English Roundup

Reid parts ways with struggling Sunderland

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) -- Peter Reid became the first Premier League manager fired this season when Sunderland parted company on Monday with a manager it hired in 1995.

George Graham and David O'Leary were immediately listed as the favorites to replace Reid.

Sunderland has managed only eight points in nine games and is the lowest scoring team in England's top league with only four goals.

The club finished seventh in the Premier League for two straight years but slipped to 17th last season and narrowly avoided relegation.

"We will be appointing a successor as quickly as possible and hope to have someone in place before our next league game," chairman Bob Murray said Monday.

"Most importantly we are looking for someone we believe can improve our league position in the short term and secure our Premier League status."

O'Leary and Graham immediately put their hats in the ring.

"I'm gutted for Peter, but I'm an out-of-work manager and I'm happy to talk to anyone," O'Leary said.

"I'm keen to speak to any club whose ambition matches my own," Graham added.

Murray called it a "difficult decision" to fire Reid and said he would find a new job quickly.

"In taking this difficult decision it's hard to realize that it has had to come to this, but the club must always come first," Murray said.

"Nearly a quarter of the season has gone and we are at the wrong end of the table and can't wait any longer for performances to improve."

"We've invested more than 22 million pounds (US$ 34.1 million) in the playing side in the last nine months but unfortunately results have not changed for the better since last season.

"I have enjoyed a close professional relationship with Peter and the board and I would like to thank him for his significant contribution and efforts for the club in the last seven years."

Murray said he hoped to have a replacement in the next two weeks with Premier League teams having this weekend off as European 2004 qualifiers take center stage.

Eriksson keeps faith with Seaman despite Cup gaffe

Seaman was left out for last month's friendly against Portugal, giving David James a rare chance, but he was back in the squad named on Sunday for the European championship qualifiers against Slovakia and Macedonia.

Eriksson, who has not said for certain that the Arsenal man will start in Slovakia next Saturday, nevertheless appears content to continue with him.

"I think he deserves to play because he is still playing very well," the Swede said, going on to make it clear that Seaman had not been dropped for the Portugal match despite the World Cup mistake that had the player in tears and contemplating international retirement.

"Besides, he saved us so many times in the qualifying games and also had a very good World Cup."

England fans, who will never forget Seaman's slow-motion reaction to Ronaldinho's 30-meter free kick that handed Brazil a 2-1 victory in the World Cup quarterfinals, might think differently.

Those who saw him repeat the mistake when conceding another freak long range goal to Bolton Wanderers midfielder Gareth Farrelly last month, one of a number of blips this season, might also take issue with Eriksson's verdict.

Among them was Peter Shilton, England's most capped goalkeeper, who said last week that he thought Seaman was beginning to show signs of age.

Shilton is the ideal judge, having produced a similarly leaden-footed reaction to Andy Brehme's deflected free kick to allow West Germany to take the lead in the 1990 World Cup semifinal, the second to last of his 125 England appearances.

Even Bob Wilson, a former Arsenal stalwart and long-time goalkeeping coach to Seaman at Highbury, has said that his favorite pupil's movements were no longer as sharp as they used to be.

Eriksson, however, remains unconcerned and clearly believes Seaman's experience is worth more than the potential of his understudies.

"Now and then you have goalkeepers playing until they are 40," he said. "Dino Zoff was around the age of 40 when Italy won the World Cup in 1982, so it is possible, and how old was the Russian, [Lev] Yashin, when he stopped playing? -- I don't know.

"Seaman may not be around in two years but we have to qualify for Euro 2004 and I think you should pick the best team every game otherwise you risk not qualifying."

Eriksson, however, was also careful to offer encouragement for those waiting for the end of the Seaman era, saying: "I think that James is playing better and better and [Leeds United's Paul] Robinson is doing very well."

James, hardly a youngster himself at 32, says he has changed his whole attitude to life to try to enhance his international chances.

"Football is my total focus now," said the West Ham United keeper, who has sold his Ferrari and given up his part-time modelling and nightclub outings and wants to be considered "boring."

"As a youngster people told me I was going to play for England so I became complacent, assuming it was going to happen," he told the Daily Mirror.

It has happened, 10 times, but always with the knowledge that he was only being given experience and remained behind Seaman, and for a long time Nigel Martyn, in the pecking order.

"I'm seven years younger than Seaman and 10 years older than Paul Robinson but I don't want people to think I'm ready just because I'm 32," he said. "I want people to say 'there's the goalkeeper who is The Man'."

