Cabaye blames fatigue for form slump

Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye put his poor start to the season to fatigue instead of a bad mood.

Cabaye enjoyed a wonderful debut Premier League campaign five goals and 11 assists to help Newcastle last season in fifth place finish.

His displays saw him become a fixture for France, for whom he competed at the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

His performances saw him linked with a move to the likes of Manchester United and arsenal but prior to his side of the trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Monday night, Cabaye said that the failure of each step are worrying to materialise is not what has him so far this season.

' I'm very happy here and I've never thought otherwise, "said Cabaye.

"But I felt really tired. It was hard right after the euro.

"It is the first time that I come back after a big international match in my career. And it was a difficult first season in England, with all games and no winter break.

"I work very hard to get fit. I want to play every game at full speed for 90 minutes and I will get there. I don't want to apologize, it's been hard for me but I will rest better and more work, I be fine. "

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew managed to retain his top players in the transfer window and Cabaye refuted suggestions that the spirit in the camp of Newcastle had damaged.

"The spirit is just as strong as it was last season," said Cabaye. "But we will need to be mentally stronger than before. When we finished fifth amazes us humans.

"This year is different, each team know what we can do and we are a target. We are going to have to be better this season to continue. "

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Garde delighted with clean sheets

Lyon manager Remi Garde was full of praise after his side built on their unbeaten start Ligue 1 season with a victory at home to Ajaccio.

Goals from Dejan Lovren and Lisandro Lopez secured the 2-0 victory over Lyon, who on Sunday for their second clean sheet of the campaign.

Lyon are second on the table with four wins and a draw, two points behind Marseille.

"It was a good victory," said guard.

"We have spent the past 15 days a little incoherent because there are many players absent (were on international duty).

"There were different levels of performance, but they found the team dynamic. Overall, I am satisfied.

"Not conceding a goal is the objective since the beginning of the season and I think it is the same for all clubs.

"And remember, Ajaccio had two excellent opportunities, the first at the end of the first half and the other in the early second half. However, I think we managed to control the game. "

Lyon will their Europa League campaign at home to Sparta Prague open on Thursday before travelling to Lille for their next league furniture on Sunday.

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Expectation holds no fear for Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero says that he is not concerned about the enormous pressure of Australian rules football the biggest ever signing.

Still signs of a little jet lag on his first media conference since arriving in Australia on Monday 24 hours earlier, Del Piero said he was ready to get down with his Sydney FC team-mates ahead of the 2012/13 A-League season.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner will train with the Sky Blues for the first time on Tuesday and could his first game in the Saturday friendly against Newcastle in Budgewoi.

Sydney and football fans know the 37-year-old for the purpose to score ability and impressive skills and Del Piero to deliver on the club AU $ 4million investment will immediately expect.

"I know there's a lot of expectation, and I love that," he said.

"I played 19 years with Juventus and Juventus have to win every game, every game, every year. Fortunately a lot of the time that has happened.

"My whole life I played to win and I'm here to win. (I'm not here) the time to stay healthy with my family. I am here because I have confidence in the victory.

"I know it's difficult because winning is not easy. On paper you write what you think and what is perfect to do, but the real thing is to do it.

"It's a long way, but I hope to do that and I'm here with this purpose."

While Del Piero has not played a competitive match since the end of the Serie A season in may, he is convinced that his fitness levels are satisfactory with the start of the A-League less than three weeks away.

"I have trained for two months with my personal trainer and a young team in Italy," he said.

"I've done everything I can to stay in good condition. Now I need to the team, if you want to get to know the players and the coach and elaborate what he needs.

When signing with the Sky Blues earlier this month, said Del Piero that he chose Sydney because he wanted to leave a legacy in the country and hopes to help increase the A-League popularity.

"First of all I'm here for Sydney FC and I'm fully focused for Sydney FC, then we have the A-League inflating hope from day to day," said Del Piero.

"This is hard work, but one of the objectives of the workers in football, in the sport of the round ball.

"I'm really fascinated by sport, I follow everything in the world and every sport.

