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Portugal Euro 2012 Portugal 2-1 Holland


A scintillating Cristiano Ronaldo double put Portugal into the European Championship quarter-finals and sent the Netherlands out.The Dutch needed to win by two clear goals to stand a chance of progre sing and Rafael van der Vaarts lovely curling strike put them ahead.But the Netherlands faded badly and Ronaldo equalised by slotting in from Joao Pereiras precise pa s.Nani set up Ronaldo to drive in the winner as Portugal eased to victory. Ahead of the match Portugal remained unchanged for the third consecutive game. Netherlands on the other hand made three changes as striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, playmaker Rafael van der Vaart and centre-back Ron Vlaar come into the side in place of defensive midfielder Mark van Bommel, winger Ibrahim Afellay and centre-back Johnny Heitinga.From the off the Netherland were the more attacking side and after just four minutes Wesley Sneijder had an effort from deep inside the area but put his shot just to the left of the goal. Next up Rafael Van der Vaart took a shot but Felipe Joao Moutinho got a block in.Dutch breakWith Holland looking dangerous it wasnt that surprising they went ahead in the tenth minute. Robben created the goal when came in from the right-hand flank and played a short, simple pa s toVAN DER VAARTwho was on the edge of the area. https://www.shopprokraken.com/brandon-tanev-kids-jersey Veloso was slow to close him down and Van der Vaart eked out a beautifully controlled left-footed shot which bent perfectly into the far corner. Rui Patricio had no chance.Despite Holland looking dangerous Portugal were still a threat with Cristiano Ronaldo having an effort from the edge of the area on 15 minutes which hit the post. Helder Postiga then took a shot which was saved by Maarten Stekelenburg. Ronaldo was coming to live and he made an impact 28 minutes when he finally got his name on the score sheet. Willems pointle sly gave away po se sion close to the halfway line and Portugal worked the ball forward with speed through Joao Perira who waited for Ronaldo to make a run and played a perfect through ball. There was never any doubt thatRONALDO would beat Stekelenburg as he scored from inside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal.Portugal were now looking the more threatening team side and looked likely to take the lead in the 29th minute when Nani smashed in a left-footed shot from just outside the box which only https://www.shopprokraken.com/haydn-fleury-women-jersey just mi sed the target. Ronaldo and Nani were taking it in turns to have a pop at goal but Stekelenburg was standing strong. At the other end Van der Vaart was just as determined to take the lead but again Patricio was standing strong.There was little to choose between the sides as they went in at half-time but the good news was that as things stood Portugal were progre sing to the next round of the tournament.HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 1-1 HOLLANDThe second half started at a very slow pace with real end to end football being played but neither team looked interested in scoring. Holland were getting a couple of promising free-kicks but despite poor marking from the set-pieces by the Portuguese the Dutch couldnt https://www.shopprokraken.com/carson-soucy-men-jersey deliver in a dangerous ball.The ball was in the back of the net on 60 minutes from a Portugal corner after some lovely work from Ronaldo who lined up to shoot but instead cro sed to Postiga who was a yard offside. Portugal responded by bringing Postiga off and replacing him with Nelson Oliveira.The battle beginsHolland were winning the po se sion battle but were giving away the ball too easily. Willems again gave away po se sion on the 66th minute and Portugal broke with Ronaldo unselfishly played to Moutinho who shot from the edge of the area which took a good save from Stekelenburg to deny him. That poor pa s was the last touch of the game for Willems who was replaced with Afellay. A defender for a striker as Holland made their last throw of the dice.Portugal were by far the better team as Hollands shape was falling apart and the Seleco were growing in confidence. They should have taken the lead on the 72nd minute when Ronaldo presented the ball to Nani on a plate. A beautiful ball from the left nutmegs Van der Wiel and gave Nani a sitter at the far post but played it straight at Stekelnburg.Luckily that mi sed chance didnt matter when Portugal did take the lead on the 74th minute courtesy of Ronaldo again. A marvellous counter attack after Robben lost po se https://www.shopprokraken.com/joonas-donskoi-women-jersey sion on the edge of the Portugal area was worked quickly to Nani on the right who returned the favour to Ronaldo by supplying him with an excellent diagonal pa s that cut the Dutch defence open.RONALDO controlled, beat Van der Weil and calmly slotted into the bottom corner.It was nearly three for Portugal two minutes later with Nani doing well on the right again, which was hardly surprising given that Holland didnt have a left-back, and slid a low one into the six yard box. Moutinho and Ronaldo stretch to get on the end of it but it fell kindly for Stekelenburg. This was followed by more pre sure for Portugal with Bruno Alves getting above his man on the far post and heads a cro s back acro s goal, but he was penalised for a push in the back.Nervy endAt the other end Van der Vaart was agonisingly close to drawing level when his wonderful curling shot from just outside the area left Patricio well beaten but hit the bar. Portugal broke again, with Nani in the thick of it down the right who attempted to lob Stekelenburg but the ball landed on the top of the net. Nani was then replaced by Rolando as Portugal tried to hold out for https://www.shopprokraken.com/will-borgen-men-jersey a few more minutes.Robin van Persie attempted to make a name for himself a minute from the end after a nice through ball from Sneijder but his dragged his shot wide. Van Persie really should have buried it, you expect he would have if he was wearing an arsenal shirt, and his mi s summed up Hollands campaign at the Euros they had been handed countle s chances but their misfiring had put them out of the competition.The evening was rounded off by another cracking shot from Ronaldo who was denied a hattrick by the bottom of the post.FULL-TIME: PORTUGAL 2-1 HOLLANDPortugal (4-3-3): Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Meireles, Veloso, Joao Moutinho, Nani, Postiga, Ronaldo.Holland (4-5-1): Stekelenburg, Willems, Mathijsen, Vlaar, Van Der Wiel, Van der Vaart, Nigel De Jong, Sneijder, van Persie, Robben, Huntelaar.Star man: RonaldoConclusionIf at the start of the competition someone would have told me the Netherland would finish bottom of Group B I would have laughed in their face but now thats happened who really cares because Portugal have progre sed to the next stage of Euro 2012 defying all odds.Its amazing how dire Holland were but more importantly Portugal seemed to finally come to life. The

