List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

Liverpool scored two late goals to secure a come from behind 3-1 win against Wolverhampton in the Premier League

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has praised the “consistency” of Jude Bellingham’s recent performances ahead of his side’s clash with Real Sociedad on Sunday. Madrid have won all four of their league games so far this season, including a 2-1 win over Getafe last time out in their first game back at the Bernabeu, where Bellingham netted a stoppage-time winner. The 20-year-old has scored five times in those opening games and his streak continued into the international break where he also netted in England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland. Ancelotti has spoken highly of Bellingham following the bright start to his Real Madrid career and thinks he will remain grounded, despite the increased attention. Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said: “He’s evaluated by what he does on the pitch and he’s doing well. “He wasn’t widely known because he played in the German league and he didn’t have the role he has now. He’s playing in an important league and at an important club. He’s doing very well and I’m not surprised. “He’s very serious, focused and professional. I don’t think he’s the type of player who will let it go to his head if someone praises him. “He has the ability to get to the opponent’s box early and threatening. We talked about him in pre-season and he’s good in this position. He shows consistency and he has great physical strength. “I don’t know how many goals he can score, but he has to maintain this consistency because he helps us a lot in our attacking play.” Los Blancos are preparing for two games in a week for the first time this season, welcoming Real Sociedad before they kick-start their Champions League campaign with the visit of German side Union Berlin, who are making their debut in the competition. Ancelotti admitted he may have to rotate some players over both games to ensure they remain fit. He continued: “Tomorrow’s game is an important one against tough opposition. “We’ve got a lot of games and I’m going to rotate a bit more compared to when we played one game a week. Everyone is going to be involved. “For us, what is important is that we’re given time to recover properly. That’s enough. The internationals have returned in good shape and with more desire and enthusiasm after scoring goals and playing well in matches. They’ve come back in good condition.” Vinicius Jr has been absent for Real Madrid since the second game of the season as he recovers from a hamstring injury suffered in their victory over Almeria in August. Ancelotti does not know when he will get the playmaker back but insists he is recovering well from the problem. “I don’t know the exact day he will be back,” Ancelotti said. “He’s recovering very well and we don’t want to force his recovery. The scar is fine and he’s increasing the workload. “Next week he’ll do some work with the team and we’ll see. I think he’ll recover before the six weeks that were said.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kyle Steyn desperate for Scotland recall after missing South Africa clash Gabriel Jesus ‘changed Arsenal’s world last season’, says Mikel Arteta On this day in 2018: Simon Yates seals British Grand Tours treble at La Vuelta

Fiji goes again in search of the result that will confirm its evolution from everyone’s favorite Rugby World Cup underdog to a consistent threat

Australia's lineout coach Dan Palmer on Saturday denied the Wallabies are playing mind games over the possible inclusion of captain Will Skelton against...

Want to see me make $500 million disappear? Shohei Ohtani has gone missing from the Angels clubhouse hours after trying to play in Friday's game. It provokes questions about his future with the Angels.

