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clearcatmoon · 1 year

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Erik ten Hag was pleased with his Manchester United side's response to Thursday's Europa League exit, as a penalty shootout success earned the Reds a place in the Emirates FA Cup final.

Ten Hag's men drew 0-0 with Brighton & Hove Albion, going closest to breaking the deadlock through Marcus Rashford in extra-time, but triumphed 7-6 on spot-kicks, with Victor Lindelof ruthlessly punishing Solly March's miss.

A BATTLE WITH BRIGHTON

It was a difficult game. I think it was a great battle for the fans, especially for the fans at home. It was a great final. In the end, the penalties were really good as well. It was so close and, of course, I am very happy with the performance of the team. They were so determined, so dominant to win this game and from the first moment, there was only one thing in mind. We have to win this game. So the willingness was really high.”

BOUNCING BACK

It [criticism] was justified on Thursday night but, today, the lads deserve compliments and credit because they bounced back once again, they showed character. What we have to learn and improve, which must be our next step, is that if we have a setback in a game, we fight back in that same game, that we keep calm and fight back in that same game. We have to deal with setbacks and we can do it better but in between games, and it’s not the first time, we do it very well."

PRACTISING PENALTIES

Of course, we practice penalties. We’ve been doing it all season. We have taken penalties in the Premier League. And when we have them, we score them. It's part of professional football. It’s a part of especially English football with so many cups and the cups are important to us – we want to win every game. When you can’t decide it in normal time or extra-time, the penalties are the decision-maker and we did very well. All the penalties were brilliant.

CREDIT TO BRIGHTON

A very good team. They were so brave. In possession, very difficult to get the press on them. But there was a lot of space behind the final third

DE GEA'S RESILIENCE

I think he had two brilliant saves and but know that he’s a world-class keeper. Thursday, he had a really bad day on the office, and it hurt. Really bad [day in the] office I have seen, but it’s always when you are the keeper and you make mistakes often you get penalised, but it doesn’t mean that we have to go under. And also, we as a team, we let him down and we didn’t fight back on Thursday night.

CITY IN THE FINAL

We have proof that we can beat them but then we have to play the perfect game. That was the most perfect game we played this season [winning the derby in January] but we have to go again. We know that but, first of all, we have to focus on different games because we have to be in the top four, to get into the Champions League for next season."

SPURS NEXT

The final is not that far away but there are some weeks in between and we have to develop and improve, go from game to game. Thursday night is another big game in London and then we gave to be ready for the next one

#football #manchester utd #Fa Cup #brighton #soccer

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packernet · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2019/09/19/the-10-biggest-changes-in-100-years-of-the-nfl/

The 10 biggest changes in 100 years of the NFL

When the NFL first started in 1920, it wasn’t the high-flying spectacle it is now. In fact it was just a bunch of small towns. And now, 100 years later the only small town team left is the Green Bay Packers. And oddly enough, the Packers are the owners of the most championship won with 13.

The Packers are an instrumental part of the league’s history, which was clearly evident when they were chosen to open the NFL’s 100th season against the Chicago Bears. That history has created the largest sports enterprise in the world and the behemoth shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. Now that sports betting is legal it could take the league to a whole new level. Betway is a great way to get in on the action and reap the benefits of a sport that seems made for gambling.

But before gambling on the sport became popular, it had a lot of growing to do. Here are the moments that shaped America’s game.

The forward pass

Imagine a more stop-start version of rugby, where a player takes the ball and sprints directly into a scrum before the two teams reset and do it again.

You’ve just imagined an NFL game from the 1920s.

In the early years of the league, quarterbacks could only throw the ball forward from within five yards of the line of scrimmage, so pass plays were rare.

A 1933 rule change, however – inspired by the NFL’s desire to separate itself from the college game – allowed forward passes from anywhere behind the line, a decision that transformed the sport into the high-flying spectacle it is now.

In the 1932 season, no quarterback threw for more than 640 yards or nine touchdowns.

In 2015, Drew Brees threw for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. In one game.

The draft

Parity is everything in the NFL.

That a team can go from bottom dwellers to title winners in just a couple of seasons is a major part of why the league is so exciting.

That volatility is largely thanks to the draft.

Prior to 1936, teams would scramble to sign amateur players in chaotic bidding wars, driving up salaries for unproven college graduates who would hold out for the biggest offer.

So, in a bid to restore competitive balance and take leverage away from the players, the NFL became the first major sports league to hold an annual draft, in which franchises take turns selecting amateur players, with the worst team from the previous season picking first.

Rewarding failure in such a way might seem entirely at odds with what America claims to stand for, but the system caught on.

Every other major sports league followed suit and held their own inaugural draft within the following 30 years.

Racial integration

Segregation wasn’t outlawed in the United States until 1964, so it’s no surprise that the NFL was almost exclusively white for much of its formative years.

While a handful of black players played in the first few NFL seasons, there were none in the league between 1934 and 1946.

Then, Kenny Washington – one of the best collegiate players ever – permanently broke the race barrier by signing for the Los Angeles Rams.

The league very slowly integrated black players from there – helped by a boost from merging with the more tolerant AFL in 1970 – and as of the 2014 season the NFL’s player pool is now approximately 68 percent African American.

The problem is by no means fixed, though.

Despite the NFL introducing the ground-breaking Rooney Rule in 2003 – which requires teams to interview at least one candidate with a minority background for every head-coaching vacancy – just three of the 32 NFL franchises have African-American head coaches as of the start of the 2019 season.

The schedule

The NFL’s early years were chaotic.

With no set schedule, franchises played against anyone they could manage to arrange a game against, including teams from outside of the league.

They effectively made it up as they went along, and the amount of games they played varied wildly as a result.

While some teams played 10 or more, the Muncie Flyers, who finished last, played just one game (which they lost).

There was no championship game back then. The title winners were voted on at a contentious end-of-season meeting of the team owners.

That’s hardly a formula for a successful league, and in 1933 the NFL finally had its inaugural title game, with the Chicago Bears beating the New York Giants.

Three years later, the league reached a point where all nine of its members played 12 games, and since 1978 the regular season has been comprised of 16 games for each team.

The helmets

Looking at NFL helmets from the 1920s is terrifying, and not just because they made some players look like Hannibal Lecter.

No, what’s frightening is imagining helmet-to-helmet hits being dished out with just a layer of soft leather ‘protecting’ the skull.

The NFL gradually moved from leather skull-caps to plastic helmets with face masks in the 1940s, and by the 1950s all players wore the polymer helmets that are universal today.

The move away from leather was intended to improve player safety, but brain injuries – such as CTE – are a stain that the NFL just can’t cover up.

In 2013, around 4,500 former players sued the league for concussion-related injuries.

As a result, the NFL has pushed hard to outlaw helmet-to-helmet collisions, with penalties and fines becoming increasingly penal over the past few years.

The AFL merger

It’s not a great look for a league that likes to call its title winners “world champions” to be competing against an emerging rival with deep pockets, talented players and a more exciting style of play.

That was the case in 1959, though, when a group of wealthy owners formed the AFL and quickly threatened the NFL’s dominance by luring away some of the top college recruits with lucrative contracts.

The NFL initially ignored the younger league but eventually recognised that its talent base and profitability were both at risk and opened talks to merge the two organisations.

In 1966, a deal was agreed and a 24-team league was formed with two conferences – the AFC, featuring the former AFL franchises, and the NFC, featuring the remaining NFL franchises.

At the end of each season, the conference champions would play each other, spawning one of the biggest sporting events in the world…

The Super Bowl

You won’t find many non-basketball fans tuning into the NBA Finals, and only baseball devotees watch the World Series.

The Super Bowl, however, regularly attracts over 100 million viewers worldwide, more than any annual sporting event other than the Champions League final.

That’s impressive, considering American football is a complex game that can be tricky for casual fans to pick up and is almost exclusively played in the US.

The NFL has done a fantastic job of marketing its championship game.

Super Bowl Sunday is now essentially a national holiday, and traditions like Super Bowl parties and prop bets have spread to countries outside of the US.

The halftime show

The Who. Prince. Beyonce.

Some of the biggest musical acts in the world have produced iconic performances at the Super Bowl halftime show.

No other sporting event puts as much focus on its in-game entertainment, and there’s no doubt that part of the Super Bowl’s huge success is down to the popularity of the halftime show.

It wasn’t always the case. Until the early 1990s, the show would typically feature a marching band with a theme like A Salute to the Big Band Era or It’s a Small World.

But Michael Jackson’s iconic 1993 performance changed everything, drawing 91 million viewers and making the halftime show a coveted gig for the world’s biggest artists.

Since then, the halftime show has often been as memorable as the game itself, producing unforgettable moments like Katy Perry’s ‘Left Shark’ dance, Lady Gaga’s leap from the stadium roof and, of course, Nipplegate.

The salary cap

Aside from the draft, the salary cap is the NFL’s greatest leveller.

While sports like baseball and soccer (apologies, football fans) tend to reward the owners with the deepest pockets, the NFL sets a hard limit every year for how much each team can spend.

Following the example set by the NBA a decade earlier, the NFL introduced the cap in 1994, meaning success in the league is now almost entirely dependent on good coaching and talent evaluation.

The NFL doesn’t have a Manchester United or Real Madrid equivalent.

While the New England Patriots have dominated since 2000, their success can largely be attributed to the sustained performance of three-time MVP Tom Brady – the (almost) undisputed quarterback GOAT – and three-time Coach of the Year Bill Belichick, rather than the checkbook of Robert Kraft.

