Regeln » night off to rest his sore right

LONDON -- For English football, it has long seemed unthinkable: a league season starting without the finger-jabbing, combative colossus of management on the touchlines. Vans Shoes Clearance . Alex Ferguson will be a bystander for the first time since 1986, watching from afar as Manchester United starts its pursuit of a record-extending 21st English title. David Moyes now carries that responsibility. Widely admired during 11 years at Everton despite failing to collect a major honour, Moyes was hand-picked by Ferguson in the biggest decision -- gamble, perhaps -- taken by the owning Glazer family. "People are asking whether we can win the trophy again. Can we still be champions?" captain Nemanja Vidic acknowledged. Although he openly flirted with United in the months before Fergusons retirement was publicly disclosed, Jose Mourinho -- one of the most talented but temperamental managers of his generation -- wasnt approached for the job. The charismatic Portuguese is back in the Premier League, though, after six years collecting trophies with Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Claiming to have mellowed since leaving Chelsea after a fall-out, Mourinho is widely expected to return to his combustible self once the season begins and produce the touchline tantrums Ferguson can no longer provide. Just a week into the season, the 50-year-old managers will get a chance to size each other up in a match that could set the tone for the opening weeks, with United hosting Chelsea. "That game will not decide who is going to be champions," Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic said. "But it will decide a lot of things about the confidence." By then, the Blues may have gained an edge by having played an extra game. United will only have played once -- its title defence begins Saturday at Swansea, following last weekends 2-0 win over Wigan in the Community Shield. Ill-feeling between the sides has been inflamed by Chelseas hostile pursuit of United striker Wayne Rooney. Mourinho insists hes not engaging in "mind games" with Moyes, but has still offered a few pointed words of advice. "One of the most difficult things in the club is to create a victory culture, where you walk through the door and you smell the success, you smell confidence, you smell self-esteem," said Mourinho, who has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal. "David is in a big club and that is a big help -- everybody knows how to win. Of course, it is up to him now." And he knows just how daunting the task is. "There has to be an element of fear that comes with managing a club like Manchester United," Moyes said. With the spotlight on Mourinho and Moyes, Manuel Pellegrini has been able to make a quiet start to his first job in English management. The 59-year-old Chilean left Malaga for Manchester City after Roberto Mancini was fired for failing to follow up the 2011-12 Premier League title with a single trophy last season, finishing 11 points behind United in second. Talk of dressing room disharmony has melted away as Pellegrini started to re-shape the squad, spending more than $130 million on strikers Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo, midfielder Fernandinho and winger Jesus Navas. Such a lavish outlay was easily affordable for the oil-rich Abu Dhabi ownership, but the spending could pose a challenge in complying with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations, a requirement of playing in the Champions League. By contrast, United failed in its pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and even more ambitious thoughts of bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford from Madrid. Chelsea might have missed out on Rooney, but around $40 million has still been spent on signing striker Andre Schuerrle and midfielder Marco van Ginkel. As for Arsenal, which finished behind Chelsea in fourth, not a penny has been spent. Thats despite chief executive Ivan Gazidis raising the hopes of fans in June by pledging to "escalate" spending. Moves to entice Luis Suarez from Liverpool for more than $60 million have been rebuffed by Liverpool, which is insisting that the Uruguay striker honour his contract after the club backed him through racism and biting controversies. The Gunners have seen north London rival Tottenham invest $65 million in the squad, although manager Andre Villa-Boas could still be faced with losing arguably the leagues most potent player in Gareth Bale before the transfer window closes Sept. 2. Real Madrids pursuit of the Wales forward threatens to destabilize Tottenham in the opening weeks of the season unless quickly resolved. Bale would be leaving a Premier League that will feature two Welsh teams for the first time after Cardiff gained promotion to join Swansea, which will find it hard to repeat last seasons 11th-place finish and League Cup success. The Cardiff-Swansea derby is shaping up to be one of the fieriest fixtures of the season. The manager to watch out for, though, will be Paolo Di Canio, the confrontational and divisive Italian who succeeded in keeping Sunderland in the top flight after being hired in the closing stages of the season. Sunderland is one of the six Premier League clubs under American ownership. Alongside Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, Fulham is the latest, with Shad Khan buying out Mohamed Al Fayed last month. The attraction of teams to foreign businessmen is underscored by the new riches being injected into the Premier League, notably from the United States, where NBC has captured the TV rights and covered New York subway trains with its advertising. New rights TV deals will generate around $8.5 billion over the next three years, with a record share of $90 million per season guaranteed for even the bottom team -- and it is newcomers Crystal Palace, Cardiff and Hull who are tipped to go straight