Friday, 27 January 2017

Scott Brown wants Chelsea target Craig Gordon to stay at Celtic

Skipper Scott Brown, right, wants Craig Gordon to stay at Celtic

Celtic skipper Scott Brown understands Chelsea’s interest in Craig Gordon but is hoping the goalkeeper stays at Parkhead.
The Ladbrokes Premiership club have reportedly rejected a bid of around £3million from the Blues for the 34-year-old who signed for the Hoops in 2014 after two years out through injury.
However, Brown wants Gordon, who has also won his place back in the Scotland set-up, to remain with the Hoops.
He said: “Craig is fantastic. He has shown that this season.
“He has come back pretty much from the dead to be our player of the year last year.
“It is frightening, he can go for another few seasons as well.
“He is enjoying his football here and hopefully he stays for a long time.
“The gaffer wants him here, the club and all the lads want him here so it would be great for him to stay here but it is understandable that people come in for him because he has been playing top class all season and has stepped up from last season.”
Brown, meanwhile, has targeted another 200 appearances for Celtic.
The 31-year-old Hoops skipper reached the 400-mark against St Johnstone in midweek.
Ahead of the visit of Hearts on Sunday, he said: ” The gaffer has said I have a couple of hundred more so I better try to stay fit and continue.
“I want to stay here as long as I can and win as many trophies as I can. At 34/35 you can still play, especially here in Scotland.
“There have been a lot of players who have played to 37/38 up here so I will try to push my body as far as I possibly can but I need to look after it on the pitch and off the pitch.”

Manchester City accept Football Association anti-doping charge


Manchester City
Manchester City are fifth in the Premier League

Australian Open 2017: Rafael Nadal to meet Roger Federer in final after epic win


Rafael Nadal
Nadal has reached his 21st Grand Slam final - equalling Novak Djokovic in second place behind Federer (28)
Australian Open men's final
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: Sunday, 29 January Time: 08:30 GMT
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Sport website; TV highlights from 13:00 GMT on BBC Two and online.
Rafael Nadal set up a much-anticipated Australian Open final against old rival Roger Federer with an epic, five-set semi-final win over Grigor Dimitrov.
The Spaniard won 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 in almost five hours to reach a first Grand Slam final since 2014.
Dimitrov's wait to reach a maiden Slam final continues after Nadal, 30, inflicted his first defeat of the year.
Nadal, who is attempting to win a 15th major title, will face Swiss rival Federer, 35, in Melbourne on Sunday.
"I never dreamed to be back in the final of the Australian Open," said Nadal.
"It is a very special thing for both of us to be playing again in a major final. Neither of us probably thought we would be here again."
He will meet Federer, who needed five sets to beat compatriot Stan Wawrinka in Thursday's first semi-final, in Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena at 08:30 GMT.
As well as an extra day's rest, 17-time Grand Slam winner Federer spent almost two hours less on court than Nadal during his semi-final, having beaten Wawrinka in a comparatively quick three hours and five minutes.
Twenty four hours later, both Nadal and Dimitrov showed incredible endurance in a match during which neither man looked like wilting.
Nadal dropped to his knees at the baseline in celebration, bringing a charged Rod Laver Arena to its feet, when Dimitrov sent a forehand long.Eventually the 25-year-old Bulgarian buckled first - losing his serve at 4-4 in the deciding set - as Nadal wrapped up victory with his third match point at almost 00:45 local time.
His victory means all four singles finalists are aged 30 or over, with 35-year-old Serena Williams meeting sister Venus, 36, in the women's final on Saturday.

Melbourne ready for 'Fedal' final

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Nadal has won 23 of his 34 matches against long-time rival Federer, including the 2009 Australian Open final
Much of the talk before Friday's second semi-final centred around the prospect of Nadal meeting Federer for the ninth time in a Grand Slam final.
The pair dominated the men's game between 2004 and 2010, before Novak Djokovic's emergence, and have provided many memorable duels over the past 13 years.
However, few would have suggested a fortnight ago they would be reunited in the first major final of 2017.But both men have disproved the notion the combination of ageing bodies and physical problems would prevent them from challenging again for major honours.Federer is making his competitive return in Melbourne after six months out with a knee injury, while Nadal has also struggled with form and injury over the past couple of years.
Nadal showed few signs of fatigue in his marathon win against Dimitrov, just as Federer did not when he overcame compatriot Wawrinka in Thursday's semi-final.
Now they have been rewarded with their first Slam showpiece since the French Open in 2011.

