for diving in my opinion, yet it is difficult to make a law or a rule to support referees in this situation. If a dive is blatant then it must be punished after the game.

This is the only realistic way of cutting it out; if players know their actions are punishable retrospectively, we would see far less diving in the game in my opinion. The game could possibly introduce a panel of experts, people with direct knowledge of the game such as ex-professionals. This panel would then analyse an offence deemed as diving after the game and determine the punishment accordingly.

I think that you see both English and foreign players diving in the game. It is just part and parcel of the game that we all love. Of course, diving was originally associated with the foreign game, and over time we have seen in creep into the English game but nowadays you cannot blame a particular league or nation as it is so commonplace.

I don't think cheating can be justified in any situation, as the Thierry Henry controversy showed. If an English player dived to win a penalty in the last minute of the World Cup final it wouldn't be an ideal situation, as the win would be tainted in the minds of fans. If we focus on our football, England should have no problem in being successful in the World Cup without resorting to that sort of thing.

Lee Dixon's analysis of Arsenal's win at Liverpool

In the six years I played under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger I only once saw him lose his rag in the dressing room.

Just like Sunday's game we were 1-0 down to Liverpool at half-time. Wenger came in, threw a cup on the floor and started ranting and raving.

The players were all wondering what was going on but the funny thing was he threw the cup and got a reaction, but then, being the nice bloke he is, bent down and picked it up because he had missed the bin.

In tidying up after himself he lost a bit of the effect but as players we went out there and got a result.

Wenger does not do telling off very well, it is just not a natural thing for him - so when he does, it has more of an effect.

The Frenchman expects players to know what is going wrong when they are not performing to the required level and to take responsibility to sort it out themselves.

He talks about intelligence, knowing the game, understanding when things are going right or wrong and being able to fix it on the pitch.
When that does not happen he will let rip and it is not a pretty sight.

He admits he is a sore loser but even when we got beaten he would very rarely lose his temper with us after the game, preferring to leave it until the Monday morning and come in with a clear head after he had watched the video a few times on Sunday.

In fact, his assistant Pat Rice would more often than not come in after the game and he was a much more vocal character. But even then Wenger would tell Pat to be quiet and not lose his rag.

That was difficult for Pat but it is the way Wenger runs his dressing room. Players are angry after losing games as well and that is why you get flare-ups like we have seen at Stoke and QPR recently.

I cannot ever imagine seeing that in a Wenger dressing room. You can voice your opinion to him but I never saw anyone have a go at Wenger - players have too much respect for him for it to get to that stage.

Game of two Arsenals

After Arsenal had come from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday, some of Wenger's players said it was very unlike him to lay into them, but their performance warranted it.

He would have asked where their hunger and drive was and called for them to get further up the pitch when they got ball.

When you play with two up front then one attacker often comes short to look for the ball and the other forward will offer something else.

With Andrey Arshavin on his own up front it put more emphasis on the two wingers to provide those options.

Arsenal play that short passing game that can be extremely effective, but sometimes away from home you have to have the option to hit the long ball when teams are closing you down in
midfield.On Sunday their wingers failed to use the space behind the opposition defence; every time they came short Liverpool went with them and it led to a congested midfield.

Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri did not try to spin into more dangerous areas and look to stretch Liverpool's defence in the corners of the pitch.

It played into Liverpool's hands as it meant their defenders could mark the visitors' forwards tightly. Then when Arsenal's passing game broke down they lost the ball too easily.

This also increased the pressure on Arsenal's defence as they were constantly on the back foot and chasing back as Liverpool counter-attacked.

Someone should have said something on the pitch because it was pretty obvious when they kept losing the ball.

But it was not until the third minute of first-half injury time that Walcott managed to get the ball deep down Liverpool's right-hand side.

In the second half Arsenal got men forward and put Liverpool under pressure on the edge of their own box.

They challenged on the edge of Liverpool's box, and gave some support to Arshavin.

Straight away they were a different side, Nasri set up the equaliser and Walcott was more of a factor and involved in both goals.

Arsenal's title chances

The thing with Arsenal is they generally have to play well to win. Sometimes they play well and lose, like at Manchester United, but when they play badly they invariably come unstuck.

Against Liverpool they showed they can grind out a result like Chelsea and Manchester United do.

Arsenal lack a Fernando Torres or Didier Drogba so Arshavin has proven he is invaluable to a side without that focal point up front.

The Gunners can score from anywhere and are brilliant at times, but sometimes when things are not going well they need someone like Arshavin to produce something out of nothing.

This little guy has that bit of genius in him where he can score from anywhere at any time.

