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After a couple of indifferent performances, we finally got our first win under Graham Westley with a 1-0 win at home to Hartlepool. A Danny Mayor thunderbolt with just 15 minutes left settling a game which lacked much in the way of entertainment.  However it there was a large amount of effort and determination from a North End side where a lot of the players had made less than 20 appearances for the club and a handful of them were making their debuts for the team.

For the first time this season I wasn’t particularly nervous as we defended the one goal lead apart from a really hairy moment in stoppage time when Hartlepool should have scored had it not been for Nicky Hunt, the goalpost and wasteful finishing (in that order!).

After seeing games where the opposition has scored late on to nick points (Scunthorpe United in August and Oldham Athletic in October) it is really encouraging to see us close out a 1-0 win. Teams with aspirations of the top 6 do this and it shows how Westley has been improving the fitness levels of the squad although there is still a long way to go but the early signs are encouraging so far.

With Sheffield United away on Saturday, who are in formidable form at the moment, it was crucial that we got the three points last night. Westley wouldn’t want to have been waiting too long for that first win as after a while it can start to be a massive pressure. It took previous manager Phil Brown to thirteen games to get his first win and this was one of the main reasons why we were relegated. When he was appointed manager we were 4 points from safety but by the time we won 3-0 at Scunthorpe in March we were almost 13 points from safety, something we would fail to claw back before May.

Being realistic I think we will be very lucky to come from a ground where only 2 teams have won this season with a result, but at least there are signs that Westley is turning the rot around. However it is a very long turnaround and it is important we don’t get ahead of ourselves and think we are bound for the play offs because of a 1-0 win. Hartlepool were one of the form teams and on a good unbeaten run before the game, but with time the team will gel and become more tactically aware and with that comes better performances. Then the results will start to come which at the very least gives fans reason to believe that next season could be a fantastic one.

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By Preston North End blogger Sean Marshall. You can read more of his work on his personal blog. 

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Antonio Valencia’s agent has confirmed that Juventus are interested in signing the South American in January, but he has no thoughts of leaving Manchester United.

The Ecuador international has found first-team opportunities more of a commodity this term due to the summer signing of Ashley Young, and reports in Italy have detailed that the Turin giants will make a move for the winger come the new year.

Despite this, the former Wigan wideman’s representative has confirmed that the player has no intentions of leaving Old Trafford, and is eager to fight his way back into Sir Alex Ferguson’s starting XI.

“I am aware of rumours of Juventus’ interest, but he is very happy in Manchester and I see it as very difficult that he leaves United,” Diego Herrera Larrea told Mirror Football.

“Antonio recently signed a new four-year deal, and both he and his family are settled and well living in the city, and playing for a big club.

“For my part, there is nothing concrete. There has been interest from Italy, but I don’t think that Juve has spoken with United because I was not informed – though I cannot exclude it as a possibility,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester City maintained their impressive start to the season with a hard fought victory at the Etihad Stadium.

Second half goals from Mario Balotelli and James Milner ensured a 2-0 victory against a resilient Everton side who made it tough for Roberto Mancini’s men. You can understand the nervousness of the home crowd, given the Toffees have won on their last four visits, but their patience was rewarded when the impressive Balotelli’s deflected shot made its way past Tim Howard.

The visitors certainly played their part; however their lack of potency in the final third was clearly evident and they were unable to breach the City backline. David Moyes was clearly upset with some of the decisions awarded by Howard Webb; but it wasn’t Everton’s day compounded by injury to Tim Cahill.

The breaking of the deadlock galvanised City and they went close on numerous occasions to double his advantage before James Milner finally sealed the win finishing off a wonderful pass from the impressive David Silva.

The result puts City top of the table temporarily and the professional performance clearly pleased Roberto Mancini at the final whistle.

Are you in the money tonight? Have you become a millionaire? The Results are in…

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Yossi Benayoun could be used as bait in Chelsea’s attempts to sign Luka Modric the Daily Mail understands.

The Stamford Bridge club are still in the hunt for the Croatian midfield despite Tottenham insisting they aren’t selling.

A new bid of £30 million was rumoured this week but now it seems that Benayoun could be used as a makeweight.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is a huge admirer of the Israel captain and tried to snatch him from under the nose of Chelsea after he left Liverpool last summer.

It was a season to forget for the 31-year-old creative midfielder as he ruptured his Achilles tendon and spent seven months on the sidelines.

Despite his bright pre-season performances and ability to link up with former Liverpool room mate Fernando Torres, new boss Andre Villas-Boas is prepared to sacrifice him to snare Modric.

