Category: Sports

Roy Hodgson confirms Watford departure and claims he ‘doesn’t think’ he will manage another Premier League club

Roy Hodgson confirms Watford departure and claims he ‘doesn’t think’ he will manage another Premier League club

Veteran manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that he will be leaving Watford at the end of the season, and is unlikely to take up management of another Premier League club, the 74-year-old revealed upon receiving his CBE on Wednesday afternoon.

Hodgson retired at the end of last season, leaving Crystal Palace after their final game as the south London club looked to take their recruitment strategy in a younger direction. However, the former England boss was coaxed out of retirement by Watford as the Hornets looked for a manager to steer them clear of relegation.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Former England manager Roy Hodgson poses after he was made a is made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by the Duke of Cambridge during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski-Pool/Getty Images)

Sadly, that did not prove to be the case, and Hodgson’s side now sit 12 points off safety with four games left to play, and in a cruel twist of fate, should they fail to beat Crystal Palace in their next game, their demise would be confirmed.

And it is likely to be Hodgson’s last job, judging by comments made to media while at the ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

‘Obviously, it’s a short-term [deal],’ the veteran coach said when quizzed on his Watford role. 

‘Certainly, I made it clear it would need to be a short-term one between now and the end of the season. I took that job on and came out of retirement to do that particular job.

“Now that job has unfortunately ended. I don’t think I shall be putting my name forward anymore for further sorties in the world of Premier League football.

‘I’ve enjoyed my time doing the job. It’s a very demanding world.’

But, he added, ‘I think I’ve earned the right to step back and enjoy some free time and spend some time with my wife and son.’

Hodgson’s managerial career has spanned nearly 50 years from his first senior role in 1976, and has taken him to Sweden, Italy the UAE and several clubs in England.

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Premier League table

# Team MP D P
1 Manchester City 34 63 83
2 Liverpool FC 34 64 82
3 Chelsea FC 34 39 66
4 Arsenal FC 34 13 63
5 Tottenham Hotspur 34 20 61
6 Manchester United 36 5 58
7 West Ham United 35 7 52
8 Wolverhampton Wanderers 34 1 49
9 Brighton & Hove Albion 35 -8 44
10 Newcastle United 35 -16 43
11 Leicester City 33 -6 42
12 Crystal Palace 34 3 41
13 Aston Villa 33 -2 40
14 Brentford FC 35 -11 40
15 Southampton FC 35 -17 40
16 Burnley FC 34 -15 34
17 Leeds United 34 -34 34
18 Everton FC 33 -20 32
19 Watford FC 34 -37 22
20 Norwich City 34 -49 21
Player Team Goals
Salah, Mohamed Liverpool FC 22
Son, Heung Min Tottenham Hotspur 19
Ronaldo, Cristiano Manchester United 18
Jota, Diogo Liverpool FC 15
Mane, Sadio Liverpool FC 14
Kane, Harry Tottenham Hotspur 13
Toney, Ivan Brentford FC 12
Zaha, Wilfried Crystal Palace 12
De Bruyne, Kevin Manchester City 11
Saka, Bukayo Arsenal FC 11
Mahrez, Riyad Manchester City 11
Mount, Mason Chelsea FC 10
Bowen, Jarrod West Ham United 10
Fernandes, Bruno Manchester United 10
Dennis, Emmanuel Watford FC 10
Pukki, Teemu Norwich City 10
Sterling, Raheem Manchester City 10
Raphinha Leeds United 10
Vardy, Jamie Leicester City 10
Smith-Rowe, Emile Arsenal FC 10

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Gary Payton II Suffers Broken Elbow After Dillon Brooks’ Flagrant 2 Foul

The Golden State Warriors announced that Gary Payton II suffered a fractured left elbow on Tuesday after a Flagrant 2 foul Dillon Brooks committed on him nearly three minutes into Game 2.

