madristar

Wawrinka is crowned Chennai's 'King' Stanislas Wawrinka claimed his maiden Chennai Open title beating Xavier Malisse in a highly competitive final. By Vineeth Krishnan Playing in front of a packed Centre Court crowd at the SDAT Centre, Nungambakkam, third seed Stanislas Wawrinka managed to hold off a fast-charging Xavier Malisse to pocket his first title in Chennai with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 win on Sunday. As it has come to be expected of Wawrinka, the final was no breeze in the park, going all the way to the third set. The Swiss ace got off to the worst possible start, with Malisse breaking his serve at the end of a gruelling 10 minute first game. Wawrinka clawed his way to deuce from 15-40 down and then had three separate chances to put the game away. But the 2007 champion, Malisse, hung in there, until at the fourth time of asking, he managed to claim the break. Wawrinka sent a backhand stroke long at the end of a strong rally to give the Belgian the go-ahead. But in the eighth game of the set, the man playing in his familiar cool blue T-shirt, managed to break back. Malisse made three errors in that game to give Wawrinka two break points, and a classic pass from the third seed left the Belgian with no answers. With the score all square at 4-4, it seemed the set would head to a tie-break until Wawrinka stepped up the pressure in the twelfth game. Malisse managed to save two set points in that game, but the third was too much of an ask, and the seventh seed could only hit the net with a running forehand after a deep forehand crosscourt from Wawrinka. That first set itself took an hour and three minutes but the second was a more routine affair, with a solitary break of serve enabling Malisse to level the match. The break came in the third game when Wawrinka made two-successive errors from Deuce, to gift the break away. Wawrinka first sent a forehand down the line wide to give Advantage to the Belgian and then netted a backhand on the crucial point. Malisse was largely untroubled for the remainder of that set with his serve going down well for the most part. He also hit quite a few forehand winners and managed to effectively come to the net on quite a few occasions to either put away a volley or to force Wawrinka into an errant pass. In the third set however, it was all Wawrinka. Malisse’s serve deserted him in the deciding set as he managed to get in only 40% of his first serves. Wawrinka on the other hand picked up quite a few points on his first serve, sending down a thunderous 76% in the set. That eventually proved to be the difference between the two players, as Wawrinka was able to be more aggressive as a result. He broke Malisse’s serve in the very second game of the set, taking the fight to the Belgian and forcing him to make uncharacteristic errors. Wawrinka approached the net at the end of a long rally and forced Malisse to send a backhand slice wide for 0-15. After winning two points, Malisse netted a forehand to bring the score to 30-30. A double fault gave Wawrinka a break point and a wide forehand towards the corner gave the Swiss star a 2-0 head-start. Wawrinka broke Malisse again in the sixth game of the set to all but make sure of victory. A brilliant forehand down the line winner took the score to 15-15. A long rally was finished off with a backhand whip to the corner for 30-30 and a forehand wide from Malisse took the score to 30-40. Wawrinka then pulled out a forehand crosscourt pass from way behind the baseline to take the score to 5-1. Serving for the set, Wawrinka won three straight points to pocket three Match points and despite losing one of those, a good serve out wide followed by a strong forehand approach to the net, enabled last year’s losing finalist, to put away an overhead smash and wrap up the match.

Stanislas Wawrinka Country Switzerland Residence Saint- Barthélemy, Switzerland Date of birth 28 March 1985 (1985-03-28) (age 25) Place of birth Lausanne, Switzerland Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Weight 79 kg (170 lb; 12.4 st) Turned pro 2002 Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Career prize money $3,144,246 Singles Career record 141–115 Career titles 3 Highest ranking No. 9 (9 June 2008) Stanislas "The Manislas" [1] Wawrinka (born 28 March 1985 in Lausanne) is a Swiss professional tennis player. His career ranking high is #9, achieved on 9 June 2008. He considers clay his best surface, and his backhand his best shot. He won the gold medal for Switzerland in the men's doubles event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, partnering Roger Federer, by beating Swedish team Simon Aspelin/Thomas Johansson in the final. They were also honoured with the 2008 Swiss Team of the Year Award. John McEnroe believes Wawrinka has one of the most powerful backhands he has ever seen and describes him as having "the best one-handed backhand in the game today".[2] Personal life The surname Wawrinka is of Polish origin. His father Wolfram is German, and his mother Isabelle is Swiss. His mother works as a biodynamic farmer helping handicapped people. Wawrinka's grandparents are Czech. He has one older brother Jonathan, who teaches tennis, and two younger sisters Djanaée and Naëlla, who are students and tennis players.[8] Wawrinka currently lives in Saint-Barthélemy (10 minutes from Lausanne) with his wife, Ilham Vuilloud, a Swiss television presenter and former fashion model.[8] They married on December 15, 2009. Vuilloud gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Alexia, on February 12, 2010. On January 4, 2011, Swiss media announced that Wawrinka quit his family less than a year after the birth of his daughter to dedicate himself to tennis, having only five more years to make an impact.[9] His hobbies include movies and music.[citation needed] He is good friends with British number 1 Andy Murray (both are fanatical go-karters[8][10]) and Roger Federer. [edit] Commercial endorsements Wawrinka's corporate sponsors include Lacoste, Head, adidas and Hublot Genève. He plays using Head tennis racquets. As of June 2010, he played with the YOUTEK Prestige Pro MidPlus.[11] Previously he used the Flexpoint Prestige MidPlus and Microgel Prestige pro.

