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jinshuiqian0713 Offline

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23.02.2019 07:51
that we needed. Antworten

August 31, 2013 - Everton coming off their third straight draw to start the season. Comprar Stan Smith Baratas . The team scoreless in their last two. And questions being raised whether this was what life was going to be like post-David Moyes: exceptionally mediocre. It was hardly the start Roberto Martinez wanted for his Everton tenure. The product was altogether stale, with the headlines revolving around whom the team would lose in the transfer window. Two days later, September 2, became the most important day of Evertons season, the decisive moments, all coming in the last hour before the transfer window slammed shut. A last minute £27.5 million move by Manchester United for Marouane Fellaini seemingly plucked Everton of one of their most influential players. The return on investment exceptional, and the first domino had fallen. Within 60 minutes, central midfield duo James McCarthy from Wigan and Gareth Barry on loan from Manchester City had arrived. And the icing on the victory cake, Romelu Lukaku joining the ranks, preferring Goodison Park to the familiar confines of the Hawthorns. The moves lacked the prestige of Mesut Ozil to Arsenal, or even Fellaini to United. Upon further review, the moves were decisive, calculated and have transformed Everton from a team destined for mid-table mediocrity to a true contender for next years Champions League. Everton finished in the top four just once under David Moyes, the best Premier League finish in club history. It was a thin squad in 2004-05, with low expectations. The team finished with 61 points, a goal differential of minus-1 and absolutely over achieved. Tim Cahill was top scorer with a mere 11. It was a story of perseverance, hard work, and proof that every once in a while, the little guy could compete with the big boys. Everton remains a Premier League have-not monetarily. They have no Middle Eastern oil money propping up the club, nor an Olympic-sized stadium to call home. However, this time around, the team has genuine quality. The teams quiet confidence, patient approach and maturity was on full display in their 1-1 draw at the Emirates on Sunday. Even when falling behind, the game plan did not waver. Evertons resume speaks for itself. They are the only team with one loss, one of three teams undefeated at home and are on pace for 71 points. Theyve played a difficult schedule with a soft spot coming over the Christmas period. Everton play three of their next four matches at home, and play no team in the top seven until January 28 against Liverpool. While Liverpool and Spurs remain popular choices to finish in the top four, Everton is my choice. Five reasons why Everton can finish in the top four: 1) Centre-back consistency: Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin have been an under-rated duo in recent years. They have played every minute this season and are both in the top five in shots blocked, intercepted and clearances, leading a backline producing eight clean sheets. Both players have shown genuine comfort working the ball out of the back. The team, especially goalkeeper Tim Howard, is better off for it. 2) Defensive midfield strength: Managers all too often try to force their teams into playing a 4-2-3-1 despite not having the players to do so (ahem, Chelsea). Everton are a team built for this system. Lacking flash and flair, McCarthy and Barry have formed a complimentary partnership in the middle. The stay at home approach of Barry allows McCarthy to be more adventurous. Both are adept at tackling, with McCarthy a more creative influence. Its this all-important balance that allows the attacking midfield (Mirallas, Barkley, Pineaar) the freedom to get forward and play to their strengths. Role definition at its finest. 3) Lethal Lukaku: Every top team needs a game winner. Nikica Jelavic was that player for Everton 18 months ago, but has fallen off the deep end. Queue Lukaku. Eight goals in 11 matches for Everton, the 20-year old is a perfect fit. A true target man in every sense, he is as much a handful away from goal as he is inside the 18-yard box. The way he manhandled Nemanja Vidic, one of the most imposing defenders in the league, last week speaks to his ability to influence matches in a variety of ways. Jose Mourinho will not recall the Belgium international in January: a short-term coup for Everton. 4) Youth Development: Year over year, squad players need to step up and emerge as key contributors towards team success. Those players for Everton have been Seamus Coleman and Ross Barkley. Coleman always seemed a hybrid: a player without a true position. Whether hed become anything more than a depth player was a legitimate question. From the get-go this season, Coleman has made right back his own and few, if any, at the position have been better. Barkleys pedigree was never questioned. It was a matter of when, not if. His cutting edge, determination, and authority around the 18-yard box have drawn high praise. The 20-year old is an automatic starter and has put himself in the conversation for England in Brazil. 