“Now it’s time to cross over to our F1 Juniors,” said Sky’s lead presenter Simon Lazenby, in a feel which became familiar throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. Often the broadcaster striving for new avenues, never afraid of the status quo, Sky Sports took their television trials to a different avenue this weekend with the first-ever Formula 1 broadcast for children. An admirable experiment, it gave three teenagers a few days to savour as they started their summer holidays in Budapest alongside broadcasters Radzi Chinyanganya and Harry Benjamin. For Braydon, Scarlett and Zak – the latter a go-karter at junior level, the former duo presenters on Sky’s BAFTA-winning kids show FYI – it presented opportunities of a lifetime with interviews, quizzes and predictions with the best drivers and pundits in the paddock. And it provided some indisputably heartwarming moments. Like the segment where Zak met Lewis Hamilton and spoke to his hero about how inspiring the Mercedes star has been to black kids around the world, before then sitting in his Mercedes car. Or Scarlett and Braydon quizzing the “terrible trio” of George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon about what ice cream they’d describe themselves as. “Vanilla”, Norris quipped, pointing at Russell. There’s something about the involvement of adolescents in a press environment which can bring some much-needed lightheartedness to what can sometimes be a sterile process for all involved. For example, who can forget the young boy, in awe of his sporting icon, who asked Roger Federer at the US Open in 2017: “Switzerland is really cool, right? There isn’t too much livestock. So why do they call you the GOAT [greatest of all time]?” Yet, away from one-on-ones with drivers, the core aspect to the alternative broadcast was the informal race coverage, live on free-to-air Sky Showcase, which presented an F1 race in an entirely different format. There were bright, 3D-augmented graphics throughout, with a colour-coordinated leaderboard which, frankly, seemed clearer than the usual feed at times. Explainers popped up at various points, defining key F1-focused terms for younger viewers. The use of avatars for each driver was a cute touch, though obviously best kept for this experiment. Overall, it provided something completely unique and distinctive for a 70-lap race which provided a common routine in the obligatory Max Verstappen victory. Sure, nobody was asking for an F1-kids broadcast. And inevitably, naysayers online will have been quick to roll their eyes at the initiative. It was notable that both Sky F1 and Benjamin turned off replies to their tweets involving F1 Juniors over the weekend. Less an indication of the general reaction to the initiative and more a sign of the times – and the highly-charged, often-abusive nature of social media. But that is not the point. F1 has for a while been a step ahead of other sports in the intuitiveness and creativity of its product, to the stage now where it is in the midst of a period of unprecedented worldwide popularity. The most obvious is the fly-on-the-wall nature of Drive to Survive on Netflix, a format only now being followed by the professional tennis and golf tours in search of extra eyeballs. It is a fine balancing act, though. During practice and the qualifying show, there were regular interspersions on the main feed to the Juniors, a process which may well have irritated petrolheads and fans of a sterner generation. While Sky like to push boundaries, their executives will be all too aware of trying to avoid alienating their core viewership. The one-off nature of F1 Juniors, at least this season, means this is unlikely to materialise. And there were moments of awkwardness. Like cutting to Christian Horner on the pit wall, seemingly in a baffled daze, who bluntly said: “Can we come back and do this in another 10 laps or so?” Like a selfie in the commentary booth with Danica Patrick, who had earlier stated the nature of sport “is masculine and aggressive” as she spoke about the lack of female racing drivers. There were obviously a few mistakes here and there – and it wasn’t completely crisp and clear-cut. But then it wasn’t meant to be. And, frankly, nor is David Croft and Martin Brundle’s expert commentary always error-free. In a sport as technical and fast-paced as F1, perfection is near-on impossible. Of course, unless you’re Verstappen at the moment. But the underlying takeaway is this: as a child, all you want to be is treated as a grown-up. The best way of learning about the intricacies of a sport like Formula 1 is to immerse yourself in the usual feed on a regular basis, creating a curiosity gap to discover more. As a one-off, F1 Juniors was worthwhile and undoubtedly a commendable initiative. For intrigued parents, showing their children an F1 race for the first time, who knows how many may have flicked on the coverage? Who knows how many might now flick on an F1 race in the future on a Sunday afternoon? Something different is not to be something dismissed. Article originally published on 24 July 2023 Read More Lewis Hamilton makes damning statement about his level after Hungarian GP Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and times at Marina Bay FIA take action against Helmut Marko after comments about Sergio Perez Zhou Guanyu interview: ‘There is a lot of pressure – only winners stay in F1’

An explanation as to whether Lionel Messi will play for Inter Miami against Atlanta United after picking up a suspected injury while on international duty with Argentina.

Fiji are banking on the bullocking power-running of centre Josua Tuisova to keep their Rugby World Cup hopes alive against Australia, assistant coach...

