..::Football IV::..

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Martial: United players learning from Ibrahimovic

Manchester United attacker Anthony Martial says merely being in the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is of significant benefit to the club's youngsters.

Ibrahimovic has been in superb form since joining United from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 11 goals in 16 Premier League outings, and Martial is delighted to be playing alongside the 35-year-old.

"He is a top player and we cannot help but learn from just being alongside him, playing and training with him, seeing what he is doing now and what he has done in the past," Martial told the club's official website.

"In spite of his age, he has been a tremendous help to our side; he is doing loads for us."Let's hope his form can continue because that is going to help us to climb the table, which is our goal."United sit sixth in the Premier League heading into their Boxing Day match against Sunderland and Martial is hopeful they can maintain their good run of form.

"We are a few points behind the top four at the moment, which we have got to make up, but it is down to us to maintain our good form and turn it into even more victories," he added.

"We have to take each game as it comes but if we can continue playing the way we are and add a few more goals, then who knows what we can achieve in terms of trophies this season."

 

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'Next season will be the more important one for Man Utd' - Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United remain in the 2016-17 Premier League title hunt, but expects them to launch a greater challenge for silverware next season.The Red Devils are in the process of undertaking another rebuild, following the summer arrival of Jose Mourinho at the helm.

Stability has been in short supply since Sir Alex Ferguson vacated the Old Trafford hot-seat, with the baton having been passed from David Moyes to Louis van Gaal via Ryan Giggs.Mourinho is now leading the charge, and has seen fortunes improve over recent weeks.

Following a frustrating period in which too many points slipped through United’s grasp, they have collected three successive Premier League wins.They are now back in the hunt for a top-four finish, with only four points separating them from the Champions League spots.

Mourinho’s men are still 13 points adrift of table-topping Chelsea, but Ferdinand believes that lead can be cut and that United will be a stronger force with two more transfer windows behind them in 2017-18.

He told the club’s official website: "I think next season will be the more important one for United. They’ve spent big this summer and they’ll probably reinvest again next summer and go again the following season.

“This season, though, any one of six teams is capable of winning the league and United are in that mix. We need to keep being consistent and keep up a run of games where we build up confidence and get points on the board."United will wrap up 2016 with back-to-back home dates against Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

The new year will then bring a Premier League clash with West Ham and meetings with Reading and Hull City in FA Cup and EFL Cup competition, before attention turns to a potentially decisive fixture with Liverpool on January 15.

 

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Bale shows off injury recovery while on holiday on Wales

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has offered fans an update on his fitness as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.The Wales star flew back to his homeland on Tuesday to enjoy the winter break with friends and family, with Madrid not due to play again until January 7, when they meet Granada.

But the 27-year-old is making the most of his time away from the Spanish capital to regain his fitness and posted a short video on his official Twitter account to show off his progress.

"Back at the rehab in Wales. Leg day," he wrote, with the footage showing some impressive work using a leg-raise machine.

Bale has not played since picking up the injury in the 2-1 Champions League win over Sporting CP on November 22.

 

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'Mourinho is FINALLY getting the best out of Pogba'

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand feels Jose Mourinho has finally found a formation to get the best out of Paul Pogba.

The France international initially struggled to live up to the high expectations at Old Trafford following his world record move from Juventus, but he has thrived in recent weeks as United have gone 10 games unbeaten.Ferdinand believes Mourinho's decision to field Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera in support of Pogba has been key to United's resurgence.

"I do not think Jose knew his best team for a while but in the last few games you have seen him consistently starting the three midfielders of Herrera, Carrick and Pogba," Ferdinand told the official United website."I think you have seen a better balance in the midfield, so hopefully we can start motoring on now.

"That has been a problem in the past in terms of working out where the balance is and who the best partnerships and combinations are, and I think he may have found that in those three.

"It frees up Paul, who is a bit more of a maverick, and means he can roam a bit more."

 

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Ronaldo crowned social media king of 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo has another accolade to add to his collection at the end of a remarkably successful year for club and country.

The 31-year-old won the Champions League and Club World Cup with Real Madrid and ended Portugal's wait for a major trophy by helping them to a Euro 2016 triumph.

If that was not enough, it appears that Ronaldo has also conquered the world of social media - at least when it comes to high-profile athletes.