Hibernian Fans favourite James McPake


As much criticism as Pat Fenlon has recieved, there is one things that he has got spot on; the signing of the rock solid central defender that is James McPake. Fenlon immediately gave him the privilege of being club captain and righly so. McPake ignified Easter Road and ever since his debut he has been a fans favourite.It didnt start off so wellOn the 28th January 2012, Hibs loanee and debutant James McPake started off his Hibernian career with an exasperating 4-0 defeat against Rangers Football Club at Ibrox stadium. ARangers side bereft of confidence due to Glasgow Rivals Celtic taking an asailing lead at the https://www.shopproflames.com/travis-hamonic-jersey crest of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers dominated throughout to trounce Hibs 4-0. In what was a desolating outing for Hibs as a team. It was even more so for McPake himself. He was dismi sed for persistent fouling andthis was evidentally a game to forget for the Hibees and for the Easter Road skipper.Heroic Performance v Kilmarnock in Scottish Cup Eoin Doyle (pictured) may have scored the goal that separated thetwo sides, but it was James McPake that had a simply faultle s match against Kilmarnock on 4th February 2012. A charismatic performance earnedhim deserved Man of the match award. He lead the back 4 heroicly, making last ditch tackles on 3 separate occasions to preserve the victory for the boys in green and white.Establishing himself as a key playerMcPake was consistently the standout player match by match. His astounding performances got the plaudits from the football community and https://www.shopproflames.com/michael-frolik-women-jersey also from the supporters, who were overawed by McPakes performances. It seemed as though he couldnt put a foot wrong and flourished in a Hibernian shirt.Flawle s Performances afterwardsHibernian4-0 DunfermlineHibs went into the game needing a point to secure survival and preserve their SPL status at Easter Road. Hibs fansturned up in theirnumbers forthe crucial encounter.It wasa sellout and this clearly spurred Hibs on and the https://www.shopproflames.com/oliver-kylington-kids-jersey ma sive turnout startled Dunfermline.Hibs fans were feral when Matt Doherty made it 1-0, and following goals from Eoin Doyle and Garry OConnor gave Hibs a 3-goal cushion after just 15 minutes. What should have been an extremely tense game, became rather comfortable! Hibs fortune continued when a dubious goal from Paul Hanlon was judged to have cro sed the line. That concluded the game nicely.But it was the dependable James McPake that again stole the limelight. His rock solid defending kept the supporters from feeling tense.After the final whistle was blown, the Hibs announcer thanked the fans for the support and informed them that the players were going to do a lap around the pitch to show their appreciation. James McPake ran around the pitch separately where he got a standing ovation and an almighty roar! One supporter even threw his scarf at him, in which he put on (shown below)Scottish cup final: Hibernian 1 -5 Heart of MidlothianThe most miserable day of Hibs history left me with tears in my eye, but James McPake https://www.shopproflames.com/dougie-hamilton-jersey never gave up and that is something I admire. Craig Thompson the referee ruined this game as Hearts fan would admit themselves sending off Pa Saikou Kujabi, the Gambian left back for a light tug on the shirt of Suso Santana. The self-confe sed Hearts supporter was biased towards the boys in maroon right from the first whistle.Hearts deserved to win nonethele s and there is no denying that but certainly not by a 4-goal margin. James McPake made a sensational block off the line at 2-0 down, and then popped up with a goal down the other end to give Hibs a chance in the 2nd half.Unfortunately the second half was disastrous and the Hibs fans were sent home feeling miserable, but the illustrious defender will always be remembered for that goal he scored and more importantly, that splendid block off the line. Hero!Hibernian 1-1 Heart of Midlothian (15/8/12)McPake was outstanding in the most recent derby. He showed his great defensive attributes. Won every aerial battle, won every tackle and was just phenomenal. Leigh Griffiths may have got the goal and tormented the Hearts defence, but McPake was the man-of-the-match in my eyes!Only an Alan Maybury error deprived McPake of his cleansheet, but that takes nothing away from his exceptional performance.Loyalty: He chose the HibeesMcPake was the cream of the crop for Hibs and that left him with options. With other clubs showing interested in the central defender, the Hibs fans love him most for his loyalty. No matter how poor Hibs were, McPake stood by them.Indesputably, there were more attractive offers on the table with Celtic, rivals Heart of https://www.shopproflames.com/mike-smith-men-jersey Midlothian, and a return to Coventry all showing interest. Celtic and Hearts are superior teams. The supporters will forever be thankful for that decision he made. He is now unquestionably the fans favourite!

