Park Ji-Sung Diminta Berhenti Konsumsi Kodok

SEOUL, Kompas.com - Pemain Manchester United asal Korea, Par Ji-sung diminta menghentikan  kebiasaannya mengonsumsi jus kodok yang telah bertahun-tahun dijalaninya.

Sebuah grup pecinta lingkungan Korea Selatan,"Frogs Frioends" (Mitra Kodok) meminta Park untuk membantu mereka mengampanyekan penghentian pembantaian terhadap hewan amfibia tersebut.

Park Ji-sung oernah mengaku mengonsumsi kodok dalam bentuk jus untuk meningkatkan staminya. Hal ini sudah dilakukan sejak dikenalkan oleh ayahnya saat ia masih kanak-kanak. Ia pertamakali mengakui hal ini melalui oto-biografi miliknya yang terbit 2006 lalu.

"Kami belum mengetahui apakah ada hubungannya. Setelah Park (Ji-sung) mengaku mengonsumsi  kodok untuk peningkatan stamina, jumlah mereka yang mengonsumsi mahluk ini meningkat," kata Park Wan-hee dari lembaga nirlaba "Mitra Kodok."

Sejak berdiri pada 2007 lalu, lembaga ini telah mengampanyekan penghentian konsumi kodok di Korea Selatan.

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Manchester City's Roberto Mancini: We thought the game with Everton would be easier

The Eastlands outfit suffered defeat at Goodison Park and relinquished its outright lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to a solitary Darron Gibson goal.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini admits he underestimated Everton ahead of the clash which saw the Merseyside outfit prevail with a 1-0 victory.
The Italian’s side lost its outright lead over title rival Manchester United as a result of the loss, and only has a predominant goal-difference as a buffer between the two teams.
Darron Gibson scored the solitary goal of the game after a long-range effort swerved into the top corner of Joe Hart’s net, and the visitors failed to capitalize on their dominant possession.
Mancini conceded that he failed to prepare the team for the match and thought the game would be easier for his superstars.
“[It’s a] bad night for me,” he told reporters. “We didn’t deserve to lose, but I think there was some of my mistake in this game. We didn’t prepare very well for this game and we had a problem.
“It’s important for me to know what this mistake is. I didn’t prepare well because I thought maybe this game was easier and you know here [Goodison Park] is never easy, never.
“I didn’t prepare well with the training in the last three or four days.”
Asked if his players put in the same effort as the host, he said: “Yes, the players put everything on the pitch, but I made some mistakes to prepare them in last three days to prepare them for this game.
“[I thought it would be easier] because I thought we played well against Tottenham, we won the last three games in the Premier League and I thought Everton were without three or four important players.”
Regardless of the loss, the former Inter coach remained confident that his side have the quality and the time to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
He said: “It is not important. We are on the top, we have 15 games [left]. It is important that next Saturday we win, however, we have time.”
Mancini’s opposite number and the happier manager, David Moyes, expressed his pride for his players to come through a tough tie and get the result.
“I have [a lot of pride from the performance]. That’s as good at Everton as it has been for a long time. The players we were missing says a lot about the club and how they always seem to come and do it, the players have been great tonight," he told reporters.
“We might have played smoother football and played better, but a side we were playing against tonight I think the players deserve a lot of credit. Manchester City are a magnificent team, we had to defend for long periods, especially in the second-half.
“We limited them to not too many chances, but they’ve always got the threat with the likes of [David] Silva making a through pass, or with [Samir] Nasri with the ability he’s got. It was a great effort by the players and they sowed great desire to get a result.”
American Landon Donovan provided the game-winning assist, his fifth assist in seven Everton games since joining on loan this month.
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Young face spell on sidelines after 'very aggressive' Fulham match, according to Sir Alex Ferguson

The 19-year-old defender will be sent for an x-ray on a suspected fractured cheek while the former Aston Villa man faces two to three weeks out due to Dickson Etuhu's tackle

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted his side could be without defender Phil Jones and midfielder Ashley Young for a number of weeks after the English pair picked up injuries in the 5-0 thrashing of Fulham on Wednesday.

Jones suffered a suspected fractured cheek after being caught by the elbow of Clint Dempsey, while Young was forced off due to Dickson Etuhu's tackle in what Sir Alex thought was a "very aggressive" second half.

