UK Roundup

Liverpool's Houllier aims to buy three or four players

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -- Manager Gerard Houllier wants to bring three or four new players straight into the Liverpool team next season to inject spark and experience.

Houllier admits that Liverpool have had an "average" season after winning the League Cup but missing out on a place in the Champions League when finishing fifth in the Premier League.

"We can't have potential. We need talent that will go straight into the team," said Houllier who recruited mainly young players, such as El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao and Bruno Cheyrou, ahead of the 2002/2003 season.

"At this stage of the development of the team we need players who will bring a spark, something different, to the team and players who are confirmed as outstanding and top-class players.

"I will be happy if there are three or four new faces, because sometimes you need fresh blood to lift the team. We don't need a lot but we need one or two top-quality players.

"If we keep the nucleus of the young players and add a bit more quality and creativity then we will be alright," he told reporters on Tuesday.

Houllier's decision on whether to include a central defender on his wanted list may depend on Stephane Henchoz's recovery in the off-season after the Swiss international missed most of the second half of the season through injury.

Houllier admits that not being in the Champions League will make it harder to attract players, but he is certain to try to add attacking talent to his squad.

"One area I am looking to improve is the link between the midfield and the strikers. We need a bit more creativity and some kind of flair," he said.

'Stale' striker Phillips to leave Sunderland

SUNDERLAND, England (Reuters) -- Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips will leave the relegated English Premier League club after admitting he had gone stale at the Stadium of Light.

The 29-year-old managed only six league goals as Sunderland finished bottom of the league with 19 points -- in the 1999-2000 season he scored 30 goals in 36 Premier League games as the club finished seventh.

"I will be leaving the club," Phillips told reporters on Tuesday. "I want to leave and the club has said I will have to leave due to the financial side.

"I actually asked to leave at the start of the season but that was turned down and I asked again in January and it didn't happen then.

"I've had six fantastic years here -- I'd like to think I've given everything to the club and they've been great to me as well, but I just feel it's time to move on.

""I feel I've become a bit stale and I need a fresh challenge somewhere else. I feel I've got two, three, four great seasons left in me."

Phillips, who joined Sunderland from Watford in July 1997 for 325,000 pounds (US$522,700), is confident he can still be a success in the Premier League.

"I honestly think I can still do a job for a premiership club. I feel my career has been on hold over the last two years after the high standards I set myself in my first year in the premiership.

"The decision [on his next club] will be a very big one for me and my family because we are really settled in the north-east but that won't be a major concern.

"I will weigh my options up during the summer and see what is available," said Phillips who has won eight caps for England.

Losses at Sunderland rose to 4.8 million pounds in the six months to end of January from 0.2 million in the corresponding period and wages ate up 70 percent of turnover.

The club has warned of "painful restructuring" on both the playing and non-playing sides to take account of relegation.

Man Utd's Brown out for months after ligament rupture

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -- Manchester United and England defender Wes Brown will miss the start of next season after suffering a serious knee injury, his club said on Tuesday.

United's Web site reported that Brown ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Sunday's final league match for the champions, which they won 2-1 at Everton.

"Wes will undergo surgery shortly, and it will be into next season before he is fit," the Web site said.

It is the third major injury suffered by the 23-year-old, who damaged cruciate ligaments in July 1999, missing the entire 1999-2000 season, and broke his ankle at the start of the current season.

Cardiff going home for playoff final

BRISTOL, England (Reuters) -- Cardiff City ensured a return to their hometown after beating Bristol City 1-0 on aggregate on Tuesday to reach the final of the second division playoffs.

Peter Thorne's header in the semi-final first leg at Ninian Park on Saturday turned out to be enough to send the Welsh side to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, after Tuesday's second leg finished goalless despite sustained pressure from the home side.

Cardiff will meet the winners of Wednesday's semi-final second leg between Queen's Park Rangers and Oldham. The first leg at Oldham ended 1-1.

James Hayter scored twice to help Bournemouth cruise into the final of the third division playoffs after defeating Bury 3-1 in their semi-final second leg, which followed a goalless draw in the first leg.

Bournemouth will face either Scunthorpe United or Lincoln City, who play on Wednesday, with Scunthorpe on their home turf hoping to overturn a 5-3 defeat from the first leg.

West Ham rejects Defoe transfer request

LONDON (Reuters) -- West Ham United has turned down Jermain Defoe's transfer request which the 20-year-old striker handed in Monday, less than 24 hours after the club was relegated from the Premier League.

Defoe, who scored 11 goals this season, has two years remaining on his contract.

"I can confirm we are not accepting Jermain Defoe's request," managing director Paul Aldridge told the club's Web site Tuesday.

"It is unfortunate that he has received advice to put in a request at this time."

Caretaker manager Trevor Brooking said that Defoe's request was badly timed and also suggested he was receiving bad advice.

"Whoever advises him has made an error of judgment and this is not in Jermain's nature -- the apparent quickness of the request is not good PR advice for Jermain," Brooking said.

"I feel sorry for the lad and don't think they are looking at it from his point of view. One week, two weeks, or whatever is one thing, perhaps, but less than 24 hours after relegation suggests to me poor advice for the lad, and I really don't understand the timing.

"We want to keep our key players even though there will be squad changes."

In Monday's statement, via his agent, Defoe said: "As much as I love West Ham I feel that now is the right time for me to move on in my career.