Can Holloway keep Crystal Palace in the


The Eagles are now back in the Premier League, but according to the bookies their party will come to an end come May. Palace gained promotion via the play offs after Kevin Phillips penalty was converted. The player who won the spot kick was their star Wilfried Zaha who was always looking to get a goal in the final. Zaha didnt only win the penalty that gave his club the opportunity to play in the best league in the country, he also scored two goals to get them to the final.It was a goalle s draw in the first leg at Selhurst Park, and at the https://www.shopprocoyotes.com/adam-clendening-jersey Amex it was all to play for. It was a tight game and the only difference between the two sides was the young winger who was so influential throughout the season. There is definitely some people who will say that Holloways side wouldnt have been promoted if they didnt have Zaha.I certainly believe that in some games last season they relied on Zaha to grab the win. He was a bit like Bale was to Spurs. He and Phillips were the stars last season for the club, and there were fears from fans that the veteran wouldnt sign a new deal. I know how good the England international is but I still think that if he had stayed at Old Trafford in the last half of the season Crystal Palace would have struggled to gain promotion.However, this season they could have a new young star that could be so influential in their bid to survive. Their new record signing Dwight Gayle has received the number 16 shirt which could be a sign that they signed him to do a similar job to Wilf, but Gayle plays in a more central role in attack. People that knew him at his previous club Peterborough described him as a hard working and talented striker. Also some people that worked with him at Dagenham and Redbridge said that they would be surprised if he didnt get an England call up for the World Cup next year. So obviously there is a lot of pre sure on the young shoulders of Gayle but can he make it in the Premier League?For a start he is older than Zaha but does that nece sarily make a difference, look what Lambert has done in his career. Along with Zaha, the Crystal Palace forward is expected to win the lot wherever he moves to in the future.Gayle has proven that in the lower leagues he knows where the goal is. He has nearly averaged one goal in two games for every club, so he has a good record. There were some doubts over the fact if Holt or Lambert could score in the top division and they both did, and in some style https://www.shopprocoyotes.com/lawson-crouse-women-jersey . I dont expect him to earn an England call up now, but I do think he has what it takes to score plenty of goals in the Premier League.The reason why I dont expect him to be on the plane to Brazil is simply because there are too many strikers https://www.shopprocoyotes.com/alex-galchenyuk-men-jersey in front of him in Hodgsons eyes. Just think Grant Holt was expected to earn a place in the Euro 2012 squad because he scored 15 goals in his first Premier League season. Rickie Lambert did receive his call up after becoming the Englishman who scored the most goals in the top tier, but it was a friendly. I know a game against Scotland is competitive but there there was no points up for grabs in a qualifier or a major tournament.I think a realistic target for the youngster is to score between 10 and 15 goals in the league and about 20 overall. That is if they are going to stay up and have a decent run in the cup.Their gaffer Ian Holloway has had experience in the PL with Blackpool, who unfortunately finished nineteenth to go straight back down. His Blackpool side played an entertaining style of football because it was all about attack, it didnt matter what the result was as long as the team scored and caused the defence problems.In that season the Tangerines scored a total of 55 goals in the league, which was the same amount as Tottenham scored who finished fifth. This is what people expect this Palace team to be like, only they feel they wont score as many goals.However, maybe just Holloways experience can give his squad that advantage. Pundits think that the London club will go down because they will be too open at the back just like Blackpool were a couple of seasons ago. They also dont see that they have got a replacement for Zaha, however they have signed two wingers so far. They are former Albion player Jerome Thomas and Jason Puncheon who is on loan from Southampton.I know that they wont score as many goals as the English international or have the same amount of quality. However they are creative wingers who can score a few goals when needed and they both have Premier League experience.Thomas has had https://www.shopprocoyotes.com/jordan-martinook-jersey succe sful experience with WBA and I believe that certainly in our first season back, that he was one of our best players. Thomas likes to play on the left and cut inside to get a cro s or a shot away but he can use his left if nece sary. He can play on the right, but that is where Puncheon would play.I dont know a lot about Puncheon, but he did play for Blackpool under Holloway in the Premier League. I think that at Bloomfield Road he had a succe sful spell because you could tell he enjoyed the style of play and that is why he wanted to move to Selhurst Park.Already in their squad, they have got Dobbie who can play out wide or just behind the forward. They also have Garvan who is an exciting player. From my point of view, they can get the goals from Phillips, Chamakh, Wilbraham and Murray. All of the strikers are fit apart from their top scorer last season Glenn Murray who is probably out until Christmas, but he is a proven goal scorer who has the potential to score plenty in the Premier League.They also have former Arsenal and West Ham forward Chamakh so that brings experience. The Moroccan doesnt score many goals but he can bring quality. He had an unsucce sful time at the Emirates because he had plenty of strikers in front of him, most notably RVP when he was there. Chamakh did start well at the Gunners with a few goals but after a couple of months, he lost his form and his place in the match day squad let alone the starting eleven.I think this could be a big season for young Welshman Williams. He is an attacking midfielder who can also play out wide if needed, despite this he rarely scores. He started to break into the Welsh national team last season, and I think if he gets more of a chance for his club he could become a key component in the national side. Chris Coleman likes the youngster, and I believe he has more chance if Coleman stays on as Wales bo s.If Williams gets a fair crack in the league, he could be pursued by bigger clubs next summer. In conclusion, I believe that they can stay up if they keep Murray fit and Speroni proves he is Premier League quality. It will be a long hard season for all the newly promoted sides, and I dont think all of them will stay up. I will make my final league predictions when the https://www.shopprocoyotes.com/thomas-steen-men-jersey transfer window is closed but for now anything can happen in the final few days.