The Portuguese coach has already stressed the importance of players who can add a fluidity and unpredictability to Chelsea’s stiff system with both Benayoun and Modric fitting that profile.

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However Villas-Boas sees Modric as the one who is more adept at playing ‘between the lines’ and is prepared to tempt Spurs with the prospect of a cash-plus-player offer.

A move to White Hart Lane is likely to appeal to Benayoun who will struggle to break into the Chelsea midfield next season and Redknapp could be persuaded to take him and let the unhappy Modric leave.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has stated that he does not think that his job is under scrutiny and that he has Roman Abramovich’s backing.

The Stamford Bridge club are currently fifth in the Premier League standings, and face a battle to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Despite this, the Portuguese coach does not feel that he would be dismissed should his team get beat by Birmingham in the FA Cup this weekend.

“I don’t think so, but it’s a question that you will have to ask the owner,” he stated in a press conference, published on Sky Sports.

“I think the owner has full trust in me and will continue to progress with the ideas that we have.

“In the end, that is the objective of getting us the best position possible in the league, plus these two trophies, which we are fighting for.

“It will be extremely good for us if we win against Birmingham to put ourselves in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

“But we need strong progression in the league and to show our strength, so we strengthen a little bit more our contention for fourth place – as third is already 10 points ahead of us – so that we get Champions League qualification,” he admitted.

Villas Boas also revealed that he felt that all the Chelsea players did not back him fully, but that the owner’s approval was more important.

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“That is normal. They don’t have to back my project. It’s the owner who backs my project,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Football fans are often accused of having a short memory and it’s never as short as when it comes goalkeepers. Never has the potential to go from hero to zero been more possible than when playing between the sticks. Not only are individual errors remembered for all time (Massimo Taibi, Rob Green, Paul Robinson, etc) but it takes an age for their good form to be recognised. Much like the defensive midfielders in the game they are often the unsung heroes of the team. They rarely grab the headlines and you’d struggle to find many people willing to buy a goalkeeper’s jersey given the choice. However that doesn’t make them any less important, keeping out goals is just as important as scoring them and there’s no substitute for a world-class goalie.

One way you can prove this is by the defensive records of the Premier League winning teams. People tend to forget the defensive side to title winning teams more often than they forget their scoring exploits but since 2000 the team that has conceded the least in the league has won the title seven times, the same amount of times as those teams that have scored the most. And whilst the defence obviously plays its part in that behind every good defence is a world-class keeper. In that period the goalkeepers behind those league titles have been Edwin van de Sar, Petr Cech, Jens Lehmann, Fabien Barthez and David Seaman. All national goalkeepers, all world-class players.

But what is even more interesting is that the defensive side to the game appears to be becoming more important than ever. If we compare the league winners since 2000 to those in the ten years previous then we can see a remarkable difference. In the decade before 2000 only two of the title winners had the best defensive record. All this denotes a huge change in tactics over the last two decades in England and as big a part as the defenders have to play the goalkeeper is vital to how they play.

Take Arsenal’s unbeaten season for example; yes they had a good defence but the authority with which Jens Lehmann organised the defence was vital. Similarly at Newcastle this season, their defence is far from world class but having Tim Krul behind them makes their job that much easier. Newcastle have only conceded fifteen goals so far this season, a record that only the Manchester clubs can better and a lot of the praise has been heading Collocini’s way but after watching Krul’s performances against Chelsea and current champions Man Utd can you really say that their position would be as healthy without the Dutchman. His performances throughout the season have been remarkable yet it has taken until now for pundits to pick up on it at all.

Similarly Joe Hart has been on the form of his life this season. Manchester City’s defensive record is the best in the league so far this year but player for player their defenders are not the best in the league. What makes them so effective? Joe Hart. Before Szczesny Arsenal were enjoying a torrid time defensively in domestic competitions and as much as that was down to their style of play it was also down to their goalkeeper. Their defenders during this time were actually very good (Toure, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Sagna) but the lack of confidence that they played with was born out of a mistrust of the abilities of Fabianski and Almunia. Similarly Ledley King recently spoke about how although Parker is getting most of the credit for his defensive work at Spurs new keeper Brad Friedel has done wonders for the team. King championed both his calming presence and his experience as vital factors is Tottenham’s defensive stability this season. It’s not just at the top of the table either where it counts. Does anyone really think that Wigan would have stayed up last year had it not been for the season-long heroics of Ali Al Habsi who, game after game, made vital contributions to the cause; far more than Wigan’s strikers did arguably. Goalie will always be the position that no kid wants to play in the park, and who’d blame them, but that doesn’t mean we should go through life ignoring their applaudable exploits and scrutinising every mistake they make. Hart, Krul and Szczesny are proving themselves to be three of the best young keepers in world football at the moment, perhaps it’s about time fans started to take notice.

