How the fate of Albert Riera in Liverpool?, We waited.

** Albert Riera has been formally suspended by Liverpool after attacking the club and manager Rafael Benitez in a series of Spanish radio interviews.

The Spanish international has been suspended, transfer listed, fined heavily and told to stay away from the club until Monday, after an emotional attack on his manager Rafa Benitez.

Riera criticize the Spanish coach for being aloof and refusing to communicate with his players, and he described Anfield as a sinking ship.

The pair were involved in a training ground bust-up, and Benitez deemed that the senior player was out of order in the way he treated his junior colleague.

That merely added to the tension between the pair that has been growing all season, after Riera had regularly complained that he wasn’t being given a fair chance of first team football since the start of the campaign.

Sorry this happened, how is the continuation of the story, time will answer it, we waited only.

Ancelotti: Terry Perfect

Carlo Ancelotti gave special praise to John Terry. Chelsea manager is called the captain be perfect while leading his squad to overcome Arsenal.

Terry had just deposed as England captain by England manager Fabio Capello following his scandalous affair. But it apparently does not interfere with her performance while leading Chelsea.

Ancelotti manager Terry also praised the leadership of the time with the Blues 2-0 Arsenal bend, Sunday (7/2/2010). "John is the perfect captain for Chelsea," said the Italian coach was as reported by ESPN.

"Captain I have a fantastic attitude. He's doing very well in every game. This is very important to have team leaders. He was always controlling the game. The two have a strong mentality," said Ancelotti.

However, Ancelotti will not want to comment on the dismissal Terry and England team captain. "Captain English is not my decision and I do not want to judge about the decision," he said.

Support for Terry did not just come from Ancelloti. Supporters The Blues show moral support for the defender was 29 years old and still looking at Terry as their captain when they entertain Arsenal.

Rafa Benitez happy at Anfield

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has stressed he is committed to the club but admits he is flattered by the charm offensive being undertaken by Juventus.

The Italian giants made the Spaniard their top target almost a fortnight ago and sacking coach Ciro Ferrara today and putting Alberto Zaccheroni in place until the end of the season has only increased speculation about a move for the Reds boss in the summer.

Benitez only signed a new five-year contract, worth a reported £4.8million annually, 10 months ago but an early exit from the Champions League and FA Cup and a fall off the pace in the Premier League increased pressure on him.

Such was the club's predicament just over a month ago that Liverpool's departure from Europe's top club competition even brought about suggestions he could be sacked.

Benitez's problems have been compounded by injuries to key players Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun and the parlous state of the club's finances, which means he has had to resort to scrabbling around in the January transfer window looking for cheap deals.

While Juventus' offer of a get-out in the summer, particularly if Liverpool do not finish in the top four, may seem an attractive proposition, Benitez is standing firm.

"It is a difficult situation. People were talking and there was a lot of speculation in the media," he said.

"I know they (Juventus) were interested, that is part of the game now in football, but I am not ready to talk too much because I don't want to lose my focus.

"I cannot stop speculation all the time. At this moment we are preparing for the game against Bolton (tomorrow).

"I will say I want to fight here, I want to do my job, I want to win and I want to do things here."

The link with the Serie A club comes from the fact Benitez, who speaks Italian well, is a close friend of Juve director Roberto Bettega.

With Liverpool's American owners Tim Hicks and George Gillett struggling to come up with funds for the Spaniard to strengthen his squad either now or even in the close season, Juventus could be a preferable alternative.

Gillett may have recently described Benitez as one of the top five managers in the world but the uneasy relationship between the two Americans means the Reds boss is never too sure if war will break out in the boardroom again, rendering him a pawn in any power game.

If Juve were to ratchet up their campaign to get him on board he might feel it easier to go where he feels appreciated - a sentiment which has not gone unnoticed by the Spaniard.

"For three months people have been saying 'Rafa will be fired, Rafa will be sacked' but I had people in the game telling me 'Be strong, don't give up, think like this'," said Benitez.

"Now it is 'Rafa will leave'. I cannot stop this.

"When you are a manager and you have clubs asking you have to be proud because they are a top side in Europe.

"Juventus is a big club, we have played against them in the Champions League and they know Liverpool are a top side.

"They know it is not easy to do well always in a top side so it is a question of professionals who know the market, they know the managers and how to find someone good enough for them.

"But again I say, I am proud but I'm also really proud to be here. I am really happy here and want to do my job as best I can."

The Juventus speculation has overshadowed Saturday's match at home to Bolton, where Liverpool are looking to maintain their five-match unbeaten run in which they have conceded just once - and that in the 90th minute against Stoke.

A goalless draw against Wolves in midweek meant they fell three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham but Benitez agreed with captain Gerrard after the Wolves game when he said the side are heading in the right direction.

"All I can do is prepare my team properly, to analyse things and try to find solutions to the problems we have," said the Liverpool boss.

"Now we are not losing games and doing a little bit better we have to try to do the same.

"The players know we are improving. Like Stevie said before, maybe we have turned the corner."

Adam Johnson as a replacement for Robinho

Johnson, 22, has been in outstanding form for Middlesbrough this season, scoring 12 goals from midfield, and that has prompted City to move for a player who has attracted interest from a wide range of Premier League clubs over the past 12 months.

However, Middlesbrough have no intention of selling the England Under-21 international and manager Gordon Strachan is ready to reject any bids that come in for Johnson, even though he is out of contract at the end of the season.

"We have had verbal offers, we have had one official offer and I would imagine after looking at those that Adam will be here for the rest of the season, which we are quite delighted about because he is coming back into form," Strachan.

"That's great for us because when he is on form, we are a better team, that's for sure. Adam is a terrific, terrific professional and a terrific young man. He is a credit to his mum and dad."

Chelsea and Real Madrid have previously been linked with Johnson, who has risen to the fore in some style following Stewart Downing's departure to Aston Villa over the summer.

It appears that City are targeting Johnson as a replacement for Robinho after the Brazilian forward was left out of the squad for Wednesday's Carling Cup defeat to Manchester United with talks continuing over his future.

Robinho is close to joining his former club Santos on loan although City manager Roberto Mancini would be content to keep the player at Eastlands.

"Robinho spoke with me yesterday," Mancini said. "It is possible that he will go to play for Santos or another team, so we preferred not to risk him [against United]. But that is the only reason he was not involved. If he is still here at the end of the transfer window, he can play for us."



Source : ESPN Soccernet

Bellamy head victim Old Trafford

LONDON -Manchester United could face disciplinary action after a bottle of cider and a coin were hurled at Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy during a League Cup semifinal match.

The alleged perpetrator was one of 11 football fans arrested Wednesday at Old Trafford, where United beat City 3-1 in the second leg to advance 4-3 on aggregate.

United, which could be fined by the Football Association, has pledged to hand out indefinite bans to any supporter found guilty of throwing missiles.

The FA will study reports from referee Howard Webb and United's security team before deciding if any action needs to be taken.