Vesper

https://www.vipleague.pm/epl/newcastle-united-vs-afc-bournemouth-1-live-streaming https://www.vipleague.pm/epl/newcastle-united-vs-afc-bournemouth-2-live-streaming https://www.vipleague.pm/epl/newcastle-united-vs-afc-bournemouth-3-live-streaming

The best whiskies for Burns Night From a bargain supermarket single malt to boutique blends, Jane MacQuitty picks her top bottles https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-whiskies-burns-night-9phlztf0k A warming smoke, fire and peat dram to celebrate Robbie Burns’s birthday next Saturday is just what this cold, dreary month needs. What amazes me is the flood of new blends, casks, ages, strengths and wood regimes that wash up here every year. Scotland has about 150 distilleries but its whisky blenders are hellbent on creating not just the signature styles that made them famous but hundreds of different expressions. Getting to grips with Scotland’s five leading whisky regions — smoky, peaty Islay, soft Lowland, fruity Speyside, the silky fudge of Campbeltown and heathery Highland — is not enough. There’s an explosion of complex new flavours to digest, from citrus and floral, through butterscotch and spicy Dundee cake, right up to the medicinal, tarry whack of an aged Islay. Unlike gin and vodka, which can be distilled in a day, good whisky takes at least ten years to show its true class. Still, even at the Aldi and Lidl single malt level, where the oldest whisky won’t be much more than the statutory minimum of three years, there are some decent drams here for less than £20 — see star buys. Spend twice that, if you can, on the tasty Kilchoman 46 per cent Islay blend at Marks & Spencer. It’s from a family-run field-to-bottle distillery that does the lot, including growing and malting its own barley. Or plump for Johnnie Walker’s brilliant Green Label 15-Year-Old blended malt (43 per cent, Waitrose, £49). It’s an elegant, ginger biscuit snap mix of four different distilleries’ malts, with the woodsmoke and fruit of Skye’s Talisker at its heart. Talisker’s own 10 Year Old is a sparky, sea spray and richly fruited 45.8 per cent wonder, well worth splashing out £51 for at Sainsbury’s. Each whisky cask is unique, regardless of the same water, air, still and malt used in its creation, and batches do vary despite distillers’ determination to maintain consistency in big brands. If that’s not difficult enough, I am in awe of the skill required by boutique whisky makers such as Compass Box and Woven to create their showstopping blends. Check out Compass Box’s amazing 46 per cent Nectarosity, thewhiskyexchange.com, £52.25, with its glorious, silky, cinnamon-spiced stone fruit and tingly, salt lick finish care of sherry, bourbon and American oak butts. Woven goes a step further, combining whisky aged in Scottish, Irish and even English casks, plus American bourbon barrels, to create an aptly named but very unusual 46.1 per cent Superblend, thewhiskyexchange.com, £48.50, bursting with toffee, smoke, spice and all things nice. From left: Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt; Kilchoman Single Malt; Ledaig Aged 10 Years Single Malt; Glen Marnoch Single Malt Whisky stars Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Whisky 40 per cent, 70cl, Lidl, £17.99 A wonderful smoky, peaty, seaweed-and-tobacco-leaf star, it’s the best bargain supermarket single malt. Kilchoman Islay Single Malt 46 per cent, 70cl, Marks & Spencer, £40 A strong, stylish, peaty Islay single malt with an appealing toffee, golden raisin and citrus peel finish. Ledaig Aged 10 Years Mull Single Malt 46.3 per cent, 70cl, thewhiskyexchange.com, £39.95 A gorgeous, fruity, sea breeze-tangy peat smoke and black pepper malt from Mull’s Tobermory, founded in 1798. Glen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt 40 per cent, 70cl, Aldi, £17.99 A satisfying digestive biscuit and rich fruitcake of a single malt with a pleasingly fiery, citrus finish. From left: Bordeaux Supérieur; Macerao Moscatel Naranjo; Antonin Rodet Chardonnay; Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage Supermarket wines of the week 2022 Bordeaux Supérieur, France 14 per cent, Lidl, £5.99 A bordeaux glut steal of an easy-swigging, fruit-first claret with lashings of juicy, plump, plummy merlot fruit. 2022 Macerao Moscatel Naranjo, Chile 13.5 per cent, Waitrose, £7.99, down from £8.99 Cheer up a dull day with a musky, spiced quince of a moscatel grape orange wine — it’s a handy big food bottle. 2023 Antonin Rodet Chardonnay, France 13 per cent, Morrisons, £9 A rich, nutty, creamy, oaked Midi chardonnay, from the burgundy house of Boisset, that punches well above its weight. 2022 Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage, South Africa 14 per cent, Booths, £13, down from £15 A peerless, dark, dusky pinotage with complex, velvety tannins and fat bramble fruit from a stellar Stellenbosch estate.

