Holmes backs Kupp to have another stellar season
Posted on | October 5, 2022 | No Comments
It would be fair to stay that Santonio Holmes knows the time of day when it comes to being a successful wide receiver in the NFL.
Holmes was named the Super Bowl MVP for the 2008 as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals to the claim the NFL title.
His achievement was replicated last season by Cooper Kupp, who helped the Los Angeles Rams claim a memorable victory over Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI.
The 29-year-old’s production in the NFL was phenomenal last term and he has continued in the same vein this time around.
Kupp went into last weekend’s game against the Cardinals aiming to become the first wide receiver in NFL history to record at least 75 receiving yards in 16 consecutive matches.
Although he came up short with just 44 receiving yards during the game, he still showcased his quality with a 20-yeard touchdown in the first quarter.
Holmes believes the understanding Kupp has developed with quarterback Matthew Stafford will serve the Rams well again this season.
“Being dependable is a quarterback’s best friend – it’s their dream,” he said. “It’s also every defense’s nightmare to see a guy come on and perform to the quarterback’s will night in, night out. Also, his feel for catching the football no matter where it’s placed.
“His performance last year was one for the books, and to cap it off with a remarkable finish as a Super Bowl MVP, I tip my hat to him for having such a great season, and also his quarterback and his staff for finding him and allowing him to do that.
“The guys around him made him so much better, getting him open and taking the pressure away from him.”
While winning the Super Bowl MVP put Kupp on the map, he is often overlooked when pundits discuss who are the best wide receivers in the NFL.
However, a quick comparison with Julian Edelman’s career statistics highlights the impact Kupp has made during his time in the NFL.
Edelman played 11 seasons for the New England Patriotsand racked up more than 6,800 yards and 620 receptions. He also caught 36 touchdowns.
With legendary quarterback Tom Brady firing the bullets, it was inevitable that Edelman would end his playing career with impressive stats.
By contrast, Kupp already has 5,797 yards and 461 receptions in just over five years in the NFL. He has also scored 43 touchdowns.
With age on his side, Kupp has plenty of time to leave Edelman trailing in his wake. Holmes believes he has the talent to be remembered as one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
“Everything’s possible when you put in the work,” he added.“He’s got to keep on with the same trust, build the same relationship with the quarterback. Every year you grow a little bit, you get a little bit smarter.
“The only way he doesn’t receive those accolades is if he gets half the targets and he doesn’t get nearly as much single coverage this year.”
Top 10 Summer Football Transfers – What’s Done & What’s Next?
Posted on | June 14, 2022 | No Comments
There is still time left before the summer transfer window opens for business.
But clubs around Europe are already working on strengthening their squads.
Several high-profile deals have already been made, with plenty waiting in the wings.
Let’s take a look at the five completed transfers and another five that are in progress.
Done Deals
5 Ivan Perisic – Inter Milan to Tottenham Hotspur
Ivan Perisic’s seven-year career at Inter Milan came to a halt as the Croatian wing-back joined Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur as a free agent.
The 33-year-old played a significant role as the Nerazzurri won their first Scudetto in more than a decade back in 2020/21.
Conte, the mastermind behind Inter’s success, has insisted on Perisic’s switch to the Premier League as he established the experienced Croat at Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter tried to convince the 2018 World Cup runner-up to commit his future to the club, but Conte’s call proved too tempting to resist.
4 Ryan Gravenberch – Ajax to Bayern Munich
Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, one of the most sought-after talents in sports today, has joined Bayern Munich on a five-year contract.
The Bavarians have reportedly paid Ajax around €18million to snap the 20-year-old up.
Gravenberch made 103 appearances for the reigning Eredivisie champions since making his senior breakthrough in 2018/19.
He carries a reputation as a top-notch talent and could prove a valuable asset for the Germans in the future.
3 AurelienTchouameni – Monaco to Real Madrid
Real Madrid have won the race for up-and-coming Monaco midfielder AurelienTchoameni, beating Liverpool and Manchester United to the Frenchman’s signature.
Los Blancos have reportedly forked out around €80m plus add-ons to land the 22-year-old, who has excelled in Ligue 1 over the past two years.
Widely considered one of Europe’s hottest young prospects, Tchouameni should be a long-term replacement for long-serving Madrid stalwart Casemiro.
2 Darwin Nunez – Benfica to Liverpool
Darwin Nunez soaked up the limelight as one of the most exciting attacking talents on the planet during his outstanding two-year spell at Benfica.
The Uruguayan’s impressive haul of 48 goals and 16 assists from 85 appearances for the Primeira Liga powerhouse earned him a blockbuster €75m switch to Liverpool last week.
Jurgen Klopp has become famous for spotting the value in the transfer market and turning rough talents into world-class players. Under Klopp, Liverpool have often spent big on Premier League transfers, and almost always come away with successful results.