"Cristiano is a blessing for Madridismo" Valdano: "The players proved tonight that they are worthy of wearing this crest" Realmadrid.com Jorge Valdano has nothing but kind words for Real Madrid following their stunning turnaround against Villarreal on Sunday night. "Villarreal was the best team to pass through the Bernabeu in terms of ball control. They dominated the first half, but things changed in the second. Casillas really didn't participate in the second and we controlled the situation with a lot of pressure and effort." "Barcelona know that Real Madrid is a very competitive team. This duel is something I have never seen in my life and it will be very interesting but very stressful." "This was a hard-fought match and the players put on a heroic performance. Key coaching decisions were made in response to the difficulty on the pitch. This kind of turnaround always pleases fans, and more so against great teams like Villarreal." "Cristiano is a blessing for Madridismo. We wouldn't trade him for anyone. He provides so much during matches, training sessions and every day. We can't ask for more. He always appears full of energy when the team needs him the most and he gets us out of trouble like he did tonight." "Kaka looked very comfortable, optimistic and happy. He was out for almost eight months and worked hard to return to this level. We will enjoy watching him play. Kaka is an extraordinary player who we have a lot of faith in for the rest of the season. He will drastically improve our midfield from here on out." "I can only congratulate the players. Tonight they proved that they are worthy of wearing this crest."

it looks like a quiz show lol

What is her show about?is it a fashion show or a reality show?

Support for Higuain Realmadrid.com Gonzalo Higuain will have surgery on Tuesday 11 January to repair a herniated disc. In a show of support for the Madridista striker, his teammates will step onto the pitch prior to kickoff against Villarreal on Sunday with shirts reading: "Animo Pipa, recuperate pronto" (Stay strong Pipa. Get well soon).

cute pics! thanksss

Chelsea 7-0 Ipswich Chelsea went some way to lifting the gloom at Stamford Bridge as they crushed Ipswich 7-0 in the FA Cup. The managerless visitors proved ideal cannon fodder for Carlo Ancelotti's faltering double winners, who went into the game on their worst Barclays Premier League run for almost 15 years. Ancelotti's decision to continue last season's policy of fielding some youngsters in the early rounds of the cup did not backfire, with Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard scoring twice, Salomon Kalou also finding the net and Nicolas Anelka ending the personal goal drought that has coincided with Chelsea's two months of misery. Carlos Edwards' own goal made up the tally. Ancelotti, who handed rare starts to 17-year-old Josh McEachran and 20-year-old Patrick van Aanholt, will be praying this win helps inspire his established stars, like the rested Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole, to kick-start their ailing league campaign. Despite the number of changes and standard of opposition, Chelsea - looking to become the first club to win a hat-trick of FA Cups since the 1880s - continued to be dogged by a lack of cutting edge in the opening half-hour. Sturridge, rewarded with a start after scoring five times for the reserves on Thursday, saw one chance closed down by Marton Fulop and another balloon off target. They were almost made to pay by the team who had boss Roy Keane sacked on Friday. A fine break involving Scotland and David Norris ended in the former unleashing a left-footed piledriver which Petr Cech could only beat away. Chelsea surged down the other end and Anelka looked to have put them ahead but Troy Brown produced a brilliant clearance off the line from the Frenchman's low finish. Lampard blasted over after good work down the left from Van Aanholt and McEachran's drive was deflected behind off Connor Wickham. A lovely Chelsea move was then spoilt by a horrible finish from Anelka, who made amends by providing the breakthrough in the 33rd minute after Ipswich gave the ball away in midfield. Chelsea sprung forward and Anelka's finish hit Fulop and squirmed towards the line before Kalou made sure. It was 2-0 less than a minute later, Sturridge tucking home Jose Bosingwa's low cross after more poor defending from the visitors. Lampard's weak 20-yard shot was straight at Fulop as Chelsea looked to kill off the tie before half-time. Ipswich captain David Norris was booked for a poor tackle on John Terry and Lampard made him pay from the resulting 41st-minute free-kick, with Edwards flicking the ball into his own net. Anelka's mis-hit finish was straight at Fulop at the start of the second half but the striker finally ended his barren spell in the 49th minute, finding the bottom corner after a neat exchange with Kalou. Ipswich had been preparing a substitution at the time and immediately withdrew Scotland for Ronan Murray. Chelsea began to play with a swagger and Sturridge made it 5-0 three minutes later, curling superbly into the top corner from just inside the box. Ancelotti threw on another youngster, with Gael Kakuta replacing Kalou. Peters drilled wide in search of a consolation before the highly-rated Wickham was replaced by Tamas Priskin. Chelsea lost Van Aanholt to injury for the final 20 minutes, with Jeffrey Bruma entering the fray. The home side were in cruise control but Ipswich pressed the self-destruct button again twice in a minute to hand Lampard a quickfire double. The England midfielder blasted home from 15 yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner, and then bundled home Branislav Ivanovic's low cross. It was party time at Stamford Bridge and Ramires fired over with the outside of his right foot before Chelsea fans showed their support for the under-pressure Ancelotti, who responded with a wave. Kakuta, Anelka and Ivanovic all had chances to make it 8-0 in stoppage-time before the final whistle ended Ipswich's torture.

