#Etienne's Top Fives of 2016

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2016 - Kpop Edition:  Rookies (Boy Groups)

It is now time for me to move on to the next part of my Top Fives:  Kpop!  I’m going to start out with Rookies this year, and there have been a lot of Rookies that I’ve quite liked, many of them coming onto the scene close together at the start of the year.  I’m really enjoying seeing excellent groups coming out of an array of smaller companies.

For the purpose of keeping these lists not ridiculously long, I’m going to be linking one MV for each group, though I may mention other songs.

5.  Vromance

“SHE” MV

They debuted in July 2016, and I mostly heard about them because they’re labelmates with Mamamoo, and Hwasa was in this MV.  They’re an excellent four member vocal group, and I really enjoyed the concept of this MV (cute, dance battles lead to romance, I can get behind this, dance battles make more sense).  I’m mostly here for those excellent harmonies, so I don’t really know much of what they’ve been doing other than performing on music shows.  (If there’s stuff that they’ve done you think I’d like, feel free to send it my way.)  My cool bit of trivia since I don’t know them well enough to have a bias:  the oldest member is a few months older than me.

4.  NCT Dream

“Chewing Gum” MV

I in general wasn’t too interested in NCT as a concept, and I’m currently not too into SM as a company, but NCT Dream was adorable, and I am weak to adorable.  They kind of reminded me of early TFBoys (cute, very catchy, colorful, actually age appropriate).  They’re a bunch of adorable children, and they look like they’re having fun, the song is cute.  So far, I think that Chenle is the most adorable of the babies (they’re so young though, someone give them milk and cookies and make sure they’re getting enough sleep).

3. Voisper

“In Your Voice” MV 

Voisper was also a part of this year’s trend of amazing vocal quartets.  They debuted back in February 2016 with “In Your Voice,” and immediately, they earned my interest for the harmonies and lovely vocals.  They are such a great team, and it’s awesome to have found out that they were a group before they auditioned for anything and made it through a competition together as a group and were signed with member changes.  Like look at these awesome friends singing together, and singing awesome songs.  Also, honestly, all their songs are amazing, they have incredible voices.

2.  Imfact

“Lollipop” MV

Imfact debuted at the end of January 2016, and I knew right away that this year’s rookies were coming to grab my attention because there were a few groups I had been already looking forward to, and these boys came out of nowhere and had a song that I really enjoyed.  They’re really entertaining on shows and in their various videos on their YouTube channel, and they are one of the kpop groups heavily involved in their own writing, choreography, and production.  They’re also just utter goofballs.  Also, just... watch the MV... and glory in the ridiculousness, for it is vast and excellent.  My biases in the group are Jeup and Sang.

1. KNK

No other rookie boy group this year has grabbed my attention quite as firmly as KNK though.  The five of them seem like they would be a little bit of a strange mishmash of styles and talents initially, but put them together, and you get a group that is amazing and makes use of the talents of the different individuals spectacularly.  And just wow, their voices.  Their songs have all been awesome, and they sing so very well.  They’ve also got excellent stage presence, and they’re complete goofballs, which is something I very much appreciate.  Also, have I mentioned they’ve got nice voices.  They’ve got the vocal quality of some of the excellent ballad groups, while not being a ballad exclusive group, and don’t get me wrong, I like ballads, but I want some variety.  My biases are Inseong and Seungjun, but Heejun makes a valiant attempt to be on that list.  I like all of them honestly.

[animayze93]

Lille trace unlikely path towards French title

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain have claimed statement wins in Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League while leaving the door unlocked at home, giving Lille the chance of a first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Lille stunned PSG in the capital last weekend, winning 1-0 to go three points clear of the reigning champions with seven matches remaining.

PSG have lost eight times this season, while Monaco and Lyon are also within five points of Lille. It is an unpredictable title race, and the fact only the the top three qualify for next season’s Champions League adds spice.

Lille’s operating budget is understood to be around a quarter of PSG’s, but shrewd buying and selling has taken them to where they are, along with an outstanding coach in Christophe Galtier.

After finishing second to PSG in 2019 they sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for a reported 80 million euros ($87m).

In the last Ligue 1 season, curtailed due to the pandemic, they came fourth and then sold top scorer Victor Osimhen to Napoli for an initial 70 million euros.

Plenty more have left, but the knowledge of Luis Campos, a Portuguese super-scout who helped build Monaco’s title-winning team of 2017, allowed Lille to keep re-generating. 

Three starters against PSG — goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Boubakary Soumare and Jonathan Ikone — all left Paris for Lille in search of first-team football. Another ex-PSG youngster, Timothy Weah, did likewise and came off the bench for Lille in that game.

Lille have invested elsewhere though, including 27 million euros to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David from Gent — he scored the winner in Paris.

“This season, more than the last two, we have been very strong collectively despite having a bit less individual talent than the other three teams fighting for the title. Without that we wouldn’t be able to compete,” Galtier, in charge since late 2017, told AFP.

Previously successful at Saint-Etienne, Galtier has kept Lille on course despite off-pitch turbulence.

In December the club was sold to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund. Campos departed, while a new president was appointed.

Galtier feels this season has been his “biggest challenge”.

“We need to keep going and give ourselves the best possible chance while understanding we might not end up being champions and we might not even qualify for the Champions League. The key is to have no regrets,” he said.

The 54-year-old, once the assistant manager at Portsmouth, could go at the season’s end too and has been linked with Lyon and Nice.

However, he says he is entirely focused on delivering success to Lille, who face Metz this weekend.

“I am really happy here, but I don’t think I will stay for seven or eight years like I did at Saint-Etienne.”

Could he return to England?

“Four or five years ago I wanted to go abroad, less so now. If I did, I have always said the English league would be the dream. Their league has become the best in the world. There is so much passion!”

Player to watch: Kevin Volland

Volland has been a revelation for Monaco since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and you have to wonder why Joachim Loew continues to leave him in the wilderness from the Germany team.

The 28-year-old, last capped by his country in 2016, is one of the main reasons Monaco are title contenders, having scored 14 Ligue 1 goals. Monaco have lost just once in 16 games.

Key stats

10 – Lille are unbeaten in their last 10 away Ligue 1 games.

3 – PSG have lost their last three league games immediately following a Champions League fixture

11 – Bottom side Dijon have lost their last 11 Ligue 1 games. One more will see them equal the French top-flight record of 12 in a row set by CA Paris in 1933/34.

Fixtures (Kick-offs GMT)

Friday

Metz v Lille (1900)

Saturday

Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain (1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1900)

Sunday

Rennes v Nantes (1100), Brest v Nimes, Lens v Lorient, Nice v Reims, Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux (all 1300), Monaco v Dijon (1505), Lyon v Angers (1900)

Original Source Author: AFP

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[capitanogiorgio]

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 28, 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 55, 58, 67, 68, 70, 84, 85, 87, 88, 91, 93, 99 : GOOD LUCK 👍

1. Three teams you like 

Juventus, AS Cannes (and Valenciennes FC) and Liverpool

2. Three teams you do not like 

Inter, R Madrid and Nice

3. A team you can’t tolerate and you do not even know why

idk… I usually have a rugh idea why I don’t like a team of football especially if it’s at a “can’t tolerate” level. So no idea.

