TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017 SPORTS

Crazy to rest so many players in FA Cup, says Shearer

LONDON: As the number of Premier (second-tier) sides like Newcastle United, Many managers, however, were influ- 16 (Premier) league games left this sea- Manchester United, disagreed, however. “I League clubs knocked out of this sea- Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds enced by the fact that there is a full pro- son in four months. was at home (on Saturday) and loving all son’s FA Cup by lower division oppo- United followed suit against supposedly gramme of matches in the Premier the upsets,” he said. “Every team’s making nents reached six on Sunday, debate inferior opposition by suffering embar- League and Championship coming up in JUST CRAZY changes and I think it’s making the FA Cup intensified over whether the competition rassing defeats, the latter pair going out midweek. That was no excuse, according “It’s just crazy, I don’t understand it. better. “A lot of teams was being devalued by leading teams to non-League (fifth-tier) Lincoln City to former England captain Alan Shearer, I’m all for bringing one or two young kids are playing at home and so they’re mak- resting so many players. Hull City and and Sutton United. twice an FA Cup finalist with Newcastle into the team but not six or seven of ing a lot of changes. It’s been fantastic Watford joined Bournemouth, Liverpool, Leeds manager Garry Monk acknowl- United. “Fans care about trophies,” he them. “They (the clubs) are cheating the for the Cup and I’m all for playing the Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion in edged he should not have made as many told the BBC. “I don’t get the resting of fans. Newcastle fans travelled 250 miles kids. You find out whether they’re good losing to sides from the second or third as 10 changes for a 1-0 humbling at players and never have done. down to Oxford expecting their team to enough. “And Lincoln and Sutton are not tier in this year’s competition, most of Sutton, whose captain and goalscorer “Liverpool as an example changed win. And he (manager Rafa Benitez) puts thinking the FA Cup’s been diminished. them making several changes to their Jamie Collins said his side were given a the team (for the 2-1 defeat by a weakened team out. It’s very, very disap- They’re ecstatic they’re in the next strongest lineups. huge boost when they saw the visitors’ Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday). pointing.” Fellow BBC pundit Phil Neville, round. “I think the FA Cup’s alive and well Promotion-chasing Championship team sheet. They’re not even in Europe. They’ve got who won the FA Cup three times with more than ever.” — Reuters Mourinho rejected ‘big offer’ to go to China

LONDON: Jose Mourinho turned down a in the Chinese Super League, while this “big offer” to go to China, the Manchester month saw Argentina striker Carlos Tevez United manager disclosed in an interview join Shanghai Shenhua from Boca Juniors. published yesterday. His arrival came a fortnight after that of The 54-year-old Portuguese boss did Brazilian star Oscar, who joined cross-town not disclose which club made the proposal Shanghai rivals SIPG for £50 million ($63 but said he would not criticise anyone who million, 60 million euros) from Chelsea that made a highly lucrative move to the devel- smashed the Asian transfer-fee record. oping Chinese Super League. Former Chelsea manager Mourinho said Last week saw Mourinho cast doubt he was “worried” about the prospect of los- over rhe Old Trafford future of England cap- ing players to China and urged them to tain Wayne Rooney, who recently became think about more than money. United’s all-time leading goalscorer, by say- “If you are negotiating a new contract ing “the money is huge” in China, amid with one of your players, and you offer him reports of Asian interest in the striker. £5 million per year and they offer £25 mil- “I have already refused a big offer to go lion, then you have a big problem,” to China, but I don’t criticise anyone who Mourinho admitted. decides to do it,” Mourinho told the month- “Maybe the player takes £5 million ly GQ men’s magazine. because he prefers football. Or £25 million “It’s their choice, their life. Only they can because he prefers money. decide what they need for their future. “I am worried, because they can offer Other managers in the Premier League contracts that are impossible to offer in have been critical, but I am no critic.” Europe. But in the end the player who Fellow high-profile managers Luiz Felipe wants to go is a player that maybe you Scolari and Sven-Goran Eriksson are already don’t want to keep,” he added. — AFP Last-gasp Silva rescues Monaco

