Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Former United and Liverpool legends back petition to save their clubs
The call by former Premier League stars for better regulation in English football will be music to the ears of fans across the country. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards are amongst the ex-players who are urging the UK government to appoint an independent regulator. They are calling on fans to sign a petition which will force the government to debate the matter if more than 100,000 signatures are collected. The petition is already well on its way to hitting the target as people across football throw their weight behind the idea. The recent European Super League proposal highlighted the disdain with which some elements of football view the current picture. Many people within the sport believe that the appointment of a regulatory body would help to represent the interests of t...
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms double Man United injury boost, provides Harry Maguire update
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed a double injury boost ahead of the club’s Premier League clash against Fulham. The Red Devils have already qualified for next season’s Champions League, but have lost momentum with back-to-back losses to Leicester City and Liverpool. They will be aiming to return to winning ways against the Cottagers at Old Trafford tomorrow, where 10,000 fans will be in attendance. Ahead of the game, Solskjaer confirmed a boost on the injury front with both Daniel James and Anthony Martial back in training after rehabilitation. He told Manutd.com: “They [Daniel and Anthony] have done all their rehab programmes and ticked all the boxes so a couple of days of training before the game with the team, but they’re not ready to start a game yet. Let’s ...
Three Things: Shankly would be horrified, West Ham blow chance, Leeds on the rise
It’s Monday morning again, which means it’s time to roll out our latest ‘Three Things’ column. Thankfully there wasn’t much diving going on over the weekend, so we’ll have to focus on other stuff. Let’s start things off by getting stuck into Liverpool. When is the open-top bus parade? “If you are first, you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.” Former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly’s iconic comment perfectly summed up his attitude to football. If Shankly had been around today, he’d have been horrified by the wild celebrations that followed Alisson’s late winner at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Sure, a goal scored by a goalkeeper is a rare occurrence. However, this was a goal against a relegated club that moved Liverpool from fifth to, erm, fifth position in the Premier League. ...
National League Overview: From Torquay United To Hebburn Town
‘Non-League’ is an umbrella term used to describe all football outside of the top four divisions within England and Wales, or out of the top 92 clubs each season in other words. Each different level of non-league is known as a ’Step’, with each of these steps having a varying number of leagues within it. In truth, there are far too many steps to reference in just one article. However, to provide a small idea of the different levels, we’re going to take a look at the first five steps of the non-league football pyramid and profile a club who currently lie within each of those. Step 1: Torquay United (National League) Leagues: 1 (National League) We start at the very top of the non-league pyramid and, to be honest, it’s the easiest one to explain as there’s only one league within ‘step 1’ – t...
Rangers reportedly want to re-sign Premier League-linked 21-goal midfielder
Watford want Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson this summer and have seen a £2 million bid rejected, according to The Sun. The Hornets are preparing for life back in the Premier League and they reckon the Scottish ace would be a top addition to their squad. However, they are not the only ones keen on Ferguson, with Rangers also keeping tabs on him. Manager Steven Gerrard wants to defend the Scottish Premiership title next term and is keen to make quality summer recruitment, but the Light Blues will not be getting their former academy player for cheap. Ferguson spent four years in the Rangers setup but was released at 14 before making a name for himself at Hamilton Academical. He joined Aberdeen three years ago and has since established himself as a key player, scoring 21 goals in 124 appea...
‘Unselfish’: Pundit says Leeds have a player who is ‘definitely’ similar to Liverpool star
Garth Crooks has showered heaps of praise on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The popular BBC Sport pundit has even compared him with Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, and former great Manchester United midfielder Bryan Robson. Phillips was simply outstanding last weekend as Leeds won 4-0 against Burnley away from home at Turf Moor in the Premier League. Crooks has been highly impressed with Phillips and praised him for his unselfishness. He has included the 25-year-old in his team of the weak for BBC Sport. He said: “The player at the heart of some glorious football for Leeds was Kalvin Phillips. A beautiful striker of the ball, always looking to play forward and totally unselfish. “I’ve likened his game to that of Manchester United legend Bryan Robson, which might have be...
