Football is our passion

Frank Lampard has dismissed the notion that Chelsea can compete for the Premier League title against the leagues best clubs.  The Blues are fourth in the table, 13 points off pacy setters- Liverpool after just 14 games.  Chelsea are presently struggling to win games and have gone three games without a win in all competitions and have now lost back-to-back Premier League games against Manchester City and now West Ham. Asked about the Premier League title and Chelsea's hopes of winning it, Lampard said;  "No. We won't win it, not this season i am sure about that", Lampard told Sky Sports.  "Winning the Premier League title would've been great but, the team is young and lack the experience to go all the way."  Chelsea will play Aston Villa next and Lampard will be hoping to get back to winning wins. 

According to German publication Bild, Manchester United are in advanced negotiation to sign Borrusia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.  The midfielder might have fallen out of favour with Dortmund coach Lucien Favre and now see less of the pitch than the bench but, he is still highly rated and mostly wanted by Europe's biggest club.  United are the first club to launch an audacious bid for the attacker and are hoping to beat the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Juventus to his signature.  Although, signing the attacker won't be cheap, he will cost any club $120m to sign.

Liverpool FC have confirmed Fabinho will be sidelined for the next 6- 8 weeks with a ankle injury. The Brazilian will miss roughly 10 games including the FIFA Club World Cup scheduled to be held in Qatar.  His absence will be felt, knowing he has developed into of the best holding midfielders in the world. But Liverpool have enough midfielders reckons Jurgen Klopp who has pinpointed 3 players who he think can play that role.  Naby Keita, Adam Lallana, Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson are the four players Klopp believe can play that role.  Realistically, only Jordan Henderson can play that role perfectly due to his physical strength, tenacious tackling and discipline..  "Naby is OK. No more injuries from Napoli other than Fabinho", Klopp told reporters during his press conference.  'It's an opportunity for someone, of course. Hendo, Gini and Lallana have all played it. We can system too. Losing a player of Fab's quality is a blow but we are not the

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has admitted he was surprised with the sacking of Unai Emery who many believed was the ideal replacement of club's greatest manager Arsene Wenger.  Emery lasted 18 months at the Emirates, 22 years 6 months less than his predecessor Arsene Wenger who turned Arsenal into of the richest clubs in the world.  Klopp though feels the Gunners were not performing to their standard and probably that was the reason he was sacked.  Asked if he has had about the sacking of Unai Emery, Klopp said:  "I was surprised when i saw the news. That's how the football world is", Klopp told reporters.  "I have no clue what happened there but obviously the board wasn't happy with the performance and made a decision. That's our life (as managers) when you sign a contract. "I wish him all the best. He is an outstanding manager and has shown that in many different countries. Arsenal have to find a solution now, there are coaches out the

Jermaine Pennant has revealed what he thinks will be Liverpool's biggest problem en-route to winning the Premier League.  Pennant admits they've a talented squad with lots of experience who have gone the distance to win the Premier League title only to be pipped by Liverpool. He feels Liverpool's only Achilles heel will be injuries to their key players.  Injuries to superstars like Fabinho, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Van Dijk could instantly derail their progress.  "The team has all it takes to go unbeaten and win the Premier League title", Pennant told 888 Sports.  "But you feel the team can also be stopped when the top players in the team get injured. Liverpool have four or five players that make the difference and once they're not there you kind of see a drop in standard".  Liverpool play Brighton next at Anfield and will be hoping to continue to march to the Premier League title. 

The reigning European champions are on the verge of exiting the competitions in the round of 16.  Liverpool could become the second team in 10 years to exit the Champions League in the group stage since AC Milan. But to prevent that from happening Jurgen Klopp's men must beat Salzburg at Red Bull Arena which frankly is no easy feat.  Salzburg is no push over and Klopp know this. He watched as Jesse Marsch men came back from a 3-0 defeat in the first half to draw 3-3 in the second half. It took a moment of pure genius from Mohamed Salah to find the winning goal and salvage respect from the home side.  Now, Austria team have an opportunity to create history, they've the chance to dump Liverpool out of the Champions League by beating them at home and progressing to the round of 16.  It won't be easy though but why would you doubt them knowing that Liverpool's defence is very weak and porous.  This season, the Reds have played 9 games at Anfield and eve

Manchester City have reportedly opened talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen sensation Kai Havertz. The 20-year-old is fast developing into a world class midfielder which has attracted the interest of Europe's biggest club.  City have contacted his agent over the possibility of signing him as the club long term replacement of David Silva who leaves this summer.  Havertz might not posses the credible creativity of David Silva but he ambidextrous, technically gifted, strong on the air, physically imposing and quick.  Although, City is not the only club who want him, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG have made esquires. 