4. A team that surprised you in recent years (negative way or positive way) 

Actually the Spurs. I’ve never followed them apart from reading results or other relevent articles. They’ve progressed and have a strong team. There’s also Liverpool who has come back being a serious contender for titles, Klopp’s has done wonders.

6. The thing you dislike the most about your club or NT 

For both Italy and France it’s the lack of patience of the fans (and I know I can lack some at times). For France NT it’s especially that kind of French mentality that I’ve seen countless times : if we win, we’re the best, we’d known all along we would win but the minute they lose everyone’s like “Of course, french in sports are always so inconsistant, overpaid brats, smh, I knew we’d lose.” and stuff like that and it drives me mad.

For Juve, it’s that lately, there’s this big clash with the spirit of the club and a huge “marketing ideal” for lack of better term : the new logo, billion years away from the historical one, the huge rise in seats prices and a disdain for the ultras who pretty much are the only one who sings at the stadium and it just look like a big enterprise being run for maximum profit forgetting parts of what is essentials to the club in the process.

8. The one time football made you so happy you couldn’t stop smiling for days 

The first time was Italy NT’s win in 2006. I felt invicible at 10 years old. I had spent a whole month being teased at, Italy being insulted at recess, some kids not speaking to me because I was the only one supporting Italy and being shamelessly vocal about it. I spent all that journey on my own, even my parents thought it weird and I was devastated french TV wouldn’t show all the games of Italy NT or when my parents didn’t let me watch because I had school in the morrow. I was also very sad because I was being transferred in another school when I knew nobody and I’d lose all my friends because the school was in the neighbouring city. I learnt that the day before Italy - Germany and gosh, I cried and I cried again at the late goals of Grosso and Del Piero. It helped lessen my dramatic 10 year old self. And then the final, when Italy won I was so happy. I had to hid the remote control so my parents wouldn’t turn off the TV because they didn’t understand the point of watching since France had lost but I argued. I couldn’t tear my eyes of all my heroes lifting that golden cup and the next day when I faced everyone at school that had told me Italy was shit and would never win all month long. Biggest smile on my face. Three days later my mom took me to the sports shop and bought me the 4 stars jersey and I still have it today.

The second was when Cannes, while in 4th division, beat Saint-Etienne right for my birthday in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France. It was super cold and it went all the way to the penalties and we won and it was the first time I saw the stadium full, completely full with about 12000 people. It was magical. At the end there was a pitch invasion and players celebrated with fans it was amazing. We went to win against Plabennec and then against Montpellier, another Ligue 1 club ! We went up until the quarter finals but ultimately lost to Guingamp. But that feeling was… Amazing.

9. The one time football made you so sad you cried for days. 

First there was Cannes getting sent to 7th division. I thought it was so unfair since the owners had done fuck all while the team gave their max. There was Alex leaving Juve the way it happened. And more recently it was Italy not qualifying for the World Cup and Gigi leaving Juve. Gosh that one was a hard blow I spent the whole week crying from his press conference to the game and after.

11. Five players you really admire purely based on football

Giorgio Chiellini (what ??)

Paolo Maldini

Thierry Henry

Eden Hazard (saw him twice when he was in Lille and it was already a recital)

Iker Casillas

13. Five most underrated players in your opinion

So many qzesrdtfygu ! Any GKs and Defenders go there. For having many OM fans in my acquatainces and being up to date with their club as a result, I’d say Hiroki Sakai is really underrated. Unpopular opinion but Pippo Inzaghi was constantly underrated for saying his goals are easy and he’s lucky and he doesn’t know how to play. I said what I said. Danijel Subasic, my good peeps and that’s the truth. Hm Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris ???? ANYONE ???? (that counts as a two for one package). And as a very great and Scouse philosopher once said : “Gary Neville is the most underrated player”

14. Five most overrated players in your opinion

Ronald, Titbot, Rami (and even more since the world cup win), Ratmos, Müller (sorry Garance)

15. Name 3 most despicable figures in football in your opinion (coaches, players, owners, companies, anyone…)

UEFA and FIFA tbh.

16. What makes your favorite coach better than other coaches?

He screams like a metal rock star ! And he’s super intense :

Also because he’s done a tremendous work winning 4 Coppa Italia, 4 Scudetti, getting to two UCL finals and keep the team hungry for more !

22. Favorite Left Back today

Me of course aqzesrdtfqzesrdtfyghj ! Ugh today ? I’d go with De Sciglio (he’s polyvalent)

28. Your dream eleven

Buffon, Maldini, Chiellini, Scirea, Gattuso, Pirlo, Giggs, Beckham, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Vieri

35. Favorite tactical formation

4-3-3 or 3-5-2. Although my first love in managing games was the 4-1-2-1-2. Or as I like to call it : 4-4-2 losange !

39. A moment in football that changed you as a person. (e.g injuries, trophies, or transfers)

It’s honestly quite a rollercoaster when you’re ten years old to see your heroes win the world cup and then learn a week later that your favourite team is going to Serie B. I didn’t understand. That was the first time I really read all articles and papers I could find on the matter, even going to the public library to look at the ones I couldn’t buy and try and read everything to understand.

There was also Riccardo Montolivo’s injury just before the 2014 World Cup and Laurent Koscielny’s injury before the 2018 World Cup. I saw both happening in front of my very eyes and I felt awful, I almost wanted to cry. Injuries at such a time are, truly, the worst thing. And Montolivo wasn’t left alone by injuries afterwards and it breaks my heart.

Also, that 2005 ucl final like. The d r a m a (tm)

41. A player you are ashamed of loving

No shame, no regrets, just love !

43. Your achilles’ heel. The player who is your weakness.

Gigi Buffon (and Pippo Inzaghi)

44. Which team did you support the last time two teams you hated played against each other?

None, I wished for a draw aqzesrdtfygu

55. Three players from past generations you wish you had seen

Gaetano Scirea, Giampiero Boniperti and George Best (and Lev Yashin)

58. Most undeserving winners you can think of

Portugal at Euro 2016. They had the crappiest run and yet…..

67. A rival player you wish had joined your team

MON-TO-LI-VO, Icare about nothing ! Otherwise, although he’s a milanista through and through, would have love Gattuso at Juve, see how it would have been.

68. The time you really thought about leaving football

I never wanted to left but I had breaks. It especially coincided when I was playing football myself and the club’s environement was shit. I received insults just because I was 100% at training and dared tackle the ball away from the starlette diva of the team and the coaches didn’t bat an eye. Spent a whole year like this before I had enough and changed club.

70.The best transfer decision your club made

Just saying but buying Andrea Barzagli from Wolfsburg for 300k was like. Genius.

84. A player you wish you could’ve known in real life because you really think you guys could’ve been best friends.

I’d go with Andrea Pirlo, my good bitch I love dearly

85. A player who you want as your partner (lover, boyfriend, husband)

Pippo Inzaghi or Alessandro Del Piero.