Chelsea Look at their own crops


I think its time Chelsea opened their eyes and took note of the players they have at their disposal!! We know they have quality, experience and depth in their ranks but when they need to fill in a black or cover a player who is not cutting the mustard, they go out and pay over the odds for a well, who frankly could be a good player in their respective league but not a proven player in the https://www.shopprocanadiens.com/jonathan-drouin-men-jersey Premier League.Some players for example Luis Suarez, Loic Remy and many more have took to the Premier League like a duck to water, but most foreign players coming from overseas, take time to settle into the many growing multiracial football teams.So why do teams continually spend big money when they have perfectly good youngsters (that have been purchased to become future stars https://www.shopprocanadiens.com/jacques-plante-women-jersey ) at their apparel. Chelsea are a prime example, two young, now proven youngsters that Chelsea can use Kevin De Bruyne + Romelu LukakuKevin De Bruyne had a very succe sful first loan spell in Germany making 32 appearances for Werder Bremen and scoring ten times, intended to be a back up player for the first team he became a regular after impre sing in his first few games and becoming a very consistent play maker. Romelu Lukaku made his spell at West Bromwich Albion make Chelsea and other teams take note to how good Lukaku had become. In his first loan spell after joining Chelsea fromAnderlecht made 35 appearances scoring 17 times for the Baggies, impre sing in every aspect of his game.The initial quality of both players was highlighted when top level clubs in the Premier League and theBundesliga were asking for short term loans. Lukaku and De Bruyne showed that they can perform at the highest level and hadenquiries from both of their respected parent clubs to continue the loan deals for another season, but Chelsea said No giving the reasons that they would use both players.Both youngsters featured for Chelsea in pre season, community shield and the early start to the season and played well. https://www.shopprocanadiens.com/joe-morrow-jersey Both players played in the Super cup where Lukaku mi sed the decisive penalty and De Bruyne misplaced a few key pa ses. Since then, they have not played again for Chelsea. the club back tracked on the decision to loan out Lukaku where he joined Everton on transfer deadline day on a season long loan. He has played 3 games, scored 4 goals and 2 a sists. Kevin De Bruyne has been left out of the Champions league squad and hasnt been allowed to leave on loan, with his only football since being dropped has being featuring for the reserves.in the 2013/14 Summer transfer window Chelsea have bought in 7 new players costing a significant amount of money. (shown below).Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen) UndisclosedMario van Ginkel (Vite se Arnhem) UndisclosedMark https://www.shopprocanadiens.com/artturi-lehkonen-women-jersey Schwarzer (Fulham) FreeCristian Cuevas (OHiggins) UndisclosedWillian (Anzhi Makhachkala) UndisclosedSamuel Etoo (Anzhi Makhachkala) UndisclosedChristian AtsuSo why are teams spending all this money when they have already previously spent millions buying players for the future and over looking them when they play well? Young people are promised a bright future at the biggest clubs in England but not given the chance to show their worth at their clubs. Instead, go out and spend on new players! It seems to be a cycle many clubs are taking and mi sing out on the quality that they have already got. Arsenal have proven if a club buys a young player, progre s them through their youth ranks, reserves https://www.shopprocanadiens.com/saku-koivu-kids-jersey and first team, them can make a good lower league player into a quality Premier League profe sional.

