Jurgen Klopp has defended his playing and training methods after claims by Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce that he is to blame for Liverpool’s hamstring crisis. Allardyce — who last week labelled Klopp a “soft German” — was one of a number of voices on Wednesday suggesting that the intensity the Reds boss has demanded of his players since he took over in October may be to blame for the freakish succession of hamstring injuries to hit the club. The 1-0 victory in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup semifinal first leg at Stoke City came at a considerable cost, with Philippe Coutinho…
Author: David F.
The scarves may have to be put back into storage for a little longer. Manchester United’s victory against Swansea last week reduced the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal. The prospect of the Dutchman being replaced by his protege Jose Mourinho has receded a bit. The unofficial merchandise that was being sold outside Old Trafford for United’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea, commissioned on the basis the Portuguese was bound to succeed Van Gaal, appears to have been produced both prematurely and badly. The image on the scarves did not look particularly like Mourinho. The creator forgot that, while there is…
Manuel Pellegrini blamed referee Bobby Madley for Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Everton by claiming he made an “unbelievable” decision and two “important” mistakes that cost his side. The Chilean thought Everton’s opening goal should have been disallowed for offside, when Romelu Lukaku was in Willy Caballero’s line of vision as the goalkeeper parried Ross Barkley’s shot to Ramiro Funes Mori, who scored. And he believed his side should have had a penalty when the City scorer Jesus Navas was challenged by Everton substitute Kevin Mirallas. Pellegrini said in a news conference: “I am disappointed, especially for two very important…
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has been named the best “German abroad” by influential magazine kicker. The “kicker ranking of German football” is published on a biannual basis, and ranks players in all positions, and also those plying their trade abroad. It divides them into four categories: world class, international class, players of note and players in focus. Ozil is the only “German abroad” to be called up into the international class following his impressive displays for the Gunners in 2015-16. All other German players in foreign leagues — including World Cup winners Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, and Bastian Schweinsteiger –…
Luis Suarez called Espanyol players “a waste of space” in an angry confrontation following an ill-tempered Copa del Rey match between Barcelona and their local rivals on Wednesday night. Barcelona won the physical match 4-1, with eight Espanyol players booked during proceedings and two sent off. After the final whistle, a scuffle between the two teams occurred in the tunnel where, according to referee Martinez Munuera’s report, the former Liverpool man taunted his opponents. “At the end of the game, once in the tunnel, Barca’s No. 9, Suarez, Luis, while the Espanyol players were coming up the stairs, waited for…
Watford captain Troy Deeney is adamant his strike partner Odion Ighalo is going nowhere — following a report that the Nigerian said his dream was to join Manchester United. Deeney believes Ighalo will stay at Vicarage Road and is convinced Watford’s manager, Quique Sanchez Flores, and owners, the Pozzo family, would not allow Ighalo to be sold in this window. A report quoted Ighalo, who scored more goals than any other player in England’s top-four divisions in 2015, as saying “playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream.” Deeney said that Ighalo, a boyhood United fan, was talking hypothetically…
Manchester United have confirmed that Adnan Januzaj’s year-long loan at Borussia Dortmund has been cancelled and he will return to the club. Januzaj, 20, who has three years left on his current United deal, struggled to make an impact at Dortmund since joining the German club in the summer transfer window and sources confirmed that talks were underway to end his loan prematurely. The Belgium international made just six appearances for Dortmund, for a total of 165 minutes, and did not establish himself in Thomas Tuchel’s first team, while he was told he will not figure in the plans for…
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has blamed Jurgen Klopp’s tactics for Liverpool’s current injury crisis. Liverpool’s 1-0 win in the first leg of their Capital One Cup match at Stoke on Tuesday was marred by injuries to Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren. Reds midfielder Adam Lallana said manager Klopp’s training regime is not to blame for the spate of hamstring problems at the club. But Allardyce, who recently called Klopp a “soft German,” said: “That is him [Klopp] asking his players to play a high-tempo pressing game from the top end. “It’s great that the players have been able to carry…
Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho is set to miss Friday’s FA Cup tie at Exeter City and the Premier League games against Manchester United and Arsenal. Coutinho, 23, and Dejan Lovren, 26, both sustained hamstring injuries in Liverpool’s 1-0 Capital One Cup first-leg semifinal win at Stoke City. Centre-back Kolo Toure was also seen hobbling in the final stages of the game at Britannia Stadium, but he should be available to face his former club Arsenal next Wednesday. Liverpool host Arsenal next week and four days later rivals United make the trip to Anfield before a trip to Norwich on…
