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Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish reassured his most expensive player Andy Carroll on Thursday that he was worth the 35 million pounds paid for him as the striker faced a media grilling over the club record fee.

The striker became the most expensive English player when he was brought in just before the transfer window shut on Monday as the club sought to fill the hole left by Fernando Torres's departure for Chelsea.

Carroll, who has scored 11 goals this season, was asked whether he felt he was worth the money.

"I'm sure that time will tell really," he told reporters. "I've scored goals at Newcastle and that is what I want to do here. We'll just have to wait and see."

Dalglish stepped in to defend the massive fee paid for the 22-year-old, who will not make his debut for a few weeks because of a thigh strain he was carrying before he joined on the same day Liverpool signed Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.

"Every question you ask is negative, we don't see any reason whatsoever to be negative in any way shape or form about Andy Carroll signing for Liverpool Football Club," Dalglish said.

"It is a great signing for us, it's fantastic for us. We can reassure Andy that we are more positive than what yourselves are.

"The price might be a bit more than what some people think it should be but every single person in here has got to justify their wages and their costs so if you can do that for yourselves then I'm sure he can do that for us."

Suarez made a dream start by scoring on his debut in Wednesday's 2-0 home victory over Stoke City in the Premier League as Carroll watched from the stand.

"We're really looking forward to getting him fit," Dalglish said. "It may be a few weeks but we never signed him for a few weeks, we signed him for five and a half years."

Labels: Carroll, Dalglish, defends, Eurosport, underfire, Yahoo

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 5:49 PM on 2nd February 2011

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has leaped to the defence of his under-fire skipper Cesc Fabregas, claiming he is a great captain and a role model for the younger players at the club.

The Spaniard has been criticised over his conduct by opponents in the Gunners' two most recent games against Everton and Huddersfield.

But after a radio show brought the 23-year-old's captaincy into question, Wilshere backed Fabregas' role at the club.

He said on Twitter: 'Listening to talkSPORT and they questioning Cesc's captaincy, he is a brilliant leader and protects his team mates always,very passionate guy.'

Followed later by: 'Adrian and Darren, love the show but just to let you know Cesc is a great captain and helps me a lot. A great role model for all young players!'

Toffees boss David Moyes said Fabregas deserved to be sent off after a rant at the referee and the fourth official in Arsenal's 2-1 win on Tuesday.

While Terriers defender Anthony Pilikington accused the midfielder of a four-letter rant at two of his team mates who wanted his shirt as a souvenir on Sunday.

Despite Moyes' accusations, the FA will take no further action after the referee for the Premier League clash Lee Mason did not include the supposed incident at half-time in his match report.

Labels: Arsenalaposs, captaincy, Daily, defends, Fabregas, Wilshere

Dundee United boss Peter Houston defended David Goodwillie after he missed the chance to clinch a draw from the penalty spot in the last minute of added time in Saturday`s 2-1 defeat at Hearts.

Goodwillie saw his effort blocked by goalkeeper Marian Kello before he fired wide from the rebound. The striker was singled out for abuse about his off-field problems from the home fans throughout the game.

Houston said: "The question is, is that why he missed the penalty? I don't think so. I thought he played well.

"David is disappointed but he was brave enough to take the penalty and it's not the first he has missed. He has been taking some stick but he has to expect it from every fan in Scotland and he has to be big enough to take it."

Goodwillie also had a goal disallowed after two minutes, and Houston said: "According to the fourth official it was for a handball. I asked him and he said it was the referee who made the call. The referee has done well to see it from that angle but if it's a handball, it's a handball."

Meanwhile, Garry Kenneth, who limped out of the action with a knee problem and left the stadium on crutches, is set to miss three weeks after straining his medial ligaments.

Labels: defends, Eurosport, Goodwillie, Houston, Yahoo

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has said that Rafael Benitez's failed stint at Inter was not entirely his fault.

Benitez was sacked by the Italian and European champions after they won the Club World Cup in December in the wake of his ultimatum in which he demanded January reinforcements.

Del Bosque, though, believes that the former Valencia and Liverpool manager could have succeeded in Italy.

“Benitez is a great trainer. His career speaks for itself," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“His only fault is that of not having had reinforcements, but rather only injuries and the injuries are certainly not his fault.”

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Labels: Benitez, Bosque, coach, defends, Goalcom, Rafael, Spain, Vicente

The world number four continued his dominance against the Frenchman, as he made it four wins in as many matches while dropping his first set in the series.

Tsonga, playing in his first final since October 2009 following a series of injuries, out-aced his opponent 20-12 in a serve-dominated match, but the Swede's consistency proved decisive in the end.

Soderling broke immediately to lead 2-0 but Tsonga levelled at 3-3 before a further break in the eighth game gave the Swede the upper hand.

He served out the set but Tsonga quickly forged into a 5-2 lead in the second set on the way to levelling the match.

The decider was a keenly fought affair but it was Soderling who earned the crucial break of serve in the eighth game, and he duly served out for the match.

"It has been a tough week as defending your title always gives some extra pressure... I played some close games but the margins have been on my side," he said.

"With three finals and two wins in Rotterdam I can say that I like it here and that the circumstances suit my game."

The Frenchman was content with his week and said he now feels that his tennis - stalled in 2010 with various injuries - has been re-born.

"I played a good match, in fact, it was my best of the week," he said. "I got better with each match this week, I'm pleased with the state of my game.

