Wenger sets Van Persie deadline over future

The Gunners boss admits that the much-coveted striker could depart north London but suggests a deal will only be done before the start of the Premier League season

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Arsene Wenger has admitted that Robin van Persie could leave Arsenal before the Premier League season starts.
Despite the Dutchman's refusal to sign a new contract with the Gunners, Wenger insists that the club's main aim is to keep the skipper at the Emirates, but hinted that he would prefer any deal to be done before domestic action gets underway.

Wenger told reporters: "We are very, very ambitious. You know that. Not only very ambitious but also very proud of the way we run our club.

"Van Persie is a world-class striker and I am a big supporter of him. I have supported him throughout.

"He has one year left and is in demand but our desire is to keep him, however, we will do what is in best interest of the club. If you have a decoder in your head you can decode that.

"The official transfer deadline is August 31 but then we can create an internal deadline."
When asked if that would be before the start of the current campaign, the 62-year-old replied: "Of course. I believe the transfer market should stop before the season starts anyway."

The Frenchman also dismissed claims that a move for Van Persie could destabilise the Gunners' squad, pointing to the arrivals of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud as proof that Arsenal can still be successful if the Dutchman does leave the Emirates.

Wenger continued: "The situation is not the same as last season [when Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri left] because we have a squad that is solid and used to playing together.

"We have bought two strikers in Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski.

"The seriousness of last year’s situation was made difficult for us by injuries, not only through the transfer market."

The former Monaco boss also highlighted his doubts that Van Persie was behind the statement issued on the Dutchman's official website, that claimed he would refuse any offer of a new deal with the club.

He noted: "I wouldn’t like to comment too much on that situation because you’re not always sure that it’s Van Persie’s statement, you know."

Theo Walcott is also entering the final year of his contract, and has similarly been linked with a departure from north London, and while Wenger insisted he also wanted to keep the England international, he hinted that he is confident Walcott could be replaced from within the squad.

And Wenger said: "The contractual situation is the same. They both have one year and the selection of the tour is not linked to that.

"We will see. We sort these situations out always in the best interests of the club. We have plenty of young players and you see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain here.

"We have plenty of young players. We bought Walcott when he was young and we want to keep our players. We always want to keep them."  

 

5 funky cars we can't get in the U.S.

Thanks to changing tastes, these stylish cars, trucks and vans won't be for sale in the U.S. any time soon.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

The sharp-looking Alfa-Romeo Guilietta is the right size for Europe's narrow roads. Vehicle occupants also tend to be, well, narrower in Europe than in the U.S.

So for a vehicle like this to really succeed in the U.S. it would need to be a bit wider and roomier and, Also, hatchback cars like the Guilietta just aren't very popular in the U.S. so it would need a seperate a trunk. That would also mean making it longer.

Fiat's partner, Chrysler Group, did just that and is selling a version of this car, called the Dodge Dart, in American showrooms. We'll know soon how successful that transformation was with American audiences.




Holden Ute SS

Big auto companies always dream of the elusive "global car." They could save big money by building one version of a car that they can sell all over the world with only trifling changes. And sometimes it happens -- as with Ford's new Focus compact car and Escape SUV.

But more often the peculiarities of certain markets mean that, to compete there you've got to cater to the local tastes.

Take Australia, for instance, which is like the "Land that Time Forgot" for cars. Thanks to relatively mild weather, many popular models there seem like updated versions of rear-wheel-drive cars we've hardly seen in the U.S. since the '70s.

Case in point, the Ute SS from GM's Holden division. Look familiar? Squint and you'll see a Chevrolet El Camino, the old car-with-a-truck-bed last sold in the 1980s.

There was some thought given to selling the Ute in the U.S. as a Pontiac, but that idea died along with the Pontiac division.



Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger compact pick-up just recently went out of production here in the United States. New, more fuel-efficient versions of the full-sized Ford F-150 have made the old Ranger unnecessary, Ford spokespeople say.

But the Ranger name lives on overseas on a fun-looking truck bigger than the Ranger we knew here but not quite as big as the F-150.

It's ideally suited to foreign markets, says Ford, where roads -- and whatever passes for roads -- are narrower than here. It can also be sold with small fuel-efficient diesel engines that, because of strict U.S. air quality standards, couldn't economically be marketed here.


Chevrolet TrailBlazer

You can still see plenty of TrailBlazer's driving around on American roads, but these old-school truck-based SUVs haven't been sold here since the 2009 model year. Americans have moved on to car-based crossover SUVs like the Chevy Traverse.