The infraction occurred when Brooks chased Payton down in transition in an attempt to stop a fast-break layup. Brooks hit Payton in the head in the subsequent action; the hard foul resulted in Payton hitting the court hard and staying down for several minutes. The incident makes the second straight game in the second-round series where a starter will miss a large chunk of a playoff game due to a Flagrant 2 ejection.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said per ESPN. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow … He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”

“The line is pretty clear; you don’t hit on the head when he’s in midair, breaking his elbow. That’s where the line is.”

Payton will undergo an MRI on Tuesday for further evaluation. A timetable for his return has not been determined.

The second-round series has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. Heading into Game 2, Memphis and Golden State were aware that their series would be a physical affair. Kerr said Game 2 would be their most physical game all season, which turned out to be accurate by all accounts.

“Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical,” Kerr said. “Everybody’s going to compete. Everyone is going to fight for everything.”

Without Payton in the lineup, who started Games 1 and 2 due to his defensive acumen, the Warriors will have to rely on someone else to guard Ja Morant, who just dropped 47-points in the Grizzlies’ 106-101 win over the Warriors.

Kerr said he hopes Andre Iguodala can fill the task once he returns from a back injury, hopefully by Game 3. Another solution might be to guard the reigning Most Improved Player by committee and hopefully slow him down with different coverages and defenders.

The Grizzlies-Warriors series shifts to San Francisco on Saturday.



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Where will NFL teams play overseas in 2022?

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 10: Cordarrelle Patterson #84 of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the ball during the NFL London 2021 match between New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 10, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The NFL has officially announced its five international series games for 2022, including the first-ever game to be played in Germany.

The NFL Draft has come and gone, making the release of the NFL Schedule the next milestone on the offseason calendar. The league has been releasing pieces of the 2022 schedule in advance of the full drop on May 12 in order to build hype, with the latest information to come out being the five games coming up as part of the NFL International Series.

The league officially announced the five international series games for the 2022 season this morning on Good Morning Football. Three contests will be played in London, one will take place in Mexico City and the final one will be played in Munich, marking the first-ever NFL game to be played in Germany.

2022 NFL International Series Games

London Games

  • Week 4: Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints at 9:30 a.m on Oct. 2.
  • Week 5: New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 9.
  • Week 8: Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 30.

The first two games in London will be played at Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium, which hosted its first NFL games last season, and will include the international debut of the Green Bay Packers, the final team that hadn’t played an overseas game yet. The Week 4 and 5 games will air on NFL Network while the Broncos-Jaguars clash, which will take place at Wembley Stadium, will air exclusively on ESPN+.

Munich Game

  • Week 10: Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.

The NFL’s first game to ever take place in Germany will feature Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing host to the Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena, the home of FC Bayern Munich. This game will also be aired on the NFL Network.

Mexico City Game

  • Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals at 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 21

The final International Series game of 2022 will be played at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and feature a critical NFC West clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. This game will air on ESPN as part of its Monday Night Football package.

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Ja Morant on His 47-Point Outing: ‘This Was a Must Win For Us’

The full array of Ja Morant’s skill, talent, and dominance was on display Tuesday as the Memphis Grizzlies took back home-court advantage and tied their second-round series 1-1 with a 106-101 win over the Golden State Warriors.

The 47-point effort Morant put on the veteran Warriors feels as inevitable as Thanos collecting the infinity stones. Each bucket felt heavier and heavier as it fell through the nylon. The Murray State product made 15-31 field goal attempts, knocked down 5-12 triples, and hit 12-13 free throws. Can’t forget the eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals he collected, either.

The newly crowned Most Improved Player award winner started the night off hot, scoring 21 points and five dimes in the first half, punctuating his Hulk-like evening with a hammer in transition. Morant’s athletic exploits are well-chronicled at this point, and when you’re that athletic and explosive, the main question fellow hoopers and media will ask is, where is the jumper?

