Jose Mourinho was asked about Paul Pogba following Manchester United’s 4-1 Europa League victory over Fenerbahce on Thursday. “First of all, in some of your mouths, he goes from the worst player in the Premier League to a great player in 48 hours,” Mourinho told journalists. “I am not specifically saying it is you. I say media, especially the Einsteins. We know he is a very good player. We know he needs some time to show his potential.” Mourinho chose his moment. Pogba, the world’s most expensive player, had just scored his second and third goals in a United shirt.…
Author: David Folami
In the end, it was closer than it should have been, but Liverpool held on to record a 2-1 win over West Brom and go level on points with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. Without a defensive lapse that allowed the Baggies to get back into the game in the second half, a two-goal victory would have put them top on their own for the first time since May 2014. That lapse, along with moments of profligacy that will frustrate Jurgen Klopp, perhaps provide the biggest questions over whether Liverpool are genuine title contenders this season. Still,…
As if games between Chelsea and Manchester United are not already big enough, this Sunday’s showdown features the return of one Jose Mourinho to the ground at which he was a managerial legend during two spells in charge. Mark Worrall (Chelsea) and Musa Okwonga (Manchester United) preview the match. Mark, what sort of reception will Mourinho get from the home fans? MW: A couple of refrains of “Jose Mourinho, Jose Mourinho” at best which will soon be replaced with jocular jibes of “sit down Mourinho” if he engages in technical area histrionics with match officials, players, stewards and of course,…
A frustrated Arsene Wenger said Arsenal lacked their usual creativity and sharp movement in the 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough on Saturday, and added that fatigue may have been a factor after playing in midweek. Arsenal had 75 percent possession but couldn’t find a breakthrough at the Emirates as their six-game winning streak in the Premier League came to a grinding halt. It was the visitors who had the better chances, with Cech making two crucial saves in the first half to preserve a clean sheet. “We did not have our usual pace in our combinations, and not enough sharpness in…
Jurgen Klopp laughed off any suggestion that he was disappointed his Liverpool side missed out on the opportunity to go top of the Premier League following Saturday’s 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. The Reds could have gone top of the Premier League if they beat West Brom by two or more goals, but instead jumped up into second place courtesy of the win, level on points with Arsenal. “Who wants to be on top in October?” Klopp said during his postmatch news conference. Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when the Senegal international tucked…
Barcelona’s fitness woes continued on Saturday as Andres Iniesta suffered a knee injury in the first half of their La Liga game against Valencia. The midfielder has damage to the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee and Barcelona confirmed after initial tests that he will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Iniesta hit the ground after a firm challenge from Enzo Perez and immediately signalled for a stretcher. After being attended to by the club’s medical team for several minutes, he was carried off the pitch at the Mestalla in tears. Barca boss Luis Enrique appeared furious with…
Ryan Giggs has said Louis van Gaal told him he was retiring as a player upon taking charge at Manchester United, but added in his Daily Telegraph column: “As soon as he said so, it felt right.” At the age of 40, Giggs announced his retirement in May 2014 after becoming the most decorated player in United’s history. He became Van Gaal’s assistant after retiring and told the Telegraph his decision to stop playing had been down to the former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Netherlands coach. “When I first met Louis we got talking and he asked me to be…
Mauricio Pochettino is keen for his Tottenham Hotspur players to rise to the occasion and move to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday. That may only be for a few hours but Spurs know that victory at Bournemouth in a lunchtime kick-off will be enough to lift them above current leaders Manchester City, who play on Sunday, and Arsenal, who are in action later on Saturday. Spurs were title contenders for almost all of last season but never once reached the summit and eventually had to settle for third place. Pochettino was eager, therefore, for his side…
When Jose Mourinho was appointed Manchester United manager in the close season, Spain playmaker Juan Mata could have been forgiven for being less than enthused. Mourinho, the so-called ‘Special One’, dropped the double Chelsea Player of the Year during his time at Stamford Bridge before selling him to United in January 2014 for a then club record fee of 37 million pounds ($45.37 million). Mata was adored by Chelsea fans but the Portuguese seemed to feel differently about him. “We press very high up the pitch,” Mourinho said at the time. “My attacking players have big distances to run between…
Brazilian superstar Neymar has signed a new five-year contract that will keep him at Barcelona until 2021, the Spanish champions said on Friday. The deal, which had been agreed in June, includes a buy-out clause of up to 250 million euros as Barca seek to ward off interest from potential suitors.