If Eriksson decides to keep faith with Seaman up to the 2004 Euro finals, James could be in danger of being overtaken by the likes of Robinson or Liverpool's Chris Kirkland.

Robinson, 23 next week, has been thrust into the running thanks to his impressive displays at Leeds United, where Terry Venables has preferred him to Seaman's long-time understudy Martyn, whose international career appears over.

Kirkland, 21, will need to come up with a similar displacement job on Poland international Jerzy Dudek at Liverpool before he has any chance of becoming involved.

Gascoigne applies to manage third-division Exeter

Gascoigne, who has been linked with teams in the United States and New Zealand since leaving first division Burnley at the end of last season, is without a club. He applied to Exeter through his agent Ian Elliott, the reports said. "[Exeter is] flattered by his application and are taking it very seriously," club chairman John Russell was quoted as saying in The Guardian.

But he added that several people had applied for the job left vacant by the sacking of John Cornforth at the weekend, some "better [qualified] than Gascoigne."

"For the last two weeks we've been trying to secure his [Gascoigne's] services as a player and he could well come as a coach or player-coach," said Russell.

Exeter and 35-year-old "Gazza," who previously played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton, will meet later in the week to discuss the job.

Shearer eyes 300 milestone at scene of former glories

NEWCASTLE, England (Reuters) -- Alan Shearer has set his sights on scoring his 300th league and cup goal at the club where he enjoyed the greatest triumph of his glittering career.

The Newcastle United captain will lead his side out at Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park later this month aiming to reach the new personal milestone.

The 32-year-old former England striker hit the target 34 times as he helped Blackburn secure the English Premier League title in 1994-95.

In all he scored 130 goals for the Lancashire club before becoming the world's most expensive footballer when he joined Newcastle for 15 million pounds ($23.47 million) in 1996.

"Obviously it would be great to reach such a nice round 300 at Ewood Park a week on Saturday," Shearer told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle on Monday.

"A chunk of my 299 goals came for Blackburn Rovers and it would be super to make it 300 down there."

Shearer has scored six goals this season as Newcastle have improved on a poor start to their domestic campaign.

In the Champions League they have lost three consecutive matches but, after returning from midweek European games in Sarajevo, Kiev and Turin, they have notched Premier League victories on three occasions.

But Shearer added: "Despite those wins over West Ham, Sunderland and West Brom, this does not mean that the trips into Europe are not tiring.

"There is a lot of travelling and training and you then have to play the game.

Hectic

"We have played eight games in the last 24 days. It's been hectic and we have all done well to come through it.

"I know we are well paid for doing this but whether you are paid 10 pounds or 10,000 pounds [US$15,650], it does not stop you from feeling tired."

Shearer, who scored twice as Newcastle beat West Brom 2-1 on Saturday in their last game before the two-week break for international games, has been given a few days off by manager Bobby Robson to re-charge his batteries.

"I will spend a few days with my family and have the odd game of golf knowing that last Saturday was a massive victory for us," he said.

"It would have been awful for us if we had lost or even drawn knowing that we had a fortnight to think about it and without being able to do anything about it."

Fit-again Pires: Opponents afraid of Arsenal

LONDON (Reuters) -- Robert Pires believes Arsenal's opponents have become scared of taking on the English double winners.

The France midfielder returns to full training this week after six months out following knee surgery, and his availability will add to the strength of Arsene Wenger's confident squad.

Pires, however, admits he could have a hard time forcing his way into a side that are unbeaten in 30 Premier League games and three Champions League outings this term.

"I long for my first team comeback," he told Arsenal's official matchday program.

"But nothing is easy in life and I know it is going to be tough to get back into the first team. They are playing so well, not only in England but now in Europe as well.

"It will be a big challenge for me to get back.

"More and more, people are talking about Arsenal and I think people are afraid of Arsenal now."

Pires, who missed the World Cup after damaging knee ligaments while playing for Arsenal last March, has been told not to make a competitive return before October 25.

Wenger has said Pires is fit but he will adhere to the surgeon's advice, and plans to field Pires in a reserve team game in the next two weeks before scheduling a first team comeback later this month.

Pires added: "I'm back in full training on Tuesday and I'm so happy about that.

"I think it will probably be about three weeks until I come back playing in the team.

"I'm happy with how the recovery has gone. There have been no disappointments up to now but six months is still a very long time.

