Lingard Called English Iniesta by Former Red devil’s Boss

Rene Meulensteen is not surprised to see an academy graduate shining in midfield, but believes defensive reinforcements are needed at Old Trafford

Jesse Lingard has been billed as “the English version of Andres Iniesta” by Rene Meulensteen, with the Manchester United midfielder considered to share many attributes with a Barcelona legend.

A 26-year-old academy graduate has not always enjoyed such lofty billing at Old Trafford.

Several loan spells were taken in before he was finally given his United break by Louis van Gaal in 2015-16.

Lingard has not looked back from that point, taking in over 150 appearances and recording 29 goals – including a number of vital efforts in Wembley showpieces.

He is now considered to be a key man at club level and with the England national side, with Meulensteen of the opinion that his creative qualities were always going to flourish at some stage.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant told 888sport: “Sir Alex always had a clear picture of what a good player looked like and they had to have quick feet, quick brain, and a big heart.

“That is basically everything that Jesse had but he was very slight for his age. I worked with him from the age of eight or nine and taking him abroad for tournaments and he was always having to fight battles because he was of a tiny build.

“But all things level themselves out and eventually those three things make a difference – quick feet, a quick brain, and a big heart. And he has done every so well.

“The fans always need to associate themselves with players who have come through the ranks.

“While I was there and Sir Alex was there it was so important to keep bringing young players through.

“The difference with Jesse is that he was always the English version of Iniesta. He can play in the pockets, he’s very mobile and very agile.

“He can beat a man and he’s good in combination play. The last few seasons he started to score important goals as well.”
The emergence of Lingard has helped to bolster the creativity ranks at Old Trafford, but United do still find themselves short in other areas.

Additions at centre-half have been pursued for some time and Meulensteen concedes that reinforcements are required to help complement the impressive development of Victor Lindelof.

The Dutchman said: “Stability is a big thing, especially in the back four. Most of the successful teams are able to play with a solid and stable back line, including the goalkeeper.

“It’s normal with a club like Manchester United that it takes some time for a player to settle in but you can see now that Victor has settled.

“He’s played a string of games so he’s starting to find his feet and learning what is required to play at this level.

“He’s done well but the defence is still an area which people are looking at critically. Antonio Valencia is getting on and Ashley Young is a bit older now but still doing a great job.

“There is a need for a really good centre-back alongside Lindelof who can lead from the back and stabilise everything.

“If you look at the firepower and the pace United have up front along with the variety of abilities they can scare any defence in the Premier League and across Europe.

“In midfield they are strong. You have Paul Pogba to the fore and getting better. Nemanja Matic is very strong with a lot of experience.

“But you could maybe do with another creative player there, a passer that can unlock defences from deep.”

 

Photo: Who knows the family of Nigerian man, Efosa Silas. He is fighting for life in UAE hospital Photo: Who knows the family of Nigerian man, Efosa Silas. He is fighting for life in UAE hospital

One Ogbemudia Collins on January 23, posted a passport photo of Efosa Silas, who is reportedly seriously sick in a hospital in UAE.  Read below…

“Hello! A gentle Man whose name is EFOSA SILAS is seriously sick at Sheik Khalifa Hospital Ajman UAE. The presence of his family / Friends is Urgently needed .. Contact: +971505995934…He is currently on oxygen .. Kindly repost until the msg reaches his family .. God bless you.

 

Idris Elba enjoys a romantic bike ride with his stunning fiancée Sabrina Dhowre during their Hawaii break (Photos)

British actor, Idris Elba is currently enjoying a well deserved holiday with his stunning fiancée Sabrina Dhowre in Kauai, Hawaii.

Over the weekend, the 46-year-old hunky actor went for a romantic bike ride with his 29-year-old beauty queen partner in Kauai.

The couple who looked as loved-up as ever were casually dressed for the outing.

See more photos below.

 

Djokovic beats Nadal to Claim 7th Australian open title

Novak Djokovic has been crowned Australian Open champion after beating Rafael Nadal in  straight sets.

The Serb earned his seventh title in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-2. 6-3 win over Nadal after just over two hours on the court.

