Sir Alex Ferguson: Darron Gibson's Goals Make Him 'The New Paul Scholes' At Manchester United

 Irish international can be '12-14' goals a season man...

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Darron Gibson can develop into the kind of goalscoring midfielder which Paul Scholes has been at Old Trafford over recent years.

Ferguson believes that the Red Devils have lacked a natural goalscorer in midfield when Scholes has not been fit, and he is optimistic that Gibson, who netted his sixth goal of the season last week against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, can develop into that kind of player.

"You saw Gibson's performance against Bayern Munich," the Scot told reporters.

"That was his sixth goal of the season [in all competitions] and you cannot dismiss that.

"It is the kind of contribution we used to get from Paul Scholes. He used to get me 12 to 14 goals from midfield all the time and we haven't had a player like that in a while."

Ferguson also feels that Gibson may well have helped United's campaign significantly if he had played more regularly throughout the season.

"Who is to say if Gibson had been playing all the time where he would be in terms of goals?" Ferguson mused.

"But he is getting recognition now and even the players are commenting on how much he has improved."

Meanwhile, another United midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, may not return from injury until next season, with Ferguson doing little to reassure Red Devils fans that they will see the Canadian-born England international in action again this term.

"It is difficult to say when Owen will be back; he is training well and I had him in the squad for the Chelsea game," said the United manager.

"His training performances have been fine but I think at the moment midfield is not an issue for us because we have plenty of alternatives."

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Rafael Benitez: Liverpool Need To Buy 'Three Or Four' New Players This Summer

Rafael Benitez has declared that Liverpool will need to buy three of four more players during the summer transfer window, an undertaking that could require in excess of £60million.

After finishing second in the Premier League last season, the Reds have had a tough season, currently sitting in sixth place four points behind Manchester City for the last remaining Champions League spot.
With Albert Riera, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun set to leave Liverpool in the summer, Benitez says that in order for his team to improve they might have to sell in order to get the players they need to become a Premier League title contender.
 “If you analyse what Fernando and Jamie Carragher have been saying, they were talking about four or five new players for next season,” Benitez told the Daily Star.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s four or five, or three and five. The cost of a top-class player is about £20million. So with three or four players you start counting.
“Do I need three or four more? Yes, I think so.
“Will I have to sell to raise money? I will say again that it depends.
“We want to keep the spine of the team and do the same as we have done in the past. Sometimes you have to manage and you have to sell two or three players who aren’t playing many games.”

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Wenger: We must add players

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accepts he will have to make signings in the summer transfer window.

The Frenchman watched his side go down to a 4-1 Champions League quarter final second-leg defeat to Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Tuesday as Lionel Messi scored four to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory for the Catalans.

Wenger made just one signing last summer - the £10m Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax - but knows he must bring in more bodies ahead of the 2010/11 season.

"We have to add something, for sure, but we have some time to think about that," said Wenger.

"We are at a stage where we're developing players.

"[Theo] Walcott is 22; [Nicklas] Bendtner is 22; [Samir] Nasri, [Abou] Diaby and Denilson are 22 or 23. They've shown some great qualities and they'll get stronger every year.

"We were very young and what we did was very positive. We had six or seven players under 23 in the team and we had plenty of opportunities. We showed we lacked maturity in the weight of the final ball."

focus completely

Wenger, whose side are just three points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea, has now turned his attentions to next Wednesday's key match against Tottenham Hotspur.

"The priority now is to recover from the game," he said.

"We have played quite well, with a lot of character as ever, but we made a few too many mistakes.

"The match forces you straight away to focus because you know it's going to be a derby.

"Yes, of course, you worry about the team's needing lifting. We have to recover quickly because we cannot drop any more points to have a chance to fight for the Premier League. That's why we have to recover and focus completely on the Premier League now."

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Benitez may move Gerrard again

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has suggested Steven Gerrard may move position once again.

The England midfielder was dropped back to a deeper position against Sunderland on Sunday and responded with an improved personal display in the 3-0 win.

