Little Magician departs

Phileppe Coutinho in action 

I knew this day was somehow coming like a storm ready to strike at any cost at all. For god's sake, we're talking about a BID from FC BARCELONA here! It is truly a setback to witness a player of his capability, credibility and capacity to leave Liverpool FC. But hey, it is never a one way traffic in today's football world like how it used to be back then, where we had players who would truly and sincerely give their heart and soul towards a single club. I am boldly talking about players like Steven Gerrard, Franceso Totti, Andre Pirlo, Ryan Giggs and the list can actually go on, trust me. Let's not get too carried away and sway the focus towards Coutinho aka LITTLE MAGICIAN.

He may not have been the physical player that any fan would dream of having in their team, he may not necessarily be the fastest player on the field, he may not be the best samba player Brazil could ever have in their history books, he may not be the Peter Crouch or a Zlatan that a club would want, but trust me, he had it all to be named one of Liverpool's greatest player ever. January 26 2013, the day that has brought us to the news that has been so viral today, the day that Coutinho was legally signed for Liverpool, and that too only for 8.5 MILLION EURO! Oh my goodness, and here he is, today being the 2nd most expensive transfer after Neymar's move to PSG. Liverpool have serious problems sustaining self-created star-studded players. First, Michael Owen, then Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and now Coutinho! Who next? Hope not Salah. Probably not yet I assume to the least. Haha. Coutinho was something else. He is probably one of the evidences that samba football still exist, alongside Neymar, Firmino and Dani Alves. He made defenders look so vulnerable on pitch whenever he's on the ball, and all he ever did was causing threats that always led to heart attacks amongst the opponents. 

I would say, when Coutinho arrived here at Liverpool, he was already making headlines and became a fan favourite in no time! This, I would say it is totally rare and you don't often see a player coming from a totally different continent, and creating an impact in an instant manner. He did that. That type of energy, smartness, creativeness that he brings to the game, it was almost incomparable to any other players on the field, well of course not comparing with the likes of Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard. He matured as a player, his flaws decreased, he started becoming more of like a leader, and he set an example of what you can expect from A SAMBA boy! At times, he even resembles the likes of Ronaldinho (the touches, the way he dances through the defensive wall), lethal finishing like Roberto Carlos, well that guy was in his own league as well, redefining the law of physics scoring that ever explosive, stunner against France in 1997. 

Players come and go, the modern football era as it is. Coutinho's dream move to Barcelone is now a reality, and he needs to expect a whole different ball game there, but a warm welcome is assured. Time will tell how he fits into the star-studded team with the likes of Messi, Dembele, Suarez, Iniesta, Busquets and so on. Oh and yes, I smell a Liverpool reunion there! Luis Suarez and Phileppe Coutinho. Suarez was a beast at Liverpool, and no lesser at Barcelona. He was lethal last season alongside Messi and Neymar until his record - breaking move to PSG. Suarez must be delighted with Coutinho's move to Barca, and that too for a simple fact that they both assisted pretty well on field and scored some blistering goals together! 

Coutinho, probably the only deserving player to have worn the No.10 jersey at Liverpool after Michael Owen. It is never an easy task to carry such highly expected numbers on your shoulder, but he didn't disappoint. He was a bomb! His lethal finishing, especially the free-kicks! Oh god, nightmares for the goalkeeper and the wall of defence when he takes them. He got consistent, more bold and he stood up whenever it mattered the most. He has scored some individual brilliant goals that can never be forgotten, and one of them that will stay very close to my heart is when he cracked the winner against Man City in 2014 in what happened to be a game that Liverpool had to win. 

His absence will affect Liverpool not only on the field, but among the hearts of the many players that he shared tremendous bonds with. Klopp, the sort of manager that creates that type of relationship with players that you hardly see it between other managers or players. Lose or win, he never fails to attend to all of them and cheers them up! Coutinho was a close favourite of Klopp, but as the saying goes "No Player is bigger than The Club itself" 

All the best in Barcelona, brace yourselves mate, and hope you don't hit the bench often! 