The Spaniard, who lost 13 of the first 14 points in the match, never got into his stride against the world No. 1.

It was 33 minutes until Djokovic dropped a point, with a forehand that hit the net.

The 31-year-old broke Nadal‘s serve twice in succession in the first set, taking a commanding 4-0 lead in games before securing the set.

That set the tone for the rest of the match – Nadal had only ever won three times against Djokovic after losing the first set.

Spain’s 17-time Grand Slam winner had the chance to get back into the game in the third set but squandered the opportunity to break his opponent in the sixth game.

The comfortable victory reflected Djokovic‘s dominance over Nadal on the hard court, having won each of their last seven meetings on the surface.

The Best thing a guy can do for his girl

If a guy has popped ” THE ” question or you both are going on 10 years into a marriage the best thing this guy can do to assure his lady is notice the little things , from her quirks to her emotions to the things she does around the house and in the family.

It shouldn’t stop at just noticing he can take a step further by appreciating . Guys can appreciate thier woman by dropping a series of ‘I love you ‘ with any chance they get.

A guy can also outright say ‘thank you’ or he can say ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you’. A foot rub or a back massage can never steer any guy wrong . He can also feet her that jewelry or gown that she gives a yearning look anytime they go to the mall.

These little things count and are what will form the memories in the long run

Best Hairstyle For The Ladies This Valentine.

Want to impress your date and make him more than glad he has his arm around you at your work place annual valentine party ?

Here are some of the hairstyles that will floor your date and have the rest of the audience wishing they are you or the lucky guy with his arm around you.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

These styles are sure to transform you to a head turner. Ciao for now .

Osaka Becomes World Number 1

Japan’s Naomi Osaka said she was “in a state of shock” Saturday after holding her nerve to battle past Petra Kvitova to win the Australian Open in a three-set thriller that also delivered her the world number one ranking.

The fourth seed and US Open champion triumphed 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 in a 2hr 27min epic over the Czech eighth seed to claim back-to-back Grand Slams and become the first Asian, male or female, to hold the top spot.
The Japanese youngster fell to one knee in celebration, head bowed, as Melbourne Park erupted in thunderous cheers.

“I felt like I was in a state of shock through the entire trophy presentation,” the 21-year-old said.

A rattled Osaka almost blew her title hopes with one hand on the trophy when she failed to convert three championship points leading 5-3 in the second set.

The never-say-die Kvitova forced a deciding set before Osaka finally edged ahead with a decisive break early in the third.

“Of course I felt very disappointed and sad when I had three match points,” she said.

“I tried to tell myself there’s nothing I can do about it. Told myself I’m playing a final and need to keep fighting and couldn’t act immature and needed to keep fighting.”

Her jubilation was a marked contrast to Osaka’s maiden Slam win last year, when she tearfully hid her face as boos rang around Flushing Meadows in the wake of losing finalist Serena Williams’ tirade at the umpire.

This time, Osaka cried with joy and smiled as she became the youngest woman to win back-to-back majors since Martina Hingis in 1998 and the youngest number one since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

Her gutsy performance confirms her status as the leading light of tennis’ new generation.

Kvitova can console herself with a career-best performance at Melbourne Park, where she did not drop a set on her way to the final.

It was her first Grand Slam decider since a burglar slashed her racquet hand in a 2016 knife attack and the Czech has shown she is again a contender at the majors.

“Thank you for sticking with me even when we didn’t know if I would able to hold a racquet again,” Kvitova told her team, with her voice cracking.

“It’s crazy. I can hardly believe that I just played in a Grand Slam final again.”

They had never met before and Osaka initially struggled to unlock the lanky left-hander’s serve, while Kvitova at times could not handle her opponent’s powerful returns.

The Czech mixed up her game with drop shots and changes of pace but blew three break chances in a crunch sixth game in the first set.

Kvitova saved two set points to force a tie-break but Osaka ran away with it 7-2, taking the first set the Czech had conceded in the entire tournament.

Kvitova regrouped and kept her hopes alive with the first break of the match, going up 2-0 in the second.

