The return of former club captain Steven Gerrard to Liverpool’s training ground has put a smile on everyone’s faces, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Wednesday’s League Cup quarterfinal at Southampton. Gerrard has finished his first season with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy who he joined after 17 years at Anfield, and has been training with his old teammates. “It’s a good situation. Everybody had a smile on their face when they saw Stevie,” Klopp told a news conference on Tuesday. “It’s good to have him here and we hope we can help him, and he can help us…
Author: David F.
Liverpool are glad with the form of Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and are not looking to replace him, manager Juergen Klopp said on Tuesday. Regular starter Mignolet, whose performances have come under scrutiny this season, will be rested for Wednesday’s League Cup quarterfinal at top-flight rivals Southampton, with Adam Bogdan set for a rare start. “Simon Mignolet is one of the smartest keepers I’ve had. He’s still young enough to develop. He is very open,” Klopp told reporters. “It was not the easiest situation before I came here but since I came here, nothing to criticise. “I’m absolutely satisfied with…
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and goalkeeper Joe Hart could be fit to return from injury in time for Saturday’s Premier League game against Stoke City, manager Manuel Pellegrini has said. Aguero, City’s leading scorer with seven league goals this season, left the field in the second half of last weekend’s 3-1 win over Southampton and missed Tuesday’s 4-1 quarter-final win over Hull City in the League Cup. Hart, who missed both games, injured a hamstring against Juventus in the Champions League on November 25. “Hart could be fit for Saturday. If not, Tuesday, while Kun (Aguero) has pain in…
Dutch club Utrecht are taking Swansea City to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the Welsh side’s transfer of keeper Michel Vorm to Tottenham Hotspur in 2014. Utrecht are claiming a sell-on fee for the Dutch international, who they sold to Swansea in 2011 for a reported 1.5 million pounds ($2.3 million), while the Premier League club are not having that. The claim on the ground is that Vorm moved to Spurs on a free transfer. The matter is scheduled for hearing on January 29, according to the CAS website. Vorm moved to Tottenham at the same time…
Selling of key key players for huge sum of money could hurt Southampton’s chances of finishing in the European places this season, manager Ronald Koeman has said. The Dutchman took charge of the club before the 2014-15 season and saw a host of players, including Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren, Callum Chambers, and Adam Lallana (Liverpool), leave for big money even before the club had played a competitive game under him. Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and full-back Nathaniel Clyne were sold to United and Liverpool, respectively, before the start of this season, and Koeman said the transfers had hurt the Saints’ chances…
England international Gary Cahill has signed a new four-year contract with Chelsea, the Premier League champions announced on Wednesday. The deal will enable the 29-year-old defender remain at Stamford Bridge until 2019. “I’m really pleased to commit my future to Chelsea and it’s great the club has put their faith in me,” Cahill told the club website. “I have achieved a lot here and I hope I can keep on learning, helping the team and lifting trophies over the next four years,” the defender added. Cahill, who joined Chelsea from Bolton in 2012, won the Champions League and FA Cup…
Jose Mourinho predicted a very tight Premier League title race and although the Chelsea manager could not have pictured his team languishing in the bottom half of the table, he has so far been proved right. After 14 games, just two points separate Manchester City, Leicester City, Manchester United and Arsenal, with Tottenham on their coat-tails and Liverpool six points off the summit in sixth place. Twelve months ago, Chelsea had already established a six-point lead over nearest challengers Manchester City with Southampton another four points back in third. Mourinho said this season’s Premier League would be “more difficult to…
Kevin De Bruyne’s fantastic start to his Manchester City career has led to teammate Raheem Sterling comparing the Belgian’s impact to the influence Barcelona forward Luis Suarez had on his former club Liverpool. Suarez, in his final season at Liverpool, almost single-handedly won the Premier League title for the club in 2013-14 by scoring an astonishing 31 goals. The Merseyside club eventually fell short, finishing two points behind City. De Bruyne has had a similar impact on his side, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists in 15 starts in all competitions this campaign. “He’s a top player. He’s someone…
Heavily criticised Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez must gather his players for the visit of Getafe with the possible exit from the King’s Cup for playing an ineligible player just the latest setback in a turbulent first season. Real won 3-1 at third-tier Cadiz on Wednesday but fielded the suspended Denis Cheryshev. The winger faced a ban carried over from last season when on loan at Villarreal and elimination is the punishment for breaking Spanish federation rules. “We found out at halftime and took him off then as we wanted to do the right thing,” Real coach Rafa Benitez told…
