5 reasons Liverpool may beat Mourinho's United

The English Premier League match-day eight is upon us and the match to look forward to is the Anfield clash between Liverpool and Manchester United on Monday. Two juggernauts of the English game and one that always feels like a derby, even though Manchester is greatly separated from Liverpool.

It can also be added that the two teams are currently led by two of the most sought after managers in the world – Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho but at the moment, Liverpool seem to be in better shape than United, which leads us to these following possibilities.

Tempo and intensity

The Liverpool players seem to have found their rhythm in the Klopp template. They know what they have to do to the opponent and when to do it as a unit. Like they would say, they are hunting in packs while United are still getting to know their best formation and the best players that fit that formation. United players were like rabbits caught in the glare of the  light in the first half against Manchester City last month – it could get worse on Monday!

RUSSIA 2016: ZAMBIA VS NIGERIA

FOLLOW US LIVE AS WE BRING YOU LIVE KEY ACTIONS OF THE MATCH, TO THE LEFT OF THE BLOG

Sharapova’s doping ban reduced to 15 months, to be back in April 2017

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova had her two-year tennis ban for doping reduced to 15 months by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Russian tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open, but the world’s top sports court cut the initial two-year ban by nine months.

In its verdict the CAS “found that Ms Sharapova committed an anti-doping rule violation and that while it was with ‘no significant fault’, she bore some degree of fault, for which a sanction of fifteen months is appropriate”.

Sharapova openly admitted she had been taking meldonium for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency.

Breaking: Rangers emerge League winners again after 32 years

Rangers International were on Sunday crowned champions of the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League.

The Enugu-based club demolished El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri 4-0 in their last match of the season to seal the title.

Chisom Egbuchulam scored a hat trick while Osas Okoro scored one to help Rangers win their first league title in 32 years.

Details Later.......

Football Shirt Numbers History, retired shirts, the most famous / worst shirt numbers

Football shirt numbers have always been an integral part of the game over the years.

Some of them have become famous because of the legendary footballers who picked them and others were downright strange.

In the earlier days shirt numbers were used to simply identify the player on the pitch. Over the years the reasoning for shirt numbers has changed for a variety of reasons – superstitions, personal preferences etc.

Sam Allardyce quits England job

Sam Allardyce has resigned his dream job as coach of England, after irreconcilable talks with English FA over an allegation that he agreed a payment of 400,000 pounds in exchange for information on how to beat transfer rules.

He was appointed into the three million pounds job on 22 July to succeed Roy Hodgson. He quit just after 67 days.

The English FA confirmed his  departure, from a job that offered three million pounds a year, making him the highest paid national coach

In a statement, the FA said on Monday night: ‘The FA can confirm that Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager.

Allardyce fights to save England job

Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce is set for crisis talks with his Football Association employers on Tuesday as the England manager fights to save his job after being caught in a newspaper sting.

Allardyce gave advice on how to circumnavigate transfer rules, criticised the FA’s decision to rebuild Wembley and mocked his England predecessor Roy Hodgson while being secretly filmed by Daily Telegraph reporters posing as Far East businessmen.

Allardyce, 61, appointed England manager in July on a £3m-a-year contract, also agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador for their fictitious firm for a fee of £400,000 ($519,000, 461,000 euros).

Senior FA figures were said to be stunned by the revelations and the former Sunderland and West Ham manager was seen driving away from his home in Bolton, northwest England, early on Tuesday morning amid reports he had been summoned to the governing body’s Wembley headquarters to defend himself.

Palmer, ‘the King’ of golf dies

Arnold Palmer, American golfer                                    Photo:britannica.com

Legendary US golfer Arnold Palmer died on Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, aged 87, the US Golf Association confirmed.

Palmer died at the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he had been undergoing heart tests since Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Fondly known as “The King,” Palmer won seven major championships during his playing career, which began in the 1950s, and was one of 13 original inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

US President Barack Obama tweeted a photograph of himself and Palmer in the White House, saying: “Here’s to The King who was as extraordinary on the links as he was generous to others. Thanks for the memories, Arnold.”

Balotelli brace down Monaco

Balotelli celebrates with Nice team mates

Mario Balotelli scored twice to help Nice dominate Monaco 4-0 and move top of the Ligue 1 table on Wednesday.

The enigmatic striker continued his resurgence with his third and fourth goals since his move from Liverpool this summer as unbeaten Nice moved one point ahead of both Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

Paul Baysse opened the scoring for Nice on 18 minutes before Balotelli scored on the half-hour mark with a hard shot from an angle that went in off the far post.

And the striker stayed onside to add another goal midway through the second half before coming off a few minutes later.

Tiemoue Bakayoko was dismissed with six minutes to play, and though Balotelli’s replacement Alassane Plea missed the resulting penalty he completed the rout with a header a minute later.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi out for three weeks

 

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will be sidelined for the next three weeks due to a groin strain, dealing a huge blow to his club and country. “To lose Lionel Messi means football loses and we lose,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique. 

 

Messi limped off just before the hour mark of the Spanish champions’ 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. 

 

The Argentine captain is set to miss his country’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay next month as well as Barca’s Champions League clash at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Messi will also sit on the Catalans’ La Liga trips to Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo. Messi. Messi.