Advertisement Berbatov could have scored more - Phelan Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to striker Dimitar Berbatov after his five goals helped Manchester United thump Blackburn 7-1 at Old Trafford. Berbatov becomes the fourth player to score five times in a Premier League match, emulating the feats of Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe. "It was a fantastic achievement by Berbatov," said the United boss, whose side leapt to the top of the league. "It helped him to strike early because he hadn't scored in 10 games." Berbatov's first came in the second minute as United ran Rovers ragged almost from the first whistle to the last. Although Berbatov's strike partner Wayne Rooney did not get on the scoresheet, the England forward was influential in much of United's good play and often tracked back to defend deep in his own half. 606: DEBATE What did you think of the game? "Berbatov and Rooney were a good combination today - they interchanged brilliantly today. Wayne was fantastic," added Ferguson. Berbatov, himself, was stunned by his achievement. "I can't believe I scored five in a game, but it happened," said the 29-year-old. "I have scored that many before but it was a long time ago back home in Bulgaria. "Today I did it in the Premier League. To stand next to people like Cole and Shearer is a great honour." Berbatov's second came from a Pascal Chimbonda mistake before he added three more after the break. "The first goal was the most important," he added. "It gives you the confidence to play. Allardyce apologises to Rovers fans "As a striker, people do tend only to look at the goals you score. "I am more concerned with how I play but today was all about goals for me." Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce said the fact he had to field a weakened side contributed to the heavy defeat. "We're extremely disappointed with our performance and the result, and I'd like to apologise to Blackburn fans," he said. "In saying that, this game can catch up with you and we had seven first-team players missing from the start. However, I did expect more from the players who did start. "Unfortunately we caught United at their best. At half time we were 3-0 down and I told the players to protect that scoreline but they'd lost it by then."

Andrey Arshavin cut in from the left to fire in a shot and Samir Nasri volleyed home to put the Gunners 2-0 up.
Ciaran Clark gave Villa hope with an 18-yard strike, although Marouane Chamakh's poked shot for the visitors appeared to have put Arsenal safe.
But Clark nodded in to set up a tense finale before Jack Wilshere's injury-time header secured victory.

The Gunners let a two-goal advantage slip last Saturday when they lost 3-2 to Tottenham and, despite securing another two-goal lead at Villa Park, they looked unconvincing as they almost threw it away again.
Credit, though, must go to a depleted Villa, who went into the game with Gabriel Agbonlahor and Marc Albrighton added to a lengthy injury list but raised themselves after a poor first half to give their opponents a scare.
Arsenal, who were beaten by Braga in the Champions League on Tuesday and lost captain Cesc Fabregas to injury in the process, held on to move briefly to the top of the Premier League, until Manchester United thrashed Blackburn later in the day.
Although the win helped the Gunners improve on the top-flight's best away record, it remains to be seen whether it will translate into a firm title push.
Arsenal have flattered to deceive too many times this season, digging out hard-fought wins at Blackburn and Everton only to shoot themselves in the foot with home defeats by West Brom, Newcastle and Tottenham.

606: DEBATE Well Arsenal manage to win a game despite our best efforts to throw it away Dave Masala

Against Villa, Arsenal's performance encapsulated their season to date as they quickly got into the groove of producing their pretty patterns of eye-catching football but then relinquished control of the game.
Villa left-back Stephen Warnock was almost punished for giving the ball away in the opening minute when Arshavin put Chamakh through before home keeper Brad Friedel came to his team-mate's rescue by blocking at the striker's feet.
Tomas Rosicky flashed a shot across goal and Nasri sent a drive just wide as Arsenal picked and probed at Villa.
The home side were struggling but almost punished the visitors for their profligacy when Clark flicked on a Stewart Downing cross for Ashley Young at the far post but the winger - seemingly from an offside position - fired over from close range.
It was a rare sight of goal for a Villa side that was spending most of the time trying to keep Arsenal at bay and the pressure finally told when James Collins and Luke Young both missed a clearance.
Arshavin gathered possession on the left flank before driving at goal and angling in a shot, which Friedel got a hand to but could not keep out.
Immediately after, Nasri rounded Friedel before shooting into the side-netting before atoning for the miss when he volleyed home Arshavin's corner from the edge of the area via a Luke Young deflection.
Arsenal were denied a third when Chamakh had a header brilliantly kept out by a reflex save from Friedel before the home side, who took off ex-Gunners star Robert Pires at half-time, came out and went at Arsenal after the break.
They were rewarded when Clark chested down a Sebastien Squillaci clearance and powered in a shot, although Villa striker John Carew was in an offside position blocking Gunners keeper Lukasz Fabianski's view.
Rosicky played Chamakh through to restore Arsenal's two-goal cushion only for Clark to renew Villa's hopes of preserving their unbeaten home record by nodding in off the crossbar after Richard Dunne's header across goal from a corner.
A shaky Arsenal had to show their dogged side to hold on to their lead and confirmed their win when Chamakh picked out an unmarked Wilshere to head in from point-blank range for his first Premier League goal.