PARIS: Bernardo Silva struck an injury-time when Djibril Sidibe tugged Draxler back as equaliser as Monaco salvaged a deserved he sought to get on the end of a cross, with point in a 1-1 draw at reigning champions Cavani calmly converting to give the hosts Paris Saint-Germain to keep the visitors top the lead. of . Edinson Cavani scored his 21st But Monaco, who arrived in the capital MADRID: Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, left, runs with the ball through Real Sociedad defenders during a Spanish soccer match between league goal of the season with an 81st- averaging over three goals a game and Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Sunday. Kovacic scored once in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory. — AP minute penalty at the Parc des Princes, but unbeaten in their last seven trips to the Portugal international Silva fired home in Paris in the league, kept pressing and were stoppage time to thwart the hosts. rewarded when Silva’s low drive from out- Monaco moved back above Nice, who were side the area skipped past Areola. 3-1 winners over Guingamp earlier on Earlier, Mario Balotelli secured a first win Ronaldo fires Real Madrid Sunday, on goal difference with Unai in four games for Nice as they ended a run Emery’s PSG remaining three points behind of three successive draws with victory at in their quest for a fifth straight title. home to Guingamp. Alassane Plea struck four points clear at top “It’s not the best result, but it’s not the after 11 minutes to give Nice the lead at worst,” said Emery. “We will keep going as the Allianz Riviera and Jean-Michael Seri, our objective is to win the title. back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with “It’s difficult and today we had a good the Ivory Coast, added a second before MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off the opportunity which we lost but there will be half-time. boos of his own supporters to fire Real Madrid to lots of chances.” Julian Draxler returned Jimmy Briand pulled a goal back for a 3-0 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday as from a calf problem in place of Angel Di Guingamp on the hour but Balotelli, who Zinedine Zidane’s side took advantage of slip West Ham fans offered deal Maria, who scored twice in Tuesday’s 4-1 was targeted with racial abuse in last ups by Barcelona and Sevilla to open up a four- win at Bordeaux in the League Cup semi- week’s game at Bastia, sealed the win three point lead at the top of La Liga. Ronaldo teed up to get Payet off their backs finals, while came in for the minutes from time. Mateo Kovacic for the opener in the 38th minute injured Marco Verratti in Paris. Monaco will Nice coach Lucien Favre admitted it had to cool tensions at the Bernabeu after support- meet PSG in the final in Lyon on April 1, been a struggle at times and insisted his ers had grown impatient with the team’s unin- LONDON: After selling Dimitri Payet to joined from Marseille in 2015 for a reported and coach Leonardo Jardim recalled Valere side would continue to take things step by spired display and the Portuguese secured victo- for 25 million pounds 10.7 million pounds. ($31.2 million), West Ham United are offering The relationship broke down when he told Germain to partner Radamel Falcao in step. “We scored three goals at key times. ry with a strike of his own in the 51st. Substitute fans a cut-price deal to get the French for- the East Londoners he no longer wanted to attack with Fabinho shaking off illness to Guingamp didn’t have many chances but Alvaro Morata then put the finishing touch to ward off their backs as well. play for them and sought a return to start after coming off the bench in we sat back and suffered. We have to keep the win by adding the third in the 82nd minute. Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat of Nancy. taking it match by match and we have a big “Bring back your Payet shirt to any of the Marseille in the current transfer window. Ronaldo had been one of the scapegoats for “We always work to win,” said Jardim. one at Monaco next Saturday,” said Favre. club shops & you will get a new replacement Co-owner David Sullivan on Sunday Real’s recent stuttering run which saw them win “Perhaps after trailing 1-0, a draw is not a Lyon slumped to a 2-1 home defeat for £25,” the Premier League club’s vice-chair- accused the player of lacking respect. “The bad result but our idea was to come here against Lille on Saturday as one of their last four games and exit the King’s man Karen Brady said on Twitter on Monday club would like to place on record its sincere and take three points.” Fabinho forced PSG punished his former side with his first goals Cup in midweek to Celta Vigo. in response to a query. disappointment that Dimitri Payet did not goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to tip