English Premiership: Can you name the league sides who have never been relegated?


 

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Dennis Praet: Why the Anderlecht star is on the radar of Arsenal and Aston Villa

The fee of Christian Benteke’s move to Liverpool may have raised eyebrows, but the £32.5 million is reasonable value for the 42 goals he scored from 88 appearances over three years spent in the Premier League.

It represents a £25 million profit for Aston Villa who signed the striker from Racing Genk of the Jupiler Pro League, who also sold Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne to Chelsea. While Courtois is now installed as the long-term goalkeeper for the champions, De Bruyne has been a revelation since moving to Wolfsburg.

The success of Belgium’s exports in Europe’s main leagues, where Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini and Simon Mignolet have all enjoyed success in England since moving directly from their home country, while Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Mirallas and Thomas Vermaelen have all impressed after arriving in the Premier League via other destinations.

It is therefore no surprise to see more English clubs turn to the Belgian Pro League for talent, with Newcastle adding Chancel Mbemba to their signing of Aleksander Mitrovic from Anderlecht who have also had to place a price tag on midfielder Dennis Praet with Aston Villa and Everton both interested.

So who is Praet and can he be the latest product of Belgium’s domestic set-up to come good in the Premier League?

 

Background

It was with Genk where Praet started his career, joining the club’s academy at the age of 8 and quickly establishing himself as one of their most promising young players. After a series of impressive displays at youth tournaments, the likes of Arsenal, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Barcelona became interested, with Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger even taking the 15 year old midfielder on a tour of the Gunners’ training facilities.

However Anderlecht won the chase for the youngster, signing him in May 2010 and immediately inserting him in the under-19 side. With them, Praet was named as the best player of the 2011 AEGON Future Cup, a youth tournament that included Ajax and Bayern Munich. The following September he was handed a first start for Anderlecht, coming in the Belgian Cup against Lommel United.

He notched his first goal for the club in the next round against Rupel Bloom FC and at the end of October 2011, he would make his debut in the Belgian Pro League as a substitute against Lierse. His early promise was rewarded with a new contract in March 2012, which Praet extended in early 2014 to take him up to 2017.

From the start of the 2012/13 onwards, the midfielder would play a significant role in Anderlecht’s dominance of the Belgian top-flight, winning two straight titles and two straight Belgian Super Cups. In his time with Anderlecht, Praet netted 20 goals in 132 games; 8 coming in this most recent season as he blossomed into a dangerous attacking midfielder.

Having represented his country at all age groups from under-15 upwards, in November 2014 Praet received his first call up to the Belgium squad for matches with Iceland and Wales, making his debut in the 3-1 win over the former. His form in 2014 was rewarded in January with the Belgian Golden Shoe, the award given to the league’s best player across a calendar year.

With Praet’s stock up and Anderlecht having failed to make the Champions League for the first time in three years, the midfielder could finally be prized away with both Everton and Sevilla being quoted £10 million for the 21 year old.

 

Style, strengths and weaknesses

Mostly at home as a scheming midfielder operating between the lines, the midfielder Praet has often been likened to is Andres Iniesta. Not the strongest physically, Praet utilises his comfort on the ball and impressive balance to move away from markers. “Above all it’s important that I retain my qualities, which are speed and acceleration. Lionel Messi and Iniesta aren’t exactly big either…” the midfielder once said.

Praet possesses a gifted first touch and is capable of neatly guiding the ball away from challenges in crowded areas. The midfielder lacks pace but he does have an initial burst of powerful acceleration which, in combination with his sharp control and sense of balance, often allows him to progress forward with the ball firmly at his feet.

As an attacking midfielder who is often stationed out on the left but allowed to move into his favoured central position, it is what Praet does in the final third that counts and even though he is a clever mover of the ball, he is often criticised for choosing the safe option on too many occasions. He finished last season with 9 assists but given his impressive technique and vision, there is a feeling he can rack up many more if he played through balls to the attackers more frequently.

From his position on the left however, he can be a danger when latching onto through balls from others, often using well-timed darts across the defensive line. His use of the width of the pitch is suggestive of Praet’s intelligence and acute use of space. A quick run into the inner-right channel earned him an assist against Arsenal in the Champions League back in October.

Though mainly used as an offensive asset, Praet has had to adjust his game to the growing importance of defending from the front in modern football and can now commonly be seen tracking back to help his midfield once the opposition has broken the first wave of press.

Though he may not always be strong enough to win the ball back, he can get stuck in and harry his opponent into making errors in possession, leaving Praet in a good position to launch a counter attack.