Berbatov gave United the lead from Nani's delivery before Park Ji-Sung combined with Wayne Rooney for 2-0.
Berbatov pounced on a Pascal Chimbonda backpass to score the third before grabbing his hat-trick with a firm strike from just inside the area.
Nani lashed in to make it 5-0, Berbatov followed up Park's blocked shot and then fired in an angled strike before Chris Samba's late consolation header.
United's Bulgarian ace became the fourth player to score five goals in a Premier League game, joining former United striker Andy Cole, Newcastle's Alan Shearer and Tottenham's Jermain Defoe.
But both Wayne Rooney and Nani had a huge hand in helping Berbatov achieve his feat during a victory that United fans will savour for a while, not only because it took them to the top of the league but because of the manner of the performance.

606: DEBATE What did you think of the game?

Despite going into the match unbeaten in their last 28 matches, their displays during the last few weeks have been too reliant on their battling qualities rather than the fluency fans are used to.
Part of the reason had been Berbatov's form - after scoring seven goals in his first six games he had gone 10 matches without adding to his tally. Rooney's lack of form following his injuries and U-turn on seeking a move had hardly helped.
Against Blackburn the telepathy between the pair was back, as was their touch.
The pair combined as early in the second minute for the opener when Nani's free-kick was met with the faintest headed flick from Rooney and Berbatov stuck out his leg to finish from six yards.
Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson, who was injured in a collision with Anderson in the lead up to the goal, did well to claw away United's next effort when he denied Patrice Evra from Nani's corner.
But even if there were two Robinsons in goal, Rovers could not have stopped United's second.
It was Nani again who started the move as he fed Park. The South Korean played a one-two with Rooney on the edge of the area before running on and poking his shot past Robinson.
if that was sublime, the third was stupid - on the part of Rovers.
Chimbonda, 40 yards from his goal on the left touchline and under little pressure, played a terrible backpass to Robinson which was intercepted by Berbatov, who smashed the mistake past the Rovers number one.
It was 3-0 at half-time, and any hopes Sam Allardyce's Rovers had of United easing off the accelerator were shattered two minutes after the break.
Nani sped down the right then cut inside and laid the ball back to Berbatov, who began the move he started inside his own half with an effort high into Robinson's net.
A minute later Nani got his personal reward when he cut inside Chimbonda to place his effort past Robinson.
A sixth arrived as Rafael da Silva raced into the 18-yard box before playing in Park, whose attempt was blocked by Samba only for Berbatov to smash in.
And with 20 minutes left to play, Berbatov joined an elite list by sliding in his fifth from an angle after his attempt to square the ball to Rooney at the far post was thwarted.
Blackburn's only effort on target resulted in a goal when Samba nodded in substitute Josh Morris's cross eight minutes from time.

Williamson has picked up two yellow cards in 14 league games this season Newcastle defender Mike Williamson has denied a charge of violent conduct following an off-the-ball incident with Bolton's Johan Elmander on Saturday. Williamson appeared to barge into the striker during his team's 5-1 defeat but the incident was missed by referee Howard Webb. However, the Football Association charged the 27-year-old on Monday. A commission will hear the case on Wednesday and Williamson faces at least a three-match ban if found guilty. Under the FA's fast-track regulations, Williamson opted against accepting the standard three-match suspension to contest the charge, although he runs the risk of a possible extended ban. 606: DEBATE What is concerning me is that this is one of about five incidents off the ball where our players were kicking and pushing people to the ground Shola Amalegend Newcastle had Fabricio Coloccini sent off in the same match for elbowing Elmander so any suspension to Williamson would leave them without both regular centre-backs for Sunday's home match against league leaders Chelsea. In their absence, Sol Campbell could earn a first Premier League start since joining in the summer, while Steven Taylor could also make a first appearance of the season having recovered from injury.

By Dan Roan England's World Cup 2018 international president David Dein has told BBC Sport the bid team needs the country behind it ahead of the 2 December vote. England 2018 fears there could be a backlash against the bid from Fifa members unhappy with the British media. Dein said: "We are at a critical time, everybody is working full out to try to get the World Cup back to England." Meanwhile Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has criticised a BBC Panorama programme being broadcast on Monday. The programme will examine the bidding to stage the 2018 World Cup. Last week England 2018 leaders branded the BBC "unpatriotic" for screening the investigation so close to the vote. The documentary will be broadcast three days before the vote, and Warner said it was "deliberately designed to negatively impact" on England's bid. Warner, whose vote is seen as crucial to England's hopes, claims the programme is "a personal vendetta". BBC Panorama responded by saying: "Panorama has a reputation for strong, independent and probing investigative journalism. The findings of the Panorama investigation into Fifa will be in the public interest." However Dein told the BBC the bid was still on track despite the media furore. He said: "We're in it to win it and hopefully we'll get a good result. We need the country behind us." England's bid team has dispatched envoys across the world this week in a final effort to secure votes ahead of the vote on who will stage the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. Dein, the former Arsenal and FA vice-chairman, travelled to Rio de Janeiro where he had hoped to have informal meetings with Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Brazil's Fifa member Ricardo Terra Teixeira on Monday. We've got a very interesting few days to come and obviously we want to do our best and we are in it to win it David Dein England are vying to host the World Cup for the second time, the only other being in 1966 where they won the Jules Rimet trophy. The bid team is staging a day-long safety and security seminar at the home of CONMEBOL in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion on Tuesday, part of its campaign to gain support from the South American Fifa executive committee members. And Dein added: "We've got to concentrate on one thing and one thing only - to give it our best shot. "We've got a very interesting few days to come and obviously we want to do our best and we are in it to win it. "English football and particularly the Premier League goes to over 210 countries around the world, it's the most watched football product of any nation, we've go a lot going for ourselves." England 2018 chairman Geoff Thompson, chief executive Andy Anson and ambassador Paul Elliott are being joined in Kuala Lumpur by Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, to woo the four Asian members of the 22-man executive committee who will vote on the World Cup hosts. The bidding process came into sharp focus following an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times in October in which it was alleged that Fifa members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii asked for money in return for voting on World Cup hosting rights. Adamu, from Nigeria, was later suspended from all football activity by Fifa's Ethics Committee for three years, while Tahitian Temarii received a one-year suspension. Both were also handed fines. They are now prohibited from taking part in the vote to decide who will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals. England face competition from Netherlands/Belgium, Russia and Spain/Portugal for the 2018 tournament. The host of the 2022 contest will also be decided on 2 December, with Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the United States competing for the rights.

