Month: February 2021

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini says he “was a fool” to turn down an offer from Premier League side Arsenal when he was 16.

The Italy international has gone on to win nine Serie A titles with the Old Lady, while he has also scooped four Coppa Italias.

And now the 36-year-old has revealed that Arsene Wenger came to him with an offer to join the Gunners 20 years ago but he rejected it to remain at Livorno.

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GOSSIP: Liverpool blow, Chelsea choice, Arsenal target

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Speaking to So Foot, Chiellini said: “In hindsight, I was a fool to decline that offer. I was 16, I played in Serie C, I got a huge offer.

“I didn’t feel ready. If I had accepted, it would have given the impression of betraying Livorno.”

Meanwhile, former Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie said back in December that he had tried to persuade Wenger to sign Chiellini during his time at the Emirates Stadium but his request fell on deaf ears.

Van Persie said: “At a given moment I felt called upon to say what Arsenal could do better in order to win the league. I felt we lacked a winning mentality, and asked Arsene Wenger to sign Giorgio Chiellini.

“I have played against him a few times, and he is a genuine winner.

“He is 36 years old, but he’ll dish out nine elbows every game with a smile on his face. He’ll keep smiling and never get a yellow card. You need those types of winners and killers in your side. I felt we should get him.”

 

An investigation has been opened into why six players and staff at Chesterfield were given the Pfizer vaccine, with local NHS officials saying it is “unacceptable to jump the queue”.

The PA news agency understands three players and three members of staff at the National League club received vaccinations at short notice last week at the Stubley Medical Centre in Dronfield.

The vaccine is currently being rolled out only to the most vulnerable in society and NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has now opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this.

The CCG said in a statement released to the PA news agency: “It is unacceptable to jump the queue ahead of people most at risk of Covid-19 and the NHS guidance is clear that local vaccination services must manage their appointment lists to ensure all appointments are filled and they have a back-up list of high-risk people in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Drug Immunisation priority groups 1-4 (those aged 70 and over or who are clinically extremely vulnerable) who can receive the vaccine at short notice.”

The club said some of the six were classed as vulnerable and that they were told by the surgery that all other options had been exhausted and that the vaccine would have been wasted if they had not had the jabs.

It is understood the call to the club came about after earlier discussions in which they offered their facilities as a vaccination centre. The club are understood to have been told their staff could be put on a ‘standby list’ for a call if the surgery was unable to find anyone else willing to take up the appointments at short notice.

A statement from the National League club read: “A small number of Chesterfield players and staff – most of whom are classed as vulnerable people – have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

“In line with the NHS’ directive – that doctors and staff have the discretion to ensure that they can make full use of any unused vaccines, rather than have any go to waste – the people concerned were called at very short notice to receive the vaccine.

“They were only contacted after the surgery had exhausted all other viable options. Those involved were keen that these vaccines were not wasted, which would have been the case had they not received them.

“We continue to support the NHS’s brilliant work and have provided Covid-19 testing facilities at our stadium throughout the pandemic, so vital care can be administered.”

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist thinks Liverpool are still more likely to win the Premier League title than Manchester United.

The Reds are currently seven points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand, while they trail arch-rivals United by four points with 22 matches played.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have been blighted by injuries this season but McCoist sees Liverpool as having more of a chance than United, with the Scot still putting City as strong favourites.

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MAILBOX: Mails on ‘pathetic’ Liverpool as title handed to Man City

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When asked if Liverpool have more chance of winning the Premier League title than Man Utd, McCoist told talkSPORT: “I think they are.

“You’ve got to say Liverpool have been a little bit unlucky with their injuries. I don’t think anybody could deny that. Alisson has been out for a while, the loss of [Virgil] van Dijk, [Joe] Gomez, [Diogo] Jota doesn’t even get a mention really.

“He came into the side and looked absolutely fantastic. They have missed [Sadio] Mane and lost key players.

“You’ve got to say City are by far and away outstanding favourites.”

Fellow pundit Jamie O’Hara thinks the title race is over if City beat the Reds on Sunday, he said: “Liverpool are dead on their feet, in my opinion.

“I just feel like where they played at such a high level for two seasons, and this season they’ve had injury after injury, it’s taking its toll.

“The games at home where they used to blitz teams, they seem to lack that edge and that push to keep playing at that relentless level. It’s not easy to play so well for so long.

“If Manchester City beat Liverpool on Sunday, the title race is over. Man City aren’t even playing that well and they’re brushing teams aside.

“I look at Liverpool and think they rely on intensity and ruthlessness – all of a sudden that’s not happening and they’re in fourth. They’ve run out of steam.”

 

Former Liverpool player Steve Nicol thinks Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will struggle to fix their “fatigue problem” this season.

Having gone unbeaten for almost four years at home in the league, Jurgen Klopp’s side have now lost back-to-back matches at Anfield after Brighton repeated Burnley’s 1-0 victory of a fortnight ago.

Liverpool have now failed to score in three consecutive home league games for the first time since October 1984 – not the form required ahead of the visit of in-form Premier League leaders Manchester City.

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MAILBOX: Mails on ‘pathetic’ Liverpool as title handed to Man City

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That has left fans and pundits wondering why they have been off the boil this campaign with ex-Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley putting it down, in part, to the fatigue of the Reds’ full-backs.

Speaking on ESPN, Burley said: “It is no surprise that in Klopp’s system and in his way that he plays, the full-backs probably have to do the biggest shift.

“There might be some data that tells you a midfielder runs more on the odd occasion but if you watch Liverpool over the last three years, those two boys in particular have run the whole length of the field and back for 90 minutes.

“That looks like it’s biting them in the backside now because they are getting up and down, but it’s laboured. And you can only ask people to do it for so often. There’s lots of reasons but I think that’s a big one.”

When asked how Klopp fixes the issue, Burley’s fellow pundit Nicol said: “If it’s a fatigue problem, it’s not going to be fixed. There isn’t time to recover, there isn’t time to rest people. They have to get on with it. They have to find a way.”

 

Source: PWInsider.com

— This week’s edition of WWE RAW drew a 3.55 rating, according to data compiled by Neilson Media Research. The first hour of the show drew a 3.25 and the second hour finished came in with a 3.85 rating. This number is down from the last several weeks.

— As we reported yesterday, Ric Flair will be appearing on a new CBS series titled “Secret Talents of the Stars”. Television news site TheFutonCritic.com reveals that Flair’s secret talent is salsa dancing, Flair show off his moves when the show debuts next month. The show will have an elimination format so Flair will likely appear on several episodes.

— WWE’s creative team was told to come up with ideas to incorporate Stone Cold Steve Austin into WrestleMania XXIV. Two ideas that were discussed were a match with Hulk Hogan znd Austin being the spcial guest referee for the Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather match. It is unknown whether either idea was actually pitched to Austin, but he wont be doing either. He is expected to attend the Hall of Fame Ceremony, so there is still a chance he could appear at WrestleMania.

Pictures of Nick Hogan’s MUGSHOT, Hulk’s Mistress & CHYNA in a PINK BUNNY Costume