WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014 SPORTS Before transfer window, scramble for new managers

LONDON: Before the scramble to sign players in the West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, whose team among some Arsenal fans over the durability of keeper Hugo Lloris said. “We are improving. January transfer window, there’s a rush to fill manage- hosts West Brom on New Year’s Day. “When it comes Arsene Wenger, the league’s longest-serving current Defensively, we are stronger.” rial vacancies. Three clubs are making changes in the up to a transfer window as well, it looks like it has a manager at 16 years-plus, over his failure to deliver midst of the Premier League season’s busiest period, major affect on owners. the title since 2004. Wenger, though, will restore MANCHESTER RIVALS with all 20 teams in action on Thursday for the third “The manager may have proposed some players Arsenal to its accustomed place in the top four at Manchester City’s players must be more ruthless time in a week. It had been a rare period of stability - to bring in during the window and they may have Southampton’s expense by beating the surprisingly against Sunderland after squandering a 2-0 lead the Premier League reached Christmas without a taken the opinion that they would rather give that high-flying south-coast club tomorrow. against Burnley to draw 2-2, a collapse which raised managerial casualty for the first time since 1995 - until opportunity to a new manager. It seems that might Here are some other things to watch: doubts about their ability to defend the title. Neil Warnock was fired by Crystal Palace on Saturday. be the case.” Like Pardew at St. James’ Park, Allardyce “We just have to be more clinical up front,” City With Palace in the relegation zone, that dismissal faced calls from his own fans in the last year to quit. PACESETTERS midfielder Samir Nasri said. “We have to score. We seemed to be only a matter of time. Perhaps more Not only could Newcastle fans see the back of Chelsea has Manchester City’s implosion against have to kill the game sometimes.” surprising is Alan Pardew swapping mid-table medi- Pardew, but the club could also receive more than $3 Burnley to thank for maintaining its three-point lead. Another slip-up would give Manchester United an ocrity at Newcastle for a relegation scrap at Palace, million in compensation from Palace if a deal can be City’s surprise draw came after Chelsea was held by opportunity to make up some of the seven-point with the manager in negotiations yesterday to rejoin done. Although owner Mike Ashley seems unlikely to Southampton on Sunday, providing a reminder that gap on its neighbors by winning at Stoke. the club he played for in the 1980s. spend on reinforcements in January for the 10th- the destination of the trophy is far from certain. It is likely to create an unexpected vacancy at place team. Allardyce would succeed Pardew as the Chelsea is reunited with Tottenham at White Hart IN THE DROP ZONE Newcastle. And the northeast club is searching for a Premier League’s second longest-serving current Lane less than month after sweeping to a 3-0 victory The three bottom teams all avoided losing on candidate in the same managerial talent pool as manager. The determination by West Ham’s owners at home. Since then, Tottenham has gone five games Sunday. For Leicester, there was a first win since West Bromwich Albion, which fired Alan Irvine on to stick by the manger they appointed in 2011 has unbeaten domestically, including Sunday’s 0-0 draw September against Hull, but the last-place team next Monday after only six months in charge. been rewarded by Allardyce taking the team into the against Manchester United. faces a resurgent Liverpool. Burnley follows up its “If you don’t get results, then clubs change man- second half of the season in sixth place. Stability “We had some bad games last season and we had unexpected draw at City with a trip to Newcastle, agers now more regularly than they did before,” said doesn’t necessarily equal success. There is weariness the feeling that we gave up a bit,” Tottenham goal- while Palace play Aston Villa. — AP Chelsea’s lead is not enough, Drogba warns

