D Tuesday, April 13, 2010 SPORT 23 SOCCER PREMIER LEAGUE Carragher: Were not worried by missing out GEORGE GILLETT, above, and fellow Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks are expected to confirm their plans to sell the club this week. The Americans will appoint British Airways chairman Martin Broughton as independent chairman with a brief to oversee the vetting of potential buyers and secure any refinancing needed in the meantime. Americans ready to deal Jamie Carragher has hit back at claims it will be a disaster if Liver- pool fail to qualify for next seasons Champions League. The anfield club are now starting to accept their hopes of playing in europes elite competition for a sev- enth successive year are over. The reds lie sixth in the Premier League after a goalless draw against Fulham on Sunday, six points behind manchester City in that crucial fourth position, having played a game more. The financial ramifications of miss- ing out on europes elite competition could be huge but long-serving de- fender Carragher sees no reason why they cannot bounce back stronger. it is nothing new if we dont get there. We havent played in it before, people forget that, said the 32-year- old. People are saying if we dont get there that will be us as if we will nev- er get there again. That is nonsense. if we dont get there this year im sure we cant be as bad next season as we have been this. Liverpool began the season looking to win the championship after running manchester United so close last term. But they have lost their way badly and will have pulled off a major coup if they do salvage their campaign and end up fourth. Carragher added: it hasnt been up to what we expected at the start of the season. We wanted to challenge for the Champions League rather than the europa League. But for me winning trophies is what the game is about. in ten years time we could look back and say we won the europa League. it has always been very big for me, as soon as went in it. By David Kennedy 17 Defeats in all competitions for Liverpool compared to five last term Picture: PA Manchester city striker emmanuel adebayor has announced his retirement from international football. adebayor has made the decision in the wake of the attack on the togo team during this years african nations cup, in which three people were killed. a statement from the 26-year-old read: Following the tragic events during Januarys african cup of nations, in which two of my fellow countrymen were killed by terrorists in angola, i have made the very difficult decision to retire from international football. i am still haunted by the events which i witnessed on that horrible afternoon on the togo team bus. it is a moment i will never forget and one i never want to experience again. the attack, which happened as the team travelled by bus to angola for the start of the tournament, saw terrorists open fire on the coach in the cabinda region, killing an assistant coach and the teams press officer plus the coachs angolan driver and injuring defender serge akakpo and goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale. Togo trauma prompts Adebayor to quit internationals Affected: Adebayor SOCCER (7.45pm unless stated) Barclays Premier League Chelsea v Bolton ................................. 8.00 TV ESPN Coca-Cola Championship Reading v Newcastle...........................................8.00 Coca-Cola League One Bristol Rovers v Southampton ................................... Carlisle v Leeds .......................................................... Charlton v Colchester................................................. Gillingham v Brighton................................................. Hartlepool v Stockport ............................................... Huddersfield v Walsall................................................ Leyton Orient v Norwich............................................. Milton Keynes Dons v Oldham................................... Southend v Brentford ................................................. Tranmere v Wycombe................................................. Yeovil v Millwall........................................................... Coca-Cola League Two Accrington Stanley v Port Vale................................... Aldershot v Torquay.................................................... Bournemouth v Hereford............................................ Bradford v Morecambe .............................................. Bury v Crewe.............................................................. Dag & Red v Barnet.................................................... Grimsby v Chesterfield............................................... Macclesfield v Burton Albion...................................... Notts County v Lincoln City........................................ Rochdale v Darlington................................................ Rotherham v Northampton......................................... Shrewsbury v Cheltenham ......................................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Celtic v Motherwell........................... TV Sky Sports 3 Setanta Cup Semi-Final First Leg St Patricks v Sligo ...................................................... EA SPORTS Cup First Round Castlebar Celtic v Finn Harps..............................8.00 Derry City v Galway Utd............................................. Limerick FC v Cobh Ramblers ................................... Monaghan Utd v Tullamore .................................8.00 UCD v Athlone Town .................................................. HORSE RACING Pontefract, Yarmouth, Exeter, Limerick RUGBY UNION Magners League: Ulster v Ospreys (7.30) Mike says title hopes arent just on Wayne manCheSTer United assistant boss mike Phelan has admitted the red Devils must learn to win without Wayne rooney. Bulgaria striker Dimitar Berbatov missed the best of the red Devils chances as they were held to a goalless draw on Sunday at Blackburn which led to manager Sir alex Ferguson all but conceding the Premier League title to Chelsea. rooney, who has 34 goals this season, missed out with an ankle injury and Berbatov (pictured) looked a poor replacement at times at ewood Park. United have been accused of being a one-man team after seeing their title hopes severely dented and having crashed out of the Champions League to Bayern munich last week. With michael Owen on the sidelines after another season ravaged by injury, Ferguson turned to Federico macheda against rovers, but he was anonymous while Berbatov cut an increasingly desperate figure. But Phelan said: Wayne is having an exceptional season. We cant get away from that. But this is manchester United. We have a lot of other quality players in the squad. at times you are going to miss people. When that happens, others have to come to the front and show the calibre that brought them to the club in the first place. FIXTURES LAST NIGHTS RESULTS COCA-COLA LEAGUE ONE Swindon............... 1 Exeter.................... 1 EA spOrts CUp first rOUNd Kerry League....... 1 Waterford Utd....... 2 Mervue Utd.......... 0 Letterkenny Rvrs.. 1 (after extra-time) Cork City Foras... 3 Wexford Yths ........ 0 Drogheda Utd...... 1 Bray Wanderers.... 3 Clause: Dindane Pompey to plead their case for Europa League POrTSmOUTh will ask the Fa if they could yet play in the europa League next season. Pompey would normally be granted a place in europe by reaching next months Fa Cup final against Chelsea, but they did not apply for a Uefa club licence ahead of the march deadline. The club were in administration at the time but are now confident of securing a new owner, while their financial situation would be further improved by the 1.8million prize money due if they can beat Chelsea. it will be an uphill struggle in terms of making the appeal but nonetheless we will try, said Pompey administrator andrew andronikou. Portsmouth will also be asking French club Lens to allow aruna Dindane to play in the final without triggering a 4m payment that comes with his 22nd appearance for the club. Under his contract there was a bullet payment after his 22nd appearance, he has played 21 games and we are looking to have a meeting with Lens to negotiate, added andronikou. Disciplined: Gudjonsson Clarets Gudjonsson pays the price for rant on boss Burnley have suspended midfielder Joey Gudjonsson for two weeks pending a full investigation following alleged comments he made about manager Brian laws. an icelandic website quoted Gudjonsson questioning team spirit under laws ahead of their 4-1 victory at hull on saturday. the 29-year-old, whose contract with the clarets expires this summer, attended an internal disciplinary hearing yesterday. the iceland international, who has not played since laws second game in charge in January, was reported to have said: he lost the dressing-room long ago. i think all the players have lost faith in him, the performances say all that has to be said. Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher, however, claims there are no divisions in the camp. it is totally united, he said. you get these comments saying the manager has lost the dressing-room but this is just par for the course for clubs towards the foot of the table. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html