Today's other stories in brief
Davies wants more clinical Forest
NOTTINGHAM FOREST manager Billy Davies says his side must be more clinical in front of goal if they are to win the decisive second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Blackpool at the City Ground tonight.
Forest spurned several good chances in the 2-1 first-leg defeat at Bloomfield Road, as well as hitting the bar and having two further efforts cleared off the line.
“In the first 45 minutes we were excellent. We also had a dozen chances in total. But it typified the away performances we have had in that we did not play too bad in the first half but we were not clinical. That has been the same story in the last eight or nine away games.”
Guy Moussi will return to the Forest squad after a groin problem ruled him out of the first leg.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway hopes on-loan striker DJ Campbell will be passed fit enough to start.
Everton and Cahill close to new deal
EVERTON ARE close to agreeing a new long-term contract with inspirational midfielder Tim Cahill.
The Australia international has two years remaining on his present deal but manager David Moyes is keen to secure an extension.
Everton are confident of concluding a deal with the 30-year-old before next month’s World Cup in South Africa.
Chief executive Robert Elstone said: “We are at an advanced stage of negotiation with Tim and his representatives.
“We would be hopeful of concluding an extension to Tim’s current deal and to put pen to paper on a new four-year contract before he departs for the World Cup.”
Cahill has scored 56 goals in 209 appearances for the club since moving from Millwall in 2004.
Moyes has made agreeing new contracts with key players and the club are also in discussions with highly-rated duo Steven Pienaar and Jack Rodwell over improved terms.
Van Persie relishing Chamakh arrival
ROBIN VAN Persie is relishing the arrival of Marouane Chamakh – and hopes more players will join Arsenal in the summer to strengthen the spine of Arsene Wenger’s team.
The Morocco international, 26, has been a long-term target for the club, having almost come to Emirates Stadium last summer, and his free transfer move, worth a reported €58,000-a-week, will be officially confirmed once his contact with Bordeaux expires.
Chamakh will give Wenger some much-needed back-up in attack. Van Persie said: “ He looks good, quite strong in the air and he scores lots of goals with his head.
“Chamakh looks quite confident on the ball too, so hopefully it goes through as it is good for all of us to have competition. I am happy to see him coming.”
Red Knights will not pay above odds to oust Glazers
THE RED Knights group of investors yesterday said they will not overpay for Manchester United.
Huge demonstrations took place at Old Trafford on Sunday as opposition to the Glazer ownership was ratcheted up another notch.
With smoke bombs being released outside the Megastore and a 10-minute protest outside the directors’ entrance, fans opposed to United’s controversial American owners appeared to be signalling an escalation in their battle to seize control.
The move appeared to be directly linked to the knowledge that the Red Knights group will be lodging a bid for the club, which is expected to be put before the Glazer family prior to the World Cup.
However, the constant stance from the Glazer camp has been they are not interested in doing a deal.
It was reported last week the family have already turned down a €1.7 billion offer from a Far East consortium, which in itself was interpreted as an attempt to drive up the price.
But the Red Knights group, led by wealthy investment banker Jim O’Neill have now signalled they will not overpay in order to ensure United do not find themselves in an even more difficult financial position.
“We have had productive conversations with potential investors in recent weeks which have reinforced our belief that it is wrong to offer above fair value, particularly given the urgent need for the club to reduce debt,” he said.
Decision time looms for O'Hara
JAMIE O’HARA admits he has a big decision to make later this week as a stress fracture in his back threatens to rule him out of Portsmouth’s FA Cup final date with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.
The on-loan Tottenham midfielder, who was ineligible for the semi-final win over his parent club, needed a pain-killing injection to take part in Pompey’s last Premier League match at Everton yesterday.
“I played 45 minutes yesterday and there was a bit of pain, and I am having another injection tomorrow to hopefully clear it up for the game on Saturday,” O’Hara said.
“I am not sure what is going on, and will have a big decision to make towards the end of the week whether to pull myself out of it for the sake of maybe a longer-term injury, or to just go for it and see what happens.
“I would love to play, but it has come to the point now where I am really struggling and can’t do anything, which is the most frustrating thing.”
Totti banned for four cup games
ROMA CAPTAIN Francesco Totti has been banned for four Coppa Italia games after being sent off in last week’s final.
The Italian football league charged Totti with “unsporting conduct” after the player intentionally kicked Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli late in the game. Inter won 1-0 to lift the Coppa Italia trophy.
Inter’s Balotelli and Christian Chivu have both been slapped with one-match bans after being booked in the final for dissent.