Everybody wants to sign Kylian Mbappe including Liverpool who have reportedly inquired about his World Cup winner.  The 20-year-old wants to compete with the likes of Lionel Messi, Ryan Giggs and Paolo Maldini on the number of trophies won and not necessary how many goals or assists he made a season.  Giggs has won 36 trophies, Paolo Maldini 34 and Lionel Messi 32 compared to Kylian Mbappe 9 which he wants to change. He is young and still has plenty of time, you might think but Mbappe knows now is the best time to move to top club capable of winning him the Champions League.  He doesn't want to be like Gigi Buffon, David Silva, Edinson Cavani or Zlatan Ibrahimovic who have won all domestic trophies at their respective club side but failed to win the Champions League.  Mbappe wants to win everything and feels Liverpool is the right club to help him achieve  that trophy.  But signing him will be too expensive for Liverpool..  Mbappe will cost Liverpool or any club interest

Manchester City have reportedly inquired about the availability  of Atalanta youngster Amad Daillo Traoré  reports Italia paper- Calciomercato.  The 17-year-old has impressed City's scouts during the UEFA Youth League and now the club feels he can be a useful addition to their youth team.  Daillo possess similar skill sets to Borrusia Dortmund star Jordan Sancho and there's a huge possibility he will become a world class attacker.  Singing Daillo now will be good business cause in two or three years time, he will be commanding $50m to $60m to sign. 

Lorenzo Insigne will miss the Champions League between Liverpool and Napoli after pickign up an elbow injury.  The striker sustained the injury in Napoli's 1-1 draw with AC Milan and will now miss trip to Anfield. His absence will be largely felt knowing he has developed a knack in scoring goals against Liverpool.  Napoli squad to face Liverpool: Goalkeepers- Meret, Karnezis, Ospina; Defenders- Di Lorenzo, Koulibaly, Mario Rui, Luperto, Manolas, Maksimovic, Hysaj; Midfielders- Allan, Elmas, Fabian, Gaetano, Zielinski; strikers- Llorente, Callejon, Mertens, Younes, Lozano.  Napoli will need a win to qualify to the round of 16 but beating Liverpool at Anfield is almost impossible. They last time they lost a game at Anfield was April 2017. Since then, they've played 44 matches, winning 38 and drawing 6.. Fortress!

Another game, another victory, Liverpool have finally discovered how to grind out results even when playing way below average.  Palace were good to watch, they stopped Liverpool's swashbuckling football in the first 15 minutes of play and put them to the sword by scoring the first goal only for VAR {Video Assistant Referee} to choke it off.  The first half might have ended in stalemate but the second half saw Liverpool take the initiative through Sadio Mane whose snap shot evaded everyone and found the back of the net.  Wilfred Zaha did restore parity to keep Palace fans believing but in the dying minute, Firmino scored the winning goal to put Liverpool 2-1 up and eight points clear of Leicester City.  Here are the five things we learnt:  1. Van DIjk is a monster, he is a world class defender-  Where will Liverpool be without Van Dijk? Porbably in 7th place or most likely 10th. He won every aerial ball, tussled with Jordan Ayew and came out on top and was the reason Li

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson is confident of becoming the first Premier League manager to beat Liverpool this season.  The Reds are unbeaten this season having won 11 games and drawn just once to Manchester United. In fact, Liverpool's last defeat came in hand of Manchester City which was last season.  Since that defeat, Liverpool have gone to win 42 matches and drawn 6 with no defeat.  Hodgson who managed Liverpool from {2010-11} feels he has the antidote to neutralise Liverpool.  "We have to restrict the space their front three are good at using. We have to defend the wide areas", Hodgson said during his press conference.  "We have to make sure our defending around the penalty box is very good. They are a very energetic team, a high pressing culture that when the ball is lost they work very hard to win it back and we need to have composure to free ourselves from our pressure." Crystal Palace haven't beaten Liverpool in any competition sinc