#YNWA 

New season, new talents, new challenges

What can be more exciting for football fans all around the world than to have the EPL back! 2017/2018 season is here and it looks promising as ever with so many young talents to look out to and what a remarkable start it has been thus far. Situations in the table at this point of time looks slightly different than to how it ended last season. As of now, Manchester United are steadily sitting at the top with 10 points from a possible 12, sharing the plight with Manchester City who are just tailing the Red Devils at 2nd place. Liverpool and Chelsea had a positive start to the season as well but suffered defeats which created the points difference with the top 2. Manchester United had 3 straight consecutive wins and it was proven that the likes of Lukaku, Matic and the return of Baily has hugely made a difference. Lukaku is looking sharp as ever and to be honest, the lad's finishing has been extremely clinical thus far. Matic is definitely one of the best buys this season simply because of the aerial abilities the lad possesses and the type of results he is capable of producing. He is definitely one of the underrated players in the league but surely result -oriented in many ways. Manchester City are currently very much reliable on their young samba genius, Gabriel Jesus who has been shining since day 1. He is one of those young talents that needs a close watch this season and a type of players that's full of surprises and always wanting to prove his capabilities to the people around him. Overall, City are looking deadlier upfront but they do have their issues at the back just like how Liverpool are suffering every season. Liverpool, on the other hand invested on quality players like Sadio Mane, Salah, Robertson, Solanke and the latest transfer of Oxlade - Chamberlain from Arsenal. The only ongoing concern that the Reds has been facing since day 1 would be defence. It has been a total disaster at times seeing how careless and silly the mistakes that are being committed at the back and honestly speaking, it comes with a hefty price to pay. Klopp simply needs to look into that and invest on some real quality left, right and centreback for the betterment of the team so that the team would be capable on genuinely putting up a firm fight for the title.

Some of the young talents that needs a close watch this season would be Marcos Rashford, Anthony Martial, Robertson, Solanke, Gabriel Jesus and the list goes on. These players are already proving to be a massive threat whenever against any of their opponents. It is the energy they bring to the team that keeps the spirit going and surely a force to be reckoned.

Tottenham Hotspur had a shaky start to the season and it is probably due to the shifting of stadium from White Hart Lane to Wembley which is causing some discomfort among the players and will definitely require time to adapt to Wembley. Harry Kane, surprisingly had a slow start and failing to score in the first few games before finding the net twice in the last week's clash with Everton.

EPL's twist & turns 2017

Just like any other season, this season sees no difference in terms of the competitive element that is often portrayed by almost all the TOP half of the table teams. Current leaders Chelsea are simply seated in a pretty pole position of reclaiming what used to be their toy to play with during the Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba era. Well, those were the days and you just feel that those days were long gone until you have a bunch of revived stars who recently found their foot in the gas such as Hazard, Costa, Pedro, Willian and also a power pack Defence wall with the likes of Alonso, Luiz, Cahill and the list goes on. Chelsea looks close to unbeatable this season under the supervision of Antonio Conte and his tactics has often come out successful in all the games. It is extremely rare these days that you maintain such consistent results in a league that sees teams outside the top four put up a good fight to prove good Football. The other team that's been almost unbeatable this season would be Tottenham Hotspur. Quite a slow start to the season but slowly and steadily, Spurs spurred on to be 2nd place now. If there's one team that stands out to be a complete one, it definitely is Spurs! Boy, they're just so good and almost a flawless team until they sold Bale and Modric to Spanish giants Real Madrid. Imagine the duo of Modric-Kane-Bale-Alli. Oh my, I would bet on them nicking the title on a very simple term. The likes of Alli and Kane proved to be a lightning force to be reckoned in the league and they're so deadly together everytime they start. Alli, at such a young age is definitely one of the upcoming stars and he has often contributed all that he can in the games he plays. His enthusiasm, fighting spirit, clinical finishing, classy first touches and his regular goal scoring abilities makes him one of the best in the league. With Kane alongside him, they're probably one of the deadliest combo in the league now after SAS. Regardless having a rough start to the season, Liverpool are sitting third and knowing that their chance of winning the title after almost 30 years is gone, they will now settle for a top four finish and see out a Champions League spot. Sadio Mane suffered a horrific tackle in the Merseyside Derby and will be out for the rest of the season. His absence is huge and it is so huge that it may dent their hopes of even qualifying to the Champions League next season. Liverpool is pretty wounded at the moment for losing quite a number of influential players like Lallana, Henderson, Ings and Sturridge. Players that often defines Liverpool's credibility in going forward and players that gives a wide range of options leading towards the back of the net. Arsenal's season is taking a whole new roller coaster ride with much criticism thrown towards Arsene Wenger. Fans are already falling out hopes on Wenger and his old school tactics and for often failing to recruit new engines to the squad. Arsenal need more players like Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Bellerin, Ozil and players that can provide variety of attacking options upfront and most importantly creativity. Creative play with a great pace is the recent trend in the league and very limited players actually are capable of that in the league. Manchester United's season is taking a seasonal turn and their results speaks for itself. The grandest of signing Paul Pogba from Juventus is proving to be least effective and the most common comments we all hear is " give the lad some time to settle down in the league". Wonder for how long more are we gonna hear those remarks? Paul's signing takes him above Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale's price tag and makes him the most expensive player at least for now before some other joker comes along. As much as I hate to say this, I think Ibrahimovic should cost more than Paul Pogba and his form will speaks for it. On a free transfer from PSG, the big guy still hasn't lost it. Just as slick, tough, creative  and clinical with his finishing, he's been a great addition to the team. Sidelining Rooney and starting Ibra, Rashford, Martial and Lingard has given United more flexibility and consistency in scoring goals. United's fight for top four remains at touching distance but it is sure to go down for a great fight with quite a number of team looking to settle for it. It won't be that easy guys.