5) The manager: Many questioned Martinezs managerial worth, despite years of keeping Wigan in the Premier League with paper-thin squads and marginal talent. I never understood those doubting Martinez. No matter roster limitations, the approach of his teams remained the same: patience on the ball, commitment to possession and a tight squad rotation. With better players at his disposal, it has all come together at Goodison. Players know where they stand. Kevin Mirallas has been substituted in 12 of the 14 games hes started. And young Gerard Deulofeu has been eased into the team, emerging as a composed and confident player in recent weeks. Martinez has taken a hard working, blue-collar team and transformed them into an attractive side in short time. Martinez is the ideal man to lead Evertons evolution. Everton is not without warts. The possible January sale of Leighton Baines doesnt bode well, no matter how well Bryan Oviedo has played in his stead. The sale of Thomas Graveson to Real Madrid in 2004-05 had a likewise negative effect on the team. No team relies on the left side in attack as much as Everton with the English international in tandem with Steven Pienaar. As much as keeping Baines is a priority, adding secondary scoring is another area of need. Outside of Lukaku, no player on the team has scored more than two goals. Reinvesting the transfer window profit from September on another attacking player would be worthwhile. Chairman Bill Kenwright has acknowledged he must support Martinez. "The board has got to support the manager if we want Champions League." It may come sooner than expected, but Kenwright should put his money where his mouth is, come January. Theyve won at Old Trafford, beat Chelsea, and taken points from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs. And the best is very likely still to come. Other Musings - A tough road lay ahead for Liverpool. The Reds play Spurs, Manchester City and Chelsea all away before the New Year. Compounding the issues of a difficult schedule are significant injuries in the squad. Captain Steven Gerrard is out up to six weeks (hamstring), in addition to the long-term absence of striker Daniel Sturridge and left-back Jose Enrique. Jordan Henderson (ankle) is also a concern for Sundays trip to White Hart Lane. These are huge losses for a team lacking requisite depth. The 33-year old Gerrard will be especially missed, keeping the midfield shape intact, as well as providing service from dead ball situations. Liverpool has scored 13 goals through set pieces – three more set piece goals than anyone else in the league. Rather than turning to Joe Allen, perhaps Rodgers tinkers with his formation, preferring to play five at the back as hes previously deployed this season. - How poor was Manchester Uniteds home loss to Newcastle Saturday? United completed the fewest passes in the attacking third (93) of any team last weekend. No other team had fewer than 100. In fact, United have created the 12th most goal scoring chances overall this season and only four teams have a worse goal scoring record at home than the reigning champions. - Some good news for Manchester United; the group stage results in the Champions League couldnt be better. As a top seed, United avoided the big guns, setting up a knockout stage matchup against Galatasaray, Olympiakos, Schalke 04, Zenit St. Petersburg, or AC Milan. Manchester City and Arsenal meanwhile, are left tempting their UCL fates against the top seeds, and clear top contenders in the tournament. Can United make like Chelsea of 2011-12, struggling in domestic play en route to Champions League glory? - Newcastle has been an on-field feel-good story this season amidst dysfunction off it. The latest gong-show: the Evening Chronicle reporting the club will charge newspapers exclusive interviews with members of the staff. Pay for coverage. Seriously. - Sunderland may be at the bottom of the table but in fairness, they are better than their position. Gus Poyet has done a wonderful job since taking over, finding semblance with a team his predecessor nonsensically added 11 players to. The Black Cats have been victim to poor officiating and missed calls on multiple occasions. Sunderland was robbed of a penalty claim after Sandro clearly handled in the box in a 2-1 loss to Tottenham. Law of averages, things will turn around. Dont see this team being relegated. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca Stan Smith Rebajas . The Opening Day starter played 53 games this season hitting .192 with nine home runs and 25 RBI. Red Sox manager John Farrell has decided to start Jose Iglesias at third base as of late instead of Middlebrooks. Stan Smith España Baratas . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. http://www.stansmithbaratas.es/ . - The Mavericks built a 12-point lead with 2:50 to play, gave away all but two points of it, and still managed to hang on.LOS ANGELES -- The short-handed San Antonio Spurs have been playing slightly better than .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders. They got one from Patty Mills, who scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs charged out of the All-Star break with a 113-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. San Antonio is a league-best 21-7 away from home, poised to extend its NBA record for consecutive winning seasons on the road to 17. "Down a couple of guys, not being able to practice yesterday, and to be able to come in here and put together a 48-minute performance like this was great for us," said Tim Duncan, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds during a foul-plagued 38 minutes. "It was a big win for us, especially on the road against a very good ballclub." The Spurs played without six-time All-Star Tony Parker, who will be sidelined "for the foreseeable future" because of numerous aches and pains (including a bruised shin, groin strain and lower back spasms), coach Gregg Popovich said. The 13-year veteran point guard, who played 11 minutes in Sundays All-Star game, is the Spurs leading scorer and their only player averaging at least 30 minutes. "Were just trying to get him healthy," Duncan said. "I mean, players being healthy is so underrated. When people play through things and they arent 100 per cent, the season becomes a grind. So we want to be 100 per cent so that down the stretch and in the playoffs, when we ask him to do all that we need him to do, hes ready to go and carry that load on his shoulders." Blake Griffin had 35 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 25 and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 18 rebounds for the Clippers, who ended a run of five consecutive home games that began with a four-point loss to two-time defending champion Miami. "Weve got a lot of work to do to get where the Spurs are and accomplish what theyve accomplished," Griffin said. "They kind of have the model of the NBA and how you want to run things. Guys can be sitting out with injuries, and it doesnt matter. Other guys are going to come in and do exactly what theyre supposed to. Its impressive." Corey Joseph started for the 13th time this season and had seven points in Parkers place. Backup shooting guard Manu Ginobili returned to the lineup and scored nine points in 14 minutes after missing eight games since Jan. Stan Smith Baratas Online. 28 because of tightness in his left hamstring. But centre Tiago Splitter was sidelined for the fourth straight game with a bruised right shin, and forward Kawhi Leonard missed his 12th in a row due to a broken bone in his right hand. All those injuries have presented a stiff challenge for the Southwest Division leaders, who are 8-7 since a five-game winning streak last month. They lead the Clippers by three games for the second-best record in the Western Conference and have two games left on their nine-game rodeo road trip. The Spurs, who came in leading the NBA in 3-point shooting at 39.1 per cent, took a 73-69 lead when Marco Belinelli drained one from in front of the San Antonio bench with 3:18 left in the third quarter. Duncan picked up his fourth foul less than 2 minutes later, but the Clippers never could regain the lead as Mills scored 11 consecutive Spurs points during a 2:26 span to help San Antonio build a 93-81 cushion with 8:46 to play. "He was great for us," Duncan said. "That fourth quarter, he really took over for that 5 minutes and gave us the lead that we needed. We were struggling trying to find points and keep the pressure on them, and he just completely took the ballgame over." Duncan got his fifth foul with 7:03 left, but Popovich kept him in there and the two-time MVP responded with a short hook shot and a 15-footer before Mills added a 3-pointer for a 102-92 lead with 4:35 remaining. "I think my fourth and fifth ones were not very smart. I didnt realize where I was, foul-wise, and I kind of got myself in trouble there," Duncan said. "But they werent able to take advantage of it, luckily, and we all played through it after Pop left me in there." NOTES: Griffin is averaging 35.3 points over his last six games and has scored at least 25 in each of the past nine. ... The Clippers have dropped their first game following the All-Star break in each of the last six years, including a 26-point loss to the Spurs last season. ... The Spurs are 29-1 when leading after three quarters. Their only loss came on Jan. 17, when Portland turned a one-point deficit into a 109-100 victory. ... Clippers F J.J. Redick missed his fifth straight game with a sore right hip. ' ' '

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