Transfer Clockwatch

Follow the deals and speculation during the January window

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Chelsea v Napoli: we need to come out the blocks firing tonight, says John Terry

Chelsea's talismanic captain says the club will look to attack Napoli from the get go as they seek to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

If Chelsea needed any encouragement that their bid to book a quarter-final berth was not an impossible task, they only have look to London neighbours Arsenal who fell just short when faced with a much sterner challenge last week.
Arsenal trailed 4-0 from their first leg at AC Milan but only just fell short of an incredible recovery after beating the Italians 3-0 at the Emirates.
Chelsea's job is marginally less daunting than that even if Napoli are on a run of six successive wins in all competitions.
Returning captain John Terry emphasised the importance of a good start if Chelsea are going to remain in the competition.
"I think what could be important for us tomorrow night is the start which we had against Barcelona when we really needed to, I think we came out of the blocks firing which they didn't expect, and a good start to get the fans ready and make ourselves believe as well, to get off to a good start could be the key factor tomorrow if not, as I said before, we've got the experience and patience to know that it only takes a couple of minutes to score two goals," he said.

Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo admitted that along with a good performance his side would also need a little bit of luck.
"I think we will need a great performance tomorrow night and we need a little bit of luck as well, because in a cup competition you need to deserve a little bit of luck that makes you go through.
"Personally it would be a proud moment but more than anything we just want to do well for the club and our supporters and we want the team to show a very passionate performance and try to turn this leg around," he said.

News From Telegraph.co.uk

Sturridge grateful for Pearce

Striker would be happy for Pearce to lead England at Euros

Young England striker Daniel Sturridge paid tribute to coach Stuart Pearce after contributing an impressive display on just his second appearance for his country on Wednesday.

Sturridge was named England's man-of-the-match in the 3-2 defeat by Holland at Wembley on Wednesday after replacing the injured Steven Gerrard in the 33rd minute.

The Chelsea frontman says having Pearce in charge put him at ease after working with the coach at Manchester City and at Under-21 level.

Easy

"To have Stuart Pearce in charge made my job easy because I know him very well, I know (assistant coach) Steve Wigley very well, and they've helped me throughout my career," he told Sky Sports.

"For them to be involved made it easy for me to feel at home.

"He made my job easy because I felt like I was with the Under-21s."

The striker would be happy for Pearce to remain in charge of England for Euro 2012 but also believes Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp would do a commendable job.

"I've known Pearce since I was 15, when I was at Man City, and to have him as a manager would be great," he said.

"I know Harry Redknapp is in the frame and if Harry Redknapp got the job I'd be very happy also. He's a great man manager, he gets the best out of all the players he has.

"If anyone else comes in from the outside and gets the job I'm sure they'll do a great job for their country also."

Sturridge bruised his toe during Wednesday's game but is hopeful of being fit for Chelsea's trip to West Brom on Saturday.

Target

The 22-year-old is determined to work hard with the Blues for the remainder of the season to secure a place in the England squad for this summer's Euros.

"To be with the full squad is a great achievement for myself," he added.

"It's my second game for the country. I've got three months now with the club to put my best foot forward and work very hard for my club to make sure I get on the plane."

FA director says coach could take over just days before Euro 2012

Sir Trevor Brooking, one of the four men in charge of finding England's next coach, insists there is 'no rush' over the appointment.

Caretaker boss Stuart Pearce oversaw a 3-2 friendly defeat to Holland in the Three Lions' first game since former manager Fabio Capello resigned.

Pearce has made it clear he would be happy to stay in charge for the European Championship this summer, but admits he is not the man 'long-term'.

But, with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp favourite for the position as Spurs battle for a UEFA Champions League place, it seems likely the Three Lions will not know who will be at the helm for some time.

Brooking, one of four Football Association officials in charge of making the appointment, does not envisage that being a problem though, because of the thorough preparations being made for the tournament.

"Everything will be in place," he is quoted by The Independent.

"The backroom staff is very good. Whoever comes in will be really happy with that.