over in a live- of the season, while Bafetimbi Gomis net- He was whistled after giving the ball away Basic short-sleeved 2016-17 West Ham show the same commitment and respect to ly first half, albeit one with limited chances ted a hat-trick as Marseille thrashed early in the game and responded by shouting team shirts without a player’s name on the West Ham United that the club and fans as Pep Guardiola scouted his side’s upcom- Montpellier 5-1 on Friday. — AFP back at the crowd although all was forgiven back usually retail at 55 pounds each but are showed him, particularly when it rewarded ing opponents-Manchester City are set to when he latched onto Kovacic’s through ball and currently reduced to 36.66 in a sale at the him with a lucrative new five-and-half-year face Monaco in the Champions League last coolly chipped it into the net. Real Sociedad had club’s online store. deal only last year,” he said. The Hammers last 16. Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic was made things difficult for Real on a rainy evening French international Payet, who stood out week signed Scotland winger Robert called into action just before the break, first Matches on TV in the Spanish capital and could have levelled for the host nation at Euro 2016, had become Snodgrass from struggling Hull City in a 10.2 a fan favourite at the Hammers after he million-pound deal. — Reuters parrying a low drive from Lucas before (Local Timings) before the break when forward Juanmi burst scrambling to his feet to block a follow-up into the area but skewed wide. The Basque side’s effort from Cavani. English Premier League resistance waned after Ronaldo’s goal and they The visitors nearly caught PSG out with- had defender Inigo Martinez sent off in the 74th in 30 seconds of the restart as Falcao spun Arsenal v Watford 22:45 beIN SPORTS minute for two bookings. inside the area before drawing a save from Middlesbrough v Albion 22:45 Morata, who had an earlier goal wiped out for Trapp before Thomas Lemar drilled the beIN SPORTS offside, headed in Lucas Vazquez’s cross shortly rebound against Rabiot. Sunderland v Tottenham 22:45 after Sociedad had been rduced to 10 men and However, Trapp hobbled off shortly after beIN SPORTS with an apparent hamstring problem sus- Burnley v Leicester 22:45 Ronaldo also had a second goal ruled out in the tained making a save from a swerving beIN SPORTS 90th minute for offside. Swansea v Southampton 22:45 Lemar strike and was replaced by Alphonse Real top the standings on 46 points, four beIN SPORTS clear of Barcelona, who were held to a 1-1 draw Areola. Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 22:45 beIN SPORTS at Real Betis on Sunday, and Sevilla, who were LATE FIREWORKS Liverpool v Chelsea 23:00 beaten 2-1 at Espanyol, and have a game in A devilish low ball across the face of beIN SPORTS hand on both their title rivals. goal from Lemar then flashed between the Italian Cup 2016/2017 However, even without six first-team regulars legs of Jemerson and away to safety as Inter Milano v Lazio 22:45 through injury, Real took a huge step towards a Monaco looked the likelier to break the beIN SPORTS first La Liga title for five years against an in-form deadlock. But PSG were awarded a penalty Sociedad, who remain just one point off the top four in fifth. “After a few difficult days we were back to being ourselves tonight. It was a com- plete performance against a strong opponent,” said Real boss Zinedine Zidane. “We can say it has been a good night for us because our rivals have drawn or lost.” Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring with the only real chance of the first-half as he timed his late run from midfield perfectly for Ronaldo’s through ball and slotted low beyond Geronimo Rulli. The roles were reversed six minutes into the second-half as this time Kovacic’s pass split the Sociedad defence and Ronaldo coolly chipped the onrushing Rulli for his 20th goal of the season. Sociedad’s uphill task was made impossible 15 minutes from time when Inigo Martinez was sent-off for a second bookable offence. And MARSEILLE: Olympique de Marseille’s new forward Dimitri Payet poses with his jersey dur- ing a press conference yesterday at Robert-Louis Dreyfus Stadium in Marseille, southern PARIS: Monaco’s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva (C) celebrates after scoring a Alvaro Morata made the 10 men pay as he bul- France. Dimitri Payet made a record-breaking return to Olympique Marseille yesterday goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco leted home Lucas Vazquez’s cross for the third leaving a bitter taste at West Ham United after going on strike to force a transfer. — AFP at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Sunday. — AFP eight minutes from time. —Agencies