Ancelotti not getting carried away Carlo Ancelotti has refused to get carried away with Chelsea's 7-0 FA Cup thrashing of Ipswich. The Italian admits they need a run of victories to emerge from their worst slump for almost 15 years. The Blues went some way to lifting the gloom at Stamford Bridge as they began their defence of the trophy they have won for the past two seasons in emphatic fashion. The managerless visitors proved ideal cannon fodder for Ancelotti's faltering double winners, who had won just one of their previous nine league games to all but surrender the championship. The Chelsea boss, who has twice been given votes of confidence by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich in the past fortnight, said: "We needed to have this kind of performance. "The result was good and we did a lot of things well in this game - the performance of the team, the strikers scoring again. "We don't have to be excited. "But, obviously, with this victory, our confidence will improve. "We have to wait to say everything is okay." Ancelotti's decision to continue last season's policy of fielding some youngsters in the early rounds of the cup did not backfire, with Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard scoring twice, Salomon Kalou also finding the net and Nicolas Anelka ending the goal drought that has coincided with Chelsea's two months of misery. Chelsea toiled for the opening half-hour but once Kalou found the net, the floodgates opened. "There were differences in the first 30 minutes of this game and the other 60," Ancelotti said. "We were a bit worried, less confident in that first period. "When we scored the first goal, everything was okay. "But we have to play more games to say the bad moment has gone." Friday saw Ancelotti laugh off a lone protest calling for his head and today proved the Italian still had the backing of the vast majority of Chelsea fans, who chanted his name towards the end. "It's very nice, obviously, to hear the fans like that," he said. "We all have to be close, and the fans showed fantastic support today." Despite some good performances from his young players, especially two-goal Sturridge, Ancelotti was unwilling to guarantee them a place in his side against Blackburn next weekend. He said of Sturridge, who also netted five times for the reserves on Thursday: "He deserved to play. He played well, scored, is a good player and a good striker, very dangerous. "In the future, he'll have opportunities. We have a lot of games in this period coming up. "I think he has to fight with the other strikers, but everyone has to fight. There are a lot of players in competition up front." Van Aanholt limped off with 20 minutes remaining and Ancelotti revealed the youngster had suffered a minor hamstring tear. The main injury today, however, was inflicted on Ipswich, who looked a side in disarray following Roy Keane's sacking this week. Caretaker boss Ian McParland admitted the visitors were given "a right thrashing". "I knew what was going to happen today," he said. "The boys are a bit shellshocked with the manager going." McParland believes Keane may have fared better had he still been in charge, saying: "I'd like to think it would have made a difference. "For half an hour, we were doing okay. We were in the game. "We gave them three bad goals. "I've never been beaten like that. "It hurts my pride but I'll bounce back. "Let's not forget who the lads were playing against. "Some Premier League clubs were beat seven or eight here last year, so maybe we're in good company." McParland was praying Keane's replacement would take charge in time for Wednesday night's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal, with Paul Jewell a strong favourite to land the role. "I think he's got a really tough job," he said. "I hope he's in by Wednesday!"