"The issue is the timing, that is why we don't think we are in any rush.

"I think you could get somebody parachuted in a few days before it, though I'm sure there are some people in our group who don't want that."

Back-burner

Brooking added that discussions about the new man had been on the back-burner ahead of the Dutch game.

"We've been concentrating on the Holland game," he said.

"Now we'll sit down in the next few days and see what the timeframe is.

"We will take our time. I don't see anything happening soon. We obviously want to be aware of all the sensitivities before taking it forward. There are sensitivities."

Quinn quits Sunderland

Short & O'Neill lead praise for Black Cats legend

Former Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has left the club with immediate effect.

Quinn stepped down as chairman last October to be replaced by Ellis Short and had been working in an international development role in trying to raise the club's profile abroad.

The 45-year-old headed the Drumaville Consortium in June 2006 to buy the Black Cats with the former Sunderland striker then becoming chairman.

Quinn, who retired from playing in 2003 at the Stadium of Light, believes he has left the club in good hands under Short and Martin O'Neill as he plans to return to his native Republic of Ireland to explore other business opportunities away from football.

"I've had the most amazing six years and it gives me a huge sense of pride to see where Sunderland is today," Quinn told the club's official website.

"Sunderland is in an incredibly fortunate position to have a hugely talented team of people leading the football club right now.

"There is a tremendous amount of energy about the place and the Board and the executive management team are a dynamic and committed group, who hold the best interests of the club at the core of all they do.

"Everything is in place for Sunderland to really make a statement, which was always my aim.

"From a football perspective, securing the services of Martin O'Neill has been an absolute highlight. In Martin we have a man that understands the region, the club and the unique place it holds in the lives of its supporters and I am confident that he will harness the immense passion that exists here and take us to new heights.

"As for the great Sunderland fans, I would like to thank them for the trust they placed in me."

Thanks

Chairman Short paid tribute to Quinn and has vowed to carry on the work done by the Irishman on Wearside.

"Niall Quinn is and always will be a Sunderland legend," said Short. "His vision brought me into the club and that vision still inspires what we do.

"He has been a trusted friend and advisor to me throughout our time together at Sunderland and whilst I'm sad about his departure, I respect his view that his 'work is done'. My job is to carry on that work.

"He has been a wonderful servant to Sunderland and his determination to see the club grow has been inspirational."

Praise

Martin O'Neill also praised Quinn's impact at Sunderland and admitted he played a big part in his decision to join Sunderland

"Niall has been a truly iconic figure at Sunderland, both as a player and in his time leading the club from the top," noted O'Neill.

"His vision and drive, alongside that of Ellis, played a significant part in me coming here."

"Like everyone, I couldn't be more disappointed that he has decided to step down but of course I respect and understand his decision."

"He has been the heartbeat of the football club for so long and his legacy is immeasurable. To me he is 'Mr Sunderland' - and always will be."

Gerrard praise for Carroll

Reds captain delighted with performance of £35m striker

Steven Gerrard believes he is continuously developing a better understanding with Andy Carroll after the pair starred in Liverpool's 6-1 thrashing of Brighton in the FA Cup.

Brighton scored three own goals, but Carroll was among the Liverpool players who also got on the scoresheet, along with strike partner Luis Suarez, who missed a penalty, but responded with a late header.

With the Carling Cup final on the horizon next Sunday, Liverpool could have been forgiven for having their attentions elsewhere.

But Gerrard believes their performance shows they can get better for the rest of the season with all of their top players available.

"It's always nice to first of all get the win and then to win convincingly," he told ESPN. "In the end we went through the gears and got better and better as the 90 minutes went on and we deserved our goals.

Pressure:

"The important thing was to focus on this game. The Carling Cup final was in our minds, because we have a massive game at Wembley next week, but we want to go to Wembley again in the FA Cup so today was just as important."

There was the first sight of Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll all starting a game together for Liverpool, and the former hopes the end result is a sign of things to come.

"(Carroll) has been getting better and better in training and he was our man of the match today," said Gerrard.

