LEICESTER: Brendan Rodgers, the Leicester City manager, has stepped over the line Eddie Howe refuses to cross and labelled Newcastle United title contenders.
Head coach Howe has been keen to sidestep any suggestion the Magpies find themselves in a title race, despite three points at Leicester City taking United above Manchester City and into second spot in the Premier League.
Northern Irishman Rodgers, who came so close to ending a Liverpool title drought back in 2014, believes Newcastle have the tools to push the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal all the way.
Speaking after goals from Chris Wood, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton downed his Foxes side at the King Power Stadium, Rodgers, when asked if Newcastle are in the title race, said: “Absolutely. Having watched them through the season and seeing them today, they’ve obviously got that hunger with a point to prove. You make a great start and that gives you the freedom that you can stay there. There have obviously been some very results.
“The players they’ve signed are top players. (Sven) Botman is a proper player, he knows football. He’s aggressive and defends the box well. Kieran Trippier is a very experienced player and knows the game. You’ve got Dan Burn in alongside him.
“The guys that were brought in January, the likes of (Bruno) Guimaraes. Joelinton has developed and improved. There is no reason why they can’t be if they can make the squad stronger in January.
“They can cover players that might get injured and keep everybody fit then they can be up there. With the home support and fanatical fanbase, they can have a great chance.”
Howe was not quite as enthusiastic when asked about his side’s title dreams.
“I’ve got no problem with the supporters talking and dreaming and speculating about what we can achieve,” he said.
“And there’s no doubt you guys (journalists) will because I can’t control that.
“I just think the only thing we need to be mindful of eternally is we just have to focus on what we can control, which is our own thoughts, actions, how we train and how we prepare.
“We can’t look too far ahead or listen to too much news, media or whatever. We can only focus on our training and focus on it game-by-game because this is the toughest league in the world for a reason.
“Our opposition will no doubt be watching us and preparing for us so we need to be ready.”
However, on a lighter note, he later added: “We can do anything. The season is still young enough for all possibilities to exist for us. I want the fans to believe we can do anything.”
Newcastle United ‘title contenders,’ says Leicester City manager after Magpies inflict Premier League defeat
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Newcastle United ‘title contenders,’ says Leicester City manager after Magpies inflict Premier League defeat
- Brendan Rodgers believes players “with hunger and point to prove” can take rival Eddie Howe’s team to the top
DeChambeau, Crushers GC lead LIV Singapore at halfway mark
- A second-round 6-under 65 has DeChambeau at 10-under through 36 holes
SINGAPORE: Entering Friday, Bryson DeChambeau is tied atop a bunched leaderboard at Aramco LIV Golf Singapore.
After shooting the round of the week, a second-round six-under 65, he sits at 10-under through 36 holes. The Crushers GC captain enters the weekend with a three-shot lead.
After beginning his second round with back-to-back pars, he birdied the third, fourth and eighth holes, making the turn in 32 strokes. His back nine was smooth-sailing until the par-four 15th, when he overdrew an iron off the tee into the harbor.
After taking a drop, he scrambled for a hard-earned bogey, protecting his lead in the process. And bounced back immediately, making a birdie on the 16th. For the round, he finished with a total of six birdies, an eagle and the lone bogey on 15.
“Focus on my golf, what I can control,” said DeChambeau of his mindset.
“I know it’s cliche, but you can’t get too wrapped up with what everybody else is doing and making sure I’m starting it on my lines the way I need to and rolling the putts on my lines like I need to. Barring that, I think I can give myself a good chance.”
DeChambeau’s closest competitors are three shots back at seven-under and include Thomas Detry, Jon Rahm, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Richard T. Lee.
Detry of 4Aces GC is fresh off a runner-up finish at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong and has carried that momentum into Singapore. His round included a chip-in eagle on the 18th hole (his 16th of the day) off the back of the green from 37 meters away.
The Belgian remains confident heading into the final two rounds. “I’m up for the challenge,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge out there, so anything under par is pretty good, and I managed to do that pretty well.”
Hong Kong winner Rahm continues to lurk dangerously on the leaderboard. The Legion XIII captain made 11 consecutive pars from holes five to 17 before finishing his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th to finish at seven-under.
“I played really good today. Felt like I played actually significantly better than yesterday, just little margins,” Rahm said. “Couldn’t really make many putts out there today. Made that one on six and from then on missed a lot of birdie chances.”
Oosthuizen shot a four-under 67 that included six birdies and two bogeys. The Southern Guards GC captain has been fueled by a hot putter and ranks fifth in the field in Strokes Gained Putting at the halfway stage.
“I tried to give myself as many birdie putts as possible,” said Oosthuizen. “I felt I saw the greens really good today, the lines, and rolled the putter really good.”
Westwood, in just his second start after returning from a wrist injury, continues to play steady golf. The Majesticks Golf Club co-captain shot a three-under 68 that included five birdies and two bogeys.
Lee, who is looking to become the first LIV Golf Wild Card to finish better than 12th in a tournament, shot a three-under 68.
Matthew Wolff, Marc Leishman and Charles Howell III all shot three-under 68s as well and are four shots back of DeChambeau at six-under.
On the team leaderboard, the Crushers GC surged to the top after carding a cumulative 10-under for the day. They hold a three-shot lead over the first-round leaders, Legion XIII.
The champions from Hong Kong, 4Aces GC, are just one shot back of Legion XIII and four shots behind the Crushers.
