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Wayne Rooney has admitted that he was devastated by the three match ban handed down by Uefa after his red card against Montenegro, and would understand if Fabio Capello left him out of England’s Euro 2012 squad.

The Manchester United striker kicked out at Miodrag Dzudovic in The Three Lions final qualifying fixture in Podgorica, and the governing body punished the attacker with the maximum possible suspension.

With Rooney set to miss the entire group stage of the tournament in Ukraine and Poland next year, the FA has not yet decided whether to appeal Uefa’s decision, and Capello is tossing up whether to bring him to the competition.

“I am disappointed with it,” Rooney told The Guardian.

“I’ve got no excuse but I still feel the punishment is a bit harsh. All the details we have been waiting for came through so we will be making a decision as to whether we will be appealing.

“Obviously that is my own fault so I can’t really complain. It will be a bonus if it is cut by one game. And I thank the Montenegro player [Dzudovic] who has sent an email to Uefa saying that he felt the punishment was too harsh. He didn’t have to do that.

“It was stupid. I regretted it as soon as I did it. I honestly don’t know why I did it. It was one of those moments which I live to regret now. There was no tackle on me beforehand, so it wasn’t retaliation.

“I didn’t set out to ‘beat’ him; it just happened. I just can’t explain it but, obviously, it’s devastating for me,” he stated.

A national debate has ensued whether or not Rooney should be included in the European Championships squad, with opinion split down the middle. If he was omitted from the travelling party, Rooney would understand due to his three match ineligibility.

“I will understand if I am not in the squad because I’ll be missing out on those first three games at the minute and he has to look at other players – it is as simple as that. I want to play but I understand if I don’t,” he concluded.

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Fabio Capello is set to leave Rooney out of the international friendlies against Spain and Sweden, as the striker’s selection for Euro 2012 hangs in the balance.

By Gareth McKnight

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No, this is not an anti-Arsenal blog or one jumping on the band wagon of another Arsenal disappointment, but rather a topic in football that every fan has an opinion on which differs from the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. The mix-up between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny in the dying minutes of the Carling Cup final cost the Gunners their first piece of silverware for nearly six years. So is it time that Arsene Wenger focused on strengthening his back four instead of his attacking midfielders and strikers?

Firstly, the two players in question are not bad players – their performances against Barcelona at home in the Champions League were both impressive, for a young ‘keeper, Szczesny looks competent in goal for a 20 year old and his half season at Brentford last season looks to have paid off in terms of confidence in his own ability, a trait that the other two Arsenal ‘keepers have been lacking. Despite a slow start at the Emriates, Laurent Koscielny is looking like a competent centre-half, his interceptions during the Barcelona game were vital in keeping the former European Champions at bay whilst also making up for his defensive partner, Johan Djourou’s nervous display.

However, since the days of Jens Lehmann, Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell, who were all important for the Gunners’ unbeaten Premier League season in 2003/04, there have been rumours and debates over Arsene Wenger signing established players to boost his defence, rather than relying on youngsters (like Szczesny and Fabianski) or lesser known players (like Squillaci and Koscielny). If you believe reports, Arsenal were very close to signing the Fulham goalie, Mark Schwarzer, at the start of this season and recently in January reports suggested an approach for West Ham United defender Matthew Upson was made.

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Whether it’s listening to debates on the radio, reading forums or speaking to mates down the pub, there is a general disbelief as to why Arsene Wenger does not seem to invest in his back five like he does with attacking players. Of course, Arsenal’s philosophy focuses on the attacking side of the game but a number of mistakes in defence have been one of the reasons why they have remained trophyless in recent years.

If Wenger signed the likes of Schwarzer and Upson (or in my opinion Shay Given and Gary Cahill) would the mistake like the one in the final have been made? Of course there is not a guarantee, some of the best players make mistakes but I do think that more established and experienced players would have dealt with that situation better.

However, it would be silly of me to not mention the likes of Thomas Vermaelen who cost £10 million in 2009, proof that Wenger does put emphasis in his defence and the Belgium player has been hugely impressive since his arrival in North London. Perhaps if he was fit for the final, he would’ve been able to deal with the threat of Nikola Zigic better than the likes of Djourou and Koscielny did?