The Warriors’ decision to make Morant beat them as a shooter didn’t pay off on Tuesday didn’t pay off as Morant trusted his jump shot when the Warriors sagged off him in the lane; the 2022 All-Star matched the sure-fire Splash Brothers in made three-pointers. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to bury 5-23 shots from beyond the arc against the Grizzlies’ lengthy and physical perimeter defense for the night.

Speaking of Curry, Morant outdueled the former MVP once again in Game 2. Morant scored the final 15 points of the night, hitting a three, and walked Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins down the lane for two tough finishes on a pair of isolation possessions in the final two and a half minutes. Morant also sank a floater to give the Warriors a 104-101 lead and then the final free-throws of the night to seal the Grizzlies’ series-tying win.

“Definitely big time,” Morant said per ESPN. “I felt like this was a must-win game for us. For me, I was frustrated with myself missing that layup in Game 1.

The Grizzlies-Warriors series heads back to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday. After Game 1, Curry let Morant know this second-round matchup would be a battle but fun. As the Grizzlies celebrated their hard-fought win, Morant returned the favor as the two superstars walked past each other.

“I was able to return that message tonight — I am having a lot of fun.”



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What can Luka Doncic & Mavs change for Game 2 vs. Suns?

Photo: essentiallysports.com

The Dallas Mavericks dropped Game 1 to the Phoenix Suns despite Luka Doncic’s 45 points. What can Luka, Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and head coach Jason Kidd change in Game 2?

Locked On Mavericks’ Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris discuss the things the Dallas Mavericks should have learned from Game 1 and then what adjustments they’d like to see in Game 2.

How much can the Mavs play their small-ball unit with Dorian Finney-Smith at the 5? How can Jalen Brunson get his offensive game going? How can the Mavs get off to a better start than In Game 1? Who can and can’t play in the rotation during this series?

The Mavs are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011 when they won the NBA Championship against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

The Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns will play Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals playoff series on Wednesday evening in Arizona.

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How the New England Patriots’ draft revealed Bill Belichick’s view of roster – NFL Nation

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots‘ rookie class has been widely panned by draft analysts, with some scouts and executives across the NFL also sharing their viewpoint with ESPN that first-round pick Cole Strange and second-rounder Tyquan Thornton went earlier than their teams had anticipated.

“I just don’t think they got value with their first two picks this year,” ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote.

Fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay echoed those thoughts, calling the Strange pick “eyebrow-raising” while noting he was his 77th-rated prospect overall.

• Kiper’s draft grades for every team »
• McShay’s 32 favorite picks »
• Rankings | Analysis of every pick
• Winners, losers: Day 1 » | Day 2 »
• Answering big Round 1 questions »
• More coverage » | Full draft order »

Jordan Reid, another ESPN draft analyst, rated Strange a third-round pick.

While everyone expressed respect for longtime coach Bill Belichick, and acknowledged that he could ultimately have the last laugh, the Patriots’ early draft work — and how it didn’t align with the boards of draft analysts or other teams — became a topic of discussion in some NFL circles.

What does it really mean?

Not much now. After all, there is no shortage of examples of the Patriots being widely praised after a draft, only to later learn the class didn’t produce the expected results (here’s one random example from 2019 — an A for what now looks more like a D draft).

So much happens between when a player is selected and the three-year window that most around the NFL believe is the benchmark for when a draft can be most fairly analyzed.

How the players are coached and brought along in the system is critical. The mentality of how they take that coaching, and adjust to football as their full-time job, is equally important. Injuries are sometimes a factor.

So at this point, instead of a knee-jerk instant analysis of the Patriots’ draft class, perhaps a smarter approach is to de-emphasize the question of how they fared, and instead ask this: What did the Patriots’ draft approach say about how Bill Belichick views his team?

Here is one reporter’s take:

1. Speed deficient on offense: When you select the receiver (Thornton) and running back (Pierre Strong Jr.) who posted the fastest 40-yard dash times at the NFL combine in their respective position groups, it couldn’t be more obvious. More home run threats on offense were needed.