Gerrard was particularly influential in the first half of that match, his penetrative runs causing problems for the Sunderland defence.

Benitez has regularly fielded Gerrard behind striker Ferando Torres this season.

For a long time critics have been urging Benitez to deploy Gerrard in what they feel is his best position but the manager said the overall game plan was more important.


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Benitez happy at Aqua's progress

Rafael Benitez today predicted Alberto Aquilani will have a major role to play as Liverpool chase fourth place over the remaining seven games of the season.

The Italian international has seen his debut season on Merseyside interrupted by injuries and spells of illness, but Benitez insists the glimpses of quality he has provided during his time on the field - including a well drilled first goal against Portsmouth last week - are a pointer towards what Aquilani will provide as he continues his adaptation to the English game.

The 25-year-old impressed as a late substitute at Old Trafford on Sunday after recovering from the stomach bug which ruled him out of the Europa League clash with Lille.

"It was a shame he was sick because he had been good for the performance (against Portsmouth)," said Benitez. "You can see he wants to improve and it is important for us to have another player pushing.

"We need players with quality to help us improve until the end of the season. Alberto has got desire and he is working very hard. When we have him available, he can give us a different approach on the pitch in different games.

"Physically you could see he coped with a lot of running last time and it was much better.

"It is a question of time. It is disappointing that he was ill and missed out against Lille but we are hopeful he will continue to improve and play more games before the end of the season."

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Ancelotti sets title target

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has set his team a target of 86 points to win the Barclays Premier League.

Chelsea currently lie in third place with 65 points, but victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Wednesday would leave them just a point behind leaders Manchester United with seven matches remaining.

The Blues then face Aston Villa at home and United at Old Trafford, but Ancelotti believes the title can still be won and believes 86 points will be enough to guarantee them glory.

"I like statistics and I think that, in the past, with 86 points every team has won the title," Ancelotti said.

"I think that we need to get 86 points to win. We have less opportunity to win after last week because we lost two points at Blackburn, but we can have a chance again to win this title and we will do everything we can to do so. It's very important for us.

"Now I want to believe we can win the championship and I want to stay focused on my job and give my players knowledge to win their next games.

"I always said that I want to give respect to my players and I want to have respect. I think this is the right behaviour and I think that, this season, everything is right with the players. I am happy with my players' attitude."

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Bruce tips Turner for England

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce believes Michael Turner must be closing in on an England call-up.

Having stood out last season for Hull City, the defender was snapped up by Bruce on deadline day for a reported £6m.

The 25-year-old has already established himself at the heart of the Black Cats defence and Turner has seen his England international credentials talked up.

With in-form Sunderland striker Darren Bent omitted from Fabio Capello's squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Ukraine and Belarus, Bruce feels the Italian must have been impressed with Turner's performance in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United before the international break.

"Everybody's been caught up with Benty and his goals, and rightly so. Darren has already played for England and I am sure he will again," he said.

"But if Mr Capello is looking for players, then he must have been impressed with Michael Turner last weekend. I thought he was immense for us and he could not have chosen a better time for that kind of performance than in front of the England manager.

"It wasn't a one-off either. Michael has been fantastic since he came here and he has been a big influence in both boxes."

Despite enjoying a glittering career as captain at Old Trafford during his playing days, Bruce never received a single England cap.

"I didn't have a bad career and came out of it with a lot of achievements I was proud of," he added.

"But I never got anywhere near a squad and it was a frustration at the time because I would have loved to play for England. There were times when I wondered if it was going to be my time, but it never came."

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Benitez remains upbeat

Rafael Benitez is confident Liverpool can mount another Barclays Premier League title bid this season.

Doubts have been raised over whether a sustained challenge can come from Anfield considering the team have already lost three times - one more than the whole of the previous campaign - to lie six points behind leaders Chelsea after eight matches.

Benitez believes running champions and arch-rivals Manchester United close last term, finishing four points behind the Old Trafford club, has brought positives and negatives and he maintains the mounting criticism is unjustified.

