Wenger hits back at Neville 'arrogant' jibe

Arsene Wenger has questioned Gary Neville's assertion that his transfer policy in the aftermath of Arsenal's last Premier League title can either be described as "naive or arrogant."

Wenger is currently the Premier League's longest-serving manager after arriving at Arsenal in 1996 and has won the title three times, though the Gunners' last success came back in 2004.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, Sky Sports pundit Neville was scathing in his assessment of the profile of players Wenger signed between 2004 and 2009.

"I can't think of a word to describe that bunch - I could but it wouldn’t be usable on television," said the former Manchester United defender.

"They're certainly not what I would call what you want to win you a league, the powerful characters, the strength you need running through your team.

"I just cannot get my head around why he would not sign players of power to assist these talented players you’ve got to enable them to win the league.

"It is the one big, if you like, black mark against Arsene Wenger in these last 10 years... to me it's arrogance - to think that you are not going to adapt your team to impact on the other teams you’re playing against. It is either naivety or arrogance because they keep losing this way."

Neville's words were put to Wenger in the aftermath of Monday's game, with the Frenchman insisting he could prove the England coach wrong.

"Look, I don't know what that has to do with arrogance," he said.

"I try just to do my job well for 20 years. I leave judgment to everybody else, the assessment of the quality of my work.

"Everybody is entitled to that opinion. I could prove to you that it's not necessarily right but let's not go into that debate tonight.

"When you don't win, you're wrong and people find reasons. Are they good reasons? I have enough experience to know when it's right and when it's wrong."

Celtic face 'something extra' from Swedish fans, warns Malmo full-back Tinnerholm

The Swedish defender believes mid-season fitness could be crucial in the Champions League tie

Malmo full-back Anton Tinnerholm expects Ronny Deila's Celtic side to be blown away by the home fans at Swedbank Stadion.

The reigning Scottish Premiership champions will start the second leg of their Champions League play-off with a 3-2 lead, but Tinnerholm is convinced that the boisterous atmosphere in Malmo will ramp up the pressure on the Scots and allow the home side to overcome another first-leg deficit.

In the previous round of Champions League qualifying, Malmo lost 2-0 away to Salzburg but triumphed 3-0 at Swedbank Stadion to progress.

"I don't think Celtic understand what awaits," the 24-year-old told Sydsvenskan.

"Although they have good pressure at home, I think it will be something extra when they come here.

"Here you sing for 90 minutes."

In the first leg at Celtic Park, Malmo trailed 2-0 at half-time, but surged back in the second half, with Jo Inge Berget scoring twice against his former club.
Those goals maintained Age Hareide's side's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League group stage for a second straight season, with Tinnerholm expecting Malmo's mid-season fitness to prove crucial.

"We have an advantage that we are the middle of the season," he said.

"It felt like we were a little stronger at the end in Glasgow."

Malmo have played 21 games in the 2015 Allsvenskan, while Celtic have only completed five matches in the 2015-16 Scottish Premiership campaign, currently sitting in second place, behind league leaders Heart of Mithlodian.

Gary Neville is right - Wenger's arrogance will cost Arsenal the title

Arsene Wenger bristled when he was informed of Gary Neville’s stinging criticism of Arsenal’s “naive or arrogant” transfer policy in the 11 years since they last won the Premier League title.

But the Gunners manager would be better off taking Neville’s criticism on board and examining it in more detail - because the former Manchester United defender is spot on with his assessment.

Arsenal still have 35 matches to correct their shaky start to the season, but in their first three games Wenger's side have looked miles away from winning the title.

Neville’s argument is that Wenger falsely clings on to a belief that Arsenal can return to the top with only technical players and that they have never replaced the physical dominance of the likes of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto.

Few Arsenal fans could disagree having watched so many lightweight performances since the 'Invincibles' tore opponents apart on a weekly basis in 2003-04.

In the interim, Wenger has tried to copy the model of Spain and Barcelona by relying on flair players.

When it clicks, it looks brilliant, yet they cannot grind out results in the same way as their more physical title rivals like Chelsea and Manchester City.

Bale promises 'plenty of goals' for Real Madrid

The Wales star, who has allayed concerns over a possible injury, insists the team will be exciting to watch this season despite an opening day draw

Gareth Bale has vowed that Real Madrid will score "plenty of goals" this season despite their disappointing goalless draw with Sporting Gijon on Sunday.

