
Pokimane reveals her love for 'Twitter killer' Threads app, fans say 'it's so refreshing'
Just hours after the site's doors opened, Pokimane expressed her opinions about it and stated that it was wonderful to be a part of something new
2023-07-07 13:23

What has happened to Casemiro? The Manchester United midfielder exposed, isolated and bypassed
The defenders have got more Premier League assists than the midfielders and the forwards have between them. The defensive midfielders have three times as many league goals as the many forwards have mustered. Welcome to Manchester United, where few things go quite as planned, where Saturday’s spectacular salvage job from a fan who has been on the books for two decades involved a brace from Scott McTominay, not Marcus Rashford. They trailed for an hour against Crystal Palace. It is the sort of scenario in which managers rarely replace their top scorer. Yet as their leading marksman is another defensive midfielder, Casemiro, that was not the most notable element of his half-time removal. Nor, even, was it Erik ten Hag’s somewhat brutal explanation for introducing Christian Eriksen. “I wanted more football,” the United manager said. “Someone who brings passing and link-up play.” The Brazilian had brought passing: he passed the ball to Bryan Mbuemo to set Brentford on their way to an opener, a goal for which he arguably made three mistakes. And yet the pertinent part was simply the fact he was taken off. Ten Hag’s talismen are no longer untouchables. Rashford has been taken off in the last three games, each at a point when United needed a goal. And if suggests that neither status nor last season’s excellence can protect them forever, it is also an indication that each ranks among this season’s disappointments. All of which meant Casemiro’s status as an award winner was revealing of a wider malaise at Old Trafford. He had won September’s player-of-the-month prize with a whopping 70 percent of the vote. Perhaps a tour de force in the Carabao Cup victory over Crystal Palace, along with some recency bias, helped. Maybe a brace against Bayern Munich did, too, though it came too late to be relevant. Yet it pointed to a lack of alternatives: by Casemiro’s standards, he did not play well in September. It will be still more damning if he retains the award for October. Casemiro’s two appearances this month have ended early: sent off against Galatasaray, hauled off against Brentford, there were two warning signs. The first came from the officials, the second from the manager. If his red card in the Champions League owed much to Andre Onana, with Casemiro’s desperate slide at Dries Mertens coming after the goalkeeper had coughed up possession, it nevertheless felt symbolic. Casemiro’s tackling technique means he goes to ground too often. As he is getting slower, he is likelier to foul. The naked eye suggests he has been exposed, isolated and bypassed too often, in part when Ten Hag’s tactics have left him stranded behind Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount. The statistics show the supposed ball-winner is regaining it less often. In turn, that may mean he is sent off more often. Casemiro is making fewer interceptions: 0.69 per 90 minutes, compared to 1.43 last season and 2.17 for Real in 2020-21. His 2.91 tackles per 90 minutes is down from 3.77. He is winning fewer than half of his duels, according to Soccerment statistics. To put it another way, the defensive midfielder is not protecting the defence. The goals and assists that he, Scott McTominay and the back four have got are welcome but the defensively-minded personnel have failed to do their day job too often. If Onana is the most obvious culprit, he is not the only one. The intriguing element was that, arguably, Brentford was the first time where Casemiro began in midfield but not as the holding player. With Sofyan Amrabat starting in his preferred position, ending the unsuccessful experiment of deploying the Moroccan at left-back, Casemiro was often found in more advanced areas. As Ten Hag indicated, Eriksen is more of a playmaker and was then granted those duties instead. Yet as Casemiro’s United career shows, he can be both scorer and creator. He has the talent to contribute as each. Perhaps his future could lie as a constructive presence. Yet he was bought as a destructive one. His growing immobility provides a concern that this is not just a loss of form or an issue with United’s tactics. There is the opportunity to look for more solidity by pairing Casemiro and Amrabat in front of the back four. But there is the ticking timebomb that came with his transfer. Real Madrid pensioned Casemiro off, taking £63m for a player in his thirties. He has almost three years left on one of the biggest contracts in United’s history. He would not be the first player to be paid to decline at Old Trafford; perhaps now Ten Hag has signalled to Casemiro that he has to prove he is not a fading force, that his past and his Champions Leagues are no guarantee of a place when Amrabat could play instead. “In football it is eat or get eaten,” the United manager said. If Casemiro polished off the partnership of McFred, Saturday was one of the finest days of McTominay’s United career, and among the worst of his. Read More Arsenal deal substantial blow to Manchester City, but the significance will only be felt in May Erik ten Hag wants Man Utd late show to be ‘a turning point’ Erik ten Hag reveals how close Manchester United came to selling Scott McTominay Rasmus Hojlund says Manchester United must ‘stick together’ in ‘tough period’ Erik ten Hag vows to fight on ‘together’ with Manchester United Jude Bellingham helps Real Madrid to victory and Bayern Munich hit back to win
2023-10-09 15:18