The 5-0 defeat of Leyton Orient last night will do wonders for the dressing room in getting their mentality back into the right focus. I was impressed by the performance of Ignasi Miquel in the centre of defence, the reserve team captain looked competent and tidy in his defending against the League One opposition.

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If Arsenal do finish this season without a trophy, would there start to be some pressure on Wenger to strengthen his defence? Quite possibly, pundits and fans alike can’t see why Wenger does not sign an established and quality goalkeeper and central defender. The Frenchman will never get the solid back five that he inherited when joining the club but he could try and make an attempt? Arsenal have two more chances of playing a final at Wembley this season, and are still in the race for the Premier League title, so maybe I will be proved wrong….. but it’s doubtful.

Want some more football opinions and provoking comments? Then follow me on Twitter – @verbal_football

Head coach Fabio Capello has said that John Terry made a 'very big mistake' in speaking out about his concerns about life in the England camp at the World Cup finals.

Former captain Terry used a weekend press conference to suggest that clear-the-air talks were needed after poor displays against both the USA and Algeria, suggesting that he and his colleagues should speak their minds and not be afraid to upset Capello.

However, the Italian has hit back by telling ITV Sport:"This is the big mistake, this is the very big mistake.

"My door is always open. If people want to speak with me they can speak with me. Every time we have a meeting I ask the captain, problems? You want to say something? Never.

"Then I read yesterday that John Terry said this, I don't understand why he doesn't speak with me. When you speak you have to speak privately, not with the media.

"I think he is more disappointed. I know sometimes players want to speak more with you (the media) than with the other players.

"But the mistake is that you have to speak with the players, with me, with the dressing room.

"No, this was not a revolution. It was one mistake from one player. No more."

Capello had earlier told the BBC:"Probably one or two are not happy but the majority are.

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"One player is not so important compared to all the others, the group is more important. For this reason it is no problem.

"We are here to play at the World Cup, not for a holiday."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

On Tuesday night in the serene surroundings of Canada Water, 12 bloggers (myself included), one Sunday League team and decorated former England international Ray Wilkins descended upon Bacon’s College as part of Nivea’s enterprising ‘The Great Football Experiment’ campaign.

The event itself comprised a host of engaging activities, including FA coach-led skill sessions, fervently-contested seven-a-side contests, a mock press conference and the opportunity to quiz Wilkins himself.

Wilkins admitted that he would relish the prospect of working with former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti again.

The pair worked together at Stamford Bridge for 17 months before Wilkins was sacked in November 2010.

Ancelotti has recently been linked with a return to management in London, with Arsenal and Tottenham mooted as potential destinations.

“If he wanted me to back with him yes I would. He’s an excellent coach and a good human being – a nice fellow to work with,” he said.

“He’s already living in England so he hasn’t had to come back too far! He wants to work in England – he’s desperate to, but I wouldn’t know where.”

Wilkins also feels that his former side can challenge the two Manchester clubs for the Premier League title this season.

“Absolutely. They’re just coming up on the rails aren’t they?

“It’s vitally important that they beat Manchester United once, Manchester City once and Tottenham once.”

The former Blues coach believes that Frank Lampard, whose role at club and country level has come under scrutiny, provided the perfect riposte to those who had doubted him. Speaking after Lampard scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 5-1 defeat of Bolton, Wilkins said:

“I think he’s just being what he is, and that’s a top professional. He hasn’t got anything to prove, it was a kneejerk reaction to give him grief, saying he was finished.

“It was his way at the weekend of telling everybody, ‘I am still about, alive and kicking.’”

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Amsterdam, 16 February 2011 – Heineken today launched its fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, giving football fans in Asia the memorable opportunity to experience the unique UEFA Champions League Trophy first hand. The Trophy Tour, launched by double UEFA Champions League winner Marcel Desailly at UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland, marks the start of an exciting lineup of Heineken events for fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in May.

Heineken will give its Asian consumers a second chance to see the famous UEFA Champions League Trophy this year by taking it back to Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong four years after its first tour of the continent in 2007, when more than 50,000 fans turned up to see the prestigious trophy up close. Fans in South Korea will also get their first glimpse of the prize on this year’s Tour.