Cris hasnt cheated on anyone with anyone! Irina was with him on 7th,which means she was there to celebrate her birthday with him.She'll be there on feb 5th also on Cris's bday,im sure.When u celebrate these moments together so it means u love each other.They also celebrated Christmas together,remember....

Ancelotti: Win or destroy the season Carlo Ancelotti admits Chelsea will "destroy" their season if they do not end their worst run of results for almost 15 years. But the Blues boss insists that if they do so, they will emerge "stronger" from the slump that has seen them all but surrender their Barclays Premier League title. Ancelotti knows his side must start winning "now" if they are not also to lose their grip on the FA Cup, with their defence of the trophy beginning against Ipswich on Sunday. "If you are not able to move on, you destroy the season," Ancelotti said. "If you are able to move on, you will be stronger." One win in nine league games has left Chelsea languishing in fifth place, nine points behind unbeaten leaders Manchester United having played a game more. The first signs of discontent among the club's fans at the crisis appeared to emerge yesterday when a pair of banners were draped opposite the club's training ground which read: "Ancelotti + Abramovich out!!!" and "None of you are fit to wear the shirt". Having been given yet another vote of confidence by the club's billionaire owner and knowing the majority of supporters still back him, Ancelotti could afford to laugh off the mini-protest. But he knows the disquiet will multiply if he is on the wrong end of a cup shock. For that reason, the former AC Milan boss is not planning to make wholesale changes tomorrow, although he was waiting on fitness checks today on Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien. "We will play with the strongest team," said Ancelotti, who nevertheless hinted 21-year-old striker Daniel Sturridge would start up front. "Sturridge played very well against Tottenham for the reserves, scored five goals. "I think that he deserves to play in this moment." Ancelotti's use of his youngsters has come under the spotlight during Chelsea's current slump. The Italian continues to insist he agrees completely with the club's shift in policy to develop their own players, with UEFA's financial fair play regulations looming large. And he is adamant he would blood the likes of Jeffrey Bruma and Josh McEachran more regularly when the time is right, saying: "It's difficult in this moment, when things are not so good, to give the key to McEachran - 17 years old - to manage the play of the team. "So I prefer to put in Essien, who has experience, personality, and wait for McEachran in an easier game." And Ancelotti also hit out at suggestions he was over-reliant on a core of ageing players, saying: "You can say, 'we are old, we don't have character, we don't have motivation'. "But I maintain confidence that we have experience, we have quality, we have ability to manage this period and to move on." Ancelotti also insists the mounting pressure is not giving him sleepless nights. "I don't take a tablet," he joked. "Food is okay, drink is okay. But the sleep is okay because of the drink!" Meanwhile, John Obi Mikel has revealed his knee injury will keep him out until at least next month. The midfielder, who has been sidelined since last Monday's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, told skysports.com: "I am very disappointed by this injury - it will at least take me out for the whole month."

Ancelotti to face Abramovich grilling? After only two wins in 11 Barclay Premier League cames, Roman Abramovich is flying to Chelsea for answers. According to reports in the Daily Mail, the Russian billionaire will be in London later this week to meet Carlo Ancelotti at the clubs training ground in Cobham, and will expect answers to why his star-studded team are so far off the pace in the Premier League. What will trouble the owner is the fact that tensions seem to be at a high at Stamford Bridge, with captain John Terry and Didier Drogba clearly at odds with each other after their humilation at the Emirates Stadium, losing 3-1 to Arsenal, according to sources close to the squad. There are concerns that if the slide continues, fractions could develop in the squad, with the French-speaking players rallying around Drogba, and the English players, Terry. With a Russian holiday ending on Tuesday, Abramovich is expected at Cobham soon, though his return could be delayed, should the Russian decide to wait until after the Orthodox New Year on Friday. With Chelsea's 7-0 thumping of Ipswich in their FA Cup Third Round clash, the Italian will feel he has turned a corner, and will feel confident in his job security after the club's preferred replacement, Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, has reportedly agreed to a new deal to stay with the Catalans.

