Lazio manager Edoardo Reja is predicting an intense affair when his side faces Bologna on Sunday.

The Serie A’s fourth-placed side travel to take on the league’s 15th side at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, and Reja said he wants his side to be switched on for the entire 90 minutes if Lazio are to get the three points necessary to stay in touch with league leaders AC Milan.

“We’re heading in the right direction. Bologna play very well and they’re well structured on the pitch. If you don’t have high intensity and high rhythm you risk too much against them. Therefore we should face Bologna giving our all for the whole 90 minutes,” he said.

Reja hinted some of his starting 11 may be rested to avoid potential injuries from too much game time.

“Of course I should take into consideration the players who have played 90 minutes in the previous matches,” he said.

“For example, as far as the forward department is concerned, (Sergio) Floccari has been substituted in two matches in order not to make him too tired, whereas (Mauro) Zarate has played 90 minutes in three consecutive matches. He has also had a slight muscle strain to his adductor.”

“Because of that he is a bit tired, so I should deeply evaluate the time played by each player recently. If I have to line up a fit team and play an intense match, then I need players whose conditions are at 100 percent at least for an hour or so.”

Reja said Brazilian midfielder Hernanes is Lazio’s thermometer, and his performances can lift the team when they are below par.

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“I’ve been talking to him and he is starting to believe that he can still improve very much. As you have seen in previous matches, when he plays good, the whole team does the same,” Reja said of Hernanes.

“Thanks to his technical and tactical skills he can definitely make the difference for Lazio. He has been able to do it in previous matches, he can finish, create chances and also support the defence because he provides good cover when Ledesma changes his position.”

Karim Benzema’s solitary goal proved enough as France overcame 10-man Brazil at the Stade de France on Wednesday.

The French took full advantage of Brazilian midfielder Hernanes’ dismissal following a clumsy tackle five minutes before the interval, as Benzema bobbed up in the 54th minute to score the only goal of the game.

The hosts started brightly in Paris, with Benzema finding himself on the end of Yoann Gourcuff’s pass after nine minutes but the striker’s shot flashed just wide.

The Brazilians responded strongly and were the dominant side for much of the first period, with Alexandre Pato hitting a curling shot just over the bar before Dani Alves had his free-kick blocked.

France came close on the half-hour mark when Alou Diarra’s header from yet another Gourcuff delivery sailed just over.

The game turned in France’s favour on the 40 minute mark when Benzema tried to control a bouncing ball only to be struck by Hernanes’ flailing boot, with the Brazilian midfielder receiving his marching orders from referee Wolfgang Stark.

Numbers won out after the break, with France taking control of the match and unlucky to finish only one ahead.

Roma winger Jeremy Menez made a great run nine minutes after the interval before firing a low cross to Benzema, who gratefully tapped home from close range.

The Real Madrid striker could have had a second moments later but Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar made a brilliant reflex save from his close-range header.

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The Inter Milan shot stopper was on hand again just after the hour mark to stop a low effort from Benzema with the French pouring on the pressure as Brazil tired.

In the end the hosts settled for a timely1-0 win ahead of next month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Croatia.

Former Rangers and Millwall defender Kevin Muscat has retired.

The 37-year-old confirmed his decision to hang up his boots at an emotional press conference in Melbourne on Wednesday after a professional career which has spanned more than 20 years.

The captain of A-League side Melbourne Victory cited his growing frustration at his inability to keep pace with the game as the motivation behind his intention to call it quits in June at the end of the club’s Asian Champions League group stage campaign.

It means his final A-League match was the infamous clash against Melbourne Heart, where he was sent off and handed an eight-match ban for a shocking tackle on Adrian Zahra.

Muscat’s career has been dogged by controversy, usually involving on-field tackles.

Brutal challenges on Christophe Dugarry, Craig Bellamy and Matty Holmes, the last of which cost him substantially in a civil suit, saw him branded one of the most-feared defenders in England.

He broke down in tears when thanking both his Melbourne Victory team-mates and his family.

Muscat played for Crystal Place, Millwall and Wolves in England as well as Rangers in Scotland before returning home to captain Victory for the past six seasons.

He said the demands of keeping up with the rigours of training and playing in the A-League were beyond him and he could no longer maintain his high standards of professionalism.

“There has been a lot of consultation and deliberation. I’ve come to the conclusion it was time to go and I will be doing that at the completion of the Champions League,” he said.