Osaka was frustrated but did not panic, going back on level terms in the next game after benefiting from a Kvitova double fault and poorly hit drop shot.

The Japanese star broke again to take control as Kvitova’s error rate climbed, bringing up three championship points. But the Czech saved all of them, forcing Osaka to serve for the title.

Nerves took hold as Osaka conceded a break to make it 5-5, smashing a ball into the ground and putting her hands over her ears.

The Czech broke again to seize momentum with her fourth straight game, claiming the set as Osaka left the court with a towel draped over her head.

Osaka regained her cool and clipped a clean backhand winner to take a break point in the third game of the decider, going on to see off a Kvitova break opportunity, her mental demons put to bed.

 

Coutinho decides to stick with Barcelona

Barcelona midfielder, Philippe Coutinho has finally decided to stay at the Camp Nou amid interest from Manchester United.
United are interested in signing the Brazilian international in this January transfer window.

Coutinho has struggled at Barcelona this season, with Barca manager, Ernesto Valverde admitting that the former Liverpool star was far from happy with life at the club.
However, Catalan newspaper, Mundo Deportivo is now reporting that despite Man United contacting Coutinho’s agent, the player has decided to remain at Barcelona.
Coutinho will hope to play for Barcelona when they tackle Eibar at home in the La Liga fixture on Sunday evening.

Emiliano Sala Missing

Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala had fears about his safety before boarding a small passenger plane that disappeared off the coast of Guernsey as he was flying to Wales to join Premier League club Cardiff City.

French news outlet 20 Minutes reported Sala’s friend and team-mate at Nantes, Nicolas Pallois, drove him to the airport for his flight and said Sala told him he had fears for his safety after a bumpy flight back from Cardiff to France over the weekend following his unveiling as a Cardiff player.

He boarded the same Piper Malibu plane which went missing on Tuesday morning (NZT), with an official involved in the air search in the Channels Islands said no survivors were expected to be found.

DAVID VINCENT/AP

The French civil aviation authority says Emiliano Sala was aboard a small passenger plane that went missing off the coast of the island of Guernsey.

Guernsey police said “a number of floating objects have been seen in the water” however they have been unable to confirm whether any of the objects were from the missing plane, and that they have “found no signs of those on board.”

The search was halted overnight because of strong winds and rough conditions at sea, and would resume late on Wednesday (NZT) with help from maritime authorities in Britain and France

FC Nantes

✔@FCNantes

Tu es plus qu’un joueur, @EmilianoSala1.#PrayForSala

36.9K

6:51 PM – Jan 22, 2019

18.1K people are talking about this

The light aircraft disappeared from radar over the English Channel as it made the journey from Nantes. The 28-year-old Sala had spent the previous hours saying farewell to teammates at the French city’s soccer team after Cardiff signed him for a club-record fee last week.

“After all this time the weather’s quite cold, the water is very cold out there … I am not expecting anyone to be alive,” Channel Islands Air Search chief officer John Fitzgerald earlier told The Associated Press.

“I don’t think the coastguard are either. We just don’t know how it disappeared at the end of yesterday.”

CARDIFF CITY

A powerful and direct player, Emiliano Sala equalled his career-best total of 12 goals – achieved in the past two seasons with Nantes – in 19 league games this season.

Britain’s Coastguard received an alert at 8.23pm on Monday (local time) from air traffic control in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, after it failed to make contact with the Piper PA-46 plane with two people on board, Guernsey police said.

The French civil aviation authority confirmed Sala was one of the people.

“The search was terminated at 2am, with all search and rescue assets being stood down, due to strengthening winds, worsening sea conditions and reducing visibility,” Guernsey police said.

“So far over 1000 square miles have been searched by a total of five aircraft and two lifeboats. There has been no trace of the aircraft,” they said earlier.

Sala’s last post on Instagram was a picture on Monday with Nantes players with the message

Cardiff signed Sala for a reported £15 million (NZ$29 million) through 2022. He was in Cardiff last week to finalise the transfer, which was awaiting international clearance.

“I can’t wait to start training, meet my new teammates and get down to work,” Sala said in a video posted on the club’s website.