Rafael Benitez's first competitive game in charge ended in a 0-0 draw as Madrid failed to find a way through a resilient home side.

Bale, however, is adamant the team is improving on daily basis and insists they will show more attacking flair this term.

"We are getting better all the time. We're learning, training and improving. With each game that passes we are becoming an even stronger unit," he told reporters at a sponsor event.

"Obviously we are going to be an attacking side. We need to improve at the back, but we're still working on being an exciting team, one that will be going out to win everything. We've only played the first Liga game of the season. We didn't score, but I'm 100 per cent sure we'll get plenty of goals."

The Wales international also played down concerns over a toe injury picked up in Sunday's draw.

"Everything is fine, I underwent tests this morning just to be certain and we saw that it was just a knock. There's nothing to worry about, I'm perfectly fine."

Madrid return to action against Real Betis on Saturday.

Dybala can be the new Messi, insists Zamparini

The Palermo president has criticised Massimiliano Allegri for the way he has used the Argentine forward so far at Juventus

Paulo Dybala can be the new Lionel Messi within the next three years, according to Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini, who hit out at Massimiliano Allegri for not understanding the attacker.

The 21-year-old joined the Serie A champions this summer for an initial fee of €32 million and scored on his competitive debut in the Supercoppa win over Lazio.

The Argentine was a substitute in the shock 1-0 defeat to Udinese, however, with Kingsley Koman preferred as Mario Mandzukic's partner from the start.

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri has claimed that Dybala "needs to grow" if he is to nail down a regular starting spot, but Zamparini has hit out at the former AC Milan coach for not utilising Dybala's talent correctly.

"If someone has to grow at Juve, it's the coach, not the Argentine," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Allegri is like all Italian coaches, he thinks he can influence the game, but he doesn't understand that talented players must be let loose.

"I'm backing Dybala because I've never seen a player so strong at my Palermo. Within two or three years, he could become the new Messi.

"Juve have got a great deal with him."

Advocaat desperate to bolster 'sleeping' Sunderland defence

Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat has reiterated his desire for new signings after revealing that his defenders are often caught "sleeping" in set-piece training.

Advocaat was persuaded to stay on at the Stadium of Light having kept the club up last season, but has seen his side take just one point from their opening three Premier League matches.

Sunderland shipped seven goals prior to Saturday's 1-1 draw with Swansea City, with Younes Kaboul and Adam Matthews enduring tricky introductions into Advocaat's defensive ranks.

"I am not happy at all," said the Dutch coach.

"We have to improve and we can only improve if we get some other players in. We really need two or three more players.

"I have told everyone and I will keep saying it until the last day - but not much has happened.

"[Sporting director] Lee Congerton is doing a great job with little money. We really appreciate what he has done so far - but we need more.

"The last line [the defence] has to improve. We put them together [in training on Monday] and the co-operation on some set pieces was very poor.

"Instead of watching the ball and the man, sometimes they were sleeping and you don't know why. We can only do better but the first two games were very bad."

Cabaye: No big clubs wanted me

Yohan Cabaye has admitted that no "big" Premier League clubs were in the running for his signature when he opted to join Crystal Palace.

Palace completed one of the coups of the transfer window when they shelled out a club-record fee to bring France international Cabaye back to England following his frustrating spell at Paris Saint-Germain.

The move to Selhurst Park reunited Cabaye with Alan Pardew, under whom he enjoyed two-and-a-half impressive years at Newcastle United before leaving for PSG in January 2014.

Speaking to French television programme Canal Football Club, midfielder Cabaye - who scored on his Premier League debut for Palace - said: "No one from the big clubs came forward, but it's not a default choice [signing for Palace] - far from it.

"I have been reunited with my former coach and I was not heading into the unknown. I feel really good."

On his time with PSG, the 29-year-old added: "It didn't go as I wanted in Paris, but I have no hard feelings towards anyone.

"It's hard when you know you're in a team where you're going to try things and, in the end, when you try them, sometimes you pull them off and sometimes not.

"I know that when I arrived, perhaps there were certain players that didn't want me to come. As soon as there was a ball lost, an interception missed or not the right pass, people would shout, would look at you strangely."