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‘Maverick’ Lucas Paqueta impresses David Moyes in West Ham’s Europa League win
‘Maverick’ Lucas Paqueta impresses David Moyes in West Ham’s Europa League win
David Moyes saluted his “maverick” forward Lucas Paqueta after the 2-1 Europa League win at Freiburg, even though he drives him mad. Freiburg’s nickname is the Breisgau Brazilians due to their flamboyant style of play, but it was West Ham’s Samba star Paqueta who stole the show. He put them ahead after only nine minutes with a towering header from a cross by Jarrod Bowen, celebrating his return to the England squad. Paqueta then spent the rest of the evening tormenting the hosts with his array of flicks, tricks and occasional theatrics. “It was a bit of an old-fashioned goal, down the side with a good cross, and then a great header like an old-fashioned centre forward. I really enjoyed watching it,” said Hammers boss Moyes. “Jarrod played well but Lucas was terrific. He drives me mad sometimes but everybody who watched him would have said this player has got incredible talent. “There is a word that goes around, a maverick. He is that for us. “It is really important we get him in and adapt to him and accept some of his things he may not do, things which I would say are conventional. There is a word that goes around, a maverick. He is that for us David Moyes on Lucas Paqueta “But we are really enjoying him at the moment and he is terrific at taking the ball under pressure – but also there are moments when I say: ‘what are you doing’?” The match may have taken place on the edge of the Black Forest, but it was never going to be a piece of cake for the Hammers against a side eighth in the Bundesliga. They were also up against 34,000 noisy fans, with no away supporters allowed to attend following incidents during West Ham’s Europa Conference League final triumph in June. Freiburg equalised after half-time through Roland Sallai, but Nayef Aguerd’s header from a James Ward-Prowse corner made it two wins from two in Group A and a 17th match undefeated in Europe, a record for an English club. “It’s a brilliant achievement, I’ve said to the boys we need to keep it going. Winning the game tonight was most important,” added Moyes. “I’m really pleased. We played very well especially, in the opening 20 or 30 minutes. “They came back, which I expected. They got better and we had moments when we played very well but we mainly won the first half. We had to then be good defensively.” Read More Steven Davis remains confident in Rangers squad despite defeat to Limassol Roberto De Zerbi hails ‘incredible’ Brighton reaction to salvage Marseille draw Warren Gatland highlights hard work as Wales aim to continue progress Geoge Ford believes partnership with Owen Farrell is ready to deliver West Ham set European record with victory over Freiberg in Germany Managerless Rangers slip to abject Europa League defeat in Limassol
2023-10-06 04:46
Cruz Azul vs. Atlanta United - Leagues Cup preview: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
Cruz Azul vs. Atlanta United - Leagues Cup preview: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
Cruz Azul and Atlanta United meet in a decisive Leagues Cup game - here's everything you need to know ahead of their clash.
2023-07-29 17:26
Tommy Fury finally reveals whether he would want to fight KSI
Tommy Fury finally reveals whether he would want to fight KSI
Tommy Fury branded fighting KSI 'easy money' as the boxer attended the YouTuber's fight against Joe Fournier over the weekend. Fury was asked whether he would take on KSI in the ring for a fight that's high in demand, prompting laughter. “In my opinion, out of all this influencer boxing stuff, I beat the top of the chain", he said. "Jake Paul, I reckon, is the best out of all these. Listen, it is what it is: Easy money, baby.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters
2023-05-16 16:25
Blasting through the desert in Lamborghini's new off-road supercar
Blasting through the desert in Lamborghini's new off-road supercar
The low-slung car shook as I sped down a gravel-strewn rutted trail through the California desert, the sound of its 10-cylinder engine, just behind my head, blasting in my ears. I was driving a $380,000 supercar, the Lamborghini Haracán Sterrato and I couldn't help laughing out loud.
2023-05-20 19:50
Man United legend departs club in bizarre circumstances
Man United legend departs club in bizarre circumstances
Ruud van Nistelrooy, a bonafide Manchester United legend has quit his managerial position at PSV Eindhoven in bizarre circumstances. Despite lifting two trophies with the Dutch side - the KNVB cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield, van Nistelrooy has resigned with a game remaining in the Eredivisie, and will not see out the season at PSV. The club could still seal a second place finish in the Dutch league with a win over AZ Alkmaar (who have been in the news for their own reasons recently), but the ex-striker will no longer oversee that - a reward in itself behind a dominant and immovable Ajax side. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter PSV's statement read as follows: 'PSV regrets van Nistelrooy's decision and is grateful to him for winning the Johan Cruyff Shield and the TOTO KNVB Cup this season and hopes to close the football year with second place.' According to a number of outlets, friction behind the scenes is the cause of van Nistelrooy's dramatic departure. PSV lost two stars to Premier League sides - with Noni Madueke joining Chelsea and Cody Gakpo moving to Liverpool. Bold also state that van Nistelrooy chose to suddenly depart after realising a lack of support for his methods - following a series of meetings with the board regarding 'internal matters'. Van Nistelrooy leaves PSV having won 65 per cent of his games in charge, after a long stint as a backroom and youth coach at the club. It's not the first time he has departed PSV either - in 2001 he left the club to grow his legend at Manchester United. Perhaps something similar will follow now? Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-24 20:50
John Terry confirms return to Chelsea staff role
John Terry confirms return to Chelsea staff role
John Terry has confirmed his return to Chelsea's academy staff.
