BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s Juan Sebastian Veron (pic) turned down a personal offer from Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini to join the Premier League club, the midfielder said on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old Estudiantes captain told the radio station La Red that he was phoned by Mancini, a former team-mate of his in Italy and his coach at Inter Milan, to make the offer.

Mancini took charge of Manchester City last month.

“I presented the offer to the directors of the club (Estudiantes) so they could consider it, maybe it appeals to them. For my part there isn’t much thinking to do, my (negative) answer was instantaneous,” Veron said.

“It’s not possible at the moment and it’s not a question of money … My family and my affections are involved,” he said.

Veron has a strong bond with Estudiantes, whom he led to the South American Libertadores Cup title in July and second place behind Barcelona in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last month.

His performances for Estudiantes and Argentina have seen him voted South America’s top player for the last two years after a glittering career in Europe, especially Italy, though he also played for City’s local rivals Manchester United.

Veron said he returned to his home town of La Plata in 2006 to see out his career with Estudiantes and try to lead them to more trophies after his father Juan Ramon helped the team lift the Libertadores Cup three times from 1968 to 1970.

“I took a decision and I want to respect it. I can’t leave, I’d be going against my convictions, I’d be letting myself and the fans down above all else,” said Veron, who donates part of his salary to Estudiantes’ youth scheme. — Reuters

TheStar

Rafael Benitez has revealed he would be prepared to quit as Liverpool boss if star striker Fernando Torres is ever sold against his will.

EFE

Rafael Benitez would not stick around if Fernando Torres was sold against his will.

The club’s well-publicised debts have led to questions about whether owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett would be tempted should a big-money offer come in for the Spain striker.

But Benitez told the Times the 25-year-old would not be sold at any cost.

“I’m confident it will never happen,” he said. “If it did, I’d resign.”

Liverpool’s £20 million man Alberto Aquilani was their only high profile arrival in the summer and Benitez has often bemoaned his inability to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the transfer market.

And while the Spanish boss admitted the situation had led him to make some mistakes, he was defiant about his transfer policy.

“When we have spent big, normally it’s been very good business,” he said. “Torres, (Javier) Mascherano, (Pepe) Reina, (Xabi) Alonso.

“(Robbie) Keane is a good player but we had to sell him because he was not playing at the level we knew he could play. “Ryan (Babel) was signed for the future and we are waiting for his improvement. He has to be more consistent.

“With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about.”

Benitez defended the signing of midfielder Aquilani, who was bought for from Roma to replace Alonso after the Spain international joined Real Madrid in the summer, but is only now reaching fitness after injury problems.

“We can only buy one or two big, £20 million players a year,” Benitez said. “If we want to have money available then we have to sell some players. We have to sell expensive and buy as cheaply as possible.

“Aquilani fit would be £20-30million. We checked with doctors and they said he would be out one, maybe two months. We have lost some time, but I signed the player for five years, not five weeks.”

With Liverpool struggling for form and lying seventh in the table having lost five league games already this season, many believe their title aspirations are already dead, while qualification for the knockout stage of this season’s Champions League has also been cast into serious doubt.

“People are worried,” Benitez said. “But the team will improve. When we have key players on the pitch we are as good as anyone. We have proved this in the past.’

Soccernet

LONDON: Manchester United regained top spot in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford yesterday as Liverpool’s title bid suffered a potentially fatal blow.

Reigning champions United are a point ahead of Chelsea, who started the weekend in first place, but were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa.

Liver pool’s quest for a first topflight title since 1990 could now be over after a 1-0 loss away to Sunderland — their fourth league defeat in nine games, twice as many as they suffered in the whole of last season.

Tottenham remain third as former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp saw his current side hang on to beat the basement club 2-1 in a Fratton Park match where both sides finished a man down.

Spur s’s north London rivals Arsenal moved into the top four with a 3-1 win at home to Birmingham.

Manchester United went ahead in the fifth minute when Bolton defender Zat Knight put through his own net after Patrice Evra’s cross was flicked on by Michael O we n .

Manchester United striker Michael Owen (left) challenges Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in their Premier League match yesterday. United won 2-1. — AFPpic

They doubled their lead when Antonio Valencia turned in Gary Neville’s cross at the near post to score his first United goal since his pre-season move from Wigan.

Matthew Taylor’s header 15 minutes from time gave Bolton hope.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti was frustrated after setpiece errors cost his side dear at Villa Park.

They took a 15th minute lead when Didier Drogba’s long-range shot bounced awkwardly in front of goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

But Villa levelled before the break when a poor header by England midfielder Frank Lampard allowed Richard Dunne to equalise from a corner.

Early in the second-half Villa again made Chelsea pay at a corner when James Collins rose highest to head the hosts back into the lead.

“We lost this game because there were two setplays from which Aston Villa scored two goals,” said Ancelotti.

“We need to be more focused in these situations.” Sunderland took the lead against Liverpool in extraordinary fashion at the Stadium of Light when striker Darren Bent’s fifth minute shot hit a stray balloon on its way past Pepe Reina.

Liverpool, without injured stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, also survived seeing Bent glance a header just wide before the striker hit the post with an angled shot.

The match ended with tempers boiling over with rival managers Rafael Benitez and Steve Bruce exchanging angry words.At Fratton Park, Redknapp saw Spurs go ahead in the 29th minute when Niko Kranjcar — one of several former Portsmouth players in the visitors’ line-up — crossed for Ledley King to head home.

Before the break they were 2-0 up when Pompey old boy Jermain Defoe turned in Jermaine Jenas’s c r o s s.

But in a twist former Spurs midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng fired home for Pompey from close range just before the hour and shortly afterwards Tottenham were downto 10-men when Defoe was red-carded for lashing out at South Africa’s Aaron Mokoena.

Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes preserved Spurs’s lead before Po m p e y ’s Michael Brown was sent-off just before the finish for a second yellow card.

At the Emirates, goals from Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby gave Arsenal an early lead before Lee Bowyer pulled one back for Bir mingham.

Andrei Arshavin sealed Arsenal’s victory six minutes from time.

In other games, Stoke beatWest Ham 2-1 while Everton and Wolves drew 1-1.

James Beattie put Stoke ahead from the penalty-spot at the Britannia Stadium, but second-bottomWest Ham levelled before the break when Matthew Upson headed in a corner.

Beattie restored Stoke’s lead when Rob Green could only parry Ricardo Fuller’s shot.

There was deadlock at Goodison Park until the 76th minute when Wolves forward Kevin Doyle got on the end of a long ball.

But the visitors were denied a valuable victory when Diniyar Bilyaletdinov equalised two minutes from time before Wolves’s Stefan Maierhofer was sent-off. — AFP

NST

LONDON: Arsene Wenger admitted Arsenal’s contentious 2-1 defeat at Manchester United left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

An eventful week for Arsenal ended in chaotic fashion at Old Trafford on Saturday with Wenger ordered from the sidelines by referee Mike Dean for kicking a water bottle in frustration at the official ruling out Robin van Persie’s last-gasp effort because teammate William Gallas was offside.

Earlier, Dean had denied Andrei Arshavin a clear first half penalty after a challenge by Darren Fletcher; awarded Wayne Rooney a dubious penalty after Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia dived at his feet and cautioned Emmanuel Eboue for diving in the second half.

Just days after Eduardo was charged retrospectively by UEFA for allegedly diving to win a penalty in the Champions League tie with Celtic, it was an extraordinary sequence of events, capped by United’s winner coming from an own goal by Arsenal defender Abou Diaby.

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is sent to the stands by referee Mike Dean in the match against United at Old Trafford on Saturday. — AFPpic

“I kicked the bottle of water, when the goal was cancelled, out of disappointment,” explained Wenger of his dismissal. “The fourth official called over the referee and sent me off.

“I don’t know what to say, there were 30 seconds to go, it must have been spectacular! I didn’t even know where to go. He told me to go into the stand but there was no way to get into the stand. Just because I kicked a bottle of water.”

Wenger was similarly light-hearted when asked how he had seen the decision to award Rooney a second half penalty from which the England striker scored United’s equaliser.

“Old Trafford-ish,” smiled Wenger before going on to claim Arshavin should also have been awarded a spot kick in the first half.

“Maybe I’m not the most objective but, for me, I believe that was a penalty,” said the Arsenal coach.

The irony was not lost on Wenger that there were similarities in the Rooney penalty decision and the one won by Eduardo in midweek, not that the Arsenal manager expects the England striker to be criticised in the same way as his Croatian international has been.

“There will be a big difference in the newspapers,” said Wenger.

“UEFA have made their case against Eduardo but you watched the European Super Cup on Friday and they will have to charge (Barcelona’s Lionel) Messi for a head butt or they will lose credibility.

“They have opened something there. Over the weekend I will find 50 situations where they can intervene.

“If they don’t, Eduardo will have been singled out. I don’t think Eduardo’s case has any logic because I looked again and he was touched. We have clear proof that from behind he was touched on his right leg.”

In this of all weeks, Arsenal would not have wanted to see Eboue booked for simulation, as he was late in the game, although, true to form, Wenger leapt to the defence of his player.

“I believe you should look at the game and look at who is playing with real spirit on the pitch,” he said. “I felt we played with the right spirit. It is difficult to judge every time somebody goes down.

“I have seen a (United) player make 20 fouls without getting a yellow card. If you have seen the game, you don’t need me to tell you who but their player gets away without a yellow card. It’s quite amazing.”

That thinly-veiled reference to Fletcher summed up the frustration of a manager who had seen his team collect six bookings, to United’s three.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps predictably, had no such qualms about the referee’s performance — particularly the decision not to give Arshavin a penalty.

“Darren Fletcher clearly got the ball,” said Ferguson. “The referee was 10 yards away, it was never a penalty kick. We got lucky with the own goal but it was a clear penalty (for Rooney).” — AFP

LONDON: Arsene Wenger admitted Arsenal’s contentious 2-1 defeat at Manchester United left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

An eventful week for Arsenal ended in chaotic fashion at Old Trafford on Saturday with Wenger ordered from the sidelines by referee Mike Dean for kicking a water bottle in frustration at the official ruling out Robin van Persie’s last-gasp effort because teammate William Gallas was offside.

Earlier, Dean had denied Andrei Arshavin a clear first half penalty after a challenge by Darren Fletcher; awarded Wayne Rooney a dubious penalty after Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia dived at his feet and cautioned Emmanuel Eboue for diving in the second half.

Just days after Eduardo was charged retrospectively by UEFA for allegedly diving to win a penalty in the Champions League tie with Celtic, it was an extraordinary sequence of events, capped by United’s winner coming from an own goal by Arsenal defender Abou Diaby.

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is sent to the stands by referee Mike Dean in the match against United at Old Trafford on Saturday. — AFPpic

“I kicked the bottle of water, when the goal was cancelled, out of disappointment,” explained Wenger of his dismissal. “The fourth official called over the referee and sent me off.

“I don’t know what to say, there were 30 seconds to go, it must have been spectacular! I didn’t even know where to go. He told me to go into the stand but there was no way to get into the stand. Just because I kicked a bottle of water.”

Wenger was similarly light-hearted when asked how he had seen the decision to award Rooney a second half penalty from which the England striker scored United’s equaliser.

“Old Trafford-ish,” smiled Wenger before going on to claim Arshavin should also have been awarded a spot kick in the first half.

“Maybe I’m not the most objective but, for me, I believe that was a penalty,” said the Arsenal coach.

The irony was not lost on Wenger that there were similarities in the Rooney penalty decision and the one won by Eduardo in midweek, not that the Arsenal manager expects the England striker to be criticised in the same way as his Croatian international has been.

“There will be a big difference in the newspapers,” said Wenger.

“UEFA have made their case against Eduardo but you watched the European Super Cup on Friday and they will have to charge (Barcelona’s Lionel) Messi for a head butt or they will lose credibility.

“They have opened something there. Over the weekend I will find 50 situations where they can intervene.

“If they don’t, Eduardo will have been singled out. I don’t think Eduardo’s case has any logic because I looked again and he was touched. We have clear proof that from behind he was touched on his right leg.”

In this of all weeks, Arsenal would not have wanted to see Eboue booked for simulation, as he was late in the game, although, true to form, Wenger leapt to the defence of his player.

“I believe you should look at the game and look at who is playing with real spirit on the pitch,” he said. “I felt we played with the right spirit. It is difficult to judge every time somebody goes down.

“I have seen a (United) player make 20 fouls without getting a yellow card. If you have seen the game, you don’t need me to tell you who but their player gets away without a yellow card. It’s quite amazing.”

That thinly-veiled reference to Fletcher summed up the frustration of a manager who had seen his team collect six bookings, to United’s three.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps predictably, had no such qualms about the referee’s performance — particularly the decision not to give Arshavin a penalty.

“Darren Fletcher clearly got the ball,” said Ferguson. “The referee was 10 yards away, it was never a penalty kick. We got lucky with the own goal but it was a clear penalty (for Rooney).” — AFP

HANGZHOU: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said new signing Michael Owen could score 15 goals in the new season as the coach plots a record fourth consecutive Premier League crown.

Ferguson has handed Owen the legendary No 7 shirt, worn by greats such as Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Ronaldo, and believes the England international can pose a major goal threat.

Ferguson, speaking after the arrival here of the Red Devils for the final match of their Asian tour, said the former Newcastle United player had a great goalscoring pedigree and even continued to find the net in the past two years when his Newcastle side struggled.

“I hope he gets plenty,” said Ferguson, when asked how many goals Owen would score for his new side.

“If he plays 25 games for me next season I think he’ll get 15 goals,” he added.

Owen, who joined the Premier League champions on a free transfer earlier this month, has enjoyed a good start to his United career, bagging a goal in both of the Red Devils’ games in Malaysia.

But even with the departure this summer of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, competition up front remains fierce, with Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and teenaged Federico Macheda vying for starting spots.

Ferguson said he had been rotating the four strikers during the Asian tour in a bid to test his options, particularly with the arrival of Owen and the emergence of Macheda.

“We have to find out and understand the best possible combinations for those four players,” he said.

United wrap up their Asian tour with a match against Hangzhou Greentown today looking for a clean sweep after two wins in Malaysia and one in South Korea. — AFP

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NST