A powerful and direct player, Sala equalled his career-best total of 12 goals – achieved in the past two seasons with Nantes – in 19 league games this season.

He was fifth highest scorer in the French league, one behind Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, who is the world’s most expensive player.

View image on Twitter

Emiliano Sala

✔@EmilianoSala1

La ultima ciao @FCNantes

29.7K

1:09 PM – Jan 21, 2019

9,673 people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy

“He was a polite, nice and adorable player who was loved by everybody,” Nantes president Waldemar Kita told French TV channel CNews.

Cardiff City chief executive Ken Choo said in a statement the whole club was in a state of shock.

“We were very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing. We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team.

“Our owner, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and chairman, Mehmet Dalman, are all very distressed about the situation.

“We made the decision first thing this morning to call off training with the thoughts of the squad, management staff and the entire Club with Emiliano and the pilot.

“All of us at Cardiff City FC would like to thank our fans, and the entire footballing family for their support at this difficult time.

“We continue to pray for positive news.”

Nantes was due to play Entente Sannois in the French Cup on Wednesday but the third-tier club said it was postponed until Sunday “following the disappearance of the plane of former player Emiliano Sala”.

Sala, who had not played for Argentina’s national team, has also played in France for Bordeaux.

Graphic photos of Mexican billionaire businessman found dead in his car from suspected suicide

A Mexican billionaire businessman was found dead in his car last week and shocking photographs of his body in his car has now emerged.

Carlos Martin Bringas was found in his car in a park in Torreon on January 18 after gunshots were heard nearby at around noon. His body was slumped in the driver’s seat of the car with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was also holding a weapon in his left hand when he was found, leading investigators to believe that his death was a suicide.

 

 

Bringas was from one of the richest families in Mexico. His family owns half of the Soriana Group, which is the second largest grocery store chain in the country after Walmart de Mexico y Centroamérica.

The Soriana Group announced his death on Twitter.

 

 

His motive has not been released and prosecutors have not said whether they suspect foul play or not.

 

Teyana Taylor responds to rumours that her husband impregnated a woman they brought home for a threesome

Teyana Taylor has deleted her Instagram account and it comes amid rumours that her husband Iman Shumpert  impregnated a woman they both brought home for a threesome. The singer has now reacted to the rumour.

A follower took to Twitter to ask Teyana:

 

@TEYANATAYLOR is it true the girl you brought home to have a threesome with you and your husband is pregnant, and it’s for that reason that you have deleted you IG?

 

 

 

And the dancer wasted no time in squashing the rumors. She also explained why she deleted her Instagram account.

The mother-of-one wrote:

 

1. I’ve never seen/touched that girl in my life.

2. My page is gone because I’m upset at @defjam for not dropping my damn “WTP” video on time, per usual.

3. It’s really sad that lies are entertained so much than the truth.

4. Iman is not dumb he know I’d kill him ?

End of story.

 

 

Teyana went on to share where the woman, named Alby Rydes debunked the claims that Iman is her baby daddy.

 

 

Meanwhile, below is a photo of the woman and her baby and also Iman’s comment on the photo which she shared to Instagram.

 

Obasanjo fires President Buhari again, says he is sick in his ”body, mind and soul”

Barely 24 hours after his damning letter to President Buhari, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo has launched fresh attack on the president. In an interview with BBC Yoruba today January 21st, Obasanjo said President Buhari is sick in his body, soul and mind.

”Buhari has health issues in his body, mind and soul. We should implore him to quit politics. He should go and rest. He has done his best. We should give someone else a chance. Some people usually ask me, if the person I support fails them. But my honest reply has always been that such is the beauty of democracy, if he fails, he will be replaced too”he said.

 

 

”I can not be broken and I stand with the truth” Dino Melaye says as he meets his bail condition

Embattled Senator Dino Melaye has fulfilled his bail conditions. Recall he was arrested on January 4th and had been in the hospital after he slumped at the police command headquarters. Last week, an Abuja High court granted him bail on health grounds.

He fulfilled all the conditions today.

Melaye shared a recent photo of himself on his IG page this evening with a vow to continue standing for the truth. He wrote

“Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed.”
Every suffering to put me through strengthens my stature and expands my coverage and influence beyond the reach of my tormentors. I can not be broken and i stand with the truth against all odds”.