“I think the one word when I kept thinking about, I kept recalling how frustrated I’ve become. When I say frustration, it was about turning up to training and not being able to do what I’ve asked of other people throughout my career, to put in and give 100 percent.”

“Increasingly over time I have not been able to do that. Then when I was able to do that, it took me a couple of days to recover. It was a catch 22 in preparing for football games.”

“It’s been over the last two years, not over the last month, two months, I’ve been constantly asking myself questions after the games and after training. In the last three to four months, a lot of the answers have been no. The negative side of things has built up to the frustration of not being able to do what I asked my team-mate to do,” he said.

“Enough is enough and the time has come.”

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While his playing style has drawn plenty of criticism over his career, Muscat said he does not regret his approach to the game.

“In terms of how I am going to be remembered, I understand I’ve had my critics throughout my career. I consider myself to have had a successful career,” he said.

Muscat played 122 A-League matches and represented the Socceroos 51 times over 12 years.

Muscat, who has already been sharing his playing duties with an assistant coaching role, is expected to become a full-time assistant next season.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has once again been the subject of praise from the media for his work in the transfer market. The loan signing of Jamie O’Hara has seen the midfielder score twice in just four appearances. His form has also inspired Wolves to wins against Blackpool and Manchester United, as well as a draw at rivals West Brom.

The ninth-longest serving manager in the English leagues, McCarthy has seen a wealth of talent both enter and leave Molineux during his time in charge. I think it’s fair to say we have seen our fair share of flops during McCarthy’s time, the likes of Maierhofer, Eastwood and Shackell come to mind.

However, most Wolves fans will agree there has definitely been more positive than negative arrivals in Wolverhampton. I’ve had a look back over all of McCarthy’s signings (there were a lot) and picked out the five that matched these categories – a) the best value for money b) consistent performers c) best overall performances in a Wolves shirt.

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Michael Kightly

Pretty obvious one to start off. Originally signed on loan from non-league Grays in the winter of 2007, Kightly impressed immediately and scored his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win at QPR in December. Despite interest from Manchester United, he signed permanently for a fee (believed to be in the tens of thousands, rather than millions). Kightly went on to earn England under-21 caps, help Wolves to promotion and become one of the best players outside of the Premier League. Only injury has stopped him from progressing even further.

Matt Jarvis

Another lower league signing, Jarvis moved to Molineux from Gillingham in June 2007 for an undisclosed fee (again, not expected to be anywhere near the millions). He settled in the team and immediately showed why McCarthy had taken a gamble on him. A pacey and tricky winger, Jarvis was instrumental in helping Wolves gain promotion, and go on to remain in the Premier League. Has recently been linked with an England call-up and moves to other Premier League sides. Jarvis continue to impress and is improving as the season goes on.

Kevin Foley

Completing the trio of lower league signings, Foley joined Wolves about a month after Jarvis. Joining from Luton, who had just been relegated to League One, Foley was regarded as one of the brightest young defenders around. Foley made the right-back spot his own at Molineux, going on to win the Wolves Player of the Season award in the 2008-09 season. Last season, he made the transition from defender to midfielder, and comfortably settled in the middle of the park as part of the 4-5-1 formation employed by McCarthy. A regular member of the Republic of Ireland squad, Foley is easily one of the most steady and consistent players at Wolves.

Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the rest of the top five…

Kevin Doyle

Joined Wolves in the summer of 2009, ahead of their new season in the Premier League. With a £6.5 million pricetag around his neck, it would be fair to say big things were expected. Doyle didn’t disappoint. After overcoming an early injury, he went on to establish himself as the spearhead of the Wolves 4-5-1 system. Playing up front by himself, he finished the season with 10 goals and picked up the Wolves’ Player’s Player of the season. Despite being linked with a move, Doyle stayed at Molineux and has gone on to impress this season. Although his goal tally is not huge, his workrate in games is as good as I have ever seen from a Wolves player. A fantastic player and signing.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

There were plenty of contenders for this last spot, but I had to give it to Ebanks-Blake as, let’s face it, we wouldn’t be where we are today without his goals. Joined for £1.5 million from Plymouth in January 2008, he went on to score 12 goals and even finished the season as the Championship Golden Boot winner. He went on to win the accolade again the following season, scoring 25 goals to help Wolves win the title and gain promotion. Although he didn’t continue his goalscoring exploits in the Premier League, his second goal of the season saw Wolves draw 1-1 with Blackburn and all-but guarantee their survival. This season has seen his goalscoring return, having scored six so far. ‘SEB’ continues to find himself used as a ‘super-sub’, but remains a firm favourite with the fans!