A season to remember. 2015/2016

That moment when you know Leicester City is the 2015/2016 English Champions, getting the better of some of the finest and mega rich clubs in the league. They came, they played, outplayed and here they stand, as Champions! One does not simply win the race to glory in the toughest league in the word unless they are Leicester City. Leicester were doomed towards relegation at the start of the season, but it was a show of great character, fighting spirit, perfect team play, dedication and commitment that has eventually put them at the top of the summit at the end of the season. We all somewhat rather know that the usual top four were never convincing enough to hit the big money, but no one predicted this surprise package as well. I suppose the Ranieri effect has implied a great amount of positive vibes towards this club as the Italian wonderfully worked his magic. I can hardly recall any Leicester players suffering from injuries in most occasions and that could well be a massive turning point in deciding this outcome. They maintained absolute fitness throughout the whole season and had the full squad in most of the matches regardless losing several key player through match dismissal. Leicester is a team filled with very average players at the start of the season, where the whole first eleven would cost only about 75 million euro, and that figure is nothing compared to how some other clubs have spent. Now, they have a team filled with great talent, potential match changers, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, Mahrez, Drinkwater and the list goes on.

The good news is that Ranieri wants to stay put and has urged his players to follow his footstep simply because he believes that with this current squad, they can now go and challenge some of the finest in Europe, with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventes. Ranieri once said in a press conference that he doesn't need star players, but good players with a winning heart. That statement was basically like a massive slap in the face for some of the big clubs in BPL that flopped this season. Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester City were the only clubs that tried to stop Leicester from winning the title, but the heart of the champions were made of steel. Spurs brought it down to the wire only when they drew with Chelsea that sees their chances fly away in the wind. There were massive support and chants for their former coach, Ranieri at the Bridge when Chelsea hosted Spurs and the fans and the players were pretty much eager to hand the title over to Ranieri and deny their London neighbours a sneak at it. The match which ended 2-2, saw some of the players from both sides involved in a tunnel bust up and some nasty scenes on field right at the end of the final whistle.

Manchester United, on the other hand were pretty much busy competing for fourth spot from the start of the season, but failed to qualify for UCL next season, due to dropping some careless points and Man City edged at them at a couple of points. Louis Van Gaal, being the least favourite among the fans, were never really in favour of his so called tactics and to be honest, they badly wanted their former midfield legend, Ryan Giggs to be in charge instead of him. This happens to be LVG's last season at United, and it ended in a high note with United clinching their 12th FA Cup glory against Crystal Palace. There were rumors that Mourinho could be the possible candidate to take over at United, but let's just wait and see what happens.

