Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Who Will Win??? MESSI or RONALDO

Many of the blogs I have written recently have been about one man; Cristiano Ronaldo. As much as I like Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park et al, they don’t quite attract attention like Ronaldo does.

This blog is the result of numerous comments people have left in recent weeks with reference to Ronaldo’s ability. I have seen numerous comments berating Ronaldo and lauding Lionel Messi as the best player in the world. Are these people for real?

So, it’s plain and simple, Ronaldo vs. Messi.

Tomorrow morning, Cristiano Ronaldo will wake up to be declared as the European Footballer of the Year. I think it’s safe to say Ronaldo will be gob smacked by this achievement as he seems like such a modest and quiet guy. He will join an elite band of Manchester United legends as only Best, Law and Charlton have held the title whilst playing for United.

It would be boring if I was to simply list the achievements of Ronaldo as we all know what he is capable of, what he has done and, love him or hate him, it’s impossible to deny how effective he is.

So, to ensure fairness and to avoid being branded a completely biased Ronaldo loving idiot, I accept that Messi undoubtedly has a God given talent. Whilst I would be absolutely delighted if he ever joined United (I know this is never going to happen but I can dream), I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo.

‘Messidona’ is an incredible dribbler and has already replicated two of the most famous goals scored by possibly the greatest ever footballer, Maradona.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cVCq8rsiY&feature=related - Remind you of Maradona’s ‘real’ goal against England?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frnyf666z0s – I think this is self explanatory.

He also became the first Barcelona player to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico since the 1993/1994 season – the previous player weas the legandary Romario. And whilst he has the talent, enthusaism and ability to rightly be described as world class and one of the best players in the world, I can honestly say that he isn’t a better player than Ronaldo.

For impact, goals, effectiveness and consistency, there’s only one ‘best’ player in the world.

Am I right? Who is better and who would you rather have in your team?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United forward, has won the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious trophy awarded by France Football magazine to the outstanding player in world football.

It is only the second time in the last 19 years that a player from the Premier League has won the award, the other being Michael Owen, the England international, in 2001 while he was with Liverpool. Ronaldo is also the first Manchester United winner since George Best in 1968. Originally known as the European Footballer of the Year award, it carries even more kudos these days, having been expanded to include players from all over the globe.

"It is one of the most beautiful days of my life," Ronaldo said: "To gain this trophy is something I dreamed of as a child. Great emotion fills me but I cannot really describe it.

"I want to thank those who voted for me, those who know me and those who live with me. I was not worried, because I was aware of what I did in the course of the season. But to the people who mentioned my name, I say thank you. Thank you also to my team-mates.

"This [trophy] is one that I want to win again because it is so good. Therefore, I will wake and I will say to myself 'I want to be even better'.

"I am only 23 years old and it is splendid, incredible. There were other great names this year. I see that Lionel Messi finished second and Fernando Torres third, but also [fifth-placed] Xavi ... all these people could have taken the trophy and I won it."

Ronaldo, who finished second to Kaka, of AC Milan, last year was the overwhelming choice this time around, having enjoyed a stunning season in which he scored 42 goals for United in all competitions. The Portugal international did, however, endure a disappointing Euro 2008, which took place when speculation over a possible move to Spanish giants Real Madrid was at its height. It mattered not to Europe's top journalists, as he collected 77 of the 96 first-place votes available and amassed 446 total points, two more than the Brazilian managed in winning 12 months ago. Ronaldo’s was the only name to appear on each of the 96 ballots, polling 446 points out of a maximum 480. Kaka did not feature in the top three this time around, with Lionel Messi of Barcelona coming second and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres third.

Ronaldo follows in some very famous footsteps, with previous winners including Brazil internationals Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, his Portugal compatriot Luis Figo and France midfielder Zinedine Zidane. Stanley Matthews was its first recipient, in 1956.

The winner is traditionally announced on the cover of France Football, the French magazine that awards the Ballon d’Or (or golden ball) when it hits newsstands on the first Tuesday in December, though the winner is generally known well in advance. This year, though, the organisers went out of their way to ensure that the final ranking was shrouded in secrecy.

They scrapped the traditional Sunday night television programme preceding the event, which gave away not just the winner, but the top places as well. And they did away with one of the Ballon d’Or’s longstanding traditions: a photo shoot with the winner holding the famous gold trophy, because the logistics of arranging time with the player and his club meant that news would leak out. Indeed, the winner was notified only at 11 o’clock last night, three hours before the winner was made public.

