Unpredictable Pastore Needs To Be Told Off, Says Blanc

Javier Pastore "needs someone" who can tell him off, according to Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc, who nonetheless piled praise on to his attacking midfielder.

PSG won 3-1 at Nice on Saturday to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1 from Lyon, with Pastore firing a double at the Allianz Riviera.

Pastore was released behind the defence late in the first half by a Lucas Moura pass and he finished clinically in the bottom-right corner.

The Argentine scored a second in remarkable fashion, juggling the ball to himself inside the area before firing off a shot that was saved - but he powered home when the ball found its way to him yet again.

"Javier, he is just so unpredictable," Blanc told reporters. "This boy does things that only talented players like him can do. At the same time, he is able to do things that can't be rationally explained.

"He can sometimes put the team at risk, even if at the end of the day we won 3-1 and he scored two goals.

"So I can only congratulate him but when I must tell him off, I will do it because he is someone who needs that."

Blanc said he told Pastore to stop sitting back at half-time and the product was two more PSG goals to earn the three points.

"We didn't plan to attack more from the left but the players there combined very well," he said.

"At end of the first half, I asked Javier to play higher up the pitch and to not stay too close to our defence. For me, he played too close from our defence in the first half. As a result, we had trouble creating chances.

"But he is a player who wants so much of the ball that he wants the others to always give him the ball even if he is only 20 metres from our goalkeeper. I would prefer him to be 20 metres from the opposite goal.

"As dangerous as it can often be in front of the opposite goal, he can also be a real danger in front of our goal.

"I let him know this because we need his technical quality to create space and that's what happened mainly on the left in this game where he has shown a very good understanding with Lucas.

"Lucas has a lot of stamina and he likes to receive the ball from deep. Naturally, we do attack a lot from this side."

Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool: Benteke & Delph strike to send Villans into FA Cup Final

Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph scored as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday and book their place in the FA Cup final.

Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring in the semi-final clash, but the Belgian striker hit back just six minutes later, before Delph completed the turnaround in the second-half.

The underdogs stunned Liverpool with a confident, assured performance defined by defensive solidity and real gusto in attack. 

Fabian Delph was superb in midfield, Christian Benteke excellent up top, bringing all the power that Liverpool lacked, and questions must be asked of Brendan Rodgers and a side who will end the season without silverware – and likely without even a place in the Champions League either. Villa will now face Arsenal in the showpiece on May 30, with Steven Gerrard’s hopes of a fairytale end to his Liverpool career left in tatters.

All the talk had been of whether Gerrard could finish his Liverpool career by lifting the FA Cup next month on his birthday in his final game before joining LA Galaxy, but there will no fairytale end for the long-serving captain, with Villa instead reaching their first FA Cup final for 15 years.

Gerrard and Martin Skrtel both slotted back into the Liverpool team following their respective bans, but the talismanic captain had little effect during the early exchanges as Villa began brightly.

Villa youngster Jack Grealish looked particularly threatening, but it was Charles N'Zogbia who had the first attempt at goal with a 25-yard drive which was tipped over the crossbar by Simon Mignolet in the 12th minute.

Despite their superiority, Villa struggled to craft goal-scoring opportunities and Liverpool capitalised on hesitant defending to take a 30th-minute lead.

Jores Okore - on for Nathan Baker after he took a blow to the head - and Delph both failed to clear the ball, and Coutinho subsequently burst into the penalty area and coolly slotted past Shay Given after racing on to Raheem Sterling's through ball.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as Villa deservedly levelled only six minutes later.

A fine move down the left resulted in Grealish releasing Delph in the area and his cut-back was dispatched beyond Mignolet by the lurking Benteke, his fifth goal in seven games against the Merseyside club.

Rodgers introduced Balotelli for the anonymous Lazar Markovic at half-time, but that switch changed little with regards to Villa's control and Sherwood's side soon had a well-earned lead.

The impressive Grealish produced a clever reverse pass into the area for Delph and the England international jinked past Dejan Lovren, before sliding past Mignolet.

Falling behind forced Liverpool's hand and they began to open up, finding themselves exposed on the break on a couple of occasions.

However, Villa were unable to punish them again and Liverpool piled the pressure on towards the end, Gerrard – who was far from his best – having a header cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson with four minutes to go.

There was further frustration for Liverpool as Balotelli incorrectly had an 88th-minute strike disallowed for offside and that proved to be a costly decision, as Villa held on to book another trip to Wembley.

Rooney Nearly Joined Chelsea, Says Moyes

The former Manchester United manager reveals that he had to fight to keep the forward, who has since become captain of both club and country, in the summer of 2013

Former Manchester United manager David Moyes has revealed that he had to fight to prevent Wayne Rooney from joining Chelsea during his time at Old Trafford.

Moyes moved to the 13-time Premier League champions from Everton at the start of the 2013-14 season but failed to live up to the high standards set by his predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson.