LONDON: Chelsea will begin 2015 protect- a particularly special achievement for the ing a three-point lead in the Premier ‘Special One’ to maintain that extraordinary League title race but will heed the words of sequence. “I think it’s going to be tough,” their grand old striker Didier Drogba who Drogba said, reflecting on how Chelsea’s warns that it is simply not enough. one-time eight-point lead has been whit- “We start again a new championship,” tled down. Indeed, if City had not blown a boomed the Ivorian, as Chelsea prepared 2-0 lead on Boxing Day to draw with to visit their fierce London rivals Tottenham Burnley, there would have now been only on New Year’s Day, with champions one point separating the leaders. Manchester City, at home against “We knew it was not over. A few years Sunderland, still snapping at their heels. ago, I think we were 11 or 12 points in front of Man United and then they won the league,” Drogba said. “So eight points or nine points-I don’t know how many points we had on top of Man City-I think it is not enough. “I think now we start again a new championship. I think the game is on.” Mourinho, happy to play up any con- spiracy theory if it helps strengthen his players’ indignation, claimed after the draw at Southampton that a campaign to por- tray his team as divers was costing them crucial points. Still, he could hardly be start- ing the year at a happier hunting ground, Chelsea’s domination over Spurs having been so pronounced in the Premier League era that their fans like to think of Tottenham’s White Hart Lane home as ‘Three Point Lane’. Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho Against Sunderland, City manager Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to avoid a Everything bodes well for Jose repeat of what he felt was complacency in Mourinho’s soaring side, not least the fact the Burnley slip-up. Manchester United, that on the seven previous occasions his seven points behind their city neighbours teams have been leading their respective in third place, visit Stoke City while the SPAIN: In this Jan. 8, 2011 file photo, Barcelona youth players from ‘La Masia’ football academy warm up at the Barcelona FC’s Joan Gamper leagues at Christmas, they have always New Year match of the day could be at St training camp. The Court of Arbitration for Sport yesterday dismissed Barcelona’s appeal and upheld the transfer ban FIFA imposed on the club gone on to take the title. Mary’s where Southampton and Arsenal, for infringing regulations on registering minors as youth players. — AP Mourinho’s faithful old lieutenant fourth and fifth respectively on 33 points, Drogba, though, believes it will have to be lock horns.— Reuters Court deals transfer Milan defeat Real Madrid DUBAI: Serie A giants AC Milan ‘ended’ matches in all competitions coming into ban blow to Barcelona Real Madrid’s 22 match winning streak the clash although Tuesday’s match was yesterday as striker Stephan El Shaarawy classified as a friendly and not an official scored twice in a 4-2 friendly win in fixture. LAUSANNE: The main international sport called for a change in the FIFA rules as the of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. But it has Dubai. Real, won the World Club Cup on appeal court yesterday backed a one year club confirmed they would study the full CAS since admitted errors in the cases of the 10 Real coach Carlo Ancelotti left star Sunday with a 2-0 win over Argentine transfer ban against Barcelona in a major ruling and could make an appeal to a Swiss young players. players Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and club San Lorenzo, but El Shaarawy did blow to the Spanish football giants. federal court. The ban is a new blow to the club’s image. James Rodriguez out of his starting line- the damage for the Italians with goals The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) “FIFA and its president should represent an Barcelona already face criminal proceedings up but Cristiano Ronaldo began the either side of half-time while Frenchman “dismissed” a Barcelona appeal against the organisation that protects the world of foot- in Spain over alleged tax avoidance in the match and scored a first half goal in vain. Jeremy Menez and Giampaolo Pazzini FIFA ban imposed in April for breaching rules ball and with these decisions they are moving signing of Brazilian star Neymar in 2013. The European champions had won 22 were also on target. — AFP on signing players aged under 18. away from their goal,” Bartomeu told Barca TV. Argentine striker Lionel Messi also faces a pos- Barcelona cannot buy players during the “The priority has been given to a poorly sible trial over tax avoidance. transfer window that opens on January 1 and written rule, going beyond the spirit that And the sanction will not help coach Luis for the summer transfer period before the inspired this rule,” he complained. “I hope FIFA Enrique in his campaign to get Barcelona back 2015-16 season. They can only open the will have the good sense to rewrite this rule.” to the winning ways expected by fans. cheque book again in January 2016. “FIFA FIFA ordered the ban in April after an inves- Barcelona had been linked with a January considers that CAS has shown clear and tigation into several under-18 players who move for Germany’s World Cup forward Marco strong support for FIFA’s efforts to protect were registered and played for Barcelona Reus. underage players,” the world ruling body said between 