Scott Parker thinks Claudio Ranieri has changed his management style since leaving Chelsea in 2004, saying the Italian manager is much more predictable than during his time at Stamford Bridge. Ranieri was nicknamed the Tinkerman during his four seasons with the Blues for his constant squad rotation but at Leicester he has been the complete opposite, making just 27 changes to his starting XI this season in the Premier League. And while Parker, who was signed for Chelsea by Ranieri in January 2004, can see similarities in Ranieri from their time together in west London, there has been one significant…
Author: David Folami
Jamie Carragher believes Mousa Dembele will not play again this season after being caught eye gouging Diego Costa. Tensions flared during Monday’s Premier League clash between Chelsea and Tottenham when Danny Rose upended Willian causing Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to enter the field to separate the players. As the two sets of teams joined in the fracas, Spurs’ Dembele was caught on camera pushing his finger into the eye of Chelsea’s Costa. Referee Mark Clattenburg did not see the incident but replays appeared to show the referee’s assistant, Simon Beck, looking straight at the pair. Carragher believes the FA will…
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed sympathy for Daniel Sturridge, who has struggled with a succession of injuries this season. Rodgers, speaking after completing a leg of the Belfast City Marathon in aid of Northern Ireland Hospice, admitted it has been difficult for England striker Sturridge to make an impact. Sturridge has been limited to just 23 appearances for club and country this season, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp keen to ensure he does not break down again as a result of playing too many games. That approach appears to have paid dividends, with the 26-year-old having scored four…
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for 2015-16. The 29-year-old has been outstanding for the Premier League leaders, scoring 22 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes. He said: “It’s a great honour to win such a prestigious award and to have my name added to a list of previous winners that includes some unbelievable players. Thank you to the Football Writers’ Association and to everyone that voted. “Thank you, also, to my team-mates, who are the reason I’ve been able to achieve anything. It’s been an amazing…
Tottenham saw their Premier League title dreams shattered after Chelsea came back from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. Substitute Eden Hazard scored his first home goal in a year to complete the comeback seven minutes from time and hand Leicester an historic title. Knowing nothing but a victory would keep them in the title race, Spurs stormed into a first-half lead with Harry Kane (35) and Son Heung-min (44) netting within nine minutes of each other. Tempers boiled over just before the interval when Danny Rose and Willian had to be pulled apart by Mauricio…
Leicester City have completed one of the most remarkable triumphs in sporting history by winning the 2015/16 Premier League title. The club’s first top-flight championship in their 132-year history was sealed following Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Monday night, meaning they have an unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the table with two games left to play. Claudio Ranieri’s side missed the chance to claim the trophy on Sunday afternoon when they could only draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford – but they needed to wait just over 24 hours for their title glory to be sealed.…
President Muhammadu Buhari’s current economic policies are similar to those he promulgated during the military regime he led in the 1980s, a former Minister of Education and social critic, Oby Ezekwesili, has said. Mrs. Ezekwesili said Mr. Buhari’s “archaic” and “opaque” economic principles are not only encouraging massive corruption and abuse of power, but also hurting the poor they were intended to help. Mrs. Ezekwesili said this at The Platform, a public policy forum that is currently underway in Abuja. “During the first coming of this our new president, a command and control economic system was adopted. “During that era,…
The Akwa Ibom State government owed commercial banks N64.5 billion when Udom Emmanuel took over from Godswill Akpabio as governor, the state Commissioner for Finance, Akan Okon, has said. Mr. Okon who spoke, Wednesday, in Uyo during a conversation on #ProsperityWithoutOil, organised by the Independent Newspaper Publishers Association, said the state government decided to restructure the debt into federal government bond so as to lessen the burden of servicing it. “The loan was to be repaid within a period of three years, and the debt servicing obligation was in the region of N3.5 billion every month. “Given what is on…
The implementation of the controversial 2016 budget will begin in a “few days”, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said. Mr. Osinbajo said this at the 12th Edition of The Platform, a public policy forum held in Abuja. “The 2016 budget will go into full operation in the next few days,” Mr. Osinbajo said. Mr. Osinbajo also said he’s aware of all the ongoing concerns Nigerians raise about the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration everyday, urging the citizens to remain patient as they work to turn around the situation in the country. The 2016 budget, which was first presented on December 22,…
The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria, NARD, has shifted its planned nationwide strike by two weeks. The strike that was to commence on April 25 will now begin on May 9, the association said. The National President of the association, Muhammad Askira, made the disclosure while addressing a news conference in Kano on Sunday. Mr. Askira said the decision to shift the date of the strike was taken after the extraordinary meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the association held on April 26 in Sokoto. He said after deliberations on the progress made so far, the…