Clarets turf out Gunners


burnley celebrate arsenal carling cup

Burnley celebrate famous win


Burnley's giant-killing spree in the Carling Cup continued after a 2-0 win over Arsenal's rookies in the quarter-final at Turf Moor.

Kevin McDonald struck in each half as Owen Coyle's men followed up victories over Fulham and Chelsea with a richly-deserved success over the Gunners.

The Championship side took the lead after just six minutes when McDonald slotted into the net after Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski had failed to collect Chris Eagles' low cross.

Gunners striker Nicklas Bendtner was denied by Brian Jensen either side of McDonald's opener, and the Burnley keeper also made a smart save to thwart Carlos Vela.

Fran Merida came close to a brilliant solo goal early in the second half before McDonald, who scored his first goal for Burnley at the weekend, grabbed his second of the night on 57 minutes.

He anticipated Eagles' quick throw-in and, after getting the better of Mark Randall, flicked a nonchalant finish past Fabianski and inside the far post.

Though Jensen kept his side in it on occasions, Burnley's football was more than a match for a fledgling Arsenal side that had ripped apart Sheffield United and Wigan in previous rounds.

Capital Punishment III

The match was locally billed as 'Capital Punishment III' after Chelsea and Fulham were put to the sword in previous rounds - and it lived up to expectations.

Yet Arsenal almost took the lead before McDonald made the breakthrough when Merida released Bendtner, however Jensen stayed alert and diverted the striker's effort to safety.

Burnley took the lead in the sixth minute after Chris Eagles swung in a superb cross from the right and Arsenal could not clear their lines after Fabianski failed to gather the ball.

McDonald took full advantage to score from the edge of the six-yard box to put the the second-tier side in the driving seat - and they never looked back.

Arsenal were stung and Bendtner sprung the offside trap in the ninth minute after a good through-ball from Vela but Jensen was equal to his effort.

Then Martin Paterson skipped away from Kieran Gibbs but his shot carried little power and the goalkeeper was able to make a comfortable save.

Burnley were dictating the pace against their inexperienced opponents and Robbie Blake tested Fabianski in the 28th minute.

The young Arsenal goalkeeper looked nervous and spilled his effort, only to recover in time and take the ball off Paterson's toes.

Paterson should have extended Burnley's lead when he stole in on the blindside but only succeeded in rattling a shot against Fabianski's body.

Arsenal responded in the 37th minute and Bendtner sent Randall clear with a clever flick. Randall had only Jensen to beat but the goalkeeper stood tall to make the block.

The goalkeeper was again proving difficult to beat after an impressive display in the victory against Chelsea.

It looked as though Vela would equalise in the 41st minute but Jensen cleared the danger.

Merida came close after 49 minutes when he weaved his way into the penalty area but failed to test Jensen, curling his effort just wide.

Burnley extended their lead in the 57th minute with McDonald again showing a cool head when needed.

Randall was caught napping when Eagles delivered a throw-in and McDonald raced clear before curling a delightful shot into the far corner with the outside of his right boot.

Uphill task

This was an uphill task now for Arsenal and Wenger responded by bringing on Jay Simpson for Jack Wilshere in a bid to turn things around.

Simpson had shown his potential in the last round with a brace in the victory against Wigan.

However, Paterson should have made it 3-0 in the 65th minute only to send a soft header into Fabianski's arms following a cross from Blake.

Burnley were happy to knock the ball around and keep possession but Arsenal still looked dangerous going forward.

Bendtner should have pulled a goal back with three minutes remaining but the striker failed to capitalise on a good ball from Vela to put the seal on a miserable night for the Gunners.

BurnleyTeam StatisticsArsenal
2Goals0
11st Half Goals0
8Shots on Target9
3Shots off Target4
3Blocked Shots1
3Corners1
13Fouls12
3Offsides2
0Yellow Cards2
0Red Cards0
68.2Passing Success81
35Tackles23
80Tackles Success82.6
39.6Possession60.4
52.1Territorial Advantage47.9

Run Ronaldo, Run

If he wants to go, they should let him go.

That's my opinion.

And if you're wondering what I'm talking about, then you really haven't been clued on this whole summer have you?

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The player who signed a lucrative deal with one of the world's richest clubs not that long ago and now is being courted by another club that is of similar stature.