The only seven Greek recipes you’ll ever need From kleftiko and the perfect Greek salad to spanakotyropita — here’s how to rustle up authentic Hellenic dishes at home https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/simple-greek-recipes-odysea-fk6ggn5tx Horiatiki (Greek salad) and spanakotyropita. “Never tell a Greek to buy a 200g bag of feta. They will laugh at you. It’s too small,” says Odysea’s Panos Manuelides When Panos Manuelides decided he was going to sell Greek sea bass to Londoners in the Nineties, he didn’t ask for advice from anyone. Instead, armed with a box of fish that had been caught off the Greek island of Chios less than 24 hours before, put on ice and flown overnight to Heathrow, he looked up the address for Tesco’s HQ, drove there and knocked on the door. “Fish doesn’t keep, so I had to be quick,” he says. “They asked if I had an appointment, which I didn’t, but I think they felt sorry for me and let me in.” Less than a year later, Manuelides had brokered a deal that got his fresh fish on the supermarket’s counter. Today, Manuelides’s specialist food company, Odysea, which he founded 34 years ago, imports award-winning foods from Greece. Odysea was the first to bring high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil to market this year and is the only supplier in the country to sell raw honey. “Our products must be special. They need to have a PDO (protected designation of origin) or have a story,” Manuelides says. He doesn’t have the background you would expect for a food specialist. He has a degree in mathematical science and a master’s in information technologies from LSE. But he wasn’t a typical student when he arrived, aged 18, in the mid-Eighties from Athens, where he was born. “I knew how to cook. In a Greek family, life evolves in the kitchen. I did my homework there, and when someone knocked at the door we invited them into the kitchen,” he tells me. “A friend once asked me to buy mayonnaise. I said, ‘Don’t be so silly — we make it ourselves.’ ” You cannot talk about Greek food and Odysea without also mentioning cheese. In 1998 Greece was the biggest consumer of cheese in the world, with the average person eating more than 27kg each year. “There is a joke at home that you will never tell a Greek to buy a 200g bag of feta. They will laugh at you. It’s too small.” But feta is not the only cheese Greeks eat. Odysea sells manouri, mizithra, galotyri and mastelo to name a few. Does Manuelides have a favourite? “No, I am Greek. I love them all.” Hannah Evans ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 1. Gigante yahni (oven-baked giant beans) Serves 8 as a side dish It’s one of the unofficial dishes of Greece. Ingredients • 250g dried giant beans – we use Agrino Fasolia Gigantes Elefantes, but you can also use 2 x 400g jars of pre-cooked beans in brine • 240ml extra virgin olive oil • 3 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 large onion, chopped quite small • 1 x 400g tin of peeled tomatoes, liquidised • 1 large carrot, grated • 1 tbsp chopped celery • 1 tsp oregano • 1 tbsp sugar • Small bunch of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley • Salt and pepper Method 1. If using dried beans, soak them in water overnight, then drain and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, wash off all the froth, then place again in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 15cm. Bring to the boil, add salt and simmer for about 60 minutes or until cooked al dente. Drain and keep the cooking liquid aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 165C fan/gas 4½. In another saucepan place the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes, carrot, celery, oregano and sugar, stir and cook until all the water has evaporated and the mixture starts to sizzle in the oil. 3. Add the cooked beans, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and 230ml of the reserved liquid (or hot water). Mix well, empty into a deep ovenproof dish and top with lots of freshly ground black pepper. 4. Bake for 45-60 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Enjoy the beans at room temperature. