Showing posts with label Harry Kane (footballer). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Kane (footballer). Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Wolfsburg at Real Madrid Door

real Madrid
Zidane at press conference, Madrid
Karim Benzema fit as they try to overturn a 2-0 deficit in Tuesday's Champions League last eight, second leg against Wolfsburg.

The striker went off with a knee injury in the first leg and missed Saturday's 4-0 league win over Eibar.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane has urged his side to be patient at the Bernabeu.

"There are a lot of messages about firing ourselves up but we need the opposite - we have to use our heads," said Zidane.

"We're not going to win the game in 10 or 15 minutes, and they could really complicate things if they score a goal.

"Wolfsburg are going to start with intensity and we need the same intensity and it's going to be decided with the ball, how much we fight and run.

"Everyone is going to do that but the most important thing is we play football."

Gareth Bale and midfielder Toni Kroos did not play against Eibar and are expected to start, along with centre-back Sergio Ramos, who was suspended.

"I don't need to say too much to the players because they know exactly what's at stake," added Zidane, who scored the winner when 10-time champions Real won Europe's top competition in 2002.

"I've seen the faces of the players, they're very focused on the game and that's the most important thing."

Wolfsburg drew 1-1 with Mainz last weekend in a result which left them eighth in the Bundesliga and effectively ended their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League via a high league placing.

"Everyone knows we are not playing perfectly in our own league but we are doing very well in the Champions League," said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking.

"We had a great start in the first game and it is not being arrogant to say we can qualify.

"We knew we needed two magnificent days, we already had one and now we need another one.

"Over the two games Real Madrid are still favourites, but our task is for the favourites to fail."


Wednesday, 16 December 2015

Fantastic Manager - Mourinho


Jose Mourinho has told his critics to remember he is "a fantastic manager" - even when Chelsea are losing.

The Blues boss admitted he had forgotten what it felt like to win until his side beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-0 in their Champions League opener on Wednesday night.

The comprehensive victory was just a second this season for the English champions, who are already 11 points off Manchester City's Premier League pace.

But Mourinho fiercely defended his managerial record in the run-up to the Maccabi game, and afterwards he warned critics against what he claims is kneejerk analysis.

"There are people who are not happy with so many successes," said Mourinho, who again denied any breakdown in his relationship with captain John Terry who was one of several high profile players dropped to the bench for the game.

"Wayne Rooney was a disaster, then he beats the record with England and he's suddenly the best player in the history of English football. Rooney is a fantastic player when he's not scoring goals or when he is.

"I am a fantastic manager when I'm not winning matches and I'm a fantastic manager when I am.

"You like 'up and down', but it's not like that. The pundits get big money not to say easy things. They have to be geniuses in their analysis or they don't deserve the money they get."


Cesc Fabregas scored Chelsea's fourth goal against Maccabi and will be up against old side Arsenal on Saturday

Mourinho welcomed the vocal support of the home fans during the Maccabi game, saying: "It shows that they don't read papers or they don't have short memories: if they don't read papers they'll support me, if they don't have short memories they'll support me.

"There's an easy way for them to think, which is: 'we won four premier Leagues, three with him and one with his team, so this guy is not bad. let's support him, and we have a chance to win a fifth'."

Next up for Mourinho is a meeting with Arsenal and old adversary Arsene Wenger, who recorded a first win over the Portuguese in last month's Community Shield.

He said: "For all of us to have woken up again after a defeat and two days before a London derby against Arsenal, I could imagine how it would feel."