Arsenal
Arsenal Jack Wilshere has handed Arsenal a boost ahead of Tuesday's trip to Barcelona by declaring himself fit to play. Gunners manager Arsene Wenger cast doubt over whether the teenage midfielder would feature in the crucial UEFA Champions League tie after revealing he would miss training on Sunday with an ankle knock picked up against Sunderland. But Wilshere has since revealed the problem is not serious and that he will be available for the second leg of the last-16 tie at Camp Nou. The 19-year-old England international said on his Twitter account: "Just to let you know i am not injured and if selected will be fit to face Barca! Few kicks but nothing too bad!"
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Midfielder Stephen Ireland has moved to put the record straight on quotes attributed to him in Friday's newspapers regarding his parent club, Aston Villa, and his hometown in Ireland. Ireland, currently on loan at Newcastle United, was reported to have made derogatory comments regarding Villa and the cities of Birmingham and Cork. However, having read the papers, Ireland was upset with the nature of the comments and felt the opinions that he aired during the interview were taken completely out of context. "I'm upset with what has been printed because I feel like I've been portrayed in the wrong way," Ireland said. "I was misquoted and things have been blown way out of proportion. That is the reason why I feel like I needed to say something because the quotes are very unfair. What I said during the interview has been twisted to sound particularly blunt and a lot of what was written about my hometown of Cork - which me and my family visit regularly - was just plain ridiculous. The comments regarding Birmingham were also taken way out of context as I had only been at Villa a few months and didn't even live there so I have no idea what Birmingham is like to live in and everyone I have met from Birmingham has been nice, my girlfriend's father is from Birmingham so why would I say that, it's just crazy. I can only apologise if anyone was offended, but the way the interview was written made me sound very harsh, and I am not that kind of person."
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Carling Cup winners Birmingham have been charged by the Football Association with failing to keep supporters off the pitch following their quarter-final victory over Aston Villa. More than 1,000 Birmingham supporters invaded the pitch after their side's 2-1 win at St Andrew's. The FA have described the incidents as "serious crowd disturbances" and have given Birmingham until Friday 11th March to respond. Birmingham said in a statement they "would like to thank the FA for their assistance and communication prior to and during the investigation".
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Steve Kean is already preparing for next season in the top flight by opening contract talks with Paul Robinson. The former England goalkeeper is being linked with a number of clubs but Kean believes he will stay at Ewood Park. "We are very hopeful at end of season we can organise something," said the Scot. "We have started talks with Paul and they have been very positive. So hopefully that will progress so by the end of the season he will commit his future to the club."
Blackpool
Blackpool FC Ian Holloway believes his side will need to reach the 40-point mark to guarantee their survival in the Barclays Premier League this season. With 10 games to go, the Seasiders have already accrued 32 points, a tally better than many predicted for them following their promotion from the Championship last year and one which would have been enough to keep them in the top flight in 2009/10. It seems the required total to beat the drop is likely to be much higher this term, though, and Holloway feels his players must hunt down at least another eight points from their remaining fixtures. The 47-year-old said: "We will probably need at least two more wins and two more draws to stay up and we have got 10 games to try to do that."
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Manager Owen Coyle has hailed Daniel Sturridge as the kind of rare talent who has fans out of their seats. The 21-year-old striker has thanked Coyle for instilling new-found confidence and being allowed to express himself and play his natural game since joining on loan from chelsea where he has found it hard to get regular football. Coyle believes he is unleashing Sturridge's potential, and so far the Scot has enjoyed being enthralled by the talented youngster. "First and foremost he is a natural footballer and a terrific goalscorer, but for me he is more than that," said Coyle. "He has pace, is tricky, is comfortable with both feet, and he is an exciting player. He receives the ball and you think 'You know what? Something is going to happen,' which as a manager is great. Even as a fan he is the type of player I love watching because all of a sudden you are out of your seat and you are thinking something special could happen. He is prepared to go and take people on, which I love as well, and he has just been a terrific acquisition for the club. But ultimately Daniel has to continue to keep moving forward, he has to keep progressing, to keep being hungry for the goals, and hungry to improve as a footballer. He will know himself there are little bits and pieces where he can improve, and hopefully we can help him achieve that goal."
Chelsea
Chelsea Yossi Benayoun is targeting Chelsea's Barclays Premier League match at Stoke City next month for his long-awaited return from injury. Midfielder Benayoun, who suffered a torn Achilles during his second start for the club in September, has already resumed light training. The 30-year-old hopes to be match fit by the end of the month, meaning he could make his comeback in the 2nd April meeting at the Britannia Stadium. He said: "I'm feeling really good and progressing well. I hope to return to full training with Chelsea within a week or two. My hope is to be match fit towards the end of the month."
