Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DRAWING A BLANK
Reigning champions take point in downpour but it’s enough to extend lead at summit as rivals falter
IT was honours even last night at Windsor Park as Linfield and Coleraine battled each other to a standstill.
Both sides will rue missing great chances to win it but defeat would have been harsh on either set of players.
The respect the teams have for each other was evident during a cagey first 20 minutes before a rare Jimmy Callacher mistake allowed Coleraine to forge the first chance of the game.
Misjudging the flight of the ball, the Blues defender let it skim off his head into Stewart Nixon’s path down the left channel. Nixon crossed for Matthew Shevlin but the striker couldn’t get enough purchase on his shot and Chris Johns collected the ball without fuss.
Stung, the champions responded immediately as Jordan Stewart drifted in from the left and let fly with a whipped effort from 25 yards that whistled just past the upright.
The game then died back down again, briefly sparking in the 36th minute when Jamie Glackin’s freekick picked out Ian Parkhill in the Linfield box but the Coleraine winger’s header lacked both power and accuracy.
Linfield finally unhinged the visitors’ defence just before half-time. Shayne Lavery barrelled forward before feeding Niall Quinn to his left but while the wide man’s shot beat keeper Gareth Deane, the ball thudded off the post and the sides went in deadlocked at the break.
A deluge hammered down at the start of the second half and Linfield began to move the ball a little faster on the slicked surface.
Tidy feet from Jordan Stewart teed up Stephen Fallon and his rasping drive from 25 yards was tipped over by Deane.
From the resultant corner, Quinn found Callacher but the centre-back’s header bounced the wrong side of the post as the Bannsiders literally and figuratively weathered the storm.
By 70 minutes Linfield boss David Healy had seen enough and made a triple change, with Kirk Millar, Clarke and Fallon making way for Jamie Mulgrew, Christy Manzinga and Navid Nasseri.
The Blues did look a little livelier and Stewart had a goal-bound shot blocked before Lavery slashed a bouncing ball way over the bar.
The former then clipped a perfect cross to the latter and time seemed to stand still as Lavery’s gentle downward header bobbled just wide, with Deane completely stranded.
A weaving piece of magic from Jamie Glackin gave Coleraine a wonderful chance to nick the win late on but sub Eoin Bradley couldn’t accept the invitation, his scuffed effort from eight yards out allowing Johns to come to the rescue as it finished goalless.
BRENDAN RODGERS says he can spot a managerial maestro of the future in young Leicester star Youri Tielemans.
Foxes manager Rodgers is renowned for absorbing every fresh bit of information and know-how he can on the coaching aspect of the game.
And he reckons that he’s been seeing something similar in the 23-year-old Belgian international, and that sets him apart from the rest.
The defensive midfielder will be at the heart of Rodgers’ strategy today for the crucial clash at Aston Villa, as Leicester try to maintain their push for a top-four spot.
Former Anderlecht and Monaco man Tielemans (right, front) joked that his boss thinks he’s after his job – but takes it as a huge compliment.
Tielemans said: “He thinks I can be a manager. I don’t know why, you’d have to ask him.
“Maybe it’s because I am never a problem. I live quite a quiet life. I’m a good family man.”
Rodgers says there’s a lot
more to it than just that, and can’t believe Tielemans is still so young.
He said: “Youri has been brilliant to work with. He deserves all the accolades he gets. It’s easy to forget he’s 23.
“His tactical view of the game is at the highest level and now he’s got used to the physical side of the game here.
“He’s been off to the gym to get himself stronger. That side of things can make it tough when you first come over and sample the physicality of the Premier League.
“But Youri sees the passes so early as well, so he’s able to give himself the time and space he needs more often than not, even from tight situations.”
And the Leicester boss is determined to keep Tielemans under contract at the King Power long-term.
Rodgers said: “I would love to keep him here. He’s a really, really important player at this football club.
“He’s got a couple of years left on his contract but I know it’s something the club will be speaking to him and his representatives about.”