"I saw the World Cup in 2011, the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, it is situated very close to here, I know for the Wallabies, it's not great result, but it was a great moment for the sport. I hope it will be the same for football here and for Australia. "

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Llorente saddened by fan criticism

AppId is over the quota

Fernando Llorente blijft boos met fans opmerkingen met betrekking tot zijn potentiële uitgang van Athletic de Bilbao.

De winnaar Spanje Euro 2012 maanden van speculatie over zijn toekomst heeft behandeld maar gelooft niemand moet Gun hem een verhuizing naar een andere club na alles wat die hij heeft gegeven aan de club.

Llorente heeft is sinds 2005 in Bilbao en meer dan 200 wedstrijden voor de club. Hij was een openbaring vorig jaar in een nieuw systeem onder coach Marcelo Bielsa, verrekening 30 doelstellingen in alle competities.

Zijn laatste doelpunt kwam toen hij terugkeerde naar de Bilbao kant in een 3-3 gelijkspel tegen Espanyol op zondag.

"Het doet pijn dat mensen zich tegen me. Het doet pijn dat zij twijfelen aan me, ik heb alles altijd gegeven voor Athletic", Llorente vertelde radiostation Cadena SER.

"Zelfs indien op enig moment in mijn carrière dat ik speel niet met atletisch, zal het altijd mijn team. Het is persoonlijk. De club hebben me alles, het is waar ik ben opgegroeid vanaf het moment dat ik een jongen was.

"Als ik hier voor welke reden dan ook laat, niemand moet geërgerd met mij. Het is een persoonlijke beslissing die mensen moet respecteren".

De Spanjaard toegelaten op het onderwerp van zijn toekomst, dat hij zou beoordelen dingen in de nabije toekomst.

"In januari ik ben vrij om te praten, maar ik wil om te vergeten over die en het team helpen. De minder mensen praten over mij, hoe beter,"zei hij.

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Lampard wary of Juventus threat

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard expressed his respect for the club next Champions League opponents Juventus.

The Blues face the Serie A champions on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge want to get off to the perfect start to their European campaign.

However, the 34-year-old admits that it will be a tough question to save a side that not a single game in the Italian top flight last term losses.

"Every year is harder and harder. Real Madrid and Barcelona are stronger than ever, but we must keep focused and do good because it is the first game of the group, "Lampard said.

"We know that the match against Juventus will not be easy. They are a very strong team that is part of the football history.

"They won the last series unbeaten, they have invested a lot and in the right way, so they are a hard nut to crack for us."

The England international went on to his favorite games of last year's victorious campaign reveal and dismissed suggestions that winning the competition his wish this time around has suppressed.

"Especially the two matches against Barcelona in the semi-final were exciting," he said.

"It's great to have the trophy and medal in the tray, but it is not the case to relax. Since we've done it once, why not try it again? "

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Fabregas: Wenger will lead arsenal to titles

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes that Arsene Wenger will launch a Premier League title challenge with Arsenal this season.

Fabregas, who left arsenal in August 2011, believe the 62-year-old has a special talent for the development of young players and maintains that he still monitors the progress of his old club.

"Arsene Wenger is great and I'm sure he will prove this season again. He always finds the best young talents in Europe and has the courage to bring and give them their chance, "Fabregas told The Sun.

"That is his special talent, the way that he works with a player to build their confidence and encourage them to play, to perform at their best. That's why I am convinced that arsenal will be up there challenging again.

"I watch them every weekend because Arsenal mean so much to me still."

Fabregas has expressed its dissatisfaction with a lack of time under Tito Vilanova play this season, but the 25-year-old insists that he understands the degree of competition in Barcelona.

"It was a privilege for me to spend eight years with such a beautiful club," said Fabregas.

"But now is a new chapter in Barcelona and I said when I signed here that it was the most exciting and difficult challenge of my life.

"I knew I would come to compete for a place against the best players in the world but I loves big challenges. If I didn't I would have stayed at Arsenal where I was the captain, I where each game played and where I was treated so well.

"I have a big heart, a strong character and I have the courage to continue to compete for my place."

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