International expansion

The NBA and MLB have both played regular-season games in London in the past year, but it was the NFL that really pioneered international expansion.

Having staged a handful of exhibitions at Wembley in the 1980s and one regular-season game in Mexico in 2005, the league brought the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants over for its first ever meaningful game in the UK in 2007.

The game was truly awful. The Giants slogged to a 13-10 win in the pouring rain (classic London).

Wembley sold out instantly, though, and the huge fan support convinced the league to stage games in London every year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars – owned by Fulham owner Shahid Khan – signed a deal in 2013 to hold a home game in London every year, while the NFL have also agreed to stage at least two fixtures per season at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the next decade.

Everything is in place, then, for the league to take its most ambitious step yet – moving a team to the UK permanently.

Should the league convince the players, it could only be a matter of time until we’re watching the London Jaguars take the field.

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marketinghero · 5 years

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Apple to close iTunes

Apple is closing its iTunes service, replacing it with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV as it looks to better compete in the streaming market against competitors such as Netflix, Amazon and Spotify.

The move is part of a raft of announcements from Apple at its annual developers’ conference. It also revealed a number of new privacy measures, including a sign-in service that aims to act as an alternative to logging in using social media accounts and hides a user’s email address and data.

Other privacy updates include the option for apps that request location information to have to ask every time they want to use it, and blocking apps from using other location identifies such as WiFi or Bluetooh signals.

“Privacy is a fundamental human right,” said Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi, speaking at the conference last night.

There were also updates to the iPhone’s iOS operating system including improved search and language keyboards, a virtual tour experience in Apple Maps and a ‘dark mode’ that lets apps be viewed with a black background. Plus the Apple Watch and Macs were updated.

READ MORE: Apple dissolves iTunes into new apps

BT signs ‘groundbreaking’ five-year deal with The FA to sponsor all 28 England teams

BT has signed a five-year deal with the Football Association that will see it become the exclusive lead partner for all England teams – including the men’s, women’s, futsal and disability teams – as well as for Wembley Stadium.

The renewed deal kicks off with a new BT branded training kit that will be worn by the England women’s team ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Friday (7 June) and the men’s team as they prepare for the Nations League Finals. It will also be seen at the national football centre and St George’s Park and Wembley, although details are currently under wraps.

The deal marks the start of a broader sponsorship strategy by BT with the aim of making it a “national champion”.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s consumer division, says: “We’re committed to making BT a national champion, and what better way than backing the national game and the national teams. This partnership will reach all areas of football, including grassroots football and communities up and down the country. We look forward to revealing our plans in the coming months and we can’t wait to get started.”

Retail sales show ‘biggest decline on record’

Retail sales decreased by 2.7% year on year in May, the worst monthly decline since this record began in January 1995 if Easter distortions are excluded, according to data from the British Retail Consortium.

On a like-for-like basis, sales were down 3%, the steepest decline since December 2008 as the market struggled against comparisons to last year, when the World Cup, Royal Wedding and hot weather boosted sales. While both measures were impacted by strong sales growth in May 2018, the declines drag down the three- and 12-month averages to just 0.2% and 0.9% respectively.

For the three-months to the end of May, food sales increased by 0.8% on a like-for-like basis and 1.9% on a total basis. However, non-food sales were down 2.7% year on year. Online sales growth in non-food slowed to just 11.5%.

Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, which carries out the study, says: “April may have provided retailers with some light reprieve thanks to Easter, but May’s staggering fall of 3% like-for-like is a stark reminder of the industry’s ongoing issues, which for many require urgent attention.

“The extremely low growth online is real cause for concern, especially with almost a third of all non-food sales today being made online. This trend has continued to manifest itself over the last year and requires real focus from the retail community.”

WWF to work with Coca-Cola and P&G to tackle plastic waste

Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble are among the companies partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to come up with solutions to the issue of plastic waste.

A new platform, called ReSource: Plastic, will provide guidance, best practices and tools – including a measurement framework to help quantify reductions in plastic waste. The hope is the hub will inspire companies to act to reduce plastic consumption and improve recycling.

Other companies involved include McDonald’s, Starbucks and Tetra Park, while the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Ocean Conservancy are acting as thought partners.

The move comes as companies respond to growing political and consumer pressure to reduce plastic waste and combatting its impacts. That includes bans on plastic straws, reducing use of plastic packaging and pledging to recycle more.

“While ambitious commitments are the jumping off point for any successful venture, we know that no single individual, organisation, company or government can tackle the root causes of plastic waste on their own,” says Sheila Bonini, senior vice-president of private sector engagement at WWF.

“When it comes to the private sector, commitments move companies in the right direction, but to actually fulfil those commitments, companies need a roadmap for navigating the broken plastics system, a collaborative environment that fosters innovation and aggressive goal-setting, and the right tools to make their bold visions a reality.”

Diageo partners with MTV on responsible drinking campaign

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Diageo is partnering with MTV to launch a responsible drinking campaign aimed at its core audience of 18- to 24-year-olds.

The three-part series, called ‘Weekend not wasted’ features MTV presenters and will air on MTV’s website, YouTube and social channels. It will also be promoted on local TV channels in the UK, Spain, Germany and Denmark with an “aspirational” message around what becomes possible if people drink responsibly and seize the day.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, John Kennedy, president of Europe, Turkey and India at Diageo, says: “It’s really important to us that young adults in Europe are informed and empowered to enjoy alcohol in a moderate and sensible way.

“In creating this campaign, we have married our unique marketing insight with the reach and influence of MTV to land the message that excessive consumption of alcohol can prevent you from achieving the most out of your day. This is a really exciting collaboration and we cannot wait to see the response.”

Monday, 3 June

UK ad spend accelerates but slowdown predicted

Despite uncertainties, UK ad spend was up 7.8% year on year in 2018 and is predicted to hold steady with a rise of 6.1% this year. However, growth will slow into 2020, with an increase of 4.6% forecast, according to Group M’s ‘This Year, Next Year’ ad forecast report.

Currently, digital remains dominate and is responsible for more than 60% of total advertising, of which more than half is search. It is still growing at double-digit pace – 11% is forecast for 2019.

TV ad spend is expected to remain stable at around £4.5bn through 2019 and 2020, still accounting for around 20% of media investment. Meanwhile, outdoor spend is expected to see growth of around 3% in 2019 and 2020 as digital formats drive up spend.

Radio also appears set to hold on to its revenue base this year, followed by a predicted 2% growth next year. However, newspapers and magazines now account for less than 10% of media investment on a combined basis in 2019 and beyond, down from more than 50% as recently as 2004.

Amazon to open pop-up stores on UK high street

Amazon will open a number of pop-up stores across the UK, giving more than 100 small online businesses the chance to sell their products on the high street.

The programme, called ‘Clicks and Mortar, will see 10 shops opened as part of a year-long pilot programme. They will items including homeware, health and beauty, food and drink and electronics, with thefirst set to open in Manchester today.

Amazon is working alongside small business support group Enterprise Nation and has promised to offer research into the success of the pilots stores in a bid to help grow the government’s Future High Street strategy.

“Small businesses are one of our most important customer groups, and we’re thrilled to work with Enterprise Nation to design a comprehensive package to help entrepreneurs across the UK grow their businesses, both in-store and online,” Doug Gurr, UK country manager at Amazon says.

The online retail giant is also pledging £1m to train more than 150 full-time apprentices to help small businesses increase their productivity and lift online sales.

Fate of Philip Green’s Arcadia to be sealed this week

The fate of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group will be sealed on Wednesday with creditors set to vote on his proposed restructuring plans, but if the Pensions Regulator and landlords don’t back his plans the retail giant could go into administration.

If supported, Green’s rescue plan would see a number of Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and Burton stores close, while rents will be cut across another 194 stores at the Arcadia group. However, MPs want him to use his own wealth to fund the firm’s pension scheme, the BBC reports.

Originally, Arcadia confirmed 23 stores would close as part of the rescue deal, known as a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) but it was later revealed that another 25 stores would shut, under separate liquidation procedures.

Sir Philip’s wife, Lady Tina Green, who is Arcadia’s main shareholder, offered to inject £100m into the scheme during the next three years to bridge a shortfall in pension contributions. But the pensions regulator has doubts the plans will “adequately protect” the pensions of employees.

Arcadia has more than 566 locations in the UK and Ireland, employing 18,000 people.

READ MORE: Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia facing crucial week

Budweiser launches new campaign supporting LGBT+ community

Budweiser is launching its new ‘Fly the Flag’ campaign to support Pride’s mission on championing each group within the LGBT+ community.

The campaign is designed to celebrate diversity within the LGBT+ community, and to support the diverse groups under the LGBT+ banner, such as the asexual and pansexual communities.

The beer brand acknowledges there is great awareness of the rainbow flag – a universal symbol of Pride – but flags of other communities under the Pride umbrella don’t generally have the same recognition.

As part of the campaign, Budweiser has created a collection of limited-edition cups that feature designs of flags from nine individual communities, giving people within those groups the chance to celebrate at Pride during its 50th anniversary.

Budweiser will be handing out 200,000 of these cups for free along the Pride parade route in London on 6 July.

Martina Isella, senior brand manager at Budweiser, says: “Pride is a time for people to be proud and have freedom of expression, and this is what Budweiser as a brand is all about. We wanted to create a campaign in partnership with all the people that make up the wider LGBT+ community in mind, and we worked closely with our friends at Pride in London to ensure that this campaign was as relevant to as many as possible.”

