Is The Honeymoon Over For West Ham United.

After winning and drawing four away games against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, West Ham were the perfect away team. It was scary for any defender to play against the likes of Lanzini, Sahko, Payet and Moses.

Is Steve Mclaren Running Out Of Ideas In Newcastle United?

For sometime now Newcastle United have always been fighting relegation every season. It was worse last season when Alan Pardew left and assistant John Carver was made interim manager. It got so bad that the north east club avoided relegation on

Is Jose Mourinho Still The Special One?

"If you ask me about the title, I would say impossible mission. Maybe Tom Cruise could do it", were the words of no one but Jose Mourinho after the 1-0 win over Norwich in Stamford Bridge last week. It hasn't been the best of times for the West London

Sam Alladycee Is At It Again In Sunderland.

Few words would match the word "Serenity" when used to emphasize the feeling of the fans of North East Club Sunderland after it became public that Sam Alladycee was the replacement for departed Dutch man Dick Advocaat. Alladycee is one of the top managers

Coroner's Corner: Christian Benitez 'Chucho'.

Christian Benitez was born on 1 May 1986 in Quito, Ecuador. He played for El Nacional, Santos Laguna, Birmingham, America and El Jaish in Qatar.

Benitez was the main reason that his Mexican America club

Unsustainable Power Generation In Nigeria.

For years Power Generation has been the Achilles heel of Nigerian leaders and one of the major challenges no past leader has been able to alleviate. For years, more than 90% of Nigerians cannot boast of even 16 hours of daily electricity supply.

The Untold Story of Power Outrage in Nigeria.

Disgraceful is an understatement when trying to explain the power failure interruption that disrupted the ongoing Senate Probe on the Power sector on Wednesday. The proceeding for the probe started by 11.30am and ended unceremoniously by 4pm, basically due

P-Square and Soundcity Should Stop Being Childish.

Psquare is one of the most popular and successful music groups in Africa. The twin brothers, Peter and Paul may have started from scratch(St.Mulumbas Secondary School, Jos , Nigeria) but as of present, they are on top of the Game when it comes to African music.

Standard Hospital: Who is Godswill Akpabio Deceiving ?

The evil that men do not only go after them, rather lives with them judging from present events. This is the case with the Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio,  who is the present minority leader of the Nigerian Senate.

The Precarious Situation Of David De Gea in Manchester United.

No player generated as much news and controversy during the last minutes to the transfer deadline(2015/2016)  like Spanish and Manchester United's goal keeper  David De Gea Quintana. It has been a show of shame and war of words between football biggest Giants,

Is Ibrahim Lamorde Hunted For Toyin Saraki Questioning ?

Nigeria is a country full of non-stop Drama and Shocks. If not so how can one explain the present case of EFCC which can be termed as the "Hunter being Haunted". Nigerians were joyous and elated when the supposedly

Coroner's Corner : Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston was born on August 9 1963 in New Jersey in the United States. She was an American  singer and was cited by the Guinness World Records as "The Most Awarded Female Act of all Times". Whitney has more than 179-200 million

Fight Against Boko Haram Suffers A Set Back As Zakari Biu Is Reinstated .

If there is any society that is guilty of treating it's History with 'Laxity'then the Nigerian Society will not be far from that. In Nigeria, history is something absurd, we only revert back to it when the evil deed is done. Nigerians and it's leaders are always

Coroner's Corner : Marc Vivien Foe.

Marc Vivien Foe was a Cameroonian midfielder who played for several French and English clubs during his footballing career. He was born on 1 May 1975 in Yaounde and started amateur football with Garoua before  moving to Canon Yaounde.

Anti Corruption: Facts That Show Buhari Isn't Serious.

One thing that has been so common and synonymous with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is the fight against corruption. While this happens to be the priority of his administration , the question of fighting corruption without

Soccer Realm: Riyad Mahrez is EPL Best So Far.

