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Labels: Brand, Dollars, MacLennans, Mailing, Martin

Premier League side Liverpool have been struggling to find their best form this season and winning the domestic league title is almost mathematically impossible for manager Kenny Dalglish and his men. Additionally, they are already eliminated from both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Liverpool still have a chance of lifting a trophy at the end of the season though as they are still in the Europa League, and defender Martin Skrtel is eager to do just that.

"In the last few weeks we've got some good results and that was really important for us, for the players and the club. We just hope we carry on," Skrtel was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website.

"The Europa League is nice for us and a great chance to win a trophy this season. We all have to give our best for a good result in this competition.

"For me it's a great feeling working with Kenny Dalglish because he's a legend at the club – an icon."

Liverpool host Sparta Prague on Thursday in the last 32 after recording a 0-0 draw in the away leg last week.

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Labels: chance, Europa, Goalcom, Great, league, Liverpool, Martin, Skrtel, Trophy

And that is why there will be little praise on offer when they all gather on Monday morning at their Surrey training base, despite their first win at the Millennium Stadium in eight years. Johnson is all too familiar with the boom and bust trend of recent times, decent wins being followed by a lull: from the euphoria of beating Australia to a ho-hum afternoon against Samoa in November.

“You can only get better if you’re tough on yourself,” Johnson said. “What’s the alternative... pats on the back? At least we’ve got a good platform from which to be tough. It was a big, emotional time in Cardiff. But we’ve got to perform whatever the build-up is, set out own standards.

“Our match won’t be the big focus this weekend. The expectations will be different. It’s important we get the mindset right. Look at the All Blacks. Even their worst performance is still pretty good. Their standards are high. Our performance has got to be better against Italy than it was against Wales. We handled the lead-in to Wales very well. Now we’ve got to handle this very well. It’ll be a test for us this week.”

A self-critical tone is crucial if England are to make best use of what was a notable championship victory, only their third in seven years away from home against all opponents bar Italy. Any sense that they can now coast through the tournament with three successive matches at Twickenham before heading to Dublin in mid-March for a tilt at a Grand Slam is as fanciful as expecting bankers to give up bonuses. Johnson intends to weed out any self-delusion the moment the group gets together.

“If only it were all as simple as that,” he said when the Grand Slam scenario was outlined. “Our fans are pretty sensible when it comes to that. Being favourites just isn’t on our radar.”

England were far from being polished or emphatic in all that they did. They are still one-dimensional in midfield and also prone to bouts of daftness in giving away penalties. James Haskell, Chris Ashton and Shontayne Hape were guilty of lapses at different times.

“Those silly things you can regret for a very long time if the score goes against you,” Johnson said. “There’s lots and lots to get better at. If you looked at the local papers it’s all doom and gloom down in Wales and things will be said about us. We all know the truth is somewhere in between.”

There is little doubt, though, that England have matured. They worked themselves into a commanding position at 23-9 yet allowed Wales to come back at them and were grateful for Jonny Wilkinson’s penalty five minutes from time to ease jitters. Yet England did hold firm and grafted their way through the sticky patch. That resolve and hard-nosed awareness have not been present for a long time. A year ago England might have lost that game. Johnson himself conceded that point.

“Yes, certainly there would be more of a chance to lose it,” he said. “But after what this squad has been through in the summer and autumn – well, it’s why you play the game, to get better.”

True, but there is no guarantee that more time together necessarily leads to improvement. One player, though, who has grown in stature over the past 12 months is fly-half Toby Flood. Friday was his eighth start in successive games since he took over the reins from his former Newcastle team-mate, Jonny Wilkinson, for the game against France last season.

“We’ve seen Toby’s maturity, especially day-to-day on the training field,” Johnson said. “He was fantastic in the autumn. If you’re bright enough and hard-working enough to make the best of your experiences, then that’s what happens.”

There were other figures of substance in England ranks, notably debutant flanker Tom Wood and lock Tom Palmer. Wood was terrific, a real prospect even if only drafted in the first place because of injuries to others. He looks entirely comfortable at this level, unfazed by everything around him, even overcoming a bout of illness to go the distance.

