Rooney defends Welbeck over lack of goals

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has defended his teammate Danny Welbeck for his recent lacklustre form in front of goal.

The England international has netted just one goal in 27 appearances for the Red Devils this season but Rooney expects the forward to find form.



"He is a great player and his time will come when he gets that run up front," BBC Sport quotes Rooney as saying. "Then I am sure then he will score goals."



Meanwhile, United are on course to clinch the Premier League title this season due to their nine-point lead at the top of the table.

Rodgers: 'We should have won'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that his side should have beaten Manchester City following their 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Sunday.

Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard saw the Reds lead at the Etihad Stadium after Edin Dzeko's opener, but an error from Pepe Reina allowed Sergio Aguero to earn a point for the champions.



"It should have been a win for ourselves, I thought we played terrific and were the dominant team," Rodgers told BBC Sport. "We scored two wonderful goals and I am disappointed with the goals we conceded.



"The template of our game is improving, we need to cut out the mistakes and we can challenge at top of the league.



"We have come to the home of the champions and dominated. We know we can be better."



The result means that Liverpool stay in seventh place in the table.

Iniesta: 'No plan to leave Barcelona'

Andres Iniesta has insisted that he has never thought of leaving Barcelona for another club in the future.

The 28-year-old midfielder has been with the Catalan giants his entire career, having developed at the club's youth academy.



"I've always said that my dream and my ambition would be to hang up my boots at the club I've been with since I was 12, a club that's given me practically everything," he told Fifa.com.



"So obviously, leaving doesn't even cross my mind right now because I'm in the best place I could ever be.



"That said, it'll be my performances that decide how long I carry on. The day that I don't feel I can give 100% [I'll stop] because I wouldn't want to cheat the club. That's only logical."



Iniesta has won La Liga five times and the Champions League thrice with Barcelona so far.

England fans vote for Gerrard

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard has been voted England's Player of the Year for 2012 by fans ahead of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole.

The 32-year-old midfielder received 40% of the votes after becoming his country's sixth player to reach 100 caps in November's meeting with Sweden while starring for England 11 times during the year.



Gerrard is a second time winner and said after being presented with the award by Sir Bobby Charlton on Sunday at St George's Park: "It's always special to be recognised by supporters. You only have to look in the players in the team so it's special. I decided after the summer to stay involved, because of the players in the group.

"It means a lot to me when you look at the quality and standard of players in this squad. For me to be picked out to win an individual award is a bonus and something I'm really delighted with.

"It's always a proud feeling to play for this team and the manager believing in me and giving me the captaincy was a huge lift for my personal confidence. I think I've shown a level of consistency that maybe I haven't shown in previous years so it's been a good year."

Gerrard joins Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in lifting the award twice.

Gerrard, who won the England Player of the Year award in 2007, impressed during the summer's European Championship - setting up Joleon Lescott to head England in front in the opener with France in Donetsk.

Rodgers: "It was a brilliant goal from him to beat Joe Hart from that distance. I thought his performance was immense."

As England skipper he also crossed for Andy Carroll to head home in a 3-2 win over Sweden and had a hand in Rooney's headed goal that beat co-hosts Ukraine.

Left-back Stephanie Houghton was voted England women player of the year.

Houghton was a star performer for Team GB during the Olympic Games and scored the winner against Brazil.

The men's U21 and women's U23 players of the year awards went to Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson and Toni Duggan.

FA chairman David Bernstein said: "Clearly The FA England Awards is about much more than prize-giving and honouring those who have achieved.

"The elite level is the pinnacle of a pyramid that makes English football so

special. They are the inspiration to over two million people regularly playing football in this country. All involved at every level deserve our recognition

and respect."



The evening also saw the Bobby Moore Fund put in the spotlight, with widow Stephanie Moore presenting three of the youth awards.

This month marks the 20th anniversary since World Cup-winning skipper Moore's death from bowel cancer.

Villas-Boas backs Popov card

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas feels referee Mark Clattenburg made the right decision in dismissing Goran Popov in the 1-0 win over West Brom.

The Albion defender enraged his boss Steve Clarke when he was sent off for spitting on Tottenham right back Kyle Walker.

And Villas-Boas echoed Clarke's sentiments and praised Walker for not reacting to the incident.

He said: "It's difficult for the ref, but Popov did what he did and Walker did nothing to react.

"It's difficult to assess but I think Mark Clattenburg made the right decision. It's horrible and nasty."

Tottenham have collected four points from two away games at Norwich and West Bromwich in the space of four days, and Villas-Boas is delighted with the return.

"It has been a very important week for us," The Spurs manager added. "To get four points away from home, with not much time between the games, is excellent.



"We have put ourselves in a very good position to threaten for third place."

Wenger: Arsenal are tougher

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a squad that is more adept at dealing with the physical nature of English football.

The Gunners' fluid passing style is well documented but so too is their inability to hold firm when the going gets tough, as it can against a number of less technically-adept Premier League teams.

But Wenger believes that previous soft core is starting to show signs of changing, as epitomised by Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 victory against Stoke.

Wenger said: "In England you have to cope with all kinds of football without losing the quality you want to play.

"That is not always easy because if you have 10 Santi Cazorlas, you would have a very good technical team, but against Stoke you would struggle.

"I think it is more mental preparation. You tell your central defenders you have to be ready and they are good on the second ball too, so your midfielders have to be good on the second ball, to fight for it and let you play your game.

"We played Abou Diaby at home and away against Stoke because in front of the defence he can win some headers.

"We are a bit more mature now, but we dealt with it well. In the past, we were a bit younger as well, more inexperienced.

"But defensively, Bacary Sagna, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have some experience, some stature, they are not small at the back."

As well as toughening up as a unit, Wenger believes Theo Walcott is now more adept at dealing with the attention he gets.

"He is 23 years old," Wenger added. "There is always a change at that age. I am a great believer in that. What people forget is that he does everything at 100mph, and when you get hit at 100mph it hurts more than if you're slow.

"That is why we never had a problem when we played. But he plays at high pace. But now you learn to escape and when he imposes himself more, you learn to use your body better."

Mancini still has title hope

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists the title race is not over despite his team's 2-2 home draw with Liverpool.

The situation could have been worse for City in the Premier League clash at the Etihad on Sunday had Sergio Aguero not scored 12 minutes from time to rescue a point.

"Last year we recovered eight points in six games so I don't know why it can't happen this year," said Mancini.

"They have to play in the FA Cup and the Champions League so the season is long - three months - and we are confident. It is enough to recover three or four points in three games.

"For us it is important to play the derby two or three points behind and we have time to recover these points. We didn't play like we had in the last month but we are confident.

"Two years ago Chelsea were nine points behind and when they went to play at Old Trafford two games from the end they were only two points behind.

"I don't think this is finished but probably now we have to win all the games but if not then 11 or 12 games. But in football this can happen sometimes."

Edin Dzeko put the hosts in front before strikes from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard turned the game in favour of Liverpool.

Mancini felt aggrieved that play had not stopped in the build-up to Sturridge's goal after Dzeko was challenged by Daniel Agger.

He said: "I think Liverpool played a good game. We conceded two goals, stupid goals for me.

"But before the first goal there was a big foul - if it had happened with us, probably there would have been a red card.

"Instead, the referee and linesman did not see anything. In the end, though, I think it was the right result."

Asked if he felt Liverpool should have put the ball out when Dzeko was left on the turf by Agger, Mancini said: "Probably, because after this foul I think there were several seconds (before the goal).

"I think so, but this can happen. I think it was a foul and should have been a yellow card. The rules are the same for everyone always."