But there are still places where roads are rough and people want the ruggedness of a truck frame. So GM unveiled a new version of the TrailBlazer at the Dubai Motor Show last year. While the TrailBlazer looks nicer than the bulbous Traverse, there are no plans to bring this thirstier vehicle back to the states.


Toyota Alphard

Toyota sells a very good minivan here in the United States called the Sienna. Back home in Japan, Toyota sells this very funky looking number with the unfortunate -- to American ears -- name of Alphard. (It sounds like something third-graders would call each other right before a fist fight.)

While it looks cooler than the Sienna, it's also slightly smaller, which would make it less competitive among America's very un-mini minivans.

Toyota also makes a youth-oriented version with more aggressive styling called the Vellfire.

That's right... As in "Van" and "Hellfire." That may be more minivan coolness than Americans are prepared for.

Neymar: Messi should win the Ballon d'Or, he is the best in the world

The Brazilian talent ruled himself out of contention for the prestigious award and stated that the Blaugrana ace deserves to win the accolade for the fourth time in a row

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Santos star Neymar has declared that he is tipping Barcelona forward Lionel Messi to win the 2012 Ballon d'Or award.

 The Argentine star is believed to one of the favourites to clinch the individual accolade after inspiring the Blaugrana to win four titles in 2011-12 with 73 goals in all competitions.

Neymar has often earned comparisons with Messi, but the 20-year-old dismissed the notion that he is contention for the accolade, insists that he expects the Barca ace to win the honour.

"Me? No, the Ballon d'Or is for Messi, who is the best in the world, there is no one like him," Neymar told Mundo Deportivo. "He will win it, he is the greatest. He comes up with new things after every match. Yes, yes, another Ballon d'Or for Messi. That is what there is. We all know it."

Messi, who is Barca's all-time leading goalscorer, equalled Michel Platini in January in winning the Ballon d'Or for three years running.

Drogba delighted with Shanghai Shenhua debut

Opposition striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni was so impressed by the Ivorian's Chinese debut, he said Drogba could inspire Shanghai Shenhua to the league title

Didier Drogba says he is delighted "everything went right" on his debut appearance for Shanghai Shenhua as he came off the bench to help it earn a 1-1 draw away to Guangzhou R&F in China's Super League on Sunday.

With his side trailing at the break, Drogba came off the bench to great effect, changing the atmosphere of the game before providing a delightful assist for Cao Yunding's 68th-minute equalizer.

"I am happy that everything went right in my first 45 minutes here," Drogba told reporters after the game.

"It was a little bit hard for me to get into the game at the beginning, but when I got used to the rhythm, I began to enjoy the game.

"I am feeling good now and was accustomed to all things in China now. It is very comfortable playing alongside my former teammate Nicolas (Anelka)."

Meanwhile, opposition striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni claimed that Drogba could inspire Shenhua, which is currently struggling down in 12th, to the title given his impact on debut.

"He showed the quality today you know, he gave more confidence to the team, you have to see the way he played today, when he is 100 percent, he can help Shanghai win the league," Yakubu said.

 

Gareth Bale 'very surprised' David Beckham is left off Team GB for London Games

The Tottenham winger expressed his disappointment that the 37-year-old won't get a chance to represent his country in London.

Bale and his Tottenham teammates are in Los Angeles preparing for Tuesday's friendly with the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.

The Welshman himself was slated to represent Team GB at the Olympics, but a back injury meant that like Beckham, he will be playing in the United States instead of the UK over the next couple weeks.

Though he won't be participating as an athlete, Bale is still looking forward to attending the London Games as a spectator.

“It’ll be an amazing experience to have it in our home city, and hopefully I’ll be able to go and watch one or two events and it’ll be very exciting,” Bale said.

Tottenham moves on to Baltimore to take on Liverpool Saturday, before concluding its U.S. tour with a match against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on July 31. 

 

NBA stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant: Messi is the best in the world

The United States basketball team are in Europe for the Olympic Games and the pair have admitted that they are in awe of Barcelona's triple Ballon d'Or winner

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NBA stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have praised Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, calling him the best footballer in the world.

The United States basketball stars are in Europe for the London Olympic Games, and were full of superlatives when asked to describe the Argentina international.

"Messi is the best player in the world. And, if he is not already, he will be the best player of all time,” James said in an interview with EFE.

"Messi is the best ... the best!” Bryant agreed. “Once I had the opportunity to see a Barcelona training session and I really enjoyed it.”

Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award three times in a row, and is widely expected to be a front-runner again for 2012.

 

spain vs italy euro 2012

 

Cesc Fabregas salvaged a point for Spain as the champions began the defence of their European title in a pulsating encounter in Gdansk.