ITV’s Love Island partners with Swizzles for season five

ITV’s Love Island has partnered with sweets brand Swizzles to create bespoke love hearts with recognisable sayings from the television programme such as ‘crack on’, ‘hun’ and ‘pied’, marking the first time Swizzels changed the messages on its love hearts.

More than 90,000 exclusive love hearts will be distributed to the public at key stations across London, Manchester and Cardiff today.

“Love Island is focused on finding love with someone special, as are our Love Hearts so it’s the perfect partnership. We’ve been making Love Hearts for over 60 years and this is the first time we’ve changed the messaging on our traditional Love Hearts to introduce well-loved phrases from a TV show,” says Sarah-Louise Heslop, marketing manager at Swizzels.

Echoing Heslop’s message is Paul Ridsdale, director of viewer marketing at ITV who says the broadcaster is always looking for innovative ways to help promote its key shows, “particularly when targeting younger audiences”.

“Partnering with Swizzels and their iconic Love Hearts sweets by adding our own distinctive Love Island phrases, was simply too good an opportunity to turn down,” he adds.

The post Coca-Cola, Apple, BT: Everything that matters this morning appeared first on Marketing Week.

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funnythingshere0-blog · 6 years

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Kyle Walker insists he would have been 'stupid' not to return early to Manchester City after World Cup break

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Kyle Walker insists he would have been 'stupid' not to return early to Manchester City after World Cup break

Kyle Walker chose to return to Manchester City training just two-and-a-half weeks after the World Cup finished, and the defender believes it would have been “stupid” for him not to return as early as he did.

Walker and John Stones were both back in training last week, even though they did not return home from the World Cup until Sunday 15 July. As Walker revealed at Wembley on Sunday evening, Pep Guardiola gave the players the option of coming back to get ready for the Community Shield, or coming back on Monday 6 August to prepare for the side’s Premier League opener against Arsenal.

But Walker decided that, having won just two major trophies in his club career, he was desperate to compete for another one. “This is a title, and I have not won many,” Walker explained. “So to not be a part of this would have been stupid, for me to not want to come back. The gaffer gave me the option, he said you can either come back on 6 August after this, or you can come back and compete [to play]. There is no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be here to achieve what I have achieved today. Luckily the risk paid off.”

Community Shield: Chelsea vs Manchester City player ratings

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Walker accepted that his curtailed summer holiday may mean he is tired later in the season, but said that for now he was keeping his focus on the immediate future. “Come Christmas I might be saying to you that I’m absolutely knackered,” he admitted. “But that is just football, I’m not looking into the future. I take every game as it comes, and as long as I am on the pitch and playing football, that is what keeps me happy.”

Being able to play the Community Shield after just three days training in Manchester was thanks to Walker’s hard work over the summer. The defender kept working in late July to make sure he maintained his levels to come back ready in August.

Why Guardiola is already in the next phase of his City evolution

“I’ve only had three days’ training, so to have three days’ training and play 90 minutes, it is a big credit to myself, and the work I’ve put in,” Walker said. “Off-season I had a little bit of holiday, but it was still work time. Because I had to prepare, knowing the demands of the manager and what he wants, and the demands also of my team-mates, what they expect from me. I had to make sure I came back physically right. I’m still a little bit off it but I feel like, coming up to next week against Arsenal, I can get the work in.”

Even though City broke the Premier League record last season, with 100 points and 104 goals, Walker says that that is now the “minimum” for City’s season.

“I think we set the bar last year,” Walker said. “We set it so high that we have to try to raise it. Everyone in that dressing room is not going to settle for anything less this year and we want to pick up more trophies. We’re in more competitions and we compete in them to win them. I know the gaffer wants to win everything he possibly can and so do his players.

“We need to drive each other on, the coaching staff and us. It’s up to us to achieve those dreams. You do something one year and OK, you might get a pat on the back. But now you’ve set that standard, you have to do better. So the minimum is what we achieved last season.”

Follow the Independent Sport on Instagram here, for all of the best images, videos and stories from around the sporting world.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/kyle-walker-manchester-city-world-cup-england-pep-guardiola-stupid-return-a8480206.html

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years

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England’s Gareth Southgate seeks to calm racism row with Bulgaria | Football

Gareth Southgate has moved to smooth relations with Bulgaria before the Euro 2020 qualifier on Monday after he and members of the England squad were accused of making “offensive” and “derogatory” remarks that have raised the temperature around the fixture.

Southgate had suggested that he feared the worst in terms of possible racist abuse from the stands in Sofia, while the Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham said the players were prepared to walk off in the face of it and had also discussed whether they should ignore Uefa’s protocols regarding the issue.

Southgate is preparing for the tie in Prague against the Czech Republic on Friday night, when victory would secure England’s qualification for a finals they will host with a number of other cities. He wants the focus to be on the game, on his players expressing themselves and, hopefully, revelling in the thrill of qualifying.

As ever, though, there have been side issues, with the potential problems in Sofia at the top of the agenda. Borislav Mihaylov, the president of the Bulgarian Football Union, revealed on Thursday he had written to Uefa to express his frustration at comments made by Southgate and others, which he suggested had been pre-emptive.

Bulgaria’s stadium has been partially closed for two matches – the second of which will be against England – because of racist abuse from their supporters in the June qualifiers against the Czechs and Kosovo.

Mihaylov called upon Uefa to sanction England if they went against its protocols and he did not conceal his anger. “I personally find these comments [from Southgate] offensive due to the unjust branding of the local spectators as people inclined to discriminatory behaviour,” Mihaylov said. “I cannot allow for such derogatory claims to continue being spread in the mass media.”

Southgate, who suggested his players would respect Uefa protocols, made the point that England would be foolish not to look at the country’s own issues with racism and he mentioned the alleged abuse in a National League game between Hartlepool and Dover in September.

“I can totally understand why the Bulgarian president feels as he does because we have purely been responding honestly to questions we’ve been asked,” Southgate said. “That will then be relayed and the way it’s pitched could appear provocative.

“We are not trying to create a situation, far from it. We’re all hoping that over the next 72 hours we’re just talking about two football matches.

“I have to say again, we don’t look at other countries in a way that we don’t shine a mirror on our own. What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I’ve seen or heard about in many other countries in the world.”

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Raheem Sterling, who has been a passionate anti-racism campaigner, said at the moment that he had “full faith in Uefa” and its protocols. He talked more about his ambition to win silverware with England, having done so at club level with Manchester City, and he admitted he found extra motivation from the fact the Euro 2020 final will be held at Wembley, close to where he grew up.

“It’s something you think of all the time [winning with England], especially after coming so close in the World Cup,” Sterling said. “I feel that a lot of the players don’t just want to be involved in tournaments and finish in the quarter-finals or the semi‑finals and say that was a good run.

“Every single player and the manager all want to go into tournaments with the thought of winning. It’s definitely something we all dream of.”

Sterling is part of a highly rated group of England attackers alongside Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, while Southgate also name‑checked Callum Hudson‑Odoi and Arsenal’s 18-year-old Bukayo Saka.

“It’s exciting but we have to do it in big games, big tournaments,” Sterling said. “That’s when we’ll be judged as a great front three or not.”

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tipsoctopus · 5 years

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Predicted Starting XIs: Zinchenko & Fernandinho start for Man City, Watford at full strength

So, it’s the big one this weekend. The domestic season-ender. The FA Cup final, no less.

Manchester City (unsurprisingly) are involved and will be looking to record a treble of trophies having already secured the Carabao Cup and the Premier League title.

In Watford’s case, Javi Gracia’s men will be looking to round off an encouraging campaign by lifting the FA Cup for the first time. If they do manage to pull off the unthinkable, then a place in the Europa League awaits them.

You may think this tie is a foregone conclusion given the Citizens’ immeasurable might compared to the Hornets’ inconsistencies – they ended their league season with a 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

However, Gracia’s men have shown what they’re capable of this term, and they most certainly shouldn’t be written off, especially not in a cup final.

Ahead of the game we’ve taken a look at the factors which could shape the result, including the head-to-head record, a key midfield battle and predicted starting line-ups…

What History Tells Us

The head-to-head record between the two teams doesn’t make great reading for Watford supporters.

City can boast an impressive 17 wins to the Hornets’ six, whilst they have also scored considerably more goals with 54 in comparison to Watford’s 25.

Perhaps the most worrying statistics of them all for fans of Gracia’s side are the ones showing City’s vastly superior record in the FA Cup; the Citizens have been involved in 10 finals, winning five of them, in comparison to Watford’s single final, which they lost.

Key Battle

Raheem Sterling and Gerard Deulofeu are both players who can make the difference for their sides at Wembley this weekend, and the stats prove that.

The England international hit 17 goals and recorded 10 assists in the league this season, form that saw him named as the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, and he has finally started to step up for the national team. His comfort levels playing at Wembley could be a key factor.

In Deulofeu’s case, however, the Spaniard is finally starting to step up his end product and has been in blistering form in the second half of the campaign. The former Barcelona forward has 10 goals and 5 assists in the league, whilst it was his excellent double against Wolves in the semi-final that got his team into the final.

Both teams should try their hardest to get the ball to their respective danger-men if they want to have the best chance of winning this tie.

Ref in Focus

Kevin Friend will be the man making the decisions at Wembley this weekend, and he won’t take too much nonsense.

The 47-year-old has taken charge of the joint 5th most Premier League games this season with 27, handing out three red cards and 92 yellows in the process.