Two Liverpool legends Steve Nicol and Danny Murphy has both called on their former club to raid Tottentham Hotspur of some of their superstars.  Nicol and Murphy both feel Harry Kane will be instant upgrade on Roberto Firmino due to his outstanding goal scoring rate and world class touches. They also reckon that Heung-min Son is better option that Divock Origi if Klopp decides to bring a game change.  Both legends were asked by ESPN FC which Spurs star should Liverpool sign:  "I was thinking about Harry Kane", responded Steve Nicol. "Would i have Harry Kane or would i have Roberto Firmino? That's a tough question that isn't it. Given the choice, i'd rather have my centre-forward to be a goalscorer, so i would have to go with Kane. It's a tough one.  "Son would be fantastic to be able to.. listen, put it this way, no offence to Divock Origi but i would prefer to bring Son on that Divock Origi. I'm not a huge fan of Lucas Moura.  Echoing

Who in the world advised Gareth Bale to carry a banner inscribed: "Wales. Golf. Madrid", minutes after the nation qualified for the 2020 Euros.  Bale's decision was ill-advised and now he never be regarded in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Marcelo or even Isco. He disrespected the club that gave him all he has and made him who is today.  The trophies {13 titles including 4 Champions League and 4 FIFA World Club Cup}, the money {over $120m in wages} and the wide world appeal that attracted endorsement deals to him.  No doubt, the 32-year-old have created unbelievable memories like that sensational winning goal against Barcelona in 2013 Copa Del Rey, the overhead kick and long range stunner against Liverpool to win Madrid their 13th Champions League trophy.  But in-spite of those memorable moments, Bale has spent 2 years out of his 6 years at Madrid in the treatment table. He is always injured and hardly fit to play games.  His saving grace

Jose Mourinho is living the dream! He has become the second highest paid manager in world football after signing a 3-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur.  Mourinho will earn £15m-a-year, which is twice what Spurs paid their formal manager Mauricio Pochettino. No disrespect to Pochettino, Mourinho edges him in the number of trophies won, Mourinho has won {25 managerial to Poch's- 0 }including two Champions League trophies with FC Porto and Inter Milan. The differences between both manager is that Pochettino style of football is modern and expansive but not really good enough to win trophies while Mourinho is defensive, pragmatic but very effective.  Mourinho sits second in the money list with £15m-a-year, 5 million less than his Pep Guardiola who earns £20m-a year.  1. Pep Guardiola- Manchester City (£20m) 2. Jose Mourinho- Tottenham (£15m) 3. Diego Simeone- Atletico Madrid (£13m) 4. Rafa Benitez-   Dalian Yifang (£11.5m) 5. Fabio Cannavaro- Guangzhou Evergrande (£10m) 6.

How do you replace a manager like that?  Muaricio Pochettino was arguably the best manager in the world last season having lead Tottenham Hotspur to the final of the Champions League  without signing a single player in 18 months despite having numerous injury problems and also playing most of last season at Wembley.  To reach the club first ever Champions League final was memorable and will take years for another manager to replicate that achievement.  This season might not have started as Spurs have planned. They've won just 3 times, drawn 5 and lost 4 and now sit 14 points off 4 placed Manchester City.  Yes! the Champions League gap is wide but a manager of such quality can turn things around in an instant once the club gives him the backing he wants, sign very good players and retain the service of players who have consistently proven they're good enough to stay. It will difficult finding another top class manager who let the president Deny Levy make all the decision in

There's no way back for Granit Xhaka, the Switzerland international will be leaving Arsenal FC after failing out with the fans.  His explicit response to Arsenal fans booing him off the field during Arsenals clash with Crystal Palace was the final nail in the confirm. The 27-year-old continued his temper tantrum by posting an ill- advised tweet to the Arsenal fans which further complicated his return.  Its now clear the fans want him gone and the club manager Unai Emery has responded by stripping him off the captain band and relegating him permanently to the stands despite the clubs struggles.  Arsenal haven't won in 4 games and are 8 points for the Champions League spot.  Had Xhaka played, he would've provided the team with creativity, balance and leadership but at it stands someone else has to do that job and not him.  At it stands, he will no longer represent the club and will be sold this January.. Why? The relationship between him and the

They say pictures tells a million stories and today, Roberto Firmino has decided to share a beautiful picture with his mum. Brazil and Liverpool fans are all delighted with his mum Mariana Cicera Barbosa de Oliveira for giving birth to a super talented player "Bobby' who has wowed the world with his skills, daft touches, speed and goals.. Hopefully, Firmino will snap more pictures like this with his mum and upload for the rest of adoring fans to see.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been nominated for UK Coaching 'Great Coaching Moment of the Year'.  Klopp will contest the award with England manager Gareth Southgate, Athletics coach John Blackie and Swin coach Mel Marshall.  The gaffe was able to make the shortlist after Liverpool turned around a 3-0 defeat to win Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield.  Funny enough, Klopp was busy talking to his coaching staff when Trent Alexander Arnold saw Divock Origi in hectares of space inside Barcelona's 12-yard box and cleverly passed the ball for him to score the fourth goal needed to knock Barcelona out.. If wins it, good but, he has to thank Arnold first and foremost. 