back down. Another landmark, highlighting the global allure, will be when Southamptons Victor Wanyama becomes the first player in the Premier League from Kenya, making the African nation the 100th country from outside Britain to be represented in a game. Yet for all the new arrivals and the dramas that unfold in the 20 grounds in the coming months, the absence of one man is still likely to be felt most. Moyes job is to ensure United fans dont hanker after the 71-year-old Ferguson and plead for his return. "It has to be a new era," Moyes said. "My job now is to make my history ... make sure now that my history and my time is something which the fans and people in the future talk about." Vans Shoes Sale . On July 27 cyclings best-known race will host "La Course by Le Tour de France" -- a one-day womens competition staged hours before Tour riders race on the same circuit to finish the three-week event on Paris Champs-Elysees. Vans Shoes Outlet Sale . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone. http://www.vansoutletsale.com/ . The premature end left 26 players still to finish the round in the Asian Tour event. Siddikur, who shot a bogey-free first round to share the lead with five others, eagled the par-5 first hole before bogeying twice and rebounding with six birdies. SAN FRANCISCO -- It didnt take Tim Hudson very long to establish himself as the ace of the San Francisco Giants rotation. One month into the season, the three-time All-Star is looking just as sharp and crisp as ever. Not even a close play at first base that was eerily reminiscent to the one that resulted in a shattered right ankle last July was enough to rattle the right-hander. Hudson and Sergio Romo combined on a five-hitter and the Giants beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Wednesday night. "He just put on a clinic," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He stayed down the whole game, had good movement, changed speeds and threw strike one. If you want to show young pitchers how to do it, thats how you do it." Hudson (4-1) struck out six and didnt walk a batter for the fourth time in five starts this season. The Giants most consistent starter in his first season with the club, Hudson has walked two batters in 46 innings. The 38-year-old was one pitch from recording his first shutout in nearly two years before Yasmani Grandals two-out home run in the ninth. "It was definitely an economical night," Hudson said after throwing 89 pitches. "I was able to get down in the strike zone and stay down in the zone, work ahead in the count. Guys were making some good plays behind me. It was a fun night for us." Brandon Hicks homered and Michael Morse drove in his team-leading 20th RBI for the Giants, who finished 5-1 on their homestand. Cameron Maybin doubled and scored for San Diego, which has lost 10 consecutive series at AT&T Park. Hudson allowed only one runner past second base until Grandals home run in the ninth, and had two stretches where he retired nine straight batters. The right-hander helped his cause at the plate with a single in the second and a key sacrifice bunt in the seventh that put the eventual winning run in scoring position. He also survived a scare while covering first base to take the throw from Brandon Belt and retire Jace Peterson to end the fifth. The play brought back memories of last season when Hudson collided with Eric Young of the New York Mets and suffered a gruesome season-ending ankle injury. "Im not as quick as I used to be getting to first," Hudson said. "That kid was getting down the line pretty good. The old guy had to put it into overdrive to beat him. Vans Outlet Online. " Hudson was sharp early and needed only 19 pitches to retire the first seven batters. After giving up a one-out single to Peterson in the third, the three-time All-Star struck out San Diego pitcher Robbie Erlin and Everth Cabrera. The only other hits the Padres managed came on a two-out double by Grandal in the fourth, a single by Jedd Gyorko in the seventh and a leadoff double by Maybin in the eighth. Maybin scored on Alexi Amaristas groundout. "You cant let a guy like that get ahead in the count," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Hell really give you fits. Those pitches that were early count swings looked to me as though they were in good spots today. We just didnt hit them." The Giants, playing without leadoff hitter Angel Pagan and third baseman Pablo Sandoval, backed Hudson with just enough offence. Every starter except leadoff man Juan Perez had at least one hit. Hunter Pence singled, stole second and scored on Morses two-out double off the wall in right in the first. Hicks fifth home run of the season leading off the second made it 2-0. Erlin (1-4) pitched out of jams in the third and fourth but lost his fourth straight start. He left with two outs in the seventh, struck out five and walked one. Buster Poseys RBI single off reliever Dale Thayer drove in Joaquin Arias to put the Giants up 3-0. After Grandals homer cut San Franciscos lead to 3-2, Romo retired pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia for his seventh save. Pagan was given the night off to rest his sore right knee while the slumping Sandoval also rested. Sandoval went into the night batting just .177 with only six RBIs. NOTES: Gyorko was reinstated from the paternity leave list before the game. To make room, San Diego optioned Tommy Medica to Triple-A El Paso. ... Padres LF Carlos Quentin, on the 15-day DL with a bone bruise in his left knee, will re-join the big league club for a workout at Petco Park before Fridays game against Arizona. The team will then determine where Quentin goes to begin a rehab assignment. ... RHP Tim Lincecum (1-1), who starts the series opener, has a 2.99 ERA in 13 career starts against the Braves. ... RHP Andrew Cashner, San Diegos starter against Arizona, has a 0.81 ERA at Petco Park this season. ' ' '