“You’ve got a lot to deal with – the bright lights, the male voice choir, the band and even the goat,” Johnson said, revealing England had been pushed off their warm-up patch by the band.

“But Tom just got on with what he had to do, being accurate and that’s his little part done. A match is made up of lots of little fundamentals. If you win the majority of those battles, that’s what wins you games.”

England have a clean bill of health bar bumps and bruises. They name their side on Thursday.

Labels: Championship, determined, England, Johnson, Martin, Nations, Telegraphcouk

The Liverpool defender Martin Kelly has pulled out of the England Under-21 squad ahead of tomorrow's match with Italy. Kelly played the full match for Liverpool against Chelsea yesterday but sustained a knock during the game.

Stuart Pearce has now lost six defenders for the trip to Empoli, with Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker and James Tomkins all out.

While Walker was promoted to the senior squad for Wednesday's international in Denmark, the other five have been lost to injury. The Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson, Bolton Wanderers' on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge and Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph also previously withdrew from the group.

The Leeds United captain Jonny Howson was yesterday called into the squad for the first time as a replacement, and has been joined by Chelsea's Josh McEachran, Barnsley's Kieran Tripper, the Leicester City loanee Kyle Naughton and Crystal Palace forward James Vaughan.

Goalkeepers

Frankie Fielding (Blackburn Rovers), Scott Loach (Watford), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough)

Defenders

Joe Bennett (Middlesbrough), Ben Mee (Leicester City - loan from Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Barnsley - loan from Manchester City), Kyle Naughton (Leicester City - loan from Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders

Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Jack Cork (Burnley - loan from Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton), Henri Lansbury (Norwich City - loan from Arsenal), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City), Josh McEachran (Chelsea), Jon Howson (Leeds United)

Forwards

Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Jay Rodriguez (Burnley), James Vaughan (Crystal Palace - loan from Everton)

Labels: England, Guardian, Kelly, Martin, squad, Under21, withdraws

Chris Ashton admits he expects to be humiliated by Martin Johnson for his risky try-diving.

the two-try hero made it five strikes in just eight tests in the 26-19 win over Wales on Friday night.

But his flashy dive for the first, the ball just about clutched in his left hand, had the management wincing.

ashton said: "I have no intention of doing it, but it just comes over me in the excitement. I don't think Johnno's best pleased. But hey a try's a try. It's counted now so I'm happy.

"However, I did drop a ball doing that, for northampton at Edinburgh in the Heineken cup.

"It got knocked out of my hand, so I really won't be doing it again.

"But I know what's coming on Monday, a blast, particularly over the stupid penalty I gave away. "I was just so stupid, it was one of those things.

"I thought we were under a bit of pressure when we weren't. I tried to get through the ruck and just got my hand in the way.

"Skipper Mike tindall was furious, he came over and gave me a rollocking, and I'm sure it will be picked up on Monday.

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"If Martin feels he needs to make a point and humiliate me, then he will.

"But I don't mind, I don't get embarrassed too easily. I think I'm in credit, two tries against one penalty."

England hooker dylan Hartley threw Wales head coach Warren Gatland's barbed taunts back in his face with a measured and mature performance.

Hartley said: "It wasn't not about getting my head right, just making sure the lads were confident in me.

"to come away to a cauldron like that, we would have taken a 3-0 win. So to put those points on the board, we are very happy.

"I got a big boo when my name got read out, so I am just happy with how I played. that was the best answer to anything that was said in the build-up."

Johnson has warned his players to expect some criticism in this week's build-up to the clash against Italy on Saturday.

He said: "You don't get better by patting yourselves on the back.

"there are varied types of rollickings, but we are not going to shy away from saying 'christ, you can't do that'.

"I won't smooth over the things we didn't do well."

Labels: Ashton, Chris, expects, humiliation, Johnson, Martin, Mirrorcouk, trydive