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 2. Kleftiko Serves 4 This is a slow-cooked lamb dish and the slower you cook it, the better. My twist is preserved lemon rather than fresh lemon. Ingredients • 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled (optional) • 100ml extra virgin olive oil • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 4 lamb shanks • 4 garlic cloves • 4 bay leaves • 1 preserved lemon skin only, quartered (optional) • Salt and pepper, to taste • 1 tbsp dried oregano Method 1. Preheat your oven to 130C fan/gas 2. 2. Cut 4 pieces of parchment large enough to hold 1 shank and one potato (if using). 3. Cut the potatoes in 4 segments vertically, place in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and mustard and toss the potatoes to cover them with the mixture. 4. In each parchment add 1 lamb shank, 4 potato segments, 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf and a quarter of the lemon skin, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.Fold the parchment carefully around the lamb and potatoes and secure with string to make a parcel. 5. Spray the parcels with water, place in a heavy oven dish and cover securely with foil by folding the foil around all the edges of the oven dish; or use an ovenproof casserole with a lid. 6. Cook in the oven for 4-5 hours. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 3. Tzatsiki Serves 5-6 as a dip My top tip: make sure you squeeze all the water out of the cucumber. Ingredients • 1 large cucumber, skin on, grated • 500g authentic Greek yoghurt • 50ml extra virgin olive oil • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tsp salt • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (optional) Method 1. Strain the cucumber in a sieve for a while, then squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. 2. Put everything in a bowl and mix until the oil blends with the yoghurt. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 4. Skordalia (Greek garlic dip) Serves 8 It will keep in a sealed glass jar for one week in the fridge. Ingredients • 140g blanched almonds • 70g bread (you can use up any stale bread you may have) • 6 garlic cloves (more or less according to taste), with any green centres removed • 60ml white vinegar • 2 tsp salt • 210g mashed potato • 280g Greek strained yoghurt • 240ml extra virgin olive oil Method 1. Soak the almonds in water for 1 hour, then drain. Soak the bread in water for about 30 minutes until it’s completely saturated, then squeeze the water out. 2. In a food processor, blend together the garlic, almonds, vinegar and salt until smooth. Add the potato, bread and yoghurt then blend again. 3. With the motor running slowly, pour in the olive oil to blend with the mixture. The skordalia should be thick enough to hold its shape, with a consistency similar to that of hummus. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar if necessary. 4. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serve with warm pitta bread or a selection of meze. In Greece, we eat it with fried battered fish and beetroot. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 5. Spanakotyropita Serves 8 You can use other cheeses in this recipe, but cheese in Greece is feta. Ingredients • 1kg fresh spinach • Salt and pepper • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped • 120ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the baking dish and pastry, as needed • 80g chopped spring onions • 1 leek, thinly sliced • 12g chopped dill • 2 eggs • 200g-300g feta cheese, crumbled • 10-12 sheets filo pastry Method 1. Preheat your oven to 165C fan/gas 4½. 2. Wash the spinach, chop coarsely and place in a bowl, then sprinkle with salt. Leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze the spinach to remove excess water, put in a colander and set aside. 3. Gently fry the chopped onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes or until a light golden colour, add the spring onions and leek and cook until they wilt. Add the spinach and stir everything together until it’s a light colour. Stir in the dill and salt and pepper to taste, then cook until the mixture starts sizzling. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool. All the water from the spinach should be absorbed. 4. In another bowl, beat the eggs and add the crumbled feta. Add the egg and feta mixture to the cooled spinach mixture and mix well. 5. Brush a 25cm x 30cm baking dish with extra virgin olive oil, then line with a sheet of filo. Repeat the process using a total of 6 sheets, brushing each sheet with extra virgin olive oil before adding the next and leaving any sections of overhanging filo as they are for now. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo, then fold the overhanging parts of filo back over the spinach filling, brushing with extra virgin olive oil as you go. 6. Lay the remaining sheets of filo on top, brushing each sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Trim off the edges as necessary and tuck in the pastry all around the dish. Brush the top with extra virgin olive oil and use a sharp knife to lightly score the filo in squares, making sure you do not cut too deep to expose the filling. 7. Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 30 minutes before cutting into portions for serving. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 6. Horiatiki (Greek salad) Serves 4 In Greece we don’t cut the feta into cubes: we place a whole slab on top of the salad (you use your fork to break off what you want). It should only be dressed with the best virgin olive oil and dried oregano. Ingredients • 80ml extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • ½ tsp Dijon mustard (optional) • ½ tsp Odysea Pine & Fir Tree Raw Honey • Pinch of salt • 1 red onion, sliced • 1 or 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped — use more or less according to size and preference • 1 large cucumber, skin on, sliced • Handful of large capucine capers • Handful of Kalamata olives • 1 x 200g block of good-quality feta • Oregano, to taste Method 1. To make the dressing, put the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey and salt in a jar, seal and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until emulsified. 2. Put the onion, tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl, add the capers and olives and mix well. Drizzle over the dressing and mix again; any unused dressing can be kept in the fridge. Place the block of feta on top and scatter with oregano. ROMAS FOORD FOR THE TIMES MAGAZINE 7. Baked feta parcels with raw honey Serves 2-4 as a side dish If you don’t have sesame seeds, use other seeds, oregano or spicy pul biber instead. Ingredients • 2 sheets filo pastry • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed • 1 x 200g block of good quality feta, cut in two • Raw Greek honey • Sesame seeds (optional) Method 1. Preheat oven to 160C fan/gas 4. 2. Lay a sheet of filo on a flat surface and brush the top side with olive oil. Place one block of feta towards the bottom of the shorter side of the filo, then lift the bottom part of the filo over the feta. Keep rolling up the feta in the filo, tucking in the ends of the filo as you go to form a parcel and brushing with olive oil before each fold. Repeat with the second sheet of feta and the second block of feta. 3. Place on a baking tray, seam-side down, and bake for 20 minutes or until the filo is a golden colour. 4. Gently toast the sesame seeds if using, taking care as they catch quickly. When the parcels are cooked, drizzle them immediately with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Flower Lace Charms on the Air Jordan 4 'Aluminium' https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/releases/air-jordan-4-aluminium-HV0823-100-price-buy-release-date/ While 2024 was strong for the Air Jordan 4, 2025 is looking to match its energy, with the 'White Cement', 'Black Cat' and Undefeated pairs all on the way – not to mention a Nigel Sylvester colab. Fresh GRs are also looking to keep the line strong, and a flower-adorned 'Aluminium’ has just been revealed. For a shoe as hot as the AJ4, all drops move the needle, but this pair has some special features that set it apart. The AJ4 ‘Aluminium’ comes dressed in a white leather upper and the rest of the shoe is accented with baby blue hits, including the outsole, wings, and back tab. The colourway is giving University of North Carolina Tarheel vibes, and while great in itself, it's made even better with extra detail covering the laces. Delicate embroidered flowers appear in a smattering across the laces in a mix of blues, which is perfect for the timing since the pair is scheduled to release just in time for Mother’s Day. The Air Jordan 4 'Aluminium' is releasing on May 3 (eight days before Mother's Day) and will be available in women’s, preschool and toddler sizing. Keep it locked here for updates.