Everton
Everton David Moyes has challenged his players to drag themselves up the Barclays Premier League table after seeing them bounce back from their FA Cup exit at Newcastle. Moyes got the perfect response from his team in the wake of their midweek cup defeat by Championship Reading to win 2-1 at St James' Park and ease themselves into the top 10. Assistant manager Steve Round revealed after the match that the Scot has set his players only one target for the remainder of the season. He said: "The manager has said to the team that the only goal for us now is to win the next game and let's see where that takes us. It's a strange league. Last season, we got 61 points and that got us eighth - I think if you get 61 points this season, you will be in the top six, maybe even the top five, we will see. The goal really is just to win the next game and see where it goes. There will be a lot fewer points needed to finish higher up the league this year."
Fulham
Fulham Mark Hughes believes the only way is up for Fulham and has backed his players to secure a top-half finish in the Barclays Premier League. The Cottagers' relegation worries have been quelled in recent times by an impressive run of form that has seen them beaten only once since New Year's Day, moving up to 13th place in the process. "I think we are doing well, we've moved on," said Hughes. "The team has added qualities that maybe it didn't have before we came, certainly the way we approach away games and the way we take the game to the opposition away from home is something that is a positive for us. In terms of points accumulated, we would say we feel we are probably better than the points we have. We have had a hell of a lot of draws that even if we had converted a very small number of those draws then we would be very comfortably in the top 10, which is where I feel we should be. But we are quite calm and reasonably pleased with where we are and certainly next year we feel we can kick on."
Liverpool
Liverpool Dirk Kuyt hailed a "perfect" day after his hat-trick gave Liverpool a 3-1 win over Manchester United. The Holland striker scored from close range on three occasions to put a dent in United's title charge, but owed a lot to Luis Suarez who laid on two of the goals for him. "It's perfect," Kuyt said. "You dream about the hat-trick and to do it against United is the best feeling ever. I'm more than happy but I have to thank Luis because he played great and created two of the goals. They were quite easy goals, I used to score them in Holland when I played more like a striker. They count and I'm more than happy to take them."
Manchester City
Manchester City Joe Hart says he is not in need of a rest despite being left to shoulder the burden of Manchester City's quest for glory. Although Hart was confirmed as the Blues number one keeper by Roberto Mancini, the 23-year-old always knew Shay Given was on hand to take some of the strain should City's punishing schedule get too much. However, the safety net disappeared when Given was forced to undergo shoulder surgery that will keep him out for much of the campaign. Mancini has opted not to bring in an emergency replacement so, with doubts persisting over Stuart Taylor, the Italian is relying on Hart staying fit. The England star has now notched up 18 successive appearances for City, a run that will be extended against Wigan at Eastlands on Saturday evening. Hart does have youth on his side, though, and is adamant there is no way he wants to stand down from the busiest season of his fledgling career. "I am not interested in having a break," said Hart. "I love playing. It is great to have all these games and I am happy to do it."
Manchester United
Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to appeal against the Football Association's improper conduct charge. Although Ferguson had until Tuesday evening to respond to the charge, brought against him following his comments about referee Martin Atkinson in the immediate aftermath of Manchester United's Barclays Premier League defeat at Chelsea, the 69-year-old has already decided he will challenge. It had been suggested Ferguson would minimise any potential penalty should he accept the charge. However, the United manager also knows such an admission would trigger a two-match touchline ban that is currently suspended after he called Alan Wiley's fitness into question last season. It means Ferguson could expect to spend a minimum of three matches in the stand, something he is not prepared to accept without a fight.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United FC Manager Alan Pardew and his scouting team have started to identify potential targets for a summer recruitment drive. Pardew is keen to be fully prepared for a crucial transfer window during which he hopes to be presented with the proceeds of Andy Carroll's £35m departure for Liverpool. The manager's spending power will, of course, depend on his current crop of players finishing the job of securing the club's Barclays Premier League status. Uncertainty remains over the futures of Jose Enrique and Joey Barton with talks over new contracts having been put on hold, but a list of prospective signings is being drawn up with the Magpies having already been linked with the likes of Cheick Tiote's Ivory Coast international team-mate Gervinho and PSV Eindhoven winger Jeremain Lens. Pardew said: "We have sat down and discussed briefly what the plans are, of course. It's very important to have a strategic plan of what you are doing.We don't want to be doing everything at the last minute - although like all transfer windows, you have to be patient because sometimes there are six or seven teams involved around one player who is available, and then they fall away. It might happen right at the last minute, but there has been three or four months' work gone into that particular player. We might not be signing players as soon as the window opens, but believe you me, we are very much on the case of players we feel might take us forward." ."
Stoke City
Stoke City Stoke's defeat to West Ham United on Saturday was a club record sixth on the bounce away from home in the league and left them just three points above their opponents. Tony Pulis admitted his side were now in the thick of the relegation dogfight, saying: "My argument is we have to get to 40 points as quickly as we can and then look at the table from there. "If you're always looking over your shoulder or looking at what other teams are doing, you take your eye off the ball with respect to what you've got to achieve."
