Mourinho hails Lampard legacy as Chelsea close in on title

Jose Mourinho has hailed Frank Lampard's legacy at Chelsea as the club close in on their first Premier League title without their all-time top goalscorer.

Wins against Leicester on Wednesday and Crystal Palace on Sunday will see the Blues secure their first league crown since 2010 and the manager said his squad has to get accustomed to the 36-year-old's exit.

"Chelsea lost, at the end of last year, what I consider, for sure, to be one of the five most important players in the history of Chelsea FC: Frank Lampard," Mourinho told reporters. "We lost that player but life goes on. You have to think about the future and to build, and you have to go with that.

"In Frank Lampard, Chelsea lost a match-winner with a number of goals he scored, a big character, a player without injuries who played every game, a player who beat every record in the Premier League – playing time, number of goals, goals from midfield – an absolutely amazing player. We lost him but life goes on."

The likes of Petr Cech and Didier Drogba, in his second spell, remain from the last time Chelsea triumphed in the Premier League, but Mourinho is now looking forward to making a new "generation" of title-winners.

He added: "For those older guys it's nice to belong to two different generations. If we are champions this season then Petr, Didier, John [Terry] and [John-Obi] Mikel will have belonged to two generations of title winners. The same as me. It's nice to belong to the history of a club in different moments, so it's good for these older guys.

"They're all very experienced, and these guys are special players but we have others coming through. [Branislav]Ivanovic is experienced. [Cesar] Azpilicueta is gaining experience. [Eden] Hazard is here now for three years. [Nemanja] Matic is getting experience. This is a natural process, and the years count for everyone. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is 19 now and has just arrived. But, in five years' time, he will be 24 and experienced."

Keshi to open Eagles camp in middle of May

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is expected to open camp for domestic-league based players in May ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifiers at home to Chad in Abuja in June.

Keshi told TUS that he needs to start camping for the home-based players on time with the fixtures for the Afcon qualifiers pitching Nigeria with Egypt, Chad and Tanzania.

“We need to start camping next month by the special grace of God because time is not on our side again since the fixtures for the Afcon 2017 qualifiers have been released by CAF,” Keshi told Goal.

“We will definitely start off with the players based here in Nigeria and move on until the required time the overseas clubs can release our players for us.”

A very close source to the team told Goal that Keshi would be expecting the players to hit Abuja camp as from Sunday, May 17 since the players would be involved in weekend matches for their various clubs in the local league in the country.

“The camp is expected to kick off middle of May since we will be playing our first qualifying match at home in Abuja to Chad on June 13. So the players are expected to start arriving camp after their league matches on Saturday, May 16. So we should expect them to be available on Sunday, May 17,” the source disclosed.

The source also revealed that Keshi would submit his programme to the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation this week.

“Keshi has already drawn up his programme for the camping and will submit his programme before Friday this week,” the source also told Goal.

Friday being a public holiday, it is expected that the coach would drop his programme before the end of work on Thursday.

Luis Enrique: Barcelona can get even better

Luis Enrique believes Barcelona have the attacking power to beat any side in the world but is convinced they can still get even better after dispatching Getafe 6-0.

The win stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to five points over Real Madrid, who have played a game less as they meet Almeria on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored two goals each while Neymar and Xavi also found the net as the Blaugrana produced a blistering performance, but the coach feels they can get even better physically and tactically.

"When the team is that effective, we make it very difficult for any opponent," he told reporters. "It was a tough game but we finished it in the first half.

"If you look at the physical side of our game, it can be improved and so can the tactical side. I do not remember a match with so many spectacular goals. 

"There is room for improvement, certainly, but in matters of results it is complicated."

Tuesday's win was the side's 20th league clean sheet and Luis Enrique believes it shows the overall strength of the team.

"Not only does the team score, but they are all so supportive that they help with the defensive work and all we are playing at an extraordinary level."

Liverpool still haunted by Suarez loss

Luis Suarez scored two goals for Barcelona on Tuesday night as they despatched Getafe in another hopelessly one-sided La Liga contest. 

The second goal he scored was one of his typical curled finishes from outside the box. Pure class. His first was a piece of genius that has been desperately missed by his former club Liverpool.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers might have pondered, at times, during this tepid 1-0 defeat to Hull City what his old charge might have offered here in place of the players he bought to replace him.

"We did not look like scoring really to be honest," Rodgers said after. "There were some good moments and we had enough of the ball but never threatened the goal as we would have liked."

As Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert toiled in vain again it all came back to what Liverpool are missing. The spectre of Suarez continues to haunt this team. 

Factor in the constant injuries to the devastating Daniel Sturridge and it is pretty apparent that Liverpool are a shadow of the team they were. They have lost over 50 goals, three league places and their hard-earned berth in the Champions League.

"It is about having that reference at the top end of the field that gives the other players the confidence and movement to create opportunities," Rodgers said. "Our struggles tonight were what they’ve been for the big part of the season in terms of that creativity and scoring goals."

Liverpool's season, which promised an FA Cup final and a return to Champions League football only a few short weeks ago, has disintegrated. Rodgers admitted that he has asked his players to maintain their professionalism until the end of the season. They owe the badge that much. After that? Who knows.