He ranks sixth out of all 18 Premier League refs in the yellow and red card rankings, whilst he is at the same position on the list for fouls per tackle.

In the grand scheme of things, Friend seems to be a measured official judging by the stats and one who should let the game flow, although he won’t be scared to dish out the cards if emotions spill overboard and tackles turn nasty.

Team News

Watford will be going into the FA Cup final with a lot of luck on their side regarding injuries.

No key first-team players will miss the tie, with only Sebastian Prodl and Domingos Quina absent for Gracia.

Fortunately for the Hornets, Jose Holebas saw the red card he picked up against West Ham rescinded, meaning he is free to play against City.

Gracia’s 4-2-2-2 system, which has proven to be very effective this season, will be at full strength and raring to go against Pep Guardiola’s back-to-back champions.

For City, they will be without the crocked Benjamin Mendy, meaning the ever dependable Oleksandr Zinchenko should keep his place at Wembley.

Crucially for Guardiola, Fernandinho is a doubt for the fixture. The Brazilian has been struggling with a knee injury but was able to train this week, so it remains to be seen whether he will start the game from the first whistle.

Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker will especially enjoy the wide Wembley turf on Saturday, where the latter will be tearing up and down the pitch all evening, whilst the Frenchman’s excellent long-range passing could prove pivotal.

If City win, they will become the first team to ever win the domestic treble in England.

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 6 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part of that statement is correct…

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mancitynoise · 5 years

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So, it’s the big one this weekend. The domestic season-ender. The FA Cup final, no less.

Manchester City (unsurprisingly) are involved and will be looking to record a treble of trophies having already secured the Carabao Cup and the Premier League title.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

However, Gracia’s men have shown what they’re capable of this term, and they most certainly shouldn’t be written off, especially not in a cup final.

Ahead of the game we’ve taken a look at the factors which could shape the result, including the head-to-head record, a key midfield battle and predicted starting line-ups…

What History Tells Us

The head-to-head record between the two teams doesn’t make great reading for Watford supporters.

City can boast an impressive 17 wins to the Hornets’ six, whilst they have also scored considerably more goals with 54 in comparison to Watford’s 25.

Key Battle

Raheem Sterling and Gerard Deulofeu are both players who can make the difference for their sides at Wembley this weekend, and the stats prove that.

Both teams should try their hardest to get the ball to their respective danger-men if they want to have the best chance of winning this tie.

Ref in Focus

Kevin Friend will be the man making the decisions at Wembley this weekend, and he won’t take too much nonsense.

The 47-year-old has taken charge of the joint 5th most Premier League games this season with 27, handing out three red cards and 92 yellows in the process.

He ranks sixth out of all 18 Premier League refs in the yellow and red card rankings, whilst he is at the same position on the list for fouls per tackle.

Team News

Watford will be going into the FA Cup final with a lot of luck on their side regarding injuries.

No key first-team players will miss the tie, with only Sebastian Prodl and Domingos Quina absent for Gracia.

Fortunately for the Hornets, Jose Holebas saw the red card he picked up against West Ham rescinded, meaning he is free to play against City.

Gracia’s 4-2-2-2 system, which has proven to be very effective this season, will be at full strength and raring to go against Pep Guardiola’s back-to-back champions.

For City, they will be without the crocked Benjamin Mendy, meaning the ever dependable Oleksandr Zinchenko should keep his place at Wembley.

If City win, they will become the first team to ever win the domestic treble in England.

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 6 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part of that statement is correct…

#FootballFanCast #News

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recentnews18-blog · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/kyle-walker-insists-he-would-have-been-stupid-not-to-return-early-to-manchester-city-after-world-cup-break/

Kyle Walker insists he would have been 'stupid' not to return early to Manchester City after World Cup break

Community Shield: Chelsea vs Manchester City player ratings

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Why Guardiola is already in the next phase of his City evolution

Even though City broke the Premier League record last season, with 100 points and 104 goals, Walker says that that is now the “minimum” for City’s season.

Follow the Independent Sport on Instagram here, for all of the best images, videos and stories from around the sporting world.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/kyle-walker-manchester-city-world-cup-england-pep-guardiola-stupid-return-a8480206.html

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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'Lingard could be Southgate's World Cup wildcard'

England’s World Cup build-up continued with their first away win against the Netherlands since November 1969 on a night of satisfaction for manager Gareth Southgate.

It was a game when Southgate’s tactical tweaks – specifically a three-man defence with Manchester City’s Kyle Walker on the right – reaped rewards as Jesse Lingard’s goal on the hour gave England a deserved victory.

So what did England and Southgate take away from Amsterdam as they turn their attentions to Tuesday night’s friendly against Italy at Wembley?

Lingard emerging as World Cup wildcard

Lingard Tweeted that it was “an honour” to score his first England goal on his ninth international appearance to settle this friendly in favour of Gareth Southgate’s side.

It was certainly a pleasure for England manager Southgate to see Manchester United’s talented 25-year-old transfer the form that has illuminated parts of the season at Old Trafford on to the international stage.

The finish, just before the hour, had all the Lingard trademarks that have brought him 13 goals for United this season.

He was involved in the build-up, made a positive run to the edge of the area and took full advantage of a favourable deflection that sent the ball spinning towards him to beat Netherlands goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet with an opportunist finish.

Zoet should have done better but that will not impact on Southgate’s pleasure at what Lingard could offer in Russia.

This was a display, and goal, that put Lingard on the steps of the plane for Russia because, for all the attacking talent England has at their disposal in players such as Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Jamie Vardy, the team still relies far too heavily on the currently injured Harry Kane.

Kane, before this fixture, has scored seven of England’s previous 14 goals and their results coming into this game had been two goalless draws against Germany and Brazil.

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The games before that had been a colourless 1-0 win in Lithuania courtesy of a Kane penalty and another one-goal win at Wembley against Slovenia with an injury-time strike from the Spurs forward.

And even here in Amsterdam, there was still a lack of end product to much excellent work until Lingard stepped up with that right-foot finish.

If there are still question marks about Lingard’s place in Russia, that goal and his natural gifts in that department, plus an ability to play in a variety of attacking positions or just behind the forwards, have gone a long way to erasing them.

Southgate will happily pounce on added goalscoring options and attacking versatility as he looks for players of all purposes to name in his squad for Russia.

Lingard, something of a late developer at this level, looks like he fits the bill for England.

Henderson shows England captaincy credentials

Kane is still firm favourite to captain England at the World Cup as Gareth Southgate’s main marksman and also with his calm diplomat’s air off the pitch – something not to be under-estimated given the tense relationship with hosts Russia ahead of the summer showpiece.

Liverpool’s Henderson is the other alternative and he put a series of below-par England displays behind him to excel in Amsterdam.

He showed good tactical awareness and leadership to give England a firm foundation in midfield in a win they fully merited.

And it has been an impressive week for Henderson on and off the field, something clearly appreciated by his manager.

Southgate said after England’s win: “We know about all the leaders in the group and Jordan is one of the few guys who is a captain at club level. He’s comfortable in that role. He’s comfortable in speaking up for the group.

Kane and Rashford up front? Pick your England World Cup team

Italy pay tribute to defender Astori before Argentina defeat

Salah 1-2 Ronaldo

“He has a mind-set for the collective not just self and that is a hugely important attribute for a captain to have and I thought he worked the game out very well too.

“He was the one talking the others through on where they needed to press. He has got some tremendous human qualities and he’s certainly a leader of men.”

Henderson demonstrated that mindset sitting next to Southgate before the game when asked if he would be disappointed if he was overlooked for the captaincy in favour of Kane.

He said: “Definitely not. Whether I’m captain or not I like to think I lead by example anyway. I do the same things I always do and try to help the group out. I’ll always give 100% for the team.”

Henderson may still face questions about whether he offers enough creatively in England’s midfield but his manager clearly has no doubts about his credentials as a leader and influence.

Kane may still be on course to claim the armband – but Southgate clearly has no worries about Henderson’s ability to deal with the job of leading England.

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Southgate springing surprises

The England manager offered a smile of satisfaction when told that his team selection of a three-man defence with Kyle Walker on its right-flank had surprised most observers.

There is no doubt Southgate still has many areas to address in his squad before he names the players he will take on the plane to Russia – but this was a pleasing night for his plans.

Not only did Manchester City’s Walker adjust well to his unaccustomed role, although it needs to be kept in perspective because the Dutch opposition was so lame, it also opened up new possibilities for the make-up of Southgate’s squad.

Walker offers pace and adventure allied to natural defensive instincts but he may also increase Southgate’s attacking options.

Southgate said: “In a back three, we knew the position would suit Joe Gomez after he played there in November and it is the same for Kyle. You need to comfortable defending in wide areas.

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“Kyle’s use of the ball was really composed, as well as his pace being a tremendous asset. It is a position where he kind of ends up with Manchester City and of course he has a club understanding with John Stones.

“It was not a difficult decision and another reason for doing it is sometimes when you go to a World Cup you take two players for each position. We don’t necessarily want to take six centre backs so if you have people like Kyle and Eric Dier who can fill other positions it may allow us it may allow us to take more attacking players in different positions.”

Those tougher tests will lie ahead but it is always satisfying when a tactical twist pays off and on this night it did for Southgate.

Walker may not occupy this position when the World Cup starts but he has shown he has some of the qualities needed and given Southgate food for thought.

Who did Phil pick as his man of the match? Check out the player ratings

England fans mar satisfying victory

It was a sad sideline that Gareth Southgate was forced to discuss the behaviour of England’s fans on a night when he had every right to be able to focus solely on the excellent performance of his team.