Since the beginning of the EPL this season,  the name Riyad Mahrez is now on everyone's lips. This is despite the fact that the 25 year old Algerian winger plays for lowly Leicester City compared to the likes of Manchester Clubs, Arsenal or Chelsea

SOCCER Realm: Stephen Ireland Shines as Stoke Draw .

Stoke City had lost their first match to Liverpool in the dying minutes of the game from a Philipe Coutinho spectacular long range strike  at the Britainnia Stadium last week. This came after Stoke signed several players

Eva Carneiro: Is Jose Mourinho Acting A Script?

When Jose Mourinho publicly criticised his medical team of Jon Fearn and Eva Carneiro on Saturday, he didn't know he was engaging in a war that might consume him come season end.  It was a war too many and one Mourinho himself could have avoided.

Soccer Realm: Mata Shines as Rooney Goes Missing Against Aston Villa.

On Friday night it was an usually English Premiership match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at the Villa Park. This was mainly due to the fact that the match was shifted to Friday on the advise of the West Midlands Police due to the Saturday match in Walsall..

Nigerian Police Breeding Anarchy in Rivers State

It was shocking to hear the least that the police at the Rivers State INEC headquarters in Port Hacourt teargassed and forcefully drove out the APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside with several party heavyweights like Senator Magnus Abe.

Reasons Sunderland Must fix Younes Kaboul

 Younes kaboul proved on Saturday that Tottenham were right to let him leave for Sunderland this summer. It was a suprise that Kaboul was named in the starting line up against Leicester City on the opening day of the EPL by coach Dick Advocaat of Sunderland.

Is Jose Mourino at it again?

 

"I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naïve. Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game. You have to know you have one player less and to assist a player you must be sure he has a

Is Nyesom Chinwo Wike a Drowning Man?

                                                   

Barr Nyesom Wike is a man that loves hugging the daily headlines. There is no activity of his that doesn't appear at the front pages of Nigerian Newspapers. Right from his time as Chief of Staff to the then Governor Rotimi Ameachi, to his time as Minister of Education and now to

Soccer Realm : Yaya Toure and David Silva Destroy West Brom at the Howthorns.

 

                                                   

It was Vintage Manchester City as Yaya Toure and David Silva ran riot at the Hawthorns on Monday night (10/08/2015). City's fine form last night continued from where they left out last season after winning their last six games. Manuel Pellegrini showed he can win games with

Machiavellian Rochas And His Sinister Antics.

                                   

It is only in Nigeria that a sitting governor who pockets more than #25 billion a year from the a Federal Government as  Federal allocation cannot pay workers salary in months and threaten their massive  sacking if they exercised their Union rights of Striking.

Europe Sees The End Of The "Carlos Tevez Show."

Carlos Tevez better known as "El Apache" is an Argentine striker that  famous both for his energy and goal scoring exploits, and also for his fair share of controversies throughout all his career. Controversy is believed to distract footballers, thereby reducing

The Sinister Motives Behind The $2.1 Billion World Bank Loan.

Recently in Nigeria there is good news from America, concerning the $2.1 billion loan from the World Bank to President Muhammadu Buhari to rebuild the North Eastern region of the country which has been destroyed by the Boko Haram Insurgency.

Extension of Leroy Sane's Contract, Shows Schalke 04 Is Getting It Right Again.

 Fans of German club Schalke 04 are not happy with the going talks for the transfer of midfield star Julian Draxler to Juventus. These are trying times for the Gelsenkirchen Club, who as of 2011 reached the semi final of the Champions League.

Bojan Krkic: How Mark Hughes Succeed Where Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique Failed?

When Stoke City's Mark Hughes made a big gamble on ex Barcelona and AS Roma player Bojan Krkic, it was dubbed by many as a move that he will live to regret and may cost him his job. Bojan was acquired for €1.8 million from Barcelona in 2014.

Toyin Saraki, Zainab Dakingari and EFCC Prosecution.

It is only in Nigeria that an anti-graft agency will invite a suspect for questioning and interrogation and it will be interpreted as politically motivated or witch hunting. What has happened to the universal know. Aspect of law which starts that "a suspect is innocent

Is Diego Rolan Of Bordeaux, the Striker Newcastle Really Needs?