‘Interesting’ – €45m centre-back with ‘a body like Van Dijk’ reacts to Liverpool links
Lille defender Sven Botman was heavily linked with Liverpool in January as manager Jurgen Klopp sought a quality centre-back. Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were all out injured, and the Reds were forced to play Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at the back. Liverpool brought in Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies on transfer deadline day but are still likely to bolster their backline in the summer and have already been linked with RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate. It remains to be seen whether they are still keen on Botman, but he is under consideration at an array of top sides after his impressive campaign with Lille. The French side are two wins away from pipping Paris Saint-Germain to the title, and the 21-year-old has been crucial to their rise. Lille have conceded only 22 league goals, givin...
‘Saved us’, ‘Big impact’ – Some West Ham fans lavish praise on 25-yr-old after 1-1 draw
West Ham United were held to a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League last night. Late goals from Danny Welbeck and Said Benrahma ensured that the points were shared between the two sides. The draw was a major blow to West Ham’s Champions League hopes, and they will now concentrate on securing their place in the Europa League next season. The Londoners have had an impressive campaign, and David Moyes would have expected a better showing from his players last night. Midfielder Benrahma scored his first Premier League goal for West Ham, and his late strike could prove to be crucial in the race for Europa League qualification. The Algerian came on after the hour mark and made an immediate impact for the visitors. Apart from his goal, the 25-year-old added flair and cr...
‘Incredible achievement’ – Former Celtic hero reacts to Rangers’ unbeaten league campaign
Rangers picked up a 4-0 win over Aberdeen to wrap up a hugely successful season in the Scottish Premiership yesterday. Kemar Roofe (2), Joe Lewis (OG) and Jermain Defoe were on the scoresheet as the Gers romped to another comfortable victory. Steven Gerrard’s men have been the best team in the country over the past year, finishing the season with 32 wins and six draws, At the start of the season, Celtic were expected to win their tenth league title in a row, and few people would have expected Rangers to perform the way they have. The Ibrox outfit have been superb in attack and defensively rock solid. Rangers have conceded just 13 goals in the league this season. Their domestic success has been built on strong defensive foundations, and Gerrard will be eager to add to his squad and rep...
Hayes’ bullishness exposed as Barcelona run riot against Chelsea
Chelsea Women’s hopes of winning the Champions League were ruthlessly ended by Barcelona in Gothenburg on Sunday evening. The Blues’ head coach Emma Hayes’ pre-match declaration that ‘it’s our time’ was brutally exposed as hyperbolic nonsense by the supremely talented Spanish outfit. It’s almost time 🙌 Here’s how the side’s line-up in Gothenburg 🏆 Live on Youtube & BT Sport 2 HD 💻/📺#UWCLfinal pic.twitter.com/sPlG1FPHUC — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 16, 2021 Barca made their intentions known from the outset, taking full advantage of Chelsea’s shaky backline to open the scoring inside the first minute. The English side failed to clear their lines after Lieke Martins’ long-range effort rattled the crossbar, with Fran Kirby’s sloppy clearance...
Newcastle United considering move for 13-cap international, could be available for £10m this summer
Newcastle United are considering a possible approach for Leeds United forward Tyler Roberts this summer, Football Insider reports. The Welshman is currently in his third season with the Whites, where he has registered 26 appearances for the club in all competitions. Roberts was in-and-out of the starting line-up earlier this term but has seen regular playing time during the back end of the campaign. Despite this, he has yet to score his maiden Premier League goal for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, although he has a couple of assists to his name. Roberts’ current deal expires in less than 14 months, and the Whites are yet to negotiate a suitable deal with the 13-cap Welsh international. The Magpies are weighing up a possible move for the the versatile attacker, who could be available for around&nbs...
Daniel Ek on ‘rejected’ Arsenal bid, still interested in owning the club
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has confirmed that his Arsenal takeover bid has been rejected by the club’s American owners. The Swedish billionaire has already outlined his idea to buy the north Londoners from Kroenke Sports Entertainment (KSE). After an initial flurry of activity, things had gone a bit quiet, but Ek has now spoken out. Wanting to clear up any misconceptions about the bid, the Spotify owner released a statement on social media. Following reports today I want to correct the record with attached statement pic.twitter.com/CzfF0Y76K4 — Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) May 15, 2021 Although the first offer has been rejected, the Swede is still interested in purchasing the club and is keen on giving the fans a say in how the club will be run, report Sky Sports. SL View There has been plenty of press...
