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Sunday, 23 February 2014

The EPL Insider: Manchester City & Barcelona bury the hatchet following peace talks

The two clubs have smoothed over relations since the resignation of Barca president Sandro Rosell, plus Spurs' Livermore ploy and a potential new deal for Costel Pantilimon

MAN CITY AND BARCA BURY THE HATCHET
Manchester City and Barcelona officials are back on cordial terms after both clubs went out of their way to smooth things over after a two-year spat.

Something of a non-aggression pact has been put in place following recent meetings between top officials, with the clubs now set to steer clear of signing key players from each other.

Midfielder Denis Suarez was recently allowed to join Barca but City continue to be fleetingly linked with a world-record bid for Lionel Messi at some stage in the future, and there have been rumours of a move to Camp Nou for Sergio Aguero.

City CEO Ferran Soriano and technical director Txiki Begiristain were told to stay clear of poaching staff and players from Barcelona after they moved to Eastlands in 2012.

Relations between the clubs soured further when, in February 2013, Soriano was accused of spying on Barca staff during his tenure as a director at the Camp Nou.

But tensions between the clubs have calmed since president Sandro Rossell's resignation in the wake of cover-up over the signing of Brazilian superstar Neymar.
Barca have been charged by the Spanish national court with failing to pay €9.1m tax on the deal, while the exact figure which was paid to Santos and third parties is in dispute.

- by Paul Clennam

LIVERMORE KEEN TO COMPLETE PERMANENT SWITCH TO HULL

Jake Livermore hinted last week that Tottenham had considered recalling him from his loan spell at Hull City during the January transfer window.

But The EPL Insider understands suggestions that the on-loan midfielder could return to White Hart Lane were merely a negotiating ploy by the Londoners during negotiations over a permanent transfer.

Hull tried to sign the 24-year-old for around £5 million but Spurs pulled the plug on the deal, claiming Tim Sherwood wanted to keep an eye on his development.

Hull will now wait until the summer before making another attempt to sign Livermore permanently.

Livermore would like to complete a permanent switch and is enjoying regular playing opportunities, having started 24 Premier League matches this season, scoring two goals.

- by Greg Stobart

PANTILIMON SET TO DISCUSS FUTURE
Manchester City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon will discuss his future at the club shortly, after once again slipping behind Joe Hart in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini is a big fan of the Romanian and would like him to stay on this summer and has already given the 27-year-old more first-team opportunities than previous coach Roberto Mancini.

And City are prepared to offer Pantilimon an improved deal if he wants to keep fighting for the No.1 spot with Hart.

The Romanian currently earns £30,000 [€36,000] a week and has previously been linked with moves to AC Milan and Valencia.

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Ground ops to follow airstrikes

LAHORE- As the peace talks with the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have almost failed, the security forces are preparing for a ground operation to comb out terrorists after the successful precision air strikes that eliminated several terror targets in North Wazirsitan and Khyber Agency.
Informed sources told this correspondent on Friday that special units of state forces would soon start ground operation in terror-infested tribal agencies along the Afghan border, though larger military penetration would be made if the peace process died down completely.
The government still desires to resolve the terrorism issue through dialogue but chances of success are dim. The govt has categorically ruled out restarting the stalled negotiations unless the TTP leadership announces unconditional ceasefire. The Taliban on the other hand have accused the state forces of starting a war amid the talks.
“I don’t see resumption of meaningful dialogue with the TTP as the top Taliban leadership seems to have little or no influence over the anti-peace elements in their folds,” a government peace committee member told this correspondent seeking anonymity.
The government talks committee member claimed that those among the TTP leadership who expect no pardon for their major role in high profile terror activities are trying to derail the peace process. “The split among TTP ranks was visible from the beginning, but the TTP leadership operating from Afghanistan continued to insist that they enjoy support of all Taliban factions.”
Peace committee still have the mandate of making efforts for calm, he said, but now the TTP leadership has not only to announce unconditional ceasefire but also assist the government for eliminating the anti-peace elements. And, they should not take much time in expressing their genuine interest in peace talks because they have already nearly missed the golden opportunity.
About the planned ground operation, he said, “Assistance of Kabul is vital for success of targeted ground operations against the high and mid-ranking TTP leadership, of which some might have already crossed the Durand-Line.”
On the other hand, informed sources in the federal capital confided to The Nation that Islamabad is likely tender a formal request to Kabul for devising a mechanism to eliminate enemies of Pakistan who have taken refuge in Afghanistan. They declined to reply when asked if Islamabad would ask Kabul for joint operation in Afghan borderlands or permission for eliminating the terror targets on Afghan soil.
Informing that Pakistan was manning around 1,150 border posts on the Afghan border while Afghanistan was maintaining just around 150, they said that bigger responsibility lies with Kabul to nab “our enemies who somehow managed to slip into the Afghan territory and hand them over to us”.
When contacted, security expert on Fata Brigadier (r) Mehmood Shah said, “TTP leader Khalid Khurasani through killing the captured FC personnel in Mohmand Agency has tried to divert the security forces’ attention to South Waziristan, which has been settled to a larger extent in the past.” He added: The elements which didn’t acknowledge constitution of Pakistan and unleash terror should be dealt with state force.