Pep Guardiola's agent, Josep Maria Orobitz has bruised aside the assertion that his client will be replacing Niko Kovac at Bayern Munich.  Guardiola is happy at Manchester City and have no reason at all to ditch the Etihad for Allianz Arena where he won 7 trophies in 3 years.  Orobitz revealed he spoke to Guardiola who said he feels good at Manchester City and also in the City of Manchester.  "In football, nothing is certain", Orobitz told Goal and Spox.  "I spoke with Pep last Wednesday and everything is the same: He feels good at Manchester City and also in the city of Manchester, and he has a contract until June 30, 2021.  "Nobody but the press contacted me about the future of Pep".  Manchester City are currently gunning to become the 3 team after Manchester United to win a third consecutive Premier League tittle. Although, they're 9 points adrift of table toppers Liverpool and don't look as strong as last season. 

The world's best defender Virgil van Dijk has admitted his club and national coach Jurgen KLopp and Ronald Koeman have both helped in keeping him focus and motivated.  Van Dijk's rise to the top can't be quantified, he has worked extremely hard to get to where he is and now living the glory of having achieved great things with Liverpool and Holland.  Asked about his relationship with his club and national team managers, Van DIjk said:  "I have a very similar connection with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool as i had earlier with Ronaldo Koeman at Southampton and i still have with Koeman with the national team", Van Dijk told reporters.  "Like Koeman, Klopp know exactly how to get the best out of me - by being critical. When the media are hyping me and being very positive, he will downplay the praise all that- often with a wink".  Recalling what Klopp deal to dampen his recognition as the UEFA Player of the Year, Klopp said the trophy wasn't his al

Liverpool's striker Sadio Mane has admitted he is lucky to be playing alongside his incredible teammates who have made his job relatively easy this season.  Mane has scored 11 goals with 5 assists in 17 appearances in all competition to help Liverpool maintain an unbeaten start to the Premier League.  The 27-year-old though is overly convinced that Liverpool strength is down to language they all speak which is football.  "I always say it is very easy to work together", Mane told Liverpool FC magazine.  "Personally, i just think myself very lucky to play alongside these great players. Every single player who plays alongside them would enjoy it because they are very good players and they make everything easy, so i just enjoy playing alongside them." Liverpool are yet to lose a Premier League match this season after 12 games and hold a 8 point lead over second place Leicester City and 9 point lead over reigning champions Manchester City.  "We are all fr

Europe's hottest scoring sensation Erling Braut Haaland has been warned by his former coach not to make a big-money move to Liverpool and Bayern Munich who are already circling the 19-year-old.  Haaland has scored 26 times in just 18 games and showed his class by coming off the bench at Anfield and scoring a goal in Salzburg's 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.  His former manager at Bryne FK though recognizes his immerse talent but warns him not to move to Liverpool who already have Roberto Firmino or Bayern Munich who have arguably the world best striker Robert Lewandowski..  Sitting on the bench will hinder his progress, he needs to play games.  "The tactical requirements at Bayern and Liverpool would be a bit too high for {him} now", Alf Ingve Bernsten told Goal.com.  "After all, he has only played in Norway and Austria so far. And also there for a short time. Joining Bayern would be difficult for him at the moment. Because, of course, he is still far from t

Liverpool legend John Aldridge has slammed Manchester City coaches and players who were all lived during and after the match.  Guardiola already has two memes of him sticking his two fingers out and protesting a disallowed penalty call and a handshake to Micheal Oliver saying 'thank you very much'- although connoted with a sarcastic undertone.  Aldridge didn't like the way City players reacted especially Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling who took the fight to the English training camp.  Expressing his disappointment with the City players and coaching staff, Aldridge said:  "Pep Guardiola certainly showed his petulant side with his antics on the touchline and after the match", Aldridge told reporters.  "I think Manchester City are so used to getting their own way most of the time that they don't know how to react when things go against them and they behaved like spoilt kids really. I understand their frustrations on the touchline because I've

Borrusia Dortmund has reportedly named their asking price for Jadon Sancho who is quickly developing into a world class forward.  According to Bild, Dortmund wants €140m for their highly rated forward cause they feel he is worth more than Ousmane Dembele who left the club to join Spanish giants Barcelona back in 2017 for €109m.  Why? Sancho isn't just fast and technically good, he posses a good eye for goal, can link up well brilliantly and can play in the flanks and the middle.  Liverpool aren't the only club interested in his service, the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus and even his former club Manchester City have all made inquires about the player. 