good luck winning trophies with one of our starting wingers scoring 2 or 3 league goals all season Neto has ONE league goal in over 1000 league minutes TWO assists his league goal totals over the years 1 (2 games) 0 (1 game) 0 (4 games) 3 (29 games) 5 (31 games) 1 (13 games) 0 (18 games) 2 (20 games) 1 (this season so far, 18 games) FOUR league goals in his last 76 league games (all in the EPL) that output makes Chels Willian look like Messi

not sold on Neto never was he simply doesnt produce enough goals never has

Enzo Maresca says coaching Chelsea during January transfer window a ‘disaster’ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6069624/2025/01/17/Chelsea-january-transfers-maresca/ Enzo Maresca today described being in charge of Chelsea during the January transfer window as a “disaster” because of the unsettling effect it is having on his squad. Chelsea have picked up just three points from their last five Premier League games but it is not the disappointing form which is providing him with the most concern. A number of Chelsea players have been linked with a move away this month. For example Renato Veiga is wanted by Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich have made an enquiry for Christopher Nkunku while Tosin Adarabioyo has been linked this week to Brighton. When asked how he is finding January so far, Maresca replied: “A disaster. It is normal we judge results and we are in a business where we all judge results. But if we judge the performance of the team, I am happy because we create, we play… “On the pitch for sure I would like to win more games but I am okay. Off the pitch it is a disaster because there are so many noises which I don’t think help us, but I don’t think they help any club.” GO DEEPER Chelsea might sell Nkunku and are interested in Tel. Would doing a deal for both make sense? Pressed on how unsettling it is for members of the squad who are subject of enquiries from other teams, he added: “It is not just for us, it is for every club, every manager. In this moment when there is noise about any player it is not easy because even if you think the player can be focused on us, in the end he is a human being. So if there is any noise about some different club, probably he is not focused 100 per cent so this situation does not help. But we need to adapt because it is like this.” Chelsea take on Wolves on Monday night with doubts over Cole Palmer (ankle), Levi Colwill (knock), Enzo Fernandez (muscle fatigue) and Romeo Lavia (muscle fatigue).

Phase 1 - assfuck, with promises of chocolates and flowers afterwards, but they do not arrive Phase 2 - assfuck, again with the promises of chocolates and flowers afterwards, but they do not arrive Phase 3 - assfuck, again with the promises of chocolates and flowers afterwards, but they do not arrive Phase 4- sorry, no chocolates, no flowers,............... now bend over

well, you can always read my targets (but we will never move for the ones I push for)

The Sporting Directors MUST be held accountable Their treatment of Trev and failure of the summer window are examples of their poor decisions https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/the-sporting-directors-must-be-held I wrote an article recently on our sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. I said in that article that they’d done a good job rebuilding the football infrastructure of the club and made some good signings. That remains the case. It doesn’t change because of what’s happened this week. I’ll always give credit where its due, and I’ll never get into dehumanizing labels or personal attacks as others do sometimes. They may well be good men who work hard at their job and have some expertise, and I’m not gonna dispute that or ever disrespect them as people. But the situation with Trevoh Chalobah might be the final straw for me as regards their suitability for their current jobs. Looking at Twitter, about 90-99% of fans there now want the sporting directors gone, and I don’t blame them. This, to me was the final straw in many ways. Frozen out in the summer, they publicly briefed he was for sale, that we wanted him gone, didn’t fit Enzo Maresca’s system and he was made to train with the kids teams. Now he is welcomed back with a phone call - still unclear whether that was Behdad Eghbali or Winstanley - and we’re told he’s important to the first team and he can suddenly, miraculously fit with Maresca’s system. That volte face is not only a sign of awful man management and disrespect to the player, its also clearly demonstrating their squad building skills are poor. Its incompetence and its unprofessional, and not fitting for a club the size of Chelsea. There’s basic standards of decency and respect, and honouring someone’s service to a club, and I don’t believe Trev, nor Conor Gallagher, have been shown that. And as a fan, I’m not ashamed to say it makes me really angry. Trev’s loyalty has been shoved in his face too many times, and now its being used to bring him back. That’s just shocking behaviour from the Sporting Directors. Players are people, human beings, not commodities. Outside of this, the Sporting Directors spent a billion of the clubs and owners money on this squad and we’re 4th. That IS progress, many didn’t predict that last summer and some of their signings have been successful. I’m not going