 

What the future holds

With Anderlecht’s failure to make the Champions League forcing them into the sales of Mitrovic and Mbemba, Praet could follow as his recent signing to the Stellar Group agency- representatives of Gareth Bale and Ashley Cole- suggests the midfielder is trying to get into a position to negotiate a move away. Though having recouped in excess of £20 million through their sales, Anderlecht will be in no rush to relinquish Praet who still has two years to run on his present contract.

Real Sociedad and Zenit St Petersburg can be added to the list of clubs around Europe who are reportedly chasing Praet, but he is rumoured to be intent on a move to the Premier League to follow the many Belgians who have succeeded there.

While the 21 year old definitely has the skill and intelligence to replicate them, he could do with bulking up on his slight frame if he is to hold his own in a physical league.

Furthermore Praet will need to show he can take an individual grip on games and that he can guide them into his own direction, something which he doesn’t manage enough. That is likely to come as the Belgian matures but at the moment, in the currently inflated transfer market, there are far many worse options to spend £10 million on than Belgium’s latest midfield talent.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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The Gay Sports Report: The Seven Greatest Gay Sportsmen

What makes a great gay sportsman? It’s not just about their performance – it has to be more than that, the impact they have made, whether they have been a role-model, or made a difference in some way.

It may be a bit of a subjective topic, but it’s an interesting discussion point when you start to try and whittle it down to just seven.

With an increasing number of professional athletes being out and proud, coming up with a definitive list of who are the greatest gay sportsmen is definitely getting harder – it’s encouraging that there are lots of contenders to consider when compiling a list such as this, it’s a good problem to have.

To make it a little easier for ourselves we’ve tried to limit our choices to one outstanding athlete per sport.

Here are our nominations (in no particular order):

Basketball: Jason Collins

Collins played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association in the US. When he announced that he was gay (in Sports Illustrated in 2013) he became one of the world’s highest profile professional athletes who was out and proud.

Honourable mention here to John Amaechi, a former professional basketball player who has become a strong advocate for equality and anti-discrimination.

 

Boxing: Orlando Cruz

Cruz is a professional boxer from Puerto Rico. In 2012 he became the first openly gay boxer. Unapologetically a proud gay man, Cruz has been fearless in just being himself.

 

Hurling: Donal Og Cusack

The sport of hurling may not be the most high profile sport in the world, but in conservative Ireland it was a big deal when in 2009 champion player Donal Og Cusack confirmed that he was gay.

 

Diving: Matthew Mitcham

Diving is a sport that has produced some incredibly talented athletes who are gay. Greg Louganis was an undoubted champion, but he didn’t publicly confirm his sexuality until after retiring. Tom Daley is still diving and is very much a prominent gay celebrity.

For us though, it has to be Matthew Mitcham that is recognised as the greatest. He won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and has consistently been a leader and role model for gay men around the world.

 

Cricket: Steven Davies

When Davies confirmed in 2011 that he was gay he became the first openly gay international cricketer. He is perhaps a quiet achiever – his coming out as gay was no big deal, the world of cricket simply shrugged its shoulders and carried on playing because it was no big deal.

The fact that it was no big deal speaks volumes about all involved.

 

Gridiron Football: Michael Sam

Sam became the first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL – when his draft pick was announced his reaction (he kissed his boyfriend) was broadcast live on news networks.

 

Athletics: Tom Waddell

Tom Waddell competed in track and field events at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but it was his role in establishing the Gay Games that has really defined his contribution to sport. The first Gay Games were held in San Francisco in 1982 and the event became a major catalyst for the establishment of gay sports clubs and increased participation in sport at all levels by gay men.

 

Other contenders that nearly made the list? Billy Bean (Baseball); Chris Morgan (Powerlifting); Blake Skjellerup (Speed Skating); Gareth Thomas (Rugby Union); Ian Roberts (Rugby League); Daniel Kowalski (Swimming); Ian Thorpe (Swimming); Robbie Rogers (Football); Justin Fashanu (Football); and Anton Hysen (Football).

We’re making slow progress, but professional sport is gradually becoming a safe space for gay men.

 

Written by Gareth Johnson

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FIFA 16: The Leaked Real Madrid Player Ratings in the latest FIFA edition

This is a follow-up to my article on the leaked Barca player ratings in the next FIFA edition.

As we were saying, player ratings are a big deal in the FIFA franchise. Rated out of a maximum of 100, every player in the game is rated after closely analysing each attribute (pace, attacking, physical etc.) from the previous season.