Delightful De Bruyne Sees City Cruise Pa


City had the first chance in the 3rd minute, when De Bruyne forced Leno to tip https://www.prosharksstore.com/marc-edouard-vlasic-women-jersey his free-kick over the bar.A minute later, Xhaka picked up a really unfortunate injury, and he had to be stretchered off.Then, in the 37th minute, De Bruyne found Mahrez all alone 8 yards away from goal, but Leno rushed out and deprived the Algerian of a real chance.A minute later, De Bruyne replicated the pa s, this time for Sterling, but his chip went too high. Just before half-time, David Luiz me sed up his block after a Kevin De Bruyne pa s, and Sterling was there to smash it home.4 minutes after half-time, Luiz brought Mahrez down in the box. That saw him sent off, and gifted City a penalty, which De Bruyne dispatched.After that, it was all City. However, in the 80th minute, Ederson went clattering into Garcia, and flattened the youngster. After a lengthy delay, he was stretchered off, and City were down to 10 men.In the 91st minute, Sterling and Agero linked up to send the Argentine through on goal, but Leno tipped his effort onto the post. Foden was there to follow up though, and he found the empty net.So, it ended 3-0 to the Cityzens, who announced their return in style.Tactics:As always, City dominated po se sion and looked to break Arsenal down. Their wingers tucked inside, allowing the midfielders Silva and De Bruyne in particular to roam out wide.The visitors tried to build https://www.prosharksstore.com/jannik-hansen-jersey out from the back whenever they had the ball, but that became very difficult and rare after they lost a man.Ratings:Manchester CityEderson Had little to do in terms of goalkeeping, but his distribution was mind-blowing as usual. The only wrong thing he did was the attempted a sault on Garcia. 7.25Kyle Walker Brilliant down the right, as he went up and down the flank to create chances and help in defence. 7Eric Garca Was called into action a few times early on, and he responded perfectly. Brilliant thereafter as well. Went off after a horrible knock. I really hope he is fine. 7.25Aymeric Laporte Had little to do at the back, but he did it well. 6.75Benjamin Mendy Great on the left flank, especially defensively, as he kept Sako very quiet. 6.75David Silva Drove all of his sides attacks from midfield, in a vintage display. El Mago is back as we know him. 7.25lkay Gndoan Brilliant in holding midfield, as he kicked his sides moves into action with his brilliant pa sing. Worked his socks off too. 8Kevin De Bruyne Took a while to settle into the match, but once he did, he ran the midfield. Created a ton of chances, caused the opener with his pa s, and converted the penalty well. 8.25Riyad Mahrez Looked great down the right, as he threatened with his dribbling. Did very well to win the penalty and send Luiz for an early shower. 6.75Gabriel Jesus Worked hard up front, and had https://www.prosharksstore.com/marc-edouard-vlasic-jersey a couple of chances too, but failed to score. 6.5Raheem Sterling Looked brilliant, as he tormented the Arsenal defence from the left and ended his 2020 duck with a sumptuous finish. After the substitutions, he was sent to the right, where he looked decent. 7.25Subs:Bernardo Silva Looked good in midfield after being sent on. 6.25Philip Foden Got a great goal after his run acro s the pitch in the dying stages. Great for the half-hour that he was on too. 6.75Rodri Slotted in well in defensive midfield for the last 20 minutes. 6Fernandinho Solid at the back for the time that he was on. 6.25Sergio Agero Really unlucky to hit the post, but he did well for the time he was on. 5.75Team City didnt look overly sharp for the first half-hour, but they dominated po se sion for the whole match. After settling in though, they began carving the Arsenal defence like a pumpkin for Halloween. They had countle s chances, and but for Leno, they could have had 6 or 7. A brilliant display from them. 7.75ArsenalBernd Leno Made quite a few great saves, and cant be blamed for the goals. Hes the only reason that Arsenal didnt concede 5+. 7.75Hctor Bellern Didnt do too well at the https://www.prosharksstore.com/nicolas-meloche-kids-jersey back, and had zero impact in attack. 4.75Shkodran Mustafi Not great at the back, as he allowed a lot of chances. 4.25Pablo Mar Decent for the time he was on, but his niggle almost cost his side a goal. 5.5Kieran Tierney Alright down the left as he tried to hold out in defence. 5.5Joe Willock Had little impact on the match. 4.75Matto Guendouzi Alright in midfield, but he fail do too much in way of attack. 5.25Granit Xhaka Picked up an unfortunate injury early on, and had to be brought off.Bukayo Saka Saw a bit of the ball down the right, but failed to create anything with it. 5.25Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Made a few decent runs, but his teammates just refused to find him, so he had a very quiet day at the office. The lack of service today may even make him consider his future for the club. 5.75Eddie Nketiah Had one or two half-chances, but nothing to work with bar that. 5.5Subs:Dani Ceballos Held his sides midfield in place after he was sent on early. 6.5David Luiz Absolute horror-show. Made a mistake leading to goal, gave away a penalty and got sent off. All of that in 23 minutes. 2Ainsley Maitland-Niles Had little impact after coming on. 5Alexandre Lacazette Had one major chance after coming on, but he failed to make it count. 4.75Rei s Nelson Didnt make too much happen. 4.5Team Arsenal looked good for the first half-hour, when they created a couple of chances too. But after City stepped up, they crumbled. Their defence was e sentially non-existent, and after Luiz saw red, that became worse. Leno was the only https://www.prosharksstore.com/sharks-blank-jersey reason that this match was not an embarra sment. Arsenal still seem to be quarantined, and the two teams were very m