87. Five players who others find attractive but you just don’t see it

Max Allegri for Beatrice Icardi, Luka Modric, Griezmann,

88. A player you think you totally would have had a crush on if you were born in another generation

Probably George Best and Paolo Rossi

91. A player who you think has the worst sense when it comes to fashion

Pretty much all players who lived the 90′s and early 2000s. But like… Gigi Buffon always delivered….. looks™ lmao

93. Top 5 bromances that you swear by.

Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci bitch !

Pippo Inzaghi and Bobo Vieri

Dejan Lovren and Mo Salah

Rino Gattuso and the Dickheads™

France 98 is a whole bromance by itself

99. The 5 most attractive players in your club and NT

Juve : De Sciglio, Matuidi, Bernardeschi, Dybala and Chiellini

France NT : Samuel Umtiti, Raphaël Varane, Blaise Matuidi, Benjamin Pavard and Nabil Fekir

Italy NT : Salvatore Sirigu, Ciro Immobile, Mattia De Sciglio, Federico Bernardeschi and Giorgio Chiellini

Thanks !

[scifigeneration]

Video gamers may soon be paid more than top pro athletes

by Louis-Etienne Dubois and Laurel Walzak

Your interest in sports may have started out as a hobby when you were just a kid. You were better at it than others, and some even said you were gifted. Maybe you had a chance to develop into a professional athlete.

Colleges would soon line up to extend full scholarships. If you pushed hard enough, practised countless hours and kept a cool head, lucrative contracts and international fame awaited.

This fantasy plays out for many North American kids who dream of “making it to the big leagues.”

Whether they play hockey, football or basketball, even the most remote possibility of turning their love of the game into a respected career is worth sacrificing for.

Enter video games.

In less than a decade, the realm of professional sport has been taken by storm by the rise of eSports (short for electronic sports). These video game events now compete with — and in some cases outperform — traditional sports leagues for live viewership and advertising dollars.

For the top eSports players, this means sponsorship contracts, endorsements, prize money and yes, global stardom.

Games on TV still command high ad dollars

This week, dozens of professional video game players will descend on Toronto during NXNE, an annual music and arts festival, to compete in different games for prizes of up to US$1,000. Not a bad payday, perhaps, but still chump change in the eSports scene.

For example, Dota 2, a popular battle arena game published by Valve, recently handed out US$20 million to its top players during its finale.

What does this mean for traditional sports? And sports TV viewership?

The lasting broadcast success of sports leagues games can be explained by the fact that they are meant to be shared happenings and are best experienced live. As such, they have been resilient to disruptions within the media landscape and somewhat spared by the advent of on-demand streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The ability to capture a sizeable number of “eyeballs,” long enough and at a precise time, is the reason why professional sports leagues still command huge TV rights and advertising dollars.

In the past few years, the “Big Four” North American sports leagues have all struck new deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Shifts in sports culture

Some leagues like Major League Baseball, and their once subsidiary Advanced Media division (MLBAM), have long embraced technological innovations to enhance audiences’ experience.

Meanwhile, media and telecommunication giants have been slower to catch on.

In 2016, John Skipper, then president of ESPN, referring to cable TV packages said: “We are still engaged in the most successful business model in the history of media, and see no reason to abandon it.”

This attitude, at the time, was not only symptomatic of a lag or inability to adopt technological innovations, but also raised concerns about the company’s future.

But the decline of the traditional linear broadcast, and the risk of losing relevancy in this digital, broadband and tech savvy media landscape is inevitable, and forces these media giants to question their traditional business models and to focus on online audiences.

Along with this shift, a new, popular and expansive trend for the new generation has emerged - eSports.

Whether eSports are actual sports or not is a whole other debate; however, the emergence of the global video game competition field demands attention and strategic investment.

Why eSports is doing so well

As a spectator sport, video games generate viewership at least on par with professional leagues.

Take, for instance, 2016’s League of Legends tournament that drew 36 million viewers, five million more than the NBA Finals, in front of a sellout crowd at the famous Bird Nest stadium in China.

eSports events regularly draw sellout crowds like major professional sports leagues. (Ubisoft)

eSports mimic traditional sports leagues principles: Exciting content, likable stars, catchy team names, slow-motion highlights, intense competition and an uncertain outcome.

These video games attract audiences as they are no longer simply designed to be played, but increasingly to be visually pleasing for audiences.

Age-wise, compared to traditional sports that struggle to diversify their audience demographics, eSports have successfully attracted younger viewers.

The fanbase is pretty young, with 61 percent of fans falling in the 18-34 age range. Young men, in particular, are a desirable market for many advertisers.

eSports attracts advertisers

The economic outlook for video gaming sports is staggering. According to NewZoo, eSports “on its current trajectory is estimated to reach US$1.4 billion by 2020.” And a “more optimistic scenario places revenues at US$2.4 billion.”

Companies like Red Bull, Coca-Cola and Samsung, all usual suspects when it comes to advertising and young people, are flocking to eSports.

In recent years, eSports has made efforts to monetize across traditional revenue streams, such as merchandise sales, subscriptions plans, ticket sales and broadcast rights. It is, once again, taking a page straight out traditional sports leagues’ playbook.

So, what can established leagues and media giants do? Given the choice between fighting eSports or joining them, many appear to have chosen the latter. Recall ESPN resisting change in 2016. Then fast forward to their recent strategic investments in the digital platform BAMTech, once MLB Advanced Media, in order to launch ESPN streaming services.

As a result, Disney, the 100 per cent owner of ESPN, now has a say in League of Legends streaming because its publisher Riot Games had signed a seven-year US$350 million dollar broadcast deal with BAMTech.

FIFA just partnered with Electronic Arts on a online tournament that drew 20 million players and 30 million viewers. Also hoping to create platform synergies and to reach new audiences, Amazon acquired Twitch in 2014, the leading game streaming service.

These examples show that eSports are not just popular with gamers, but also among sports leagues and media giants. Both stand to learn from each other. No wonder Activision’s CEO said that he wanted to “become the ESPN of eSports.”

This popularity also opens up more opportunities to compete on the professional level and earn huge endorsements, prize money and salaries just like LeBron James, Serena Williams, Danica Patrick or Sidney Crosby.

In fact, higher education eSports programs are already launching across the country and college scholarships are now commonplace, further acknowledging the economic viability and social acceptability of this phenomenon.

And with talks of introducing eSports in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Canada’s “Own the Podium” program may soon have to follow suit.

In any case, it turns out that our parents were wrong all along: You can stay glued to your console in the basement all day and still make it pro.

Louis-Etienne Dubois is an Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Industries at Ryerson University. Laurel Walzak is an Assistant Professor in the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation, a Sci FI Generation content partner.

[footballghana]

Kwadwo Asamoah among top 10 African free agents

Which of the continent’s top stars are currently unemployed and in search of a new club?

Yannick Bolasie

Has finally ended his five-year stay at Everton, which started so promisingly, but was ultimately shattered due to injury.

Bolasie has been on loan at Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon in recent years, but at 32, now finds himself out of work.

