England's best 11 for Euro 2016

Here it is! My England starting line up. Looking ahead to this summer’s European Championship’s in France. It has been tough to decide between certain individuals but I am quite confident I have selected the best eleven available at this moment in time.

Joe Hart

The City keeper has been a constant figure in the England line up since being recognised as first choice back in 2010. Hart has some stiff competition for his place in the line up though, in the form of Jack Butland and Fraser Forster. But the experience of Joe gives him the edge and could make a huge difference when it comes to the Euro’s. He has kept 11 Premier League clean sheets this season and I am positive he will carry that through into the summer.

Nathaniel Clyne

Although the full back hasn’t made as much of an impact on the offensive end as he did for Southampton last season since signing for Liverpool, he has still played a crucial part defensively. His pace allows him to get back into position very quickly and enables him to cover fellow defender’s if need be. Clyne operates very well as a wing back and I would like to see him pushing on at every opportunity.

John Stones

The Everton man is without doubt the most highly regarded young centre back in English Football. It is of great importance to give him as much International experience as possible in order for him to continue his development, and the Euro’s is the perfect chance for that. The 21 year old is very composed on the ball and is keen to play out of defence, rather than lumping the ball forward and losing possession. Although Stones has only made 4 starts for the national side, I for one would back him to do a very good job if called upon.

Chris Smalling

I must admit that prior to this season I haven’t been Smalling’s biggest fan. However, after several solid performances in club football this campaign, I believe the defender has more than merited his place in the side. The former non-leaguer should be looking to take charge of the England back line, just as he has done throughout the past year for Manchester United. Smalling boasts an impressive 20 clean sheets in all competitions when he’s figured this season. Let’s hope he can take that into the Championship’s with him.

Ryan Bertrand

The Saints defender has been a constant performer on the south coast over the last couple of seasons. He is reliable defensively, as well as being one of the most attacking left backs in the Premier League. Bertrand should be looking to overlap the left winger, providing width and creating space for team mates. It is worth noting that should Bertrand’s performances drop, Danny Rose, Ryan Cresswell and Kieran Gibbs will all be waiting in the wings to take his place.

Mark Noble

The Hammer’s captain is the best man to fill that defensive midfield gap. The uncapped Noble has so far had a fantastic season, leading his team into a push for a Champion’s League place. Mark can pass, tackle and score goals. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. A player in his form, with his commitment, should not be overlooked. Noble is happy to fill into full back positions when required to do so, which will give a bit more offensive freedom to Clyne and Bertrand. Not to mention he is a very good penalty taker (scored 23 of 26), should it once again come down to penalties for England.

Dele Alli

In my eyes Alli’s inclusion in the starting line up is a necessity after a string of impressive performances in his first Premier League season. His broad range of ability could be paramount in how the national team plays. Alli would take up a role slightly to the right of midfield, but with his skill and athleticism I am sure this wouldn’t hinder him. The confidence and composure he has on the ball will no doubt be a very useful asset to the side.

Ross Barkley

This is another young man who has really come to the fore this season after finding a bit of consistency. Barkley is the man you want to be picking up the ball and driving the team forward, creating chances and taking risks. He is more than competent filling in on the defensive end when needed, as this is an area he has improved upon. If Ross can form some kind of partnership with Dele Alli then this could be highly fruitful for the National side going forward.

Raheem Sterling

The pacey winger may not have had as much of an impact as he had hoped for in a Man City shirt this season, but he still remains England’s best option on the left flank. Raheem is at his most dangerous when he has the ball at his feet, driving at full backs. If he could do this more consistently for the national team it would be profoundly beneficial. Sterling impressed two years ago at the World Cup in Brazil, hopefully that experience has seen him well ahead of France.

