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Tag: Leicester

  • Man Utd board behind Solskjaer after Leicester defeat

    Man Utd board behind Solskjaer after Leicester defeat

    Manchester United’s board are standing by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after defeat at Leicester City.

    The Athletic reports Solskjaer will not be axed in the wake of the latest setback with the board still throwing their weight behind him.

    Solskjaer still has ‘a lot of credit in the bank’ as far as the hierarchy at Old Trafford are concerned.

    And it is this belief in his project that will see him spared from another big change at the helm, regardless of United’s three-game winless run in the league.

    The Norwegian’s contract runs to 2024.

    United’s defeat at the King Power brought an end to their 29-game unbeaten run away from home, a league record.

  • Amunike tells Iheanacho: How to win back your Leicester spot

    Amunike tells Iheanacho: How to win back your Leicester spot

    Kelechi Iheanacho’s former Nigeria U17 coach has told him how to win his place back in the Leicester City starting XI.

    The 24-year-old signed for Leicester from Manchester City in 2017 after bursting onto the scene at the Etihad two years prior.

    It has taken time for Iheanacho to settle at King Power Stadium, but he enjoyed a breakthrough 2020/21 campaign, scoring 12 league goals in 25 outings as the Foxes claimed an FA Cup triumph over Chelsea.

    Despite his success, Iheanacho has yet to start in the Premier League this season.

    Emmanuel Amunike coached Iheanacho and Nigeria to U17 World Cup glory in 2015, and the legendary Super Eagles winger believes his former pupil needs to focus on his work off the ball to win back the trust of manager Brendan Rodgers.

    He told TribalFootball.com: “He should not allow the success of the today to overwhelm him because what is good today in football is outdated tomorrow, so he just needs to continue to realise that and continue to work hard.

    “He’s a player with talent, but of course there are other aspects a player needs to try as much as he can to improve especially when he is not with the ball. It is more important to know how to play without the ball and that will justify how to rate a player totally.”

    Iheanacho did start for Leicester in their 2-0 win over Millwall in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

    The talented forward scored his team’s second goal, and Amunike, who was a star for Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon, praised Iheanacho for developing his game after moving to England.

    “His move to Man City was a good one for him and also for Nigeria,” Amunike continued.

    “Probably, there were lots of expectations because of his performance in the FIFA U 17 world cup in United Arab Emirates. He tried his best at Man City and now playing in Leicester City.

    “I think it wasn’t easy for him because of the kind of football they play in England. It is good that over the years, he has been able to adapt and today he’s one of the key players in EPL. So all that he needs to do is to work hard and continue to see how he can improve on his game.”

  • Losing at Leicester would’ve been unjust – Napoli coach

    Losing at Leicester would’ve been unjust – Napoli coach

    Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti was delighted with his players after their 2-2 draw at Europa League opponents Leicester City.

    The Foxes were 2-0 ahead before Victor Osimhen struck twice to earn the point.

    “The team started the right way, then lost the ball a few too many times building out from the back and those proved costly,” Spalletti told Sky Italia.

    “After that, we took the initiative throughout and it remained a perfectly balanced match. We reacted to conceding the second goal just as we were really pushing, and that was a risky situation, because we could’ve let our heads drop.

    “Instead, we pushed even harder and got it back on level terms, because it frankly would’ve been unjust if we had lost this game.

    “We saw today that this team has a strong character, which had been a weakness in previous years. The team reacted really well.

    “I want to compliment those who came off the bench, because they proved their quality and it makes it easier for everyone, because they are not fighting to take the place of another teammate, but to play alongside him.”

    Spalletti added: “Osimhen still has a few things to learn and then he will become a super hitman. Comparisons are easy, but would be with some of the best forwards in the world.

    “He needs to improve in the precision of his choices, both his finishing and the runs, because at times he runs for no reason.”

  • Europa: Victor Osimhen grabs brace in Napoli draw at Leicester

    Europa: Victor Osimhen grabs brace in Napoli draw at Leicester

    Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen denied Leicester the perfect start in the Europa League as Napoli hit back from 2-0 down to snatch a point.

    The striker struck twice in the second half as the visitors deservedly grabbed a 2-2 draw in Group C at the King Power Stadium.

    Ayoze Perez’s first goal since March and Harvey Barnes’ second-half goal gave the Foxes a commanding lead.

    But Osimhen grabbed a classy lifeline for the visitors and then headed in a late leveller, with Leicester’s frustrations compounded when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off in injury time.

    Police and stewards had to control a disturbance between the home and travelling fans at full time with missiles thrown between supporters.

    Napoli controlled much of the game and were almost left to rue several missed chances with Osimhen, Hirving Lozano, Piotr Zielinski and Kevin Malcuit all wasteful in the first half.

    The Foxes – who only introduced Jamie Vardy as a late substitute – go to Legia Warsaw, who won at Spartak Moscow on Wednesday, in two weeks.

    In another encounter also played on Thursday, Steven Gerrard’s 50th European tie as Rangers boss ended in a 2-0 Europa League defeat by Lyon at Ibrox.

    Cameroon international Karl Toko Ekambi fired in a terrific opener for the French side after 22 minutes of the Group A opener in Govan.