To cut a long story short, he's wanted by Real Madrid but Manchester United's owners would rather see him rot in the reserves (which made him even more upset, mind you) and the young man's even gone on to say nothing about the whole situation throughout Euro 2008 which has pretty much frustrated every single MU fan around the world.

He's also gone on to say that he's only thinking about Portugal's progress in the tournament and has successfully ducked all the questions concerning his footballing future after the summer.

Here's a little thought for all those MU fans out there.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that no one is bigger than the club, not even himself. Remember Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistlerooy or even one Golden Balls?

If one Ronaldo goes, then so be it. It's a team game after all, right?

But then again, it's only an opinion.

Torres brilliance not rewarded

After seeing Manchester United crowned Premier League champions, we can finally take stock of what has undoubtedly been a truly enthralling season.

As the dust settles on Fergie's final day success, I have to say that, like many others, I have been thoroughly impressed with United's flying winger Cristiano Ronaldo this campaign, a player who has really caught the eye - for obvious reasons. Hats off to the lad.

The Portugal international has illuminated almost every game he's played in. Then again, the same can be said of Liverpool's Fernando Torres. Well, whenever he's been allowed to play that is.

Since there has been so much praise lavished on Ronaldo, let's talk more about Torres.

For me, he has been nothing but fantastic this season, no doubt about it. This 24-year-old striker is a newcomer to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League and he has shown that he is a cool customer when coming to terms with the physical side of the English game. Not every foreign player can do that, often failing to make as big an impact as Torres has.

The fact that the Spaniard did so well in his debut season is very encouraging and I think he can only get better. The only criticism is maybe that he doesn't score enough goals away from home. A sign of a true quality striker is the ability to score both home and away. But, so far at least, he's still worth all the money Liverpool spent on him..

To be honest though, it's a shame that despite all the effort shown by Torres, Liverpool have finished the season with nothing to show. They may have won a lot of accolades, but there are no trophies to show for their efforts. No hardware. Praise can only take you so far.

On the flip side, this will just make the team hungrier for success and, with that desire for glory, comes titles. Hopefully, Liverpool will shed the tag of ‘nearly-men' soon.

I expect a clear out at Liverpool come summertime when the league goes into hibernation. Xabi Alonso, John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant could all be saying their goodbyes. I actually wouldn't miss most of them, especially Pennant whose place on the right wing was taken by Dirk Kuyt. Need I say more?

If you were to ask me who I would like to see arriving at Anfield, then Gareth Barry is one of them. It is getting a little ugly between Martin O'Neill and Rafael Benitez, but this shows how important and talented Barry is.

There can be little doubt that Barry will be the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield. We have seen it before when the duo played for England. It will be a good combination for Liverpool and one that will persuade Rafa to stick Stevie G in midfield because that is his best position. Period.

Liverpool also need an out-and-out winger and Blackburn's David Bentley is one of those who has impressed me. This former Arsenal apprentice will be a perfect replacement for the other former Arsenal apprentice at Anfield. Bentley is one of those wingers who can do everything - deliver accurate crosses from deep, take on players with pace and is deadly from free-kicks. But Blackburn have been steadily improving every season and don't need to sell their players. It would take a massive amount of effort and money to even open discussions with Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes.

Apart from Liverpool, there were a few key moments - or should I say controversial moments - that marked this BPL season. I was particularly surprised by the sackings of Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce at Chelsea and Newcastle respectively. They were perhaps a victim of their own club's misguided ambitions. But the most talked about BPL moment has to be the reinstatement of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. It was an appointment that shook the English game.

Who knows what kind of twists and turns we will have in the coming 2008/09 season? After the exciting cliff-hanger we had on the final day of the season, I for one will be looking forward to next season with even more anticipation than before. Will you?

Champion of Champions 2008

Choose Your favourite Sports performer from 2008. From November 28th, www.ESPNSTAR.com, alongside SportsCenter India, Asia & Malaysia, and Score Tonight will be conducting a joint initiative Online and On Air to decide the Sports Personality to have made the biggest impact on sport in the calendar year 2008.

The criteria for selection are that the "nominee" should have made an "impact" on sport during the year 2008. It is not solely a performance related vote. It is your vote that will decide who wins.

Below, you'll see a list of sixteen athletes who have excelled in 2008. When voting opens, we're looking for you to decide exactly who was the "Best of the Best."

