Sport
SEVEN DAYS IN SEVEN POINTS
Seven days in seven points
Gerard Pique believes Barcelona and Real Madrid would struggle to win Premier League
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who has previously had a spell at Manchester United, this week claimed that both Barca and Real Madrid would struggle to win the Premier League in their first season were they to join the English top tier. He said that they would ‘struggle’ to adapt, and would find it ‘difficult’ to visit tough-tackling sides like Stoke. He’s got a point. The Premier League and La Liga are of course very different divisions, with very differing styles, but could the big boys win the Premier League? Yes, I think they could – and in the current climate I can’t help but feel they’d be one and two by quite some way.
Children in the United States have been banned from heading the ball
US Soccer has announced that children under the age of 11 will be banned from heading the ball as part of an ongoing campaign to reduce the risk of head injuries obtained via playing sports. It’s fair to say the decision has split opinion; a number of US lawyers have backed the move, while former footballer Lee Dixon and Exeter striker Clinton Morrison called the ruling ‘crazy’. Personally, I back it. Not only will concussions and other related head injuries be reduced, but it will also encourage children to keep the ball on the floor and improve their technical ability, which can only be a good thing.
Should Tottenham have ambitions of winning the league this season?
Former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas certainly thinks so. Speaking to Yahoo Sport, he said that Mauricio Pochettino should be telling his players not to think about getting a top four spot, but about the prospect of winning the league. Do I agree with this mentality? In a way, yes; it’s great to have ambition – of course it is – and it’s always positive to strive to achieve, but can Tottenham win the league this season? No, of course they can’t.
Could Dante be the answer to Chelsea’s troubles?
Wolfsburg defender Dante, 32, formerly of Bayern Munich, has issued a thinly veiled come-and-get-me plea to Premier League champions Chelsea after saying he would ‘love’ to play for Jose Mourinho’s side. The Brazilian defender, who only moved to Wolfsburg this summer, was deemed surplus to requirements by Pep Guardiola – largely due to his often erratic defensive performances. Would he be of benefit to Chelsea’s current defence? Possibly. Should Chelsea be targeting him? Not a chance. There are better (and younger) players out there – John Stones, for one – that the Blues should be bidding for.
Premier League fans will, quite rightly, not back down on ticket prices
Premier League fan groups have, yet again, called for additional funding for away tickets. The Away Fans’ Initiative currently provides £200,000 to each Premier League club, but the groups are campaigning for that figure to rise to £1m from next season. The campaign, which has made headlines a number of times in recent years, will continue – that’s for certain – but if they are truly serious then they need to vote with their feet and stop going to games. It’s all well and good asking for fairness, but the only way to get Premier League bosses to truly listen is to stop spending money.
Palace and Leicester continue to impress
Leicester sit 3rd, Palace sit 8th. Leicester are only one point off top, while Palace are only two points off fifth. After 3 or 4 games it’s often the case that there are a few surprise names at the top of the division, but it’s not so common after 12. We’re almost 1/3 of the way through the season, and it doesn’t look like either Leicester or Palace will be going away any time soon. I’d love to see them grab a European spot – particularly Leicester – so hopefully they’ll be able to keep up their good form until May.
Falcao (the fustal one) has scored yet another beauty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnmoqfstvSs
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