Stories By Harry De Cosemo

• Sport

  Riyad Mahrez deserves credit for his professionalism at Leicester amid transfer speculation

  Some players seem destined for the top no matter what, but others need the stars to align first. Riyad Mahrez will have returned to Leicester City’s training ground in July thinking he would likely be saying his goodbyes soon enough.

• Sport

  Costa and Conte must share blame in their feud

  Often in the case of managers like Chelsea’s Antonio Conte, their greatest asset is their greatest curse. The Italian has lit up the Premier League since joining the Blues last summer, quickly showing why he was the perfect man to get them out of the situation they found themselves in, floundering after a tenth-placed finish and legendary former boss Jose Mourinho’s departure the season earlier.

• Sport

  Paul Pogba has started as he needs to go on at Manchester United

  Upon their respective arrivals in Manchester last summer, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho dominated the headlines. Given their history as managers of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the heat their rivalry generated, it was assumed that would only restart.

• Sport

  Swansea can still progress even if Sigurdsson is sold

  Everyone has a different take on which transfer deal from this summer has most perfectly represented the crazy inflation in the current market. Some will say it is Jordan Pickford’s £30million move from Sunderland to Everton, others Marko Arnautovic joining West Ham from Stoke City for £25million.

• Sport

  Stoke City regressing fast under Hughes – they must stop the rot

  FOREVER LINKED TO THE ‘PULIS’ STYLE Rather strangely, Stoke City have become something of a cult club. To many members of the English press and even football fans, the Potters have never truly escaped their reputation for playing the ‘ugly’ way upon promotion under Tony Pulis nine years ago even though Mark Hughes has overseen a big turn around in personnel.

• Sport

  Michy Batshuayi may be forced out of Chelsea this summer

  Bubbling away under the surface at Stamford Bridge last season, there was a big decision for Antonio Conte. Developments since the Italian celebrated his first title as Chelsea boss suggest he was always going to spend big on a striker this summer; the only question was whom it would be.

• Sport

  Time to admit Daniel Sturridge’s Liverpool career is over

  Behind the heavy metal football, high pressing and bear hugs, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool transformation has been rather understated. The German is probably the most unique coach in the world, someone a certain type of fan can really identify with, but he is, at heart, quite contrasted in a very good way.

• Sport

  Tottenham must plan transfers better if they are to truly succeed

  A lot can be said for this current Tottenham Hotspur team, but perhaps the most remarkable thing is that they managed their best ever Premier League finish last season coming off the back of a rather disastrous summer transfer window.

• Sport

  Sanchez and Özil have separate needs as they head into contract talks

  Mesut Özil was meant to be the catalyst, but he wasn’t. Alexis Sanchez was too, but he hasn’t had the desired effect either. Between the years of 2013 and 2014, Arsenal were making strides for success and Arsene Wenger, their manager who had a reputation for being stringent with his transfer budget, was changing his ways in a bid to win their first Premier League title in around a decade.

• Sport

  Frank De Boer and Crystal Palace – an unlikely match made in heaven?

  Seven years after his top-level coaching career began, Frank De Boer has finally achieved his dream. Every time he was asked, he told of how working in the Premier League was a prime ambition of his, but probably not in the way it has transpired since.

• Sport

  Challenge begins now for World Cup-winning England youngsters

  For years, in some quarters at least, English football has been a cesspool of jealousy when looking across at main rivals when it comes to major tournaments. The nation’s constant failure to win, or even put up a good fight in recent years, has gone from a bit of a joke to a genuine concern.

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