If history has taught us anything – Nunez should be the next big thing in the Premier League.
1 ErlingHaaland – Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City
Widely regarded as the future Ballon d’Or contender, ErlingHaaland will continue his development under the stewardship of one of the best-ever coaches Pep Guardiola.
Following a prolific two-and-a-half-year stint at Borussia Dortmund, the Norway international has completed his €60m move to Manchester City.
The Cityzens were without an out-and-out striker since their all-time top goalscorer Sergio Aguero departed the club last summer.
It will now be up to Haaland to maintain his growth and lead the way as Man City look to claim their first-ever Champions League title.
What’s coming next?
5 Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale’s trophy-laden career at Madrid is coming to a close as the Wales captain prepares to hit the road as a free agent.
Despite his well-documented off-field antics down the final stretch of his La Liga career, the 32-year-old will leave the Santiago Bernabeu as one of the club’s legends.
After winning five Champions League titles with Los Merengues, Bale looks to be heading back to the UK, with Cardiff City waiting in the wings.
As bizarre as it may sound, the Bluebirds could be the winger’s next destination, according to the latest report from The Guardian.
Man United and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the mix.
4 Robert Lewandowski
Arguably the best goal-getter at the moment, Robert Lewandowski, has decided to call time on his illustrious career at Munich and move on this summer.
Paris Saint-Germain tried to lure the veteran striker to Ligue 1 but to no avail, as the Pole has his heart set on signing for La Liga powerhouse Barcelona.
As reported by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the ex-Dortmund goal machine has turned down PSG to pen a three-year contract at Camp Nou worth around £175,000 per week.
Lewandowski has helped shape one of the most successful Bayern generations, winning the Bundesliga in all eight seasons at the Allianz Arena, plus the Champions League in 2019/20.
3 Frankie de Jong
Frankie de Jong may have joined Barcelona as one of Europe’s most sought-after youngsters, but he will likely depart Camp Nou as a flop.
The unsettled Dutch midfielder swapped Ajax for Barca in the summer of 2019 as part of the Catalan side’s efforts to replace the club icon Andres Iniesta.
However, things have not gone de Jong’s way in La Liga. He struggled to hit his stride and is now widely expected to reunite with his ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
As per The Sun, the Red Devils will ‘definitely’ sign the Netherlands international, with Barcelona holding out for a whopping €100m asking price.
2 Paulo Dybala
Six years since joining Juventus from Palermo as one of the best young forwards in Serie A, Paulo Dybala is ready to embark on a new challenge in Italy’s top flight.
The Argentine star has been reluctant to pledge his future to the Bianconeri and is now on the verge of putting pen to paper on a multi-year contract at Inter.
Even though Man United, Tottenham and Arsenal were all keen on acquiring Dybala’s services, the 28-year-old is close to moving to Juventus’ bitter rivals Inter.
Talks between the parties are well underway, and there’s a feeling the deal could become official soon.
1 Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane’s future has been making headlines even before Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat to Madrid in last season’s Champions League grand final.
The Senegalese forward has already informed the Reds of his desire to kickstart a new challenge away from Anfield, with Bayern touted as his next destination.
According to Florian Plettenberg, the Bavarians’ chief Hasan Salihamidzic has named the 30-year-old his prime objective for the summer transfer window.
Mane himself has his sights set on moving to Munich and is ready to snub offers from Madrid and Barcelona in order to join the perennial Bundesliga champions this summer.
Talks between Bayern and Liverpool have yet to start, but the player’s wish to link up with Julian Nagelsmann’s team will likely force the Reds to sanction the move.
Will Manchester United sign Isak next summer?
Posted on | February 6, 2022 | No Comments
Latest rumours from Premier League suggest that Manchester United are prepared to make a move for Alexander Isak in the summer. The Swedish star has a £75 million release clause which is considered acceptable by the Red Devils.
United have failed to win the Premier League since 2012-2013 season, and they are trying to get back among the best European clubs. Ronaldo’s came back doesn’t seem to be enough, and acquiring another top quality striker is needed.
Erling Haaland will probably chose to move to Spain with Real Madrid or Barcelona possible destination. Manchester City and Liverpool are other possible destinations for Haaland who will definitely move to a team that is capable of fighting for the league and the Champions League titles.
It is believed that Arsenal even tried to sign the Swedish international in the January transfer window but the price asked by Sociedad and the incertitude of playing in Champions League next year blocked the move.
Since joining Real Sociedad in 2019, Isak has scored 30 goals for the Spanish team in 90 appearances. They offered him a long term contract wich ends in 2026. The Spanish team are not willing to negotiate with any team that offers less than the release clause.