Aaron Ramsey in agony after suffering his broken leg Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey has returned from his horrific leg break by playing the first half of a match against Wolves reserves. The 19-year-old has been out since suffering fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg after a tackle by Stoke's Ryan Shawcross in February. After months of rehabilitation work in the gym he is back at last. "It's great to be back outside and kicking the ball again," he said last month after returning to training. "I missed it for a long time, but it's such a good feeling to be back outside. 606: DEBATE Just awesome to see the kid back and looking in good shape -- without doubt along with Jack Wilshere he is the future of our club SuperSamirNasri8 "I'm a very motivated guy," he added. "I've missed a lot [of football] and it's made me realise how much it means to me. Now I just want to get back and start doing what I used to do." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who set Ramsey a November target back in August, said at the time that he was delighted to see Ramsey back on the training pitch. "You would be amazed if you saw him in training, he has suddenly in the last month made a huge step forward," said the Frenchman. "If I consider now when I look at him, you see his smile again. "He has changed since six months ago because he has the feeling that the worst is behind him and everyday he is getting closer to what he wants to be, and that means being a football player." News of Ramsey's return is a boost for Wales, who have lost their first three Euro 2012 qualifiers in his absence. Ramsey turned down a move to Manchester United in June 2008 to sign for the Gunners from Cardiff City in a £5m deal. He made rapid progress after his arrival at the Emirates, making 29 appearances in all competitions last season before his injury, scoring four times. In April he said that he accepted that Shawcross did not mean to break his leg, but added that he felt the Stoke defender could have avoided the challenge which ended his season. "I remember everything but you just have to get on with things, and that is what I am doing," he said. "I don't believe he wanted to break my leg but I think he wanted to go through the ball and me - to take me out and make sure I felt the tackle. "He was caught out of position a little, but he could definitely have changed his mind before making the tackle, realising that he was not going to get there and so not committing. "If I was tackling and saw that there was not a chance of getting to the ball cleanly, I would not make the tackle - and I don't think there was a chance of him getting there. "He has left me a voicemail and a text message, but I just want to concentrate on my recovery for now."

Cesar has a heated discussion with the referee as Eto'o looks on Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o has been banned for three Serie A matches for headbutting Chievo's Bostjan Cesar. The pair clashed in the 38th minute of Inter's 2-1 defeat by Chievo on Sunday when defender Cesar threw a weak punch that hit 29-year-old Eto'o in the face. Eto'o, who has scored 17 goals this season, jogged away before turning around and headbutting Cesar's chest. The referee took no action, but the Italian Football Federation issued the ban after studying video evidence. The Italian league has used video evidence before, banning Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino for two games after he scored a goal with his hand. A statement from Serie A said that Eto'o's headbutt, which was not seen by match officials, was "premeditated" and constituted "violent conduct". The Cameroon international, who was fined 30,000 euros (£25,600), is available for Wednesday's European Champions League home game against Dutch side FC Twente on Wednesday. But his league ban is a huge blow for Inter coach Rafael Benitez who has had to cope with injuries to key players including Diego Milito. The reigning Italian champions have also suffered a loss of form and currently lie in sixth place in Serie A, nine points behind their cross-city rivals, AC Milan. And former Liverpool manager Benitez is also facing speculation in the Italian media that he could be sacked if Inter, who are the European champions, lose on Wednesday.