"We believe that the more we play together, the more we'll click. We're all good players and good players like playing with other good players. We're all on the same wavelength now."

Carroll put the visiting defence under pressure all afternoon and the £35million striker said: "Every goal feels good, but it couldn't get any better today with the result as well and now we're through to the next round.

"We haven't played many games all together, but we've been playing well in training and we put it into the game today."

Enrique: We must pick up home form

Liverpool defender Jose Enrique believes home form and particularly results against their nearest rivals for a Champions League spot remains the key to a top-four finish.

The impact of defeat to Manchester United at the weekend was lessened by losses suffered by Chelsea and Newcastle, with only Arsenal winning.

But even though the Gunners moved into fourth it was only by virtue of goals scored and the gap between Liverpool, in seventh, and Champions League qualification remains four points.

With both Arsenal, next month, and Chelsea, in the Reds' final home match of the season, still to visit, Enrique believes addressing poor form at Anfield will be key in the race to return to Europe's elite.

"We lost (against United) but the truth is that we have to win more games at home," he said.

"We are still in the race to be in the Champions League next season.

"It's hard but Chelsea and Arsenal have lost many points too. Chelsea lost this weekend and we can't forget Newcastle.

"It's really important that we have to play these teams at home and we'll have another man - you play with 12 with our fans."

Liverpool are unbeaten at Anfield this season but have won just four of 12 matches, having drawn against Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea, Blackburn, Stoke, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

"It is hard to beat Manchester United at home but against teams like Blackburn and Swansea (both draws) at home we need to win the points," the Spaniard told liverpoolfc.tv.

"There are many games left and we have to beat many teams to try and be there.

"You never know in football - that's why everyone likes it. But we're still in the race."

Olsson wants Hodgson to stay

Defender Jonas Olsson believes it is vital for West Brom to retain the services of manager Roy Hodgson if they are to become a potent Premier League force.

Hodgson is out of contract with the Baggies in the summer and is in no rush to make a decision on his future.

Olsson can understand why Hodgson is being viewed as a possible candidate to replace Fabio Capello as England coach but knows how crucial he is to Albion's future.

The central defender said: "I think it is important for the club's development that Roy Hodgson stays.

"I am not surprised he is in the frame as one of the England candidates.

"He is a top manager and has done really well in the Premier League with Fulham and now us.

"I'm not surprised he has been mentioned but I hope he stays here. Everyone at the club is very happy with him.

"I'm thinking he's enjoying himself and hopefully he will come to an agreement with the club."

Olsson believes Hodgson's organisational skills have been a key factor in keeping Albion in the top flight last season and building on that platform this term.

West Brom are currently 14th in the standings following their 5-1 mauling of Wolves on Saturday, eight points above the relegation zone.

He said: "In all the years I've been here, people have seen we can play some really good football.

"But what we were lacking before the current gaffer came was organisation and the shape of the team.

"He is a top coach at bringing that together, maybe the best in England I think, the best I have worked with from that perspective, definitely."

Striker Peter Odemwingie, who scored a hat-trick against Wolves, knows losing Hodgson will disrupt the continuity at the Hawthorns.

He said: "Roy is a big manager and it depends on what he wants to do.

"He has had success here and he has already built relationships with people in the club so he would be welcome (to stay).

"We are getting to know each other and understanding each other collectively as a squad and that is important.

"Everybody knows what to expect from each other and that is a big plus.

"When someone new comes in, you have to start from the beginning so, if we can all get what we're looking for this year, then why change when things are going fine? I hope he stays."

Odemwingie insists his personal working relationship with Hodgson is fine after an exchange of views earlier in the campaign when the player was sidelined with injury problems.

He said: "We are fine and we always were. If we weren't, I would have been talking about leaving the club or something else.

"But he told me that whatever he says can be out of frustrating and not anger.

"He is an experienced person and I have to respect him, my manager.

"Sometimes I felt it was a bit harsh on me, and I said that to him, but he said I shouldn't take it in a bad way.

"He said he was frustrated that I wasn't available (because of injury) and that was it."