Muarizio Sarri wanted a statement from Cristiano Ronaldo now he has. Ronaldo has fired Portugal to brink of Euro 2020 qualification after scoring a hat-trick {his 56th career hat-tick} in Portugal's 6-0 win over Lithuania.  The 34-year-old has now scored 98 International goals in 163 games and looks likely to reach a century when Portugal take on Luxembourg on Sunday.  Sarri thought for moment he could be the coach to close the book on Ronaldo, the man who will finally tell Cristiano Ronaldo; 'You're just not good enough and have to sit on the bench or leave'.  But how wrong was he, Ronaldo posses a giant mentality and hates to be told he is not good enough to play or last the entire match.. Against Lithuania, it sparked him back to live and give him another reason to keep fighting and proving to each and everyone who doubted him that he is the best player in the world. Put it this way, Ronaldo's rebirth is good news not just to Portugal but to Juventus and Ma

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly sanctioned the sell of all his senior players after they bluntly refused to attend a training session scheduled to be held at the Castel Volturno training ground.  The training sesssion was meant to arrest their decline and help them keep pace with Juventus and Inter Milan who are pulling clear of the rest. Napoli are seventh in the Seria A table, 13 points behind Juventus after just 12 games.  The ring leader and captain of the team Lorenzo Insigne is free to leave Napoli this January if any club can offer $60m for his service. Jurgne Klopp is a huge fan of the 28-year-old Italian international and has never hidden his desire to sign him when he is available. Insigne is not the only player available, the likes of Piotr Zielinski, Allan, Kalidou Koulibaly, Callejon and so many more are free to leave this Janaury. 

Liverpool's greatest player Steven Gerrard has lauded praises on Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson who have contributed immensely to Jurgen Klopp's team.  Arnold and Robertson are not just attacking fullbacks, they're the creative heart of the team. They take the corner kicks, swing in the crosses, take free-kicks and even score goals.  This season, they've both contributed 8 assists in 12 Premier League to help Liverpool maintain an unbeaten start to the season.  Speaking exclusively on their strength and phenomenal contribution to the team, Steven Gerrard said:  “What we have in Trent and Robbo now, straight away, you would put them in the world-class bracket,” Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo. “They are up there with the best players in their position, worldwide. So there's no point saying how good could they be because they are already there.The thing for Trent now is can he maintain that consistency for as long as he can? Because he can go o

Vincent Kompany has lauded special praises to his former Manchester City teammate and friend Bernando Silva.  Kompany is highly convinced Silva is a special player who can become a City legend in no distant future.  The 24-year-old has spent three season at City and has gone to win 7 trophies while making 79 appearances.  Impressed with how far Silva has come, Kompany said in his new book 'Treble Triumph': I think everyone looks at Bernardo as a top player.  "He's still so young, having turned 24 during this amazing season. I believe he's at the start of something every special for City. "What makes him a special player, and not just a gifted player, is he's such a positive guy. It's very natural to him. I also call him a leader. I've told him that and he laughs at me when i say it".  Explaining more on why he sees Bernando Silva as a leader, Kompany wrote: "There are so many different types of leadership. His natural ability

Chris Kirkland feels this is the year Liverpool will finally end their 30 year wait to win the Premier League title.  His believe stems from the incredible work Jurgen Klopp is doing at Anfield as well as the winning mentality he has successfully inculcated in the team.  The Premier League title is a must win trophy and Klopp knows how desperate the Liverpool fans are.. He knows his management, players and fans want it and everybody is doing all they can to make that happen.  Kirkland do believe if Jurgen Klopp wins it, he will never have to do anything again.. The pressure of trophies will instantly dissipate..  "If he can get us the league title for the first title in 30 years, he'll never have to do anything again in Liverpool because he'll be a hero", Kirkland told Sky Sports.  "There's a long way to go. Sunday {the sensational win over Manchester City} was a huge game and nine points is a big gap. But it's Manchester City you're talkin