At the other end of the field Alex Song showed what a key player he is in the second half, sweeping up in front of the back four and stifling Liverpool's attacks.
I was not that big a fan of Song at first but he has grown on me and there is definitely more to come.

I am not totally convinced they have everything in the mix to win the league, but we have seen at the weekend that Chelsea and Manchester are dropping points.

Arsenal can win the title but I am far from 100% certain that they will.

I love Eduardo but all of their strikers play the same way and they are such a small side. Wenger definitely needs to bring in a more physical forward in January but there are not many Drogbas around.

But Sunday's game was a must win for both sides and Arsenal have given themselves a chance of a title challenge.

Wenger wins in madcap weekend

Arsene Wenger's decoration of Arsenal's Anfield dressing room with verbal invective was long forgotten as he celebrated edging out Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill as the big winner of the Premier League's madcap, coupon-busting weekend.

In two remarkable days, Wenger shouting "you're not fit to wear the shirt" at the Arsenal players he usually defends with such fervour, and occasionally against all logic, was perhaps the most remarkable incident of them all.

Wenger delighted in an ability to still surprise his Arsenal charges after 13 years with a blast of vocal caustic soda in response to a miserable first 45 minutes at Liverpool - but not as much as he revelled in an eventual win that he declared puts them back in this maverick Premier League title race, both "mathematically and mentally."

For Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez this was meant to be another fresh start after the conclusion of a wretched Champions League campaign. Instead, to misquote The Who's Pete Townshend, this was a case of "meet the new season - same as the old season."
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Wenger wins in madcap weekend

Post categories: Premier League

Phil McNulty | 08:20 UK time, Monday, 14 December 2009

Arsene Wenger's decoration of Arsenal's Anfield dressing room with verbal invective was long forgotten as he celebrated edging out Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill as the big winner of the Premier League's madcap, coupon-busting weekend.

In two remarkable days, Wenger shouting "you're not fit to wear the shirt" at the Arsenal players he usually defends with such fervour, and occasionally against all logic, was perhaps the most remarkable incident of them all.

Wenger delighted in an ability to still surprise his Arsenal charges after 13 years with a blast of vocal caustic soda in response to a miserable first 45 minutes at Liverpool - but not as much as he revelled in an eventual win that he declared puts them back in this maverick Premier League title race, both "mathematically and mentally."

For Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez this was meant to be another fresh start after the conclusion of a wretched Champions League campaign. Instead, to misquote The Who's Pete Townshend, this was a case of "meet the new season - same as the old season."

Liverpool manager Rafa BenitezLiverpool boss Benitez has plenty to think about ahead of the festive programme

For those who fancied a little spice with their Premier League season after growing accustomed to the same old taste in recent campaigns, this weekend provided enough ingredients to whet the appetite for the months ahead.

Aston Villa went to Manchester United and won for the first time in 26 years, confirming that the champions are giving renewed hope to opponents and missing, understandably, the magic Cristiano Ronaldo used to provide with regularity.

Chelsea, who looked like the title was theirs for the losing after sweeping Arsenal aside at the Emirates last month, saw sudden defensive vulnerability, in particular the flaws of fading keeper Petr Cech, further exposed at Stamford Bridge in a draw against a wonderfully gallant Everton decimated by serious injuries.

Wolves went to White Hart Lane and scratched some of the sheen off Spurs' top four pretensions with the sort of victory that could keep the great old club in the Premier League.

And Bolton, almost holed below the waterline recently and with manager Gary Megson's popularity dipping even further, played out a six-goal extravaganza with Manchester City, who saw flowing attack undermined by a leaking defence.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal think they can win the title. Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester City believe they can get that fourth spot - and Liverpool hope they will.

So that is at least the top seven places up for grabs even before we get to the relegation struggle. Interesting enough for you?

Liverpool and Arsenal concluded events - with Benitez hoping his side would back his bold public claim that they would definitely finish in the top four and Wenger wanting proof that his insistence that the Gunners are right in the title race would not end up resembling a desperate exercise in straw-clutching.

For Benitez, all that was left at the end was a grim finale to a game that started with promise and brought a deserved half-time lead courtesy of Dirk Kuyt.

In the end his cast-iron guarantee of Champions League football sounded as convincing as the assertion from Anfield's tannoy announcer that Frankie Goes To Hollywood's witless savaging of one of popular music's most majestic moments, Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run", was indeed "the best version." It sounds like the pressure is affecting everyone's judgement at Anfield.