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he will no longer feel a sense of invincibility when he returns to Stamford Bridge with Manchester United on Sunday. Mourinho avoided a home league defeat in his first three-year stint at Chelsea and prior to a 1-0 Champions League victory there with Inter Milan in March 2010 he said the stadium was “lucky” for him. But he presided over four defeats at the Bridge last season as Chelsea’s title defence descended into turmoil and was sacked last December before resurfacing at United. “When I play there with Inter, before that I never…
Jose Mourinho should be given a warm welcome when the Manchester United manager returns to Chelsea, on Sunday said present Blues incumbent Antonio Conte. Conte, who took over in July after Guus Hiddink had stepped in when Mourinho was fired last term, added that the Portuguese coach who guided Chelsea to three league titles merited his place in the club’s folklore. “I have great respect for him,” said Conte. “He won three championships and I think he was an important man for the club. “I think he deserves a good reception, because he wrote with the club, with his players,…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger compared the Premier League to “a jungle” on Friday saying every day was a fight for survival. The 66-year-old Frenchman — whose side are on a hot streak of form with seven successive wins in all competitions — will hope his players heed such words when they host struggling Middlesbrough on Saturday. Victory over ‘Boro would move them top of the table three points clear of Manchester City, who play on Sunday. “I believe that humility is to understand that you start again from zero and that you are in a jungle,” said Wenger. “We live…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Friday rejected speculation star Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero and injury-plagued club captain Vincent Kompany are not part of his long-term plans. Neither player started in City’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday which has cast an element of doubt over both their futures. Belgian international defender Kompany has struggled with injuries in recent seasons while Aguero has often been linked with a return to Spain’s La Liga. Guardiola dismissed out of hand the link between their absence from the starting line-up and being considered surplus to requirements. “I am sorry,…
Chelsea forward Victor Moses is not happy with the way his former coach Jose Mourinho treated him ahead of the Portuguese’ return to Stamford Bridge with Manchester United. Mourinho who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea will be returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was sacked in December 2015. Ahead of the coach’s visit, Moses is not fond of their time together, revealing that the Mourinho never spoke to him. The Nigeria international was sent out on loan three times- to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham- during Mourinho’s time at Chelsea. “He never spoke…
Leicester strikers Shinji Okazaki and Ahmed Musa ended lengthy goal droughts as the Premier League champions beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on Saturday. Claudio Ranieri’s side were on course for their first win in four league matches after Nigeria international Musa claimed his first Leicester goal in his 10th appearance since a pre-season move from CSKA Moscow. Japan forward Okazaki doubled Leicester’s lead in the second half at the King Power Stadium with his first goal in 14 league appearances. Austrian defender Christian Fuchs sealed the points in the closing stages with his first goal for the Foxes and Yohan Cabaye’s…
Manchester United star Wayne Rooney took a swipe at former team-mate Michael Owen for expressing support for his club’s bitter rivals Liverpool. Owen has a foot in both camps after making his name during a glittering spell at Liverpool and also playing for United in the twilight of his career. But the 36-year-old, who played alongside Rooney for United and England, appeared to irrate his old colleague when he posted an encouraging message during Liverpool’s Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. “Come on Red Men. A win by two goals and it’s ‘top of the league’,” Owen…
Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho scored a pair of crackers to give Liverpool a 2-1 win over West Brom on Saturday but Gareth McAuley denied them a place at the top of the Premier League. The impressive Merseysiders needed to win by at least two goals at Anfield if they were to climb to the summit of English football for the first time since May 2014. They were on course until nine minutes from time when McAuley volleyed in from close range for West Brom following a Chris Brunt corner that Craig Dawson had touched into his path. The result…
Popular author, Chimamanda Adichie has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption. According to Adichie, arrests made in connection with the anti-graft war have been selective and have mostly targeted people opposed to Buhari’s government. She made the comments in an opinion article published in The New York Times on Tuesday, October 18. The article reads: “Mr Buhari ascended to the presidency with a rare advantage — not only did he have the good will of a majority of Nigerians, he elicited a peculiar mix of fear and respect.” “For the first weeks of his presidency, it was said that…
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that it’s not President Muhammadu Buhari’s duty to end Fulani herdsmen attacks in the country. Obasanjo made the comment on Tuesday, October 18, during a conference on agriculture and poverty alleviation in Abuja. “Some of the words that have been coming from our leaders, particularly from state governors are not helpful! This issue is not a federal issue and another thing, I don’t like about it is that when you talk of Fulani herdsmen, people talk of the President,” he said according to Punch “Now because the President of Nigeria is a Fulani man,…