Thursday, 1 May 2014

No to Roy! Pellegrini to ignore Hodgson's plea to rest England duo Hart and MilnerIT HAS been three years since men the world over fell in love with Pippa Middleton’s posterior #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar.

MANCHESTER CITY are set to defy England coach Roy Hodgson's wishes by taking Joe Hart and James Milner to Abu Dhabi for an exhibition match after the end of the Premier League season.

man city, england, james milner, joe hartJames Milner has to go on a post-season trip to the UAE[GETTY]
Hodgson wrote to clubs asking them to give England's World Cup contingent the week off following the final game of the campaign so they could rest before joining up with his squad.
City, however, have a friendly against Al Ain planned on May 15 and Hart and Milner, plus World Cup players from other countries, have been told the trip is compulsory. Sheikh Mansour, City's owner, is also the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
Even if Hart and Milner do not feature in the game, the jaunt does not amount to the free week that Hodgson wants his squad to have.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are due to fly home on May 16 and the duo would report for England duty just two days later before flying to Portugal for a pre-World Cup training camp on May 19.
In contrast, Liverpool play Shamrock Rovers on May 14 but will not include their England players and are instead allowing them to go on holiday.
Hodgson, who names his 23-man squad on May 12, will be dismayed by City's stance, but knows he is ultimately at the mercy of the club.
"I sent out a letter on FA paper to the clubs, giving them our programme and asking them to be aware that my intention was that, from the last game of the season, the players should be totally free until we meet up," said Hodgson. "I want them to get a break from football. That's what we would like.
man city, england, james milner, joe hartThe trip is compulsory so Joe Hart will travel with the Man City squad [AP]
"I've been led to understand the England players aren't going with Liverpool. What you're telling me about Manchester City is news to me.
"But the bottom line is that we have no control over it. I've done what I can do. I've said to the clubs that, as England manager, it is best that they have a week away from football at the end of the season, to relax and clear their minds, so that from May 19 they can settle down and put a lot of thought and a lot of focus and physicality into trying to win a the World Cup.
"But if the clubs say, 'We're not interested in that, we want to do something else', then there's nothing I can do about it.
"I don't have the right or the authority to tell clubs what to do at the end of the season. What I do have the authority is to keep the players from May 19 because the FIFA regulations say so."
It comes as Hodgson dropped a hint that Frank Lampard will go to the World Cup and said that he has "never doubted" Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole.
The duo have spent time on the sidelines this season at club level, but the England coach spoke of the importance of Lampard's role as a vice-captain and said Cole, under pressure from Southampton teenager Luke Shaw, remains in his thoughts.
"The fact he had not played won't affect me that much," said Hodgson. "I have never doubted Ashley. And I have never thought I can't pick Ashley because he hasn't played the last 18 games.
man city, england, james milner, joe hartRoy Hodgson has hinted that he will take Frank Lampard to Brazil [PA]
"My problem is going to be a very simple one: there are three, possibly four, very good candidates for the left-back position, and can I afford to take more than two?"
Meanwhile, Hodgson said he was not concerned by Manchester United whizzkid Adnan Januzaj's decision to pledge his international future to Belgium rather than England because "he's not English anyway".
The FA had courted the teenager, even though under FIFA rules he could not play for England until 2018, but last week he opted to play for Belgium where he was born.
"I am not particularly disappointed, because it's about 2018," added Hodgson. "Sometimes I don't see what the fuss is about. If a player isn't eligible to play for England until 2018, then what's the problem if he goes and plays for someone else?
"How can you be upset in 2014 if he goes and plays for one of the other countries that he's actually eligible for? He's not English anyway."

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