Carlo Ancelotti has vowed to hand more minutes to Luka Modric at Real Madrid.

Max Verstappen faces a fight to take pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix after calling his Red Bull “unacceptable” in final practice. As Carlos Sainz raced to the top of the time charts at the Marina Bay Circuit, Verstappen finished fourth. The Dutchman is on an unprecedented 10-race winning streak with his Red Bull team unbeaten at the 14 rounds of the season so far. But Verstappen bemoaned the handling of his car in the city-state, describing the upshifts in his Red Bull machinery as “unacceptable”. He added: “These upshifts, what the f***. I am just struggling for rear grip. If I competed in drifting, I might win the race.” Verstappen returned to the track in the closing moments of the one-hour running, ringing the neck of his Red Bull to move from sixth to fourth, 0.313 sec slower than Sainz. But his struggles will give the chasing pack hope of finally stopping Verstappen and Red Bull with Ferrari holding the upper hand heading into qualifying later on Saturday. Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc traded top spot in the two practice sessions here on Friday, with the former again fastest in the concluding running before the fight for pole. Leclerc looked set to eclipse Sainz only to make a mistake in the second sector before backing out of his speediest lap, finishing fifth. George Russell took an encouraging second for Mercedes, just 0.069 sec slower than Sainz, with Lando Norris third in his McLaren. Lewis Hamilton was sixth for Mercedes, within half-a-second of Sainz. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, who won here last year, finished eighth, 0.719 sec back. Qualifying for the 15th round of 22 takes place at 2100 local time (1400 BST). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen struggles in Singapore practice under the lights On this day in 2021: George Russell joins Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix

Jarell Quansah will make his full Premier League debut for Liverpool today at Wolves, as Jurgen Klopp gives the 20-year-old defender his backing with a first start. Quansah is a Liverpool academy product who has impressed in the club’s reserve team and on loan at Bristol Rovers last season, where he made 16 starts in League One. He has worked his way through the international age groups for England, appearing at the Under-20 World Cup last summer – though he remains eligible to play senior football for any of Scotland, Ghana and Barbados. The 6ft 2in centre-back is right footed and has built a reputation for his ability to play out from the back and break lines with accurate passing into midfield, and his enormous potential is one of the reasons the club didn’t feel an urgent need to spend big in defence over the summer. Follow Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE Quansah gets his opportunity today in place of the suspended Virgil van Dijk, who was sent off in Liverpool’s remarkable win over Newcastle at St James’ Park. Quansah came on in the latter stages of that game and it is fair to say Trent Alexander-Arnold was impressed by his new teammate. “Jarell Quansah, absolutely phenomenal in his first game for us, coming on in an atmosphere and an environment like this is extraordinary,” Alexander-Arnold said after the 2-1 comeback win. “To hold his own in the way he’s performed is outstanding.” Quansah later revealed what Klopp had told him before entering the field. “He just said that I’m ready for it and I felt ready, but as ready as you can be in this scenario,” Quansah told LFCTV. “You don’t expect to make your debut away with 10 men at St James’ Park 1-0 down, so it’s hard to put into words at this minute. “I’m normally cool anyway but it’s always easier when something is sprung on you and you have got the adrenaline running through your veins. It’s what dreams are made of, a cliché but it’s so true. I’m ready for whatever comes.” He later added on Instagram: “Couldn’t have asked for a better Premier League debut. Hard to put into words the feelings and emotions. A day I’ve dreamed of from the very start. Time to kick on.” Quansah also played against Aston Villa at Anfield a week later, where the Reds won 3-0. Now, returning after the international break looking to continue their momentum, Klopp has backed his young talent to play from the start at Molineux. Read More Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League latest updates Wolves vs Liverpool TV channel and how to watch today Remembering former Wales great Gary Speed – Friday’s sporting social

'He's not afraid to speak his mind and he thinks outside the box. And I'm all in on that,' Paige Spiranac said