Jurgen Klopp has insisted it is “too early” to judge whether Adam Lallana’s latest injury will jeopardise his World Cup hopes. Lallana was carried off on a stretcher just five minutes after joining the fray as a second-half substitute in Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League win at Crystal Palace. “It’s absolutely bad, but we don’t know exactly what it is yet. In the first moments I saw him it looked really serious to be honest. It looks like something with the muscle. “He’s our friend, our boy, our mate, our player, having a difficult season already. “Maybe one of the biggest…
Author: David Folami
Jurgen Klopp is of the opinion that Liverpool claimed a “dirty three points” in their come-from-behind victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. “I’m really happy that we come back,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “I think at the end it was absolutely deserved. “Yes Loris [Karius] had to make two good saves, but I think Crystal Palace were in a lot moments pretty lucky that we didn’t score. We scored two wonderful goals after a difficult start. I’m really happy. “I think in the moment when the ball passed the defender and you see it’s Mo then it already feels…
Manchester United reclaimed second place in the Premier League table with a 2-0 win at home to Swansea City. United took the lead after only five minutes, with Romelu Lukaku scoring his 100th Premier League goal. Alexis Sanchez teed up the Belgium international, who saw his shot deflect past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski in the Swansea goal. The lead was doubled in the 20th minute, and this time it was Sanchez who got on the scoresheet. Jesse Lingard slipped Sanchez through down the middle, and he stayed calm to slot home. Swansea improved after half-time, with David De Gea making…
Massimiliano Allegri has promised to field his strongest team against AC Milan on Saturday and not rest anybody ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal with Real Madrid. “We’re still a bit annoyed about the two points dropped in Ferrara,” Allegri told a news conference. “We threw away our bonus. Milan have won their last five and it’s going to be an even game, so we’ll have to think of Real from Monday. “That’s a game against the best team in the world and we’ve got to have the ambition to beat them and be involved in a major global event,…
Jurgen Klopp has praised the leadership qualities of Virgil van Dijk, but stressed that Jordan Henderson will remain Liverpool captain for the foreseeable future. “What we need at Liverpool are these kind of players who are leaders,” the Liverpool manager said. “Hendo and Virgil are leaders and that’s cool. “But I am not half as much interested in the captaincy role as you all are. I’ve learned a lot in the last few days about the captaincy role in cricket, but I don’t really know what they’re talking about. “Hendo is doing an incredible job here. If you ask whether…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Major League Soccer debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy could come as soon as Saturday, said Galaxy manager Sigi Schmid who described the Swede as “not a normal, mortal human’. Schmid didn’t rule out the possibility that he’d be ready to play a role on Saturday when the Galaxy take on their new cross-town rivals Los Angeles Football Club, at StubHub Center in suburban Carson. “You’re talking about Zlatan Ibrahimovic,” Schmid said in comments posted on the team’s website. “You’re not talking about a normal, mortal human. I’m sure he’ll tell you the same. “He’s a competitor. He…
Jack Butland’s talent and temperament make him the right man to be England’s No. 1 goalkeeper, according to his club manager Paul Lambert. “England have got some good goalkeepers but if you said to me Butland was going to start and ask me if I had any problem with that, no I wouldn’t,” said Lambert. “He has the temperament to handle that and I think he’s a really good goalkeeper as well. “He’s a brilliant guy and the thing that struck me with him is that he’s a great pro. He’s a quite intelligent guy and he’s humble. Whether Jack…
Bernardo Silva has said Pep Guardiola’s drive to keep winning has helped Manchester City open up their huge lead at the top of the Premier League. “What I think is the most impressive thing about [Guardiola] is the way he always wants to win more and more,” the 23-year-old said. “When you win 10 times in a row, he wants to win the 11th and then the 12th. And when you win 20, he wants go for the 21st, so his ambition and his hunger to win things are something impressive.” City set a new Premier League record for the…
Arsene Wenger has said he often substituted Alexandre Lacazette this season because the France striker was “a bit less sharp” toward the end of games. The manager said the frequent substitutions were down to a number of factors but felt the striker’s levels dropped a bit later in games as he adjusted to the Premier League. “I must say that he plays in a position where you sub more than, say, a defender,” Wenger told the official Arsenal website. “You substitute a striker more than you would a defender because they always have to provoke, to defend, to attack, you…
Ernesto Valverde hopes Lionel Messi’s hamstring injury is not serious with the forward due to undergo tests on the injury when he returns from international duty on Thursday. Valverde said the problem is ongoing and that Messi played through the pain in Barca’s game against Athletic Bilbao two weekends ago, but he’s not overly concerned. “I’m not worried because Leo knows himself very well, but we still won’t know too much until we see him [on Thursday],” Valverde said at a book launch. “He ended the game against Athletic well. It’s true he had a small problem, but it was…
