Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - A factbox on Gerard Houllier, who was appointed Aston Villa manager on Wednesday.
* Born Sept. 3, 1947
MANAGEMENT
* Went into management aged 26 while also playing for nfl jerseys
Le Touquet in northern France.
* Has managed French teams Lens, Paris St Germain and Olympique Lyon, winning three French league titles, with PSG in 1986 and Lyon in 2006 and 2007.
* Managed France briefly in 1992 but resigned the following year after his country failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
* Was involved with the World Cup-winning French national team in 1998 and was technical director during the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
PREMIER LEAGUE DAYS
* Houllier won five trophies with Liverpool in Indianapolis Colts jersey
2001 having joined in 1998, including the League Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup.
* Houllier underwent heart surgery in 2001 after being taken ill at a match, but returned as Liverpool manager after five months recuperation and stayed at Anfield until 2004.
* The Frenchman returns to the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Premier League with Aston Villa after former boss Martin O’Neill quit last month.

Man City’s Balotelli to undergo knee surgery

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli will be sidelined for up to six weeks after the club confirmed he will undergo knee surgery.
City said the 20-year-old signing from Inter Milan had cheap nfl jerseys
flown back to Milan for treatment, and will miss crucial Premier League games against Arsenal and Chelsea as well as a Europa League group match against Juventus.
Balotelli tore his lateral meniscus on his debut for City, only six days after his 22.5 million pounds ($35 million) move from Inter.
The Italy international came on as a second-half Indianapolis Colts jersey
substitute and scored the winning goal in the Europa League tie against Timisoara on Aug. 19, but limped off in injury time.
Balotelli has had an eventful time since arriving in England. On Aug. 28, Greater Manchester Police confirmed the striker emerged unscathed from a car crash when his Audi A8 collided with another vehicle.
City manager Roberto Mancini is estimated to have spent 115 million pounds ($178 million) in the offseason, bringing the likes of Balotelli, Yaya Toure and David Silva to the club, which finished fifth in the Premier League last season and missed out on Champions League Minnesota Vikings jersey
qualification.
Mancini’s team has made a mixed start to the season, beating Liverpool 3-0 at home but losing 1-0 away at Sunderland in its last match.

Balotelli ruled out for up to six weeks with knee injury

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will miss up to six weeks with a knee injury, the Premier League club said on football jersey
their website (www.mcfc.co.uk) on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Italian, who moved from Inter Milan in August, will undergo surgery after suffering the injury against Timisoara in Romania last month during a Europa League qualifier.
Balotelli looks set to miss this month’s Premier Dallas Cowboys jersey
League clash against champions Chelsea and a Europa League game on Sept. 30 against Juventus, whose fans abused the striker of Ghanaian descent when he played in Italy for Inter.