For more news and stories follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Manchester United winger Nani has targeted a win in the derby against Manchester City, and hopes to continue his good track record against the Etihad Stadium outfit.

The Portuguese trickster has put in a number of excellent performances against Roberto Mancini’s team over the last number of seasons, and with City flying high this term, hopes to heap misery on them come Sunday at Old Trafford.

“I scored a good goal against City last season when we beat them at Old Trafford and I feel confident I will score against them again,” the wideman told Mirror Football.

“City have a fantastic team, with fantastic players. They play a lot of good stuff, so it will be difficult to play against them.

“But we should not forget – we are Manchester United. When we play at home, it’s very difficult to beat us and we will try to do our best to win the game again.

“All players want to play in these games and my confidence is high. I feel comfortable in these sort of games. I like the pressure these games bring.

“I’ve been working hard and waiting for these big games because I believe I have the quality and mentality to play in them,” he concluded.

City are two points ahead of United at the top of the Premier League standings ahead of the fixture, with both also winning in Europe in midweek.

By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has been released from the Netherlands international squad, as Arsene Wenger pleaded with the nation to give the attacker time to rest.

The on-form striker played for his country in their 0-0 draw with Switzerland on Friday night, but the Gunners’ boss was reluctant for his main man to feature against Germany on Tuesday due to a fear that the forward would become fatigued.

After speaking with Holland coach Bert van Marwijk however, it has been agreed that Van Persie will return to England and play no part in the friendly on Tuesday.

“Arsene asked me if I could leave Robin out of both games,” Van Marwijk told reporters.

“I had a good meeting with Wenger and we reached an agreement he would only play on Friday. After that we would send him back.

“I won’t use Robin against the Germans.

“Robin is at the limit according to various measurements – for that reason we have decided to give him a rest,” the national selector concluded.

Van Persie is currently the top goalscorer in the Premier League, and has been a key reason for Arsenal’s revival over the last six weeks.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Aston Villa have accepted a £20m bid for Stewart Downing in a deal that will take Liverpool’s summer spending close to the £50m mark. Kenny Dalglish clearly is looking for the best of British, as he aims to restore the Reds back to their former glories.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that includes Patrick Viera taking up a coaching role at Manchester City; Arsene Wenger accuses Barcelona of a lack of respect, while Sneijder reportedly has agreed terms with Manchester United.

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Modric hands in Spurs transfer request – Guardian

Villa offer £7m for Parker to rival Chelsea’s shock loan swoop – Daily Mail

Villa accept Liverpool bid for Downing – Mirror

Villas-Boas was like a 12th man – Sun

QPR line up Taarabt replacement – Sky Sports

Vieira to take up City role – Sun

Liverpool striker set to join Anderlecht… on his wife’s orders – Mirror

Wenger accuses Barça of disrespect – Guardian

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Sneijder agrees terms with United – Mirror

Spurs eye Greek starlet – Sky Sports

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Luka Modric will not travel to Old Trafford ahead of tonight’s clash as Harry Redknapp said the Croatian’s head isn’t right. It is thought that a new bid by Chelsea is imminent and subsequently the player is trying to force a move, despite having 5 years still remaining on his current deal.

Elsewhere in the papers this morning Mancini reveals he may pull the plug on Nasri deal; Warnock plans signings after QPR takeover, while Fergie believes that Wayne Rooney’s problems are finally behind him.

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Mancini may pull plug on Nasri move – Guardian

Modric ‘problem’ tests Redknapp – Independent

Warnock plans signings after QPR takeover – Guardian

Pulis poised to Stoke up squad – Sun

Berbatov could leave United for free – Daily Telegraph

Debts threaten to undo a decade of Moyes’ work – Independent

Spurs join race for Bolton’s Cahill as Redknapp considers using Bentley as bait – Daily Mail

Sir Alex: Rooney has put his problems behind him – Mirror

Wenger finally admits it’s time for his struggling team to grow up – Daily Mail

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Big Mick blasts Europa League – Sun

Villa may offload flop midfielder – Mirror

Aquilani moves closer to Liverpool exit as Milan confirm interest in misfit – Daily Mail

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