Ninety England fans were arrested in Amsterdam on Friday, taking the total to over 100 after 25 were arrested on Thursday.

The Dutch national anthem was greeted by disrespectful jeering from England fans, which Southgate described as “unacceptable.”

He added: “Without knowing the details, obviously it’s not something I want to hear because I think our players have represented their country really well with pride and some style.

“Anything else that takes away from that performance will be a great shame.”

Sadly, some of England’s supporters did exactly that.

My England starting XI

Gareth Southgate’s England are running out of games before the World Cup in 2018. Choose who you would pick in their starting XI in Russia – and then share it with your friends using our team selector.

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'Lingard could be Southgate's World Cup wildcard' was originally published on 365 Football

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top4newss · 6 years

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Here’s a bet you might not want to take: Arsenal to win the league this year. Such an outcome seems very unlikely requiring as it does not just a major upturn in Arsenal’s results throughout the rest of the season but also a significant decline in the fortunes of Manchester City. But if we pause for a moment the same could be said for Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool who we managed to draw with last Friday when we came back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 only for Liverpool to equalise and Tottenham. I’m not sure about the last two, but the first two in that list might well have thought that they were in with a chance when the season kicked off in August. Now I suspect they know it’s all over. And this thinking leads us to another question. If not this year, then what about next year? Given the way Manchester City have been playing, and the finances behind the club, one begins to wonder exactly what has to happen in order for City to slip from their perch. A complete five year ban on them doing any more transfer business, because of some past indiscretion might help. So might a military coup in Abu Dhabi, or the invention of the anti-gravity drive which ends our dependence on oil and gas, but otherwise it is hard to see what will cause their fall. Which could then make the League, in future, rather boring, and instead put the focus elsewhere, such as the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and the Europa League. All are possible for Arsenal, the team that has won the FA Cup three times in the last four years, and has a record number of wins under a manager who also holds the all time record. And of course last season we not only won the cup but also beat Manchester City and Chelsea in the final couple of games. The Carabao is also certainly a possibility given that Arsenal are no longer out on their own in playing a second XI in the league cup matches. And the fact that Arsenal can change their team totally so that no one who plays in one game then has to play in the next, is a major advantage. Indeed even with Giroud out for a while, we still have a collection of men who can play centre forward – and the first round of the semi-final isn’t until 10 January. Plus, even if Giroud is not back for that he ought to make the second leg at the Emirates on 24th. As for the Europa, like the Carabao, it always has some tough teams in it as the competition moves onto the later rounds, but again with two squads, there is every possibility that Arsenal could find themselves in a European final for the first time since 2006. And yet, it is argued, all of this is second level stuff. Indeed as we heard some years ago, the FA Cup is not a Trophy. Only the League and the Champions League count. I would disagree however. In a football environment in which one club has all the money it wants, and then some, which was graciously given its stadium by the state (although to be fair the club did pay for the top tier at one end), and which is part of a worldwide franchise of six clubs, with more being added all the time, the competition is over. Indeed there is a “Manchester City” style dominance in Germany (Bayern) and in France (PSG). We’re just following the trend. Except… There might be a glimmer of hope. First there was the shock horror of Arsenal losing Alexis and Ozil at the end of this season. But that horror story has faded because a) Alexis seems to be permanently off form these days and b) Ozil appears to want to sign a new contract. Second, behind the scenes Arsenal have been moving in some very big hitters to help get new star players to sign, keep existing players happy, keep everyone fit, and find new upcoming players before anyone else does. Arsenal appointed the Barcelona director of football Raul Sanllehi as the club’s new head of football relations working with incoming chief scout Sven Mislintat, who has arrived from Borussia Dortmund. We also got Team Sky’s legal and commercial expert Huss Fahmy to work on player contracts. … Fitness expert Darren Burgess has also joined. Which leads me to another point… do you remember all those tales about Arsenal have more injuries than anyone else? They were never accurate of course, just some fake news circulated by an embittered ex-employee, but Arsenal were generally in the top third of the league table of injuries. Now we’re regularly in the bottom quarter of the list. Some reporters try to enhance our list of one or two players out by adding Santi Cazorla, but the sad fact is, Santi is no longer listed as a player who can play for Arsenal – he is not included in the 25 players list submitted to Uefa and to the Premier League at the end of each transfer window. Most of the time we only have one or two injuries. Whether these changes are enough to take Arsenal to a position where we challenge again for a league title, I don’t know, and I worry that Manchester City will just go on buying and buying players in an attempt to be just like Bayern Munich (who have won the league five times running, and the league and cup double three times running, and are looking to achieve that double again this season). Of course Uefa could wake up and start questioning Manchester City from the point of view of FFP regulations, but since they let PSG get away with murder last summer in the transfer market, that seems unlikely. So, we can only hope that the new background team will do their jobs and persuade the very best players to come to Arsenal. That revolution may take another couple of years to bring results, but in the meanwhile, a Cup Treble could be something to look forwards to. Of course the Cups won’t be Trophies in the eyes of some, but I think I’d quite like the experience. After all, those recent semi-finals, finals and Community Shield games at Wembley have been quite enjoyable.

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years

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FA Cup: talking details from the fifth-round pairs

Willy Caballero is too much of increased risk for Manchester City to play in Capital One Cup final Watford may lastly be persuaded to domain full-strength side in last eight and Nabil Bentalebs Tottenham season may now be all but over

1) Citys Caballero is too big a risk for bowl final

With all the focus on Manuel Pellegrinis team selection, the post-match reaction to the heaviest defeat in Manchester Citys Abu Dhabi era largely overlooked the facts of the case that some of the least impressive achievements came from their elderly participates. Martin Demichelis was once a centre-half of high reputation but those periods have legislated now and there is also strong evidence that Pablo Zabaleta, the outstanding right-back in the Premier League a few years ago, is in decline. More than anyone, though, Willy Caballero ever devotes Citys opponents the sense that Pellegrinis team might be susceptible. A City game never looks like it is going to be a stress-free moment when Caballero is choose ahead of Joe Hart and it is essential slightly embarrassing for the clubs partisans that Pellegrini says he will persist with the former Malaga goalkeeper in the Capital One Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. Caballero saved Oscars penalty but it is beginning to feel like a stunt of the imagination that the Argentinian was signed to give Hart genuine competition. The final is Citys most realistic possibility of silverware and it would be a needless hazard on the part of Pellegrini to start with him at Wembley. Or, to throw it another way, it is fair to say Liverpools boosters will be desperately hoping Pellegrini keeps to his message. Daniel Taylor

FA Cup quarter-final describe: Chelsea face difficult journey to Everton Fabregas bewilders Manchester City in fluent Chelsea rendition Match report: Chelsea 5-1 Manchester City

2) Bentaleb: undroppable in FA Cup, unpickable in league

Nabil Bentaleb has fad an intriguing situation in Tottenhams squad. The Algerian started 25 tournament tournaments last-place season and was involved in the firstly four members of this campaign, but since then he has formed one fleeting replace form in that challenger plus one replace appearance in the Europa League. In Tottenhams 33 accords in those two rivals and the Capital One Cup compounded a total of 2,970 recreation times, plus stoppage epoch Bentaleb has played 216, or 7.3%, all but 50 of them in August. In the FA Cup, though, he is considered undroppable. This was the third subsequent Cup game which he has started and finished. Of the 360 minutes Spurs have played in the rival( plus stoppages ), he has been on the field for 292, or 81.1%. To be fair, an ankle ligament hurt symbolized Bentaleb was unavailable for collection for a couple of months, but since his return to fitness he has been in the Premier League matchday squad on six reasons, kicking his ends in the stands on five, and actually used for only two minutes, against Palace last month. Quite what realizes his recreation uniquely suitable for the FA Cup remains unknown but Sundays ensue leaves him in a bit of a pickle, as an FA Cup specialist without an FA Cup to play in. Perhaps his conduct in midfield, which was surefooted without being outstanding and allowed Eric Dier to drop into the back four while Toby Alderweireld was rested, might support Mauricio Pochettino to give him a chance during Tottenhams assault on the Premier League title. Neglecting that, theres ever next year. Simon Burnton

Match report: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Crystal Palace

3) Preserving Payet at West Ham may be difficult

Dimitri Payet recently signed a brand-new contract at West Ham United, importance around PS125, 000 a week, that runs until 2021. Given the Frenchmans dazzling exhibitions, which continued with two goals in Sundays 5-1 hide of Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, this is particularly astute business from the Boleyn Ground executive. After the fifth-round relationship at Ewood Park Slaven Bilic, the manager, alleged Payet is in the same class as Luka Modric, who he coached when in charge of Croatia. Payet will be 29 next month. This summer is his now-or-never instant to make a move to an nobility Champions League-level club. If he is still at West Ham by 1 September that will be even better business from the association hierarchy. And it will also be considered a sizeable astound. Jamie Jackson

Match report: Blackburn 1-5 West Ham

Blackburns Jason Steele dives in vain as Dimitri Payet tallies West Hams second aim. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/ Getty Images

4) Replays are part of a dispute football needs to have

When the great replay debate came into focus at the end of Arsenals goalless draw with Hull, Steve Bruce made a point that messed with all the old stereotypes about a smaller organization going heavyweight rivals back to their plaza. He was entertaining the notion of get instantly to a penalty shootout after the first pair, and whether it might contribute some feeling to the FA Cup if activities such as Saturdays when Hulls effective rearguard war negated Arsenal, exited straight-from-the-shoulder to the roulette of spot-kicks. Then he said the most interesting thing of all: It would grant us a better likelihood. For a director of Bruces experience, and FA Cup background, to come to that resolution surely adds to the discussions of determining whether, and how, to reshape the rivalry. He calculated his crew would have a better chance of drumming Arsenal in fines and penalties shootout after a unyielding away concert than back at the KC Stadium over another 90( or perhaps 120) hours. Bruces overall controversy is footballs planning has changed sufficiently that squidging in replays doesnt genuinely fit with the modern tournament. It is a dialogue about the FA Cup that does need to be had properly. Amy Lawrence

Suarez adds vertigo to push Barcelona towards brand-new heights Match report: Arsenal 0-0 Hull City

5) When will Watford play a full-strength surface?