Wayne Rooney

Although Rooney is currently sidelined with a knee injury he is expected to return in time for the tournament. If fit there is no way the England and Manchester United skipper can be disregarded for the starting line up. He may have had an up and down season with just 7 league goals to his name, but his record in the national team speaks for itself. Wayne recently surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s scoring record and has since moved onto 51 goals for his country. His best position is behind the striker, linking up with the midfield and creating opportunities.

Harry Kane

The Spurs front man has so far had another excellent campaign, scoring goals at will. He managed to find the net 3 times, alongside 2 assists in his 5 European Qualifier matches. Kane can play either as a target man or on the shoulder, running in behind. This gives opposing defenders trouble when marking him. Harry has some fierce competition when it comes to leading England’s forward line, but if he keeps up his form he shouldn’t have any problems about being included.

Roy’s Dilemma:

If fit and in form a case can be made for the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Jack Wilshere to force their way into the line up. Sturridge has recently returned to the Liverpool side, but he needs to have a run of games to prove his fitness. Jack is an awkward one, because in my opinion he is certainly one of the best English midfielder’s around. But again, injuries are a real concern. Although, the Arsenal star will hopefully be back in action soon, pushing for a place in Roy Hodgson’s squad.

Some people may be curious as to why I haven’t included the Premier League’s record holder for goals in consecutive games, that being Jamie Vardy. But there is a method in the madness. Vardy could provide a crucial role off the bench, with his pace and tireless exuberance. Imagine the Leicester forward coming off the bench with twenty minutes ago, against a tiring Wales defence in the group stage. Maybe it is wrong not to start Vardy, but I strongly maintain this is where he could be most profitable.

Brief Prediction:

I am quietly confident we could go quite far in a major tournament for the first time in the last twenty years, as in my opinion the squad is underrated. I am not saying by any means that the Three Lion’s could bring the trophy home. I do believe the semi finals is a realistic target though. This young team may have little experience at the big stage, but that could be a positive thing, they may head into the Championship’s with very little fear. So roll on June!

 

Duke @ UNC. What, and who, to know

 Duke vs North Carolina is one of the most fierce rivalries in all of Division 1 college sports, in my opinion, second only to the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama. This rivalry has been very prominent in college sports. The two schools are located only 10 miles apart on Tobacco Road, one of the most famous stretches of Highway in America. 4 schools, Duke, North Carolina State, University of North Carolina, and Wake Forest are separated by just over 25 miles, all big Division 1 basketball programmes.

 A lot of people assume the rivalry only stems from the two schools being in such close proximity, but in 1961 competitive players Art Heyman (Duke) and Larry Brown (UNC) got into a fist fight that resulted in an on-court brawl which included fans throwing punches. The fight started when UNC guard Larry Brown drove baseline behind the Blue Devils' defence in a late game situation, Art Heyman tried to stunt the Tar Heels' attempt at a comeback by fouling Larry Brown across the chest, feisty Brown took exception to this cheap shot and started swinging for Heyman, the two traded a few punches before the other players and fans got involved. Both players were subsequently suspended for their part in the fight. Ever since the fight each school's fans have been hostile towards the players from the other school. 

Image per journalnow.com

 The rivalry reached it's peak in the 1980s with cable networks like ESPN starting to broadcast regular-season college basketball games. In the 80s Carolina had the likes of superstars Sam Perkins, James Worthy, and the legendary Michael Jordan. In turn Duke had some great players, they had Johnny Dawkins, Gene Banks, and one of the most hated college athletes of all time, the man treated as if he was a pantomime villain, Christian Laettner. The games were always heated, and often game down to the wire to see who would be victorious. 

 The school's have faced off against each other 240 times, stretching over 96 years, UNC lead the all-time standings 133-107. Though the schools have played each other many, many times over the years in the regular-season, the two have only ever played each other once in the post-season, and that was way back in 1971, They met in a NIT game, the Tar Heels have bragging rights over the Blue Devils when it comes to post-season action, winning their one meeting 73-67. 