to back down on my previous points about some signings and appointments being good ones. However, the last summer window now looks more and more like a shambles. Two of the players we signed then, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (surely a candidate for the Chelsea worst signing squad), and Renato Veiga, who I think has done well for us so far, could both depart this window. Even Tosin Adarabioyo, who I think has been a really smart signing who’s done relatively well and added some leadership and experience, has been linked with a move. Where’s the planning with all these? Looking further back, Axel Disasi, a Laurence Stewart signing, looks to be moving on after 18 months, and Benoit Badiashile, another Stewart signing, could be in the summer. The club have signed countless goalkeepers in the last two years, none of whom are yet good enough to be Chelsea number one. That’s at least 6-7 signings which either haven’t worked or could be gone relatively quickly. There’s a good chance one of the wingers will depart in the summer as well, and other signings are under scrutiny. To be balanced, the sporting directors have made some good signings. I’m not here to make personal attacks or be unbalanced and rude. They deserve credit for Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu, Estevao Willian, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto, Aaron Anselmino, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Tosin and even Renato Veiga, who I think has been a shrewd signing, and extending Levi Colwill and Josh Acheampong. They’ve also sold very well, bringing in over £430m and getting huge fees for Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, which now look excellent deals for Chelsea. However, their overall squad building has been poor. We have a first team, but our squad isn’t strong enough in depth, and they’ve made consistently bad decisions in some areas and their treatment of Trev - and also Conor Gallagher last summer - is simply unprofessional. Recalling him after trying to force him out of the club brutally last summer is embarrassing, shameful and undermines any credibility or trust they had with the fans. Not only that, it also undermines their credibility with the players and outside of Chelsea too. It gives the impression they have no idea how to manage players and no idea how to build a squad. I know there is an overall plan for the long term, as I’ve said many times here, but the execution of it hasn’t been top class at all. We cannot keep blaming the manager for failures in the squad (we’re into their second appointment now) and not hold those above him to account. They built this squad, they spent the money, they made the decisions, they treated players poorly, so like in any job, they should be held accountable for what they’ve done. I won’t judge Enzo Maresca too harshly until he’s given a full squad he trusts and suits how he wants to play. Right now, he doesn’t have that. The other failure is this continued unwillingness to sign some good experience in the squad. We need more established players of requisite ability, with experience, who have leadership qualities. Our inexperience is showing in recent games, and again, that’s down to the squad composition. The sporting directors have spent about £1 billion in two years, and although there’s been improvement, there’ve been too many mistakes and bad decisions, and poor man management. How is it after two years of the sporting directors, we still need a proven CB with leadership qualities, still need a top GK and a powerhouse striker and elite finisher? Nicolas Jackson is one of their successes, but he needs proper support and we need a different profile up front, and its still not been properly addressed. Surely the owners expect a better return on their investment than so many being sold on so quickly and still not having a deep squad two years later? We were told in 2022 during the takeover we would appoint best in class, and respectfully, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart aren’t acting like “best in class” at all. Best in class means someone like Luis Campos, Monchi, Michael Edwards, or Andrea Berta (pictured above), who just left Atletico Madrid after many successful years, and is available. It was rumoured Todd Boehly looked at Berta during the takeover. You need elite people to run elite football clubs, winners who command respect, have historically built successful, trophy winning squads, who not only can spot talent but know what's needed, both in talent, profile and intangibles, in a squad to win major trophies. Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have some positive qualities and have done some good work in specific areas, as I’ve outlined. This isn’t an agenda driven article, I’m tying to be fair and balanced. But the evidence is clear, squad building is clearly not a strength of the Sporting Directors, and quite frankly, man management isn’t either. If they want us to give credit when it goes well, they need to hold their hands up and be held to account for their failures. If they are to remain at Chelsea, it should be in roles which suit their skill set. We need a best in class sporting director who can build an elite squad and manage players and staff well and gain their respect - even the ones who end up leaving - and has respect in the wider football community. The majority of the fanbase have had enough of mixed or bad decisions with a constant lack of accountability. This is our club, we deserve the best, we deserve some accountability, and we’re not getting either currently. Its simply not good enough, and fans are tired of excuses and PR talk. We need action, and answers. The Score