Reading and Middlesbrough have been tipped as potential destinations, while there’s rumoured interest from Turkey.

Nabil Bentaleb

Plenty of experience, despite being only 26, Bentaleb has featured for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Schalke 04, but is without a club after being relegated from the Bundesliga.

Ahmed Elmohamady

Released after coming to the end of his contract with Aston Villa, Elmohamady featured in English football for over a decade, having represented the likes of Sunderland and Hull City.

He spent eight years in the Premier League—an outstanding feat for an Egyptian defender—and has been tipped for a move to Saudi side Al Ahli.

Oumar Niasse

A free agent after his short-term deal with Huddersfield Town came to an end, Niasse has had a torrid time in English football, and hasn’t played a senior game since January 2020.

He’s now 31, and with his career in a tailspin since leaving Lokomotiv Moscow in 2016, needs the right move now if he’s to salvage anything from the coming years.

Wilfried Bony

The Ivory Coast frontman—who was once Africa’s most expensive player—recently shared a picture of himself on an exercise bike in his back garden, potentially proving his fitness to would-be new employers.

He’s reportedly attracted interest from Australia, and a move down under looks to be on the cards.

Salomon Kalou

Another experienced Ivory Coast campaigner without a club, Kalou has experienced life in some of Europe’s major leagues after time with Chelsea, LOSC Lille and Hertha Berlin.

He’s coming off the back of a spell in Brazilian football with Botafogo—having been released less than halfway through his 18-month contract—and it remains to be seen what he still has to offer.

Kwadwo Asamoah

Available after coming to an end of his short-term stay at Cagliari, Asamoah enjoyed immense success at Juventus where he won six Serie A titles while combating several serious injuries.

The worst of the fitness worries appear to be behind him, but Asabob has struggled to pick up momentum across stints with Internazionale and latterly Gli Isolani.

He’s been in Italian football since 2008, but can he find another club in his adopted homeland?

Nicolas N’Koulou

The Africa Cup of Nations winner ought to still be in his prime at 31, and after leaving Torino, he should still have one big move in him.

Leeds United are reportedly considering a move for a player who Marcelo Bielsa holds in high esteem, while Leicester City and Saint-Etienne have also been linked with the Cameroon international.

Pape Souare

Souare battled back to return to fitness after an injury sustained in a car crash threatened to end his career, but moved on from Crystal Palace in 2019 after a year on the sidelines.

He’s a free agent again following a stint with French side Troyes—having not featured since the 2019-20 campaign—and is currently back with Palace, training with their U-23 team as he looks to regain his fitness.

Coventry City are reportedly considering the full-back.

Seydou Doumbia

A marquee signing for Maltese side Hamrun Spartans in January, Doumbia is back on the market after coming to the end of his deal.

He’s 33, but as a two-time Russian Premier League winner, and with the likes of AS Roma, Newcastle United and Sporting Lisbon on his CV, he’s sure to attract some admirers.

Source: goal.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[orcadigitals]

Lille trace unlikely path towards French title

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain have claimed statement wins in Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League while leaving the door unlocked at home, giving Lille the chance of a first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Lille stunned PSG in the capital last weekend, winning 1-0 to go three points clear of the reigning champions with seven matches remaining.

PSG have lost eight times this season, while Monaco and Lyon are also within five points of Lille. It is an unpredictable title race, and the fact only the the top three qualify for next season’s Champions League adds spice.

Lille’s operating budget is understood to be around a quarter of PSG’s, but shrewd buying and selling has taken them to where they are, along with an outstanding coach in Christophe Galtier.

After finishing second to PSG in 2019 they sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for a reported 80 million euros ($87m).

In the last Ligue 1 season, curtailed due to the pandemic, they came fourth and then sold top scorer Victor Osimhen to Napoli for an initial 70 million euros.

Plenty more have left, but the knowledge of Luis Campos, a Portuguese super-scout who helped build Monaco’s title-winning team of 2017, allowed Lille to keep re-generating. 

Three starters against PSG — goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Boubakary Soumare and Jonathan Ikone — all left Paris for Lille in search of first-team football. Another ex-PSG youngster, Timothy Weah, did likewise and came off the bench for Lille in that game.

Lille have invested elsewhere though, including 27 million euros to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David from Gent — he scored the winner in Paris.

“This season, more than the last two, we have been very strong collectively despite having a bit less individual talent than the other three teams fighting for the title. Without that we wouldn’t be able to compete,” Galtier, in charge since late 2017, told AFP.

Previously successful at Saint-Etienne, Galtier has kept Lille on course despite off-pitch turbulence.

In December the club was sold to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund. Campos departed, while a new president was appointed.

Galtier feels this season has been his “biggest challenge”.

“We need to keep going and give ourselves the best possible chance while understanding we might not end up being champions and we might not even qualify for the Champions League. The key is to have no regrets,” he said.

The 54-year-old, once the assistant manager at Portsmouth, could go at the season’s end too and has been linked with Lyon and Nice.

However, he says he is entirely focused on delivering success to Lille, who face Metz this weekend.

“I am really happy here, but I don’t think I will stay for seven or eight years like I did at Saint-Etienne.”

Could he return to England?

“Four or five years ago I wanted to go abroad, less so now. If I did, I have always said the English league would be the dream. Their league has become the best in the world. There is so much passion!”

Player to watch: Kevin Volland

Volland has been a revelation for Monaco since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and you have to wonder why Joachim Loew continues to leave him in the wilderness from the Germany team.

The 28-year-old, last capped by his country in 2016, is one of the main reasons Monaco are title contenders, having scored 14 Ligue 1 goals. Monaco have lost just once in 16 games.

Key stats

10 – Lille are unbeaten in their last 10 away Ligue 1 games.

3 – PSG have lost their last three league games immediately following a Champions League fixture

11 – Bottom side Dijon have lost their last 11 Ligue 1 games. One more will see them equal the French top-flight record of 12 in a row set by CA Paris in 1933/34.

Fixtures (Kick-offs GMT)

Friday

Metz v Lille (1900)

Saturday

Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain (1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1900)

Sunday

Rennes v Nantes (1100), Brest v Nimes, Lens v Lorient, Nice v Reims, Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux (all 1300), Monaco v Dijon (1505), Lyon v Angers (1900)

Original Source Author: AFP

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[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2016 - Kpop Edition:  Girl Groups

Now for some more of my Kpop Top Fives from this past year, moving on from Rookies, and into some more established Girl Groups.  I’ve been really feeling the appreciation towards some of the amazing vocals of Girl Groups in the past year, and I really hope to showcase that with sharing some awesome songs in this post.

For the purpose of keeping these lists not ridiculously long, I’m going to be linking one MV for each group, though I may mention other songs.

Honorable Mention:  Lovelyz

“Destiny” MV

Lovelyz is one of those groups I’ve been marginally following since they were rookies because they’ve got incredible vocals, and I’ve really enjoyed a lot of their songs.  Their releases this year are no exceptions, and I especially like “Destiny” for the vocal quality and style used throughout.  They’re a group that I don’t know enough about outside of their music to particularly have biases, but I really enjoy their main vocalists’ voices.

