Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes his team have returned refreshed from their mini-break and are ready to push on in the Premier League title race.
They returned to training on Wednesday – a week after their last game – and head to Bournemouth looking to extend their advantage at the top to five points.
While they will still be missing talisman Mohamed Salah, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, and are waiting for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai to return from injury, Klopp believes everyone benefited from a break from the intensity of the Premier League.
“Friday was the third session since we are back and you could see it was really important to everybody, for everybody,” he said.
“As much as they like going on holiday, the thing they like most is actually playing football and that’s really cool to see.
“Nobody wanted to have three or four weeks, we are in the middle of a season (and) we love what happened so far.
“We are looking forward to what’s coming up, but these four days were just top class. We had a break and now we can go for the rest of the season.”
Victory at the Vitality Stadium would bring up 22 points away from home, just one short of their previous campaign, and Liverpool are already 16 points ahead of where they were at this point last season.
However, Bournemouth are one of the top flight’s form teams with six wins and a draw from their last eight league matches and have not lost at home in the league since October 21 after new manager Adoni Iraola turned things around after just one win in their first 11 matches.
“When you don’t play them at the weekend I really have time to admire what he (Iraola) is doing there,” said Klopp.
“They turned it around – that’s real coaching – and he found a way to set this team up.
“It will be a difficult game, but I don’t think they are now preparing the game against us and thinking, ‘Thank God Liverpool is coming’ because we feel good as well.”
Part of Bournemouth’s recent success is the contribution from former Liverpool forward Dominic Solanke, who has eight goals in as many league appearances, and 12 in 19 top-flight league games so far after just one in 21 league games for the Reds.
“He made the absolute right decision to go,” said Klopp.
“He went the hard way, trying here, realising, ‘Maybe a bit too early’ and then going to Bournemouth.”
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is one goal away from recording his best scoring campaign (six) since joining in January 2022.
After going through the trauma of having his parents kidnapped in his native Colombia, he was reunited with his family for Christmas on Merseyside and Klopp has seen a change in the winger’s demeanour.
“After after the most challenging time of his life, which nobody is prepared for, he’s back. You can see it in each training session it’s different,” said Klopp.
“He cannot not smile when he is on the ball. There were a few weeks where I missed that a little bit, but the smile is back.”
Clarendon College, Manchester, Dinthill Technical and Cornwall College through to quarterfinals of Ben Francis Cup
Seven-time champions Cornwall College and Manchester High survived penalty kicks to advance to the quarter-finals of the ISSA Ben Francis Cup, where they will be joined by Clarendon College and Denbigh High.
Cornwall College came from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Happy Grove High before winning 5-4 on penalties at Drax Hall, the same margin that Manchester High beat Dinthill Technical by after they played out a 2-2 draw at Wembley Centre of Excellence.
Clarendon College beat Kemps Hill High 3-1 in their all-Clarendon derby at Foga Road, while Denbigh High were 2-0 winners over Alphansus Davis High at Brooks Park.
The winners will await the four teams that fail to advance past the daCosta Cup quarter-finals for the next round of the Ben Francis Cup, which will be played on November 21st.
Ranieri turned down offers before Roma retirement U-turn
Claudio Ranieri revealed he has turned down offers from other clubs since his retirement before answering Roma's call to be their new manager.
Ranieri announced his retirement at the end of last season after guiding Cagliari to Serie A safety, but after Roma sacked their second manager this season, the 73-year-old agreed on Thursday to take charge until the end of the campaign.
It is Ranieri's third spell as manager of Roma, the club where he began his playing career, and the Rome native will remain in a senior management role once his coaching term ends.
Across his previous two spells, Ranieri managed 96 games in all competitions, registering 53 wins, with a win percentage of 55.21%.
"I had stopped coaching, I have had more requests in recent months than when I won the league title with Leicester City," Ranieri told a press conference.
"I have always said no. I said only in two cases can I return to coaching, either for Roma or Cagliari, if something went wrong.
"I was convinced to have gone my own way, but fate wanted me to return home. I began at Roma as a player and I will finish there as an executive."
Ranieri has no interest in what has gone wrong for Roma this season, in which Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric have been dismissed.
"There are a thousand reasons, and honestly I don't care," he said.
"If I go looking at what happened yesterday, I won't achieve anything. I was given carte blanche and I have to do my best with these players. From now on, I am the one in charge.
"Changing two managers by November isn't easy for anyone, one wants to play in a certain manner, one wants to play another way, so there is a bit of an electroshock. That's normal."
Paulo Dybala's absence against Bologna led to speculation that it had more to do with his contract's automatic renewal clause on reaching a certain percentage of appearances than with the Argentine forward's physical fitness.
The Argentinian has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring twice in Serie A, including the only goal in their last win at the end of October.
Ranieri showed he means business when he revealed the conversation he had with Roma President Dan Friedkin.
"It's the first thing I asked the president," Ranieri said.
"I told him 'I do as I please, I don't want to know if he has clauses or not'.
"You can see that when Dybala is well he makes the difference. I wish he could always play, but he won't."
Ranieri's first game comes after the international break when Roma take on league leaders Napoli.
Van Nistelrooy wishes Man Utd success under Amorim
Ruud van Nistelrooy says Manchester United deserve to be successful under new head coach Ruben Amorim, having left the club after the Portuguese's arrival this week.
Amorim officially left Sporting CP for United on Monday, with Van Nistelrooy having overseen four matches as interim coach after Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.
United won three and drew one of those matches, beating Leicester City twice and overcoming PAOK in the Europa League while drawing 1-1 with Chelsea in the Premier League.
At 39 years old, new boss Amorim will become the youngest man to lead United since a 33-year-old Wilf McGuinness took charge of them on Boxing Day 1970 against Derby County.
Van Nistelrooy, who had initially hoped to stay on in a backroom role under Amorim but departed earlier this week, is backing the Red Devils to be successful.
In a farewell post on Instagram, the former striker wrote: "To everyone at Manchester United football club, in particular the backroom staff, the players and the fans.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible efforts and support. It has been a privilege and honour to represent the club as a player, coach and manager, and I will always cherish the memories we have shared together.
"M.U.F.C will always have a special place in my heart, and I hope there are many more glory days at Old Trafford very soon - not only because I want the club to do well, but because you all deserve it!"
Amorim's first assignment as United boss will be a Premier League trip to Ipswich Town next week, before Bodo/Glimt visit Old Trafford in the Europa League on November 28.
Between his March 2020 appointment and his departure this month, Sporting won 77% of their Primeira Liga matches, the best win ratio in Europe's top 10 leagues in that span.
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