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World Leaks

Pogba to hit pitch next year as doping ban is reduced

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has had his four-year drug ban reduced to 18 months. According to Mail Sport, the World Cup winner’s original suspension, which commenced on September 11, 2023, will end in March 2025. Pogba was facing potential retirement from football had CAS upheld his four-year suspension. Pogba’s appeal took place at CAS’ HQ […]

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Robinson Canó el MVP de la Liga Mexicana de Béisbol

Robinson Canó de los Diablos Rojos del México fue galardonado por la Liga Mexicana de Béisbol como el MVP (Jugador Más Valioso) de la temporada. El ex Grandes Ligas estuvo en acción en la temporada regular en 78 duelos, conectó 141 imparables en 327 turnos al bat y con una combinación que le dio un […]

La entrada Robinson Canó el MVP de la Liga Mexicana de Béisbol se publicó primero en Verás.

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Premier League’s newly promoted clubs must forget about style and play to win – only Ipswich seem to have a chance

THE state of this season’s new boys in the Premier League is alarming.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Kieran McKenna the manager of Ipswich Town celebrates their goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round Replay match between Burnley and Ipswich Town at Turf Moor on February 07, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich and the other promoted clubs are waiting for their first wins
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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 21: Mateus Fernandes of Southampton challenges Sam Morsy of Ipswich Town during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Ipswich Town FC at St Mary's Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
The Tractor Boys denied Southampton a maiden win when they met last month
Getty

For the first time in 20 years, the three promoted teams — Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester — haven’t won in their opening six league games.

Back in 2004-05, it happened to Norwich, West Brom and Crystal Palace. Only the Baggies survived.

And before Everton beat Palace last weekend, there were six teams down the bottom who hadn’t tasted victory in their opening five games — the first time that has happened in top-flight history.

The longer you go without winning, that’s when pure panic kicks in.

You start questioning yourself. Are we actually any good? Are some of my team-mates over the hill?

Trust me, I have been there with Watford. In 2019-20, we didn’t pick up our first win until matchday 12 — losing six and drawing five before finally beating Norwich 2-0 in early November.

We would eventually be relegated.

And the worst part by far is, when you finally get that first win, you race back to the dressing room, look at the league table, and you’re still in the drop zone and miles off the pace.

It is so demoralising and your body just drops. Then the rumblings start amongst the squad, players speaking with their agents, talk of whether the manager is up to it. His tactical plans begin to get ignored on the pitch.

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It spirals. That is why getting on a winning run is vital.

By the law of averages, you’re bound to win at some point, but you need the right mindset.

There are those who will say this season’s table is a bit misleading right now.

On the one hand, Ipswich in 15th have only lost twice, drawing four while Leicester in 17th have drawn three and lost three, but then there is Southampton in 19th — lost five, drawn one, and look hopeless.

So, is the gap between them and the top half of the league too great? Are they just not good enough? Are they being too brave? Or perhaps not brave enough and content with draws?

To be honest, it is a bit of everything.

That gap between the Championship and the Prem is growing by the second and these promoted teams are trying to play like the big boys too often when they don’t have the quality or experience to do so.

Why on earth would you try and beat the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool at their own game when not even some top sides in Europe can do that? It’s madness.

Physicality and resilience plays a huge part and this trio are really lacking in it.

Just look at Leicester’s 4-2 defeat at Arsenal last Saturday. It was one of the worst Premier League performances I have seen in a long time, and they are somehow still reliant on a 37-year-old Jamie Vardy.

Alamy Live News. 2Y773PR Leicester City defender James Justin looks dejected at full time during the Arsenal FC v Leicester City FC English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom on 28 September 2024 This is an Alamy Live News image and may not be part of your current Alamy deal . If you are unsure, please contact our sales team to check.
Leicester were beaten 4-2 by Arsenal last weekend as their winless run extended to six
Alamy

Vardy is always going to be a legend of the club and he still runs his arse off and will nick a few goals. But asking him to hold it up against William Saliba and Gabriel? Come on.