Out of all professional sportspeople across the globe, the former Manchester United forward produced the top three posts on Facebook and the top five on Instagram, according to social analytics tool CrowdTangle. His best-performing posts generated a staggering total of 34 million user interactions.

Ronaldo's Facebook posts included him holding the Euro 2016 trophy, enjoying birthday celebrations with his son and celebrating with the Portugal squad on the plane. The top post alone managed 7.4m interactions.

Two more trophy shots, showing off his new car, Portugal standing proud on the podium and a meeting with actor Jason Statham were his most successful Instagram posts.

The top Twitter post went to United States gymnastics star Simone Biles, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's confirmation of his Manchester United move the top-performing football post with 486,000 interactions.

 

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Hodgson: I never wanted to hear the word 'Iceland' again

Former England manager Roy Hodgson admits he "never wanted to hear the word 'Iceland' again" following his team's Euro 2016 elimination at the hands of the international minnows.

England were beaten 2-1 by Iceland in the last 16 in France earlier this year, despite taking the lead through an early Wayne Rooney penalty, with Hodgson promptly resigning post-match.The exit was the latest in a long line of disappointments for England at major tournaments, but Hodgson says he was totally taken aback by the result.

"I never wanted to hear the word Iceland again. The game came as a massive surprise," he told The Times."Everything leading up to it lulled us into a false sense of security. Not just the coaches but the players too."We did all our preparation for the Iceland game and that went well. The training sessions were good, everyone was motivated.

"We went into the game thinking we are better than the team we're playing, we have better players, we are in good shape, in good form, we're confident and it will go our way - and blow me down, the game is a few minutes old and we go one up.

"They scored immediately afterwards and that was a slight blow but then the second goal came and it seemed to be they [Iceland] were buoyed by that, it restored their faith in their journey and for some reason our players seemed to freeze a little bit."You start to see the fear emerging and the self-confidence draining and then you start to think: 'What can I do to stop this?'

"During that second half you're thinking, 'This can't happen, this is such a bad moment, we can't live through the aftermath of this moment' and you are counteracting that with considering, 'What can we do, what changes can be made?' Half of you is thinking tactically and the other half of you, your heart is beating faster because it's not going your way."

Hodgson concedes his half-time team talk did not have the desired effect but is happy to see the team recovering form after his tenure ended at 56 matches, with Gareth Southgate at the helm following Sam Allardyce's fleeting stint in the hot seat.

"All that we did in the build-up was about having no fear," he added. "We had to rise above the question: 'What if we lose, what's the reaction going to be?'"And that was what we said at half-time. But they were just words. Saying to someone: 'Have no fear, don’t be afraid' - they're good words, but what 'no fear' means to you might be different to what 'no fear' means to them.

"And don't forget we're dealing with young players. We knew there would come a moment when we might be criticised for not having enough wise old heads on the pitch but we were building for the future.

"The pitch didn't help but we managed to produce the worst game out of 56 at a crucial stage of a tournament that gets you knocked out. I'm pleased the players have got over that [exit] and I see the same sort of team and set up."

 

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West Brom confirm bid for Man Utd outcast Schneiderlin

West Brom have made a bid for out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, head coach Tony Pulis has confirmed.

Former Stoke City and Crystal Palace boss Pulis is noted for seeking multiple reinforcements whenever the market opens and he is already working on numerous fronts to bolster an Albion squad sitting eighth in the Premier League.

Schneiderlin is the subject of a bid reported to be in the region of £13million after playing only 11 minutes of Premier League football under Jose Mourinho this season, but Pulis refused to be drawn on specifics.

Speaking ahead of his side's Boxing Day trip to Arsenal, Pulis said: "I don't want to say any more than confirm our bid. We have to be fair to Manchester United and the player.

"We have made bids for about four or five players, we won't talk about them today. We will talk about them if we get them."I don't want to go into it specifically. Doing deals and business with people you should deal directly with them.

"Once they are done you can talk about them more openly. That's the way I prefer to conduct my business."We aren't going to try and do everything in one window. It might take a couple of windows to get the quality in that we want."All transfer windows are important. This is the most important one though because it's about to happen."

During Stoke's maiden Premier League campaign, a battling 2-1 win over Arsenal set the tone for a sometimes tempestuous rivalry between then-Potters boss Pulis and his opposite number Arsene Wenger.