brahimovic perplexed by draw AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits he is unsure over how to react following their enthralling 4-4 draw with Udinese. Italian national striker Antonio Di Natale opened Udinese's account in the 35th minute but Brazilian Alexandre Pato equalized for the home outfit in first-half injury time. It was only in the second half when the match exploded to life, with Alexis Sanchez and Di Natale firing the unfashionable visitors to a 3-1 lead. A Mehdi Benatia own-goal and a second effort from Pato saw Milan claw their way back into the encounter before Denis seemed to have scored the winning goal for Udinese with just a minute left. However, in a sensational turnaround of events, Swedish striker Ibrahimovic bagged an all important equalizer for his team in the third minute of added time to ensure both sides shared the spoils in the match. "I don't know if this is a point earned or two dropped," Ibrahimovic declared to SkySport. "We conceded four goals at home and this is never a good thing. "Nevertheless with 13 minutes left to play they were winning 3-1 and therefore we have to be satisfied with a point. "We are still top of the standings and managed to stretch our lead to six points this afternoon. "Now we must continue to work and look to avoid such risks in the coming games." Milan though are still at the summit of the Serie A standings with 40 points, four ahead of second placed Napoli.

Leonardo: We showed great heart Inter Milan tactician Leonardo complimented his troops after they secured a 2-1 away win at Catania on Sunday. Though the home side took the lead thanks to an Alejandro Gomez goal, Argentine anchorman Esteban Cambiasso notched a brace to ensure Leonardo's second consecutive win as Inter manager. "We did not give away too many chances in the first half. When we brought Pandev on the team took a more attacking attitude although this presented several opportunities to Catania," Leonardo told Sky after the game. "We saw another fundamental characteristic of a great team, the heart. We won even though not at our best but against Napoli there were more ideas." The European champions' triumph has seen them cut the gap between themselves and table toppers AC Milan to 11 points after the latter played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Udinese.

Kakà’s quotes (from RM.com) “Thanks to the fans for the warm welcome” Kaka saw his first action in the Bernabeu on Sunday after a long-standing injury and even scored Real Madrid’s fourth goal of the night. “To return to the Bernabeu and score was such a special moment. It had been a long time since I scored, so it was very important to me. I felt such raw emotion from the crowd. It is hard to describe. I would like to thank the fans for such a warm welcome after all the problems I had. It was all worth it. Hard work pays off.” “Villarreal came to play. They are a very talented team. We insisted and insisted because we knew how important it was to win at home. Mourinho proved why he is the best coach in the world. He made changes with respect to how the game was unfolding and he motivated us to improve in the second half.” “Cristiano Ronaldo is an incredible player. He has decided many matches and will continue to do so for Real Madrid. He deserves everything that comes his way. It’s not a matter of how he is but what he is like. He is a great player that stuns us all day after day with goals and his way of playing. He is fundamental to this team. It is so much better to be playing by his side.”