    The Scottish champions had come close on a few occasions in the first half but in the 55th minute Gers skipper James Tavernier put through his own goal trying to stop a close-range shot from Islam Slimani.

    Despite a huge effort from the home side, it was too big a lead to claw back.

  • Antonio sets record as West Ham thrash Leicester

    Antonio sets record as West Ham thrash Leicester

    Michail Antonio became West Ham’s outright top scorer in the Premier League in a dominant victory for the Hammers over 10-man Leicester City at London Stadium.

    Antonio celebrated by lifting a cardboard cut-out of himself after scoring his 48th top-flight goal to break Paolo di Canio’s club record.

    The 31-year-old added a second four minutes later to wrap up an impressive win for David Moyes’ side.

    It is only the second time the Hammers have won their opening two fixtures of a Premier League campaign.

    Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma scored West Ham’s first two goals either side of Ayoze Perez’s dismissal for a stamp on goalscorer Fornals.

    Youri Tielemans had briefly given the visitors hope at 2-1 before Antonio’s late double.

  • I made mistakes at Leicester – Everton winger

    I made mistakes at Leicester – Everton winger

    Everton winger Demarai Gray admits he made some “wrong decisions” during his time with Leicester City.

    Gray left Leicester for Bayer Leverkusen last summer, but has now returned to his homeland with the Toffees.

    “It was very hard,” he said in Everton’s matchday programme. “Any time you go on the pitch and touch the ball, it is the way to keep going, because of your natural love of the game. But it got to the point where I lost the love for it.

    “It is a team game and I never want to cause any problems. My attitude is good. But if you are not being rewarded for training well, you ask yourself: ‘What’s the point?’

    “You have to find it in yourself to stay strong. If you go in and sulk it is a wasted day. But it is how you are feeling and coping at home. At the start, I didn’t cope well.

    “I probably made the wrong decisions… but I don’t regret it, it is part of learning.

    “If I am in that situation again, I have to focus on getting back in the team, not waste time making the wrong decisions.”

  • Mourinho wants Super Eagles star at Roma

    Mourinho wants Super Eagles star at Roma

    AS Roma are looking at Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, as an ideal option if they fail to sign Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, according to Sky Sports.

    Iheanacho only signed a new three-year deal with the Premier League side in April.

    However, the Nigerian is now a target for Roma, who will be coached by Jose Mourinho from next season.

    The Serie A club have already agreed a £34million deal with Chelsea for Abraham, but the 23-year-old is not very keen about the move.

    Abraham fell out of favour after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as head coach in January.

    He was left out of the squad for the Champions League final against Manchester City, despite being fully fit.

    Romelu Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge is set to push Abraham further down the pecking order.

    Despite his limited game-time last season, Abraham finished as Chelsea’s joint-top scorer with 12 goals.

    He is also reportedly attracting attention from Arsenal.

  • Iheanacho seals Community Shield victory for Leicester

    Iheanacho seals Community Shield victory for Leicester

    Leicester City win the Community Shield courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

    Kelechi Iheanacho scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot one minute from time after he was felled by Nathan Ake in the box.

    The Nigeria international held his composure to secure the crown for the first time for the Foxes and inflict a defeat on his former club in the process.

    City’s record £100m signing Jack Grealish was given his debut on 65 minutes, but he could not muster a clear-cut opportunity for a much-changed team.

    Ilkay Gundogan saw an arrowed free-kick superbly tipped over the crossbar by Kasper Schmeichel and the German midfielder also blazed over a first-time effort from 10 yards out.

    Striker Jamie Vardy was bright for Leicester but could not find a way past City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who made a stunning reaction save to deny the Englishman.

  • Aisha Buhari tourney: Leicester star Plumptre trains with Super Falcons in Austria

    Aisha Buhari tourney: Leicester star Plumptre trains with Super Falcons in Austria

    Leicester City defender Ashleigh Plumptre trained with the Super Falcons for the first time on Saturday at the Event Hotel Pyramide, Vienna in Austria.

    Plumptre, who recently expressed her intention to play for the nine-time African champions is among the players invited by head coach Randy Waldrum for the Aisha Buhari invitational tourney billed for Lagos in September.

    The 23-year-old is eligible to play for the Super Falcons because of her father’s Nigerian heritage.

    She was voted Leicester’s player of the season after helping the Foxes to the FA Women’s Championship title in 2020/21.

    New invitees; Evelyn Ijeh, Josephine Ijeh and Adekite Fatuga-Dada have also joined their teammates in camp.

    The Aisha Buhari Cup which is organised to honour Nigeria’s first lady will serve as preparations for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana in October.

    United States of America, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa and Cameroon are the other teams that will compete in the tourney billed to hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

  • I can continue winning trophies with Leicester – Tielemans

    I can continue winning trophies with Leicester – Tielemans

    Youri Tielemans insists he’s in no rush to leave FA Cup winners Leicester City.

    Tielemans scored the vital goal in the Foxes’ 1-0 win over Chelsea to clinch the historic trophy at Wembley.

    “Why not [remain at Leicester City]?” said Tielemans. “This is a club where you have the best environment you can have. The people around you just want the best.

    “It’s brilliant to be here, we’ll see what’s coming in the future but the environment is perfect to win trophies.

    “You can’t predict the future but everything around the club and inside the club is made for it.”