Last season English North East club Newcastle United faced a striker problem. After the signing of Emmanuel Rivière from Monaco to partner Perez Ayoze and Papis Cisse, Newcastle thought they were fortified in the striking department. Ayoze blew hot and cold and

Bayern Munich Fortifies For 2015/2016 Season With Arturo Vidal Signing.

2015 has been a year of trophy and success for Chilean Midfielder Arturo Vidal. For the first time, Vidal won a double with his Italian Club Juventus and reached the Champions league final for the first time in 12years (2002). It did not end there,

Julian Draxler Be Warned "The Grass May Not Be Greener In Juventus

Paulo Dybala, Simone Zaza, Mario Mandukic , Fernandi Illorente and Alvaro Morata.  These players are strikers for Juventus football club in Italy.  Juventus does not play more than two strikers in any of the matches and a look at their squad shows that their

Chelsea 2015/2016 Priority Season Purchase.

Chelsea football club is one of the strongest team in Europe. Last season Chelsea was top of the EPL from day 1 to the last day which is an impressive record. During the course of 2013/2014 season, Jose Mourinho had made excuses and claimed his Chelsea team was "Little Horses," thus rejecting the favourite tag, instead promising that the 2014/2015 season will be their vintage season. By May 2015, it was clear that Mourinho was not just a coach but also a prophet as his team swept the the EPL. This could not have been possible without the creative wizardry of Cesc Fabregas who ended the season with an impressive 18 assists despite playing in deep midfield with Serbian Nemanja Matic  for most of the season. The main man tasked with creating chances and sharing the pressure with Eden Hazard is Dos Santos Emboaba Jnr better known as Oscar. Oscar ended the season with six goals in 28 appearances having a shot accuracy of 51% and created 36 chances with eight assists. At the tail end of the season, Oscar ran out of steel and became a shadow of himself as has been the case since his first season at the club in 2012.

This brings the question of selling club favorite Juan Mata to Manchester United. In his two seasons at the club, Mata won the Fan's Player of The Season twice and the Player's Player of The Season once , yet coach Jose Mourinho sold him based on his inability to help the team when out of possession. This season, Chelsea has made two major signings which are more of replacements than addition. Radamal Falcao for Didier Drogba and Asmir Begovic for Petr Cech, while rivals like Manchester United and Liverpool have made more than five major signings.

What Chelsea needs next season isn't precisely a defender or a striker but a creative play maker slightly behind the striker (Typical no 10). This is due to the hot and cold form of Oscar and the fact that partnering Fabregas with Matic brings out the best from the team. Even with the public pursuit of Barcelona's Pedro and John Stones (Everton), what Chelsea urgently needs next season is a playmaker to push Oscar to his high level by providing enough competition for him and reduce the burden and pressure on star player Eden Hazard while feeding Costa, Remy or Falcao.

The playmaker role is difficult to get competent players to perform the role consistently but with the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Felipe Andersonb and Isco available then it could do Chelsea a favour to sign any of these.

At 25 years, Pjanic played 34 matches for AS Roma of Italy, scoring five goals and creating ten assists and 63 chances with a shot accuracy of 53% although he will come at a high cost given that he is a star player for Roma.

Felipe Anderson is also just 22 years. He played 32 games , scoring 10 goals with assist of seven , creating 32 chances with shot accuracy of 62%. Anderson however, might not be an upgrade on Oscar but could be a worthy replacement for him when Oscar isn't fit or gets injured.

Finally Isco might be the best choice with his nine assists, four goals, 69% shot accuracy , creating 53 chances all in 34 league matches, but he might be the most expensive given he plays for Spanish power house, Real Madrid.

In all these, Chelsea desperately need to retain their league trophy and challenge for Europe this season and might need to sign a playmaker . It is still too early to conclude if Jose Mourinho will sanction such purchase but time will tell.

Osun Salary : Aregbesola Basking In Oppression.