The Chairman of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Sunday called for an urgent upward review of the national minimum wage. Mr. Osakwe made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Auchi, as part of activities to mark this year’s Workers’ Day. His call comes days after the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress asked the federal government to increase the minimum wage to N56,000. The journalist described the current national minimum wage of N18, 000 as “a non-living wage, which was now too small to accommodate…
The Federal Government on Sunday in Abuja assured workers that it would tackle all socio-economic ills that have troubled the nation. President Muhammadu Buhari gave this assurance at the 2016 May Day celebration with the theme: “The Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival”. Mr. Buhari, who was represented by Chris Ngige, the Minister Labour and Employment, said that the government would evolve solutions to the emerging threats to the well-being of Nigerians and the realisation of sustainable development. “For us whose main foreign exchange comes from oil, the global decline in the price of oil has further exacerbated…
The absence of the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, at Onikan Stadium on Sunday annoyed workers who had turned out in their hundreds for the May Day rally. Dozens of affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress marched round the stadium before Olabowale Ademola, the Lagos State Head of Service, who stood in for Mr. Ambode. Idowu Adelakun, the NLC Chairman, Lagos State, said he felt “very bad” at the governor’s absence. “This government promised us a government of inclusiveness, but for the governor not to be here today, I don’t think it’s inclusive,” Mr. Adelakun…
Nigeria’s organised labour on Sunday in Abuja called on the Federal Government to constitute a tripartite committee to discuss the proposed N56,000 new national minimum wage. Ayuba Wabba, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, made the call at the 2016 May Day celebration with the theme: “Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.” The NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, had on Tuesday submitted a formal proposal of N56,000 new National Minimum Wage to the Federal Government. Mr. Wabba said that the tripartite committee should comprise government (federal and state), the organised private sector,…
Nigerian troops on Friday discovered a Boko Haram factory bomb making factory, an official has said. The spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, Sani Usman, said soldiers from the 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade, discovered the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in Ngala town, North East Nigeria. Mr. Usman, a Colonel, said the insurgents continued to use IEDs to attack civilians and soldiers despite being losing the battle. “Despite ongoing clearance of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists, they persistently hid the IED-manufacturing factories location,” he said. “However, that would be no more, thanks to the efficient intelligence and resilience of…
Massimiliano Allegri and Roberto Mancini have hailed Claudio Ranieri’s achievements with Leicester City as their fellow Italian coach stands on the brink of an astonishing Premier League title triumph. Leicester, 5,000-1 outsiders at the start of the season having recovered to a late escape from relegation last term, will be English champions for the first time in their history if they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Even if they fail to beat Louis van Gaal’s men, defeat for nearest rivals Tottenham at Chelsea on Monday would hand glory to Leicester. “I offer my congratulations to Ranieri. I…
Massimiliano Allegri remains hopeful that Alvaro Morata will stay at Juventus as he predicts a turbulent transfer market ahead of next season. The future of Spain international Morata remains shrouded in doubt, with speculation that Real Madrid will exercise their buy-back option on the striker before selling him to bolster their own transfer plans. Morata has admitted that leaving Juve remains “a real possibility”, even though he has professed a desire to stay with the Serie A champions, for whom he has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season. But despite Juve being linked with possible deals for Valencia…
Arsenal closed in on another season of Champions League football with a 1-0 win over strugglers Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday but it was another uncomfortable evening for manager Arsene Wenger amid protests from fans. Arsenal moved into third place thanks to a Danny Welbeck goal but it did not stop the discontent inside and outside the Emirates Stadium from supporters grumbling about perceived under-achievement in Wenger’s long reign. Yet the Gunners’ fans cannot have been as miserable as supporters of visiting Norwich, whose side were plunged into even deeper trouble amid the dog-fight at the foot…
Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo should miss at least three weeks due to his hamstring injury or risk aggravating it, a former Portugal team doctor said. Ronaldo has been out of football since late April but the La Liga giants remain hopeful he may be ready to face Manchester City on Wednesday. However, former Portugal doctor Nuno Campos said if reports were true, the 31-year-old needed a full-time rest or risk a setback that would rule him out of Euro 2016. “If the diagnosis is indeed a micro-tear, he needs between 18 and 21 days,” he told newspaper Record. “They…
Defending champions Chile announced their preliminary squad for the upcoming Copa America Centenario, with Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal headlining Juan Antonio Pizzi’s team. There were no surprises from Pizzi, who named an initial 40-man squad, which will be culled to 23 on May 20, before the Copa America gets underway in the United States on June. Arsenal forward Sanchez, who is third on Chile’s all-time goalscorers list, Bayern Munich midfielder Vidal and Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo – the nation’s most capped player with 100 appearances – are looking to claim back-to-back titles after winning South America’s prestigious tournament last…