Becks won't play for Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has admitted his plan to bring in David Beckham "looks like a no-goer". Spurs were among a handful of Premier League clubs keen to recruit Beckham on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy during the Major League Soccer close season. But Redknapp told Sky Sports News ahead of today's third round FA Cup tie at against Charlton: "I don't think it's going to happen, I think there are problems with the insurance. "David is welcome to come and train here for a month or so which I think he would like to do but it looks like, as far as playing goes, it looks like a no-goer. "It couldn't happen so, not a problem, we'll just get on with it." Redknapp said the deal had fallen through because of problems over an insurance fee, which the Galaxy demanded after he picked up an Achilles injury during his last spell on loan in Europe with AC Milan. It will come as a blow to the 115-cap midfielder, who had been hoping to catch the eye of England boss Fabio Capello with a two-month loan spell at the Barclays Premier League side. A statement released on the Spurs website at mid-day confirmed that Beckham would train with the club, rather than play, for a month. "Tottenham Hotspur is delighted to announce that England's most capped outfield player, David Beckham will train with the first-team squad," the statement read. "David will train with the Club until February 10 when he will be required to return to LA Galaxy ahead of the start of the MLS season." The announcement came as a surprise given that Redknapp said on Friday that a loan deal for Beckham was "90% done" and insisted that the 35-year-old could have been in the stands for today's clash at White Hart Lane. The Spurs boss was disappointed not to have signed Beckham, but still thinks the veteran's influence around his young team will help in their push for a place in next year's Champions League. Redknapp said: "We'd love to have him here for longer but respect his commitments to LA Galaxy. "They wanted him back in early February so that made it difficult to do a playing deal on the basis of three weeks. "David is a fantastic professional - he will be a great influence around the place and I am sure we will all benefit from his winning mentality. "I think everyone will enjoy having him here." Beckham, who has previously trained with Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal, could start work at the club's Essex training ground this week and is looking forward to the experience. Beckham said: "It's important that I maintain a high level of fitness during the MLS off season. "I'm thankful to Tottenham and Harry Redknapp for giving me the opportunity to train with the team over the next month. "I'm grateful to the LA Galaxy for allowing to me to train with Spurs. I look forward to getting to work as soon as possible." Had Beckham signed a playing deal with Spurs, he would have been in line to make his debut against his former team Manchester United in next Sunday's match between the two sides at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp still has hope for Becks Harry Redknapp has insisted Tottenham Hotspur have not given up hope of signing David Beckham. A loan move for the former England captain had been described by Redknapp as a "no-goer" earlier in the day, but his tone changed after Tottenham's FA Cup third-round win over Charlton. After a week of negotiations between Tottenham and Beckham's parent club, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Redknapp initially said that an eight-week loan for the star had fallen through because of "insurance issues". Redknapp's assertion was followed by a statement on Spurs' website, announcing that the 35-year-old would join the club - but only to train for a month as he aims to keep fit during the MLS close season. But following Spurs' 3-0 win against their npower League One opponents, Redknapp appeared to backtrack on his previous statement, and insisted the midfielder could still join. When asked if a deal could still happen, the Spurs boss replied: "I don't honestly know. That's being done above my head. Hopefully it could still happen. The situation is ongoing." It was thought that the Galaxy were demanding an insurance fee for the former Manchester United man after he picked up an Achilles injury during last year's loan spell at AC Milan. But it is understood the Galaxy are not demanding such a fee for Beckham's release, and the reason behind the impasse in the deal is because Spurs are unwilling to pay the percentage of his wages that the Americans are demanding. "I was led to believe that insurance was a problem, but apparently that's not the case," said Redknapp, who saw his team beat Charlton thanks to a goal from Andros Townsend and a Jermain Defoe double. Beckham will start training with Spurs at their training ground in Essex this week but the Galaxy are adamant they want their man back in time for the start of the MLS season on March 15. Tottenham assistant manager Kevin Bond admits he is looking forward to Beckham's arrival. "I think everyone will be looking forward to how he conducts himself, how he trains and I'm sure a lot of people will take a lot from him being here and seeing how he goes about his work," Bond said. Should Beckham's loan deal fail to go through, Tottenham will be short of experienced right-sided midfielders if David Bentley's move to Birmingham is completed, as expected, this week. Townsend, 19, who recently had his season-long loan cut short by Ipswich, impressed on the right on Sunday though, marking his debut with a 20-yard opening goal. Bond was impressed and admits the youngster, who is naturally left-footed, looks to have a bright future at the club. "I thought it was a terrific performance from someone making his debut," Bond said. "If Harry feels he can bring someone in to improve the squad then he said he would look at it. "(But) looking at Andros, it looks like we might benefit from having him around." Spurs went in goalless at half-time after a disappointing first half but the home side soon sparked into life thanks to the introduction of midfielder Luka Modric. Bond admits the Croatian gave Spurs a creative outlet they badly missed in the first period. Bond said: "Maybe we were predictable in the first half and you need someone with that something different to unlock the door. He certainly has that." Defoe returned to the starting line-up after a three-match ban for a red card for an elbow on James Collins during Spurs' 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Bond believes the England striker was determined to prove a point by contributing to today's win, which earned Tottenham an away tie against Fulham in the fourth round. "I'm sure Jermain was frustrated because it was a harsh red card," Bond said. "He was frustrated because he wasn't long being back from injury and to sit out another three games meant he was keen to get out on the pitch. "Strikers live off goals and it's important for them, they become a different animal completely when they find the net."