After just 10 months in charge, the Scot departed Old Trafford and has since taken the reigns at Spanish club Real Sociedad and he has now lifted the lid on the transfer saga surrounding the England captain.

"Chelsea were close to taking him," Moyes told The Sunday Times.

"Jose Mourinho was interested but we wouldn't do any business. I had to fight to make sure he stayed - and was at the heart, again, of what Manchester United were going to be moving forward."

Moyes gave Rooney his senior debut while at Everton but felt that he needed to revitalise the striker once they were reunited at Old Trafford.

"I felt he'd lost a bit of his fight," the Sociedad boss noted.

"The thing about Wayne was he was always a fighter; he's a technically terrific footballer, can do anything with the ball, but behind it he's a tough boy, a street fighter in his football, and I felt he'd lost a bit of that.

"I think he agreed and probably thought: 'Wait a minute, I have to go back to being a bit more aggressive, a bit more myself."

Clyne Issues Manchester United 'Come-And-Get-Me' Plea

Southampton defender Nathaniel Clyne has told Manchester United that he wants to join them in the summer.

The England full-back is currently in talks over a new long-term deal with the Saints, although the club have acknowledged the strong interest from elsewhere.

Goal exclusively revealed back in February that United had stepped up their pursuit of the former Crystal Palace star, with Louis van Gaal's side willing to offer out-of-favour striker Javier Hernandez in exchange.

Saints boss Ronald Koeman has conceded that it would be "difficult" to keep Clyne at the club amid interest from the Premier League's big hitters, with the south-coast side now realistically out of the running for a place in the top four.

Despite other rival clubs keeping tabs on Clyne's situation, including Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham, the 24-year-old defender now has his heart set on Old Trafford.

A source close to the situation told Goal: "The player has made it known that United are his first choice, the deal is not done yet but it is a clear indication of his thinking."

Any move for Clyne could signal the end of Rafael's Manchester United career, with the Brazilian having struggled to convince Van Gaal that he can be the club's long-term solution at right-back.

Is Another FA Cup Enough For Arsenal??

When Arsenal grafted their way to their first trophy in nine years last May, the hope among the club's supporters was that a mental barrier had been broken that would facilitate a genuine title challenge.

Almost a year on, how much has really changed?

The Gunners' dreams of a first Premier League title since 2004 were in tatters by December.

They succumbed to their usual last 16 exit in the Champions League despite a kind draw against Monaco.

And on Saturday, they repeated their Wembley wobbles of last season and needed extra-time to scrape through their FA Cup semi-final against Championship side Reading.

If Arsenal are to truly build on last season's FA Cup triumph and their form so far in 2015, then retaining the trophy next month is the bare minimum requirement to save their season when they face either Liverpool or Aston Villa in the final in May.

Otherwise, their run of 17 wins from their last 19 fixtures in all competitions means nothing.

For all the optimism around the Londoners right now, their late run has come when the title was already out of reach. While they have the psychological references to qualify for the Champions League every season, this team still needs to prove they have the mental toughness to become serial trophy winners. 

Only another FA Cup would suggest that Arsenal have made progress since Arsene Wenger signed a new three-year contract last summer.

The calls from earlier in the season for Wenger to step aside have faded away, but chief executive Ivan Gazidis reflected the sense of frustration at the club by saying last week that he was "not happy" with the campaign.

Arsenal will finish in the top four, that is certain, but even if they claim second it should count as a disappointing season if they can't win the FA Cup as well. 

An acceptance that simply qualifying for the Champions League is good enough has been part of the problem for too long. Expectations have dropped unforgivably low in north London. 

Wenger blames the World Cup and an injury crisis for Arsenal's failure to ever get near the summit of the Premier League table this season. They may be valid excuses, but they are equally wearisome.

Arsenal are close. The depth of their squad was highlighted on Saturday by the presence of the likes of Olivier Giroud, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott on the substitutes' bench while Wenger's willingness to buy big-name players in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez is paying off.

Alexis, ultimately, made the difference with both of Arsenal's goals here - the first set-up brilliantly by Ozil - to book a fourth Wembley appearance for the club in two seasons.

At their best, Arsenal play the most attractive football in the country, but they still need to show that they have the guts and resolve when it really matters.

'Without Gerrard, Liverpool will never be the same' - Skrtel

Martin Skrtel believes Liverpool will never the be the same after Steven Gerrard leaves the club at the end of the season.

After failing to agree a new deal at Anfield, the former England captain is set to join LA Galaxy following the conclusion of the current season, ending a 17-year playing career with the Reds.

And defender Skrtel - who is set to return to the Liverpool side along with Gerrard for their FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa - was full of praise for the midfielder, though he admits it will be difficult to see him leave.

"When I found out he was leaving it was bad news for me," he told Goal at the unveiling of Liverpool's New Balance home kit for the 2015-16 season.

"Obviously he was here for such a long time and when you say Liverpool it's always Steven Gerrard. It will be different next season and Liverpool will never be the same.