Liverpool will need to upgrade from Simon Mignolet this summer and ideally find someone who can push Loris Karius to be their No. 1 goalkeeper, according to former Anfield defender Steve Nicol. “I think Liverpool should go and see if they can either get a No. 1 or have somebody who’s on a level with Karius because Mignolet isn’t,” Nicol said. “He … is clearly the No. 2, and I think what Mignolet’s doing is waiting to see if he can get a game in the World Cup. “[Thibaut] Courtois has had a couple little injury nicks recently, and a…
Roma’s transfer market guru feels like he owes fans an explanation as to why he sold Mohamed Salah for what now seems like a bargain price. Salah has already nearly doubled his output of 15 goals for Roma in Serie A last season — which was a career-high for the speedy Egypt international. Overall he has 36 goals in 40 matches in all competitions since joining Liverpool. “On Salah there are two important things to understand,” Monchi said at Rome’s Foreign Press Association on Wednesday. “First, Salah was sold before the Neymar effect revolutionized the market. Second, we had a…
Marcos Alonso has said he is fully committed to Chelsea and also hopeful of cementing his place in Spain’s squad after making his national team debut on Tuesday. “[Spain coach Julen] Lopetegui told me to enjoy this experience, to be calm. I’m very happy and grateful that he gave me this opportunity. It was an important moment for me and I’m delighted and proud to be here.” Alonso could not have asked for a better debut. “We have played the perfect game against Argentina,” he said. “It’s been incredible how we controlled the game, how we scored six goals against…
Jamie Vardy has criticised the way VAR has been implemented, after England were denied victory in their friendly against Italy on Tuesday when a penalty was given on review. “I think that’s the worst thing about it, for the fans too,” said Vardy. “You don’t know what’s going on, and you’re just standing there waiting. “They use it in other sports when they can put it on the big screen so everyone can see what the video ref is looking at. “It’s still down to the referees to get the right decision in the first place. There’s pressure on them…
Adam Lallana remains confident that he will be given a place in England’s World Cup side, despite missing large chunks of the season with injury. “It’s been a bit stop-start,” Lallana said. “It’s been a different challenge for me this season. I’ve had a long layoff, but I’m back at the business end of the season, and I’ve got to look at the positives. “We’ve got the World Cup, some really important league games and the Champions League. If you’re going to be back for one part of the season it’s this. “I just need to get that rhythm, and…
Dino Melaye has threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for blackmail. Senator Melaye accused the Nigeria Police of releasing the two suspects allegedly linked to him in a criminal case bothering on illegal possession of firearms. The Police had threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on Senator Melaye should he fail to appear in court today. His words: “Just yesterday, Senator Isah Misau brought my issue of my persecution and harassment by the Nigeria Police to the fore. This morning, the social media has been awashed and I have made confirmation that the two suspects…
Ibrahim Idris has sacked Ali Janga as the Kogi State Police Commissioner. The IGP’s decision was after the announcement by Janga that the two suspects who indicted Kogi lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye had escaped from Police custody. Subsequently, Jangla declared Senator Melaye and seven others wanted. The IGP expressed displeasure over the circumstances surrounding the escape of the two suspects. “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, is dissatisfied with the circumstances surrounding the escape of six (6) suspects including two (2) Principal Suspects (Kabiru Seidu a.k.a Osama, Nuhu Salisu a.k.a Small) who indicted Senator Dino Melaye and…
President Muhammadu Buhari is due in Lagos from Thursday. Thursday, March 29: 1. Lagos will be observing a public holiday. 2. President Buhari touches down in Ikeja and then clambers into a waiting motorcade. 3. This motorcade takes Buhari to the Ikeja bus terminal which sits pretty at the intersection of Airport Road and Simbiat Abiola way. Sorry Computer Village, you won’t be in business this once. 4. Buhari commissions Ikeja bus terminal and heads for the Eko Convention Centre (Eko Hotel) in Victoria Island. 5. The Eko Convention Centre is where the 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium would be holding…
A group, known as Atiku Leadership Development Initiative (ALDI) has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has the needed experience to address the vast challenges facing the country. Mr Okechukwu Nwuzor, the group’s National Coordinator, said this when members of the group paid a solidarity visit on Abubakar on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the visit was to request the former Vice President to contest the presidency in the 2019, adding that he is one politician who does not discriminate. He maintained that Abubakar had the interest of young Nigerians at heart and has the experience and connection to…
Mr Dipo Olorunrinu, (PDP Amuwo-Odofin Constituency I), Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the party to give former Vice-President Atiku Abukakar a chance to run for the 2019 Presidential election. “Let me quickly congratulate his (Abubakar’s) boldness and courage to come out for this position at a time when our party needs a very credible and formidable personality. “Abukakar is someone that has people around him. We should give him a very big applaud for coming out. “Let’s see what he has on the table. Personally, I want to appreciate his decision to rule. “The truth is that, Abubakar’s…