All eyes will be on new Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and on how he delivers his brand of attacking football spearheaded by the ‘BBC’ in his first match in charge against Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga on Saturday. So far the quietly-spoken Frenchman has given little indication of the way he plans to breathe new life into a side that boasts plenty of talent but failed to perform in big games under former coach Rafa Benitez. “The idea is to play with the three of them,” Zidane told reporters as he explained the roles of top-notch forwards Gareth…
Everton’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their Capital One Cup (League Cup) semifinal came at a cost with the trio of Romelu Lukaku, Tom Cleverley and Seamus Coleman sustaining injuries during the contest on Wednesday. Striker Lukaku, the joint top-scorer in the Premier League on 15 goals, headed home the winner for the Toffees before hurting himself, and manager Roberto Martinez is hoping the in-form Belgian will be back in action soon. “Romelu took a knock to his ankle and he will need assessing. I don’t know if he will be available at the weekend…
German champions Bayern Munich must hit top form when the season resumes this month after a winter break and avoid the “catastrophic consequences” that could be caused by a lack of focus, sports director Matthias Sammer said on Thursday. Bayern, eight points clear at the top of the table and eyeing a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title, face Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and are also still in the hunt for German Cup glory. The Bavarians enjoyed a near-perfect first half of the season but the players cannot be complacent following the one-month winter…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said it would not accept anything short of free, fair and credible election in Saturday’s supplementary poll in the governorship election in Bayelsa. This is contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, and issued in Abuja. The supplementary poll will be conducted in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area where the exercise was cancelled following widespread violence. Metuh said that PDP had again rallied its formation in the state, particularly in Southern Ijaw, to use all means necessary in a democracy to resist any move to rig…
The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The PDP spokesperson was arrested today, January 5, 2016, in Abuja after allegations of fraud were levelled against him. The party has responded to the arrest via a statement released by Metuh’s Special Assistant, Richard Ihediwa. “Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived the Abuja home of the spokesman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh this morning, inviting him to follow them to the commission’s headquarters.” “Upon enquiry on the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh is being investigated by the Commission but denies knowledge of his arrest. The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, that Metuh is being investigated over the N1.4 billion traced to the account of a company, Destra Investment Limited, linked to him in the arms contract scam. READ: EFCC arrests PDP’s Olisa Metuh “It is true that Metuh is being investigated by the EFCC but I do not have further details on the matter. I…
The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki will today, Wednesday, January 6, 2015, meet with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde. This was revealed by Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu. Olaniyonu said the meeting will focus on Nigeria’s economy. He also said “the falling oil prices at the international market has negatively impacted the nation’s oil revenue, external reserve and increased pressure on the Naira at the foreign exchange market. “The meeting of the Senate leadership with the IMF chief will be coming after a similar exchange Lagarde had with President Muhammadu…
frica Independent Television (AIT) boss, Raymond Dokpesi has sent greeting cards to President Muhammadu Buhari despite his ongoing trial for corruption which is part of the president’s efforts to recover funds looted from Nigeria’s coffers. Dokpesi sent the cards to Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. They were delivered by his son and DAAR Communications Chairman, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr and received by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. The older Dokpesi has been charged with money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after collecting N2.1bn out the $2.1…
President Muhammadu Buhari, today, January 6, 2016, presided over a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The FEC meeting held in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and ministers, Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi were among those present at the meeting.
Former presidential aide, Tanko Yakassai has said that he received N53 million from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Tony Anenih, for ‘advocacy visits to northern traditional rulers.’ Yakassai said the money was used to ensure that the traditional leaders would mobilize their subjects for the 2015 general elections, Vanguard reports. “Yes, myself and 8 others collected N53m from chief Tony Anenih to pay advocacy visit to prominent northern emirs to mobilised their subjects for a hitch free 2015 general elections,” he told Vanguard. “I want to make it abundantly clear that I didn’t receive money from Chief Anenih in my…
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to show some remorse over its destruction of the nation’s economy and stop blaming President Muhammadu Buhari who’s trying to repair the damage. Mohammed made the comments after Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu criticized Buhari and said that Nigerians would beg the PDP to return to power in 2019. The minister’s remarks were contained in a statement released on Sunday, December 13, 2015. It reads: “If there was still any honour left among thieves, there is no way the leaders of a party under whose…