Celtic v refs controversy The Scottish Football Association is to meet the Scottish Senior Football Referees' Association on Tuesday in an attempt to avert this weekend's strike. SFA chief executive Stewart Regan told BBC Radio 5 live that he hopes to give referees "assurances about support going forward" to halt the walkout. But he said: "The primary focus is to make sure the fixtures are officiated. "We are looking around Europe, talking to a number of associations and trying to put a contingency plan in place." Regan is understood to be focusing his efforts on sourcing referees from Ireland and Scandinavia to cover about 20 matches which are threatened by the Scottish officials' decision to strike on Saturday and Sunday. He said: "In the first instance we are keen to understand what we could do as an association to make sure the games could go ahead this weekend." The Football Association of Ireland say no contact has been made by the SFA. Sigurdur Thorleifsson, head of the referees' union in Iceland, has given his approval to the notion of his members travelling to Scotland to take charge of matches. He said: "We have been talking about it and if we are offered the chance to go over to Scotland then it is fine by the union." The vice president of the Iceland Football Association, Gylfi Orrason, confirmed a request had been made by the SFA to use their referees. The Football Association of Wales told the BBC that, while its priority was to ensure that all Welsh matches are fulfilled, it "would be able to assist with three or four officials should they be requested". The SFA has already held talks with the referees' union to try to persuade the officials to change their mind. On Tuesday morning, Regan told the BBC: "There was a meeting last night. We've got a further meeting this evening. "We are trying to put a plan in place to support referees. We recognise that they are going through a very difficult time. We are hopeful that talks will be fruitful this week and that we will come to a satisfactory conclusion and that they can officiate this weekend. "It seems it is more about making a public statement and withdrawing their labour this weekend. "But we hope that if we can give them some assurances about support going forward we can get them to rescind that decision." George Peat, the SFA president, called the strike decision a "sad day for Scottish football", while Rangers captain David Weir said the controversy "damages the game", adding: "We have all got a certain responsibility to the game to promote it and treat it with a bit of respect, but why should our industry be any different to anyone else?" The referees claim their personal safety is under threat, both on the pitch and from fans, following criticism from clubs over decisions made during recent matches. Scottish football at fault - Dougal Referee Dougie McDonald sparked controversy when he admitted to lying to Celtic manager Neil Lennon about how he and his assistant referee Steven Craven came to overturn a penalty decision for Celtic at Tannadice against Dundee United on 17 October. The SFA subsequently censured McDonald for his handling of the post-match administrative process, although McDonald has resisted calls, notably from Celtic, for him to resign. Last week, Scottish National Party MP Peter Wishart called for all referees in Scotland to be forced to reveal their allegiance to a particular team, a suggestion backed by Celtic chairman John Reid. As a result, some referees feel their integrity is being questioned excessively. A statement from Ralph Topping, chairman of the SPL said "the prospect of games being threatened is hugely regrettable" and asked for "patience and restraint" while Regan conducts his review of the governing body in Scotland. The SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster told the BBC he was disappointed that the referees had voted to go on strike and said fans would be the people hardest hit, but it was vital that the weekend's matches went ahead. "It's for the SFA to deal with the referees and try to resolve the issue," said Doncaster. "If the situation cannot be resolved and the strike goes ahead, we will back the contingency plans." BBC Scotland has learned that Scotland's 14 category two referees have agreed not to step in to replace their colleagues by officiating SPL or Scottish Football League matches. Peat said: "We will do everything we possibly can to broker a deal before the weekend because it's obviously important that officials are on duty. Conspiracy theories must stop - Peat "We do not condone the strike but we must sympathise with the grievances of the referees." Celtic are known to welcome the strike, hoping it may lead to an investigation by Uefa into refereeing standards. But Uefa described the fall-out as "a purely domestic matter" and have said they would not become involved. Peat appeared to make a veiled criticism of Celtic in his statement, who have been at the heart of the controversy since the incident involving McDonald at Tannadice in October. He said: "The behaviour of some people in recent weeks has tarnished the image of Scottish football. It has demeaned the game. "The climate of inference, innuendo and conspiracy theories must stop." Former referee Kenny Clark told BBC Scotland on Monday morning that he believed Reid's comments last week - where he described McDonald's position as "completely untenable" - were the final straw. "I suspect that is what put the tin lid on things, but it is a crisis that has been building up in recent years," said Clark. MY SPORT: DEBATE Do you think the SPL is right to draft in foreign refs? "There is a decreasing level of respect being shown to match officials right across society and that is fanned by the remarks emanating from some of the clubs. "Essentially [the referees] want to ask that other clubs recognise that some pressure has to be brought to bear particularly upon Celtic, currently, to act in a more responsible manner, to stop fanning the flames of the fans' fury. "The concern of the officials is that it is only a matter of time before a match official or a member of a match official's family is the subject of an attack."