5. 4Ten

“Severely” MV

4Ten is another one of those groups I’ve been following since debut.  I’ve been really impressed with their staying power considering the amount of member turnover they’ve had.  The core of the group for me though is the two amazing vocalists who have been with the group since the start:  Hyeji and Hyejin (of the confusingly similar names).  Their vocal power and quality has definitely made this group’s songs a go to for me, though their sound has changed some with the rotation of other members.  They’ve managed to come out the other side of that quite strong and vocally interesting though, and I really hope for them that this is the end of the revolving door of other members so that they can go forward with a solid group from here on out.  I also hope they get a little bit more recognition for their lovely vocals.

4.  F(x)

“All Mine” MV

I think that this is the farthest down F(x) has ever fallen on this list for me, and that makes me a little sad, but I still love them as a group and as individuals, but I’m starting to feel that I’m getting more of them as individuals and less of them as a group, which again makes me a little sad.  I love the way their voices work together, and I just find them all really endearing and lovely.  Also, I am so so happy for more vocals from Amber because she’s got such a great voice.  For all that there wasn’t that much from them as a group this year, “All Mine” was an amazing, adorable song and MV.  My biases (in case you didn’t already know) in F(x):  Amber and Song Qian.

3.  Sistar

“I Like That” MV

Sistar seems to have hit this rhythm around all of their other activities of releasing a solid mini album sometime in the summer each year, and every single time, I like the songs.  I really like the sound of this year’s summer album, and I really hope they keep exploring a little bit of variety in their sounds, but they are such a great all around group that I know that I’m going to like pretty much everything that they release.  My biases in the group are Dasom in Hyolyn, though I like them all, especially when they’re together.

2.  Spica

“Secret Time” MV

Spica’s had a bit of a roller coaster year with changing labels, but they’ve come back stronger than ever, and I was so very excited to see Bohyung on Girl Spirit (where she won because she’s an amazing vocalist).  I love their release this year, and I really hope that they will have a chance to release things more often under their new label.  I can’t stress how much I love their vocals and the fact that they are just amazing vocalists across the board.  My bias is (unsurprisingly) Bohyung.

1. Mamamoo

https://youtu.be/QlV7TAvi6x0 (out of embedded videos)

“You’re the Best” MV

Mamamoo have been on fire this year with regular, incredible releases spaced pretty heavily through the year.  Their vocals are absolutely stunning, and they have such an awesome, distinctive sound.  I love how fun they are on and off stage, and they’re just entertaining to watch on shows as well as being stunning vocalists.  There’s a sense of fun in their music along with their incredible skill that makes them one of my absolute favorite Kpop groups ever.  I am so glad that they seem to have taken off so well because it means that I get so much more of their music.  I have literally liked every single song they’ve released this year.  My biases are Moonbyul and Solar, but I adore all four of them.

[abbys-horror-story]

Lille trace unlikely path towards French title

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain have claimed statement wins in Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League while leaving the door unlocked at home, giving Lille the chance of a first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Lille stunned PSG in the capital last weekend, winning 1-0 to go three points clear of the reigning champions with seven matches remaining.

PSG have lost eight times this season, while Monaco and Lyon are also within five points of Lille. It is an unpredictable title race, and the fact only the the top three qualify for next season’s Champions League adds spice.

Lille’s operating budget is understood to be around a quarter of PSG’s, but shrewd buying and selling has taken them to where they are, along with an outstanding coach in Christophe Galtier.

After finishing second to PSG in 2019 they sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for a reported 80 million euros ($87m).

In the last Ligue 1 season, curtailed due to the pandemic, they came fourth and then sold top scorer Victor Osimhen to Napoli for an initial 70 million euros.

Plenty more have left, but the knowledge of Luis Campos, a Portuguese super-scout who helped build Monaco’s title-winning team of 2017, allowed Lille to keep re-generating. 

Three starters against PSG — goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Boubakary Soumare and Jonathan Ikone — all left Paris for Lille in search of first-team football. Another ex-PSG youngster, Timothy Weah, did likewise and came off the bench for Lille in that game.

Lille have invested elsewhere though, including 27 million euros to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David from Gent — he scored the winner in Paris.

“This season, more than the last two, we have been very strong collectively despite having a bit less individual talent than the other three teams fighting for the title. Without that we wouldn’t be able to compete,” Galtier, in charge since late 2017, told AFP.

Previously successful at Saint-Etienne, Galtier has kept Lille on course despite off-pitch turbulence.

In December the club was sold to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund. Campos departed, while a new president was appointed.

Galtier feels this season has been his “biggest challenge”.

“We need to keep going and give ourselves the best possible chance while understanding we might not end up being champions and we might not even qualify for the Champions League. The key is to have no regrets,” he said.

The 54-year-old, once the assistant manager at Portsmouth, could go at the season’s end too and has been linked with Lyon and Nice.

However, he says he is entirely focused on delivering success to Lille, who face Metz this weekend.

“I am really happy here, but I don’t think I will stay for seven or eight years like I did at Saint-Etienne.”

Could he return to England?

“Four or five years ago I wanted to go abroad, less so now. If I did, I have always said the English league would be the dream. Their league has become the best in the world. There is so much passion!”

Player to watch: Kevin Volland

Volland has been a revelation for Monaco since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and you have to wonder why Joachim Loew continues to leave him in the wilderness from the Germany team.

The 28-year-old, last capped by his country in 2016, is one of the main reasons Monaco are title contenders, having scored 14 Ligue 1 goals. Monaco have lost just once in 16 games.

Key stats

10 – Lille are unbeaten in their last 10 away Ligue 1 games.

3 – PSG have lost their last three league games immediately following a Champions League fixture

11 – Bottom side Dijon have lost their last 11 Ligue 1 games. One more will see them equal the French top-flight record of 12 in a row set by CA Paris in 1933/34.

Fixtures (Kick-offs GMT)

Friday

Metz v Lille (1900)

Saturday

Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain (1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1900)

Sunday

Rennes v Nantes (1100), Brest v Nimes, Lens v Lorient, Nice v Reims, Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux (all 1300), Monaco v Dijon (1505), Lyon v Angers (1900)

Original Source Author: AFP

The Article Lille trace unlikely path towards French title First Appeared ON : https://arsenalweb.co.uk

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[newsfact]

No Patrick Vieira at Arsenal (yet): How Gunners manager job has proven elusive for club legend

Patrick Vieira is an Arsenal club legend, the captain of its Invincibles team and one of the club’s leaders during his nine years playing for them. But he will be coaching against his former club when he leads Crystal Palace against Arsenal. And if he’s successful, many supporters at the Emirates will be wondering why Vieira isn’t sitting on the Gunners’ bench.

Arsenal, just three points ahead of Crystal Palace in the English Premier League table, is coached by another former Arsenal player in 39-year-old Mikel Arteta, who was appointed as manager in December 2019, only three years after retiring. Immediately after hanging up his boots, Arteta got a job as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before being handed the reins at Arsenal.