COAS vows victory

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s military chief on Friday visited the corps headquarters of a paramilitary force in Peshawar, as the army and paramilitary troops are pre-positioned for ground reinforcements, a day after the aerial strikes in north-western belt reportedly killed over 50 miscreants.
“Let there be no doubt that Pakistan armed forces are battle-hardened and fully capable to counter any internal or external threat posed to the integrity and sovereignty of our beloved country,” an army statement quoted Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif as saying, following his visit to the Frontier Corps (FC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa headquarters in the provincial capital.
The military chief, the statement said, appreciated the troops’ spirit and high morale, saying the “entire nation acknowledged sacrifices rendered by them as part of national effort to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from Pakistan,” and assured them that these sacrifices will not go waste.
Informed military insiders said the regular army troops and those from the FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been pre-positioned in North Waziristan and Khyber Agencies for the provision of ground cover and reinforcements after the aerial assaults had ‘secured’ the targets. “Ground reinforcements are required once any given terrain is secured by means of waging aerial assaults. The combating, combing and clearing, all the three ‘Cs’ are done through ground reinforcements,” said a counter-terrorism official presently performing duties in KP.
No surgical strikes, he said, were conducted on Friday. The Pakistan Army surveillance choppers carried out reconnaissance flights over Mir Ali and Bara but the aerial sorties were not conducted, the official stated. “Today was calm. The aerial strikes have been put on halt till further orders,” he said, adding that surveillance mission was conducted in the pre-dawn hours of Friday.
Apart from that, the military statement on Gen Raheel Sharif’s Peshawar visit quoted him as “recounting security forces’ successes in various operations against terrorists.” He lauded the efforts and determination of all troops and LEAs (Law Enforcement Agencies) who cleared affected areas, with the help of local population and support of the entire nation, the media release added.
“We are fully prepared to confront any challenge in future as well,” the COAS reaffirmed. On Thursday, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Army had carried out a series of powerful surgical strikes in Mir Ali and Bara subdivisions of NWA and Khyber Agency. The PAF F-16 jets from Northern Air Command (NAC) and Cobra fighter choppers from Army Aviation Corps (AAC) purportedly executed the aerial mission, which, the PAF sources stated, was directly supervised by Air Officer Commanding NAC Air Vice Marshal Arshad Mehmood Malik and General Officer Commanding (GOC) Aviation Major General Anjum Inayat. The number of terrorist casualties in the NWA (by Thursday evening) was believed to be between 36-40 whereas that of Khyber Agency was eight to 10.
Not less than five top TTP commanders including Jihadyar Mehsud, Sailab Wazir, Abdul Razzaq Wazir, Sattar Khan and Mahmood Khurasani were taken out in six major strikes in NWA and three strikes in Khyber Agency fatally targeted Gulab Afridi and Muntazir Khan alias Ameer Hamza, security sources claimed.
Meanwhile, the Army Chief also visited the headquarters of a key strategic establishment and again termed Pakistan’s nuclear programme as central to the country’s defence.
“Pakistan’s nuclear programme occupies a central place in the defence of the country,” a brief military statement attributed to Gen Raheel said on Friday following his visit to the Army Strategic Force Command (ASFC), a military’s major operational corps involved in overseeing the nuclear sector.
The army’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) had attributed the same statement with the army chief when he had visited the headquarters of Strategic Plans Division (SPD) on January 10. The Friday’s visit was Raheel’s second to a strategic body in around a month and a half.
The recently appointed Commander ASFC Lieutenant General Obaidullah Khan Khattak is said to have given his maiden briefing to the incumbent army chief. Khattak was appointed as Commander ASFC last December to replace Lt-Gen Tariq Nadeem Gillani, the incumbent Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS).