So far in the Cup this season Watford have rested a number of actors and Quique Sanchez Flores stimulated six a modification to his side for the 1-0 succes over Leeds. It was position done as much as is Flores was pertained , not a classic play but one that Watford never looked like losing. Odion Ighalo started on the bench, with Troy Deeney playing behind Nordin Amrabat in attack, but with Watford in the quarter-finals and with their Premier League refuge ensure, surely Flores will pick a stronger slope in the past eight. They are now one play from Wembley and have a realistic likelihood of challenging for the Cup. What I like is the flavor I have in the crew, they are calm and positive, replied Flores after the win, when asked to comment on his squad rotation. He may be tempted to modify such an approach in the next round. James Riach

Match report: Watford 1-0 Leeds United

Odion Ighalo started the equal on Watfords bench. Photograph: BPI/ Rex/ Shutterstock

6) Hector a real ability, whether or not Chelsea realise it

Outstanding during a Reading win over West Brom that was overshadowed by the throwing of a coin at Chris Brunt after the game, Michael Hector could be forgiven for being peeved his outstanding contribution to the Championship sides success was overlooked because of some numpty with 50 p too much in his pocket and some serious matter. Signed by Chelsea last September and immediately loaned back to Reading, the languid centre-half has been rewired as a center midfielder since his big break. As one of 33 actors on loan from the Premier League association, whether he will ever feature in the champs first team remains to be determined. I spoke to Michael about playing that persona and said to him if you can develop another fibre to your bow and play in that hampering midfield persona, he can play in the position for Chelsea, said here Reading manager, Brian McDermott, of Hectors superb concert in the centre of the field. I spoke to Chelsea about Michael playing in that persona and they were happy for him to do that. He can play centre-half, he can play hampering midfielder and I thought he was fabulous today. Hes been on loan everywhere a lot of places. He hadnt been playing in the team, but we changed the organizations of the system and hes been superb in discipline. Hector has been on loan at Bracknell Town, Didcot Town, Havant& Waterlooville, Oxford City, Horsham, Dundalk, Barnet, Shrewsbury Town, Aldershot Town, Cheltenham Town, Aberdeen, Reading. Thats 12 sororities. He is 23. Barry Glendenning

Brunt encounters West Brom devotees after being hit by silver at Reading Match report: Reading 3-1 West Brom

7) Iturbe may have shaped Bournemouths effort worthwhile

Eddie Howe will not lose too much sleep about Bournemouths exit from the FA Cup. Seven changes from the Premier League relegation battlers last-place pick added enough and, even if they played well enough to have got something out of video games on another daylight, his post-match observation that they had not lost any points represented the statement in replica. Yet Howe also interpreted he wanted to keep participates match-sharp for their next dozen games and it especially pleased him to visualize Juan Iturbe put in the most productive rendition of his four to appointment. There is little doubting the Roma loanees caliber but his adaptation was never likely to be instant; slew of encouragement could be taken then from his tracking-back to deprive first Bryan Oviedo and then Ross Barkley early on, and some incisive raids from the right flank were a characteristic of the home line-ups first-half accomplishment. I thought he did really well in the first half, Howe articulated. He was a big player for us with his ability to drive with the projectile and counterattack. He carried security threats and it was his best accomplishment for us. He tired a little bit in the second half but overall Im very happy with him. Hes improving all the time; I only realise positive things in the prospects for Juan. Iturbe may not add greatly to Saturdays 71 instants when Bournemouth see Watford this weekend but on this evidence he will soon be are available to make an impact in the tournament. Nick Ames

Match report: Bournemouth 0-2 Everton Premier League: fans decisions on the PS8bn battle for survival

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traveltrainsandcoffee · 7 years

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THE 2016/2017 F.F.L REVIEW

Well there I was sat outside Coffee Aroma writing last season’s Review. That Saturday id seen Pardew doing that silly dance, but LVG had had the last laugh as United won the FA cup. While drinking my Kolsch and having drunken Man Utd fans shouting c##t at me, the shocking news had broken. LVG had been sacked the day he won the FA cup and Jose Mourinho was returning to the Premiership.

The summer saw Wales make the semi-finals of the Euros. Portugal with an injured Ronaldo won. England’s summer was pretty shocking, knocked out by Begams, I mean Iceland. In Euro FFL Neil O’Flynn held off a good challenge by new girl Amy O’Connor. Would either of them be able to carry this form into FFL. Jack Jarvis had won the FFL back in May with a record lowest winning score of 145. Like Leicester City in premiership this had been a shock. Could he carry his form into the next season? New Boy Michael Dymoend was entering for the first time and aiming to make a big impact. And then there was Kieron Mullin. FA cup winner and Bennett’s shield winner last season. History was made as no one picked James Milner. The Special One had brought the mighty Zlatan Ibrahimović and broke the world record to sign Pogba.

The teams were in and the normal opener of the FFL Bennetts shield was on. Jack had won the league in May, but he could do nothing to Stop Kieron from becoming the first person to defend the shield. This would be the start of a frustrating season for Jack. The first scandal of the season started. Pepe the new manager at City sent Joe Hart away on loan to Italy. So many managers had picked Hart in the squad and this was going to be a problem. With Butland missing most of the season too, the pen points would rain in. Following in the footsteps of great scandals; like Watergate, Zippergate and Snijedergate, this became known as Hartgate. Hartgate ended the hopes of Amy O’Connor, Steve Tatham, Senol Durmush in August. It also damaged so many other managers’ chances. This season would see record number of penalty points. After the first weekend of the season I was the shock leader, long time since I’ve been there.

First real league table of the season saw Mark Kiszka top, Kieron Mullin second and Jamie Burnett third. The Hawk, Tappy, Kieron and Daz Hodson topped their champions’ league group. Hartgate was still doing damage, Butland and now Llrois injured. Jack Whilshire signed on loan to Bournemouth. How he passed a medical is the big question. The mighty Zlatan was making a slow start and people were starting to be very critical. By mid-September and after an amazing Mondaynight Everton game Mark Kiszka and Sally Mundin were joint top, last time Sally was top was when she knocked Chris Gooding off the top of the table back in 1998 (sorry to remind you of that season again Chris). By the end of September defending champion Tappy, former champion Mark Taylor, World Cup Winner Senol Durmush and FFL champion Jack Jarvis were all out the champions league.

Undercover reporters exposed Big Sam of some very dodgy dealing and before you could eat a large sausage roll with a pint of wine his England dream was over. Kiszka, Jarvis and Tingle were the top 3 in the league. In the champions League Jamie Burnett was top and clear, but it was close for second place between Kieron and Sally. Mark Kiszka was top in the other group. In the league Neil O’Flynn was starting to mount a challenge to Mark and Jamie. Disappointed with his league form, largely thanks to HARTHATE, Senol Durmush appeared on the darts. The final weekend of the champions’ league group stages saw Jamie, Kieron, Mark and The Hawk make the semi-finals. Flynny was top, with Jamie second in the league. Flynny was almost 50 points better than Paul Taylor was 1 year earlier at the top

Flynny became the Christmas number one, With Tappy, Jamie Burnett and Kieron Mullin all within 10 points of the top. HARTGATE had really hit hard and Euro 2016 runner up Amy O’Connor was bottom of the league. By New year’s day Flynny was still top had had already passed Jack Jarvis’s winning score from last year. January saw the Champions league semi-finals and the race for the FA cup places. The final spot was a race between Sally Mundin and The Hawk. Kieron Mullin mocked The Hawk saying ‘as Kev Keegen once said, I would love it if Sally beat Colin to the last spot’ Kieron beat Mark Kiszka and Jamie beat the Hawk over the 2 legs of the champions league Semi-finals. In a strange twist Mark Kiszka missed out and both Sally and The Hawk made the FA cup first round. The mighty Zlatan had proved his critics wrong and at 36 was one of the leading scorers in the country.

After his brilliant display in the Scottish Cup draw Rod Stewart was the guest for the FA cup first round draw. One tie stood out above the others, the tie they all wanted, well apart from The Hawk. 3 C GEOGHEGAN v 9 C HAWKINS. ‘FIX’ Screamed the Hawk. Chris replied that a bye would be a harder draw. Flynny, Tappy and Jamie all got byes. In fact the double was talked about for Flynny. 1st round day saw wins for Kieron, Stally. Tracey Grant and Michael Dymoend. In the big tie the Hawk only just managed to put out a full side. He had to watch the last 45 mins of Man utd v Leicester knowing a Leicester goal would send him out. The Hawk hung on to a draw and a replay. If there was no result after a replay the dreaded goals scored and countback system would be needed. Last time that happened the Hawk slipped into a Jose sulk. Kieron would await the winner. He stated it was like ‘Chelsea waiting for the winner of Lincoln v Grantham.’ Saying that Lincoln City were on a FA cup run of their own. Late into Monday night and The Hawk had somehow managed to scrape together a full team and beat Chris by 1 point.