The 58-year-old believes the Gunners are capable of lifting the title despite back-to-back losses at Everton and Manchester City last week but would relish extending their slump.
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"It's always lovely beating one of the top teams and it would be great if we could go to Arsenal on Boxing Day and do that," he added."We need things to go our way at Arsenal. Sometimes they do. It's always a really tough test going down to Arsenal. You have to be at your best and they have to have an off day."

 

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Real Madrid draw Sevilla & Barcelona meet Athletic Bilbao in Copa del Rey last 16

Real Madrid have been drawn against 2016 runners-up Sevilla in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

The European and world champions will face Jorge Sampaoli's side, who sit third in La Liga, in a repeat of the UEFA Super Cup clash from August, in which Madrid emerged victorious.

The draw means Madrid and Sevilla will meet three times in the space of 11 days next month, with their league meeting at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan taking place on January 15.

Holders Barcelona take on Athletic Bilbao, the side they beat in the final of the competition in 2015, while Atletico Madrid will take on Las Palmas.

Valencia face Celta Vigo and Villarreal meet Real Sociedad, while Osasuna have been pitted against Eibar and Deportivo La Coruna take on Alaves.

There will be at least one lower division side in the quarter-finals, with Alcorcon - who knocked out Espanyol after a penalty shootout - facing fellow La Liga 2 side Cordoba, who triumphed 6-3 in a thrilling two-legged tie against Malaga.The first legs will take place on January 4, with the return matches a week later on January 11.

 

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Juventus 1-1 AC Milan (AET, Pens 3-4): Pasalic punishes Bianconeri misses in shootout

Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the decisive penalty from Paulo Dybala as AC Milan won the Supercoppa Italiana 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time with Juventus in Doha.Mario Pasalic sealed victory for Milan after Donnarumma had spurned Dybala, who also missed a gilt-edged extra-time chance.

Mario Mandzukic also missed from 12 yards, with Gianluca Lapadula reprieved having failed to convert from 12 yards for Milan.In the match itself, captain Giorgio Chiellini put Juve ahead 18 minutes, but Giacomo Bonaventura levelled with a header prior to half-time.

Alessio Romagnoli hit the bar for Milan as Vincenzo Montella's men shaded the second half, before having to withstand heavy Juve pressure as 30 minutes of extra time failed to produce a winner.

The win on penalties mean Milan now join Juve in having won the trophy a record seven times, with Montella claiming his first trophy with the Rossoneri.

Massimiliano Allegri's men, meanwhile, have appeared in five straight editions of the Supercoppa, winning three – but losing on the two occasions it has been played in Qatar.

Juve had made a strong start to the match, with Mandzukic and Stefano Sturaro testing Donnarumma, but the teenage goalkeeper was helpless to prevent Chiellini's flicked header from a Miralem Pjanic corner flying beyond him.Allegri's men were in control, but they lost Alex Sandro through injury and suffered more frustration when Milan moved level after 38 minutes.

Suso drifted in from the right and sent in an in-swinging cross which was impressively headed in by Bonaventura - a slight deflection off Stephan Lichtsteiner gave Gianluigi Buffon no chance on his 600th Juve appearance.Milan almost completed the comeback early in the second half, Romagnoli's deft header hitting the bar from another brilliant Suso delivery.

A thrilling Supercoppa continued with Donnarumma making a superb save from Sami Khedira's 20-yard drive at the other end after Gonzalo Higuain had created the opportunity.

Allegri brought on Dybala in a bid to settle a balanced tie and the striker fired narrowly wide shortly after his arrival, before testing Donnarumma with another effort.Milan's main chances were coming in the air and Carlos Bacca had an aerial effort beaten away by Buffon, with in-form Suso again the creator.

That save ensured the match moved into extra-time, where Buffon denied Bonaventura and Bacca somehow failed to turn in the rebound from close range, Chiellini making the key block.

Higuain had a penalty claim turned rejected for Juve after going down under pressure from Gabriel Paletta, while substitute Patrice Evra had a goal correctly ruled out for offside.

Dybala missed the best chance of the additional period, blazing over from Evra's cross before the Juve defender was fuming at another failed penalty appeal – this time for a Mattia De Sciglio handball - as the match moved to spot-kicks.In the shoot-out, Buffon kept out Lapadula to give Juve the advantage, only for Mandzukic to power an effort against the bar.