Klinsmann content with USA role

Jurgen Klinsmann insists he is happy as United States head coach despite rumours that the he could take over as Tottenham manager should Harry Redknapp depart for England.

Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager following the Italian's shock resignation last week.

Although Redknapp admits it would be heart-breaking to leave a club where he has enjoyed so much success, the 64-year-old has already declared his interest in taking on the national side, conceding last week that the role would be the "ultimate" for any English manager.

United States coach Klinsmann, a fan favourite from two playing spells at Spurs, has been mentioned as a possible successor but he played down those rumours.

He said: "I'm very happy in my role as USA manager and busy preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying this summer."

Redknapp was last week cleared of two charges of tax evasion in a draining 13-day trial and he has now taken a break for a few days to rest and recuperate ahead of Sunday's FA Cup game against Stevenage.

The former Portsmouth manager did little to dampen speculation that he wants to take the national job by talking at length about the England team following Saturday evening's 5-0 win over Newcastle.

The win, which kept Tottenham within seven points of the Barclays Premier League summit, was thanks in no small part to the efforts of Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Togo striker, who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, set up the Londoners' first four goals before adding one of his own in the second half.

The goal - his first in 713 minutes of competitive action - came as a huge relief to the former Arsenal man.

"I had a tough time. I didn't score for a few games but I came back and scored and I made a lot of assists," Adebayor told Spurs TV Online. "It's good for the confidence. We are all human. When you go through four, five, six games without scoring you start questioning yourself.

"You start saying: 'what is happening? What is wrong?'

"I got some stick from my team-mates as well - in a good way - so I was happy to score and to help the team win.

"I've worked hard in training and my team-mates all believe in me and what I can do."

Saturday was also a successful day for Spurs new boy Louis Saha.

Many had questioned why Redknapp signed the 33-year-old, but he linked up well with Adebayor to register his first two Tottenham goals inside 20 minutes of his first start.

Former Metz man Adebayor was impressed with how well he worked Saha, who he knows from their time in France together.

He said: "It was easy because I know him from France and I know how he plays.

"We talked a lot before the game. I know where he goes on the pitch and we talked a lot on the pitch. That made it easy for us."

Redknapp is likely to rest a number of his stars for this weekend's fifth-round clash against npower League Two side Stevenage.

Ledley King, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric are all expected to be rested as Tottenham play Arsenal and Manchester United in their following two matches.

King, who suffers from a chronic knee injury, is out of contract at the end of the season and Redknapp said earlier this term that he would have to play at least 20 games to earn a new one.

The Spurs club captain, who has made 15 appearances so far this year, is happy to leave discussions about his future until the end of the season.

He said: "I've left it between my agent and the chairman and I have not heard anything at the moment. I'm just keeping my head down and playing as many games as I can and at the end of the season we will see where that is."

Tevez: Mancini treated me 'like a dog'

Carlos Tevez returns to England but has accused Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini of treating him "like a dog".

The striker claimed Mancini was in a foul mood and swore at him as he sat on the bench during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich at the end of September.

Tevez is to return to the Etihad Stadium and resume his career with City that has been placed on hold for the last three and a half months.

Talking about the circumstances surrounding his refusal to warm up on September 27, the Argentina international said in a Fox Sports interview broadcast in translation on Sky Sports News: "I was kind of in a bad mood and when he brings on (Nigel) de Jong and takes off (Edin) Dzeko and we're losing 2-0 I thought it was a defensive substitution so I decided to sit back on the bench.

"I had already warmed up for 10 minutes and he has this attitude that he wants to lose 2-0 instead of 4-0.

"So I sat down and at the same time Dzeko comes off and is really angry and has a go at Mancini. He then sees the tunnel is closed so he has to sit down next to him and they start to have an argument.

"Dzeko was speaking Bosnian and Mancini would swear at him in Italian so it was a real mess.

"So I go and sit down and he doesn't see me because he's having this discussion. But then he turns around and sees me and you can imagine what happens.

"He's in the middle of an argument so then he tells me to keep on warming up and treats me like a dog.