"Many of our governments, at all levels, lack imagination and zeal. We all wait for the monthly federal allocation. Every state including the Federal Government, should strive for financial autonomy and self-sufficiency." These were the words of the most infamous governor in Nigeria right now - Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State in March 2014 at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission's Good Governance Forum in Abuja. It did not end there as Aregbesola continued "When our administration came in, our (Osun State) internal generated revenue was a paltry ₦300 million monthly but in less than a year, we doubled it to ₦600 million and by the grace of God today, it is ₦1.6 billion. Our target is to be able to earn ₦5 billion every month on our own," he concluded.

Coroner's Corner : Chris Benoit (Professional Wrestler)

Christopher Michael Benoit was born in Montreal Canada on May 22, 1967. Benoit became a professional wrestler and debuted as a wrestler on November, 22, 1985. He is a two-time World Champion, winning the World Heavyweight Champion of the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) World Heavyweight Champion. He held 22 titles all within the WWF/E, WCW, NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling). He was also the 12th WWE Triple Crown Champion and 6th WCW Triple Crown Champion, thus becoming the only second of five men in Wrestling history to win both WWE and WCW Triple Crown Championship. He was bound to retain his WWE 3rd World Championship, the night of his death.

Why Benteke Is Brendan Rodgers' Last Gamble

It is no longer news that Brendan Rogers had an abysmal season in Liverpool last season rather, the news is that Liverpool owners gave him a second chance. Football analysts were not surprised when Liverpool Central Midfielder Joe Allen admitted last month that Rodgers would have been sacked if he was in another club "Yeah of course, some owners may have been less tolerant after the way the season went," he said. It got so bad that Liverpool were thumped 6-1 on the last day of the season by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

The Gradual Untagging Of The Negative Perception Of Nigeria And Nigerians.

For so many decades Nigeria and Nigerians have been ridiculed and made a laughing stock abroad. It got so bad that every news from the foreign media was centred on the problems of monumental corruption, unemployment, deplorable power supply and increased insecurity all ravaging the country. What made matters worse was that the leaders of Nigeria at various times were seen as benefiting from the rot in the system , hence doing little or nothing to reverse the ugly trend.

It Is Now Or Never For Mario Gotze To Leave Bayern Munich.

Nuri Sahin, Shinji Kagawa, Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze all sound familiar and have one thing in common. They all left Borussia Dortmund at the "Peak" of their respective careers and till date their form and careers hasn't been the same. They have regressed despite accumulating different trophies which Dortmund may not have offered them. Little wonder central midfielder Ilkay Gundogan resigned with the North Rhine-Westphalia side, after his contract expired and after being courted by the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The Dark Side Of Sylvester Stallone "Rocky" And Reasons We Have To Fight Adversity.

This is one of the SADDEST stories ever told in Hollywood. His name is Sylvester Stallone. One of the GREATEST and MOST famous American Movie Superstars. What many movie fans don't know is that before stardom, Stallone was a struggling actor in every definition. At some point, he got so broke that he stole his wife's jewellery and sold it off. Things even got so bad, that he ended up homeless. Yes, he slept at the New York bus station for three days, unable to pay rent or afford food. Stallone's lowest point came when he tried to sell his dog at the liquor store to any stranger, because he couldn't afford the luxury of feeding the dog any longer( he finally sold it for $25 only). Stallone walked home crying the day he sold the dog at the liquor store.

Why Sunday Oliseh Has Come To Stay.

It has been drama and comedy at the Glass House (Nigeria Football Federation Headquarters) for some months now. This is due to the internal wrangling and conflict that existed between then Super Eagles Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi and the NFF led by Chairman Amaju Pinnick. While I will resist the temptation to get involved in their crises and stating who maybe wrong or right, I will like to point out certain bitter facts in Nigerian football today.

The Many Questions Only Col. Sambo Dasuki Can Answer.