After a terrible run the team that shocked the world in winning the Premiership in May now shocked the world again and sacked their hero manager. I mean Raineri and not Jack Jarvis by the way. Jack like Leicester clearly wasn’t going to defend his title. The Lincoln Loco now rumbled passed Burnley and into a last 8 game with Arsenal. The Gunners had already overcome Piegate and Sutton Utd. As February ended Flynny was top with Jamie and Kieron not far back.

In the second round of the cup The Hawk survived an Oscar’s style slip up to knock out Kieron. Michael Dymoend produced the shock of the round and knocked Jamie Burnett out. Flynny won and the double was still on. Stally beat Tracey Grant in the other tie. The Hawk would play Michael and Stally play Flynny in the Semi’s. The Hawks heroic cup run was being compared to Lincoln City. Lincoln would go all the way to the last 8 and only come unstuck to Arsenal. The first leg of the champion’s league saw Kieron open up a small lead over Jamie Burnett. In the league Flynny had a 7 point lead over Tappy, with Kieron not far behind,

FA semi Final day. The Hawk waved goodbye to the cup run, even Delle Ali was waving goodbye to The Hawks cup run, either that or he was doing the silly Spurs hand wave goal celebration thing. However as Michael Dymoend once said ‘never underestimate my ability to fail’. Amazingly even without a full team The Hawk won and Wembley now awaited him. Flynny beat Stally and now the double really was on. Flynny now had a 12 point lead over Kieron. Better news for Kieron in the Champions league as he won over the 2 legs to become only the 5th manager to have won the big 3 (League, FA cup and Champions league). For the next couple of weeks Flynny kept a 10 point lead over Kieron. Sad news broke regarding the death of Ugo Ehiguo L.

The FA CUP FINAL really was a round too far for the Hawk, so many players missing his team bus for Wembley was a taxi. Flynny won a very one sided final and with a 5 point lead in the league really did look like becoming only the second manger (after Stally) to win the double. A very close hard fought battle was also going on in the race for the final champions league spots between former champion Duncan Mackenzie, Mark Kiszka, Michael Dymoend and Sally Mundin. Even Chris Gooding was making a late charge as the season moved into May.

This review started with The Special One and it was The Special One who would play a big part in the title race, Manchester United were 6th with no chance of top 4, so Jose started resting players and put all his focus on winning the Europa League. Dropping players meant pen points. These pen points along with some Vincent Kompany goals turned the tide in favour of Kieron. In the end Kieron would win the league by 20 points, only 14 points short of Stally’s all-time record score. Kieron’s 361 was an incredible 216 points better than Jack Jarvis’s winning score 2016. Kieron was now joint 2nd with Stally on the all-time leader board of most successful FFL managers. If he wins next seasons Bennett Shield he will go joint top. The final game of the season saw Arsenal beat Chelsea at Wembley in a great FA cup final, Tracey Grant made history in becoming the first female manager to finish 3rd in the FFL, beating Sally Mundin’s 4th for 1998. It wasn’t all bad news for Sally as both herself and Chris Gooding got the last 2 champions league spots

So it really was a season for Liverpool fans. Kieron Mullin and Neil O’Flynn won everything. In fact you can include next season Bennett’s Shield to the list as they are the two managers in it.

Two Finals Thoughts this season

1. What if Joe Hart had stayed at City?

2. Do you remember the days when Manchester United fans won everything in FFL?

Thank you for a great season.

�jX�f

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chrisrunsthemarathon · 7 years

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How I (hopefully) ran The Marathon – Part IV

The update..

So the consultant said yes and we’re back on. Well, I say yes, he sort of shrugged his shoulders, exhaled dramatically and said in a terrific French accent (he was French) “well, I suppose you could”. He expects me to be slower than I wanted to be before I was ill (when examining my time, if I finish at all, let’s not forget just how ill I’ve been) but he said I could do it. CC, Sorry mate, looks like 3 and a half hours is out, can we sort a repayment plan? Maybe a pound a week for the next 20 years?

I’m not sure how I feel about the news if I’m honest. At first I was pleased, now I’m not so sure. The main thing is that I don’t want this hanging over me for another year. I just want to get it out of the way and get it done so I’ve decided to press ahead and not defer it. Everyone I’ve spoken to thinks I should defer it and thinks I’m mad. I’ve been told by lots of people it’s stupid, in fact there’s only one person who thinks I should crack on. When I saw my boss for the first time in 6 weeks having been off work he asked if I was still doing it, when I said yes his exact words were “good, no one likes a pussy”. To be honest, I’m beginning to think I’m mad as well but I just want the sodding thing over and done with.

I’ve also decided running is crap. It’s just totally, totally shit. It’s not like other sports. If you play golf (as you’ll know I do), you get better at that. The more you practice and play, the better you get and it gets harder for your opponents to beat you. If you play cricket, the more you practice the better you get and you get more runs/wickets. Tennis, football, rugby, it goes on. Running NEVER gets any easier. OK you get a bit faster, but the pain never gets any less, your lungs don’t hurt less, your legs don’t hurt less. You just get a bit faster. I know getting faster is the point and it sounds like I’m contradicting myself, but the other sports get easier AND you get better, this doesn’t.

I’m also sick of running stupid miserable lonely miles. I’ve still not seen a single one of these elusive people who’ve offered to run with me. Mike did come to see me but I was still out of action but other than that, mile after lonely bastard mile. Plodding along with sore legs and exhausted. I don’t mind doing it on my own, it’s my commitment, I guess it’s the same as the offers the time before last when we moved house and then my poor old dad and Geoff ended up hauling sofas about! When it comes to it they don’t fancy it really. I don’t mind really, it’s just after they offered. The family members have been as supportive as ever. My brother in law sent me a text that said he can’t run with me as he’d have to slow down. I’ll remember to take him out on the golf course at some point and repay the favour by not looking for his ball. If you can’t hit it straight, etc…..

If you’re wondering if I’m struggling after being ill, the answer is yes. My mood probably gives it away. I’m really struggling. The most I’ve run so far is about 8 miles. So pretty much just a third of the way round, and on top of that my legs hurt like hell again as I’ve been trying to get out so often. I think I’m getting shin splints again so it must be something I’m doing and I’m not running right. I didn’t even know that could be a thing, is it possible to not run/walk properly? I’m off to physio again next week, so wish me luck. I need to look at the positives if I can. I’ve had cold after bloody cold constantly since recovering. That makes it’s harder as you always ache. I’m keeping Kleenex in business at the moment (no sniggering at the back) and I’m desperate for the colds sod off and let me just feel normal again as it feels like forever since I last did. Two weeks ago when I started up again I was only running 1-2 miles. Now I can do 6-8. I’ve still got 10 weeks. If I can get up to a half marathon/15 miles then I might just be OK, albeit not very fast. The progress is there, it’s just hard and seems miles off. I realise this isn’t the most cheerful update, but as with the last one it’s reflective of my thoughts around it at the moment. Putting on the gear mornings/evenings/weekends, heading out into the freezing cold and struggling with the runs is definitely turning me into a cantankerous, miserable old sod.

I do however look at the other people I know doing it and they’re all trotting round 15 miles nice and sprightly on a Sunday now and I’m beginning to think I’m in trouble here. I’m going to be turning up on the day and winging it at this rate. I’ve thought about taking the pressure off by turning up dressed as the Honey Monster. Nobody expects the Honey Monster to post a good time. The way things are going though I am going to be that bloke GMTV interview on the Tuesday morning as I trot over Tower Bridge. “Yes Alison, I’m feeling strong, it’s for a great cause…” you get the drift. It basically looks like I’m going to be putting a lot of stock in adrenaline, the crowd and the occasion to help get me round. Not the best strategy, I can’t think that’s what that Kenyans will be doing. Needs must…

I need to think of the bigger picture and why I’m doing it and look for positives. What I’m doing it for and all the good things that’ll come from the money I raise. Thanks again to everyone who’s sponsored me and the continuing donations. I’ve managed to secure a load of prizes for a raffle including a signed Manchester United football and various tickets for football/rugby/golf plus a 4 ball at Hayling Golf Club. It’s just £1 a ticket so if you fancy it, let me know and I’ll be more than happy to sell you some. I’m focussing on raising as much as I can still.

Tash and I also managed to get ourselves some tickets to see Ed Sheeran in May, literally the week after this stupid, silly bollocks run I’ve decided to do. It’s a focus point for me and something I’m really looking forward to, a good night out when it’s all done and dusted and something we can go and have a laugh at together. Added to that, albeit slowly, the nights are starting to get lighter and spring and the golf season is on the horizon. I’ve got a month of training after the clocks have gone forwards so that’ll help. All we need now is for it to warm up a bit and these colds to bugger off and it’ll be a completely different outlook. I’ve also got the trip to Wembley in two weeks to finally see Saints win something . This is not a humble brag section of the blog (look at what I’m doing), it’s just me trying to cheer myself up and I did say it was my own thoughts and musings on here from the start.

Then there’s Gav’s wedding. Whilst I’ll have to be careful not to go too mad on the booze at the stag/wedding (let’s not be silly and say I’m going to abstain all together) that’s going to be great and as I’ve been able to organise the whole stag I’m looking forward to some 6 Nations rugby in Cardiff and 3 days of golf as well. I should say that he wanted to do that too, I didn’t just choose it. That reminds me, I need to go and do some work on my speech so I’m going to wrap this up…

There we have it, a truly miserable and difficult time for the marathon attempt. I know people do them all the time and I’m making a right fuss but I did say I would.