"The moment they told me that I needed surgery and I was going to be out for six months was the lowest point for me. That was very hard.

"But the positive thing is that you learn to be patient. You have to learn not to rush yourself to get back quickly.

"That was a new experience for me and it may sound strange but I don't think the injury was such a negative part of my career. It was a valuable experience for me and I have learned a lot from it."

Sunderland goalkeeper out with dislocated elbow

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) -- Sunderland and Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Soerensen will be sidelined for up to three months after dislocating his elbow in Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Soerensen, who had already conceded two early goals, collided with Arsenal striker Thierry Henry in the 17th minute when contesting a high ball into the Black Cats penalty area. He was replaced by Thomas Myhre.

"Thomas has dislocated his elbow and he has been to a London hospital where they have set it," Sunderland manager Peter Reid said. "That looks as if he will be out for two to three months."

The injury means Soerensen will miss Denmark's Euro 2004 qualifying game against Luxembourg on Saturday.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen on Monday called up Copenhagen AaB goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen to replace Soerensen. It's the first senior cap for Nielsen, 25, who has made 21 appearances for the Under-21 team.

FC Midtjylland 'keeper Peter Skov-Jensen is expected to start the Group 2 game, with Nielsen on the substitutes bench.

Leeds defender Matteo to undergo knee surgery

LEEDS, England (Reuters) -- Leeds United and Scotland defender Dominic Matteo was due to undergo knee surgery on Monday, ruling him out of action for around two weeks.

As a result Matteo will miss Scotland's European championship qualifier against Iceland in Reykjavik on October 12 and their friendly against Canada in Edinburgh three days later.

Leeds United manager Terry Venables, who has a number of injuries to defenders, said his captain had been bothered by knee trouble for some time.

"To be fair he has played fantastically all year to play with the injuries he had like he has," Venables said on Leeds's official Web site.

"Lucas [Radebe] who is now out and [Jonathan] Woodgate have also had to go in when they weren't fully fit, and it's all been beyond the call of duty really."

Matteo played in Leeds's 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday and, because of international fixtures, the club do not have another fixture until October 19, when Liverpool visit Elland Road.

"Dominic should be right just under the two weeks for the Liverpool game, that's what we're hoping," Venables said.

Henchoz injury blow for Liverpool and Switzerland

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -- Liverpool's Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz is set to undergo a calf operation that will sideline him for up to five weeks.

Henchoz came off during the first half of Liverpool's 1-0 premier league victory over Chelsea on Sunday and he will now miss Switzerland's European championship qualifiers against Albania on Saturday and Ireland the following Wednesday.

"It's a shame for Stephane but he has a calf problem and will have an operation on Tuesday. He will be out for about four or five weeks," Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson told on the club's official Web site.

Thompson said Henchoz, whose partnership with Sami Hyypia has been a key part of Liverpool's success in recent seasons, would be missed but added that, in Djimi Traore, Liverpool had an able replacement.

"Obviously it's a big blow for us because Stephane is a very influential player, but when you have somebody of the calibre of Djimi Traore to come in and take his place then that makes things a bit easier," he said.

"Djimi has been tremendous and I have no doubts he will fill in well for Stephane."

Di Canio wants West Ham's woes sorted first

The 34-year-old Italian sees his contract expire at the end of this season with reports the last-place Hammers will not bring him back.

"It is not the time to talk about that; my agent is speaking, working for me. It is normal; he hasn't done anything different from another player's agent," Di Canio said.

"I will still give 100 percent as a professional because everyone knows I am professional and I will keep fighting for this team, but I will know what I have to do for the future.

"I don't want to leave this club even at the end of the season with relegation. I want to leave with good memories in the Premiership because the supporters deserve it."

Coppell takes charge of Brighton

Coppell, 47, has agreed a one-year contract and will succeed Martin Hinshelwood with immediate effect, Brighton announced on their official website on Monday night.

Hinshelwood, who was only appointed manager in July, has been offered the new role of director of football, the club said.

Albion chairman Dick Knight said: "Nobody set Martin any deadlines but the poor run of results has had a destabilising effect even on key players which needs rectifying quickly if we are to stand a chance of survival in division one."

Newly-promoted Brighton, who won the second division title last season, are bottom of the table having picked up just four points from 12 league games.

Coppell, who has also managed Crystal Palace and Manchester City, parted company with second division Brentford in June.

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.