"The most difficult thing this season is to manage expectation," the manager said. "Last season we finished with 86 points and everyone was talking about this being the year.

"It's a long race and if we make mistakes and give up too early it will be impossible. So the main thing for everyone here is to try to be calm and keep working hard."

Benitez is hopeful the return of centre-back Daniel Agger, who has not played a first-team game since the end of May after a summer back operation, and the inclusion of £20m former Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who is yet to make his debut after ankle surgery, will provide a boost to the squad.

"We have some players coming back from injury, so we have time," added the Spaniard. "We need to keep the mentality, keep scoring goals and we will see."

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Terry Ready for Reds Showdown

John Terry says Chelsea will be ready for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.

The Blues captain is confident of a good display at Stamford Bridge despite an unconvincing win over Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League.

Nicolas Anelka's 18th-minute goal earned them a 1-0 victory but the performance did not please coach Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed he was "not satisfied" with his players.

But captain Terry promised the Blues would be ready for the Merseysiders. "The confidence wasn't knocked at Wigan (a 3-1 defeat) - you can't afford not to believe in yourselves or your team-mates," said Terry. "It was important that we realised we went wrong at Wigan and that we responded well. You don't get much time to think about it with the games coming thick and fast, and we did a good job here.

"We responded well against Apoel. We're top of the group with six points from two matches, in a good position, and now we go back to the Premier League for the Liverpool game on Sunday.

"We have to be better against Liverpool. They are a very good side who had a tough result on Tuesday. They will be up for it and they are a big club, so we will have to respond again when we play them."

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Allardyce won't rush new arrivals

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce is refusing to throw his summer recruits into battle too soon.

The Rovers chief enjoyed a productive foray into the transfer market during pre-season, with a number of fresh faces added to his squad.

Renowned for his ability to wheel and deal, the former Bolton Wanderers manager spent much of his time scouring foreign fields.

His efforts paid off as he was able to secure the signatures of Nikola Kalinic, Michel Salgado, Steven Nzonzi and Elrio van Heerden.

Allardyce has high hopes for the quartet, despite his reluctance to hand them regular football, and is expecting all to become integral parts of the Ewood Park set-up.

He is, however, keen to ease them in gently, citing Chelsea's treatment of Andriy Shevchenko in 2006 as a perfect example of how not to go about helping a newcomer acclimatise to life in England.

"This wasn't a young man, this was an old experienced player," Allardyce said.

"Because Chelsea put him in too quickly, and because he wasn't ready he became a complete flop.

"It was far too quick for him, far too physical and the lad's confidence just drained away. He never, ever got to it.

"So when I say adapting, I talk about three, six, nine and 12 months. Not two and three games like you lot (the media) talk and the fans talk about."

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Trophies the yardstick for Hughes

Mark Hughes is convinced one trophy is all it will take for Manchester City to become one of England's superclubs.

After spending in excess of £120m this summer, City have already proved their ability by winning four matches on the trot and running Manchester United so close at Old Trafford on Sunday has underlined their top four credentials.

But, ahead of Wednesday's Carling Cup encounter with Fulham at Eastlands, the City chief knows either would allow his team to take the final step towards gatecrashing the game's elite.

"If you win trophies and have experience of winning trophies as a group of players and as a club, it helps you," he said.

"It shows you the qualities needed to overcome opposition and win things. We haven't got that yet. But if we can get into positions to win trophies it would allow us to go that final step."

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Wenger: Wilshere has something special

Arsene Wenger has hailed Jack Wilshere, claiming the midfielder has "something special".

The youngster turned in another fine performance as the Gunners defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in the third round of the Carling Cup at the Emirates Stadium, writes Stewart Coggin.

He was also involved in the match's most controversial incident when Jerome Thomas was handed a straight red card for hitting out at Wilshere before half-time after the pair challenged for a ball.