"This is very much a career decision. I am very ambitious and hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and country."

David Moyes named manager of the year

LONDON (AP) -- Everton's David Moyes was voted manager of the year by his peers at the League Managers' Association Tuesday.

Moyes, 39, is the youngest manager in the English Premier League. He took Everton to seventh in the league this season, narrowly missing out on a UEFA Cup place.

Everton has only finished higher twice since the beginning of the Premiership in 1992.

"I'm delighted and surprised to win the award," Moyes said. "The disappointment we have suffered (at not making the UEFA Cup) is immeasurable.

"Football is about taking opportunities when they come and we had a great opportunity this season. But when things die down, then hopefully we will realize what a good season it has been."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was named manager of the year for the Premier League and also won manager of the decade.

Ferguson was honored after winning his eighth league title in 11 seasons with United.

The first division manager of the year award was won by Harry Redknapp, who guided Portsmouth to the title and the Premier League in his first full season at Fratton Park.

Wigan's Paul Jewell won the division two award after the club won 100 points and lost just four games on its way to the championship.

The third division award went to Wrexham's Denis Smith, whose side won its final eight games to secure automatic promotion to division two.

Ferguson completes player of the year double

GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has been named Scotland's Footballer of the Year, adding the award to the Players' Player of the year award he collected last month.

The Scotland international is only the fifth player to win the award, decided by the Scottish Football Writers' Association twice, having also lifted it three years ago.

Rangers trio John Greig, Sandy Jardine (who won it once with Hearts), Brian Laudrup and Celtic striker Henrik Larsson all won the award twice, with Larsson runner-up behind Ferguson this year.

Ferguson's dynamic midfield performances have helped Rangers to what could be a domestic treble this season.

They have won the League Cup, reached the final of the Scottish Cup and are top of the league -- albeit on goal difference from Celtic -- with two games remaining.

Ferguson has scored 18 goals from midfield for Rangers this season, though he did manage to miss two penalties in one game last week as it was held to a 1-1 draw by Cup final opponent Dundee.

Injured Hartson resumes training

GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Welsh striker John Hartson is Celtic's biggest injury doubt ahead of next week's UEFA Cup final with FC Porto in Seville.

Hartson has missed the Scottish champions' past three league matches with a back injury and only resumed light training on Tuesday.

"John did a little bit this morning, but it's hard to say at this minute how he is," said manager Martin O'Neill.

Celtic are level with Rangers on 91 points at the top of the league but will move three points ahead if they beat Dundee at home on Wednesday.

With no match on Saturday, O'Neill is considering organising a friendly to test the fitness of some key players ahead of the following Wednesday's final with the Portuguese champions.

Scotland goalkeeper Robert Douglas, striker Chris Sutton and defender Johan Mjallby are all recovering from injury but O'Neill wants them as fit as possible for Celtic's first European final in 33 years.

FA fines Dublin for improper conduct

LONDON (AP) -- Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin was fined 6,000 pounds (US$9,600) Tuesday by the Football Association for improper conduct following his red card against Birmingham in March.

Dublin has already served an three-match ban for headbutting Robbie Savage during Villa's 2-0 defeat on March 3. He also faced two charges of improper conduct over his behavior after he was shown the red card.

Dublin had to be restrained by teammates before leaving the field and yelled "cheat" directly at one of the television cameras covering the game.

The 34-year-old former England striker escaped a suspension because the FA took into consideration his previous good disciplinary record and because he subsequently publicly apologized.

Also Tuesday, Middlesbrough's French defender Franck Queudrue was suspended for the first five games of next season after his expulsion against Bolton on Sunday.

The Frenchman gets an automatic three-game ban for the ejection plus one each for his two previous expulsions against Leeds and Newcastle.

Nottingham Forest failed with its appeal against the dismissal of center-back Michael Dawson, who was red-carded on Saturday for a late tackle on Sheffield United's Steve Kabba during the division one playoff semifinal first leg.

Dawson misses the return leg on Thursday and the final if Forest reaches it.

Scotland's Burley announces international retirement

GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) -- Derby County midfielder Craig Burley has retired from international soccer, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) said on Tuesday.

Burley only returned to the Scotland squad last month after an 18-month absence due in part to an Achilles tendon injury.

The 31-year-old former Chelsea and Celtic player earned his 46th international cap against Austria last month, but the SFA said on Tuesday they had received a letter from Burley requesting he no longer be considered for the national side.

"I accept and understand Craig's situation at this stage of his career, as I realise he is recovering from long term injury problems which kept him out of the game," Scotland manager Bertie Vogts said in a statement.

"I would like to wish Craig the best of luck for his future career."

Brazil could be first Wembley foe

LONDON (AP) -- The first game at new-look Wembley could be England against world champion Brazil, stadium officials said on Tuesday.

Construction of the 757 million pound (US$1.2 billion) stadium should be completed well before the 2006 FA Cup final in May, so that the Football Association wants to set up a lucrative international game.

Because of the high cost of building the stadium, the FA needs to arrange as many high quality matches as possible.

"It is likely that we will open the new stadium with an England game and who better to play than the world champions Brazil?" said Wembley spokesman Nick Barron.

"The stadium should be finished well before the 2006 FA Cup final and so we would want a match against a country such as Brazil, Germany, Scotland or Argentina.

"The Football Association need to have conversations with the national associations of those countries but it is definitely something we would like to do."

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.