"It was an elbow from Dempsey but I don't think it was intentional," Sir Alex told reporters after the match. 
"He caught Jones and we'll send him for an x-ray. We'll see on Thursday but it doesn't look great.
"But there were some very aggressive tackles in the second half and Ashley Young paid the price of that. He was hurt and had to come off as well and will be out for two or three weeks.
"We are picking up injuries at the moment. Rio [Ferdinand] got a knock on the foot on Sunday at QPR but he should be available for the Blackburn game."
That would rule Ferdinand out of United's Boxing Day encounter against Wigan Athletic, with Nemanja Vidic also unavailable long-term with a knee injury.

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Manchester City's Edin Dzeko believes Manchester United are still Premier League title favourites

The Bosnian insists that "United are United" despite the Blues being five points clear at the top and attempted to clear up his negative reaction to being substituted in Germany

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko believes that Manchester United are still favourites for the Premier League title despite Roberto Mancini's side holding a five-point advantage over the Red Devils after 10 games.
 
Following City's 6-1 demolition of United at Old Trafford last weekend, the Blues preserved their five-point cushion with a 3-1 victory over Wolves at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Despite their position at the top of the table, former Wolfsburg attacker Dzeko admits "United are United" and that they are still favourites to retain their crown.

"I still don't think we are favourites," the Bosnian said, as quoted by the Guardian.

"There are still a lot of games to play. We have played 10 matches and are five points clear of Manchester United but for me they are still favourites for the title. We are first and want to stay there but United are United, although we are growing up with every game."

Dzeko was embroiled in controversy last month after his negative reaction to being substituted against Bayern Munich in the Champions League but the 25-year-old insists that he apologised after the game and that it was normal for him to be angry after failing to score.

"I apologised afterwards," he added. "Sometimes, it is hard when you play badly and don't score goals. Sometimes, you are angry and that is normal. I played for two and a half years in Germany. I wanted to win and maybe score a goal. In Munich we played well for the first 30 minutes and then nothing." 

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Manchester United defender Chris Smalling wants to play at both Euro 2012 and the London Olympics

Former Fulham man hoping to feature at both tournaments but insists his focus will be on the Red Devils' title challenge for the rest of the Premier League season

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has revealed he hopes to feature at both Euro 2012 and the London Olympic Games next year.

Smalling would see little time off during the summer if he did feature in both tournaments but pointed out that chances to play in major international competitions do not come around very often, though he admits club matters are his priority at the moment.

"I have to say that England is not my first target at the moment and neither are the Olympics," Smalling told the Manchester Evening News.

"United is what I am thinking about. But towards the end of the season I will be looking towards that and hopefully I might get into the England squad. Obviously I'd love to go there [Euro 2012].

"There is also the Olympics as well. A lot of the lads who went to the [Euro] Under-21 Championships last summer will be able to play in it.
"Whether it is the Euros, the Olympics, or both – you would like to be involved because these opportunities do not come around too often."
For now, though, Smalling is focusing on United's defence of the Premier League title and the former Fulham player admitted his delight at his rapid ascent from non-league football to the top flight and the Champions League.
"Everybody's career is not plain sailing," he said.
"I have been very much enjoying how it has gone over the last couple of years and hopefully it will stay on course. But I will be ready if there is a setback and I will work hard.

"When I was younger I stopped playing for a professional club after being at Millwall's academy. I was at school and I thought the chance in the pro game might not come again.
"But I was always going to give it a go and keep at it and worked hard. I never gave up and the reminder of that will always help me in the future.
"That will be the same response if I get a setback in the professional game. I learned from that.

"You cannot take anything for granted."