"So when he spoke to me in that tone of voice, and I said 'No, I'm not going out'. So I was willing to play, but the coach was in such a foul mood because he had that argument with Dzeko.

"He started on me as well, started swearing at me, that was him, because I was very calm. I was just sitting on the bench and you can see from the footage that I was calm and just talking with (Pablo) Zabaleta. Mancini said some horrible things to me."

It appeared at one stage last month Tevez, who returned to Argentina after the row with City, would be shipped out as Inter Milan, AC Milan and Paris St Germain all showed an interest, but no move was forthcoming as he stayed at Eastlands.

Mancini made it clear, following a 1-0 win at Aston Villa that enabled his side to return to the top of the Barclays Premier League, he was still seeking an apology from Tevez.

The player did adopt a conciliatory approach towards the City fans and claimed their angry reaction was understandable as they did not have the full facts.

"I believe they were misinformed, they weren't told the facts," he said in the interview shown and translated on Sky Sports News.

"So that when they were told I didn't want to play they naturally turned against me.

"If a player doesn't want to play for the team that's paying his wages it's only natural for them to turn against that player.

"And I couldn't understand what was going on. I swore like any player would. I gave everything to that club and when I saw them burning my shirt with my name on it or hurling insults at me it really hurt.

"I gave everything to that club and what I love above all is to play football."

Tevez claimed he would be ready to challenge for a place in the City side in two weeks.

"In two weeks I play, I think," he said in the same interview.

The striker revealed he was ready to apologise if the club deemed it necessary.

"I do not think I was wrong, but if they (the club) think so I apologise. I am ready to return, to win and do the best for the club's shirt," he added.

"Hopefully I can help City to be champions again. The most important thing for me is to return to get fit.

"I always said that at 28 I would retire. Today I say, 'No, I have much more to give'."

Powar questions Reds management

Liverpool still have to deal with unresolved questions arising from the Luis Suarez affair, according to a leading anti-racism campaigner.

Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe, said Liverpool's defence of the Uruguay international had not been worth the effect on the club's reputation and suggested they must look again at how they manage their players.

However, he welcomed the apologies issued by the player, manager Kenny Dalglish and managing director Ian Ayre yesterday in the wake of the furore after Suarez refused on Saturday to shake hands with Patrice Evra, the man he was found guilty of racially abusing.

Liverpool, having steadfastly defended Suarez ever since allegations were made against him by the Manchester United defender on October 15, were quick to act following the weekend's incident at Old Trafford.

Condemnation both in this country and overseas, notably in the United States where the club's owners Fenway Sports Group are based, brought decisive action from the Anfield hierarchy.

The club's shirt sponsors Standard Chartered, almost halfway through a record-breaking £81million four-year deal, also raised the issue with the club.

"We were very disappointed by Saturday's incident and have discussed our concerns with the club," said a statement from the bank.

But the club hope strong statements, particularly from Ayre who criticised Suarez for misleading them over his intentions in relation to the handshake, have helped deal with the matter.

Powar said: "It's certainly taken quite a long time for Liverpool to shift into gear and really give us the three-barrelled apologies, if you like.

"It has been surprising the way they've handled it and I'm not surprised at all that finally their American owners have realised they need to step in.

"I think there are still some unresolved questions Liverpool need to look at.

"There's still some lessons for the rest of us that we need to consider in the coming weeks, but it's not too late, it's never too late to say sorry.

"I think it shows British football has a lot to do really. There's a number of questions that have struck us and one of those is clubs need to stop paying lip service and really take some of these social issues seriously.

"And they (Liverpool) need to think about how they manage star players.

"Clearly Kenny Dalglish's concern here was to manage Luis Suarez and his protestations of innocence.

"But is it enough to say Luis Suarez is a top player for Liverpool FC, therefore we have to pull out the stops and damage our own reputation?

"I don't think it is and I think that's something clubs need to look at very carefully."

Even after Suarez was banned for eight matches there was no apology or expression of regret from the player or anyone at Anfield.