Sourav GANGULY
In October, India’s most successful Test captain announced his retirement from international cricket. As of October 2008, the Calcutta-born Ganguly is India's most successful Test captain, winning 21 Tests out of 49. He also led India into the 2003 World Cup Final. Ganguly is credited with having nurtured the careers of many young players who played under him. The left-handed Ganguly has over 11,000 One Day International runs to his credit, but despite this ODI success, and his stellar time as captain, his Test place was often lost to younger players towards the later stages of his career. He often polarised opinion.
Kobe Bryant
Remember the "I want to be traded" saga when Kobe Bryant expressed his anger? The 30-year-old inspired his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to reach the NBA Finals last season and received the MVP accolade for his remarkable performance during the regular season. The American also went on to help Team USA to win back the golden honour. This 6'6" man was also awarded the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.
Michael PHELPS
American swimmer, Michael Phelps, won an unprecedented eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games. That took his career tally to 14 Olympic golds - the most by any Olympian. He has 16 Olympic medals in all. As of August 2008, he also held seven swimming world records. Out of his eight gold medals from Beijing, five were won in individual events, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Olympic Games. For a week in August, 6’4” Phelps held centre stage in the sporting world, and delivered on every single occasion.
MS Dhoni
As Indian cricket prepares for life without the ‘Fab Four’, MS Dhoni has established himself as the leader of the next generation. His performances in leading India’s teams in Twenty20 and One Day Internationals in 2008 have propelled him to the top of the pecking order in Indian cricket. Initially seen as a flamboyant and destructive batsman, Dhoni has come to be regarded as one of the coolest heads to captain the Indian ODI side. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series against Australia and the IDEA Cup against Sri Lanka. He is currently ranked the best ODI batsman in the world by the ICC and was awarded the ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 - the first Indian player to achieve this feat.
Cristiano Ronaldo
"Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law," said the legendary Johan Cruyff in an interview in April 2008. The 23-year-old Portuguese international then went on to win a Champions League and Premier League double with Manchester United, scoring over 40 goals in the process, and was then the subject of a summer of turmoil as United and Real Madrid battled for his signature. Ronaldo promptly missed the start of the new campaign with injury, but compensated for it by being named FIFPro Player of the Year. Always in the headlines, it’s hard to think of a more high-profile footballer throughout the year.
Rafael Nadal
2008 was the year when Rafael Nadal finally overtook Roger Federer to become World number 1. It was also the year when he beat Federer in arguably the greatest match ever seen in a Wimbledon final. Additionally, he was crowned Olympic Champion in Beijing, and won the French Open at Roland Garros in May. He has five Grand Slam titles to his name. For much of his career, Nadal has had a rivalry with Federer that many critics consider the greatest ever in tennis history. They are the only men in the open tennis era to have played each other in six Grand Slam finals. Nadal was ranked World number 2 behind Federer for a record 160 weeks before earning the top spot in August. On October 18 the Spaniard clinched the year-end World number 1 ranking for 2008.
Nicol David
Malaysia’s Nicol is the World number 1 ranked squash player and the first Asian to top the sport’s rankings. She is the current World Open and British Open Champion having won both of those prizes in 2005 and 2006 as well. In July, Nicol David was among 497 honoured in conjunction with the 70th birthday of the Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas. The Penang-born Nicol, became the youngest person from the Malaysian island to be conferred a Datukship.
Abhinav Bindra
Despite standing just 5’8" tall and weighing in at a slight 65 kilogrammes, Abhinav Bindra has proved to be a giant for Indian sport in 2008. His gold medal in the 10-metre Air Rifle event at the Olympic Games in Beijing was India’s first Olympic gold for 28 years. The 26-year-old is also the current world champion in the 10-metre Air Rifle event. But for a few short days in August, he made India forget about its cricketers, and focus on another sport.
Lewis Hamilton
22-year-old Briton, Lewis Hamilton, won his first F1 Drivers’ Championship in 2008. After being pipped to the 2007 title by just a single point in his rookie F1 season in 2007, the Hertfordshire-raised Hamilton went one better this season after recording victories in Australia, Monaco, Britain, Germany and China.
Sir Alex Ferguson
The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson guided his team to a Premier League and European Cup double 25-years after winning his first European Trophy with Aberdeen. Many thought that Chelsea had left Manchester United behind when they won back-to-back titles, but Ferguson rebuilt his side so that the 2007-08 season would go down in folklore.
Usain Bolt
Was there a more exhilarating moment throughout the 2008 sporting calendar than Usain Bolt’s chest-thumping world-record setting victory in the Olympic games’ 100-metre final? The 22-year-old Jamaican was criticized in some quarters for over-celebrating that victory, but responded by setting new world-best times in the 200m and 4x400 metre finals - both of which secured gold medals. Bolt became the first man in history to set world records in all three at a single Olympics. His name and achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname "'Lightning' Bolt".
Sachin Tendulkar
Shane Warne describes "The Little Master" as the greatest player he has played with or against. Wisden rank him the second greatest Test batsman, and the second-best One Day International batsman. Sir Donald Bradman named him in his "Bradman’s XI" dream team. His key milestone for 2008 came in October when he surpassed Brian Lara’s record for the most runs in Test cricket, and became the first batsman to score 12,000 Test runs. The Tendulkar legend will end at some time, but 2008 proved that there is still plenty of batting left in India’s iconic bat.
Fernando Torres
A record-breaking 24-goal haul for Liverpool in his debut season in the Barclays Premier League was one thing, but for 24-year-old Spanish striker Fernando Torres, scoring the winner for his country as they ended 44 years of pain by winning Euro 2008 was the high-point of an incredible year. Signed by Liverpool from Atletico Madrid, Torres top scored for his new club in the Premier League and equalled a Liverpool record by scoring in eight consecutive home matches.
Tiger Woods
The abiding image of Tiger Woods in 2008 will be him limping his way in obvious discomfort to victory in an 18-hole play-off at the US Masters. It was a rare sight to see Woods struggling, but it also marked him out as a true Champion. He had no need to continue as he already held 13 major Titles. But this was Tiger Woods, the fighter. Two days after securing Major number 14, he was in hospital for a knee operation and will be off the Tour for up to 10 months.
Manny Pacquiao
WBC World Lightweight Boxing Champion, Manny Pacquiao, is the "Ring Magazine" pound-for-pound World number 1 ranked boxer. An accolade afforded him after Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced his retirement from boxing. The Filipino was also the former WBC Super Featherweight Champion, Ring Magazine Super Featherweight and Featherweight champion, World champion at IBF Super Bantamweight and WBC Flyweight. He’s the first Asian to win four world titles in different weight divisions
Valentino Rossi
World MotoGP Champion, Valentino Rossi, is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time with eight Grand Prix World Championships to his name. He is also one of the highest earning sports personalities in the world. In 2008, Rossi became MotoGP Champion for the fifth time regaining the crown in his first season with Honda. He began his Grand Prix racing career in 1996 and subsequently won the 125cc World Championship. Twelve years later, the 29-year-old Italian has won 97 of his 210 GP starts, and made the podium in 151 of those races.