Jurgen Klopp's arrival has definitely seen a lot of improvement in the squad, in terms of their attacking style and his choices of players were really good. After taking over Rodger's last October, Klopp has regrouped the team, playing players according their plus points and he was such a phenomenal coach. To me, he was not only a coach to all the players, but also  friend that understood them. His natural gestures speaks a million words and he was simply spot on for Liverpool. I could never imagine anyone as spectacular as he is to replace the wounded Liverpool team. Liverpool, I can say had a rough season from day 1 due to some of their key players suffering from long term injuries. This has always been Liverpool's problem, having committed to injury prone players. One good example would be Daniel Sturridge. Other players like, Danny Ings, Jose Enrique and Divock Origi were also out for most of the games this season. In the midst of all this issues, Klopp did manage to guide Liverpool to two Cup finals this season, which is indeed a great achievement for a manager being at the club for the first time. Unfortunately, Liverpool lost both the cup finals to Manchester City and Sevilla but Klopp remained positive despite the consecutive cup losses. It takes a big heart to say good things and remain calm and vibrant regardless the losses, and in fact Klopp praised his players for putting on a good show in the road to both the cup finals. Klopp was very much impressed with his players and just thinks that Man City and Sevilla were lucky enough to have edged Liverpool due to some sloppy mistakes, that's about it. The Board of Directors have strong faith on the German that he will surely be the right one to change the fate of the team and work wonders and also to bring them back to Europe next season.

Competition gets higher as season reaches it's pivotal point

Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez during a training session in Melwood. The most deadliest duo partnership in Europe at the moment.

Suarez and Sturridge, better known as the SAS now, have been in fine form since the start of the season and the pair has been not only banging goals in for fun, but also the amount of workmanship displayed within them is extremely unbelievable and they're being known also as the deadliest combo in Europe at the moment. It's been a roller coaster start for the Reds this season as they got off to a magnificent ride under Brendan Rogers, the former Swansea manager and currently sitting firm on second place. They are currently sharing same points with Manchester City, whom have two games in hand to play. Ever since Rogers took charge of Liverpool, the Reds have been in magnificent form and everything seems to be falling into the right place and probably aim for the title this season?..Why not i say with the current on fire form the Reds are enjoying. Just like how Liverpool are flying high at the moment, on the other side the Red Devils are definitely facing their worse start to the top flight season as they've been dropping a lot of crucial, silly points. It is absolutely not a good sail of the boat for Manchester United as it's been a shaky start and to be honest, with so many five star players looming in the squad, an average rated performance in every game is highly not accepted and Moyes's career is in jeopardy. If there were to be no improvement or any sort of progression in the team, Moyes might be heading towards the exit door very soon. The front two for the Red Devils, Van Persie and Rooney, have not been experiencing a good run of form and lacking goals of course, which is extremely a rare phenomena to witness. Man United are currently sitting seventh in the league table, adrift almost 20 points of the pace setters, Chelsea. With 10 or 11 games remaining to play for, Manchester United can only aim for a possible Champions League spot or the least, Europa League. If they were to aim for anything more than that, then I'd say that "Better Luck Next Time Devils"!!!!. Haha!!. It's funny how Moyes could still insist that his team is still capable of winning the title this season despite their bad start to the season, which i personally assume is crazy and out of this world. Apart from that, a perfect example, for instance is like an infant wanting to learn how to walk. Seriously Man United?..still dreaming of winning the title season?..More like DDMU ( dream dream Manchester United). haha. Chelsea currently sitting firm in 1st place, are enjoying a great spell upon the return of the "Special One" Mourinho who said that he would only return to England to coach if he ever leaves Real Madrid, and there you go, he is back at CHELSEA!. Chelsea haven't quite been in their best form before when Mourinho was coaching them back in 2004/2005 season, but somewhat or rather they've managed to stay strong at the top. Wing wizard Hazard and mastermind Willian have been doing exceptionally well. Arsenal, whom got off to great start, are now behind Liverpool, level on points actually, and the goal difference have put Liverpool ahead. With Suarez and Sturridge continuing their form till the end of the season, well i would fancy them winning the title because that's how good their forwards are. The SAS have been scoring goals for fun and anything they seem to touch towards goal, is always ending up behind the net. Apart from that being said, I do believe that Liverpool's back four have been very average this season, as what I mean is that they haven't been rock solid at the back and quite a number of sloppy goals have been conceded. Kolo Toure have been shaky since his debut and with Jose Enrique still out injured, Liverpool are indeed having a tough time at the back. Agger and Skrtel are back, but not to their full fitness though which is a worry for the team. Liverpool are in serious need of a couple of rock solid centrebacks, as i feel that it is totally unimaginable to depend on Agger and Skrtel all the way till the season ends. The front is absolutely inch perfect with Sturridge and Suarez leading, and Gerrard and Henderson just behind. Coutinho and Sterling have been shining brightly and have clearly proven their worth and proved critics wrong that they are actually capable of implying a major impact on the team, especially contributing to the goals. Sterling's speed and Coutinho magical moves are definitely a worry for other teams to cope with, and yes BE SCARED TEAMS, BE REAL SCARED!!..