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of cutting his tie with Juventus after growing frustrated with game time. Ronaldo do start games for Juventus but the problem is, he doesn't get to finish them.  Ronaldo is substituted in the 50th, 55th minute and against AC Milan that frustration boiled over as Maurizio Sarri took off.  The 34-year-old was fuming and was heard to have said 'what the f**k?' at Maurizio Sarri, while others reports claim he called the 60-year-old a 'son of a whore'.  No one is certain what he said, except Sarri and Ronaldo know what transpired.  But it seems Maurizio Sarri is trying to build a team that harness the quality of everyone involved not just Cristiano Ronaldo. He wants Paulo Dybala, Diego Costa and everyone else to stand up and be counted.  Here are the three clubs Ronaldo could be heading to:  1. Paris Saint- Germain Cristiano Ronaldo might be 34 but he still posses qualities most players might never have. He is still fast,

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he would've signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic this January had he not played for Manchester United before. The gaffer though feels Ibrahimovic won't want to come to Liverpool due to their intense style of playing coupled with consistent running.. Regardless of that, Ibrahimvoic resonant a bigger than live persona, a world class player who keeps defying his age.  Asked if he will ever consider signing Ibrahimovic, Klopp said:  "If he had not played for Manchester United before, then we might have considered him", Klopp told Swedish newspaper Sportbladet, cited by Tribal Football.  "No, but i'm not even sure he wanted to play here. We're pretty intense team haha... With that said, i couldn't have had more respect for Zlatan. I love his whole career, love his efforts, love his confidence. While it may not always be right, it is entertaining anyway.  "He's a fantastic character and i really hope he doesn't stop playing

Yaya Toure has called on Pep Guardiola to sign a defender this January and stop playing the likes of Rodrigo and Fernandinho in the back.  Rodrigo and Fernandinho are better suited in the holding midfield role and not the centre backs. City have now lost three games in just 12 games played this season and sit 4th in the Premier League table, 9 points off Liverpool..  Another defeat and they can kiss their chances of winning a third consecutive Premier League title goodbye.  Yaya Toure was asked what he thinks about City and he had this to say: "I think it might be hard {to win the Premier League title again} but in January you have to get a defender", Toure told Sky Sports.  "It's not too late, nothing is too late. When i watch the game i don't want to blame nobody, i don't want to blame Rodrigo, he's a young player and a good player, but i think if Fernandinho was in the middle it would be really important.  "City miss him in there, he

Riyad Mahrez has admitted he is disappointed with spending more time on the bench rather than on the pitch.  The 28-year-old joined City in a then club-record fee of $60m from Leicester City in the summer of 2018 but have found competition for places much tougher than expected.  He is forced to compete with Portuguese superstar Bernando Silva and Germany's wonder-kid Leroy Sane.  Last season, Mahrez managed 27 appearances of which 13 of those games were from the bench.   This season, he has started just five games out of 12 and against Liverpool, he was an unused substitute.  Asked about his time at City, Mahrez said: "At the end of the season, i spent several matches  on the  bench", he told the Mirror.  "Mentally, it was difficult to live with. But in training , i put everything into it because i still had this aim with Algeria. I said to myself: 'Go for it, at one-moment Pep {Guardiola} will need you."  Asked about his relatio

Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva have all tagged reports linking Pep Guardiola to Bayern Munich as 'bulls**t'. Guardiola did manage Bayern Munich for three seasons and won 8 trophies before joining Manchester City back in 206. He left as a fulfilled man having joined Germany's biggest club, revolutionized their playing style and made them a force to reckon with.  Having achieved everything he wanted to at Bayern Munich, Guardiola took the next step in his managerial career by signing a contract with Manchester City.   His first season in the Premier League was difficult, City finished trophy-less but still managed to finish in the top four.  Surprisingly, he was nicknamed 'Fraudiola' by jealous fans who felt his style of play can never be implemented in the fast and furious Premier League.  But rather than run for cover, Guardiola was bold and courageous, he knew his style of play can be implemented in any league and still succee

Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has praised Liverpool to the heavens, credited their phenomenal start to the season to their shrewd planning and never- die- attitude.  Liverpool have won 11 games and drawn just once this season.. They're 8 points clear of 2nd placed Leicester City and 9 points clear of Manchester City.  Despite their fine start to the season, Jose can still see lapses in the team and feels that could be the reason they won't win the title.  Mourinho listed the problems as follows:  1. What happens if Virgil van Dijk picks up a long term injury-  Since Van Dijk joined Liverpool back in 2017 and has played virtually all the games in Jurgen Klopp's watch. He has missed just one Premier League game {having injured his ribs}.  Klopp was forced to rest him after Ronald Koeman called him to complain about Van Dijk's ribs and inserted he rest his captain cause he needs time to recover..  Had the call not be made, Klopp would've g