Sunderland
Sunderland Steve Bruce is convinced Sunderland can finish the season on a high as long as they can ride out the final few weeks of an injury nightmare. The Black Cats have been without the likes of Michael Turner, Lee Cattermole, David Meyler, Fraizer Campbell and Danny Welbeck for months, and with Nedum Onuoha and Bolo Zenden having joined them on the casualty list and keeper Craig Gordon heading for Sweden to consult a specialist over his niggling knee problem, the manager's options are severely limited. Welbeck is on the mend after his own knee injury and Turner, Cattermole and Campbell are expected to be available within weeks, and that would come as a welcome relief in the face of a costly run of defeats. Bruce said: "The thing you look for is that resilience to get you out of it. We have got to try to get over the next two or three games and get over March if we can. After that, we have got eight or nine games where you look, on paper anyway, and think we have still got an outstanding chance. The eight or nine coming back will freshen us up. They will be champing at the bit and we will need that. It will give the whole place a lift when we get them back training again. I don't think I have been involved in anything like now when we have got nine - and probably six of them have been out for three months or more, and some of them have been out for six months, which is cruel, it really, really is."
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur On-loan Birmingham midfielder David Bentley is unsure if he will ever feature for Tottenham Hotspur again. The England midfielder moved to St Andrews for the remainder of the season in January after falling out of favour under Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane. Bentley, who joined Spurs for £15m from Blackburn on a six-year deal in the summer of 2008, saw his career stagnate in North London due to a lack of action. Bentley said: "I left Blackburn for Tottenham because I wanted to force on my career. I thought it was a match made in heaven but it never worked out. I went there with big ideas, wanting to be part of a team on the up. Not to be a part of that was very difficult to take. I don't know if I've played my last game for Spurs but a lot of bridges have been burnt. Whether they can be repaired, I don't know. But I don't want to sit at Tottenham until I'm 30, doing nothing. I could do that in north London with everything there for me but I want to play every week. That's why I came here."
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion FC Roy Hodgson believes West Bromwich Albion have the "discipline, organisation and guts" needed alongside their other qualities to survive in the Barclays Premier League. The Baggies achieved their first win under Hodgson when they triumphed 3-1 at fellow strugglers Birmingham on Saturday. West Brom have shown throughout the campaign that they are a potent attacking threat and leading scorer Peter Odemwingie tormented the City defence during the second half. But Hodgson is aware that skill alone will not be enough to keep West Brom in the top flight and there has been more steel about their play in recent matches. He said: "There is a lot of quality in the squad and what we need is discipline, organisation and guts. Unfortunately, quality alone at this level won't keep you up. You've got to also have the other characteristics which the top teams also show. We don't talk about Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal having those characteristics but, believe me, they have and that is allied to the skill. If you took that side out of their game, they would pretty soon fall down the table as well. I know their managers know that as well. That's why they are going to stay up there."
West Ham United
West Ham United Avram Grant thinks West Ham have "momentum at the right time" after watching them haul themselves out of the Barclays Premier League drop zone by crushing Stoke 3-0. The Hammers recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time in more than a year - and three straight victories in all competitions for the first time in more than two - to stay on course to complete a great escape from relegation. Two of the three teams below them have games in hand but, having rattled in 14 goals in their last four outings, Grant's men currently look better equipped to survive than nearly all of their rivals. "We have momentum at the right time," said Grant, who admitted his side's current scoring run would not continue indefinitely. "We will not score three goals every game, that's for sure. Nobody is doing this. I believe in this football, I believe in attacking football. You need balance, and we're getting the balance better and better every game. But we have many players forward that can score now."
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Manager Roberto Martinez will not compromise his footballing philosophy - but wants it executed better as the relegation battle hots up. Throughout a difficult season the Latics have tried to play a style pleasing on the eye, but their lack of a regular goalscorer and a shaky defence have cost them. Some critics have said Martinez urgently needs to rethink his tactics but the Spaniard is convinced his methods well yet prove correct. Martinez said: "I think the manner we believe football has to be played is quite clear. What is important is you play in that manner well enough to win football games. We have been playing really well - I think you are starting to see a team that has got that chemistry and understanding between them. Yes, there are certain aspects we need to improve. That is quite clear. But I think the positives are bigger than the little aspects we need to improve. Now is a real test of character and a challenge we have to enjoy. Yes, it is a real fight and we will need to work really hard to stay in the Barclays Premier League, but we are going to do it with style."
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers This season's relegation battle could smash Barclays Premier League records, according to Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy. The former Sunderland boss believes the team that gets relegated in 18th place could do so with the highest ever points score since the division slimmed down to 20 teams in 1995/96. He said: "It's 10 in a bed at the moment, so it could happen," he said. "It could be a silly one. Nobody knows what the last knockings of the season will bring." West Ham were relegated in 2002/03 with 42 points, 12 more than Burnley, who finished in 18th place last season. And McCarthy believes that any number of sides could find themselves in a relegation battle as the season draws to a close. "I'm not even convinced it's between the bottom three or four teams," he said. "I think there's somebody above that might just slide into it. You lose a couple on the bounce then all of sudden you're in the bottom three and you wonder how it's happened. I think it's going to be more than ever. You start wondering if we can get the necessary points out of the remaining games, and I think we can. We had a great finish to last season."