Third doping case unearthed in Sochi

Skier Marina Lisogor had tested positive. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

SOCHI:

The Olympic Games in Sochi were hit by a third doping case Saturday after a Ukrainian skier failed a drugs test, as German prosecutors searched the home of a double Olympic gold medal-winning biathlete.

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee revealed that cross country skier Marina Lisogor had tested positive, after German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Italian bobsledder William Frullani also failed tests.

Sachenbacher-Stehle was expelled from the Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned stimulant during the Games, sending shock waves through German sport.

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee said Lisogor, 30, told a disciplinary hearing that she had unwittingly consumed the banned substance in a medicine.

“The decision about the future fate of the athlete will be taken in line with IOC rules,” the Ukraine Olympic Committee said.

Terry keeps Chelsea’s title hopes alive

John Terry celebrates his goal as Chelsea clinch all three points against Everton at Stamford Bridge. PHOTO: REUTERS

LONDON:

John Terry’s stoppage-time goal handed Chelsea a crucial 1-0 victory against Everton, helping the team cement their lead at the top of the Premier League Saturday.

After 90 minutes of toil but little creativity from Jose Mourinho’s side, it was the old combination of Terry and Frank Lampard that made the breakthrough with just two minutes of stoppage-time remaining when the former steered in the latter’s free kick from close-range.

Terry’s heroics on his return from a hip injury were harsh on Everton, who had their share of possession and chances at Stamford Bridge but still left empty-handed.

Chelsea’s win moved them four points clear of second placed Arsenal, who can close the gap with a victory over Sunderland later Saturday.

Roberto Martinez had lost on all four of his previous Premier League trips to Stamford Bridge and the Everton manager’s hopes of breaking that curse were not helped when Ivory Coast striker Lacina Traore suffered a hamstring injury in the warm-up.

His place in attack was taken by Steven Naismith but there was no place in the starting line-up for Ross Barkley.

Rodgers wants team to be ruthless

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has urged his players to continue to be ruthless at Anfield ahead of the visit of former club Swansea City Sunday.

The Reds, who occupy fourth spot, have been imperious at home this season, winning 11 of their 13 Premier League games and scoring 38 goals in the process.

Supporters at Anfield have been treated to thumping 5-1 and 4-0 victories over Arsenal and Everton in their last two home games, and Rodgers does not want there to be any let up as they try to keep pace with leaders Chelsea.

“Our approach is very aggressive,” Rodgers said. “We go into every game, and in particular our home games, looking to own the pitch.

“It’s our home ground. It’s our changing rooms, it’s our field and it’s our supporters. So we have to play like we own it.”

“That’s always been the mantra here for many, many years. It’s one that we go in thinking about ourselves.”

“We respect the opponent that we play – every game at this level is tough. But we back ourselves now and we expect to win.”

“I think it’s dealing with that pressure, which has really helped. We’ve got good organisation.”

“Everyone knows their function in the team and everyone is working tirelessly in order to achieve the results.”

Liverpool are expected to recall midfielder Jordan Henderson to their starting line-up after he was rested in the FA Cup fifth round defeat at Arsenal.

Isner battles, Cilic breezes into Delray semis

Big-serving Isner fired 18 aces in outlasting US qualifier Rhyne Williams 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

DELRAY BEACH:

US second seed John Isner rallied Friday to reach the ATP Delray Beach Open semi-finals, where he will try to deny Marin Cilic his third final in as many weeks.

Big-serving Isner fired 18 aces in outlasting US qualifier Rhyne Williams 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 while Cilic, a seventh seed from Croatia, dispatched Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-3.

Cilic won his fourth career ATP crown on home soil at Zagreb two weeks ago and last week reached the Rotterdam final, losing to Czech Tomas Berdych.

Hitting 12 aces and converting five of six break points, Cilic advanced in 79 minutes and took the 2014 lead in match wins with 16.

The other semi-final will feature South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson — who eliminated Australian Marinko Matosevic 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 — against 142nd-ranked US qualifier Steve Johnson, who eliminated Spanish sixth seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-2.