Both teams were level at 3-3 after four penalties each when Donnarumma made a tremendous save from Dybala, allowing Pasalic to seal victory.

 

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OFFICIAL: Crystal Palace appoint Allardyce as new manager

Crystal Palace have appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 62-year-old returns to football management after leaving his position in charge of England in September after he was caught by a newspaper sting apparently stating that he could offer advice on how to circumvent transfer regulations in the Premier League.

Former Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham and Sunderland boss Allardyce arrives at Selhurst Park as a replacement for Alan Pardew, who was dismissed on Thursday.
Palace are currently 17th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone ahead of Allardyce's first game in charge against Watford on Boxing Day.

The London club confirmed the news on their official website, with chairman Steve Parrish delighted with the appointment.
The London club confirmed the news on their official website, with chairman Steve Parrish delighted with the appointment.

"We are delighted to be able to make an appointment so quickly and fortunate that someone of Sam’s calibre and experience was available," Parrish said.Pardew was asked to step down by Parish after managing only four wins from 17 Premier League games this season.

The London club are one point above the relegation zone heading into Monday's game with West Brom, highlighting their stark decline in 2016, especially since their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United.

Allardyce, who steered Sunderland to survival last season, left the England job after he was filmed by undercover reporters apparently claiming he could give advice on how to get around transfer rules in the top flight.

He lasted only 67 days in the role after succeeding Roy Hodgson, with an injury-time goal from Adam Lallana giving his side a 1-0 victory over Slovakia in Allardyce's one match in charge.

 

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Wenger happy to wait for new deal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is prepared to wait until the Premier League season is almost over before deciding on his future.

The Frenchman's contract at the club expires in 2017, having arrived at Arsenal 20 years ago.But Wenger is in no rush to renew, saying he is willing to wait until the campaign is almost over."I always said that I will judge where I stand in spring and make my decisions then," the 67-year-old told reporters.

"The club is free as well. It's not because I am here a long time that I have any rights. We are both on the same boat."Wenger has guided Arsenal to nine major trophies since his arrival, but the club's last Premier League title came in 2004.

The former Monaco boss believes the club are also happy to wait until later in the season for his future to be decided.

"There are plenty of managers who arrived at the end of their contract. It happened to me before," Wenger said."I signed sometimes in March, April for longer contracts. So I don't think it's a problem."

Back-to-back league losses have seen Arsenal slip to fourth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Chelsea.

 

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Mourinho confirms West Brom & Everton target Schneiderlin can leave Man Utd

Jose Mourinho says he will not stand in the way of Morgan Schneiderlin's proposed transfer away from Manchester United if the club receive a suitable offer.West Brom boss Tony Pulis confirmed on Friday that they had launched a bid for the France international, which is reportedly worth close to £13million.

Everton have also been linked with a bid for the midfielder, who has only played 11 minutes of Premier League football this term, having signed from Southampton in 2015.Mourinho has admitted that Schneiderlin has made his frustrations clear and that he will not deny him an exit if United's board accept an offer.

"He's a great professional, a fantastic boy. Very honest, very open, and he's opened his heart a couple of times," said the Portuguese."My answer is simple: if he's playing regular with me, I have the right to say 'no way'. If not, I have no right to tell a player 'you're not going anywhere'.

"So if the board thinks the offer is a good offer in relation to a quality player like Morgan, I will not stop him from going."

 

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Gundogan undergoes knee surgery

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has successfully undergone surgery to repair a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Germany international Gundogan sustained the injury during the first half of City's 2-0 Premier League victory over Watford last week and he is set to miss the remainder of his debut campaign in England.

Gundogan was the first signing of the Pep Guardiola era at the Etihad Stadium when he agreed a switch from Borussia Dortmund but was unable to make his debut until September due to the kneecap dislocation that ruled him out of Euro 2016.

On Friday, the 26-year-old used social media to post a picture of himself in his hospital bed with a heavily strapped right leg."Hi guys," Gundogan wrote. "I'm doing well and today's surgery went fine."Now it's another road to recovery."

 

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Van Dijk fuels Man City & Liverpool rumours

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has revealed he wants to play at the "highest level" as rumours of a January transfer intensify.