The Barcelona midfielder fired in after a clever pass by David Silva as Spain came from a goal down against Italy to draw the opening match of Group C.
Substitute Antonio Di Natale had given Italy a deserved lead on the hour mark.
Spain might have snatched all three points but Fernando Torres spurned a succession of late chances.

The result ended Spain's run of 14 successive victories in competitive matches, dating back to their defeat by Switzerland in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup.

While their form was not in question, the weight of history was stacked against La Roja coming into the tournament.
No team had ever won three major tournaments in succession, none had ever successfully defended the European Championship title.
Fatigue was another source of concern for Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, whose 23 players had played a total of 89,884 minutes in the past season, some 17,000 more minutes than their Italian opponents.
There was more than a hint of lethargy about Spain in the opening exchanges. They lacked purpose and penetration having opted to play without an obvious centre forward as Fabregas was preferred to Torres in the starting XI.
Having seen his smile and his form return in the final weeks of the season at Chelsea, this was another setback for Torres on an afternoon he will ultimately want to forget. Silva threatened twice in the early moments, but it was Italy who looked the more composed in the early stages.
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas was forced to dive low to his right to turn away an Andrea Pirlo free-kick after 13 minutes as Cesare Prandelli's side, led by the tremendous Daniele De Rossi, tackled, battled and denied their more celebrated opponents space.
The Azzuri were equally effective with the ball ensuring Casillas was much the busier goalkeeper as half-time approached.
Antonio Cassano dragged a shot beyond the far post when well-placed but it was two nervy moments from Spain goalkeeper that gave his side most cause for concern.
First, he lost control of a back-pass only to be fouled by Cassano, before he spilled a fierce low shot from Claudio Marchisio as the ball ran to safety.
Marchisio tested Casillas again moments later, thumping a thunderous left-foot volley straight at the goalkeeper.
Spain were only threatening sporadically. Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were constantly probing and just before the interval linked up only for the latter to shoot over having collected his team-mate's looping pass.
It was Italy who finished the half the stronger, however. A piece of trickery wide on the left touchline by Mario Balotelli set in motion another fluid attack. It ended with Casillas sprawling low to his right to turn away Thiago Motta's close-range header after a pin-point cross by Cassano.
The interval did little to disrupt the breakneck pace of play. Fabregas set Iniesta free down the left, only for Buffon to deny him with a fingertip save.
But it was Balotelli who could and perhaps should have broken the deadlock moments later. The Italian striker robbed Sergio Ramos of possession wide on the right before bursting towards goal but he then hesitated long enough to allow the Real Madrid defender back in with the goal apparently as his mercy.
The Manchester City striker was replaced by Di Natale moments later - he was to have an instant impact.
Pirlo skipped beyond Xavi in midfield, before playing a cleverly weighted pass that allowed the Udinese forward to slip between Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos and calmly stroke his curling beyond the advancing Casillas.
Spain's reponse was as instant as it was devastating. Three minutes later, Iniesta conjured a pass through to Silva, who flicked the ball into the path of Fabregas and the Barcelona player struck a crisp low shot underneath Buffon.
Both teams had the chances to win the match. For Italy Sebastian Giovinco picked out the Di Natale closing on goal but the 34-year-old could only poke wide. Claudio Marchisio went closer still when, after scampering 50 yards, he exchanged passes with Di Natale, only to shoot straight at Casillas when the space opened up.
Spain, too, had chances. The best of them fell to Torres, who came on as a substitute. Three chances came and went for the Chelsea striker, the best of which saw his lob float a yard to far with the goal at his mercy. To make matters worse, he was later booked for a rash challenge.
The result may ultimately matter little, with both sides displaying enough to suggest their passage to the knockout stages should be relatively untroubled.
The Italians, however, were understandably the more content at the final whistle.
Spain: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Alonso, Silva (Jesus Navas 65), Fabregas (Torres 74), Iniesta.
Subs Not Used: Valdes, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Pedro, Negredo, Mata, Llorente, Santi Cazorla, Reina.
Booked: Jordi Alba, Arbeloa, Torres.
Goals: Fabregas 64.
Italy: Buffon, Chiellini, De Rossi, Bonucci, Giaccherni, Marchisio, Pirlo, Thiago Motta (Nocerino 89), Maggio, Cassano (Giovinco 65), Balotelli (Di Natale 56).
Subs Not Used: Sirigu, Ogbonna Obienza, Balzaretti, Abate, Barzagli, Borini, Montolivo, Diamanti, De Sanctis.
Booked: Balotelli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Maggio.
Goals: Di Natale 60.
Attendance: 43,615
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary).