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Rodgers Responds To Ben Arfa - Carroll Swap Deal Reports

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has responded to reviews claiming he was in talks with Newcastle in excess of a possible swap deal involving Hatem Ben Arfa and Andy Carroll.

Newspaper reviews on Friday morning recommended the Reds had created speak to together with the Geordies with regards to the probability of bringing French winger Ben Arfa to Anfield this summertime, with out-of-favour striker Carroll mentioned to get heading back to St James’ Park as part of the deal.

However, speaking to talkSPORT on Friday lunchtime Rodgers has played down the speculation insisting he won’t be doing any business until the end of the season:

“I only just heard about that in the way in [to training].

 

“The thing I’ve learnt about liverpool shirt is that, just because of the sheer size of the club, there are players linked with us all the time.

“As a manager, you are just trying to focus on the group you have got and then we will review anything at the end of the season, in terms of players coming in. There’s no doubt we want to strengthen but there’s certainly no names out there.”

 

Rodgers also had his say on the future of Carroll. After spending the entire season on loan at West Ham, there have been suggestions that Carroll’s playing days at Anfield are numbered but the Northern Irishman insists he will sit down with all the 24-year-old at the end of the season and decide what’s best for club and player. He continued:

“The whole reason for big Andy going out was to play games,” stated Rodgers.

 

“I was open and honest with him in the summer time that because of how we would play and the structure of the team he maybe wouldn’t play so many games. It was an amicable conversation and he just wanted to go out and play.

 

“Like he showed last week [against West Brom], if you get the right balls into the right areas he can score with quality. But we will sit down at the end of the season.

 

“It’s not just regarding the playing side. This year has been about managing the finances here and that needs to come into consideration as well.” Rodgers told talkSPORT

 

Read more cheap liverpool shirt transfer news

 

Would Cheap liverpool shirts fans like to see Ben Arfa come to Anfield? Should Carroll be given another chance? Get involved in the comments section below.

Roberto Mancini: Title race even now in excess of in spite of victory more than Guy United

Roberto Mancini’s side narrowed the gap at the top of the table to 12 points

Roberto Mancini remained adamant the Premier League title race is nevertheless above regardless of Manchester City’s 2-1 victory above rivals Cheap manchester united shirts.

Sergio Aguero hit a superb winner 12 minutes from time to earn his side their first back-to-back victories at Old Trafford in 41 years.

But in spite of narrowing the gap to 12 points at the top of the table with seven games left to play, Mancini remained in no doubt the Citizens would be relinquishing their title in the coming weeks.

‘It’s finished,’ said the Italian. ‘It’s important we finish in second position and this victory was important today.

‘It’s only important we finish second. 15 [points], 12, 18, it doesn’t matter.’

Manchester City claimed back-to-back victories at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)

But regardless of quashing any remaining talk of a late title bid, Mancini was happy with his side’s performance.

‘It demonstrated tonight that we are not (15 points worse),’ he said.

‘We are happy, it is normal, you play classic shirts football, we are happy because we won. We play cheap football shirts online to win.

‘Every time we play United…also the game at the Etihad, we dominated and lost, but this is possible, it is football shirts culture.

‘We wanted to play t shirts football, we had the ball, kept it and played better. It was important for us, we showed we didn`t deserve to stay 15 points behind.’

View the whole gallery: Manchester united shirts v Manchester City

Roberto Mancini: Manchester united shirts never deserve to become 15 factors up on manchester city shirt in Premier League table

Roberto Mancini: Manchester united shirts never deserve to become 15 factors up on manchester city shirt in Premier League table

Roberto Mancini has claimed that manchester city shirts usually do not deserve to get 15 factors adrift of Premier League leaders manchester united shirt and insisted that the league table will not be “true”.

Defending champions City face United at Old Trafford on Monday with Mancini admitting there is no chance of overhauling Sir Alex Ferguson’s team over the final five weeks of the season.

But despite United have won 25 of 30 league games this season, Mancini believes that the standings tend not to do his team justice. “We don’t deserve to stay 15 factors behind,” Mancini said. “They [United] have played well and the last time they lost was against Norwich, so they deserve to stay on the top.

But it will not be a true table and we now have eight games left, so if we play well and win a lot of these games, maybe we can reduce this gap. This should be our target – because it is a derby, because we want to show we don’t deserve to stay 15 factors behind and also because we can reduce the gap. But the title race is finished.

“We don’t want to go there to lose the game. We want to go there to try to win.”