The Netherlands international has been linked with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, though Saints boss Claude Puel has ruled out selling the former Celtic man.

And though Van Dijk insists he is happy at St. Mary's Stadium, he also wants to test himself at the highest level possible."Everyone says that at 25, the best years are still to come but I am enjoying every bit of it now," he told The Times.

"Southampton is a very good club for me, it is an amazing place to be and I am happy to be part of the success.

"Every player in the world has ambitions; I have ambitions like everyone else. I want to get the maximum out of myself as a player. I can improve in every aspect and that takes time. That takes games. That takes playing at the highest level and with the national team.

"The figures you mention about me? I cannot do anything about that. That is football these days. But I don't feel the pressure - no chance."Van Dijk has started every game for Southampton this season and is contracted to the club until June 2022.

 

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OFFICIAL: Wolfsburg confirm Draxler move to PSG

Wolfsburg have confirmed the departure of Julian Draxler to Paris Saint-Germain, with the Germany international signing a four-and-a-half year deal at Parc des Princes.

Goal understands the Ligue 1 champions will pay €35 million up front for the former Schalke man with the possibility of an extra €10m to be paid in bonuses.
"Julian Draxler is to leave VfL Wolfsburg and sign for French club Paris Saint-Germain, pending a medical examination," a Wolfsburg statement confirmed.

"The 23-year-old attacker has agreed to a four-year deal with the Ligue 1 titleholders and Champions League participants. Both clubs have agreed to keep the financial details of the deal confidential."

Sporting director Olaf Rebbe said: "We've had some very intense but constructive discussions with Paris Saint-Germain, Julian Draxler and his management over the past few days and we're confident to have reached a satisfactory conclusion for all parties."

Head coach Valerien Ismael added: "Of course I'm sad to see Julian go, because he's an outstanding footballer. He gave everything in the recent matches against Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach and once again showed how much this club meant to him."I hope his move to France provides him with a fresh challenge."Draxler joined Wolfsburg from Schalke in August 2015 but has endured a difficult time at the Volkswagen Arena.

He has made 14 appearances this season without scoring a goal and was omitted from the squad to face Bayern Munich following concerns over his behaviour, although he did register an assist in each of his last two games against Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach.The arrival of Draxler, who had been linked with a move to Arsenal, is expected to hasten the departure of Jese Rodriguez, who has been linked with a return to La Liga with Las Palmas.

Goal understands PSG are also keen on Wolfsburg defender Ricardo Rodriguez, who they see as a long-term replacement for Maxwell and competition for Layvin Kurzawa.

However, any deal would see Rodriguez first loaned back to Wolfsburg for the final six months of the season.

 

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Lampard 'would love' Chelsea return

Frank Lampard admits he would love to return to Chelsea, but is in no rush to make a decision on his future.The 38-year-old is a free agent after leaving New York City last month following a fruitful spell in MLS.

Lampard's visit to Chelsea training this week has prompted speculation of a return to the club and manager Antonio Conte confirmed the Blues' all-time top goalscorer is not yet interested in retiring in order to take up a coaching role.Though the former England international is calm over his next move, he says that the chance to go back to Stamford Bridge would be tough to turn down.

"I'm still waiting for the five-year contract to come through from Chelsea, they haven't called yet. We used to get those easily," he told Sky Sports."Myself and John [Terry] are Chelsea through and through. Whatever happens, in some capacity I will be at Chelsea, whether that's with my season ticket watching them, but I don't know.

"I will be in very close contact, whether I have a role, that's not all in my hands so I can't go any further than that. "I am very relaxed about it, which is a nice place to be. I'm not kind of eager that the end of my career is coming and thinking, 'What's going to happen now?'"I'm relaxed and if the right thing comes, then I'll take it. Obviously Chelsea, I would love that, but it doesn't always work that way.

"I've taken this Christmas to enjoy family, a couple of beers and an extra turkey and I'll make a decision in January whether I carry on playing - I have a few options - or finish and move on to whatever the next thing will be."

 

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Valencia president apologises for nightmare 2016

Valencia president Layhoon Chan has recorded a Christmas video message to say sorry to the club's fans after they endured yet more disappointment in 2016.