That changed at the weekend with the incident played out to millions of television viewers across the world, prompting high-level discussions, also involving Standard Chartered, which led to Liverpool taking the action they did.

"The apologies are welcome, it's definitely a step in the right direction," added Powar on Sky Sports News.

"I would say it probably is time now that we started to heal, we started to look at the issues that have been thrown up and we move forward as people are calling for."

Former Liverpool player John Barnes said he understood why Suarez had been so adamant he had done nothing wrong in using a term of reference towards Evra he claimed was commonplace in South America.

But the former England international said education was the key to changing racist attitudes.

"When people say that 'ignorance is not an excuse', ignorance 100% is an excuse because we were ignorant 20 years ago and no one is taking us to task over it," Barnes told Radio 4's Today programme.

"In terms of terminologies used that aren't acceptable here, people are still using them and not in the way that we see it.

"I am interested in getting rid of racist thoughts, not just in terms of legislation.

Barnes added that the footballing authorities and politicians need to "formulate an educational plan" to tackle the problem".

Suggestions Liverpool bowed to pressure from Standard Chartered in their response to Saturday's incident have been dismissed by the club.

The Reds have insisted the processes they set in motion after the defeat at Old Trafford were fully backed, but not driven or influenced, by the bank.

"Ian Ayre kept Standard Chartered fully informed of developments over the course of the weekend," said a statement from Liverpool.

"The actions the club decided to take yesterday were supported by Standard Chartered."

Giggs won't rush into retirement

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs is determined not to make the same mistake as team-mate Paul Scholes by retiring too early.

Scholes called time on his professional career last summer and settled into a coaching role with United's reserve team - only to return in January.

Giggs considered retirement last season during a frustrating spell out of the team but has remained part of Sir Ferguson's squad throughout and could make his 900th appearance for the club in Thursday's Europa League clash with Ajax.

And he told the Daily Telegraph: "When to retire is difficult. Do you quit too early or go that one too many games and let people see you on the slide? Retirement is just a decision that I have to take my time with because I feel different after each game.

"He (Scholes) was missing it and it's no secret that me, (Gary Neville) and a few other people felt that he had finshed too early, but who where we to know?

"We wanted him to carry on but he'd made his decision quite early and it was probably too early, which I think he accepts now. Who knows? Maybe he'll carry on next year."

Giggs could be in contention for selection as one of Great Britain boss Stuart Pearce's over-age players for the London 2012 Olympics football tournament.

He would have to clear it with the Football Association of Wales first, with the home nations aside from England having expressed opposition to a united team.

"I haven't thought about the Olympics too much but nearer the time, I am obviously going to have to," Giggs said. "First of all, I have to get picked - there are a lot of players vying for 20-odd spots - (and then there) is another obstacle: will it affect Wales in the future?

"If it does, then it will be an easy decision for me to make. If it comes to the time when the likes of myself, Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are picked, it is something we will have to speak to the FAW about, but I hope (it doesn't become an issue)."

Giggs attributes his longevity to the switch from his long-time left-wing role into the centre of midfield in recent years.

"Moving in to central midfield has definitely helped me," he said. "I had a taste of what it was like on the wing against Liverpool on Saturday and it's just completely different because you are up and down all the time."

Hazard likes Spurs but not Spain

Lille star Eden Hazard has quashed rumours of him joining Tottenham in the summer - although he does admit being interested in the Barclays Premier League side.

French media reported on Monday that Hazard, who is being closely monitored by top clubs from England, Italy and Spain, had agreed to join Spurs at the end of the season

However, the Belgium international insists his mind is not made up yet on where his destination will be in the summer when he is expected to leave French Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

"I said that [his desire to move to England] because I think that I can learn the best there because there are big matches every week, even with the little teams, big matches with great atmospheres," Hazard told Belgian TV channel RTBF.

"[Spurs] is a rumour. It is a club that interests me, of course, because they have great players and a great coach.

"I have not signed anything yet - it is too early. At the moment I want to focus on Lille."