Good run continues as top four stay firm

A furstrated looking Moyes during the clash with Southampton

Van Persie clashing with Jay Rodriguez

Manchester United's poor start to the season continues as they suffered another huge setback at the hands of Southampton on October 19 2013, drawing the match 1-1. David Moyes has voiced to his squad that they need to buck up as soon as possible if they were to be serious contenders for the title this season. The defending champions have now only won 3 games since the start of the season, drawn 2 and lost 3. This is so not Manchester United, regardless that they usually spell a slow start to the season, but this time around, the slow spell to the season seems to march on even longer, leaving them 8 points adrift of table toppers, Arsenal. It looks like Alex Ferguson's departure is proving to be a massive blow for the red devils and being under Moyes, nothing seems to go right for the devils at the moment. Robin Van Persie, have been on the dark shades since the season started, barely could even see him shining like a star like how he used to shine, since his transfer from Arsenal, scored the opening goal but with a last minute winner by Adam Lallana saw United's early goal cancelled out and the joy was short-lived. Moyes tactics at the moment proves to be a big question mark as questions are being raised against his tactics in terms of playing the right players at the right time of the game. Nemanja Vidic, one of the powerhouse defender, is slowly slacking off in recent games, and not as rockful as he used to be in the United's defense. One thing that needs to be clearly notified here is that, Manchester United's form have been in jeopardy lately and totally inconsistent, of course undeniably. Meanwhile, at the Emirates, Arsenal march on with their impressive start to the season with a easy 4-1 win against Norwich City. Goals from Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and the double from the on form Mesut Ozil was enough to see off an arguably poor Norwich defence. Arsenal manager have been ordered by the club owners to start to deliver the trophies since good players are now on target, and Arsenal are indeed posting a huge threat to all the teams and looking to be a serious title contenders this year. Arsenal have gone 7 years without a trophy, and it is a rare phenomena witnessing such a prestigious club being trophy-less for years. It's time Wenger deliver the silverware's with the German "wizard" Mesut Ozil on a cracking form for the gunners, not only assisting but also scoring goals magnificently. If Arsenal were to march on with their current outstanding form towards the end of the season, don't be surprised folks with the Gunners finally becoming English Champions again just like old times. Olivier Giroud have been raising to the occasion lately and he has been in a good form for the Gunners, and if he keeps up his form, he may turn to be a huge demand for other teams in the future. Now we shall fly to Merseyside, where Liverpool continues their good form too, regardless of the draw they suffered against the Magpies, Newcastle United during the weekend, on October 19 2013. Winning 5 games, drawing 2 and losing 1 is pretty impressive for how Liverpool's performances have been in the past few seasons. They are now third in the table, level on points with Chelsea, who leapfrogged the Reds on goal difference after their 4-1 win against Cardiff City. Liverpool are now 2 points adrift of Arsenal, and the two will clash in the upcoming Premier League matches, and that will definitely prove to be the turning point of who has the upper-hand against each other. Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are proving to be the most deadliest combination ever in the Premier League thus far as they combine and play 1 touch passes extremely mind-blowing. Steven Gerrard marked his 100th Premier League goal with a penalty. The penalty was awarded after Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa brought down Luis Suarez inside the penalty box with rash tackle on the Uruguayan. Liverpool then needed another equalizing goal from Daniel Sturridge to cancel out Paul Dummett's lead for the Magpies. Chelsea, on the other hand, enjoyed a 4-1 victory against Cardiff City. Goals from Samuel Eto' who finally scores his first goal for the blues, Oscar and the double from Hazard was enough to kill of newly promoted side Cardiff City. Mourinho is finally feeling a sense of the old Chelsea he once managed, after witnessing his side thrashed Cardiff 4-1 with a good string of performances. At the eastlands, Manchester City finally won their first away game of the campaign with a 1-3 victory against West Ham United. Sergio Aguero scored a brace while David Silva netted the other goal, and a goal for West Ham by Ricardo Vaz Te. At the moment, Southampton are looking strong as well, as they are sitting 6th in the table, just behind Spurs that won 0-2 against Aston Villa on Monday morning. The Premier League looks to continue interestingly from now on.