Los Che find themselves 17th in La Liga at the halfway mark of the season, with incumbent Cesare Prandelli their third different full-time coach this year.

The disastrous reign of Gary Neville came to an end in March, his successor Pako Ayestaran lasting until September and caretaker Voro filling in for two matches before Prandelli took over in October.

The former Italy boss is yet to arrest Valencia's worrying slump, leaving a team who had become accustomed to regular Champions League qualification facing the prospect of a fight for top-flight survival in 2017.

Well aware of the discontent simmering in the stands at Mestalla, Chan has attempted to appease the supporters, whose Navidad is likely to be far from feliz , at least when it comes to football matters.
"I would like to apologise to our fans for a bad season," she said."We will learn from our mistakes. We will continue working very hard to find solutions and emerge from this stronger. I hope the new year will be better. "In the meantime, I wish all Valencianistas and your families a Merry Christmas, good health and happiness for the new year."

 

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Merry Christmas for all!


Football thread 1ke hamotama Suba Natthalak Wewa!

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Klopp: Liverpool is the perfect club for me

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool are the perfect club to help him realise his Premier League dream.

During his seven years at Borussia Dortmund Klopp forged a reputation as one of Europe's best coaches, and was linked with a hosts of clubs across the continent.Klopp won five trophies with the club - including two Bundesliga titles - before leaving at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.

He was expected to take a sabbatical but a couple of months later he was lured to England to replace Brendan Rodgers at Anfield.

And the 49-year-old says the decision to test himself in the Premier League has already proved to be "an unbelievably good" one.

"I was always really interested in the Premier League and being involved now is great. It's intense, but great," he told Sky Sports. "Being at Liverpool shows I'm a really lucky guy."For the third time it's an unbelievably good decision, the perfect club for me.

"For the third time it's an unbelievably good decision, the perfect club for me.
Ronaldo, Neymar and the football world celebrates Christmas

"Obviously we don't fit too badly to the club too and that's really good. We like working together here, we have a really good atmosphere at Melwood. "The club is already a great club, but there is still space to develop."

After stabilising the club in his first season at the helm, Klopp has turned the Reds into title contenders this season and he is loving the challenge the Premier League brings.

"I love it. It's the most challenging league in the world, one hundred per cent," he added. "There is six teams always who really can be champions here. You have this in no other country."In Spain in a very good year it can be three. In Germany it's always two; Bayern and somebody else.

"Maybe in France there's a few teams, but it's really a challenge to be involved in this."It's really a challenge because you usually don't lose the points against the big opponents, you lose against all the other teams."

 

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Allardyce 'a better man' after England sacking

Sam Allardyce says he is ready to move on from the "dark moment" of being sacked from his job as England manager.

The 62-year-old was relieved of his duties as national team boss just 67 days into his reign after he was caught on video stating that there are ways to get around the Football Association's rules on third party ownership.The former West Ham boss returned to football this week when he was chosen to succeed Alan Pardew in charge of Crystal Palace.

Allardyce admits it was tough to get over losing his job with the Three Lions, but insists he has learned from his mistakes as he looks to keep his new side in the Premier League.

“The first four weeks was one of the darkest moments of my career," he told Sky Sports. "My family and I have had that problem, we’ve all had to deal with that problem but eventually time passes and you overcome those adversities and move on.

"I know I’m the same man. I’m probably a better man for the experience. In adversity you have to become stronger and make sure you don’t make those mistakes again so you learn from it."Moving on and finally putting this to bed is taking this job and being determined to be a good manager at Crystal Palace again.

"It was a black, dark moment - one I wish had never happened in my life. But I can’t dwell on the past. I always think of what I can do in the future."Hopefully I can come to Palace and enjoy working with young people, I always like working with young people, it keeps you young. There is a lot of pressure at first when you first take over a club that’s struggling but you want to go and do your best for yourself, your family and the club that employ you."

The London side sit just one point above the relegation zone ahead of Monday's encounter with Watford. And Allardyce is confident he can get the club out of their precarious position if they make good signings in the coming transfer market."Players, club, ambition, it has all that."If we get recruitment right, the atmosphere right and the players here play to their full potential we should get out of trouble. But there is no guarantee of that.

"Part of this job is finding quickly what the faults are and making them better. First and foremost, I have to improve the players on the field in terms of getting a result."