Rooney played his first game for Manchester United since 16 October Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was pleased with Wayne Rooney's comeback from injury in the 2-0 win over Wigan at Old Trafford. It was the first match for Rooney, who last played on 16 October, since he made a U-turn over his desire to leave the club and signed a new contract. Rooney was both cheered and jeered by fans but Ferguson said: "That reception was good and it will settle him down." The striker will start Wednesday's Champions League match against Rangers. With the contract saga that eventually resulted in Rooney belatedly signing a new five-year deal at Old Trafford fresh in the memory, it was no surprise that his return was met with a mixed reaction from supporters. 606: DEBATE Have your say on Rooney's return Having initially said he wanted to leave United because the 'club lacked ambition' Rooney surprisingly changed his mind and committed his long-term future to the club. Injury prevented him from playing sooner but having recently returned from a training camp in the United States he came on as a 57th-minute replacement for Federico Macheda. The England striker tested Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi with a header and also fired straight at the Latics man late on with United eventually winning through goals from Patrice Evra and Javier Hernandez. "That [return] has taken a lot of pressure off the boy," added Ferguson. "It was a quiet comeback, he got involved in a few of the bits of interplay but in the main he just needed that 25 minutes or so. Phelan promises 'more to come' from Man Utd "He will play a full 90 minutes against Rangers on Wednesday and that will help with his fitness." Rooney is still without a goal in open play this season but assistant manager Mike Phelan said the United coaching team were happy with the 25-year-old's progress. "It was built up to be his comeback and I think overall the crowd reception was very good," said Phelan. "They showed that they want Wayne Rooney to play for Manchester United. Phelan added: "We are pleased with his fitness and are waiting for him to respond in the way we know he can." The victory against Wigan, who had Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega sent off, put United joint top of the table with Chelsea and Ferguson was delighted to see his side take advantage of defeats for Chelsea and Arsenal on Saturday. "It has been a good day for us, no question of that," stated Ferguson. "If you had said at the start of the day would you take being joint top of the league I would have said 'yes'. "We know that come the second half of the season we will definitely get better and now we are joint top with Chelsea." Wigan have dropped into the bottom three as a result of the defeat but manager Roberto Martinez said he could comfort from his team's resilience after going down to nine men. "Everything was going according to plan - we looked really resilient and strong and were frustrating Manchester United and we looked like the team who were going to score," said Martinez. Everything went against us - Martinez "But we allowed the frustration to develop and that knocked our concentration. "When you go down to eight outfield players it's easy to capitulate but be showed real character and steel to form the basis for a good platform for the future." Martinez said he did not want to comment on the performance of referee Martin Atkinson but admitted his players should have controlled themselves better. He added: "It's not just those two incidents - this is one of the toughest places to come in European football and we allowed that frustration to develop over the small decisions, not the big calls. "We should have controlled ourselves a bit better."

Advertisement Ancelotti 'trusts squad' despite Birmingham defeat Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says there is no reason to lose confidence despite a third league defeat in four matches. The champions lost 1-0 at Birmingham on Saturday but still head the Premier League table on goal difference. And although the loss capped a bad week which also saw assistant coach Ray Wilkins sacked, Ancelotti was defiant. "We were unlucky and have to take confidence from how we played," said the Italian. "The fact that Ray had gone did not affect things." Chelsea only lead Manchester United on goal difference, but Ancelotti was full of praise for his team's performance at St Andrew's. He said: "I've already said to the players 'don't lose confidence because you played good football.' The result is frustrating but they deserved to win. "The team didn't play well against Sunderland and this result is not good, but we didn't deserve to lose. "We didn't win because we were unlucky and because [Birmingham goalkeeper] Ben Foster played a good game. It is just the result that was disappointing." Ancelotti added: "It is a strange Premier League this season. There are a lot of opportunities for teams to close the gap at the top. We are losing opportunities but so are other teams. Proud McLeish praises keeper Foster "It is a more difficult competition this season because more teams believe in themselves. "A month ago I said when we were doing well that there would be difficult moments ahead. This is one of them. "But if we keep playing like that then we will win games." Birmingham manager Alex McLeish Birmingham boss Alex McLeish was full of praise for Foster who made a series of top-class saves to keep Chelsea at bay. "I've always said a good keeper is paramount. He can win you championships, earn you points, save you points, or keep your team in the division," McLeish said. "Ben has been superb for us. He made some great saves today and in other games and has been on top form since he came here." He said: "We got a bit of luck but I would say that in recent weeks we have deserved to win games which never went our way. "We have had plenty of bad luck this season so far. Maybe we got a bit of luck today."

Toure was replaced as captain by Carlos Tevez Manchester City defender Kolo Toure says the club should cut the wages of his team-mates unless they start working harder. Billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour has turned City into the world's richest club and spent more than £120m on new players this summer. And Toure's brother Yaya is reported to be the top earner on £200,000 a week. "There are some players here, I am not scared to say, who are not working hard enough for the team," said Toure. The Eastlands club go into Sunday's match at Fulham in fifth place in the Premier League, but have rarely looked like a team destined to win the title this season. City have the same number of points after 13 games as they did under former boss Mark Hughes last season, but have scored nine fewer goals. And 29-year-old Toure, a big-money signing from Arsenal in 2009, believes his team-mates need to start justify their huge salaries. 606: DEBATE Great teams are bulit, not bought coys27 He told the News of the World: "Some don't do enough in training but still expect to play. We all get big wages but some need to work harder. "As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'you haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make players fight harder. "You cannot have a place in the team, even if you are an international, if you don't show what you can do in training. "I'm a professional footballer and, to me, playing regularly is the most important thing. Money is secondary. "Football is not just about money," he added. "It's about winning trophies ... and at the moment we are not consistent enough. We played well in beating Chelsea, but lost to Wolves and you cannot play like that."