2. Changing of guard: One of the knocks on the selection of Strange was that the Patriots created the need by trading veteran guard Shaq Mason in March. That’s one way to look at it, but a more accurate assessment seems to be that Belichick didn’t view Mason’s performance as worthy of his salary and saw the draft as the best way to not only upgrade, but do so at a fraction of the cost. It didn’t have to be in the first round, but that’s the way it turned out.

3. Eyes on AFC East: The physical makeup and sticky-coverage/sudden playing style of third- and fourth-round cornerbacks Marcus Jones (5-foot-8, 174 pounds) and Jack Jones (5-foot-10, 171) seem like a direct response to what the Patriots face in the division — as dynamic Tyreek Hill joins Jaylen Waddle in Miami, and few Patriots could keep up with Bills pass-catchers Stefon Diggs, Isaiah McKenzie & Co., late last season — especially on deep crossing routes.

4. Still invested in young LBs: What to make of the Patriots passing on linebackers entirely? Belichick is not yet ready to give up on 2020 third-round pick Anfernee Jennings, and as director of player personnel Matt Groh said, 2021 fifth-round pick Cameron McGrone is like an “additional draft pick” after sitting out his rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered at Michigan. There’s also 2021 third-round pick Ronnie Perkins and 2020 second-rounder Josh Uche in the conversation.

5. White a wild card: Veteran running back James White said last week that he is still not cleared after having hip surgery last season. When the team drafts two running backs (Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris) despite already having Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and White on the roster, it reinforces that the team is protecting itself when it comes to White’s status.

6. Hedge on Harris’ future: Harris enters the final year of his contract in 2022, and while an extension can never be ruled out, loading up the depth chart behind him with two draft picks could foreshadow how Belichick will view any future contract talks. It marked the first time the Patriots selected two running backs in a draft since 2011 (Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley).

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Check out the best highlights that contributed to a stellar college career for Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe.

7. Stidham on notice: Selecting Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round (No. 137) shines a spotlight on Jarrett Stidham‘s development. The 2019 fourth-round pick has not seemed to ascend and now has a real battle to make the team as a backup to Mac Jones.

8. Belief in Groh: Belichick seems to have put a lot of faith in Groh, the first-year director of player personnel and former national scout, considering he veered away from power programs on a few picks. Strange played at Tennessee-Chattanooga, fourth-rounder Strong at South Dakota State and sixth-round pick Sam Roberts at Northwest Missouri State.

9. Inner circle: As shown on Patriots.com, the Patriots have probably the smallest draft room in the NFL, with Belichick, Groh, owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft, director of scouting Eliot Wolf, pro scouting director Steve Cargile, senior football advisor Matt Patricia, college scouting director Camren Williams, director of football/head coach administration Berj Najarian and director of research Richard Miller among the selected few from the organization spotted on Day 1 of the draft. This is the leadership group Belichick has entrusted in a year of transition, with former director of player personnel Dave Ziegler having departed to become Raiders general manager.

10. Return game: After a down year on special teams, one way to bring back the mojo is to select arguably the draft’s most dynamic punt returner in the third round (Marcus Jones). Groh also said the Patriots will consider what second-round burner Thornton might contribute as well (possibly on kickoff returns). Projecting picks onto the roster is a significant part of the draft, and this was a reminder how the Patriots continue to place a significant emphasis on fourth down.

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Luka Modric on if Manchester City are Real Madrid’s toughest opponents


Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has been speaking about Manchester City ahead of the pair’s next outing.

Man City and Real Madrid played out an enthralling first leg Champions League semi-final tie last week at the Etihad.

The home side controlled the clash and probably should have scored more than the four goals they managed on the day.

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Madrid, meanwhile, were very much second best, but were still able to net three thanks to some moments of brilliance from Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema, as well as a mistake from Aymeric Laporte.

The pair are now set to do battle at the Bernabeu this coming Wednesday on the second leg.

As away goals no longer provide an advantage, City will fancy their chances heading into the Champions League semi-final second leg after picking up a 4-3 win in the first clash at the Etihad.

