Owen fires red machine

Striker targets 100th goal; Liverpool chases 19th title

LONDON (AP) -- Michael Owen gets stuck on 99 goals for Liverpool. Will Liverpool remain stuck on 18 titles?

Gerard Houllier's team stretched its Premier League lead to four points despite being held to a 0-0 tie by promoted Fulham on Wednesday with Owen missing several chances to take his Liverpool total to 100 goals in 181 games for the club.

The result was good news for chasing contenders Arsenal and Leeds and also defending champion Manchester United, which climbed from ninth to fifth by crushing Derby 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Alex Ferguson's team still has nine points to make up Liverpool but bookmakers have cut the team's odds from 10/1 at the weekend to 11/2 after Wednesday's win with Houllier's men still strong favorites at 5/4.

Owen, who turns 22 on Friday, has banged in 20 goals in 22 games for either his club or his country this season including three in England's memorable 5-1 over Germany in Munich.

He had plenty of chances to increase that tally against Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday but was kept out four times by the saves of Dutch international goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

"It was a frustrating night for all of us and, in particular, Michael," said Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson, who is taking charge of the team while Houllier recovers from heart surgery.

"You wonder with so much being written and said about him and his goals that it is affecting him.

"But he had his chances and, this time, they didn't go in. He had an outstanding game and his workrate was outstanding," Thompson said.

"But he shouldn't worry. The goal will come sooner or later."

Fulham coach Jean Tigana was thankful Owen didn't take one of his early chances.

"I feel we were a little lucky," the Frenchman said. "If Michael Owen had scored those couple of chances in the first half, we would have found it very hard to come back. He is a fantastic player."

Liverpool hopes Owen will reach his century at Chelsea on Sunday by which team the lead could be down to one point.

A day earlier, when there are seven Premier League games, second place Arsenal goes to fourth from last West Ham. Although it looks like three points for the Gunners, the Hammers came up with one of the shock results of the season last week, winning 1-0 at Manchester United.

Arsenal comes off a stunning loss of its own, losing 4-0 at Blackburn in the quarterfinal of the League Cup on Tuesday, although manager Arsene Wenger rested many of his stars including ace striker Thierry Henry, Dutch forward Dennis Bergkamp and powerhouse midfielder Patrick Vieira.

Five points behind Liverpool, third place Leeds has what appears to be a comfortable home game against next to last Leicester on Sunday although David O'Leary's team will beware the fact that the Foxes gained a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa the last time they were on the road.

A 4-0 loss at home to Southampton last Saturday, however, undid all the good work achieved at Villa Park.

Newcastle, which has climbed steadily to fourth place and is six behind the leader, hosts Blackburn while Manchester United visits Middlesbrough, which is managed by former Reds coach Steve McLaren.

Down at the bottom, last place Ipswich could find itself seven points adrift by the time it goes to Villa on Monday.

George Burley's team, which performed brilliantly to finish fifth last season, has flopped this time around and, with just nine points from 16 games, is four behind Leicester, Derby and Southampton.

While Leicester goes to Leeds, the other two strugglers have slightly higher hopes of gaining points with Saints hosting Sunderland and Derby going to Everton. Ipswich goes to Villa Park hoping for only its second league victory of the season against six ties and nine losses.

Division One leader Burnley holds a four-point lead and hosts last place Stockport which is eight points adrift at the bottom. Manchester City, which climbed to second on goal difference, hosts Bradford on Sunday when third place Wolves receives neighbor Birmingham.

Defending Scottish champion Celtic goes into Saturday's home game against sixth place Dundee with an 11 point lead and a game in hand over perennial rival Rangers.

The Gers go to Motherwell with a new manager in charge, Alex McLeish, who moved from Hibernian on Tuesday the day before the two teams tied 1-1. Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, who has been in charge for three seasons, was appointed director of football at the club.

Premier League rules out Old Firm

England's Premier League has ruled out adding Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic to the league -- and also ruled out a second-tier Premier League.

The 20 clubs voted 19-1 on Wednesday against any change in the Premier League format. The second-tier league, dubbed the Phoenix League, initially involved the two Scottish clubs and six first-division English clubs leading a breakaway.

"The Premier League can see no practical way nor any sound commercial reasons why Celtic and Rangers should enter the English system, certainly not that they should be parachuted into the Premiership," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.

"There is a way of getting into the Premier League -- and only one way," he added, supporting the promotion and relegation system. "We believe in three up and three down even though it causes difficulties for some clubs."

Leeds' Radebe faces more injury time

Leeds' injury-plagued defender Lucas Radebe could be out for three more months with a severe ankle injury.

The South African was taken off the pitch on a stretcher on Wednesday during a Leeds reserve game match against Sunderland.

The 32-year-old was playing his third comeback game following two knee operations. He has been on the sidelines 8 1/2 months with the latest injury probably wrecking his hopes of playing for South Africa in next summer's World Cup.

"This is a major blow and I am very disappointed, but I am determined to fight my way back into the first team," Radebe said. "The only bright spot is that I have had no problems with my knees in the games I have played, although this is a serious injury."

Advocaat says good-bye as Rangers manager

Dick Advocaat said good-bye as Rangers manager after a lackluster 1-1 draw with Hibernian and admitted he was not sure if he was cut out for his new job as director of football.

The Dutchman, who headed Rangers for 3 1/2 years, steps aside with Alex McLeish moving in from Hibernian.

"It is, for me, a totally new experience and I have to find out if it is to be my life. I don't know if it is," he said. "My contract will be for one or maybe two years. It has still to be decided."

But he still held out hope for Rangers, who trail Celtic by 11 points with Celtic having played one fewer match.

"We still hope to do better in the second part of the season, but if you miss chances ... then you ask for problems."

Hibernian in no hurry

Hibernian says it's in no hurry to replace manager Alex McLeish, who left Hibs on Tuesday to take over Rangers.

French playmaker Franck Sauzee has emerged as a favorite to take over with ex-Celtic boss Tommy Burns, former Scotland boss Craig Brown, Livingston coach David Hay and former Parkhead No. 2 Murdo McLeod all being named.

A club spokesman declined to confirm any of the names and said it felt under no pressure to put "any great timescale" on the decision.

Donald Park was named as the acting head coach on Tuesday.

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