How-to-vote
The mechanism to decide the winner is as follows:
  1. Sixteen sports personalities have been shortlisted.
  2. This list has been chosen by a group of ESPN STAR Sport representatives. From now on, it's your choice on who wins.
  3. The voting mechanism will be in the form of a knock-out.
    1. The 16 will be paired against each other in a knockout draw shown Live on SportsCenter on Friday, November 28th.
    2. Pairings will then be made available for the public to cast their votes for a set period.
    3. The "winner" (i.e. the person with the bigger percentage of votes cast) will go through to the next round – while the loser is "eliminated"
  4. This is repeated for a Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final with the winner announced on SportsCenter on December 31st.

McCaw enjoying Baa-Baas build-up


New Zealand captain Richie McCaw will end an exhausting and emotional year by making his debut for the Barbarians.

He is itching to start Wednesday night's Olympic centenary clash with Australia at Wembley.

McCaw features in a Barbarians side drawn from the cream of the southern hemisphere and captained by South Africa's John Smit, who is joined by six of his 2007 World Cup-winning colleagues.

It is a unique experience and McCaw is relishing the chance to end a high-pressure season playing alongside many of the big names he spent the last nine months bashing from Christchurch to kingdom come.

McCaw and Smit, rival captains in the Tri-Nations and Super 14, are rooming together. So too are Welsh wing wizard Shane Williams, who starts on the bench, and South Africa's Bryan Habana.

"You are alongside people you wouldn't normally have a chance to play with," said McCaw.