2023-07-09 04:27
Eddie Howe’s tactical move exposes glaring Newcastle weakness in Dortmund ‘lesson’
Eddie Howe’s tactical move exposes glaring Newcastle weakness in Dortmund ‘lesson’
The Champions League has seen Newcastle at its finest, complete with the surreal vision of Sean Longstaff upstaging Kylian Mbappe. There is a temptation to imagine Dan Burn is still somewhere in the Tyneside sky, soaring above Milan Skriniar to head in against Paris Saint-Germain. There is a similar temptation to say that Newcastle were brought down to earth by Borussia Dortmund. It may be more accurate to say Eddie Howe never left it. He met one of his most celebrated predecessors, Kevin Keegan, on Monday. The former Magpies boss was a dreamer. “You have to be,” said Howe, with Keegan’s example leading him to entertain the prospect of winning the Champions League. But Howe isn’t a dreamer, not really, anyway. A day, a defeat and a downpour later, he reflected: “We have to be at our best to win and if you dip below that it is tough to get results at this level.” And in this pool, the most competitive of all, Newcastle have to be at their best to claim victory in a match, let alone the entire competition. They were against Paris Saint-Germain; they were not against Dortmund. At a stroke – the right boot of Felix Nmecha, replacing Jude Bellingham this season, or of bad luck, as Callum Wilson and Anthony Gordon both struck the woodwork – they may have been rebranded: potential winners, the team who tore PSG apart, could instead exit early. They now have successive away games, with the evidence that Dortmund are well equipped to play against them ahead of a trip to Germany next. “We're up against elite teams,” Howe said. “You make half a mistake and get punished.” If there is a truth to that – and Nmecha’s winner was scarcely the consequence of a glaring error – the greater issue was that Newcastle did not reach their heights. “We probably weren’t at our best and in this competition we have to be.” Howe said. They have days when they overwhelm opponents: 4-1 against PSG, 6-1 against Tottenham. But their quality is most evident when allied with a blur of energy. And when there isn’t that synergy of physical and technical that makes them appear unstoppable, they are a fundamentally workmanlike side who betray their origins. Which, as they spent much of a 1-0 loss to Dortmund with six players on the pitch who Howe inherited, is a group who have overachieved: look beyond the £400m spend, the concept of Saudi Arabian sportswashing and the grandiose ambitions, and some of them were in a relegation battle two years ago. A Champions League loss represented progress in that context. But if there were symbolic substitutions of the locals Longstaff and Burn, stripped of the superhuman powers they somehow possessed against PSG, perhaps the reality is that they could have been beaten twice in three games. Nick Pope’s heroics brought a point in Milan; he was similarly good against Dortmund but in vain. They have drawn a blank twice in three matches. They had a lone, late shot on target in San Siro. While they hit the woodwork twice, they only actually had three on target against Dortmund, and just one in the last 80 minutes. “In the second half the ball just wouldn’t go in for us,” Howe said. It was a legitimate lament, yet there are days when a shortage of natural creativity, of game-changing flair, of a natural No 10 can threaten to be their undoing. Edin Terzic arrowed in on Newcastle’s strengths. “A team that was pressing high with a very intense approach,” the Dortmund manager noted. It is a strategy that can serve Newcastle well but running alone did not unlock the Bundesliga’s runners-up. Moving Kieran Trippier into midfield in the second half was an attempt to get United’s best creator into a more advanced role. He may be required there more often. Sandro Tonali was not hired as a fantasista but he was designed to bring an injection of class. But his season seems over: not officially yet, but a ban beckons. Elliot Anderson has joined the injury list. In the forward line, Newcastle, already without Harvey Barnes for months, seem to be losing Jacob Murphy for a similar time with a dislocated shoulder. For Alexander Isak, a recurrence of a groin strain means he will play again soonest, but be out for a while. They are starting to look short of players. “There are some tired bodies,” Howe said. And Newcastle can require a physical edge, especially in meetings of evenly-matched teams. “A lesson in how fine the margins are going to be,” Howe rued. Particularly in Group F: this pool, of pedigree and money, of former winners and clubs who aspire to join them in that select group, may be the most intriguing. It is a product of circumstances. Newcastle’s lack of a recent record in Europe meant they were fourth seeds. Now they are plunged into peril. “The table looks very, very tight,” Howe said; his side kicked off in first, finished the night in third and could be out of the competition before they host AC Milan in it. They will always have Paris, but now the danger is their Champions League campaign in effect ends in the French capital. Read More Newcastle given Champions League reality check as summer decision returns to haunt them Eddie Howe provides update on Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy injuries after Borussia Dortmund defeat England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane, who’s in contention and who has work to do?
2023-10-26 15:22
Sakkari, Pegula reach Pan Pacific Open semis as Swiatek crashes out
Sakkari, Pegula reach Pan Pacific Open semis as Swiatek crashes out
Four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek crashed out of the quarter-finals at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Friday, while Jessica Pegula and Maria...
2023-09-29 18:54
How Chelsea could line up under Mauricio Pochettino
How Chelsea could line up under Mauricio Pochettino
How Chelsea could line up with Mauricio Pochettino installed as the club's new head coach. The Argentine has signed a two-year contract to succeed Graham Potter on a permanent basis.
2023-05-29 21:16
Blake Snell fans 9 in 7 shutout innings, Cooper drives in 3 as Padres beat the Cardinals 4-1
Blake Snell fans 9 in 7 shutout innings, Cooper drives in 3 as Padres beat the Cardinals 4-1
Blake Snell struck out nine in seven shutout innings and Garrett Cooper had three hits and three RBIs to lift the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
2023-08-29 11:58
College football picks: No. 7 Penn St and No. 3 Ohio St begin Beasts of Big Ten East round-robin
College football picks: No. 7 Penn St and No. 3 Ohio St begin Beasts of Big Ten East round-robin
The Big Ten feels more like the Big Three this season
2023-10-19 02:53
Rory McIlroy Drops F-Bomb On-Air During PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy Drops F-Bomb On-Air During PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy yelled "f--king p----" at himself after an errant shot.
2023-05-20 06:52