The 45-year-old Patrick Vieira had a more circuitous path to coaching in the Premier League after his playing days were over, but it has never involved the club where he became a global star. In the lead-up to the match against Arsenal he was asked why:

“I don’t know — that is a question you should ask them,” Vieira told The Guardian. “When I decided to move into that journey of becoming a manager there are options and choices and you just follow your route. Today that journey has taken me to Crystal Palace and I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity.”

MORE: How to watch & bet Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/3nn6Yjx

Vieira’s road to Premier League coach

The Frenchman was at Manchester City when he called it a career in July 2011. He credits current City Football Group Director of Global Football Brain Marwood with giving him his entry into coaching in a youth development role at Man City and later appointing him in May 2013 as the club’s reserve team manager.

MORE: Updated English Premier League schedule

Two years later, in May 2015, Vieira was interviewed for the Newcastle United job before the Magpies opted for former England manager Steve McClaren, who only lasted eight months in the job. Six months after that opportunity fell through, Man City gave Vieira his first top-flight head coaching appointment at sister club NYCFC in Major League Soccer.

Vieira left a positive impression in two-and-a-half seasons in New York, giving an attack-minded identity to a team that struggled in its expansion season. He would lead NYCFC to fourth-place (2016) and second-place (2017) in his two full seasons in charge, only to stumble in the playoff quarterfinals in each season. But he did enough to earn his first European managerial gig in June 2018 with OGC Nice in France’s Ligue 1 after being linked with Saint-Etienne a year prior.

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/3nn6YQz

He also enjoyed success in France, leading Nice to seventh-place and fifth-place finishes. But after a streak of five straight losses, including elimination from the Europa League group stage, Vieira was let go in December 2020.

Vieira was reportedly a candidate for the job at English second-tier side Bournemouth in February 2021, but his first crack at the Premier League was only a few months away when Crystal Palace hired him in July 2021.

Date Club League (Country) July 2011 Man City youth dev. exec. — May 2013 Man City EDS — Nov. 2015 New York City FC MLS (USA) June 2018 OGC Nice Ligue 1 (France) July 2021 Crystal Palace Premier League (England)

Why is Vieira not Arsenal manager?

Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger left the club in the summer of 2018 and Vieira, who was at NYCFC at the time, was rumored to be a candidate to succeed him. But the Gunners instead opted for the more proven European manager in Unai Emery and days after that news was revealed, Vieira joined OGC Nicein France.

Emery lasted a little over a year, opening up another opportunity to potentially bring back Vieira when Emery was sacked in November 2019. Instead, Arsenal went with the unproven Arteta, though it’s hard to believe there wasn’t a deal to be done to release Vieira from his OGC Nice contract if Gunners management really wanted him.

MORE: UEFA Champions League schedule & standings

To think that Wenger had set the stage for Arsenal to appoint Vieira when months before the Emery sacking he highlighted Vieira as a future Arsenal coach:

“It’s just flattering that the guy who spent over 20 years there thinks I have the quality to manage a big club like Arsenal one day,” Vieira said in reaction at the time.

(Getty Images) https://ift.tt/2ZaKhqm

Arsenal has never brought Vieira on board. Now the Frenchman has the opportunity to show his former club what they missed out on when they go head-to-head for the first time in the Premier League:

“I’m really looking forward to it. I had a chance to play for this football club for nine years,” Vieira said in a pregame news conference. “I arrived when I was a kid and I left as a man. It’s the club where I played my best football, I would say. Going back there is emotional, but I will put that on the side. What is important for us is to perform well and get points.”

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[anakinsbugs]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain have claimed statement wins in Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League while leaving the door unlocked at home, giving Lille the chance of a first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Lille stunned PSG in the capital last weekend, winning 1-0 to go three points clear of the reigning champions with seven matches remaining.

PSG have lost eight times this season, while Monaco and Lyon are also within five points of Lille. It is an unpredictable title race, and the fact only the the top three qualify for next season’s Champions League adds spice.

Lille’s operating budget is understood to be around a quarter of PSG’s, but shrewd buying and selling has taken them to where they are, along with an outstanding coach in Christophe Galtier.

After finishing second to PSG in 2019 they sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for a reported 80 million euros ($87m).

In the last Ligue 1 season, curtailed due to the pandemic, they came fourth and then sold top scorer Victor Osimhen to Napoli for an initial 70 million euros.

Plenty more have left, but the knowledge of Luis Campos, a Portuguese super-scout who helped build Monaco’s title-winning team of 2017, allowed Lille to keep re-generating. 

Three starters against PSG — goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Boubakary Soumare and Jonathan Ikone — all left Paris for Lille in search of first-team football. Another ex-PSG youngster, Timothy Weah, did likewise and came off the bench for Lille in that game.

Lille have invested elsewhere though, including 27 million euros to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David from Gent — he scored the winner in Paris.

“This season, more than the last two, we have been very strong collectively despite having a bit less individual talent than the other three teams fighting for the title. Without that we wouldn’t be able to compete,” Galtier, in charge since late 2017, told AFP.

Previously successful at Saint-Etienne, Galtier has kept Lille on course despite off-pitch turbulence.

In December the club was sold to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund. Campos departed, while a new president was appointed.

Galtier feels this season has been his “biggest challenge”.

“We need to keep going and give ourselves the best possible chance while understanding we might not end up being champions and we might not even qualify for the Champions League. The key is to have no regrets,” he said.

The 54-year-old, once the assistant manager at Portsmouth, could go at the season’s end too and has been linked with Lyon and Nice.

However, he says he is entirely focused on delivering success to Lille, who face Metz this weekend.

“I am really happy here, but I don’t think I will stay for seven or eight years like I did at Saint-Etienne.”

Could he return to England?

“Four or five years ago I wanted to go abroad, less so now. If I did, I have always said the English league would be the dream. Their league has become the best in the world. There is so much passion!”

Player to watch: Kevin Volland

Volland has been a revelation for Monaco since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and you have to wonder why Joachim Loew continues to leave him in the wilderness from the Germany team.

The 28-year-old, last capped by his country in 2016, is one of the main reasons Monaco are title contenders, having scored 14 Ligue 1 goals. Monaco have lost just once in 16 games.

Key stats

10 – Lille are unbeaten in their last 10 away Ligue 1 games.

3 – PSG have lost their last three league games immediately following a Champions League fixture

11 – Bottom side Dijon have lost their last 11 Ligue 1 games. One more will see them equal the French top-flight record of 12 in a row set by CA Paris in 1933/34.