Arsenal did not leave the stamp of potential champions behind them at Anfield, despite the win. For 45 minutes they were, to put it at its most charitable, abysmal - poor in possession, lacking in conviction and a perfectly suitable case for the half-time mauling Wenger delivered.

Wenger's words of fury were given flesh and bones by Glen Johnson's own goal and what is becoming a regular piece of Anfield artistry from Andrey Arshavin. The Russian swooped on a moment of miscontrol from Johnson before lashing a finish high past the startled Pepe Reina.

At that precise second, Arshavin had the perfect strike rate of five shots and five goals at Anfield following on from his quartet in the 4-4 draw last season. It should be reported as a matter of fact that it all went downhill from there - one shot saved by Reina and another off target hitting his previously perfect average. Get your act together Andrey!enger's clenched fist salute at the final whistle, and his jaunty demeanour later, illustrated the importance of this victory, especially after the opportunity presented to Arsenal by the failure of their close rivals.

It must not blind Wenger to the fact that Arsenal were unremarkable for large portions of a low-quality game, especially when Javier Mascherano was dogging Cesc Fabregas' every move.

To come to Anfield and win, even with Liverpool in their current parlous state, is not to be sniffed at, but this current Anfield model is prone to implosion when the slightest pressure is applied and this proved their undoing once more.

Arsenal would do well not to get carried away. The need for a powerful additional midfield presence remains and Arsenal's striking resources look wafer-thin, but this was three priceless points.

The result enabled Wenger to remind those who questioned Arsenal after their sobering brush with Chelsea that he had forecast, to a measure of mockery, that Carlo Ancelotti's side would drop points.

He did. And they have. Arsenal, however, will need to show more than they did here if Wenger is to have the last word.

For Liverpool, this season of unremitting misery continues - and it was all watched, with cruel irony, by the player whose absence has been touted as a major factor in their demise.

Xabi Alonso, who was spotted stifling yawns during the first half, was watching from the stands as Liverpool cried out for some of his class and creativity in central midfield. Alonso's stature has grown with every game he hasn't played for Liverpool - sometimes out of proportion with what he actually achieved at Anfield.

As he left one young fan pleaded for him to return, a ploy as hopeless and misguided as the succession of long, aimless balls Liverpool banged towards a tiring Fernando Torres in the closing stages - a failing Alonso would have at least tried to remedy.

When questioned on Liverpool's continuing slide, Benitez - who must be running out of brave faces now - said: "It is a question of confidence not quality." If only this was true, because Liverpool's response to going behind lacked both confidence and quality.

Even The Kop looked and sounded like it had given up long before the end. No late Liverpool surge, no glimmer of hope, not even in another brief run-out for Alberto Aquilani.

Liverpool can point, with some justifcation, to Howard Webb's mystifying refusal to award a penalty when Steven Gerrard was fouled by William Gallas, but there has been enough papering over of the cracks recently and this would have been another example.

The next new start comes against Wigan at Anfield on Wednesday, but there have been so many at Liverpool this season that Benitez should keep a pair of jump leads handy in the dug-out.

So Wenger was in sprightly form as he leaped aboard the Arsenal coach for the journey back to the capital after a weekend in which almost all the cards fell nicely in his favour.

Arsenal were unconvincing, even in victory, but the joy for Wenger comes in the knowledge his team still had enough about them to get three points - which is more than can be said for Chelsea and Manchester United.

Wenger insisted on Friday that the bar had been lowered on what will be needed to win the title. This weekend proved him right.

Germany's Michael Ballack plays down World Cup chances

Germany captain Michael Ballack says his side are not among the favourites to win next year's World Cup.

Their group also includes Australia, Serbia and Ghana and the 33-year-old Chelsea star believes getting through that will be a challenge in itself.

"We do not have the consistency or strength in depth in the squad," Ballack told Kicker magazine.

"We have been too weak, particularly in friendlies, to be able to say that we have the class to beat everybody else."

That said, Germany have a well-deserved reputation as high achievers at the World Cup, whether they have the best players or not.


West Germany won the trophy in 1954, 1974 and 1990, while the unified country were runners-up in 2002 and third on home soil in 2006 when many pointed to a lack of high-quality players.

They have qualified for every one of the 16 World Cups they have entered and reached the last eight or better every time since 1938.
But Ballack added: "You can forget about us having had the luck of the draw - we have a tough group and all three opponents are uncomfortable and physically very strong.

"We are going to have to put our foot down from the very beginning. Focusing on big games has always been one of the strengths of German teams."

Germany, coached by Joachim Low, are likely to rely heavily on Ballack, along with the likes of fellow midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.

Germany's next game before the World Cup is a friendly against Argentina in Munich on 3 March.