|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Battle for Europe Venables could help Reds by beating Arsenal
Updated: Thursday April 12, 2001 4:15 PM
LONDON (AP) -- Terry Venables could hand the Premier League title to Manchester United on Saturday by downing his old north London rival Arsenal. The former Tottenham manager, who had some great battles with the Gunners when he was at White Hart Lane, is now first team coach at Middlesbrough, which visits Highbury at the start of the busy Easter holiday program. A Middlesbrough victory and a Manchester United triumph at home to Coventry would hand the title to the Reds for the seventh time in nine seasons. Because of Middlesbrough's lowly league position that might sound unlikely, but Boro and United would be doing each other favors. While United is on the brink of winning the title yet again, Middlesbrough and Coventry are involved in the struggle to avoid relegation. Venables' Boro is in the safety zone but just two points and one place above Gordon Strachan's Sky Blues. "Once you do hit the bottom it's a tough slog to get out of there," Venables said. "We have played some good football this year. But right now we'd rather play teams that are mid-table and not motivated." That hardly applies to Arsenal, which is anxious to play in the Champions Cup for the fourth season in a row and aims to do that by finishing runner-up. With most teams playing twice in a three-day period, a lot could be decided. Third-place Ipswich, promoted just last season and now with a great chance of gaining a Champions Cup place next season, hosts Newcastle on Saturday and visits Middlesbrough on Monday. Fourth-place Liverpool and fifth-place Leeds, the other leading contenders for that important third spot, meet an Anfield on Friday. When they met in early November at Elland Road, Leeds triumphed 4-3, with Mark Viduka hitting all four goals for the home team after a slow start to the campaign. "My four goal performance was one of my best," the tall Australian said. "But it was just one of those days. Four chances and they all went in. Their defense has been a lot tighter recently." Bradford's rocky two-season spell in the top flight could come to an end with Jim Jeffries' team rooted to last place with just 18 points from 31 games. The Bantams host Charlton on Friday. Next-to-last Manchester City has 27 points but is still five short of the safety zone and is also in dire trouble. Joe Royle's team was beaten 4-0 at home by Arsenal on Wednesday and has a tough game at Leicester on Saturday. Saturday's other games are Aston Villa-Everton, Chelsea-Southampton, Sunderland-Tottenham and West Ham- Derby. Division one leader Fulham, which is threatening to become a big contender in the Premier League next season, should clinch promotion by winning at Huddersfield on Saturday. Jean Tigana's team underlined its strength by gaining a 2-1 win at second place Blackburn on Wednesday, scoring its two goals while down to 10 men after falling behind early. That leaves Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers to fight over the second automatic promotion place. Three points behind, Wanderers host fifth place Birmingham on Friday and Rovers go to Stockport on Saturday. Having already clinched the league title, Glasgow Celtic goes in search of a place in the Scottish Cup final on Sunday when it meets Dundee United. The other semifinal is Hibernian vs. Livingston on Saturday. O'Leary: Woodgate not injured during trialLONDON -- Jonathan Woodgate was out of the Leeds United lineup throughout his eight-week assault trial because of stress not injury, manager David O'Leary said on Thursday. While fans and the media believed that the England defender was suffering from a long term heel injury, the real reason was that he lost so much weight through the stress of the trial that he lost his fitness. "Jonathan Woodgate was never injured. He just wasn't able to cope with the trial like Lee Bowyer did," O'Leary said. Bowyer played for Leeds throughout his trial, scoring in Champions League games, while Woodgate stayed on the sidelines. Along with two friends, they were accused of being involved in the severe beating of 20-year-old student Sarfraz Najeib in Leeds 15 months ago. But the trial at Hull Crown Court ended with no verdicts because the tabloid Sunday Mirror published an interview with the victim's father while the jury was still out. The judge decided that was prejudicial and now all four men face a retrial October 8. Theoretically, Woodgate has always been available to play for the team and so has Michael Duberry, who was cleared during the trial of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Duberry, who never faced charges relating to the attack, testified against Woodgate during the trial and said he wondered whether he would be welcome back at Elland Road. But O'Leary said that the former Chelsea defender, who is out of action because he's recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, said he still had a future with the club. "There are no fears within this club about Michael Duberry," the Leeds manager said. "He is thought of very highly and there was never a doubt it was ever going to be any other way. "There's also no problem regarding his relationship with any of the other players." Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror editor resigned Thursday over the publication of the interview, The editor, Colin Myler, had made "a serious error of judgment," said Mark Haysom, managing director of National Newspapers. Haysom said that Myler had followed the newspaper's procedures, and had consulted with attorneys. "Irrespective of the issues of contempt, it is clear from events that have unfolded this week that the decision to publish was a serious error of judgment," Haysom said.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