Fixtures (Kick-offs GMT)

Friday

Metz v Lille (1900)

Saturday

Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain (1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1900)

Sunday

Rennes v Nantes (1100), Brest v Nimes, Lens v Lorient, Nice v Reims, Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux (all 1300), Monaco v Dijon (1505), Lyon v Angers (1900)

Original Source Author: AFP

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[orcadigitals]

Paris (AFP) ֠Paris Saint-Germain have claimed statement wins in Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League while leaving the door unlocked at home, giving Lille the chance of a first Ligue 1 title in a decade. Lille stunned PSG in the capital last weekend, winning 1-0 to go three points clear of the reigning champions with seven matches remaining. PSG have lost eight times this season, while Monaco and Lyon are also within five points of Lille. It is an unpredictable title race, and the fact only the the top three qualify for next seasonҳ Champions League adds spice. Lilleҳ operating budget is understood to be around a quarter of PSGҳ, but shrewd buying and selling has taken them to where they are, along with an outstanding coach in Christophe Galtier. After finishing second to PSG in 2019 they sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for a reported 80 million euros ($87m). In the last Ligue 1 season, curtailed due to the pandemic, they came fourth and then sold top scorer Victor Osimhen to Napoli for an initial 70 million euros. Plenty more have left, but the knowledge of Luis Campos, a Portuguese super-scout who helped build Monacoҳ title-winning team of 2017, allowed Lille to keep re-generating.༯p> Three starters against PSG נgoalkeeper Mike Maignan, Boubakary Soumare and Jonathan Ikone נall left Paris for Lille in search of first-team football. Another ex-PSG youngster, Timothy Weah, did likewise and came off the bench for Lille in that game. Lille have invested elsewhere though, including 27 million euros to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David from Gent נhe scored the winner in Paris. Ӕhis season, more than the last two, we have been very strong collectively despite having a bit less individual talent than the other three teams fighting for the title. Without that we wouldnҴ be able to compete,ԠGaltier, in charge since late 2017, told AFP. Previously successful at Saint-Etienne, Galtier has kept Lille on course despite off-pitch turbulence. In December the club was sold to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund. Campos departed, while a new president was appointed. Galtier feels this season has been his Ӣiggest challengeԮ ӗe need to keep going and give ourselves the best possible chance while understanding we might not end up being champions and we might not even qualify for the Champions League. The key is to have no regrets,Ԡhe said. The 54-year-old, once the assistant manager at Portsmouth, could go at the seasonҳ end too and has been linked with Lyon and Nice. However, he says he is entirely focused on delivering success to Lille, who face Metz this weekend. Ӊ am really happy here, but I donҴ think I will stay for seven or eight years like I did at Saint-Etienne.Լ/p> Could he return to England? ӆour or five years ago I wanted to go abroad, less so now. If I did, I have always said the English league would be the dream. Their league has become the best in the world. There is so much passion!Լ/p> Player to watch: Kevin Volland Volland has been a revelation for Monaco since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and you have to wonder why Joachim Loew continues to leave him in the wilderness from the Germany team. The 28-year-old, last capped by his country in 2016, is one of the main reasons Monaco are title contenders, having scored 14 Ligue 1 goals. Monaco have lost just once in 16 games. Key stats 10 ֠Lille are unbeaten in their last 10 away Ligue 1 games. 3 ֠PSG have lost their last three league games immediately following a Champions League fixture 11 ֠Bottom side Dijon have lost their last 11 Ligue 1 games. One more will see them equal the French top-flight record of 12 in a row set by CA Paris in 1933/34. Fixtures (Kick-offs GMT) Friday Metz v Lille (1900) Saturday Strasbourg v Paris Saint-Germain (1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1900) Sunday Rennes v Nantes (1100), Brest v Nimes, Lens v Lorient, Nice v Reims, Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux (all 1300), Monaco v Dijon (1505), Lyon v Angers (1900) Original Source Author: AFP The ArticleLille trace unlikely path towards French title First Appeared ON : https://arsenalweb.co.uk The ArticleLille trace unlikely path towards French title First Appeared ON :https://gqcentral.co.uk The ArticleLille trace unlikely path towards French title appeared first on https://orcadigitals.com

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2016 - Roundup Post

Now that I’ve finished with my Top Fives for 2016, I’m going to make a roundup post, like last year so that I can link it in my header.  If you’ve not gone and looked at these yet and want to see some of the stuff that made me happy this year, then here’s a great reference to let you find all of these posts.  Also, if you want to come flail with me over anything from these, I would love to hear from you!

Figure Skating Edition

Junior Men Junior Ladies Senior Men Senior Ladies Senior Pairs Senior Ice Dance Off the Grand Prix Circuit

Kpop Edition

Rookies:  Girl Groups Rookies:  Boy Groups Girl Groups Boy Groups Soloists

Mandopop Edition

Male Artists Female Artists

[thisdaynews]

Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Hornets cancel out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double

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Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Hornets cancel out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double

Roberto Pereyra salvaged a point for Watford from the penalty spot in the 81st minute

A Watford side brimming with attacking intent fought back from two goals down at half-time to draw at home to Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first match since being reappointed Hornets manager.

The hosts fired in 31 shots – a club-record for a Premier League game – as Arsenal’s shaky defence finally cracked after the break.

Watford levelled the scores when Roberto Pereyra rolled in a late penalty to secure only their second point of the season.

Tom Cleverley had earlier reduced the deficit when Gunners defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos gave away possession inside his own area.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the visitors in front when he collected Sead Kolasinac’s pass on the turn before firing past Ben Foster.

Arsenal doubled their lead as Aubemeyang finished a sweeping team move but the hosts improved after the break as the Gunners unravelled in front of the vociferous home support.

Arsenal too scared of Watford – Xhaka

The Hornets had their chances to complete a stunning comeback with a decisive third, but the otherwise impressive Gerard Deulofeu dragged his effort narrowly wide.

The result sees Arsenal move into seventh, while the Hornets remain rooted to the bottom.

Aubameyang papers over defensive frailties

The Arsenal striker is one of the most clinical forwards in the English top flight, having scored with seven of his last nine shots on target, and the Gunners are quite capable of blowing teams away going forward thanks to the potency of Aubameyang and the technical ability of Mesut Ozil and Dani Ceballos.

They demonstrated their attacking flair as they went through 20 passes for their second goal – but glaring issues remain at the back.

This was evident as early as the 10th minute as the red and white shirts backed off and space opened up for Cleverley, whose fierce effort was well saved by Bernd Leno.

Five minutes later, and Etienne Capoue was given the same time and space but could only shoot over the bar.

The Gunners want to play out from the back, and even though Matteo Guendouzi lost possession deep inside his own half on two occasions they persisted with their approach.

It was Sokratis who eventually made the mistake that always looked likely to happen, before Deulofeu diverted the ball into Cleverley’s path for Watford’s first goal.

David Luiz was brought in from London rivals Chelsea to shore up the defence over the summer, but the Brazilian has endured a difficult few weeks at the start of his Arsenal career, and has now conceded two penalties in three matches.

Luiz brought down Pereyra with a lunge in the final 10 minutes and the substitute stepped up himself to take the penalty and salvage a point for the hosts.

Cause for optimism for bottom club

Watford welcomed Sanchez Flores for his second spell in charge at Vicarage Road with a bright start as they looked to impose themselves on the visitors.

They were in the ascendancy before going behind against the run of play as Will Hughes was dispossessed inside the Arsenal half. Kolasinac burst down the other end and fed Aubemeyang to rifle home.

Even after Aubemeyang doubled Arsenal’s lead Watford still sensed the visitors’ weakness was in playing out from the back and they crowded around Leno and his defenders, with the high press eventually leading to Sokratis’ mistake.