Capello lost his unbeaten record at Wembley with defeat to France Former England striker Alan Shearer has questioned the progress England are making under Fabio Capello. England's midweek 2-1 defeat by France at Wembley prompted a huge outcry about the direction of the national team. "Fabio's been here for two-and-a-half-years and I'm not sure we've actually gone forward in that time," Shearer told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. "If every England player was fit, I'm not sure that he'd know what system he wanted or what team he wanted to play." The BBC Match of the Day pundit also suggested English players are technically inferior compared to their foreign counterparts. "I don't think anyone can argue that if you put a bunch of players against ours, yes we might have the fight and we might have the will, but I think technically it's obvious for everyone to see that we do lack and stand behind [other teams]," added Shearer. "When you look at a Wayne Rooney or a Steven Gerrard, or look at a Frank Lampard or a Rio Ferdinand, then yes they would certainly get into other teams but, beneath that, that's where we have a problem." The day after England's defeat the FA confirmed that building work will begin on the much-delayed National Football Centre in Burton, which will be used as a coach education centre from 2012. "I think the problem lies with the kids coming through and how they are taught. What are they taught?" said Shearer. "That's where you need to start from. And it will take a long, long time. "Unfortunately in this country we haven't got patience, because we always put so much pressure on our players that we go into every tournament not only wanting, but expecting to win." 606: DEBATE Sadly, we're at the point in time where no manager could turn these players into anything other than average newcastlefan2007 One player that Shearer believes will become a permanent fixture in the England side is Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, who put off-field worries aside to impress on his international debut. "I've been hugely impressed with the way he has been on the football pitch," added Shearer, who used to wear the number nine shirt at Newcastle which 21-year-old Carroll currently sports. "I know he has had one or two problems off it but he's young. "We have got to give the guy a chance. On the pitch he has been a huge success. "He has scored goals, the future is very bright for him. He's big, he's strong, he's horrible to play against and if he could control his lifestyle he could be a regular for a long time." Following the news on Thursday that Burton would be finished in the summer of 2012, the FA's joint-acting chairman David Sheepshanks said it could be a watershed for English football. "St George's Park won't be an instant panacea for all the ills of English football," he said. "But what it will be will be a catalyst for a step change in the way we go about educating our coaches. "If we get the maximum number of highly qualified and highly adept coaches at all levels - all the way down the pyramid - the chances are they will inspire better players."

Chelsea's first-choice centre-backs, Terry and Alex, may not return until 2011 Chelsea captain John Terry could be out for "months" with a nerve problem in his right leg, BBC Sport understands. The injury forced Terry, 29, to miss Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Sunderland and he has also pulled out of England's friendly against France on Wednesday. A Chelsea source told BBC Sport: "It could be months [until he's fit], although that's the pessimistic view. We don't know the root of the pain." Fellow defender Alex has been ruled out for up to two months. Chelsea revealed that the Brazilian centre-back will be out for "approximately six to eight weeks" to undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee in the coming days. Having already missed the club's matches against Fulham and Sunderland, on Tuesday Alex withdrew from the Brazil squad set to play Argentina. Both assessments are likely to come as a blow to Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who also has persistent injuries to midfielder Frank Lampard to contend with while Ivorian striker Didier Drogba is playing on despite a recent bout of malaria. Regarding Terry, the Chelsea source also told BBC Sport: "He can't keep struggling, so he has to get to the source of the problem." 606: DEBATE If the injuries remain long term, then this may end up being a transitional season... Still Got the Blues The Londoner is already seeing a variety of specialists in an effort to cure the injury but so far nobody has identified what is wrong with the centre-back. A Chelsea spokesman said: "John reported for training this morning. He met with club doctors and the medical team and discussed plans to continue seeing various specialists to try to find a solution to the nerve problems he has been experiencing in his right leg." The injury has been troubling the defender since the end of last season and, despite resting for three weeks between the end of the World Cup and the start of the Premier League season, the problem has not cleared up. Terry told the Daily Mail: "It has been manageable up until the last two weeks but when we played Fulham I stretched to win the ball against Clint Dempsey and it got a lot worse. "It is at a point where I can't carry on with it. I used to be able to make it through games because the adrenaline gets going and you blank the pain out, but now there really is no decision to make. "After games I am in agony and not sleeping at all. I used to play with pain at seven out of 10. Now? It's 10 out of 10. I need to take a few weeks rest, see a couple of specialists and solve the problem. "People are saying it could be my posture, but nobody really knows. Every time I jog or warm up, I don't feel right. It has been that way for a while, but this is different now. "Other players have recommended guys, and I've seen a couple already, but it is just a question of finding one who can solve the problem. "Any ideas anybody has had, I've tried them. There are guys in London who can do nerve tests on machines, and guys in Italy who look for problems higher up the body. "That is where I am at right now, just trying to find out what is wrong."