Hazard is on the wish list of a number of clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the youngster does not appear keen on a move to Spain despite his love for everything La Liga.

It is understood that Hazard does not want to join a big club to sit on the bench which he feels he may end up doing should he opt to join Real or Barca.

"Spain is perhaps the best place for my style of play, but I think that you have to be at either Barca or Real Madrid to win titles there," Hazard said.

"It is harder to play at a big club at my age."

Tottenham's bitter rival Arsenal recently ruled themselves out of the running to sign Hazard as the club looks to sustain a healthy annual profit.

Hodgson pleased with good Fortune

West Brom head coach Roy Hodgson has hailed the renaissance of striker Marc-Antoine Fortune after his days looked numbered at The Hawthorns.

At the start of the season Fortune slipped down the pecking order behind Peter Odemwingie, Shane Long and Simon Cox, and the former Celtic player was even loaned out to npower Championship side Doncaster.

But Fortune has fought his way back into Hodgson's plans, starting the last five games, including Sunday's 5-1 demolition of Wolves at Molineux.

Hodgson said: "He looks a different player. He continued to work hard and fight even through the lean moments where he was sometimes not even on the bench.

"I've admired him for that. A little bit of confidence could be the reason for things looking up and his loan spell at Doncaster helped him a little bit as well.

"All those factors play a part and against Wolves on Sunday I thought he was very good."

Hodgson is now looking for Albion to improve their home record - just two wins at The Hawthorns this season - but does not believe there is a major problem.

He said: "I'd like to think our fans are good enough judges of football to agree with me in that our home games have been dogged by bad luck whereas away, we've got much more what we deserved."

Pardew: We lost our heads at Tottenham

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has deemed the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham as uncharacteristic of his side.

The Magpies were hit by four goals in the first half as Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Niko Kranjcar, and Louis Saha ran riot for Tottenham. Pardew told nufcTV that the loss was on his hands. 

"I have to take some responsibility because I probably had too many offensive players on the pitch." he admitted.

"Playing 4-4-2 we could not cope with them. When they got two quick goals like that we lost our heads for ten minutes and we looked disorganised, which is unusual for us."

However, Pardew has praised his players for putting on a much better second-half performance after their abysmal first-half showing.

"But in the second half we could only do one thing - keep them at bay, keep disciplined and try and offer a threat. We had a couple of good chances and gave ourselves some pride from that second half." the manager stated.

While he could not deny the talent in the opposite ranks, Pardew believes the margin of Newcastle's defeat could be attributed to Tottenham players wanting to prove something to their boss Harry Redknapp.

"4-0 down at half-time against the players we were up against. The likes of Gareth Bale, Lennon, Defoe, Adebayor, Louis Saha - that's some proper players." he shared.

"They wanted to show their manager they want to keep him, and there was a little bounce in their steps,"

Newcastle will be expected to have a much easier time when they host relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday.

Wenger has 'Plan B' for RVP

Arsenal are lining up an £18million bid for Benfica striker Rodrigo in case Gunners ace Robin van Persie leaves in the summer, according to reports.

The Daily Mail claims that Arsenal are "scouring the market for alternatives" for Van Persie should the Dutchman get his head turned by reported interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Van Persie has been in scintillating form this season scoring 28 goals across all competitions which has led to several newspapers in Spain - including Marca - suggesting the player is looking at a new challenge in his career.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has since rubbished the reports maintaining there had been no contact from Real Madrid or Barcelona over Van Persie - and that any advances for his star player would be rejected.

However, with Van Persie out of contract at the end of next season, the Daily Mail insists that Wenger will go for Spain Under 21 striker Rodrigo as a potential replacement for the Dutchman.

Wenger is known to have a keen eye for spotting emerging talent and among the players he is credited to have developed into world beaters includes current Spain and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Arsenal also recently signed Spain youth international Jon Toral to professional terms which appears to give weight to the argument that the Frenchman sees his priorities in the transfer market with youth signings rather than splurging millions on already established stars.