And whilst question marks remain over the fitness of Kyle Walker and John Stones ahead of the game, the Sky Blues will once again be able to call upon Joao Cancelo, after the Portuguese missed the previous meeting between the two European giants due to suspension.

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Modric on Manchester City

Ahead of the game, Luka Modric has been discussing Manchester City.

The Croatian would be asked if the Sky Blues are the toughest team Madrid have faced and, whilst Los Blancos are yet to beat Pep’s City in three attempts, Modric refused to confirm if they were:

“I can’t tell you because we have faced many strong opponents like PSG and Chelsea,” Modric said. “I can say City is a very good team with good players.”

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LeBron James: There’s no way Ja Morant should even have been in Most Improved Player talks

Photo: Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant went off for career-high 47 points as the Grizzlies tied the second round series against the Warriors by winning Game 2. His stellar performance received praise from LeBron James.

The Lakers superstar did not think that the 22-year-old point guard should have been in the Most Improved Player — the award that was just given to Morant — conversation because he is already a superstar.

“JA so damn tough!!!! There’s no way Ja should even have been in MIP talks. This guy is a flat out ⭐️ and always have been!! Real basketball 🧠s know. Not the majority of dweebs who don’t even watch basketball on those voting ballots,” the four-time NBA champion tweeted.



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Grant Williams on guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 2

Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Jaylen Brown scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half, Jayson Tatum added 29 points along with eight assists and the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-86 on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at one game apiece.

On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Jrue Holiday added 19 points and seven assists for the Bucks. Game 3 is on Saturday in Milwaukee.

Following the game, the Celtics power forward Grant Williams (21 points) talked about guarding Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo: “You just hunker down and trust the work you’ve done and do your best to contain one of the best players in the world.”



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3 quarterbacks the Vikings should be targeting in 2023 NFL Draft

Tanner McKee, Stanford Cardinal, Minnesota Vikings. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

With Kirk Cousins playing on an expiring contract in two years, the Minnesota Vikings could be in the mix to potentially trade up for a new franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 2023 NFL Draft should be a great one for quarterbacks and the Minnesota Vikings could potentially trade up to draft their new face of the franchise.

Minnesota is in a very interesting spot this season. Though they are not expected to win the NFC North because the Green Bay Packers still play in that division, the Vikings could be a Wild Card team if all goes well. Conversely, they could bottom out in year one of the Kevin O’Connell/Kwesi Adofo-Mensah partnership. All the while, Kirk Cousins is will still be getting paid out the wazoo.

With Cousins only under contract for two more seasons, the Vikings might seriously consider trading up to get a new franchise quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. Who could they be targeting?

Minnesota Vikings: 3 quarterbacks worth trading up for in the 2023 NFL Draft

3

Tanner McKee

QB Stanford Cardinal

The Pac-12 passer to keep an eye on this year has to be Stanford’s Tanner McKee

Though it remains to be seen who the No. 3 quarterback prospect will be in next year’s draft, there is a chance it could be the guy out of Stanford in Tanner McKee. While the Cardinal need to be exponentially better and get to a freaking bowl game, McKee has the necessary size and arm talent to be a successful starting quarterback in the NFC North division. He could go top 10 or so.

McKee is 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds. He played in 10 games last year as a sophomore, completing 65.4 percent of his passes for 2,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Even if the Cardinal program has deteriorated under David Shaw’s watch, Stanford has a proven track record of producing quarterbacks NFL teams want to draft. McKee could be the next one coming out.

Because USC transfer Caleb Williams is not draft-eligible, one would think McKee could become the apple of everyone’s eye out on the West Coast. Though Jake Haener could be interesting playing for Fresno State, there is a lot to like from a traits perspective that McKee could bring to the table. Of course, if the Cardinal win like four games again, nobody is going to care about talent.

Should Stanford be able to hold its own in the Pac-12, it may do wonders for McKee’s draft stock.

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