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits 6-1 hammering by rivals City is his 'worst ever day in football'

Red Devils manager is devastated by the margin of his side's defeat but is adamant they will return stronger after an embarrassing day at Old Trafford against their rivals

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted his side’s 6-1 defeat at the hands of neighbours Manchester City will mark the worst day in his football career.
  The incredible defeat is the first time since the 1930s that United have conceded six at home and marks their worst home defeat since losing 5-0 to City back in 1955.
The United boss was under no illusions at the impact of the result, admitting it was the worst defeat in his career and in the club's history.
“It was a bad day, our worst ever day,” Sir Alex told Sky Sports. “But we’ll come back from that, that is the challenge.
“The thing that concerned me the most was the goals, for and against. The difference was 10 goals, so that was a big blow for us because you never know if goal difference will count.
“Most years it’s in our favour, but at the moment it’s not.
“We will react. There is no question about that. It’s the perfect result for us to react to because there is a lot of embarrassment in the dressing room today and that will make an impact.
“I feel disappointed. It’s my worst defeat in history, even as a player, I don’t think I’ve ever lost a game 6-1, but that’s a challenge for me too.
“They are all disappointed in there; that will make a difference.
“By January we will be okay, we usually get a shot along the road and then usually do well in the second half of the season and that will have to be the case again.
“At the moment we’ve played all the teams that are around us, so we can’t really make a difference.
“They have all got to play each other obviously, but the second half of the season is usually very important for us.”
Sir Alex’s men went down thanks to two goals each from Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, whilst David Silva and Sergio Aguero also added a goal each, with Jonny Evans receiving a red card early on in the second half.
The Ulsterman received a straight red card for pulling down Balotelli when the Italian got in behind him, but referee Mark Clattenburg had no option but to send the defender off, with Sir Alex believing it played a massive part in the match.
“I think the sending off did play a big part,” rued the 69 year-old. “You can’t believe that scoreline if you see it for the first time.
“For the first 25 minutes we were outstanding and dominated the game. Of course they scored the first goal and that was a blow to us, but the win was still achievable in that situation.
“The sending off was certainly the killer for us and after that, we just kept attacking. In the nature of Manchester United that is all well and good, but once it gets to 4-1 the defenders should just say ‘that is it for today’.
“But we just kept attacking, with full-backs bombing forward and they were effectively three against two – it was crazy, crazy football.
“I thought with the experience we have got in the side, particularly with Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, they would have realised, but they all just kept attacking.
“It is okay playing like the history and tradition of the club, but sometimes you’ve just got to have a bit of common sense.
“It could have been even more for both sides - it was so open, we just kept attacking - unbelievable.”

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Manchester United forward Mame Biram Diouf believes another loan move would benefit his Old Trafford career

The Senegal international has had loan spells at former side Molde and in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers and is now after more first-team action

Manchester United youngster Mame Biram Diouf believes that a further spell on loan would benefit both himself and his club.
The forward arrived at Old Trafford from Norwegian outfit Molde in 2009 and was immediately loaned back to the club currently managed by Red Devils legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Diouf then secured another temporary move to Blackburn Rover last season where he featured 26 times, scoring on three occasions.
The 23-year-old believes he may need to depart from United once more on loan to gain more first-team action, instead of fighting it out with more experienced figures such as Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen.
"It is not easy for me, but to be honest unless you are [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo you are not going to get in the attack of Manchester United," he told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes you have a winner of the Golden Ball [Owen] or last season's top scorer (Berbatov) not even on the bench, in the last game the striker substitutes were Rooney and Hernandez.
"I will keep on fighting and see, going on a loan to play regularly would benefit both parties."

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Javier Hernandez signs new five-year contract with Manchester United

Mexican forward bagged 20 goals in his debut Premier League season, and becomes the 13th player at Old Trafford to sign a contract extension over the past year

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford, which will see the Mexico international join the top earners at the club.
The 23-year-old bagged 20 goals in his debut Premier League season after arriving from Chivas Guadalajara last year and becomes the 13th player to sign an extension in the past 12 months at Old Trafford. 
 

The striker had been linked with a move to Real Madrid during the summer but Hernandez's agent maintains his client was likely to remain at United following a promising first term and will now receive a salary on a similar level to that of Nani and Wayne Rooney.

"We have renegotiated Javier's contract and he is now committed for five years with Manchester United," said Hernandez's agent, Eduardo Hernandez.

"The initial contract was good for Manchester and for Javier because it enabled them both to see if they could fit together and if he could achieve what was expected of him. Both sides have met their expectations and United were happy to reward Javier after his very good performances last season.

"I will not talk about numbers, but it is a five-year contract. It is a fixed salary with incentives based on the team's success in each of the different tournaments.

"Javier was not badly paid with his initial contract, but it was his first contract and, with respect, not comparable with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Nani. But today I can say that the contract has just been signed and everyone is satisfied.