Many positives in defeat for Dimitrov

Dimitrov received a standing ovation as he left the Rod Laver Arena, though it was probably scant consolation after failing to become the first Bulgarian to reach a major final.
Once dubbed 'Baby Fed' for his similarity in playing style to Federer, he showed enough against Nadal to suggest he will end that unwanted record soon.
However, it is difficult to pinpoint what more he could have done.
Dimitrov showed he has the tools needed to compete with the best players - thumping down 20 aces to Nadal's eight, cracking 79 winners to Nadal's 45 and showing extraordinary defensive resilience.
It was still too little against an inspired Nadal.
The Spaniard showed remarkable physical and mental strength to overcome Dimitrov and is now one win away from becoming the first man to win the double career Grand Slam in the Open era.

How the drama unfolded

American great John McEnroe said Nadal's win over Dimitrov was one of the best matches he had ever seen, while two-time Australian Open finalist Pat Cash described it as a "rollercoaster".
Breaks of serve, swings of momentum all over the place. Here's how the memorable match unfolded:
First set - Nadal wins 6-3
  • Nadal saving two break points in the first game is an indication of the drama ahead
  • He goes on to break Dimitrov in game four, one lapse of concentration proving costly as Nadal serves out to win the opener in 35 minutes
Second set - Dimitrov wins 7-5
  • Nadal is given a time violation in game three after exceeding 20 seconds between service points
  • He then loses focus - and his serve - on the way to the pair twice exchanging breaks
  • Nadal saves four set points to level at 5-5, only for Dimitrov to pounce at the first opportunity in game 12
Third set - Nadal wins 7-6 (7-5)
  • Dimitrov survives two break points - including a fortuitous double bounce off the net cord - to hold at 2-1, but breaks are exchanged in the fifth and sixth games
  • A five-minute delay at the start of the 12th game, after a member of the crowd receives medical attention, precedes Nadal holding for the tie-break
  • Dimitrov wrongly challenges an out call at 5-5 in the tie-break, Nadal serving out to win the set
Fourth set - Dimitrov wins 7-6 (7-3)
  • Both players finally dominate their service games, each holding without having to face a single break point
  • Nadal's serve cracks as Dimitrov goes 3-2 up in the tie-break, the Bulgarian taking the second of two set points
Fifth set - Nadal wins 6-4
  • Nadal cannot convert three break points in the opening game
  • Nadal saves two break points in the eighth game, breaking in the ninth - following 27 successive holds of serve - after help from a Dimitrov double fault for 0-30
  • Dimitrov takes Nadal to deuce in what turns out to be the final game, surviving two match points before hitting the third long
Rafael Nadal
Nadal collapses to the court after one of the longest matches of his career


FA Cup Fixtures


Friday 27th January 2017

THE EMIRATES FA CUP - FOURTH ROUND
Show last 5 matches and coverageFixtureKick-offStatus
19:55PreviewDerby County VsLeicester City

Saturday 28th January 2017

THE EMIRATES FA CUP - FOURTH ROUND
Show last 5 matches and coverageFixtureKick-offStatus
12:30
15:00PreviewBlackburn Rovers VsBlackpool
15:00PreviewBurnley VsBristol City
15:00PreviewChelsea VsBrentford
15:00PreviewCrystal Palace VsManchester City
15:00PreviewLincoln CityVs Brighton & Hove Albion
15:00PreviewMiddlesbroughVs Accrington Stanley
15:00PreviewOxford United VsNewcastle United
15:00
15:00PreviewTottenham Hotspur VsWycombe Wanderers
17:30PreviewSouthamptonVs Arsenal

Sunday 29th January 2017

THE EMIRATES FA CUP - FOURTH ROUND
Show last 5 matches and coverageFixtureKick-offStatus
12:00PreviewMillwall VsWatford
12:30PreviewFulham VsHull City
14:00
16:00Preview