How Manchester United can beat Liverpool


Manchester United have endured a disappointing https://www.prokingsedge.com/jonny-brodzinski-jersey beginning to their Premier League and they find themselves languishing in the after the opening eight games with just two points separating them from the drop zone.As such, there are pretty much no positives to carry forward but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to quickly regroup his team following the international break with arch-rivals Liverpool making the Old Trafford trip.The Reds are currently a staggering 15 points ahead of United in the league standings and they are also experiencing their best spell of the Premier League era, having won the previous 17 games in the top-flight.Still, they dont have a dominating record against the Red Devils with from the previous 10 league meetings and United will be determined to stop their rut while ending the Reds winning streak. Here are a few ways United could inflict a first defeat of the league season on LiverpoolGet Anthony Martial fit and leading the line: Martial has mi sed more than a month of https://www.prokingsedge.com/butch-goring-kids-jersey action with a and during this period, Marcus Rashford has been handed with the centre-forward duties. The England international has genuinely struggled to make an impre sion with his reluctance to gamble early in the box and he has regularly dropped deep to get po se sion of the ball rather than maintaining his position centrally. With Martial, there should be an improvement with his mobility in the box while he remains a natural finisher when compared to Rashford, who has been prone to squandering clear-cut chances in the early part of the season. Martial has recently returned to after his recent injury setback and Solskjaer will be hoping that the Frenchman can enhance his fitne s during the international break.Nullify the threat from Sadio Mane: Mohamed Salah has been the main point of attraction when the teams have met previously. Moreover, the duel between Ashley Young and Salah has been interesting to watch. Young had the better of Salah from left-back during a 2-1 win at Old Trafford last year but the latter redeemed himself in the next https://www.prokingsedge.com/drew-doughty-men-jersey meeting at Anfield, where he played in a more central role. A similar tu sle could be on the cards next weekend but the Red Devils need to be more wary of the movement of Sadio Mane on the opposite flank. The Senegal international has bagged the same number of goals () as Salah this term (ignoring the Super Cup) but he has been more impre sive with the off the ball movement, workrate and high-pre sing. Aaron Wan-Bi saka has been immense for United https://www.prokingsedge.com/jonny-brodzinski-women-jersey with his strong tackling abilities from the right-back position but the youngster will surely need more support with Mane potentially doubling up with Andrew Robertson on the attack.Play Paul Pogba in an attacking midfield role: Paul Pogba mi sed the Newcastle United game before the international break https://www.prokingsedge.com/nic-dowd-jersey with a recurrence of his ankle problem but Solskjaer has suggested that the Frenchman . Still, the manager will need to tweak from his recent tactics such that Pogba can get onto the ball regularly in a position higher up the field. Pogba has largely played in a deeper midfield role this term and this has reduced his ability to find the defensive splitting pa s for his forwards. The 26-year-old does have the tendency to be dispo se sed when he is playing in an advanced midfield position but he is still Uniteds best creative player ahead of Andreas Pereira and Angel Gomes, who have failed to impre s while Juan Mata has looked past his prime.

Triumphant Arsenal ease the pressure


Trudging home from the Emirates last night was not the depre sing experience Id built it up to be. Yes my hands were numb, everybody was tired and my throat was hoarse but we were coming out of what had been an electrifying second half to a match that many Gunners had been dreading. Arsenal fans are no strangers to criticising players (I direct you now to the legendary YouTube video discarding van Persie which has a wonderful description of Bentner too) and after the dire display on Sunday theyd be right to. https://www.progoldenknights.com/erik-haula-men-jersey There were moments in Sundays game when the players seemed indifferent making no real effort to get the ball let alone keep it; it was one of the rare occasions Ive left the Emirates feeling angry. So it was no surprise that the mood in the North Bank was le s than optimistic throughout the relatively dull first half, the fan beside me muttering this has got extra time written all over it as the half time whistle blew.So far the game resembled the first FA Cup draw at Swansea City, a dull first half which would hopefully lead to a more productive second half. While a goal heavy second half is desirable purely for entertainment reasons-nobody wants a dull match on a freezing night-Arsenal had had a lead in the second half of the first leg https://www.progoldenknights.com/ryan-carpenter-women-jersey and had thrown it away, last minute, in true Arsenal style. While its slightly embarra sing that there was so little faith in the Gunners from their own fans (I include myself) after a quiet January transfer wise and a run of bad results it would be hard for any Gunner to be positive. As it ended all square at half time https://www.progoldenknights.com/cody-eakin-women-jersey some fans were relieved, Arsenals track record against in form Swansea was not good and after a 2-0 lo s at the Emirates in the league, even a home fixture was a worry. The team on Sunday had been described as demoralised and more harshly, not bothered about the game were a team who could quite easily take a game to penalties, thankfully that team didnt show up.The second half bought a renewed enthusiasm to the Arsenal players they were inventive in the box having shot after shot on goal. The attacking flair that had been lacking in recent times had returned and the fans were up in arms, despite this the score line still remained a frustrating, 0-0. However towards the end of the match after countle s saves by a heroic Vorm that second of magic needed to produce a goal finally happened. Jack Wilshere, who had played magnificently all night finally beat the keeper to the delight of the crowd and his https://www.progoldenknights.com/ryan-carpenter-jersey team mates. Wilsheres performance all night was stellar, not to sound too clichd he put in 110% to everything he did, if there was any night for Wilshere to show the fans what theyd been mi sing of late. Wilsheres performance, his work ethic and his loyalty are the reasons many people are calling him the new Mr Arsenal. Overall it was an enjoyable second half both teams were playing to score, Swansea as expected, were no pushovers and that moment of dread when the number of goal scoring Michu appeared on the substitute board was collectively felt by Arsenal fans. Despite the tenacity of their opponents Arsenal outshone Swansea and its only due to Vorm that the score line is so low. https://www.progoldenknights.com/brendan-leipsic-jersey As the final whistle blew and Super Jack rang out from the stands it was hard to think that maybe, just maybe Arsenal will be okay.