Nigerians were shocked on July 17, 2015 when news broke  out that some officers of the Directorate Of Secret Security Service lay siege at the Asokoro, Abuja residence of Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) just 24 hours after he was sacked as the National Security Adviser (NSA) by President Muhammadu Buhari. Flash back to January 2015, in Chattam House In London, when the then National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan prophesied what will turn out to manifest  (postponement of elections in February as earlier planned due to Insurgency in the north east). Before then, Dasuki had made the following statements on assuming office in June 2012,

Story Of One Who Won Everything But Left Unfulfilled (Nani).

                                     

Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha better known as Nani is a Cape Verdean born Portuguese player who is most famous for his time at English giants Manchester United. In the summer of 2007, after the gamble on Christiano Ronaldo paid off, then coach Sir Alex Ferguson raided the Portuguese League and paid a whopping €25 million for the then 21 year old from Sporting Lisbon.

Shocking is an understatement of what football fans felt, when it was confirmed that after spending six years at Manchester United, and never really living up to his potential, Nani was set to join Turkish football giants Fenerbahce. This is no insult to Turkish football but with no Turkish team having reached the second round of the 2014/2015 champions league, it was like Nani chose the easy part for am early retirement in Turkey.

Nani's case is quite different from Robin Van Persie who also moved to Fenerbahce because unlike Nani, the Dutch man fulfilled his potential though he did not win much trophy. Last season, Nani went on a season long loan to Sporting in a deal that brought Marcos Rojo to United.

Nani was known for individual brilliance, step-over, ball control and accurate long range shooting. He was once at a point compared with club legend and compatriot Christiano Ronaldo and was excused by the fans with being too young to show enough consistency. It was after the departure of Ronaldo that Nani stepped up his game in 2010/2011 season. That season, Nani played 31 matches with 14 assists and nine goals. He went on to win the "Players Player of the Season" award and lost by only one vote to Javier Hernandez as the "Fans Player of the Season" as United won a record breaking 19th league title. That was the last time fans saw the best of Nani as the next season he slipped off the starting XI never to reclaim it again till he left.

Even on the international scene, Nani has failed to replicate his best form, blowing hot and cold. It was difficult to know what to expect from Nani at any given time.

Nani will be remembered as a "Near Man" at Manchester United as he leaves. He played 230 games scoring  40 goals with his best being the individual goal at Arsenal in  2010 en-route to United winning the league title that season. Nani though leaves United with lots of trophies including Champions League, FA Cup and the Premier League, but it is sad and disappointing that the English premier league never saw the best of him.

Leicester City Starts New Season Without Nigel Pearson.

Patience is known as a virtue in the society worldwide but that is the opposite in English football nowadays. In the English Premier league last season, the average managerial tenure is 2.2 years and 50% of teams in the bottom half changed their managers last season.

That brings us to the sacking of Nigel Pearson by Leicester City on 30, June 2015 and the appointment of Italian Claudio Ranieri last week. Leicester stated that the  "Working relationship between Pearson and the Board was no longer Viable". Pearson joined Leicester for a second spell on 15 November 2011, while they were still in the Championship. He led Leicester to promotion at the end of the 2013/2014 season, winning the Championship after going 20 league games unbeaten In the 2014/2015 season in the Premier League, also Pearson would go on to lead Leicester to finish 14th in the league table after winning seven of their last nine games while fellow Championship promoted sides like Burnley and QPR were relegated.

It was shocking that Pearson was sacked on the 30th of June, 2015, after his son's (James Pearson) involvement with two other Leicester players in an orgy video tape with Thai prostitutes during the teams tour of Thailand. Pearson on his part  had endured many controversies while at Leicester and was even rumoured to have been sacked in February 2015,  after an incident involving the throttling of a Crystal Palace player (James McArthur ) in a league match.

The controversy did not stop there, as Pearson once labelled a journalist an "Ostrich" during his post match press conference after the defeat to Chelsea in the League. Pearson also once told a Leicester fan at the King Power Stadium to " F**k off and die".