Second-half goals from Sanchez Watt and Carlos Vela put the 10-man Baggies to the sword, but much of the post-match discussion centred around the lively Wilshere.

"I think he did very well, he looked lively and dangerous," said Wenger. "In a difficult part of the game he was dangerous, when it was very tight in the first half he looked to find openings.

"He was not scared, he has something it is very hard to give players, he gets the ball and takes people on, still sometimes there is a lack of experience in his decision making but there is something special there.

"I believe in the future he will be a central player but at the moment he needs education, playing wide left and wide right."

Wenger was happy to see his youthful side reach the fourth round, and praised the efforts of his players against a West Brom team leading the Championship.

"Overall it was a good game, it would have been a great game if it had strayed 11 against 11 but we were patient, played with cohesion, didn't make mistakes and in the end the natural outcome was there," he added.

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Benitez pleased with Aquilani progress

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hinted Alberto Aquilani is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.

The Italy international was bought from Roma in the summer as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, who joined Real Madrid.

But Aquilani is recovering from an ankle operation and it was announced when he joined the Reds that it could be eight weeks before he was ready for action.

Benitez, though, is pleased with the progress of the 25-year-old, who has a reputation for being susceptible to injury, as he has already started working in the gym.

clever player

"Alberto is improving," the Reds manager told the club's official website. "We were talking before about six to eight weeks and after a few weeks his ankle is much better but he will need time.

"He's in the swimming pool and in the gym and working with the physios but he's not jogging yet.

"We cannot put a date on things and it's important to just see how he progresses.

"We are checking on him regularly and he had a scan in the past week which showed he is much better.

"It's just a case of keeping an eye on him every day. When he does start to play everyone will see what a clever player he is."

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McCarthy looks for injury boost

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy hopes four key players could soon be available after injury lay-offs.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Chris Iwelumo, Michael Kightly and Kevin Foley have all missed the start to the Barclays Premier League campaign.

Ebanks-Blake and Iwelumo scored more than 50 goals between them last season and helped Wolverhampton Wanderers gain promotion back to the Barclays Premier League.

They have been sidelined at the start of the current campaign with hamstring and metatarsal setbacks respectively - with Kightly (metatarsal) and last season's Player Of The Year Foley (knee) also out of action.

But McCarthy is confident the quartet may be able to return to training after the international break.

He said: "We've got 40-50 goals in Chris Iwelumo and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake sat on the physio's table.

"We've got 10 goals a season from Michael Kightly sat on the physio's table. To have Chris and Sylvan missing, with all the goals they scored, is a real frustration.

"Ebanks-Blake will be another couple of weeks, Iwelumo might be training when everyone comes back from the internationals, Kightly might be training with the squad after the break and the same with Foley. There is every chance of that.

"I would like all my squad back fit. That would make a big difference."

McCarthy confirmed that defender Stephen Ward will be out of action for two to three weeks. He has undergone a knee operation.

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Liverpool's Title Challenge Is Not Over, Insists Rafa Benitez

Rafa firmly believes the Reds can still win the title despite their shaky start to the campaign...

Rafa Benitez has asserted his belief that Liverpool can still mount a challenge for the Premier League title, despite last night's 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa.

The Reds have now lost two of their opening three games, the same number of defeats they managed in the whole of last season, but the Spaniard is sure they can turn it around.

Before last night's encounter, Benitez had called on his charges to make Anfield a fortress as they seek their first league title in two decades, but too many defensive mistakes cost them dearly, and now the former Valencia supremo will have to pick up the pieces in time for this Saturday's vital clash with Bolton Wanderers.

He confirmed to BBC Sport: "We now know that we have to go to Bolton on Saturday and win. Everything could change if we do that, our confidence will improve.

"This squad is virtually the same as last season so I believe it is good enough to mount a title challenge."
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Tigers in contract talks with Geovanni

Hull City manager Phil Brown has confirmed talks to secure Geovanni on a new contract are at an 'advanced stage.'