Leaked images and info in FIFA history has been true almost every time. Fans record footage in conference like E3 or in webinars to get any hint on what is coming in the latest edition of FIFA.

A YouTuber quadecaX8 was there in E3 when EA Sports released the first gameplay of FIFA 16 between Real Madrid and Barcelona. He snapped a pic when the game was paused.

Source: http://imgur.com/KbAKBwr

Real Madrid had a pretty successful season until 2015. They lost their lead in La Liga and they got knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals in 2015. However, their top players continued to perform like Ronaldo who managed to score 50 goals and made tons of assists. The 2014 Ballon d’Or winner is expected to have a higher rating in FIFA 16 as he was only rated 92 in FIFA 15.

Let’s find out what Ronaldo’s rating and some of his teammates are:

Cristiano Ronaldo – 93

Gareth Bale – 87

Toni Kroos – 86

Luka Modric – 88

Marcelo – 82

Sergio Ramos – 87

Rafael Varane – 83

Dani Carvajal – 80

Asier Illarramendi - 80

Isco – 84

James Rodríguez – 87

Karim Benzema - 86

Jese -75

These are initial ratings , which could be altered before the game is released on the 25th of September. However, it is likely that Ronaldo’s rating will very much increase after a pretty successful season for him on an individual level.

 

Written by Charchit Dahal

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Nicolas Gaitan: Is the Benfica star the ideal target for Manchester United?

According to reports, Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan is in negotiations for a possible move to the Premier League side this summer.

The 27-year-old Argentine, who knows Angel di María very well from the national side has been linked with Manchester United on numerous occasions since 2012. Gaitan’s representative Jose Irribaren has stated: “Everything is possible, there is a deal with Manchester United. The will of the player is that everything goes well.”

If the deal for Nicolas Gaitan goes through, he would become Manchester United’s fifth signing of the summer after sealing deals with Depay, Darmian, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger.

 

A capable, exciting player

Gaitan possesses many qualities such as the ability to play with both feet, ball control in tight spaces and an array of silky skills. Gaitan joining United would seem like a weird transfer on the surface. Despite his noticeable talents, Manchester United has already signed a gifted winger in Depay for a transfer fee of £25 million pounds.

Also, the Red Devils have already got plenty of squad depth in that position - with Di Maria, Juan Mata and Ashley Young all able to play in his position. So if he does sign for the club, it would consequently mean he has to be prepared to fight for a place in the starting line-up, which could prove to be difficult for him with fierce competition for places.

Di María had an average debut season in the Premier League; he started off well, but picked up a few injuries during the course of the season. Also, he had a big personal scare when his family’s house was robbed earlier on in the campaign, which seemed to have resulted in a loss of form and confidence.

The talented winger has been linked with a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain this summer, so it could possibly mean that Gaitan may be in-fact replacing Di María, as unlikely as it seems.

Nicolas Gaitan had an impressive campaign for Benfica last season. In the Portuguese Primeira Liga, he played 27 matches netting four goals and notching up an impressive 15 assists. Gaitan’s main position is on the left wing, but he can also play on the right-hand side and in a more advanced attacking midfield role.

Since his move from Boca Juniors, Gaitan has consistently recorded double figures with The Eagles in the league stamping his reputation as one of Europe’s best wingers.

 

What could he bring to the table?

Gaitan can bring in many benefits to the style of Manchester United’s play. For instance he can bring fluid football into Manchester United’s game, Gaitan linking up with the likes of Angel Di María and Juan Mata in a possible 4-2-3-1 formation. Although he normally plays on the wide in the game, allowing him to play in the CAM role will let him play to the best of his abilities which include superb ball control and top notch through balls.

One of the problems the club faced last year was very limited creativity and sending too many long balls up to Marouane Fellaini, which only paid off a couple of times.

One big weakness to Gaitan’s game is him not tracking back. In Louis van Gaal’s game plan, he expects every player - regardless of their position - to cover their defensive duties well. This has been shown on many occasions with Juan Mata and Ashley Young working until the last second of the game, especially when the team lose the ball in the middle of the pitch.

So if this part of his game does not improve, it’d be unlikely that van Gaal would start him - risking being hit on the counter attack with not enough players back defending for the team.

Gaitan currently has a contract with the Portuguese giants until the summer of 2018, and has a buy-out clause of €35 million euros (£25 m) which should not be a fee that would deter Manchester United.

A question does remain for Manchester United fans, would they be happy if Nicolas Gaitan signs for the club possibly as a replacement for Di María or in a more supporting role?

 

Written by Asif Norat

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