"Normally we don't see each other after games, we have to just move on, so being able to sit and have a beer and a yarn without worrying about the pressures of next week is unique.

"Rooming with guys you normally beat the hell out of - or vice versa - is pretty good. And John is a good roomie. His snoring was alright last night!"

McCaw admitted to still being bruised and a touch stiff from the All Blacks' 32-6 victory over England.

"They were physical," he said.

New Zealand spent the year rebuilding their aura after the crushing disappointment of defeat to France in the World Cup quarter-finals last autumn.

They did so, winning 13 from 15 Tests to claim the Tri-Nations title and complete a third Grand Slam tour.

McCaw backed Martin Johnson to revive England's fortunes - but he believes they must become smarter and fitter if they are to compete with the world's best.

England had four players sin-binned against the All Blacks and it could have been more as they failed to adapt to the demands of referee Alain Rolland.

"As soon as one has been given, you've got to react to that," said McCaw.

"That's why I was happy with our boys. They backed off and didn't give the referee an excuse to penalise them. I guess that's just making sure you're smart.

"Talking to Chris Jack he has found that the style of rugby here means you don't need to be as fit.

"The big thing is to believe in what you're doing. We had a belief in what was going to work. That's the way Martin Johnson operates, I'm sure.

"The big thing you've got to remember is that there isn't a lot between the top teams. There might be on the day."

McCaw believes the southern hemisphere have benefited from the experimental sanctions law being used in the SANZAR competitions, which sees most penalties replaced by a free-kick.

He feels it not only helped their fitness but also their ability to break down the more structured European sides.

"I found the free-kicks encouraged guys to look up, identify where the space was and to play what they see. That has stayed in our game," said McCaw.

"From what I've seen that's the difference. In the southern hemisphere the guys play what they see and back themselves.

"Up here they want to play with more structure and build pressure, which works to some degree if you do it well."

That is not how the Barbarians play and the Wembley crowd, expected to be in excess of 50,000, can expect a high-scoring encounter against the Wallabies.

The Barbarians starting XV includes Habana and Joe Rokocoko on the wings, Francois Steyn at fly-half and former world player of the year Schalk Burger at number eight.

Williams, the current world player of the year, starts on the bench alongside former Australia scrum-half George Gregan.

The Wallabies have included 18-year-old James O'Connor at full-back while uncapped Brumbies lock Peter Kimlin features among the reserves.

George Smith captains the Australia team while winger Lote Tuqiri returns from knee surgery.

The match has been organised as part of the British Olympic Association's celebrations of the first London Olympics.

Australia won the rugby gold medal in 1908 with a 32-3 victory over Great Britain, who were represented by Cornwall.

Hughes backs Jo to shine


Manchester City manager Mark Hughes is convinced summer signing Jo will prove his worth at Eastlands.

The Brazilian striker, 21, could return to the side against Paris St Germain in the UEFA Cup at Eastlands tonight after recently being on the fringes.

While Robinho has settled in quickly following his summer move, Jo has struggled to adapt after arriving from CSKA Moscow.

Hughes, however, believes Jo will come good.

"He is a young player who has come into a stronger league than he has been used to, " said the City boss.

"It takes time and it is harder for forwards to integrate straight away. Robinho has been able to adapt quicker but he is a more experienced player.

"Jo has found it a little bit of a struggle but he is working hard in training. He will get better."

Hughes added: "There will be changes against PSG. We will look to use the squad as we need to give a respite to some key players."

City are looking to record their third successive victory in the group - they have already qualified for the last 32 - and Hughes wants a positive response following the defeat by Manchester United.

"We need to pick ourselves up very quickly, " he said. "No-one likes losing any game, least of all a derby.

"We came up a little bit short. Our energy levels were not where they need to be to force the issue against a side as good as United. We just needed that spark to our play."

The French side also suffered a loss at the weekend, going down by a single goal to Rennes.

Hughes wants to finish the last two matches - they play Racing Santander in Spain in a fortnight - in style.

He said: "There is a prize to be had. If we are to finish top of the group that is to our benefit. Hopefully that will mean an easier draw in the last 32.

"If we can get a positive result from this match that should be enough and I feel we can make chances at home against any team.

"PSG are a good side. They need a decent result but it just depends on what significance they place on this competition.

"They have changed their team in previous rounds and protected their senior players for league games."