The future of Georgios Samaras at Celtic


The thought of Georgios Samaras leaving Celtic this month will make some Celtic fans very happy and relieved, but for others the thought of the big Greek leaving will make some fans disappointed.Since arriving at Celtic in 2008 on a initial loan deal from Manchester City, Samaras has divided opinion between Celtic fans with his inconsistent performances and sometimes lazy attitude towards a game. His ability was never in doubt though when he decided to turn up to a game and perform, he is sometimes unstoppable with his forward running and pace.I am of the opinion that Samaras is a key member of the current Celtic team and want him to stay at the club. Last season was the best I have ever witne sed Samaras perform, Neil Lennon got the best out of him during the Champions League campaign with him scoring in every single away game. He played best out on the left wing and was https://www.prodtredwings.com/jonathan-ericsson-jersey always a danger at set pieces. Last season he seemed to consistently have the ability to stretch games and go for a run down the wing when everyone else was tired and he would test the opposition. I think every Celtic fan would agree that playing Samaras upfront isa waste of time sometimes as he is no where near as effective as on the wing. It has taken time to realize this though as he did originally sign for Celtic as an out an out striker. He scored 14 goals last season which is his second best goal tally since being at Celtic and he was definitely a key factor in the Champions League run last season as he is often described as a European Player with his style of play. He often struggles to replicate his form in Europe back to the Scottish League though because of the tight pitches and the general tough tackling https://www.prodtredwings.com/frans-nielsen-men-jersey of the Scottish game. This is the cause of many frustrated Celtic fans when talking about Samaras, because how can a player go from having a good game against the likes of Barcelona to then struggling to even touch the ball against the likes of St Mirren, with all due respect to St Mirren.Samaras contract runs out in July and although Celtic have https://www.prodtredwings.com/detroit-red-wings-jacket offered him a contract, he is unsure where his future lies. He is 28 now and has won everything he can at Celtic and been to the last 16 of the Champions League twice with Celtic so what more can he po sible achieve? I would not blame him for leaving, however I do want him to stay, I still think he has a lot to offer Celtic and I honestly cannot see him going to another club in the Champions League and getting the game time he does at Celtic so if he does want to leave Celtic, giving up Champions League football may have to be a reality for him. The clubs reportedly in line for him are Atletico Madrid of Spain, Lazio of Italy, Hull City and Aston Villa of England and even Toronto FC of Canada who play in the MLS.Realistically I could see Samaras going to either Hull City or Aston Villa in England. Hull are a real teamwork based side and play nice attacking football as seen by their thrashing of Fulham 6-0 so if played on the wing at Hull I could see him https://www.prodtredwings.com/johan-franzen-men-jersey doing well down there and boosting their survival hopes in the Premier League. Aston Villa is also a good option for Samaras but Paul Lambert prefers to buy younger players for his side so I am not sure if he would buy a 28 year old Samaras but you never know,if he is available for cheap, Aston Villa may snap him up. Going to Athletico Madird would be a bad career move in my opinion, if he wants playing time I cannot see him getting that at arguably the third best https://www.prodtredwings.com/trevor-daley-men-jersey team in Spain. Lazio could be a good move for him, a mid table Serie A team, new country, new league, it could be a good move for him. Finally, Toronto FC should not even be considered by Samaras unle s he is finished with football in Europe altogether and does not want to win any more trophies because with no disrespect to Toronto FC, they do not look like winning the MLS anytime soon, and although the standard of football in the MLS may be higher than the Scottish Premiership, I think it is still a step down overall and at 28 years old, a move to the MLS is too early right now for him.Samaras may not even leave Celtic and he might sign a new contract and I really hope he does because an on form Samaras is worth his weight in gold when playing in Europe and he is crucial to the development of this current team.