The 17-year-old Catalan-born attacking midfielder won his contract after shining at the Gunners' academy following his move from Barcelona last summer as a scholar.

However, Rodrigo won't come cheap as he has an £18million release clause in his contract and Benfica are unlikely to let him go for anything less with Inter Milan also interested in their forward.

The strength of depth in Arsenal's forward line has been a cause for concern this season which pushed the club to re-sign legendary striker Thierry Henry on loan during the January transfer window.

Henry's final game of his loan spell with Arsenal will be at AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday.

Reds play down sponsors role in apology

Liverpool have dismissed claims they were pressured into issuing apologies over the Luis Suarez affair by shirt sponsors Standard Chartered.

The bank, who are almost halfway through a four-year deal worth £81million, were involved in discussions with the club about events on Saturday when Suarez refused to shake the hand of Patrice Evra, the man he was found guilty of racially abusing.

But the Reds insist it was they and not Standard Chartered who decided to take the decisive action in the form of three statements from the Uruguay international, manager Kenny Dalglish and managing director Ian Ayre.

"Ian Ayre kept Standard Chartered fully informed of developments over the course of the weekend," said a statement from Liverpool.

"The actions the club decided to take on Sunday were supported by Standard Chartered."

On Monday the bank confirmed they had held dialogue with the Anfield officials, expressing their concerns.

"We were very disappointed by Saturday's incident and have discussed our concerns with the club," said a statement from Standard Chartered.

Liverpool, having steadfastly defended Suarez ever since allegations were made against him by the Manchester United defender on October 15, were quick to act following the incident at Old Trafford.

Condemnation both in this country and overseas, particularly in the United States where the club's owners Fenway Sports Group are based, brought decisive action from the Anfield hierarchy.

And Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe, said the move, although overdue, was needed for the healing process to begin.

"The apologies are welcome, it's definitely a step in the right direction," he told Sky Sports News.

"I would say it probably is time now that we started to heal, we started to look at the issues that have been thrown up and we move forward as people are calling for.

"I think there are still some unresolved questions Liverpool need to look at.

"There's still some lessons for the rest of us that we need to consider in the coming weeks, but it's not too late, it's never too late to say sorry.

"I think it shows British football has a lot to do really. There's a number of questions that have struck us and one of those is clubs need to stop paying lip service and really take some of these social issues seriously.

"And they (Liverpool) need to think about how they manage star players.

"Clearly Kenny Dalglish's concern here was to manage Luis Suarez and his protestations of innocence.

"But is it enough to say Luis Suarez is a top player for Liverpool FC, therefore we have to pull out the stops and damage our own reputation?

"I don't think it is and I think that's something clubs need to look at very carefully."

Dawson: Redknapp transformed Spurs

Michael Dawson believes it is plain to see why Tottenham fans are desperate for Harry Redknapp to snub the England job.

Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England boss after the Italian's shock resignation last week.

Redknapp gave the perfect audition for the post on Saturday evening when his team crushed Newcastle with a 5-0 win that came amid a backdrop of emotional pleas from the Spurs fans begging the 64-year-old to stay.

Dawson has watched from close quarters how the former Portsmouth boss has transformed the club from relegation candidates to title contenders within just over three years - and for that reason he understands why the club's supporters want their manager to stay put.

"I think they realise what he has done since he came in," Dawson said.

"We were in a bad situation, we were in a bad position in the league table, and the players - a lot of whom are here now - were playing below par.

"He has lifted everyone, so of course the fans are going to be happy when we are putting on performances like we did on Saturday and when they see where we are in the league table."

The Spurs boss was absent from training for most of the last two and a half weeks while he was contesting two charges of tax evasion.

He was cleared of the charges on Wednesday morning and then gave an impromptu press conference on the steps of Southwark Crown Court, where he described the ordeal as a "nightmare".

Dawson revealed the squad watched Redknapp's emotional speech and admitted it was a relief to have their manager back.

He added: "We saw the gaffer's press conference the other day and you could see it was a big [weight] off his shoulders.

"It's nice to have him back in training. We haven't seen him for a little while."