2009 and 2013. It found that The team won the Spanish title in 2013 but in a statement. Barcelona and the Spanish federation were have since been eclipsed by Real Madrid and Barcelona however said they would consid- guilty of a “serious” infringement of rules for Atletico Madrid in Spain and Europe. er a new appeal to a Swiss federal court. CAS 10 players. Barcelona last won the Champions League in and FIFA are both based in Switzerland. Barcelona made a first appeal to FIFA and 2011. Barcelona were also fined 450,000 Swiss the sanction was suspended enabling them They are currently one point behind Real francs ($455,000, 375,000 euros). The Spanish to make major signings such as Luis Suarez but have played one game more. Reigning federation was also reprimanded by FIFA and from Liverpool for 95 million euros. champions Atletico in third place are just fined. “The panel found in particular that FC They also bought defenders Thomas three points behind.Vermaelen is injured and Barcelona had breached the rules regarding Vermaelen from Arsenal and Jeremy Mathieu not expected to play again until at least the protection of minors and the registration from Valenica, midfielder Ivan Rakitic from March and other new signings have not of minors attending football academies,” said Sevilla and goalkeepers Claudio Bravo from shone. Suarez has scored only one league the statement. Real Sociedad and Marc-AndrÈ ter Stegen goal since making his debut in October. Barcelona said they “totally disagree” with from Borussia Monchengladbach in a summer Enrique insisted this month however that the sanction which they called “disproportion- spree of more than 150 million euros. Barcelona can compete even without new ate” and “excessive”. The club acknowledged FIFA’s appeal committee upheld the ban in players. The FIFA ban will put pressure on making “errors” but said these were caused by August and Barcelona then went to the CAS. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, “conflict between FIFA regulations and Barcelona aggressively fought the ban at the already struggling with the Neymar case, and Spanish legislation.” start, calling it a “grave injustice” and a threat who may have to put his job up for reelection Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to its ‘Masia’ academy which nurtured the likes before his term ends in 2016.— AFP Pardew set for Palace job

LONDON: Alan Pardew is set to quit “Crystal Palace have offered compensation Newcastle’s transfer policy in recent seasons Newcastle United and take over as the new at a level whereby Alan has now been permit- and continuous criticism from a large section manager of Crystal Palace after being granted ted to speak to them. “As a result of this devel- of fans to get him out of the job. Pardew is permission to speak to his former club about opment today (Monday), Alan will not be at one of the lowest paid managers in the the move on Monday. training on Tuesday. Training will be the league and Palace are said to be willing to The Eagles are looking for a new boss after responsibility of assistant manager John improve his salary. sacking Neil Warnock on Saturday and Pardew Carver. The Club will make a further And the 53-year-old stoked the speculation is on the verge of a surprise return to Selhurst announcement in due course.” over his future by failing to attend the post- Park now Newcastle have given Palace the Pardew made 128 appearances for Palace match press conference following his side’s 3- green light to discuss a contract. It has been between 1988 and 1991 and scored the win- 2 win over Everton on Sunday. reported that Palace will pay a £2 million (2.55 ning goal in his side’s famous 4-3 win over Palace chairman Steve Parish wants to act million euros, $3.1 million) compensation fee Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals at Villa swiftly following the departure of Warnock to to land Pardew, who still has five years left on Park in 1990. allow his new boss time to spend in the his St James’ Park contract. “Newcastle United Despite a mounting campaign for his dis- January transfer window. can confirm that Crystal Palace have made a missal from a large section of Newcastle sup- The south Londoners are in the relegation formal approach requesting permission to porters, Pardew retained the faith of Magpies zone after Sunday’s 0-0 draw at fellow strug- speak to Alan Pardew in relation to their owner Mike Ashley. glers QPR, with Keith Millen in charge of DUBAI: Real Madrid’s Jese (left) fights for the ball with AC Milan’s Michelangelo vacant managerial position,” a statement on But although the Magpies are a bigger club Palace in a caretaker capacity for the third Albertazzi during the Dubai Football Challenge match. — AP the club’s website announced. than Palace, Pardew has been frustrated by time. — AFP