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There we go, in my view, McCarthy’s top five signings for Wolves. There were plenty more that could have made the list. Captain Karl Henry joined for a relatively small fee, Stephen ‘Utility man’ Ward likewise. George Elokobi was another lower league success, whilst Adlene Guedioura was somehow discovered in the obscurity of the Belgium second division.

We must not forget the players that cost money, but proved their weight in gold, such as reliable defender Christophe Berra and popular full-back Ronald Zubar have proved very valuable acquisitions. You can even look to free signings such as Marcus Hahnemann and Gary Breen as to how clever Mick can be in the market.

If you look at the majority of the signings, there seems to be one thing in common – where they were discovered. McCarthy seems to have a talent for spotting players where nobody else would have thought to look. From non-league to lower league Belgium, and from Serbia to the Irish leagues, McCarthy must have eyes all over the globe. So, if you are a footballer and are hoping to get noticed, I reckon Mick isn’t too far away!

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Birmingham boss Alex McLeish praised the fighting qualities of his players after they moved out of the relegation zone on Wednesday.McLeish’s side managed a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, with the point good enough to see them climb above West Ham into 17th place in a packed bottom-half of the English Premier League table.Jean Beausejour’s header put the Carling Cup winners in front after just 17 minutes and despite John Heitinga’s superb leveller, McLeish was still pleased with the effort from his players, especially defensively.”We had to get back to basics and we defended really well, but we didn’t really penetrate after a really bright start,” McLeish said.”I have to pay compliment to the battling qualities of my players and we will need that right until the end of the season.”The former Rangers manager is also expecting this season’s relegation battle to go right until the last day, with just 11 points separating eighth-placed Sunderland and bottom-of-the-league Wigan.”It’s going to be tough and it’s going to go right to the wire,” he said.”We have a lot of tough away games, but if we show that spirit and character and on our day we can win any game as we proved against Arsenal.”Everton manager David Moyes bemoaned the injury to playmaker Mikel Arteta after the match, with the Spaniard, who was captain of the Toffees for the night, leaving the field early with a hamstring injury.Moyes feels that Arteta’s absence hurt his side going forward as they failed to convert their second-half dominance into a victory, but expressed his happiness with the club’s recent form.”It was a setback (to lose Arteta) and you could sense it was a setback for the crowd as well as we needed Mikel to be creative for us,” Moyes said.”I couldn’t tell you how bad the injury is as I have not had a chance to speak to the medical team yet. He played very well on Saturday and to lose him so early on was a major blow.””We played better in the second half than in the first half, but we just didn’t have the quality to turn some of the good play into goals.””We are disappointed we couldn’t take full advantage and the get the home win, but we have picked some good points in the last few games.”

Sir Alex Ferguson believes his Manchester United side are playing like champions after their gritty 4-2 win over West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday.United looked to be on course for more dropped points at half-time, trailing 2-0 after a pair of penalties were converted by Mark Noble.

But Wayne Rooney ripped the game apart in 15 second-half minutes with a hat-trick before substitute Javier Hernandez completed the win six minutes from the end.

The victory gave Ferguson’s men an eight-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, although the Gunners have played two games fewer than United, and the 69-year-old was delighted with the performance.

“We played like champions today and we played to our ability,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“That was a championship-winning performance.”

“It’s not an easy place to come with the fight for relegation and that result might put them (West Ham) in trouble.”

Ferguson watched Saturday’s match from the stands as he served the second of a five-match touchline ban, but he was impressed by the resilience his players showed.

“Being two goals down at half-time was a travesty considering the possession and chances created in the first half,” he said.

“We kept making chances in the first half, they couldn’t get the ball off (Antonio) Valencia in the first half and he delivered two or three fantastic balls, he had the opposition on toast really.”

“We had to go for it, bring in Hernandez and put (Ryan) Giggs to left back. Goal difference didn’t matter, we needed to get something.”

“Second half when Chicharito (Hernandez) came on, he gave you pace and the running behind line we needed.”

“There was a strong bench today with Nani, (Dimitar) Berbatov and (Michael) Owen. I thought if it was still 2-2 in last 10 minutes, then I would bring Michael on and go for it – going for it is vital to our club.”

West Ham boss Avram Grant – whose side remains in the bottom three as a result of the loss – said they did not make life difficult enough for United in the second half, but remained positive about the relegation fight ahead.