"It was never likely that Javier would leave. Talks began some time ago and United came up with a very good offer and I have nothing but praise for the way they have recognised Javier's performances."

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‘I don’t think about retirement’ – Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

The Scot suggests working with a youthful squad has maintained his hunger for success at Old Trafford as the 69-year-old celebrates 25 years in charge

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed he has no plans to retire from the Old Trafford hotseat anytime soon, and is instead focusing on heralding a further period of success at the club.
 
Despite initially planning to retire in 2002, Ferguson went on to win a record 19th Premier League title with United last season, and the 69-year-old has alluded he will remain in charge as long as his health allows him too.
Ferguson celebrates 25 years in charge of the club this year, and has suggested that being able to work with the new influx of youth into his squad has maintained his hunger for the game. Speaking to reporters, Ferguson said: "I just don't think about retirement any more.
"We've got a good young team and a lot of youth at the club as well as some tremendous staff. The future is good.
"When you've been on the treadmill for so long, 25 years in my case, and my health is good at the moment, it's just a matter of looking forward to being the manager of Manchester United, rather than worrying about Alex Ferguson.
"The great part for me is still to be out on the field with the players and coaching them. As the game has changed, I have had to change with it. For example, sports science in the last decade has seen a phenomenal improvement and that has become a major development in the game."

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'I’d be quite happy winning every game 1-0' - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson

Scot wants his defenders to put in better performances and concede fewer goals, despite having shipped only five so far and scoring plenty while remaining at the top of the table

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists that he would not mind his charges repeatedly winning by a 1-0 scoreline, rather than producing nailbiting results.
 
The Red Devils have already scored 24 goals in seven games in the Premier League this season, conceding just five goals in the process.

Despite being at the top of the table at the moment - albeit on goal difference - the Scot wants his defence to put in better performances, and expects that more clean sheets will materialise as young defenders gain experience.

"Let me tell you, I’d be quite happy winning every game 1-0," said Sir Alex, according to The Sunday Express.

"We’re playing a wee bit open, that’s for sure, both in the league and in European games. We are very attack-minded at the moment, but we have to be tight at the back.

"The defenders we have been using this season are young, remember, so they are going to get better as the campaign goes on."

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Manchester United's Darren Fletcher set to join Kenny Miller in surprise return to Scotland side to face Liechtenstein

The Red Devils midfielder had originally been expected to overcome tonsillitis in time for Spain clash on Tuesday, but may join Cardiff striker in line up for Saturday's fixture

Fletcher had been expected to be fit in time for Tuesday’s away clash with Spain after suffering from tonsillitis, but the Manchester United man should be available to lead his country after flying out to meet the national squad at their training base in Switzerland.
Speaking to reporters, manager Craig Levein said: "Darren will arrive today and I have not 100 per cent ruled him out of tomorrow.
"He feels better. He will do something on his own today.
"I have to wait to see him and assess him. If the medical team gives him the thumbs up he will play, if not he is 100 per cent certain to be involved on Tuesday [against Spain]."
The news of Kenny Miller’s return to light training on Thursday has also come as a welcome boost to national boss Levein.
Miller sustained a groin injury last weekend for Cardiff City in their 2-1 defeat to Hull City, but is now expected to return to fitness and had been in line to captain the national side in the initially expected absence of Darren Fletcher.
"Kenny is doing a little bit of training this morning and will hopefully get through that and train with the rest of the boys later," Levein continued.
"But I won't take any silly risks. If he is fit he is fit, if he is not then he will not play.
"I am relaxed about it. I have spoken to Malky Mackay [Cardiff City manager] about it and we are both on the same page and I have said to him as well that I am not in the business of risking players who have injuries.
"It doesn't do me, Kenny or the club any good. But I am hopeful with Kenny because there has been a big improvement this week. I just want to be sure.
"I will until tomorrow before naming the team in all likelihood because I just want to see if he has any reaction to what he does today.
"Kenny is an important player for us and he knows he is an important player and I would like to have him available but we will see what the outcome is today."
Despite Levein’s initial reluctance to risk the fitness of Miller, the 31-year-old left Glasgow Airport with the squad on Thursday as they flew to their Swiss training base.

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