West Ham United forward Diafra Sakho may be out for up to two months after picking up a thigh injury in Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with West Bromwich Albion, manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. Sakho, who was taken off in the 74th minute of Sunday’s game against West Brom, has scored six goals for the Hammers in 14 appearances in all competitions this season. He returned to first-team action in the loss to Tottenham Hotspur on November 22 after more than a month out with a thigh injury. “We are still waiting for the results of his (Sakho’s)…
Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski was officially honoured by the on Monday after his stunning five-goal haul in a single Bundesliga match sent four records tumbling. Lewandowski needed just eight minutes, 59 seconds to score five goals after coming off the bench in the second-half of Bayern’s 5-1 drubbing of Wolfsburg in Munich on September 22 for the German league leaders. “It was an historic night for me,” said Lewandowski after being presented with four certificates. He has claimed the record for the fastest hat-trick, which took him just 3:22, the fastest four goals, 5:42, the quickest to five and…
Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen is finally injury free and looking striker to experiencing his first Club World Cup starting in two weeks, the Belgium international said on Monday. Vermaelen, 30, damaged a hamstring at last year’s World Cup finals in Brazil before signing for Barca from Arsenal, prompting some to question why the club completed the deal. He eventually needed surgery and did not make his official debut until the final weeks of last season and has struggled to win a regular place in coach Luis Enrique’s starting line-up. However, as Barcelona prepare to jet off to the Club World…
Southampton forward Shane Long is hopeful he did okay enough for the coach during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Manchester City to start Wednesday’s Capital One (League) Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool. The Irish international led the line against City with Southampton’s top scorer Graziano Pelle suspended and he scored in the 49th minute, his first goal for the club in two months having been restricted by an ankle injury. “It was nice being back up front again and to give the gaffer a different option,” the former Hull City and Reading striker told the club’s website (www.saintsfc.co.uk). “I feel good how…
English Premier League clubs splashed out almost £130 million on agents’ fees last year in a £15 million rise on the previous 12 months. Liverpool spent the most of any club as they paid out £14.3 million to the sport’s middle men over the last two transfer windows, according to figures released by the Premier League on Monday. The second highest spenders were Manchester United (£13.8m), followed by local rivals Manchester City (£12.4m) with the total reaching £129.86 million for the year ending September 30. Chelsea and Arsenal both spent £11.9 million, while at the other end of the scale…
President Buhari is currently in France. Ben Murray Bruce had this to say. .
He is in love with her! He spoils her! Chris Brown bought this lovely fur coat for his daughter Royalty said to be worth $15k.
The Central Working Committee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) 2015 has announced the hosts of the 10th anniversary! They are Bonang Matheba, South Africa’s favourite media personality, Bonang Methaba and award-winning artiste and music entrepreneur Dare Art-Alade. The hosts represent the best of young Africans from across the continent, and will be presenting the 10th year celebrations of TFAA in grand style. Darey returns as a host after first hosting in 2009. “I am excited to be coming to Nigeria for The Future Awards Africa,” said Matheba, who is also the first international brand ambassador for Revlon. “This is…
Off Burna Boy‘s second album called ‘On A Spaceship’ here is the song ‘Single’. ‘Single’ also features starboy Wizkid. The track was produced by Simba Tagz.
American Pop singer, Rihanna is reportedly missing ex-boyfriend Chris Brown very much; and this has prompted Riri to stalk Brown on Instagram. With the holiday season around the corner, Rihanna is said to be thinking about all of the good times she and Chris Brown enjoyed, says HollywoodLife.com. A source told HollywoodLife ‘Despite hanging with Travis (Scott) and doing her own thing, Rihanna still follows Chris’ every move.’ ‘She Instagram stalks him and seeing him giving out Thanksgiving turkeys really warms her heart. It is such things that drive her crazy. She misses that sweet side of him. If she…
Chris Brown has awed a lot of his fans by dropping a mixtape titled “Before The Party” on Black Friday, November 27, 2015. The 34-track mixtape precedes the singer’s forthcoming album, Royalty, which is available for iTunes pre-order and is set for a December 18 release. For ‘Before The Party’, Chris Brown enlists Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Wale and Tyga. Breezy’s ‘Hell of a Night’ tour companions French Montana and Fetty Wap appear on a track of the same name.