"I played well but Robin was too strong, especially at the end of the match. I'll take confidence form this match into Marseille next week and then hopefully into the Davis Cup."

Labels: defends, SkySports, Soderling, title

Torres was mostly anonymous before being substituted on his Chelsea debut against the team he left on the final day of the January transfer window.

"I took him off as, after 60 minutes and a very busy week, it was good for him to come off," said Ancelotti.

"Fernando has experience, he has confidence and didn't show problems before the game."

He added: "He was enthusiastic to play, excited, and it didn't show a problem.

"We have to give Fernando time to adjust to the shape, but I think that he will do it quickly."

Ancelotti played Torres, who was constantly barracked by the Liverpool fans, in attack alongside Didier Drogba, with fellow forward Nicolas Anelka deployed in a creative role in the hole behind them.

However, Chelsea rarely threatened a disciplined and organised Liverpool, who won the game courtesy of a fourth goal in five matches from Raul Meireles.

"The problem wasn't that Torres played - he did a good job on the pitch," said Ancelotti.

"We had difficulty finding enough space in front, because Liverpool defended very well and they put three defenders in the middle, and we didn't find the right way to attack them.

"We were too slow playing from the back. We didn't find the space."

He added: "We played a fantastic game with this shape [in a 4-2 win] at Sunderland and wanted to reproduce that but Liverpool were strong defensively, put strong pressure on in their half, and we were not able to find the solution.

"The right result would have been a draw, but this is football."

The defeat leaves reigning Premier League champions Chelsea in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United, who lost at Wolves on Saturday.

"We are disappointed because we had an opportunity to close the gap, but now we are still the same distance," said the Blues boss.

"Maybe now we have less possibility to close the gap, but we have to try again. We have to try to fight again for the title.

"The Premier League is very difficult in every game, so it could happen that United can lose again."

Liverpool moved up to sixth - their highest position so far this season - and six points behind Chelsea and fifth-placed Tottenham, who both have a game in hand on the Reds, as they raised hopes about challenging for a Champions League place.

"Liverpool played very well, with fantastic power, play and attitude. Obviously they can come back to fight for fourth place," said Ancelotti.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish insisted the presence of Torres in the Chelsea side did not act as an extra incentive for his side as they registered a fourth consecutive league victory.

"The players approached it professionally," said Dalglish. "I don't think [Torres' presence] was any incentive.

"The incentive for us was to get three points and we did. Whatever someone else wants to do with their life is up to them.

"I came here to win three points and it would have made no difference if Carlo Ancelotti was playing up front, I'd still want the three points. The personnel of the opposition is not important to me."

He added: "He [Torres] had one shot on target and Jamie Carragher made one great block tackle on him, but I'm not here to talk about other people's players, I'm here to talk about my own players."

Labels: Ancelotti, Carlo, defends, Fernando, showing, Sport, Torres

While Naismith was offered sympathy, however, for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ striker Steven Fletcher, who made it clear that he did not wish to be part of manager Craig Levein’s plans, there was only bafflement from Houston.

Naismith, who had previously been cautioned, was dismissed 14 minutes from time at Ibrox after going to ground in theatrical fashion.

Television replays proved that Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew made no contact with his opponent, leaving the Dundee United manager to mount an unconvincing defence of the 24-year-old’s actions.

“Craig and I were sitting in the director’s box and at the time I thought it was a foul,” he said. “The debate we were having was whether it happened inside or outside the box so it’s a magnificent call from the referee.

“Obviously, you see players in certain teams going down but I don’t think for one second that Naisy [Naismith] is a cheat: he’s a player I respect and admire and I’d love to have him in my team.

“I think that he was going so quickly that he was on the way in a forward momentum that took him down. I don’t think that he deliberately dived.

“He’s not been accused of that in the past so I don’t think that it’s even worth mentioning that he’s a cheat or that he tried to con the referee.

“His momentum took him down due to the pace he was going at. He could have slipped – it was a slippery pitch on Sunday – so I don’t believe he has to worry because he’s not anywhere near being the type of person who will con referees.

“For me he’s one of our most honest and hard-working players and I’ve noticed that even more since working with him for Scotland. I think it would be really unfair if he was tarred as a cheat.”

As for Fletcher, one was left with the impression that his decision to sit our Levein’s reign (as Kris Boyd and Lee McCulloch did with George Burley) will not provoke wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Scotland management team.

“I don’t know why Steven’s chosen to do what he’s done,” he said. “We have a squad of young players who want to be here and I think that’s the biggest thing. “We are becoming more like a club side and people are wanting to be here more often than not although Steven Fletcher is a different kettle of fish.

“He has chosen his pathway and I don’t know if he will change his mind. He has decided to concentrate on his club, but all I’m interested in is guys who want to be here.

“We have to look forward as there are many more who want to be in the squad.

“For anyone to knock back playing for their country, I justc an’t understand that. It’s a big thrill for me, as a club manager, to come here.

“I love the experience I’m gaining as a coach with the national team. I see how other teams play – ones I’d normally only watch on television – and now I’m party to trying to beak them down and win matches against them. I’m also a Scotland supporter and I’ve seen call-offs in the past and people who don’t want to play but I’m just looking to the future.

“This squad could be really good for the national team in the future. The biggest thing is getting back to the time when Craig Brown got us to the finals of European Championships and World Cups. I think we have asquad now which, given time, can do that.”

Labels: aposdiveapos, battle, defends, Houston, Naismithaposs, Peter, Scotland, Steven, Telegraphcouk