Manchester City This is how it feels


Id say it was sometime around 4:40pm on Sunday the 13th of May this year when I found myself staring into the aby s.I could only watch from my seat in the South Stand at the Etihad Stadium as my dearly beloved Manchester City trailed 2-1 to 10-man Queens Park Rangers with just five minutes of normal time remaining on the final day of the Premier League season. https://www.prodallasstars.com/radek-faksa-women-jersey It was a match that had meant everything to us, and it wasnt supposed to be this way.Only an hour earlier, the thousands of people around me had been a colourful sea of excitement and anticipation, but when I looked up at twenty to five I saw dejection, anger and disappointment. Some of them cried and some of them upped and left. Like most of them, I stayed and watched as the dream of a first league title in 44 years drifted further and further away.I wont lie, I wanted to leave, I really did. City had been chasing the game for a good twenty minutes by this stage but hadnt even looked like scoring one goal, never mind the two theyd need to win the title. I dont know if it was a misplaced pa s or yet another unchallenged header back to the half way line by a QPR defender that clinched it for me, but https://www.prodallasstars.com/erik-condra-kids-jersey Im ashamed to admit I gave up and just couldnt bear to watch any longer. I thought about heading for the exit but I felt too nauseous to move. I also knew my mum, who was sitting beside me, simply wouldnt allow it. A million thoughts raced through my mind as I held my head in my hands and fought back tears. I thought of everything this godforsaken club had put me through during my years of support and devotion. I recalled the occasional highs but mostly the interminable lows, and how they all paled into insignificance when compared with this, the almightiest of cock-ups, playing out before my very eyes. The phrase typical City had never felt as apt as it did right then.I also thought of United, who Id rightly a sumed were still leading at Sunderland and moments away from pipping us to the title on a day when even theyd admitted it was beyond them. I conjured up the cruellest and most vile of images; Ferguson and Rooney dancing in celebration on the pitch as they held the trophy aloft, the back pages of the newspapers the following day, and the horrible rats who would no doubt emerge from the sewer to laugh, chastise and gloat on my way home. It was a day that had promised so much but which I knew would take me months, maybe even years, to recover from if it ended like this.As the fourth official raised his electronic board to signal five minutes of added time, I thought of something else. I thought of the Division Two Play-Off Final at Wembley in 1999 and the two dramatic goals in five minutes of extra time that day that https://www.prodallasstars.com/jaromir-jagr-kids-jersey had so enchanted my 11-year-old self and condemned me to this life of City addiction. I remembered how Id begged my dad to stay and watch when a much le ser City team had gone 2-0 down to Gillingham, and how what had seemed like childish naivety had paid off when hed cried on my shoulder not long afterwards. It was a comforting thought, but it did little to ease my despair in that moment.That was until, right on cue, the latter day Kevin Horlock (played by Edin Dzeko) popped up and scored a goal which would have been scant consolation had the game finished 2-2 but gave City a beaming glimmer of hope. My body was still paralysed with grief but in my head I began to dream again. The thousands of people around me came back to life, their spirits resurrected.What happened in the ensuing few minutes cannot be described in mere words, and I should know. On several occasions over the past three months Ive attempted to find a way to articulate the plethora of emotions I experienced that day and every time I have failed. There are probably few people left on the planet who arent familiar with the moment Im referring to, but with 93 minutes on the clock Sergio Aguero had played a tight one-two with Mario Balotelli and glided into the penalty area beyond the futile flailing legs of half a dozen QPR defenders before slamming the ball into the back of the net to win the Premier League with the last kick of the season. Words like ecstasy and exhilaration are all well and good, but they do it a di service and seem inane and dispa sionate when I think of https://www.prodallasstars.com/radek-faksa-men-jersey how I actually felt.That goal, much like Paul Dickovs in 1999, was on a par with nothing else I have ever experienced in my life. I am pa sionate about many things, but never have I exhibited such an explosion of joy as I did in that moment, never have I shouted, cried and laughed simultaneously and never have I completely lost myself as I did right then. The unenlightened will find it ridiculous, but its testament that in the aftermath of what will rightly be remembered as the finest end to a Premier League season in history, the impact of Citys glory on all kinds of people was totally apparent as the YouTube videos and tributes flooded in from acro s the globe. It may have taken millions of pounds worth of oil money to achieve, but the manner in which City became Champions on that beautiful sunny day in Manchester was incomprehensibly awe inspiring, and everyone agrees.A lot of demons were banished that day and it will live long in the memory of everyone who was alive to witne s it. Weve already been told that well never see anything like it ever again, and maybe thats true, but the future is unwritten and I can only hope that I will https://www.prodallasstars.com/valeri-nichushkin-jersey once again feel the way I did on the 13th of May.This is how it feels to be City.

Griezmanns Atletico Madrid decision is b


Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann.The La Liga title race for next season will always include Atletico Madrid, you can use this to back your preferred winner. Any Atleti title challenge will need their best players sticking around, and there is some good news on that front.Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann ended months of speculation after committing his future to the Rojiblancos in a . Barcelona and Manchester United were previously keen on the French international but made little progre s in agreeing a deal this summer which raised suggestions that he might indeed https://www.probluesstore.com/jake-dotchin-kids-jersey stay at the Wanda Metropolitano.But after that Griezmann had made two different videos, one containing a statement saying hell stay at Atleti and one saying the opposite, hes come under a lot of criticism. The 27-year-old should be preparing for the 2018 World Cup with France, but instead hes been leading the media a merry chase and has come out of this looking very self-indulged.Why so much cryptic behaviour to commit his future to Atleti?Many will ask why Griezmann took so long and acted so strangely if he was always going to https://www.probluesstore.com/colten-ellis-jersey stay at Atleti. The Frenchman told interviewers for weeks that he wasnt ready to give his decision, so what was he waiting for? Barcelona certainly wont be happy if this was always Griezmanns attention as they were looking to bring him to the Camp Nou before the World Cup started. Numerous sources even said there was a deal agreed between Atleti and Barcelona for 88m, his release clause but that all turned out to be false. So much time was wasted on Griezmann and now Barca have to look at other targets to bolster their attack, many of whom https://www.probluesstore.com/vince-dunn-jersey could be busy at the World Cup.For a long-serving player with a good relationship with the fans, Griezmann has risked upsetting a lot of people by turning his Atleti future into a soap opera. The Spanish club certainly wont appreciate https://www.probluesstore.com/chad-johnson-kids-jersey being kept in the dark, nor will they be pleased to hear he had recorded an Im leaving version of the video. They too will wonder if the forward genuinely considered an exit or if he was always staying.Spanish football expert Guillem Balague : He had prepared all this for a long time. All those conversations shown took place in April. He actually got in touch with the TV company an hour before the show to tell them which video to put out there. As you can imagine, there has been a lot of criticism, even from Atletico fans who feel they have been taken for a ride.Atleti will be happy with the outcome regardle sWhen the dust settles, Atletico Madrid will treat this as very good news regardle s. Keeping their best and most influential player bodes well for their future. Atleti finished second in La Liga last season and won the Europa League, so the future looks bright at the Wanda Metropolitano.Since joining from Real Sociedad in 2014, Griezmann has scored over 100 goals in more than 200 appearances in all competitions and was outstanding last season 29 goals in 49 games in 2017/18. Its good news for Atleti that hes staying but bad news https://www.probluesstore.com/derrick-pouliot-kids-jersey he announced the decision in this manner.