Many Manchester United fans have been against the Glazers By David Bond Manchester United's American owners plan to reduce the financial pressure on the club by paying off high-interest loans, estimated to be worth £220m. The loans were taken out with three US hedge funds to help finance the Glazer family's £790m takeover in 2005. The BBC understands that Joel Glazer, the club's joint chairman, has written to the lenders to inform them the loans will be paid in full on 22 November. The football club's total debts are estimated at more than £720m. It is not yet clear how the Glazer family were able to raise the money to pay off the PIK (payment in kind) loans but significantly it is not with funds from the club. The Glazers are most likely to have borrowed money from other financial institutions at more affordable rates to refinance the PIKs. A spokesman for the Glazer family declined to comment. The PIK loans were significantly reduced as part of a refinancing package in 2006 but since then have been accruing interest at extremely punitive rates. Earlier this year, the rate rose to 16.25%, with supporters long since suspecting that money from the club would eventually be used to start paying them off, although the Glazers are liable for the debt. As part of a £526m bond refinancing in January, the Glazers were given the freedom to take up to £70m from the club's revenues to pay down the PIKs. But it seems they have not taken this option. DAVID BOND'S BLOG There will undoubtedly be relief among fans who have long seen the PIK loans as the biggest threat to United's future financial stability By notifying the lenders they intend to pay the loans off in full next Monday, the Glazers will reduce the financial pressure on the club. The club's parent company, Red Football Limited, on Tuesday published financial results for the three months to 30 September that reveal turnover increased from £57.7m to £63.3m in comparison to the same three months in 2009. The main reason for that is a rise in commercial revenue to £24.2m, up over 25%. It was also revealed that United's gross debt had fallen from £514.7m to £509.4m. Last month, United announced a £79.6m pre tax loss for the last financial year, mainly due to one off interest and debt charges, but despite that, the club generated revenues of £278m and have more than £100m of cash reserves. United had no debts before the Glazers, who also own American Football side the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, took control in 2005. Their ownership of United has provoked much criticism and resulted in the setting up of breakaway fans' club, FC United of Manchester, as well as the Green and Gold protest movement. Many fans are continuing to boycott the team's traditional red shirts and scarves, choosing to wear green and gold, the original colours of Newton Heath, the amateur side which was founded in 1878 and went on to become Manchester United. A mass protest was held outside Old Trafford before the final game of the 2009/2010 campaign and further demonstrations have taken place this season. United have won three consecutive Premier League titles (2007-09), one Champions League trophy (2008), one Club World Cup (2008), three Football League Cups (2006, 09 and 10) and three FA Community Shield trophies (2007, 08 and 10) in the Glazer era.

Adam Barton will make his senior debut for Northern Ireland Preston midfielder Adam Barton and Watford defender Lee Hodson will make their Northern Ireland debuts against Morocco in Wednesday's friendly match. The pair have been selected in manager Nigel Worthington's starting line-up. Jonathan Tuffey will start in goal, with Ryan McGivern, Aaron Hughes and Jonny Evans completing the defence. Jonny Gorman, Niall McGinn and Pat McCourt join Barton in midfield while Chris Brunt and Rory Patterson will form the strike partnership. Andrew Little became the latest player to withdraw from the squad for the game on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Rangers player is suffering from a sickness virus. Crusaders defender Colin Coates was drafted into the panel on Monday after a further series of withdrawals. Aberdeen pair Josh Magennis and Rory McArdle, plus defender McGivern, currently on loan at Walsall, were called up to the squad on Sunday. Stephen Craigan, Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty and George McCartney all pulled out of the panel on Sunday because of injuries. Seven other players had already withdrawn from the original squad. Preston midfielder Barton, Little, Josh McQuoid, Hodson and Michael O'Connor had previously been brought into the squad. 606: DEBATE Bit of a shocker the number of withdrawals there have been Mine's a pint In September Blackburn-born Barton pulled out of Nigel Worthington's squad for Euro 2012 games because he wanted to remain eligible for England. The 19-year-old could play for Northern Ireland in a friendly and still be able to switch to England in the future. However, there is still no place for record scorer David Healy, despite the loss of Oldham front man Feeney. The Sunderland striker recently joined Doncaster Rovers on a month's loan and has scored two goals in two matches for the Championship side. The 31-year-old has been involved in every Northern Ireland squad, when available, since his debut in 2000. Worthington hopes to blood fresh talent against Morocco He has won 84 caps and scored 35 goals, but has no goals in the last two years. Striker Feeney has a back injury while Ipswich defender Gareth McAuley is ruled out by an Achilles problem. Maik Taylor is out with a shoulder injury, Chris Baird has a torn thigh muscle and Corry Evans has an ongoing hamstring complaint. Sammy Clingan sustained a knee ligament injury last week and he will be ruled out for four to six weeks, while Grant McCann is absent as his club Peterborough have an FA Cup replay on Tuesday. "The fortunate thing is that these injuries have happened before a friendly and not a European qualifier," said Worthington. "It will also give someone else a chance to come in and try to impress. "The game will give me the chance to look at different options ahead of next year's games in the Carling Nations Cup and the qualifiers. "Morocco will be a great test for us. They have a lot of quality, including Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh. "He scored twice against Wolves this week so he is a big threat." Northern Ireland: Tuffey, Hodson, McGivern, Hughes, Evans, Barton, Gorman, McGinn, McCourt, Brunt, Patterson. Subs: Blayney, Coates, O'Connor, McQuoid, Magennis, McArdle.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: ENGLAND v FRANCE Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Wednesday, 17 November Kick-off: 2000 GMT Coverage details: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live; live text commentary and full reports on BBC Sport website & mobiles; live on ITV1 from 1930 GMT Capello (left) used the example of Germany, who beat England at the World Cup Manager Fabio Capello wants fans to be patient with England's youngsters in Wednesday's friendly against France. Andy Carroll, 21, and Jordan Henderson, 20, will make their debut while Kieran Gibbs, 21, is set for his first start. "I hope the performance of these young players will be really good, but the fans must understand that we could burn these players if it is not," he said. "We have to help them. Playing in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley, it is not the same as playing for the under-21s." The Italian added: "The value of this game is different. They need time to improve, to play confidently and without fear." Capello is eager to blood new players but feels the trio of Newcastle striker Carroll, Sunderland midfielder Henderson and Arsenal defender Gibbs must be surrounded by experience. He pointed to Germany as an example of what can be achieved, and in doing so referred to a team who knocked England out of the World Cup with a painful 4-1 defeat in their last-16 match. PHIL McNULTY'S BLOG Carroll has the physical strength to trouble defences and his movement is intelligent, but is he a real England striker in the making?... Joachim Low's side eventually came third in South Africa as their group of largely unknown youngsters captured the imagination with a succession of brilliant performances. "Germany built their team step by step. If we want that, we must put them in two, three at a time, not five or six," added Capello. Former Real Madrid and Juventus manager Capello now hopes to develop a team of fresh talent in time for the European Championships in 2012, but he has warned that the transition is not always smooth. "When I have done this with my club team some played very well immediately, others needed more time," he said. "But the value of these players is really big. We have to help them." Jack Wilshere would have been involved in the match had the 18-year-old not been forced to head back to Arsenal for treatment on an injury he picked up in Sunday's win at Everton. Manchester City defender Micah Richards could also start for England if Everton's Phil Jagielka does not recover from the virus that prevented him from training on Tuesday. England's first-choice goalkeeper, Manchester City's Joe Hart, has been ruled out after injuring his back in training. Birmingham's Ben Foster stands by for a first international start in 12 months.