Isak played 32 games for Sweden and scored 9 goals. He was one of the best players at Euro 2020. Even so, Borussia Dortmund have not activated the buy-back clause and preferred to negotiate a new agreement with Real Sociedad to remove that clause.
The former Borussia Dormund player started his career at AIK at the age of six. He played only one year for the senior team before moving to Bundesliga team in 2017. In those 2 years of contract with Dortmund he played mostly for the second team. He was also loaned in the Eredivisie an Willem 2.
So, what do you think? Will Alexander Isak be a good transfer for Manchester United? Best online casinos au believe so. Of course the transfer largely depends on who will take the team as Ralf Rangnick is only the iterim boss at Old Trafford.
UFC’s Heavyweight Dilemma
Posted on | January 27, 2022 | No Comments
The UFC holds a certain prestige in the fight game, not only is it the biggest name in MMA hosting many of the biggest stars, but also continues the trend of hosting many of the biggest events in the always shining Vegas known for its bright lights and big casinos with alternatives launching online as you can use these sites to find some of the best – but the UFC has also gained a reputation over the years for underpaying fighters and perhaps not representing their best interests, and is something that has thrown the heavyweight division into a bit of a tough spot.
Current heavyweight champ, Francis Ngannou, has been quite outspoken about this recently but isn’t the first to raise concerns as the UFC has had a long list of heavyweight fighters speak out about the treatment – Mark Hunt is certainly the most notable and was one of the first fighters to launch a larger scale law suit, former champ Stipe Miocic has also been quite outspoken about the poor treatment received during his tenure as champ at the UFC too in a somewhat recurring theme.
With Ngannou beating his most recent challenger and having his fight contact come to an end, it seems there has been no desire to renegotiate a contract unless more money is guaranteed – having only secured a suggested purse of $600,000 on this most recent title fight and likely some pay-per-view points too, it falls very short of what some fighters are earning in other sports, particularly those of championship fights too. Other personalities have been making waves here too most notably Jake Paul, by reaching out to UFC fighters and boxers alike and paying them a substantial figure for the one night, it has outlined this issue even more – and has even led to a suggested lawsuit from the UFC against Ngannou for negotiating with the Paul team. Whether or not this lawsuit will hold any water is yet to be seen but is something to be considered.
With fighter pay being a topic of discussion within the organization for quite some time, it’s unlikely that there’s any change coming any time soon particularly as there has been support from some more outspoken fighters who hold a bigger voice – but as awareness continues to grow and the figures become more visible for each fighters pay too, there is pressure growing against the UFC to start adjusting fighter pay to more fair rates, and to have other organizations perhaps follow the same path and show more visible fighter pay too.
January 2022 Transfer Window is already Underway! Two Known Footballers Have Entered the Premier League!
Posted on | January 10, 2022 | No Comments
The January 2022 transfer window is open and well-underway, we’ve already seen confirmed transfers and there are more signings and bids that are about to happen, if you would like to wager on your favourite players moving club and have the chance to profit then there are various sport options like here that will be able to offer you fantastic odds as well as give you great offers, promotions and much more. Furthermore, let’s have a look at the first big transfer in the January 2022 window.
Philippe Coutinho
An Aston Villa loan deal for Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has been finalised after Steven Gerrard spoke with his former Liverpool teammate about a potential move to Liverpool football club.
Philippe Coutinho has agreed a deal to join Aston Villa from Barcelona in January. Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez have agreed that the Brazil talisman would return to the Premier League till the end of the season. It was via this agreement that former Liverpool teammate and current managerwas able to reacquaint themselves.
Coutinho’s move to Aston Villa was made possible by Gerrard’s close friendship with the club’s manager.After meeting with Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa’s offensive midfielder was persuaded to join the club, and many feel he will make an immediate impact.
Kieran Trippier
The Premier League club Newcastle United has signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12 million. Trippier has a two-and-a-half-year contract with Newcastle that has an available option to be extended for an additional year. Kieran Trippier has always wanted to play in England, therefore, he flew to Newcastle on a private plane and discussed a potential move to the club.
Eddie Howe is hoping that the arrival of Atlético Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier at Newcastle United would serve as an inspiration to other top players across the globe to make the move to St James’ Park.
Kieran Trippier said this in a recent interview: “I really enjoyed my time in Madrid, but when I became aware of interest from Newcastle United, and having worked with Eddie Howe before, I knew this was where I wanted to be”.
Later that day, an interview followed by Eddie Howe (Current Newcastle manager) said “I am really pleased to welcome Kieran to Newcastle United. I have long admired his abilities and have followed his career, so when the opportunity arose to secure him, we didn’t hesitate.”
“A lot of hard work has gone into planning for the January transfer window long before the month began, which is clear in how quickly we have been able to complete this move.”
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