Geovanni's current deal at the KC Stadium expires at the end of the season and Brown believes the Brazilian playmaker is keen to stay with the Tigers.

The 29-year-old had a mixed debut campaign with the Barclays Premier League club, scoring a number of crucial goals but also clashing with Brown on occasion.

Brown has no problems with Geovanni's attitude and is hoping the former Manchester City man will commit his future to Hull.

"I'm at advanced stages with Geo and he's made reference to wanting to stay at Hull and in England, he's got nothing but positives to say about the club," Brown said.

"I have had many, many conversations with Geovanni. He can sulk, but these players can take things personally at times when it's nothing personal.

"I understand the deal is that you're going to have spats with your players if you're passionate about your job and this club.

"That's probably a sign that they're passionate as well, so I don't have a problem with it."

Meanwhile, Brown has admitted his relief that Kamel Ghilas failed to secure a move to Blackburn Rovers after the Algerian striker scored the only goal against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

He added: "Our European scout Bob Shaw has been looking at Kamel for a year now, but we nearly missed out because Blackburn were watching him as well.

"Fortunately for us, he failed a fitness test with Rovers. But he did not look unfit to me - he looked very sharp and full of desire. His work-rate off the ball was fantastic."

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Spirit of '61 inspires Redknapp

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Redknapp says his side have the belief to challenge the Barclays Premier League top four.

Sunday's 2-1 victory over West Ham United meant their best start to a season since winning the double in 1961.

Redknapp refused to compare his current crop to Spurs' celebrated team from nearly half a century ago, although he feels his side have a chance of creating their own history and pushing for their place in the Champions League.

After falling behind to Carlton Cole's spectacular opener at Upton Park, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon took advantage of errors from Gianfranco Zola's men to maintain Spurs' 100 per cent start to the campaign.

"Nine points is a great start for us," Redknapp said. "But I wouldn't even compare ourselves to the '61 or '62 team. That was an amazing football team.

"They had Bill Nicholson as manager, Dave Mackay and Danny Blanchflower playing for them. Dave Mackay was like three men, not one.

"We've got some good players, but they had a great team and were fantastic. That was a special time in the club's history, a long time ago. If we are anywhere as good as them, we'll be okay."

Confidence is high at Spurs after wins over Liverpool, Hull City and now West Ham, with pundits suggesting Redknapp has the quality to challenge the top four.

"Who knows what we can achieve?" he said. "I'm not saying we'll finish in the top four, but we have good quality and we'll give it a go.

"It could be open this year. Manchester City will certainly be pushing to be a top-four team, and there's no reason we can't push.

"We've won two away games already this year. If our home form stands up, we'll be right up there."

Redknapp's men had to come from a goal behind after Cole unleashed a 25-yard volley which crashed past Carlo Cudicini four minutes after the break.

Cole turned from hero to villain five minutes later when his backpass led to Defoe levelling.

The winner came 11 minutes from time after Jonathan Spector's slip allowed Lennon to cut inside and drive past Robert Green.

few teams

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola is desperate to give Cole support in attack and wants to bring in Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux.

But Zola said: "I don't think West Ham are his only potential destination. There are a few teams after him."

Zola has been without Dean Ashton following a long-term ankle injury. Following a report Ashton could retire from football, Zola added: "As far as I know, he's still doing his rehabilitation and I'm hoping to have him in my team. He's a player who can make a big difference.

"Until they tell me something different, I'm hoping he'll come back."

It is understood that money from selling James Collins would allow the Chamakh deal to go through.

"There's an interest in him (Collins) from another team, but that's all I know," Zola said.

"In defence we have eight players I can choose from. In attack, I can only choose Carlton Cole or myself. We have two young players who are doing well, but they need time."

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Wenger: This could be Diaby's season

Arsene Wenger believes this could be Abou Diaby's 'season' after his double in Arsenal's 4-1 win over Portsmouth.