Daniel Sturridge slotting in the equalizer

Hazard celebrates his goal

Kieran Gibbs in action

Young talents looming largely

Young talents in the football are growing wide lately. In the latest World Cup qualifying matches, that saw England ease their way through to the World Cup campaign next year in Brazil, the likes of Andros Townsend rise to the occasion to prove the world that he is a threat to be reckoned by all the other opposition teams. Andros Townsend represented England for the under-16, 17, 19, 21 and now the Spurs under-rated midfielder has found his way through to the senior squad. Andros Townsend was given his senior international debut against Serbia & Montengero on Saturday morning, 12th October 2013 and he gave one helluva string of awesome performances against the Serbians and definitely did impress the England manager, Roy Hodgson. He played on the right flanks with Gerrard playing a deep cental role and Lampard on the left side. Townsend started his debut match brightly and went on to score a goal indeed in the second half, to pile pressure on the Serbians, in match that saw England bagged 4-1 over the Serbians. Townsend has often been moving around clubs on loan and now he's back in Spurs, and with his outstanding performances against the Serbians, Andres Villas Boas would definitely want to keep him in the fray of the Spurs line up. On the other hand, the rising star, Daniel Sturridge has been in fine form after a string of wonderful performances for Liverpool in the league, and he is now proving to be a massive threat in England too. During his days in Chelsea, he has often been benched and not the preferred forward over the likes of Drogba, Shevchenko those days. Since his transfer to Liverpool earlier this year from Chelsea,, Sturridge has been on fire for the Reds scoring six goals in the past seven games, and more to come from the England forward. His partnership with Luis Suarez, who is back from the 10 match suspension for biting Chelsea's Ivanovic is absolutely staggering and it is proving to be the best strike force in the Premier League thus far. Phileppe Coutiho has been sidelined for a shoulder injury, and will be out till the end of November, and his return will be extremely massive as Liverpool will have the strong strike force in the Premier League. The Reds are now in for the kill and to seal the Premier League title since 1990. Another under-rated youngster, Stephan El Shaarawy, aged 20 is an italian professional footballer, who plays for Italian side AC Milan. Shaarawy started his footballing career with Genoa and was then signed by AC Milan after a successful loan spell at Padova. Shaarawy has also played for the Italy under 17, 19, 21 and now the boy is playing at senior level with all the big guns, the likes of Andre Pirlo, Gianlugi Buffon, Totti and so on. Shaarawy is also one good example of a young prospect that has always been under-rated, and one good thing about this lad, is that he rejected offers from many big clubs, just to stay with AC Milan. He claims he wants to be AC Milan legend and going up the hall of fame, with the likes of Paulo Maldini, Gattuso, Seedorf and the list goes on. Expect more this youngster as he has more to provide for country and club.