“It was too easy for them to control the game,” Grant said.

“In the second half they had nothing to lose, put Giggs at left-back and sent a lot of quality players forward. But we have given them too much space.”

“There were a lot of positive things. We wanted to win and did everything very good in the first half. But footballers need to complete two halves.”

“The league will be very tight but I think we can do it because we have come into good shape at the right time.”

Veteran striker Michael Owen is hoping his stay at Manchester United will be extended beyond this season.Owen, 31, signed a two-year-deal when he joined the Old Trafford outfit on a free transfer from Newcastle United in 2009, but now has less than six months running on his contract.

The forward has netted 13 goals in 37 matches during an injury-plagued stint with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but still remains hopeful of signing a new deal.

“I am not sure about my future yet – my contract expires at the end of this season,” Owen told the club’s official website.

“I’ve made no secret that, in an ideal world, I would extend my stay. I would love to play here for longer, but I will just wait and see what the club say. We’ve not held any talks yet.”

Owen is in contention to play for his side against Chelsea in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Second-half goals to David Luiz and Frank Lampard gave the Blues a 2-1 victory in the last meeting between the two sides in March, but Owen believes United can reverse the scoreline this time around.

“Since I’ve been at the club the games at Stamford Bridge have been odd. We don’t get outplayed there, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Unfortunately we haven’t had many good results, though. I’m sure our luck will change at some point.”

“In the league last month we were 1-0 up and put on one of the finest displays of football Stamford Bridge has probably seen from a visiting team. I don’t think many teams go to Chelsea and play like that.”

“Then they got back into the game from nothing, really. Maybe we were a little guilty of contributing to our own downfall but we won’t let that happen again.”

Following Sunday’s final submission of any hope of a title run in, you could tell in Arsene Wenger’s eyes that 3 seasons of falling away in the last quarter of the season had finally taken its toll on the Frenchman.

They say the only way to start therapy is to admit there is a problem in the first place. I think now Wenger has finally admitted to himself that maybe things weren’t quite right.

The players, he believed would prove ‘project youth’ to be right and true, had succumbed again to a last minute panic. Arsenal had passed Bolton to death but, as has happened too many times this season, all that precision hadn’t led to the required bulge in the net.

The team, he set-up to allow Cesc Fabregas to display his undoubted talents, had finally shown that it was to the detriment of others, and that all the youthful exuberance and skill needed to be complimented with experience and good old grit and determination.

Don’t get me wrong, this is in no way an anti Wenger rant. The Frenchman knows the way and a damn sight more than I will ever know. However, maybe the Frenchman now realises that all is needed is a slight realignment!!!

So, with that all being said, here is my humble opinion. I believe we need 4 players and a slight tweak to our current formation to compliment ‘project youth’ and push the team into becoming serious title contenders.

Per Mertesacker

To play alongside Thomas Vermaelen. The German is a tall, no nonsense, imposing defender, who can bring calm and resolve to our defence, as well as cure our unbelievable weakness both defensively and offensively at set-pieces. Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka are other options, but even if you have the money would you want to spend £25m on either?!

Javier Mascherano

The Argentine is struggling to hold down a place in Barça’s first-team. Mascherano knows the Premiership inside out and would add that desperately needed steel to a predominately lightweight Arsenal midfield.

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Eden Hazard

Probably the world’s worst kept secret. Arsene Wenger has tracked this kid for the past 3 seasons, and I think it’s about time we stumped up the cash before City or Chelski flash the millions and steal football’s most prestigious talent from under our nose.

Gonzalo Higuaín

This would prove real intent by the new owner and be a coup of monumental proportions. Given Ronaldo’s ego, Benzema’s resurgence and able backup from Ade ‘IdleBarnDoor’ and Kaka, Jose may be tempted by a substantial offer this summer. Most importantly, this would give Arsenal an out and out goal-scorer, something we’ve been craving since Ian Wighty left.

So, this would leave the Arsenal starting line-up for 2011/12 as:

Szczesny

Sagna Vermarlen Mertesacker Clichy

Mascherano

(2 of) Cesc Nasri Wilshere

Hazard Higuaín RVP

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The bench would read as seven from; Fabianski, Mannone, Koscielny, JoDjo, Gibbs, Rambo, Song, Diaby, Theo, Arshavin, Chamakh.

Plus, with the arrival of Wellington Silva and Ryo Miyaichi (visa’s permitting) and the emergence of players such as JET, Frimpong and Afobe, we wouldn’t miss the likes of Eboue, Denilson and (Big Time) Bendtner, now, would we?