The Trophy Tour was launched with an official handover of the cup by UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, and former England international, Graeme Le Saux to Heineken Ambassador Marcel Desailly. From Switzerland, the trophy will travel to Kuala Lumpur in February, then pass through the cities of Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kon Kaen and Seoul in March, before ending in Hong Kong in mid-April.

During the tour, UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassadors including internationally renowned legends such as Christian Karembeu, Steve McManaman, Gianfranco Zola, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jay-Jay Okocha will be present at events and meet with the media and fans.

Accompanying the Trophy as it tours Asia will be three lucky Heineken consumers, who have won the opportunity to travel with the cup through a global digital competition. To win their exclusive place on the tour, they used an innovative mobile phone application to find a number of virtual trophies scattered in a number of physical global locations.

Football fans in each country will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous trophy, see UEFA Champions League historical memorabilia and win tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 in London.

Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken’s Brand Activation Manager commented: “This is the sixth consecutive year that Heineken, the world’s most international beer brand, has sponsored the prestigious UEFA Champions League. For Heineken to be able to bring the excitement and inspiration of the UEFA Champions League Trophy directly to the fingertips of fans in Asia is extremely rewarding. Heineken provides football fans with extraordinary experiences, which will continue to entertain and amaze as we get closer to the UEFA Champions League Final in London.”

Commenting on the rationale behind the Trophy Tour, David Taylor, UEFA Events S.A. CEO, said: “The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football. The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken really demonstrates the true global reach and appeal of the UEFA Champions League. We are delighted that together with Heineken we can reward the passion and dedication of football fans in Asia by taking the trophy to them once again.”

The Trophy Tour

The schedule of the 2011 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken is:

February 22 – 27: Kuala Lumpur

March 5 – 6: Penang

March 11 – 12: Kuala Lumpur

March 16 – 17: Bangkok

March 19 – 20: Chiang Mai

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March 25 – 27: Kon Kaen

April 6 – 9: Seoul

April 15 – 17: Hong Kong

The Trophy Tour presented by Heineken visited North America in 2010, Africa in 2009, South America in 2008 and Asia in 2007.

There will me more to follow about the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken…

Wolves have made their first signing of the summer after securing Belgium defender Jelle Van Damme on a three-year contract.

The 26-year-old international centre-half has joined the Molineux club for an undisclosed fee from Anderlecht.

Van Damme, who spent one season in the Premier League with Southampton in 2004-05, is relishing the prospect of returning to England.

"I've played in the Champions League and won two titles with Anderlecht," he told the club's official website.

"I'm coming up to 27 now and even in the Anderlecht squad I was one of the most experienced players.

"It was quite a young team but in the last season we achieved quite a lot including making progress in the Europa League.

"I hope to bring that over to this group and help by becoming one of the leaders in this team if I can."

Van Damme will join former Anderlecht team-mates Adlene Guedioura and Geoffrey Mujangi Bia in a growing contingent at Molineux when pre-season training begins.

"He is a versatile defender who can play in several different positions and also boasts Champions League experience with Anderlecht and 22 international caps with Belgium," added manager Mick McCarthy.

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"There were other clubs who were keen to sign him but we were able to get in early and register our interest and get the deal done.

"He's older and more experienced than the last time he played in the Premier League and I'm looking forward to working with him."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

An uncomfortable truth has been creeping up on Manchester United over the last two games, and on Tuesday night at Old Trafford, it finally hit them full in the face. The champions are not yet settled defensively, and it’s time to do something about it.

Sir Alex Ferguson put last night’s dropped points – for a home draw with Basel is, unquestionably, two points dropped for a squad of this ability – down to defensive “carelessness”. He pointed out that while the team’s forward options guarantee United goals, they need more time to get everyone fit at the back and figure out their best starting back four. David de Gea has already played behind so many different defenders he must be starting to wonder how many more are hiding around Carrington.

United can score, there is no doubt about that. Powered up front by Wayne Rooney, and last night by the emerging Danny Welbeck, the Red Devils have fired 32 goals in their opening ten competitive fixtures of the 2011/12 season, including the Community Shield. That end of the pitch, then, appears sorted. But the other end is where Ferguson has problems to address: despite a far-from-disastrous 11 goals conceded in the same ten games, United know it could have been worse. Chelsea, for instance, created almost 20 shots at goal at Old Trafford last weekend. On Saturday, Stoke had the better of the game and de Gea was forced into a couple of spectacular saves to earn his side a point.