The record 31 shots Watford produced was also a record for Arsenal, who have never faced more shots since Opta began collecting records.

The problem for Watford is that only 10 of their shots were on target and the return of injured talisman Troy Deeney cannot come soon enough they look to climb away from the bottom of the table.

Man of the match – Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two first-half goals that meant Arsenal seemingly looked in control at the interval

‘They were stronger than us’ – what they said

Arsenal boss Unai Emery:“Physically they are stronger than us so we want to break the lines from the goal-kick and connect to Mesut Ozil, like we did with the first goal.

“We have young players, we are working to improve and they will gain experience from matches like today. We can grow up and learn with these mistakes.

“We knew that 2-0 was not enough at half-time. “

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores to Match of the Day:“Have I missed the Premier League? Yeah. I miss all these kind of emotions – I love it.

“I was really happy with the performance of the players. We have one point against a very tough team. It’s good for our confidence. We are positive.”

Error prone Arsenal – the stats

This was the first time in 22 meetings across all competitions that Watford and Arsenal have drawn against each other, having last done so in December 1984 (1-1).

New Watford manager Sanchez Flores has only lost one of his eight managerial meetings with Arsenal’s Unai Emery in all competitions (W3 D4 L1).

This was the first time that Arsenal failed to win a Premier League match in which they were at least two goals ahead since April 2016 when they drew 3-3 with West Ham, and the first time Watford avoided defeat in the league after being at least two goals behind since January 2018 v Southampton (2-2).

Since his Premier League debut in February 2018, Arsenal forward Aubameyang has been directly involved in 46 goals in the competition (37 goals, 9 assists); only Mo Salah (53) has had a hand in more in this time.

Aubameyang has been directly involved in five goals in his four Premier League appearances against Watford, scoring four times and assisting once.

Cleverley scored his first home league goal for Watford since October 2017, which also came against Arsenal, 701 days ago.

Since the start of last season, Arsenal’s players have made a combined 14 errors leading to opposition goals in the Premier League, at least two more than any other club in this time.

Since the start of last season, no side has conceded more goals via penalties in the Premier League than Arsenal (10 – level with Brighton), with the Gunners already having already conceded three this season alone.

What’s next?

Watford travel to Manchester City on Saturday, 21 September (15:00 BST), while Arsenal face Eintracht Frankfurt away in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, 22 September (16:30).

Read More

[alisashappiness]

Marseille turn to isl football games

Andre Villas-Boas is stepping around the limelight after more than 1 . 5 years out of the isl football games. And the 41- year-old Portuguese definitely isnt taking the easy option. Titled as the new coach connected with Marseille in late May, he / she takes over the reins on one of France’s most erratic clubs after a season whereby they finished outside the Eu qualifying spots in fifthly place, five points guiding Saint-Etienne in fourth in addition to fully 30 points delusive of arch-rivals and Apa?o 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

For a club that has a really proud history and loyal help support the length and breadth connected with France, the fact that Marseille haven't lifted a trophy due to the fact 2012 is unacceptable equally to their fans and to North american owner Frank McCourt. Villas-Boas will need every last shed of the considerable experience he has gained from spells accountable for top sides including Detto, Chelsea and Zenit for getting Marseille back to winning means.

McCourt arrived on the German south coast full of expectations back in 2016, promising to sow heavily to make OM good again. After three gardening seasons and talk of £160million already shelled out, purposeful progress has been nonexistent. Even though it’s true Marseille have reach the Final of the Continente europeo League under Rudi Garcia in 2018, a 3-0 loss to Atletico This town demonstrated just how far guiding the European elite many people currently are.

The driver has notoriously hotblooded lovers and they were quick to state their outrage at once again season of underachievement after they unfurled a banner within the club’s Velodrome Stadium with January that read: “Humiliated in Europe, Coupe entre ma Ligue and Coupe dom France. Executives, manager, members. You are a disgrace to help Marseille. ” A report with April revealed Marseille acquired an operating loss of £70m for the previous season, which implies things off the field usually are almost as bad seeing that things on it.

Garcia was presented with his marching orders whole last season and, even with talk of former Marseille and Manchester United guitar player Gabriel Heinze getting the employment, Villas-Boas is now in the scorching seat - and he is aware of he has no time to squander in turning things all around. AVB will already have revealed in the short time he’s held it's place in charge that he’s about to have to operate cannily to produce success. Given the fiscal state of the club, providing appears to be far more of a main concern than buying. So far solely defender Alvaro Gonzalez is here, on loan from Villarreal, while winger Lucas Ocampos has gone to Sevilla in addition to striker Mario Balotelli eventually left after his six-month commitment expired.

The two players Marseille could cash in on are winger Florian Thauvin and midfielder Morgan Sanson, but if many people left then the team could well be significantly weakened once again.

Pre-season started badly for Famille Boas as his edge lost 2-1 to lower-league English outfit Accrington Stanley, then suffered a embarrassing 4-0 defeat against Scottish side Rangers. “It will likely be my responsibility to find ways to make the team better in order to reach our goals this holiday season, ” explained the mentor afterwards. “We’ve not been recently at the level we need to arrive at. ” Perhaps AVB is readily working his magic, nevertheless, as Marseille lifted a new trophy in July, in a very pre-season tournament in the USA this saw them beat Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne. “It’s suitable for our collective and unique confidence, ” said often the coach. Villas-Boas made essentially the most of his time out connected with football by indulging his / her passion for rally travelling. He’ll really need to be on major of his game in the event he doesn’t want his / her first season at Marseille to be something of a car wreck.

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A TIMELESS PORTRAIT OF THE MANY-SPLENDORED FACES OF NEW YORK Miss Rosen for Feature Shoot

French photographer Etienne Rougery-Herbaut marks his U.S. debut with Cornerstone, a selection of photographs made on the streets of New York that present a timeless portrait of the people who embody the spirit and soul of the city.

As the country’s most epic point of immigration with no less than the Statue of Liberty to welcome new arrivals to these shores, New York has long been the point of entry for people from all around the globe. As ethnic enclaves generations deep have nestled throughout the five boroughs for centuries, a new scourge presents itself in the form of gentrification.

The systemic whitewashing of New York has had a devastating effect but as Rougery-Herbaut’s portraits attest, they preserve perhaps simply because they are New York. In Cornerstone, the inaugural exhibition at Brannan Mason Gallery in Los Angeles, Rougery-Herbaut paid tribute to the people who represent the heart and soul of the city, despite all efforts to eradicate their presence. Here, Rougery-Herbaut shares his journey with us.

Read the Full Story at Feature Shoot

Top: Etienne Rougery-Herbaut. Man with the Black Hat, 2016. Archival print mounted between dibond aluminum and anti-reflective acrylic glass, 59 x 59 inches (150 x 150 cm) © Etienne Rougery-Herbaut

Bottom: Etienne Rougery-Herbaut Harlem Twins, 2018 Archival print mounted between dibond aluminum and anti-reflective acrylic glass ,31.5 x 31.5 inches (80 x 80 cm) © Etienne Rougery-Herbaut