Please remember if you want to buy any raffle tickets and win some great prizes, let me know and you can pay me in person or wire me the cash and I’ll put your tickets in the hat. 100% of everything collected goes to Anthony Nolan.

And if any of you elusive bell ends that promised to come for a run do change your minds, I’m going 5 days a week so I’m pretty sure we can go at a mutually convenient time, I really would appreciate the company..

Over and out,

Mo Farrah Chris xx

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Graham Taylor: When England's World Cup hopes were ended by Koeman in Rotterdam

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International friendly: Netherlands v England Venue: Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam Date: Friday, 23 March Time: 19:45 GMT Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, online, tablets, mobiles and BBC Sport app. Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

England in the Netherlands. For an entire generation of fans, the very mention of the fixture brings on a shudder, a cold sweat. A reflex impulse to berate a linesman.

Friday night’s friendly in Amsterdam may be an important piece in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup jigsaw, as well as a big night for new Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, who takes charge of his country for the first time.

But a turbulent night in Rotterdam 25 years ago ended hopes for another England team.

Koeman, then his country’s captain, was a central figure in a match that had it all, along with David Platt, Brian Moore – and, of course, Graham Taylor.

England’s then-manager would find his time in charge forever bound up by Dutch defeat – an unjust one, in his eyes at least.

It was a drama played out on both a national and a human scale, as a warts-and-all documentary broadcast on Channel 4 a year later carried images of Taylor’s touchline fury and exasperation into the memories of England fans forever.

Graham Taylor – football pays tribute[1]

‘A true gentleman’ – Phil McNulty’s obituary[2]

Listen again to a 5 live special: Tributes to Graham Taylor[3]

The big problems Gareth Southgate must sort[4]

When he died last year,[5] Taylor was a much-loved, much-respected manager and pundit.

But in the aftermath of his failure to reach the World Cup finals of 1994, he was vilified, felt “cheated” and almost left the country.

This is the story of that match, the documentary, and how it affected Taylor.

‘It sticks with you for life’

“If you say ‘Holland’ to me, to this day I see David Platt running through on goal. I can’t help it. When things don’t go well as an England manager, it sticks with you for the rest of your life.”

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Wednesday, 13 October, 1993 was a date lodged firmly in the mind of Taylor when we spoke on the 20th anniversary of that fateful night.

Three years into the job, three years after Bobby Robson, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker had captured the nation’s hearts by reaching the semi-finals of Italia 90, the unthinkable happened.

But how had it got to that point?

Taylor’s touchline Taylor produced some memorable lines in ‘The Impossible Job’: “Can we not knock it?” “Do I not like that…” “It’s got to go, son. It’s got to go big. It’s got to go big!” “Go Les! Hit Les! Hit Les over the top!” “Wrighty? It’s made for Wrighty to come on and score, isn’t it?” “The referee’s got me the sack. Thank him ever so much for that won’t you?”

After a poor Euro 92, which saw England eliminated in the group stages after scoring just once in three games, Taylor’s maiden World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a bad start.

Leads at home to Norway and then the Netherlands were squandered, putting qualification in doubt.

“We played very well in both of those games and if we had won just one, which we deserved to, we would have been OK,” Taylor remembered.

The away double-header in May and June of 1993 did not go well either.

A draw in Poland and defeat away to leaders Norway in the space of four days left Taylor’s side up against it. However, after an impressive 3-0 win over Poland at Wembley, England’s fate was in their own hands going into the penultimate fixture in Rotterdam.

“We were a point above the Netherlands, with two games to go,” said Taylor. “A draw would have been enough for us to qualify and we were as confident as we could expect to be.”

No Gazza, no problem

With captain Stuart Pearce injured and Lazio midfielder Gascoigne suspended, Taylor made five changes to his side.

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Off the pitch, he was called on to help smuggle in the documentary crew who would film so many of his famous moments after they were denied access by the Dutch FA. The crew donned England tracksuits and carried their film equipment into the stadium in team kitbags.

Once the match kicked off, Leeds full-back Tony Dorigo – standing in for Pearce – smashed a long-range free-kick against the post, while Frank Rijkaard had an effort for the hosts disallowed in a goalless first half.

So far, so good.

The Koeman incident

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The match, England’s hopes and Taylor’s career were all transformed by a two-minute spell around the hour mark. Andy Sinton – on at half-time in place of Carlton Palmer – hit a long ball over the top for Platt to run on to.

The England skipper was hauled to the ground by Koeman, but referee Karl-Josef Assenmacher decided to only show the Barcelona man a yellow card, rather than red.

The documentary was to show Taylor imploring the German official to send Koeman off, memorably asking fourth official Markus Merk: “What sort of thing is happening here?”

Even 20 years later, Taylor was incensed by the decision.

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“I could not believe what I was seeing. It was a goalscoring opportunity and Koeman should have gone,” he said. “Fifa had made a very strong point in the weeks before the game that the denial of a goalscoring opportunity was to be a straight red card.

“He should have been sent off, absolutely.”

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After the game, Koeman admitted he had expected to be dismissed. Instead, Dorigo’s free-kick was blocked by the advancing Dutch wall and two minutes later the home side were given a free-kick at the other end.

To heighten England’s sense of injustice, it was Koeman who stepped up to score.

His first effort was charged down by Paul Ince, but he made no mistake second time around. ITV commentator Moore’s prophecy of “he’s going to flick one, he’s going to flick one” proved accurate as the future Southampton and Everton manager curled the ball into the top corner.

“That was when I lost it,” Taylor said. “I honestly felt that we were being cheated. The referee was favouring the home side, I really felt that, as the free-kick we had blocked was exactly the same.

“The only other occasion in my career I felt like that was when I was in charge of Lincoln and we had a terrible penalty awarded at Birmingham. But this was obviously worse.

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“I lost the plot because I honestly and truthfully felt that England were being cheated in a vital game for the country.

“That was the worst I’ve ever been on a touchline. I’d never been like that before. But that is the one time I end up on film, so that’s what people remember.”

Paul Merson hit the post again but a second goal for the Netherlands followed, with Dennis Bergkamp scoring.

“The referee’s got me the sack,” Taylor told the linesman in the closing minutes. “Thank him ever so much for that won’t you?”

Taylor concluded his reign with a futile 7-1 win in San Marino in November 1993,[6] as the Netherlands secured qualification by beating Poland. Taylor resigned six days later.

“I try not to think about what would have happened next if Koeman had been sent off,” Taylor said. “I’m sure we would have qualified for the World Cup and I probably keep my job. But that’s life.”

‘An honest piece of film-making’

Taylor’s documentary is legendary. Film-maker Ken McGill and his team had been recording Taylor and his team throughout the qualifiers, with access that could only be dreamed of now. Taylor had agreed to take part in the programme as he hoped it would show the differences between club and international management.

But as results turned for the worse, the focus shifted to Taylor himself – the man in the ‘Impossible Job’, the title of the film that more than six million people tuned in to watch.

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“I didn’t ever expect that we wouldn’t qualify; I was arrogant enough to think that,” admitted Taylor.

“So I was keen to show the problems of being England manager. Then, as the results went on and we didn’t qualify, I became more central to the documentary, quite rightly.

“You’re the country’s number one villain.”

Taylor thought about cancelling filming before the trip to Norway in June 1993, but knew that the written press – who were already hostile towards him – would seize on it as an admission that England might not qualify.

“One positive which came out of it is that people saw I was passionate about the job,” Taylor said in 2013. “But I can’t watch it. I put a little bit of the documentary on my computer recently but I couldn’t watch it.

“I said to myself: ‘Don’t watch it Graham, because for the next week you’ll be down.'”

In the aftermath of his resignation – and being labelled a ‘turnip’ by the Sun newspaper – Taylor considered leaving the country. Instead he stayed and rebuilt his club career, taking Watford back to the top flight.

The documentary was a hit. But McGill, who has also made films[7] with Gascoigne, Lennox Lewis and Ian Botham, had mixed feelings 20 years on.

Taylor may have been able to return to work, but his assistant Phil Neal was criticised for being ‘a yes man’ after the documentary was broadcast. At the time, he was England’s most decorated player, yet his managerial career never recovered, with a brief spell in charge of Manchester City in 1996 his last job as a coach.

“At the time I felt terrible,” McGill admitted in 2013, “not only for Graham but I also feel responsible for Phil not being able to earn a living in football any more.

“If it wasn’t for Graham’s help, we would not have been able to film in Rotterdam. We would have missed all of that drama.

“I found it hard to take the consequences of the film. But there is nothing I would change. It is a piece of honest film-making.”

A version of this feature was published on 8 October, 2013[8]

References

^ Graham Taylor – football pays tribute (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ A true gentleman’ – Phil McNulty’s obituary (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Listen again to a 5 live special: Tributes to Graham Taylor (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ The big problems Gareth Southgate must sort (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ died last year, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Taylor concluded his reign with a futile 7-1 win in San Marino in November 1993, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ who has also made films (scotsese.blogspot.co.uk)

^ A version of this feature was published on 8 October, 2013 (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Graham Taylor: When England's World Cup hopes were ended by Koeman in Rotterdam was originally published on 365 Football

#ended #England&039s #Graham #hopes #Koeman #Rotterdam #Taylor #were #world

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