Ferguson has already deployed ten players in his defensive line this season, though admittedly two of those were Ezekiel Fryers and Michael Carrick in the League Cup win over Leeds. Every senior defender in the squad, apart from the injured Rafael, has had at least one start. Injuries to the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, coupled with the summer sales of stalwart duo Wes Brown and John O’Shea, have forced Ferguson to throw Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans into starring roles earlier than he might have liked.

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All three have impressed, but of those three, Jones has drawn the most praise. His swashbuckling forays upfield have drawn rave reviews from all quarters, and provided another goal on Tuesday night, this time for Welbeck. (Surely Jones will eventually start shooting himself?) United hero Paddy Crerand, now a regular pundit on MUTV, recently went so far as to compare Jones to the legendary Duncan Edwards, who is widely considered to have been one of the best players England has ever produced.

High praise indeed, then. But one wonders how necessary it really is, just a few games into Jones’ debut season at Old Trafford. The centre-back is, after all, just 20 years old, and if there is one nation who know exactly how to ruin a footballer’s career with unreserved hyperbole in the infancy of their career, it’s the English. Besides, one key area of Jones’ game could still do with polishing, and that, unfortunately, is his defending.

The youngster showed some of his lack of experience against Chelsea, particularly when he was left for dead by Fernando Torres late on as the Spaniard raced clear only to round de Gea and miss an open goal. Tuesday night’s second-half collapse again displayed frailties in Jones’ play – he was caught out of position for Alexander Frei’s equaliser and his poor pass to stand-in right-back Antonio Valencia led to the penalty from which Basel briefly took a shock lead.

This is not to say that Jones will not be the player that everyone expects him to develop into, or that United made a mistake. The biggest strength a defensive unit can have is steady playing time as a five (including the goalkeeper), and United are in no position to achieve that. Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were also poor on Tuesday, and after Fabio went off (yes, another injury) Valencia demonstrated again that he is a willing but suspect full-back.

Jones cannot be held responsible for United’s current defensive frailties, and certainly should not be. But too much expectation, too soon, has overwhelmed too many players in this country in the past decade or so. Perhaps laying off the hype would help Jones’ career more than the endless praise he has received in the past few weeks – but I don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

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Alessandro’s late goal gave Corinthians a 1-0 win away to Paulista leaders Palmeiras on Sunday, while Botafogo beat Sao Paulo.

Palmeiras, led by Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, remain top of the Paulista championship, but are now just one point clear of second-placed Santos.

Corinthians are eighth on the table and seven points behind Palmeiras, but have two games in hand over the leaders.

Botafogo gained a much-needed 2-1 victory over fifth-placed Sao Paulo.

Goals from Anselmo and Andre Neles put Botafogo on course for victory and Marcelinho Paraiba’s 92nd-minute strike came too late for the visitors to find a way back into the match.

Botafogo are 16th, one point clear of Santo Andre in the last relegation place.

Mirassol climbed to fourth with a 2-1 win away to Bragantino.

Esley put the visitors 1-0 ahead in the 39th minute but Luciano Sorriso levelled for Mirassol a minute before half-time.

The match appeared to heading for a draw before midfielder Xuxa snatched all three points with a 90th-minute winner.

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An eight-minute brace from Vandinho helped Sao Caetano beat Paulista 2-1, while two late goals gave Ituano a 2-0 win over visitors Sao Bernardo.

Daniel broke the deadlock for Ituano on 80 minutes, before an Anderson Salles penalty five minutes into stoppage time completed the scoring.

Romelu Lukaku has explained the frustration he suffered at Chelsea last season, just days after sealing a season-long  loan move to West Brom Albion, reports the Daily Mail. 

The 19-year-old Belgian international, was signed last summer by former Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas in a deal worth £18 million, however Lukaku only started one Premier League game, and found himself fourth in the striking pecking order, behind Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge.

New Baggies boss Steve Clarke, has acted quickly in signing up the powerful forward, who had two prolific seasons with Belgian club Anderlecht prior to his big money switch to London.

‘I couldn’t see myself staying at Chelsea. I sacrificed a year of my career with them and didn’t want to put up with it any more,’ Lukaku explained.

‘I decided in March I wanted to go out on loan, and told my agent to find me a club. I am relieved to have found a solution.

