Jurgen Klopp to field Liverpool’s top brass against Southampton as playmaker prepares to make comeback January 9, 2017 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he will field the strongest line-up at his disposal during his side’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday. Klopp has also confirmed that Philippe Coutinho is primed for a return to action after being sidelined for more than six weeks with an ankle [...]
Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake vows to force his way into Antonio Conte’s first-team plans January 9, 2017 Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake has vowed to force his way into manager Antonio Conte’s plans after returning to Stamford Bridge having had his loan spell at Bournemouth cut short. The 21-year-old former Feyenoord player made 12 appearances for the Cherries, scoring three goals including a last-gasp winner against Liverpool last month, after moving to the [...]
Hull boss Marco Silva determined to keep hold of West Ham target, while Jose Mourinho ranks EFL Cup semi-final greater than Liverpool showdown January 9, 2017 Newly-appointed Hull boss Marco Silva has vowed to hold on to the club’s top-scorer Robert Snodgrass amid interest from fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham. Hull turned down an offer, believed to be in the region of £3m, for Scotland winger Snodgrass, who has spearheaded his side’s bid for top-flight survival by netting nine goals [...]
Eoin Morgan reveals his family were deeply offended by criticism of his decision to skip Bangladesh tour January 9, 2017 Limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan has revealed that the criticism he received following his controversial decision to skip England’s tour of Bangladesh caused deep offence to his family. Morgan, together with opener Alex Hales, declined to travel to Bangladesh in October amid security concerns, a stance which England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said was “disappointing”. A [...]
How the Africa Cup of Nations affects Premier League clubs January 9, 2017 While January offers the opportunity for squads to be bolstered before the campaign’s business end, some Premier League managers are already counting the cost of international call-ups for the Africa Cup of Nations. A quick browse of the list of top-flight absentees for the tournament in Gabon, which begins on Saturday, shows those sides who [...]
Fears calmed after England flanker James Haskell’s return to action lasts less than a minute January 8, 2017 Wasps boss Dai Young calmed fears over James Haskell’s fitness after the England flanker’s return to action lasted just 36 seconds during his side’s victory over Leicester at the Ricoh Arena. Second-half replacement Haskell was making his first appearance for seven months following a toe injury but was forced from the field after appearing to [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Aston Villa 0: Mauricio Pochettino tips rookie midfielder Harry Winks for stardom January 8, 2017 TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino tipped rookie midfielder Harry Winks to scale lofty heights after his side began their FA Cup campaign with a regulation victory over Championship side Aston Villa. Eight-time tournament winners Spurs cruised into round four after brushing aside an initially stubborn Villa, currently 12th in the second tier, courtesy of second-half goals [...]
Pep Guardiola dismisses retirement talk as West Ham’s Slaven Bilic talks up qualities of two transfer targets January 5, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has doused suggestions he is contemplating retirement as he prepares to embark upon his maiden FA Cup clash against West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday. Guardiola moved to clarify comments made last week in which he indicated he was pondering the end of his coaching career, which led [...]
Up for the cup: Sutton United bask in overdue return to spotlight January 5, 2017 Non-league Sutton United may be cast as extras in the FA Cup script but nearly 30 years after their last show-stopping third round performance the part-timers are busy rehearsing their lines for a long overdue encore. It was January 1989 when Sutton, playing as they are today in English football’s fifth tier, knocked out top-flight Coventry [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Chelsea 0: Antonio Conte and Gary Cahill urge beaten Blues to shrug off defeat January 4, 2017 Chelsea boss Antonio Conte shrugged off the long-term significance of defeat and backed his side to embark upon a fresh winning run after coming unstuck against rivals Tottenham at White Hart Lane. The Blues missed the chance to go eight points clear of second-placed Liverpool at the Premier League summit, while also failing to set [...]