The one and only time Vardy ran the channel, he won a foul and Leicester got a goal from a free-kick but he didn’t try that again for the rest of the game. Why?

And then in their midfield they have Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp. I think I could run past them even now.

When Southampton go to Arsenal on Saturday, I can guarantee Aaron Ramsdale will try to play out from the back from minute one and I expect them to lose badly. Maybe by six or seven.

At least Ipswich look like they have some goals in them and Kieran McKenna has admitted he won’t stick to one way of playing. Out of the three, they have a chance of staying up.

But why does it take these teams, and their managers, so long to clock that the Prem is a different ball game entirely?

Forget style of play – how about we play to win?

Why is the relentlessness and the  ruthlessness of the Prem still massively underrated by anybody outside of it? It is not exactly this big secret designed to surprise you.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Southampton players look dejected during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Southampton FC at Vitality Stadium on September 30, 2024 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images)
Southampton face the Gunners this weekend bidding to secure their first win of the season
Getty

I remember running over people in the Championship with Watford and then thinking: “I’m a f***ing beast,” and then I walked into the Prem and I thought: “F**k me.”

The reason my Watford group stayed in the top-flight from 2015 to 2020 was because we had a squad full of players who knew the game, knew their jobs and got on with it.

But ultimately, whatever happens, as long as you’re in touch of survival  come March, you are in with a chance, however slim.

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UK university turns student union bar into alcohol-free cafe selling milkshakes

A UNIVERSITY’S student union bar has left its hell-raising days behind to go alcohol-free.

It has replaced booze with smoothies, milkshakes, bubble tea and hot drinks.

a large building with a sign that says university of bradford
The University of Bradford has changed one of the student union bars to go alcohol-free
Alamy

The University of Bradford’s old Student Central bar — the longest in the country — has been ripped out and replaced with a café.

Gobsmacked ex-student and rugby nut Neil Leamon told The Sun yesterday: “My uni days were pretty hazy . . . downing countless pints and necking shots after rugby games. It’s a very different student experience today.”

A university spokesman said it “acted on what students wanted in order to be more inclusive”.

The Islamic Society, and an imam at the local mosque, were involved in discussions over removing alcohol from the bar, according to local reports.

Aleem Bashir, chief executive of the university’s Union of Students, said another bar would serve alcohol.

He added: “A lot of students now have part-time jobs, some may have multiple jobs.

“When you have to wake up early in the morning for a shift, you can’t be going in there hungover.”

a group of people are toasting with glasses of beer in a room .
The student union bar has replaced booze with smoothies, milkshakes, bubble tea and hot drinks.
Bradford University

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World-famous band leave TV viewers stunned as they make bizarre appearance on QVC shopping channel

COLDPLAY went on shopping channel QVC to flog their new album — plus a special toaster and tea set.

The band, fronted by Chris Martin, played four songs from Moon Music on the station in the US, backed by an African youth choir.

a man and a woman are sitting next to each other on a couch
Ruckas
Chris Martin and Coldplay went on shopping channel QVC to flog their new album — plus a special toaster and tea set[/caption]
a coldplay moon music tea set is being poured into cups
Twitter/coldplayxtra
The band played four songs from Moon Music and the plugged the toaster and tea set, designed to tie-in with the album artwork[/caption]

They then plugged the toaster and tea set, designed to tie-in with the album artwork.

Chris, 47, joked: “That is vastly more important than the album.

“Because we’re older now, we’re moving into crockery and Tupperware.

“The music is really just serving our kitchen line now.”

The group — whose hits include Fix You, and Viva la Vida — took calls from customers including Candy from Florida who said she had missed one of their concerts in 2008 because her dad died.

Improvising a song for her, Chris sang: “I’m sorry we missed you back in 2008, but some things are better when you’re forced to wait.”

Host Jennifer Coffey said 31,000 people were shopping for Coldplay’s album through QVC within ten minutes of their appearance.

However, the only review the band got on the QVC website was not glowing.

The user, SLB, gave them one star and wrote: “I love Coldplay but this was ridiculous.”

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