‘On the first day of pre-season I told the manager I wanted to leave.

‘Roberto Di Matteo told me I ought to think about Chelsea as there weren’t going to be many other strikers this season, but this is the time for me to think about myself.

‘I got sick of watching the others from the bench. I just played 12 games and when I was playing well, they would take me off.

‘I lost my hunger for the game over the past year. I won’t beat about the bush – my season at Chelsea went very badly.

‘As regards getting minutes on the pitch, I wasted my time.

‘Last season I was in the reserves alongside a young lad who’d barely turned 15 and I asked myself what I was doing there.’

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Lukaku will be hoping to show Baggies fans the sort of form that saw him described as one of Europe’s hottest young striking talents, and is looking forward to linking up with Steve Clarke.

‘Steve Clarke constantly phoned me when I was on Chelsea’s US tour,’ he explained.

‘I am very happy to join West Brom.’

As a Newcastle United fan it was painful viewing on Saturday watching Jose Enrique maraud down the left side of Anfield wearing the deep red of Liverpool. It felt like he was cheating on the club that brought him to prominence and gave him the chance display his talents in the biggest and most popular league on the planet

Ever since it became public knowledge that Enrique wanted out of St James’ Park and Liverpool wanted to bring him to Merseyside his departure was a foregone conclusion. Now lets get this straight I don’t hate Enrique and I certainly don’t blame him for having the ambition to challenge for trophies, play in Europe and ultimately represent his national team. His chances of achieving these goals will be greatly enhanced at Anfield. But is he the man to finally fill the left back problem that has existed at Anfield ever since John Arne Riise left the club?

I’m not going to sit on the fence regarding this matter and frankly I don’t think he’s the man to plug that gap. His performances over the last four seasons have definitely endeared Enrique to a lot of Geordie fans, myself included. However a lot of people look at the Spaniard with rose tinted spectacles and disregard his lack of ability to operate in his specialist position. In my Enrique is hugely overrated. The fact is that for a defender he isn’t actually the best at defending. When faced against a winger with tricky feet and the ability to bamboozle then Enrique will get beaten very easily. He doesn’t have the discipline to just stand his ground and force the winger to back track. Too many times he will try and put his foot in or use his body to shield the ball from the winger giving away a free kick in a dangerous area. The Arsenal 4-4 game provides the best example with three of the crosses for the goals coming from Enrique’s side. Theo Walcott had him in his pocket during that first 45 minutes until the famous second half capitulation. Heading is also another weak part of his game and he doesn’t fair well when an aerial challenge comes about.

In fact the only reason Enrique’s defensive frailties are overlooked is because of the work Jonas Gutierrez puts in to help him when he’s under assault. The Argentinian grafts his socks off to get back and help Enrique out and is usually the man to regain possession and alleviate any pressure on the defence. Now that Enrique is at Liverpool this will mean Stewart Downing will have to finely tune his defensive duties although I’m sure the England winger won’t track like Gutierrez does which will put Enrique under pressure he hasn’t experience for a few years.

You could say that his defensive game is weak because he is part of the new breed of attacking full backs. Whilst he is great at going forward and charging to the by-line he’s only scored one goal in his entire Newcastle career whilst his assists count isn’t anything to shout home about. His crossing is okay at times and he can whip a delicious ball into the box when given the space too. But more often than not when he has to cross the ball under pressure he either over hits it or checks back and tries to find another route to goal subsequently losing the ball. There’s also his erratic passing to contend with which Liverpool fans will get frustrated with. For a man possessing a superb left foot he lets himself down with his lack of accuracy when making a simple five-yard ball. It seems his concentration deserts him when he has to make a simple decision. I will say that when it comes to delivering long balls he does have superb accuracy but is often let down by teammates misjudging the ball or possessing poor control.

Enrique does have some positives to his game with his unbelievable strength and speed that making it nigh on impossible to beat him using the long ball. But due to the many negative aspects I don’t think he is the man to fill the left back slot at Liverpool. Their agenda over the next few seasons is to get back into Europe, the title race and to win some trophies. Enrique, for me, doesn’t have the abilities or the experience to help them achieve that. I honestly think he’ll be Liverpool’s weak link especially in Europe and at 25-years-old is way past the learning curve.

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