Beckham situation still uncertain There is still doubt over David Beckham's immediate future even as he heads to Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham announced that the 35-year-old would visit the training ground in Chigwell, Essex to undergo medical tests after a bizarre day of claim and counter-claim at White Hart Lane. The proposed eight-week loan that Tottenham and the Los Angeles Galaxy had been discussing for over a week appeared to be dead when Harry Redknapp said prior to his side's FA Cup third-round win over Charlton that the deal looked to be a "no-goer". The north London outfit then published a statement on their website announcing that Beckham would be joining the club - but only to train until February 10 in a bid to keep fit during the MLS close season. The Spurs boss appeared to go back on his previous comments after the 3-0 win by saying that Beckham's move could still be resurrected. "I don't honestly know if it will happen," Redknapp said. "That's being done above my head. Hopefully it could still happen. The situation is ongoing." Contrary to reports, Press Association Sport understands that the impasse in negotiations is not over an insurance fee the Americans are demanding if their prize asset gets injured, like he did while on loan at AC Milan last year. The main sticking point in the deal is Spurs' unwillingness to meet the percentage of the player's wages demanded by the MLS side. The north London club also want to take the player on loan for longer than the four-week period he will train with Spurs but the Galaxy insist Beckham must be back in America well before their first fixture of the season against Seattle Sounders on March 15. The deal is complicated by the fact that Beckham will have to replace a current member of Tottenham's 25-man squad if he is to play after January 31 under the new Premier League rules. Spurs may not need to bring Beckham in if the performance by fellow-winger Andros Townsend is anything to go by. The 19-year-old had his season-long loan cancelled by Ipswich over the festive period but looked more than capable of cutting it at the highest level in their win. The youngster, who like Beckham comes from Leytonstone, East London, scored Tottenham's opener and ran Charlton's defence ragged on a debut which impressed Redknapp's assistant, Kevin Bond. "He has come into the side and done his chances no harm at all," Bond said. "He has given the manager something to think about. I thought it was a terrific performance from someone making his debut. "If Harry feels he can bring someone in to improve the squad then he said he would look at it. "(But) looking at Andros, it looks like we might benefit from having him around." Charlton outplayed Spurs at times in the first half but were ultimately torn apart by substitute Luka Modric's creativity and a well-taken double from former Addicks youth-team player Jermain Defoe. Caretaker boss Keith Peacock was happy with his team's efforts but denied that the performance meant he would be applying for the post of a permanent basis. "This is strictly a short-term situation, I said I would help and I'm taking it one game at a time," he said.

Mancini demands Citizens learn lessons Roberto Mancini felt Manchester City learnt "an important lesson" from their 2-2 draw at Leicester. Mancini believes the excellent performance of the Foxes spelt out the need for his players to be at their best against non-Premier League sides to achieve their dream of reaching the final. A second-half blunder from Eastlands keeper Joe Hart gifted Andy King the equaliser, but Mancini's side looked vulnerable all evening against set-pieces after Leicester newcomer Sol Bamba scored inside 50 seconds. Mancini said: "For us, it is an important lesson, that if we want to win the FA Cup we must always play at 100% because every game is difficult. "We conceded a goal after one minute which was very strange. I think we slept for two or three minutes. "They caused a lot of problems from set-pieces and Bamba is good in the air, very tall, and a big problem. "We will have to work on that for the replay. When we play at Eastlands, we must pay attention. "I think we played 100% but maybe sometimes, when you play a team in the Championship or the third division (League One), you think 'that is easy'. "In the FA Cup there is never an easy game. We want to go to the final. "It is important when we play other teams, we must focus on the game like when we play in the Premier League. "But it is important we have another chance." New £27million striker Edin Dzeko looked on from the stands and will make his debut against Wolves next weekend. Mancini said: "He will be an important player for us. He is different from the other strikers we have. "He is one more choice for me. "He will be very important for the rest of the season, important in the next match. "He will be available for Wolves in the next game." Leicester midfielder Richie Wellens ended the game with his hand bandaged up after he tangled with Nigel de Jong. But Wellens believes De Jong's actions were of an accidental nature. Wellens said: "It was just a little stamp on my hand (by De Jong). I don't think it was deliberate. "I hope it wasn't but you've just got to take the bumps with the bruises. "I just felt his studs go into my hand. I don't think he meant it. You will have to ask him that but I'd like to think it was just an accident. "He didn't say anything to me. Just a little smile! He caught me right on the knuckle so it was painful. "He is a physical player and if I get the chance to be physical with him, then I will be. "These things happen. I'm not accusing him of anything." After Sol Bamba's instant impact on his debut, the visitors seized control with James Milner - with his first goal for the club - and skipper Carlos Tevez netting before half-time. But Leicester rallied and Hart failed to collect one of many dangerous crosses from Paul Gallagher - and King did the rest for his 10th goal of the campaign.