By Dan Roan John Terry pulled out of the England squad for the friendly with France John Terry has flown to Italy with Chelsea's club doctor to see a specialist about his mystery leg injury, BBC Sport understands. The England defender, 29, has been struggling with a nerve problem in his right leg which could keep him on the sidelines for months. So far no-one has been able to identify what is wrong with the centre-back. Terry is understood to have flown out to Italy with Chelsea doctor Bryan English on Wednesday morning. The injury forced Terry to miss Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Sunderland and he also pulled out of England's friendly against France on Wednesday. A Chelsea source told BBC Sport on Tuesday: "It could be months [until he's fit], although that's the pessimistic view. We don't know the root of the pain. "He can't keep struggling, so he has to get to the source of the problem." Terry's fellow-centre-back Alex has been ruled out for up to two months. Chelsea revealed that the Brazilian will be out for "approximately six to eight weeks" to undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee in the coming days. Having already missed the club's matches against Fulham and Sunderland, Alex withdrew from the Brazil squad for Wednesday's friendly with Argentina.

Fifa will decide on the location of the 2018 World Cup on 2 December The United States and Japan have been ranked as a medium legal risk by Fifa in its evaluation of the five contenders to host the 2022 World Cup. The failure to secure government support is seen as a drawback to the bids of the US and Japan. Their rivals - Australia, South Korea and Qatar - have been deemed low risk. However, concerns have been raised about hosting the 2022 tournament in Qatar during June and July because of the hot weather. "The fact that the competition is planned in June/July, the two hottest months of the year in this region, has to be considered as a potential health risk for players, officials, the Fifa family and spectators, and requires precautions to be taken," said Fifa in its report. Qatar plan to overcome the issue through air cooling systems at stadiums, training camps and fan zones. DAVID BOND'S BLOG With all the bidders trying to spin their way through the last two weeks of this contest, it is not straightforward to work out who, if anyone, has come out on top "We are aware of the concerns expressed but we have ensured that all of them can be answered to the satisfaction of the global football family," Qatar bid chief executive Hassan Al-Thawadi said in a statement. Fifa's assessment of the 2018 and 2022 bidders took place between July and September and highlights the level of government support, accommodation, transport, technology infrastructure and event safety and security of each bid. England is hoping to win the race to host the 2018 tournament and was boosted by a low risk rating , with Qatar and the US considered the favourites among the five nations bidding to host the finals in 2022. In terms of the US and Japan bids, Fifa summarised: "...the necessary government support has not been documented as neither the government guarantees, the government declaration nor the government legal statement have been provided in compliance with Fifa's requirements for government documents..." US bid executive director David Downs said: "We have been in conversations with Fifa about this and they are comfortable with the situation." Australia is bidding to become the first Oceania country to host a World Cup, while Japan and South Korea are hoping to host the tournament on an individual basis after jointly staging the 2002 event. The concern over their three bids is the level of revenue. "There is a risk of reduction in TV income from Europe," said Fifa. "The income from Asia/Oceania would need to be increased substantially to offset the likelihood of loss of revenue in Europe." The vote to decide the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts will take place on 2 December.