However, unconfirmed reports say the police is yet to release him.

Former Chelsea, Liverpool and England defender, Glen Johnson retires from football after an impressive 16-year career

Former Chelsea, Liverpool and Englanddefender, Glen Johnson, has retired from football after an impressive 16-year career

Johnson also represented West Ham, Portsmouth, and Stoke and also went ahead to make 54 appearances for England between 2003 and 2014. He played two World Cups and a European Championship.

 

The 34-year-old who was released by Stoke after they were relegated from the Premier League last season, made the announcement on talkSPORT on Monday morning.

Johnson who won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup told the Jim White show: ‘Today is the day I’m officially saying I’ve retired.

‘I knew halfway through last season I was going to call it a day. I always wanted to retire at an age where my body still felt good.’

Lecturer accused of beating his wife to death two weeks after she welcomed their child in Rivers (screenshots)

A lecturer at the College of Health in Rivers state, Mr Jonathan, has been accused of beating his wife, Ole, to death, just two weeks after she welcomed their child.

In a post shared on Facebook, an aunt of the deceased, Nkesi Wogu, alleged that Mr Jonathan, is currently on the run after beating Ole to death in the presence of her mother.

”My niece with a two weeks old baby was beaten to death by her husband the man is oh the run his from etche and also a witness. Good bye my soft spoken sis rest in peace” she wrote

Also the sister of the deceased, Constance Wogboroma, took to facebook to mourn her. She wrote

” My own sister, My very best friend, my gist mate. So our discussion yesterday was a good bye. Hey! My heart is very heavy o. How i wish tears can just bring you back for us especially for your 2 weeks old baby.

The matter has since been reported to the police and investigations have since commenced.

White glamour model and her white husband who had tanning injections to make their skin darker say they believe they will have black baby

A white glamour model and her white partner who had tanning injections to make their skin darker have claimed doctors told them their future children will be born black.

Newly married couple Martina Big, 30, and Michael Eurwen, 31, both say they identify as black and they’ve had tanning injections, using Melanotan, a synthetic hormone, to darken the skin.

They appeared on This Morning to talk about their plans for the future and starting a family.

During the show, Holly questioned them about having children, saying:

 

Doctors have told you that you baby will be be black?

 

And Martina, who used to be a Caucasian with peroxide blonde hair from Germany, replied:

 

Yep, they said they will be black. We have also discussed about breast feeding and if it is safe for me to have a baby.

 

 

 

 

Martina mentioned breastfeeding due to all the surgeries she’s had to enlarge her breasts. She made headlines previously when she had plastic surgery that increased her breast to 32S. She claimed the surgery will not stop her from breastfeeding, according to her doctors.

 

 

Holly was completely baffled by Martina’s claim that her baby will be black so she questioned her further saying:

 

If that baby is not black, because I’m trying to understand how genetically this would be possible, will you still be close to them if you give birth to a white baby?

 

And Martina replied:

 

Of course- it will be a mix of me and Micheal. But I’m pretty sure it will be black, but if it is milk chocolate or a little bit lighter it doesn’t matter.

 

But viewers took to Twitter to redicule the couple and their idea that their baby will be black. They pointed out that it’s impossible due to their DNA.

 

 

On the show, the couple who married last October in Hawaii, said they identified as black.

Martina said:

 

I can clearly feel that I am black – but its hard to find the right words to describe it.

 

Martina went as far as flying to Kenya in March last year to be baptised as a real African woman and she shared the news of her rebirth to Facebook.

She wrote at the time:

 

One of my Kenyan friends told her pastor about my transformation to a black woman and told him how much I wanted to become a true African woman.

In his sermon the pastor said: ‘You have to be born again and now you are a new creature.’ I’m so happy and proud to be a real African woman :)’

 

For her appearance on This Morning, Martina and her husband both wore clothes made from African prints. Martina took it further by wearing a necklace and bangles made with African beads.