There is a debate on how unfair it was that Pearson was sacked over his son's demeanour, hence to embark upon such a path would be lunacy (Hence the young man's sins should not be inflicted upon the father). Also some argue that Pearson was not sacked as a direct consequence of his son's escapades but as a punishment for accumulated misdemeanour. Quoting Seneca "It is not the last drop that empties the water clock, but that which has previously flowed out."

It could also be said that Leicester were wrong to have sacked Pearson due to his results with the team all through his stay. With Pearson, Leicester became a tough, well-organised team coupled with an abundance of emotional resilience which saw them become the only third team to escape from relegation after being bottom of the league at Christmas. Pearson may be slightly unconventional but his players fully understood his personality. He attracted several high profile players to the club which includes Robert Huth (Stoke City), Esterban Cambiaso (Inter Milan), Mark Schwarzer (Chelsea) and Andrej Kramaric (Dinamo Zagreb).

Also in an industry like football where result is the priority, then Pearson deserved time and patience. Instead of making Pearson the hate guy for his son's demeanour, it should maybe better to accept that Pearson is a "Perfect Manipulator". After all, he delivered against all odds by keeping Leicester up while the likes of Burnley ,QPR and Hull all went down with their higher budgets.

Which ever way, Pearson would  have had a divided conflicting resume as result of his time in Leicester depending on whose side you are. Once again with Pearson "Patience" has proved a difficult virtue in English Football.

The Sudden Resuscitation Of EFCC .

It is surely big news that the EFCC is now the most active government agency in Nigeria in this administration. Formed in 2003 by then President Olusegun Obasanjo with it's first Chairman as Nuhu Ribadu, the EFCC by 2006 had 31 out of the country's 36 governors under investigation. This led to high profile arrests and impeachment of Governor's Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau). Also Governor's James Ibori (Delta), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu)were also arrested and tried. The fear of EFCC then was intense and corruption was reduced, though it was alleged that the EFCC only targeted political opponents of then President Olusegun Obasanjo, which led to the rumour that the EFCC was a "Witch Haunting" institution.

Reasons Why The Loss Of James Milner May Derail Manchester City.

"I thought at times in City, I won Player of the Month and then didn't play for three, four or five games after. I feel here (Liverpool), if I play well, I'll keep the shirt. It's down to me ." "The role of filling In, more when other people aren't available,

Is Schweini A Gamble Or A Masterstroke?

Bastian Schweinsteiger is a name that needs no introduction in footballing circus. He is a World Cup and Champions league winner for Germany and Bayern Munich respectively. Schweini as he is fondly called is a Bavarian and made his debut in 2002 for Bayern.

The purpose of this article isn't to discuss about his move from Bayern to Manchester United, rather to decipher if the signing is a gamble. This is because Schweini has been severally injured since the 2010-2011 season. His injury record was so bad that after a five star performance at the World Cup, he had to wait till November 22, 2014, to make his first Bundesliga appearance. Last season was his second lowest league appearance (20 games) since the 2002/2003 season that he made his debut (14 games).

Was Fabian Delph Right To Reject Manchester City?

Trending on the news for three days 9 July - 11 July 2015 was the purported transfer of Aston Villa Captain Fabian Delph to Manchester City for £8 million. It was a move that neither Villa not Delph came out publicly to quash. It was surprising

How Buhari Got It Right With Sacking Of Service Chief's.

Excitement is an understatement of what Nigerians felt on 12 July 2015, when the Presidency announced the compulsory sacking and retirement of all service chief's in the country. This was long overdue and it seemed like

Why Ashmir Begovic And Chelsea Are A Match Made In Heaven

It was like a day of mourning on June 6, 2015 in West London following Arsenal's official signing of Chelsea's mystique iconic goalkeeper Petr Cech. It was something no Chelsea fan ever imagined could happen. It even got to a point,

Why The Signing Of Arda Turan Will Set Barcelona Backwards.

Eyebrows were raised when Barcelona announced the official signing of 28 years old Turkish and Athletico Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Turan for £24.4 million last week. Turan cannot be classified as a bad player but the question most