"We had a spectacular second half" Mourinho: "The team was brilliant and we won thanks to the courage demonstrated by the entire squad" Realmadrid.com Jose Mourinho was brimming with satisfaction following Real Madrid's 4-2 come-from-behind win against Villarreal on Sunday. "We won thanks to the courage demonstrated by this team. I am very ahppy and think we played a spectacular second half. The yellow team was the only team to play in the first half, but we knew how to respond and in the second half only the white team played. The team was marvelous." "We were up against a fantastic Villarreal side, which is why I didn't like the first half. I don't like when our opponent has an exceptional first half. They came closer to winning here than any other team and they played great." "I spoke to my players during halftime and told them that the score was false even thought anything could happen with the score at 2-2. I wanted to change game plans for the second half and the way we were pressuring. We played with three men back, which resulted in only one team attacking and only one defending after the restart." "We had Marcelo and Di Maria along the flanks, Ozil and Khedira in the midfield and Cristiano and Benzema up front. We had six offensive players plus Xabi Alonso, who was right behind them. Villarreal had it tough, but they could have score on the counter. It was difficult for them, however, to recover the ball. We took a risk and won. You cannot wait in a competition that sees the top teams drop so few points." "Kaka played great and came in when only we had the ball and when it was difficult to break our stride. It was the perfect scenario for Kaka and Cristiano in the closing minutes and the opponent looking to equalize. The fourth goal was fantastic. There couldn't have been anything better for Kaka than returning to the Bernabeu after so many months and scoring." "Cristiano leaves me speechless. He shows up game after game and week after week. I don't know how to describe his performance. I went to celebrate the goal with my son, who was sitting behind the Villarreal bench."

Real Madrid 4-2 Villarreal Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and set up another for Kaka as Real Madrid beat Villarreal 4-2. Madrid twice fought back from deficits to defeat Villarreal in an entertaining encounter at the Bernabeu. Villarreal led through goals from Cani and Marco Ruben during a hugely impressive first-half display, but they were pegged back each time by strikes from Ronaldo. The second half belonged almost entirely to Madrid and Ronaldo gave the home side the lead they deserved with his third of the match 10 minutes from time, and two minutes later he provided the pass for the fit-again Kaka to score his first goal of the season. The Brazil international has only just returned from a knee operation. The victory means Madrid, who beat Villarreal 6-2 in last season's corresponding fixture, have now won 17 successive competitive matches at home and move back to within two points of leaders Barcelona. Villarreal remain in third spot, but they are now a massive 11 points behind Madrid in second. The Yellow Submarine looked capable of trimming the gap between the two - and ending Jose Mourinho's remarkable unbeaten home record in league matches which stretches back almost nine years - after they enjoyed a flying start, opening up the Madrid defence with a fine move right from kick-off. On that occasion Santi Cazorla saw his shot deflected just wide, but it was the start of what proved to be a torrid first period for the home defence. The next time the visitors had Madrid in serious trouble was in the seventh minute, and it resulted in the opening goal of the game. Giuseppe Rossi threaded the ball through on the edge of the box to Cani, who flicked a fine finish past Iker Casillas. Villarreal's advantage lasted just two minutes though before Madrid drew level with a superbly-worked goal. Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil combined well on the edge of the area to put the latter in behind the Villarreal defence and the Germany international's pass was slotted in by the unmarked Ronaldo at the far post. Despite that setback, Villarreal continued to play their attractive passing game and they retook the lead in the 19th minute through Ruben's excellent finish. Ruben raced onto Bruno Soriano's through-ball before lifting the ball over the out-rushing Casillas as Madrid appealed in vain for an offside flag. That looked set to be the half-time scoreline, but Ronaldo had other ideas and he drew the teams level again just before the break, getting to Xabi Alonso's free-kick ahead of Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez to glance the ball in. Madrid could consider themselves fortunate to be on level terms at the break, but it was a different story after the break as the hosts found themselves increasingly camped in Villarreal territory. Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria both blazed decent shooting opportunities over before Benzema was denied by Lopez at his near post. Ronaldo spurned a great opportunity in the 64th minute after finding himself with just Lopez to beat. Perhaps thinking he was offside, the Portugal international dithered on the ball and in the end the shooting chances was lost. Rossi threatened on a rare Villarreal counter-attack before Madrid went close again, Benzema once more being denied by Lopez. A Madrid goal was looking increasingly likely, and it duly arrived in the 80th minute through Ronaldo. He was unable to make the most of his first opportunity but he managed to regain possession before spinning and firing a low left-footed shot into the corner of the net. That was Ronaldo's 22nd league goal of the season, his fourth hat-trick of the campaign and means he has now scored 64 goals in just 62 appearances since his world-record transfer from Manchester United in 2009. Ronaldo was not done yet though, and he turned provider soon after to help substitute Kaka wrap up the points with a neat finish. Mourinho celebrated that goal in front of the Villarreal bench, which did not go down well with the visitors, one of whom threw a water bottle in the direction of the Portuguese. It missed, but the referee raced over to brandish a red card to one of the Villarreal contingent on the sidelines.