Foster, Spiller have added value heading into regular season

Each week, we will review the biggest story lines from the previous week. As we enter week one, it's important to review some major points of interest from the preseason. Some NFL fans and fantasy owners may believe that preseason play is worthless. There are no absolutes in pro or fantasy football and each situation must be viewed individually. The following items cement some of football jerseys
the truths that you should never discount before the real season begins. Seahawks shake up: Seattle is apparently rebuilding under Pete Carroll, and in the process, they have confused and surprised fantasy players.
Veteran T.J. Houshmandzadeh was dumped in favor of reclamation project Mike Williams, who will open the season as a starter. Williams reportedly still has the skills to be a playmaker, but it is his renewed zest for the game that made him the unreal comeback story of the preseason. No one indicated the importance of preseason play more than Williams.
He becomes a viable fantasy free agent pickup with news of Houshmandzadeh's release. Do not start him early in the season, but monitor his progress because if he can carry his renewed value into the real games, he could be worth using in larger leagues or when matchups dictate consideration.
Deion Branch has the faith of the new regime, but is notoriously an injury risk, so watch Deon Butler as a possible sleeper. Houshmandzadeh landed in Baltimore, where he may struggle to be consistently productive with a lot of balls to go around. Keep him if you drafted him, but keep him reserved early in the season until the passing game become apparent in Baltimore.
A new star in Buffalo: C.J. Spiller looked like an immediate impact player in exhibition play, averaging 4.7 yards per carry while scoring three times. Spiller is likely to open the season as Buffalo's top option at RB, with Marshawn Lynch still in the fold and Fred Jackson recovering from a hand injury.
Spiller is obviously electric and can score from anywhere on the field. Be careful not to overrate him though, as Buffalo will continue to use Lynch a lot and the situation may become even more muddled when Jackson returns. The Bills will be careful not to overwork Spiller and will pick their spots with him offensively.
Do not expect Spiller to be a regular standout, but often a boom-or-bust type. Once opponents seal off the edges on him and prevent him from bouncing outside more often, yardage may be tougher to come by. Spiller will be a fine play maker, but the heroics will be spread out. Start him as a flex player right away, but do not use him over a much more established starter in week one.
The new-look Chargers: LaDainian Tomlinson is gone, and Vincent Jackson could be the next to leave. These are not your slightly older brother's Chargers.
Many Fantasy players are concerned that Philip Rivers will be much less effective without Jackson around, but the QB still has his favorite, longer-tenured target, Antonio Gates. Rivers also does a good job of distributing the ball and takes advantage of all of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
his receivers, and should adjust accordingly without Jackson without much of a drop-off. Malcom Floyd may be overmatched as a No. 1 WR, but he will command defensive respect and allow Rivers to operate a balanced passing attack.
Start Rivers as you normally would, but do not boost Floyd in your team pecking order until he proves he is worthy of the depth chart boost. Right now, he is nothing more than a WR3 in fantasy. Ryan Mathews averaged 48.7 yards on 11.3 attempts per game in the preseason and could easily boost his numbers in full games when the regular season begins. Mathews is an immediate must-start in the season opener against the Chiefs, and could have a big coming-out party in week one.
Lack of faith in Philly: Kevin Kolb was unimpressive during the preseason, as he failed to throw a TD pass. Owners who drafted Kolb as a possible starter are entering the season with a bit of uneasiness, as they do not have much confidence in the Eagles' new starter. Kolb certainly has the ability to deliver some outstanding performances, but there may be a clunker for every quality outing. Kolb still has a lot of upside, or else the Eagles would not have handed him the starting job if he was not ready for it, so expect some quality performances.
The best way to handle Kolb early in the season is to play match ups each week and consider your alternatives if somewhat close in value. In week one, Kolb faces a Green Bay defense that will be vulnerable in the secondary, so you can start him with the expectations of at least respectable totals.

Arian Foster makes his statement: Early in the summer, Foster was an afterthought, as rookie Ben Tate was considered the instant solution to a longtime RB problem in Houston. Tate was never a real threat to Foster in camp and after his season was lost, Foster leaped into the spotlight and left the quickly forgotten Steve Slaton behind him.
Foster averaged six yards per carry and scored twice in exhibition Indianapolis Colts jersey
play, demonstrating tremendous tenacity, determination and toughness. I was getting Foster in the 13th round of early summer drafts. By late August, he was often a fourth-round pick. Foster should be a big factor for the Texans in their opener, as they look to control the ball as much as possible against the Colts. Foster has arrived as a quality RB2 in fantasy.

Parcells becomes consultant as GM Ireland takes over Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins' football czar has given control of the team to general manager Jeff Ireland but will retain a role as a daily consultant. The Dolphins announced the move in a three-sentence statement Tuesday, five days before the start of the season. The change was part of nfl jerseys
a long-range plan when the Parcells regime took over at the end of the 2007 season, according to the statement.
"This was the intent of the structure put in place in the past," the Dolphins said. Ireland will assume full control over all aspects regarding the team and support staff.
Parcells, 69, joined the Dolphins in December 2007 as executive vice president of football operations, then hired Ireland two weeks later. They had been together with the Dallas Cowboys.
Parcells can leave the Dolphins at any time and collect the balance of the $12 million due him under a four-year contract that expires after the 2011 season.
Former Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga hired Parcells as the team staggered to the end of a 1-15 season in 2007. In the regime's first year in 2008, Miami made a great leap forward to 11-6 and a playoff berth under first-year NFL coach Tony Sparano, who also came from the Cowboys.
The Dolphins regressed to 7-9 last season, extending to nine years their drought without a postseason victory. But they acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos during the offseason, hired Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator and revamped the unit.
The front office has continued to be busy in recent days, acquiring six players since Saturday, and the Dolphins have 20 players with two years' experience or less.
New owner Stephen Ross has said he expects the Dolphins to play in the Super Bowl this season, while most prognosticators expect a record around .500.
The news that Parcells was stepping back caught linebacker Channing Crowder by surprise.
"He's just a great guy to have on Dallas Cowboys jersey
your side," Crowder said. "But he brought a bunch of great people in, too. Tony is an amazing coach, and Jeff Ireland knows what he's doing."
There was no comment from the secretive organization about the change in hierarchy beyond the statement. The team was off Tuesday, and Parcells rarely does interviews.
"The clock's ticking for guys like me," Parcells said in 2008, shortly before his first season with Miami. "You know you can't do it forever."
Ross, who completed his purchase of the franchise from Huizenga in January 2009, didn't respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Ireland also rarely talks to the media, but he offered occasional glimpses into the how the regime worked under Parcells. For example, Parcells was very much involved in preparations for the most recent draft, Ireland said in April.
"It's constant," Ireland says. "It never stops. Bill and I have grinded through every single player two or three times."
There have been occasional hints that Parcells had created an atmosphere allowing him to step back. One clue came when Sparano spoke two weeks ago of Dan Henning, the Dolphins' third-year offensive coordinator.
"Our relationship has really grown tremendously," Sparano said. "Early on in the process, he was a Bill guy. And now I would feel safe to say he's a Tony guy."
Parcells worked a full schedule during training camp, arriving early, watching practices from a golf cart and often offering players feedback. Safety Yeremiah Bell laughed when asked two weeks ago about Sparano's ability to recall obscure moments in games.
"He probably gets some of that from Bill," Bell said. "Bill is like that. too. Bill remembers every play. He'll tell you about a play on Sunday you don't even remember."