"I can say only good things about him. From the first day I came to Liverpool he was here to help me. He gave me a hand every single day with everything I needed. I need to say thanks for that.

"He made his decision and we have to accept that and wish him luck for his next career."

Jordan Henderson has been tipped to take over as Liverpool captain, with his performances this term drawing comparisons with 35-year-old former England skipper Gerrard.

And Skrtel feels there are players currently at the club who can replace the departing skipper, though he concedes it will be difficult for any of them to replace a man he sees as one of the best.

"[It will be] Very, very difficult. In my eyes he is still one of the best players in the world.

"It will be very difficult to replace him but we have to do that. He will be leaving after this season and we have a few players who can replace him. We will try to help them and try to work as a team."

Terry: Relief to see Rooney in midfield for Manchester United

John Terry admits that Chelsea were "relieved" after finding out that Wayne Rooney would be playing in midfield for Manchester United on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho's side edged closer to the Premier League title after Eden Hazard's first-half strike sealed a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

But injuries to Michael Carrick and Daley Blind forced Louis van Gaal to play Rooney in a deeper role behind Radamel Falcao and Terry believes that the Dutchman's team selection played into Chelsea's hands.

"He's a world-class player so we were relieved to see him in midfield," Terry told Sky Sports.

"He's a phenomenal player and such a threat in that role behind the striker so to see him in midfield was good for us actually."

Rooney himself, however, feels that his side put in a strong performance despite the defeat.

"I thought [the performance] was excellent, we dominated from start to finish," he told MUTV. "We created some good chances but, unfortunately, didn't take any of them. I felt that, if we got a goal, even with five minutes to go, we would have gone on to win.

"I think we can take great confidence from this result as I’ve rarely seen a team come to Stamford Bridge and dominate so much ... all that was missing was a goal. On another day we could have scored two or three goals but it wasn't to be. We have to move on now and look forward to facing Everton next weekend."

Tevez: I've not decided if I'll stay at Juventus

Carlos Tevez has called for an end to the constant speculation surrounding his future at Juventus yet admitted that he has yet to decide if he will stay in Turin beyond the summer.

The Argentina international has made it clear that he intends to return to Boca Juniors, his first professional club, when his current contract with the Italian champions expires next year.

However, Boca president Daniel Angelici made headlines when he claimed that the Buenos Aires club were "close to bringing Carlos home".

The striker's agent dismissed the claim, insisting that his client fully intends to honour his contract with Juve, but the rumour mill went into overdrive again on Saturday when Tevez celebrated his strike in a 2-0 win over Lazio with a chicken dance, which was interpreted as a reference to a crucial goal for Boca in a Copa Libertadores semi-final clash with great rivals River Plate in 2004.

The 31-year-old promptly rubbished the link and admitted that he has grown weary of all of the speculation over his next move.

"That game [against River] does not come into it. I celebrated like that because I promised my people that I would and I will do the same if I score against Monaco [on Wednesday]," Tevez told Sky Sport Italia.

"As for my future, enough! It's not right to speak about me. Juve are what count.

"Both Juve and I are going through an extraordinary moment and I'm thinking only of Juve right now.

"I don't know if I will leave. I've not yet decided what to do.

"But it's not right to speak about it now and, as I said, the Bianconeri fans will be the first to know what I decide."

Tevez, who joined Juve from Manchester City in 2013, is the top scorer in Serie A this season, with his strike against Lazio taking his goals tally to 18 in 28 games.

Could Stephen Keshi’s contract handling determine Amaju Pinnick’s legacy?

Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation, is young and ambitious like many people his age and wants to leave a good legacy after his four-year term of office. 

At 44, he’s already been head of the Delta State Sports Council, a region known for its wealth of athletics talent which has consistently topped the medals table during the National Sports Festival.

His decision to regularly send athletes abroad on expensive training paid off with laurels. It accounts for the reason he has insisted on sending referees from the domestic league and backroom staff to England for knowledge acquisition.

Under his watch, Warri Wolves grew from a small town club to continental challengers and could win their first Nigeria Professional Football League title in less than five years.

However, he has also been embroiled in controversy, as the transfer saga of former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Mba brought him under scrutiny two years ago. 

While Pinnick has denied claims that he blocked Mba’s move to CA Bastia because of the financial gains he stood to make, he has never shied away from telling media that he’s a comfortable man who can afford to spend the summer in America with his family.

With funds from the oil-rich Delta state propelling him into the office of president of the NFF in September 2014 as well as its attendant crises, Pinnick has slowly tried to gain acceptance among the media and the public.

He has also sought to win back corporate Nigeria, the powerful consumer brands and communications giants that finance the national football teams.

After years of graft and lack of proper accountability, Pinnick has said one of his main tasks is to clean the Augean stables and ensure that the federation once again earns the support of its esteemed sponsors in order to depend less on funding from the federal government.