The injury-plagued Frenchman popped up twice in the first-half to put Arsenal 2-0 ahead at the Emirates Stadium, writes Stewart Coggin. Younes Kaboul's header brought Pompey back into the match but second-half strikes from William Gallas and Aaron Ramsey put the result beyond doubt and took Arsenal's tally to 10 goals in two Barclays Premier League matches.

Diaby has been likened to Arsenal great Patrick Vieira, due to his gangly frame and ability to bring the ball forward. Wenger feels the ex-Auxerre man is a more offensive player than the former captain.

"Abou is a more offensive player but when he plays defensively he is exactly like Vieira," observed Wenger in the post match press conference.

"At some stage when Gallas moved out I put Denilson centre back and put Diaby central midfield in a defensive role. And he looks completely similar to Patrick when winning the ball back. But he is a guy who has a quick transition from defence to offence, from box to box, that is his fantastic strength, to change quickly. Nobody can go with him when he has that, when we are counter-attacking. He is fantastic.

"This could be his season. He has all you dream to have to play in the Premier League."

Wenger was pleased with his side's performance off the back of a tough trip to Celtic in midweek.

"We always feel we can score goals," he added. "The information we got after the first two matches is that we scored 10 goals, we could have scored more, so that's a brilliant start. It should create confidence and momentum.

"The first week was very successful with two difficult away games. Now we have another week, a second week, it is another test with Celtic and Manchester United. It looks to be exciting and interesting."

Cesc Fabregas was substituted with a hamstring injury, with Wenger confirming he is a doubt for Wednesday's Celtic match and that the injury would be assessed over the next 48 hours.

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart felt it would have been a different match had Gallas been sent-off after the break when he tangled with John Utaka as the Nigerian ran through on goal. Referee Steve Bennett took no action, and Hart admitted it was a 'cruel' blow to see Gallas pop up with the next goal shortly afterwards.

"I am a little bit (aggrieved), but I would like to say that I thought my lads did well against an extremely good Arsenal team," said Hart, whose side posed a sustained threat on the counter-attack.

"I think they showed a great spirit, they were well organised and they created chances - so I think that is important to get across.

"It is easy to feel sorry for ourselves and think the world is against us but I think we have got a lot of positives to take out of the last three games. And we have got to build on them."

Hart confirmed goalkeeper David James will have a scan on Monday after being substituted with a knee injury.

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Sir Alex Ferguson Sets 90 Point Target For Manchester United

Fergie has asked his charges to repeat the performance of last season if the are to retain the Premier League crown.

Sir Alex Ferguson is aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title and has consequently set Manchester United a target of 90 points, if they are to retain their title as champions of England. "There is not much leeway," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"Last season we had a points total of 90 and even though we say it is the most competitive league, you still have to think of that figure to be the winner.

"Liverpool got 86 last season, which is an exceptional total too, but they only finished second."

The Red Devils recently suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor against Burnley, and will look to regain lost pride against Wigan Athletic today.

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Hart still expects new faces

Portsmouth's Paul Hart is confident of recruiting "one or two" new players before the transfer window closes.

The struggling south-coast club face a daunting trip to in-form Arsenal on Saturday, searching for their first Barclays Premier League points of the season.

Despite conceding just two goals in their opening two matches, Hart's side have lacked cutting edge and ideas going forward.

Pompey have been linked with a move for Lens striker Aruna Dindane in a bid to increase their striking options.

Hart admits the Ivory Coast international is on his wish list, along with Bolton Wanderers duo Danny Shittu and Gavin McCann.

And even though the club's takeover saga rumbles on, leaving Hart short of cash to spend, the Pompey manager is confident of landing some fresh faces in the next week or so.

He said: "Historically, a lot of the action takes place in the final week during the transfer window.

"We've got our targets and hopefully, over the next week or so those targets will be in here.

"We're still working on the fact we haven't got any money. Some of our targets from May are still there and some of those targets cost money.

"I think we've got to increase our options all over the park and I would like to bring in one or two players.

"They (Shittu and McCann) are on the list, as is Dindane."

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