Image per Jim Mone

In a poll taken in 2013 to show the price of college games for the top 5 ranked teams in the country at the time. Duke (#1) unsurprisingly ranked as the most expensive home-court in the nation, at a whopping $409, $87 more costly than second highest Kentucky (#2), next was Kansas (#3) who charged $298, moving onto more modest prices, to attend a Louisville (#4) game in 2013 it would cost you $87, and finally on to Michigan State (#5) who charged their loyal fans $75 a game. Now that sounds like a lot of money to watch 18-22 year old men play basketball for 40 minutes, but compared to the price of secondary market tickets, those prices are chump-change. Tickets have always been hard to come by for these fiery  UNC vs Duke games, this season the average price for a Duke vs UNC ticket on the secondary market is reported to be around $1,900, the cheapest seat to tonight's game is an astonishing $1.375. 

Players to watch out for tonight

DUKE: 

 6'9" freshman - SF, Brandon Ingram. Ingram is one of the best players in the country, he's an excellent scorer and rebounder, he's drawn comparisons to NBA star Kevin Durant throughout his young career, he's a long, slim player who has tight handles and can score at a high rate. To me the KD comparison is a sensible one. Tipped to go either #1 or #2 in this June's NBA Draft, he's averaging 16.4ppg and 5.9rpg in his first collegiate season.

 6'5" sophomore - SG, Grayson Allen. Allen, the star of the 2015 NCAA Championship game, led his Blue Devils to a win over Wisconsin Badgers, scoring 8 points in a row and finishing with 16 points, and a championship ring.  Averaging 20.8ppg and 5.2rpg Allen can be a real handful for defenders. Duke will be lucky to hold onto this young man as scouts will be tempting him to apply for the NBA Draft.   

 7'1" senior - C, Marshall Plumlee. Plumlee will be key in tonight's game. Duke are a small team, who only have an 8-man rotation, it'll be important for Plumlee to stay out of foul trouble, but at the same time he'll need to remain aggressive on the glass and rebound at a high clip, UNC are one of the best rebounding teams in the country and it could come down to Marshall's activity whether duke win or lose. Only averaging 8.1ppg and 8.8rpg his importance doesn't often show up on a stat sheet. 

NORTH CAROLINA:

 6'9" senior - PF, Brice Johnson. Johnson is a great player, he loves to rebound and run the floor for his team. He's not polished offensively, but he's come along way in his 4 years at UNC, he's another player who's very likely to go in the first round of this year's NBA Draft. Averaging 16.8ppg along with 10.6rpg Johnson has had a stellar senior season so far, even having a huge 39 point, 23 rebound game earlier in this calender year. 

 6'2" senior - PG, Marcus Paige. Paige has had a solid career during his time at North Carolina. though in his last two seasons he's been injury hit. His scoring and assist numbers dropped slightly for these last two years compared to his sophomore season, mainly due to the fact he battled Plantar Fasciitis for the whole of his junior season, and he broke his hand leading up to his senior season. Averaging only 13ppg and 3.7apg Paige is still likely to be selected this summer in the NBA Draft. when healthy he's perfectly capable of leading a team, running an offence, and being able to score at a good rate. 

 6'8" sophomore - G/F, Justin Jackson. Jackson is a player who can almost do it all, he can put the ball on the deck and drive to the rim, he has one of the best floaters in the nation, more than capable of hitting a hook shot if he takes his defender in the post. He rebounds at a good level for a player who plays predominantly on the perimeter. The one thing scouts will look for him to improve on is his distance shooting, while he is able to hit open 3s he doesn't do it at a good enough rate. Averaging 12.1ppg, 3.7rpg and 3apg Jackson has been an integral part of the Tar Heels' success this season. 