 

Cherubim and Seraphim prophet beaten to death after allegedly being caught eating bread and feaces

A prophet of one of the branches of the Cherubim and Seraphim church was lynched after he was allegedly caught eating bread and feaces, supposedly for money ritual purposes.

The Prophet who is said to be the head cleric at Cherubim and Seraphim Church at Apata Isegun located on Mathew street, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, was beaten to death earlier today at Odo Ado in the state capital.

Before being lynched, he was stripped and paraded along the streets then led to the front of his church were he was killed.

 

Obansanjo is an expired politician- Bola Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has described Former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an expired politician seeking ways to make himself relevant. Tinubu said this at the APC rally in Borno state today while reacting to the damning letter Obasanjo wrote to President Buhari yesterday January 20th.

 

Speaking at the rally, Tinubu said no human being in his right senses should give ears to anything Obasanjo says

 “I can hear the other expired leaders like Obasanjo, ranting and lying. Don’t believe him, don’t trust him, he is expired” he said

Speaking further, the APC leader said the party since its inception, has been striving to kick corruption out of Nigeria.

“When we came on board in 2015, we made promises to all Nigerians that as the sheep of this country, we are going to turn it to the right direction and we have done that. We are sweeping all the cobwebs of the collateral corruption, we are sweeping it away to give Nigerians a new life, new home and a solid foundation; that is what President Buhari is doing and we are 100 per cent with him. President Muhammadu Buhari has been upright, firm and has been steady, focused with a great vision for the betterment and progress of this country.

“We can recall the rigging in 2003 under Obasanjo, we also knew what happened in 2007 under President Obasanjo. 95 percent of you must come out and vote en mass for Buhari because no other president had upheld democratic principles like president Buhari.

“In 1985, we gave it to him but he cannot remembers even one day to recognised MKO’s mandate of June 12. Again, when he came back into power, we ask him for the recognition he failed. Who did it; President Buhari. declared June 12 as Democracy day to honour MKO Abiola,” Tinubu said

Two boys, 14, and their pilot died in plane crash in Switzerland after pilot let one of the boys take the controls, investigation reveals

Back in 2017, two boys, 14, and their adult pilot died in a plane crash in Switzerland while a 17-year-old girl was seriously injured. Investigation has now revealed that the crash occurred after the pilot let one of the teens take the controls.

 

Swiss investigators say the pilot picked a risky flight path in southeastern Switzerland then decided to hand the controls to one of the boys. This decision ultimately caused the crash that took their lives.

 

 

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board said in a report Friday the pilot had chosen a risky flight course, Daily Mail reports.  In addition, it said that ‘the pilot’s risky decision to hand the controls to the passenger (was) a direct contributing factor to the accident.’ It added that he hadn’t trained as a flight instructor.

 

The teens were taking part in a flying club’s annual camp when the crash happened around 10 minutes after takeoff. The report said the club didn’t intend for passengers to take the controls.

 

Obj: ”Stop acting like a coward” PDP tells President Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed President Buhari for hauling insults on respected leaders and elder statesmen, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for cautioning against his desperation for self-succession.

 

In a statement released by its national spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said in approving his media aide, Mallam Shehu Garba, to cast aspersions and insult on a former President, President Buhari is setting a very bad example to younger Nigerians by fouling our national values and heritage of our elders. Read the remaining part of the statement below

Nigerians were appalled that President Buhari, whose state of health has been accommodated by the nation, would turn around to make baseless and unsubstantiated negative assertions on the health of another leader.

President Buhari may have seen how Nigerians have been registering their disappointment on his resort to personal attacks on former President Obasanjo, instead responding to the germane issues raised by the former President.

Nigerians have weighed all the concerns by former President Obasanjo, particularly the manifest desperation by the Buhari Presidency to undermine our democratic institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary and the legislature as well as plots to use security forces to subvert the will of the people at the polls.

Instead of attacking former President Obasanjo, President Buhari should have been sobered and retrace his steps in the interest of the corporate existence of our country which he is pushing to the precipice

The PDP therefore urges President Buhari to note that his resort to personal attacks on the critics of his administration cannot distract Nigerians from their resolve to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of his administration by voting him out of office, come February 16, 2019.