I know a lot of you will say Championship Manager is a great world to live in, but these transfers are possible and just maybe, might be the ones to perform the revitalisation required to take The Arsenal to the next level and back to The Invincibles.

Well there you have it another Gooner telling Arsene what he should do!! Not really, just all hail the Internet to allow a fan who is as frustrated as Wenger to be able to ramble on and ‘just put it out there’.

We’re in hell right now gentlemen. Believe me. And our only two options are as followed – stay down there and get the sh*t kicked out of us, or fight our way back into the light and climb out of this hell.

Written By Steve Wellman at the excellent Gunnersphere

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Listen to the third episode of our brand new podcast – The Football FanCast. – Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and singer/songwriter Alistair Griffin, who performs a live version of his cult tribute to Mark Viduka, with Razor on backing vocals!

Manchester City sealed their Champions League place with a 1-0 victory at Eastlands over Tottenham on Tuesday.Striker Peter Crouch – Spurs’ hero when the two sides met in almost exact circumstances a year ago – put through his own net in the 30th minute for the game’s only goal, settling what was in essence a fourth-placed playoff for a spot in the qualifying rounds of Europe’s premier club competition.

And the result means that the Blues can now turn their full attention to Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Stoke City and their first piece of silverware in 35 years.

The first chance of the game came when City winger Adam Johnson’s lay-off found Micah Richards, but his shot was blocked.

Moments later, City striker Edin Dzeko found David Silva and he pulled back cleverly for the Bosnian, but he shot straight into the stomach of Tottenham’s second-choice keeper Carlo Cudicini.

Cudicini was in goal for Heurelho Gomes, who Spurs claimed was the victim of injury and not overlooked after several uncertain showings.

Spurs controlled much of the play without troubling City, though they finally created a chance in the 20th minute when winger Aaron Lennon picked out Luka Modric, only for the Croatian to drag his shot inches wide.

City got the breakthrough when Spurs were punished for slack marking at a corner.

James Milner and Johnson exchanged passes before the former drilled in a low cross that Crouch could only divert past Cudicini.

Straight after the break, Steven Pienaar’s header from Aaron Lennon’s cross appeared destined for the bottom right corner, but City goalkeeper JoeHart managed to change direction and drop to make a fantastic save.

City adopted a negative style of play in the second half, leaving Spurs to try to break through.

A free-kick from 30 yards in an attractive position was sent straight into the wall by van der Vaart.

The hosts had a chance when Yaya Toure passed across the box from the right, but Silva slipped as he ran into acres of space to meet it.

Dzeko missed his own opportunity after a flick on from Silva, when his strike from in front of goal went high and wide.

The visitors took a short corner which was fed back to van der Vaart, but his shot from well outside the area was far off the mark.

Carlos Tevez’s substitution with seven minutes to go gave City much-needed energy and the striker made an almost instant impact when he worked the ball into the box and laid off for Patrick Vieira, whose shot narrowly missed the target.

Liverpool fans must be wondering what if Kenny had been appointed manager sooner as the Reds close in on a top five finish. Dalglish has performed absolute wonders at Anfield and you sense it is only a matter of time before he is given the job on a permanent basis.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Liverpool blogs that includes FSG deserve great credit for deal; £9m solution to the Reds pressing problem; while it would be criminal for Kenny to leave duo out.

We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.

*

Should Newcastle take Liverpool’s £5m and run, or hold firm?

Pledging future the final piece in Liverpool’s resurgent jigsaw?

Liverpool’s Top TEN Terrace Cult Heroes

It would be criminal for Kenny to leave duo out

Should Liverpool undertake such a transfer policy?

Why hasn’t it worked out at Anfield?

FSG and Liverpool deserve great credit for pulling off deal

Liverpool’s Top TEN Celebrity Supporters

Why Liverpool’s top transfer target won’t make the grade at Anfield

The £9m solution to Liverpool’s pressing problem?

Spurs and Liverpool to lead the £15m chase

* Best of WEB *

What it will take to become the ‘Bastion of Invincibility’ – Live4Liverpool

Class of Istanbul – Where are they now? – This is Anfield

Who needs Villas Boas when you have Dalglish? – Our Kop

Kenny For Good? – Tomkins Times

They are showing glimpses of Man Utd’s Class of 91 – Live4Liverpool

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Click on image below to see Carles’s latest lady in all her glory