STAYERS & SLAYERS
LEICESTER v CHELSEA Kasper: Unique Foxes can challenge elite Bruce sore over delay to Saudi Toon deal
KASPER SCHMEICHEL has claimed Leicester City is, ‘A unique club that has what it takes’ to challenge English football’s elite.
The Danish keeper fired from the lip when he was asked whether the Foxes’ campaign was in danger of fizzling out after a stunning start to the season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side, currently lying third in the Premier League, have Manchester United and Chelsea breathing down their neck for a Champions League spot.
The Foxes’ also fell in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup to Aston Villa, and face Frank Lampard’s side today – a team that has twice dashed their FA Cup dreams at the quarterfinals stage in the past decade.
So there is the real prospect of finishing empty-handed. When it was put to him, however, Schmeichel was having none of it.
Massive
He said: “It’s a massive positive that you are even asking that question – it means there is an expectation on us. It means we are one of the better sides in the Premier League.
“People have come to expect things of us. And that’s what we do – we expect things of ourselves.
“Of course, with the size of the so-called big six, it’s difficult for us to break into that.
“But this club is run like a top club. With time, I believe we can get there. We have the best manager we could possibly have. The best owner we could possibly have.
“Everything is in place for us to kick on. We will soon have one of the best training grounds in Europe, if not the world. Expansion plans for the stadium are in place.
“Everything is there for us to kick on and become one of the bigger clubs. For us, we need to continue the work we are doing. Everything is going in the right direction.”
Schmeichel arrived in the east Midlands at a crossroads in his career. After the high of that 5,000-1 title triumph and the Champions League adventure which followed there came the tragedy that befell owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in a helicopter crash.
But he clearly feels strong ties to Leicester. And he maintains he is not alone.
He added: “This club makes you feel special. When you look at the squad, there’s a lot of players who choose to stay here. Jamie Vardy could have moved. He wants to be part of it. I’ve stayed. I wanted to be a part of it.
“This club took me in at a time
FRANK LAMPARD is challenging Christian Pulisic to shoot for the stars.
Not any old stars either, because the Chelsea manager means mega superstars such as Raheem Sterling, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
That is how highly the USA winger‘s potential is rated by Lamps. The 21-year-old, whose superb solo strike in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City during my career when I felt so unwelcome and they made me feel so wanted.
“From what we have done together, it’s created a unique bond.
“All the highs and lows we have had together it’s become very much like family.
“I haven’t seen a relationship between owners, players and staff anywhere like the one we have here. Every player that comes back to visit us says they miss it.
Spirit
“N’golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez have left – but when they come back they always come into our dressingroom afterwards and they always say: ‘Yeah, it’s great where we are, but we miss the people and the spirit at Leicester’.
“Having been at many clubs, it is different to many others. No other club communicates like we do.
“This club makes you feel valued. It makes you feel special.”
STEVE BRUCE has pleaded with the Premier League to speed up their decision on the troubled £300million Saudibacked takeover of Newcastle.
Toon boss Bruce said: “We are still waiting. I think all of us feel that this decision has got to be made. It just seems to have become tedious.
“It was going to be this week, it was going to be due in days, it was going to be in 48 hours.
“We need the people who are making the decisions to make that decision. We need them to make it and to be quick about it.”
The stalled bid has left Bruce facing an uncertain future, with the prospective new owners believed to be favouring a big-name foreign boss – like Mauricio Pochettino or former Juventus chief Max Allegri.
American TV and media mogul Henry Mauriss, based in California, has lodged a rival £340m bid with Toon owner Mike Ashley to buy Newcastle if the Saudibacked offer is rejected.
Months after financier Amanda Staveley and her company PCP Capital Partners lodged their takeover bid, league bosses are still deliberating on whether to give the Saudi proposal the green light.
The Premier League have been investigating Saudi Arabian-operated beoutq, which has been accused of illegally streaming football matches and other global sporting events.
And FIFA and UEFA have strongly criticised Saudi Arabia for supporting piracy following a damning report by the World Trade Organisation.
The investigation has delayed confirmation of the deal, with the Saudis looking set to own 80 per cent of Newcastle’s shares.