As a coach, Parcells took over losing teams with the New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Cowboys and transformed them into winners. He won five division titles in 19 seasons and led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships.
Parcells quit coaching after the 2006 season with Dallas.
Ireland spent seven years in player personnel Indianapolis Colts jersey
with the Cowboys, including his final three as vice president of college and pro scouting. Dallas went 13-3 and won the NFC East in his final season there.
Before that, Ireland was an NFL scout for 11 years.
Ireland has been around football since childhood, spending summers as a ball boy during training camp for the Chicago Bears. His grandfather, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jim Parmer, scouted for the Bears. Ireland's stepfather is E.J. Holub, a former linebacker with the Kansas City Chiefs.

McNabb: I'll start for 'Skins on Sunday; ankle not 100 percent

WASHINGTON -- Donovan McNabb said Tuesday his sprained ankle isn't 100 percent, but it won't keep him from starting in the Redskins' Sunday night season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
"Yes, I will be starting this weekend," McNabb told ESPN980. "And I look cheap nfl jerseys
forward to it."
McNabb sprained his left ankle 2½ weeks ago during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. McNabb said the injury isn't classified as a high ankle sprain -- the more severe type that has more significant ligament damage and a longer recovery time -- but he said it's "very close to it." He said he's receiving multiple treatments each day.
"Is it 100 percent? No. ... But it's getting better," he said.
McNabb returned to practice Monday, but Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
he lost valuable time working with a new offense as he prepares for his Redskins debut after 11 years with the Philadelphia Eagles.
McNabb also talked about the ongoing saga surrounding defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, whose relationship with coach Mike Shanahan has been strained for several months over various issues. It's uncertain what Haynesworth's role will be -- or whether he'll still be with the team, given the possibility of a trade -- by the time kickoff arrives Sunday.
"Albert is a guy that's one of our brothers in the locker room, and we want to protect him and make sure that he's taken care of and he's fine," McNabb said. "Albert is a guy who understands now, he understands that, 'Hey, I've got to put the time and effort in to get an opportunity to show what I can do.' And he knows what he can do.
"We can't win without Albert. He plays a major part on Minnesota Vikings jersey
our defense, and everyone knows that. It's just unfortunate what's been going on and how everything has transpired, but that's the game of football, and I think he'll handle it the right way. ... I think he'll be here. I hope he'll be here. ... As a player, you would want Albert to be here."

Forcier’s dad says his son isn’t leaving Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP)-Tate Forcier’s father said his son is not transferring from Michigan.
“That’s 150-percent fact,” Michael Forcier said in a telephone interview.
Wolverines quarterback Tate Forcier told annarbor.com, “All you need to know is cheap nfl jerseys
I’m out,” after quarterback Denard Robinson led the Wolverines to a 30-10 victory against Connecticut on Saturday.
“Tate was upset he didn’t play, then he felt like a caged animal getting prodded by the media,” his father said. “There’s no way I’m going to be any part of him leaving Michigan. He’s going to play this season because there’s no way Robinson can keep taking a pounding like that.”
Forcier started every game at quarterback last season as a wholesale nfl jerseys
freshman, but wasn’t one of two QBs used by coach Rich Rodriguez in the season opener.
Robinson made his debut as a starter and accounted for 383 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Devin Gardner replaced Robinson when he briefly left the game after getting hit hard.
Michael Forcier said his son was simply frustrated when he stood far away from Rodriguez during the game well behind the sideline.
“I talked to Tate briefly and asked him why he was pouting on nfl Saints jersey
the sideline with a towel over his head,” he said. “He said he was just trying to get away from the TV cameras that were trying to get him to show some emotion.”