PREDICTION 

For me, North Carolina's depth may prove to be just too much for Duke tonight. I feel North Carolina will win this in a close game. 72-65 to the Tar Heels  

https:/www.forbes.com 

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https:/www.goduke.statsgeek.com 

Super Bowl 50 Preview & Predictions

It’s that time of the year again!… You know, that Sunday night where most Brits stay up watching a sport in which they’re not completely sure what is going on and complaining about all those damn adverts. A Sunday we deem acceptable to stay up all night drinking, eating and cheering for guys to be hit hard by one another.

Of course, I’m talking about the Super Bowl. Hopefully, reading this article will ensure that you know what to expect on Sunday night, together with a few bits of info and opinions from myself.


Super Bowl 50 will see the #1 AFC seed team Denver Broncos come up against the #1 NFC seed team Carolina Panthers.

Let’s start with the Broncos…
The stage is perfectly set for future Hall of Fame, Denver Broncos Quarterback, Peyton Manning.
He will lead his team into the Super Bowl in which many speculate will be his last game on the gridiron.

Peyton Manning, now 39 years old, is unquestionably one of the greatest QB’s of all-time. However this year, Manning has had by far his worst season since he was a rookie, all the way back in 1998. Manning's 59.8% completion rate was the second lowest of his career, (behind his rookie season).
Due to Peyton’s performances this year, you can probably guess that he isn’t the reason the team has been so successful this season. The reason the Denver Broncos are going to the Super Bowl: Defence!

The Broncos have the #1 ranked defence in the NFL and led the league in sacking the QB (52). Only two weeks in, the AFC Conference Final game they hit Tom Brady 20 times, more than any other QB has been hit in over 10 years. If the Broncos are going to win this game, Peyton Manning will need to play like he did vs the New England Patriots 2 weeks ago, and then some! The Broncos star wide receivers DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders will also need to be at the top of their game coming up a Carolina Panthers defence that are not too bad themselves!

On to the Panthers…
The man looking to steal the show from Peyton Manning, is none other than the man who surely will be the MVP of the 2015 NFL season, Cam Newton, alongside his Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers, with 17 wins and only 1 loss this season, have been the best team in the NFL this year, led by their 6’5, 250lbs QB, Cam Newton.
If you’ve never seen Cam Newton play before and you don’t support a rival team (like I unfortunately do ‪#‎GoHawks‬), you’ll enjoy what you see on Sunday. He can throw it long, he can run and he will do it all with a smile on his face, dancing, singing and flat-out pissing the other team off whilst doing it!

The 26-year-old QB will unapologetically score a touchdown on your team and he’s going to dance in the end-zone, infuriate the opposition and then he’s going to do it all over again. When Carolina played the Tennessee Titans a few months ago, Cam scored a TD and hit the ‘dab’.

Since then, you can’t watch an episode of Match of the Day without seeing someone celebrate by ‘dabbing’. To only talk about Cam when talking about the Carolina Panthers, would be unfair however. They have the #6 ranked defence in the NFL and forced 9 turnovers against the leagues #1 ranked offence, the Arizona Cardinals… that’s pretty impressive!

If Carolina are going to win this game, which I cannot see it going any other way, you will see Cam Newton to Greg Olsen for a lot of 1st downs; Olsen is 3rd in total receiving yards in these playoffs. The Carolina Panthers are officially the favourite with the bookmakers to win this game by 5.5 points.

A LOT of people believe that this Super Bowl could be a very similar score line to that of Super Bowl 48, when my Seattle Seahawks beat the Broncos 43-7. I personally don’t see this Broncos defence giving up 43 points. Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and those boys are too good to let that happen. However, I do believe Cam Newton and the Panthers will be too much for the Broncos.

Luke Kuechly, who has also been an MVP candidiate, Thomas Davis, Jared Allen and Kawann Short blitzing 39-year-old Peyton Manning… Oh man! I would love to see Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl in his final game and retire as a 2-time Super Bowl Champion. I just can’t see him beating this Carolina Panthers team.


Predictions:

Carolina Panthers 30 – 17 Denver Broncos

MVP – Cam Newton

- @CharlieWilson21