Las Vegas union reaches deal with Caesars, averting strike
(Reuters) -The Culinary Union, which represents thousands of hospitality workers in Las Vegas, said on Wednesday it had reached an
2023-11-08 22:21

Wisconsin GOP leader reveals names of former justices he asked to look at impeachment
Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly speaker revealed the names of the three former state Supreme Court justices he asked to investigate possible impeachment of a sitting justice for the first time in a court filing made public Wednesday
2023-10-11 23:55

Ukraine rejects defective Leopard 1 tanks from Germany after finding ‘serious faults’
Ukraine has rejected a number of defective German tanks after discovering they were not working properly. Ten Leopard 1 tanks, the predecessor to the superior Leopard 2, were returned after the Ukrainian army noticed they had “serious technical issues” on delivery to Rzeszów, Poland, in July. Germany admitted the vehicles were not working properly and would need further repairs before being used in Kyiv’s counteroffensive, after sending engineers to inspect them, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel. It is not clear if the fault is a result of wear and tear or their manufacture. First developed in the 1960s, the Leopard 1 received its last update in the 1990s and was decommissioned by the German army a decade ago. Military experts warned earlier this year that establishing effective logistics lines and technical training would be paramount for keeping Kyiv’s offensive going. This week, experts warned Ukraine has just four weeks to hold a “knife at Crimea‘s throat” and force Vladimir Putin into peace talks before Russia’s army recoups over winter. Professor Mark Galeotti, academic and author of more than 20 books on Russia, said Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops need to move another 10 miles southwards to be in range of striking key Russian supply routes in Crimea. “They’ve got about another month of campaign season. But if things slow down, the Russians will use the winter to regroup themselves and the whole thing will start up again in spring,” the professor, who teaches Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, told The Independent. Dr Marina Miron, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London war studies department, explained Ukraine had a “heavy logistical” footprint with German Leopard and British Challenger 2 tanks, but they would be harder to use in wetter, muddier conditions, to assist a full breakthrough. “They’re just not designed for those types of terrains,” she said. “They would risk losing more equipment, getting bogged down in winter conditions than waiting it out until getting F-16 fighter jets.” Read More Ukraine ‘has one month to hold knife to Crimea’s throat’ and force Putin into peace talks Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky faces showdown with Lavrov after warning ‘evil’ Putin ‘cannot be trusted’ Zelensky tells UN to not do deals with ‘evil’ Russia: ‘Ask Prigozhin whether Putin can be trusted’
2023-09-20 19:48

How Barbie made a surprising comeback
The name "Barbara Millicent Roberts" may not ring a bell, but say her nickname — Barbie — and people of all ages know her. Created by Mattel in 1959, Barbie doesn't look a day over 19.
2023-07-14 19:56

Jalen Hurts throws for TD, runs for another as Eagles thump Buccaneers 25-11 to remain unbeaten
Jalen Hurts threw for one touchdown and ran for another to help the Philadelphia Eagles remain unbeaten with a 25-11 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2023-09-26 10:51

Ronaldo hits late Portugal winner on 200th cap against Iceland
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner on his 200th international appearance as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 on Tuesday to maintain their perfect...
2023-06-21 06:29

Authorities arrest mother of 3 'Soldiers of Christ' charged for the abuse and murder of South Korean woman, marking seventh arrest in case
The mother of three suspects charged with murdering a South Korean woman, who was beaten and starved in Georgia by members of a religious group called the 'Soldiers of Christ,' has been arrested in connection with the woman's death, authorities said.
2023-10-12 14:15

Ranking the 5 best lineups in the WNBA this season
The end of the 2023 season is drawing nearer, so it's time for teams, and us, to determine the best lineups in the WNBA.The WNBA regular season is nearing its conclusion. At this point in the year, every team needs to know what its best five-person lineup is. For the teams outside the playoff...
2023-08-13 01:54

Dwindling fuel supplies for Gaza's hospital generators put premature babies in incubators at risk
Doctors in the Gaza Strip say dwindling fuel supplies are putting dozens of premature babies hooked up to incubators at risk of imminent death
2023-10-23 05:26

Mason Mount ‘exactly the kind of player’ Man United want, Luke Shaw says
Luke Shaw believes Mason Mount is “exactly the kind of player” that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag “wants and needs” at the club. The England midfielder joined back at the beginning of July and has featured in pre-season fixtures. He is seen as a signing that has strengthened United’s midfield unit, with Mount set to compete with Christian Eriksen for a starting spot next season. “After working with the manager for the last season, I think Mason is exactly the kind of player he wants and needs around this place,” Shaw said.
2023-08-01 03:56
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