Today's other soccer stories in brief

Arsenal must be positive

ARSENE Wenger has urged Arsenal to take charge of their own destiny in tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final against Villarreal.

The Gunners are in the driving seat after Emmanuel Adebayor’s away goal earned them a 1-1 draw at El Madrigal last week.

A goalless draw at the Emirates would be enough to seal Arsenal a place in the semi-finals.

But Wenger insisted: “We know we are in a situation where we don’t want to be tentative at all. We want to be decisive but you can only do that if you decide to play in a very positive way.

“I don’t believe that we are a team who can play for 0-0, that’s not our natural way.” He added on the Arsenal website: “I don’t expect any weaknesses from them. I expect some strength from us to say: ‘Listen, we have the opportunity to get to the semi-finals, let’s take it’.

“I am confident we will and we have the quality needed to do that but you know from their game that they can be dangerous as well.”

Luton relegated from League

LUTON Town’s 89-year stay in the English Football League came to an end yesterday when they were relegated from League Two (fourth division).

A 0-0 draw with Chesterfield condemned Luton to the drop, although they have been fighting a losing battle all season after starting with a 30-point penalty for financial infringements.

Without the deduction Luton, a top-flight team in the 1980s and the 1988 League Cup winners when they beat Arsenal at Wembley, would have been safe in mid-table.

“Hopefully, we’ll bounce straight back,” said manager Mick Harford.

Five-year deal for Macheda

MANCHESTER United could offer Federico Macheda a five-year deal when he turns 18 in August after the Italian striker scored two goals in his first two Premier League matches, his agent said yesterday.

“When he’s 18 we’ll talk again. I think Manchester will ask us to sign a five-year deal and I think that would be logical because it makes no sense to lose a lad at 21,” said Giovanni Bia. Macheda scored late winners against Aston Villa and Sunderland.

Chelsea dismiss Mourinho's return

CHELSEA chairman Bruce Buck has dismissed talk of former manager Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge.

With interim boss Guus Hiddink still set to end his temporary spell with the Blues this summer to return to the Russian national team full-time, speculation is intensifying about the long-term managerial situation in west London.

AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has featured heavily in tabloid speculation, while Mourinho, who is nearing the end of his first season as Inter Milan boss, has been linked with a return to the club he left 18 months ago.

However, when asked in a fans’ question and answer session about Mourinho Buck said: “My honest answer is that I don’t think it is likely to happen.

“Jose was a great coach, he is a great guy but I think his time at Chelsea Football Club has passed.”

Asked about Mourinho’s abrupt exit in 2007, Buck added: “Well first of all we didn’t fire him; it was mutual that he left the club.

“There is not much more we can say than in September 2007.

“The board and Jose were not seeing eye-to-eye on a number of things and it was time we parted company.

McCarthy's Wolves in sight of place at the top table

MICK McCarthy insists it will be business as usual at the weekend when QPR visit Molineux – where a victory for Wolves would see the Black Country club promoted to the English Premier League.

Andy Keogh’s late winning goal against Derby at Pride Park saw Wolves strengthen their grip on the title and all but assured them of automatic promotion.

The 3-2 victory stretched Wolves’ lead at the top of the table to six points with just three games remaining after nearest rivals Birmingham and third-placed Sheffield United, a further point behind the Blues, were held to home draws by Plymouth and Nottingham Forest respectively.

Another win on Saturday would guarantee Wolves’ return to the top flight, but manager McCarthy was quick to play down that notion.

“That’s dangerous. They will all be wanting the carnival stuff and the fanfare and turning up and giving it large and the big yahoo, but it’s business as usual as far as I am concerned,” said McCarthy.