Juma Bah is LaLiga's great unknown The 18-year-old defender has had little exposure to professional football, yet already looks to have captured the attention of clubs across Europe. https://www.lapausa.digital/p/juma-bah-is-laligas-great-unknown Central defenders are, in comparison with most other positions, pretty challenging to find and accurately assess. Particularly in the data age, you can’t rely on the numbers to guide the first few steps as much as you can when looking for, say, a creative midfielder or a wing back. It’s a process that requires a whole lot of perception. Where we can all see the physical titans who dominate in the penalty area, batting away crosses and ragdolling strikers in the ultimate shows of resistance, it’s misplaced to expect the great defenders to hit you in the face via those scenarios alone — especially in the modern game. Elite defenders on elite teams have to play with an increasing acuity, even if they are built from stone. Logically, the more subtle traits that surround bullyball inevitably take a while to discern. And it’s especially the case for central defenders, who tend to peak closer to their 30s and are often guided into those prime years by fundamentals acquired through experience. There’s a reason why attacking players get more opportunities than centre backs in their teen years. Consider, then, the case of Juma Bah. The Real Valladolid defender was born in 2006, has started 10 professional matches in Europe, and hadn’t played outside of Sierra Leone until September of last year. On top of that, his team are in the relegation zone and the defence he’s part of has the worst such record in LaLiga. Everything says Bah should be an enigma to assess with any clarity. Nevertheless, it already looks like a raft of European clubs are preparing to act upon their spiking curiosity. From Sierra Leone to the big leagues Before touching on anything remotely related to performance, it’s worth recalling Bah’s backstory. The 18-year-old has gone from playing in the streets of Sierra Leone to the big stage of LaLiga in remarkably quick time. Indeed, when Bah was initially spotted and invited to play in an organised format in his home country, he recalled the experience as “stressful”, owing to the fact that he didn’t then own a pair of football boots. Then one day, Pachu Martínez – the scouting coordinator at Real Valladolid – went to see him play in Freetown. The ex-player is currently leading a long-term project for the club in scouting across Africa, and had received a tip from the player’s agent, Patrick Mork, about a young defender that could be of interest. Pachu, inevitably, liked what he saw. Bah soon arrived in Spain and began with his new club’s juvenil side. In the confirmation of his signing, Valladolid stated that he would spend the season on loan playing for the under-19s. That announcement was on August 26, but he would play for the B team, train with the first team, and then make his professional debut against Real Sociedad, all by September 21. The 18-year-old may have admitted to nearly having a heart attack upon being named in a LaLiga starting XI, but once there, any sign of game-influencing nerves has been hard to detect. Quite simply, Bah has looked collected on the pitch – and given his age and where he’s come from, having been launched into a radically new world, that counts for plenty early on. Listed at roughly 6-foot-4 inches tall, Bah cuts a solid immediate impression. It’s not until you see how he moves, however, that that impression starts to change beyond that of a default, well-sized centre back. Though Bah has played most of his minutes in a two this season, there’s plenty of early evidence to suggest he’s a player who’ll be eligible for the outside of a three in the future, owing to that combination of size and relative athleticism. Of course, it doesn’t take a particularly keen eye to identify Big and Fast, nor does it tell you much about a defender in isolation. It will always spike one’s intrigue though, and put a much better spin on whatever else is later uncovered. Taken in consideration of where modern football is at, too, it’s hard not to be immediately gripped by the teenager. Big-bodied defenders like Bah, who have the agility to move on the outside and in the channels, are becoming increasingly valuable resources in the game. And besides, even if you’re not looking for a behemoth who can run on the outside of your back three, having an orthodox central defender who can is no less valuable. Here he is extinguishing a transition opportunity for Getafe, showing his agility against Carles Pérez (one of the quicker wingers in LaLiga), along with plenty of strength in the process: Bah has shown nice flashes of speed and strength within smart defensive decisions too. The clip below is from the Betis victory last time out, up against another of the quickest wide players in Spain, Ez Abde. While moving backwards towards his own goal, Bah measures Abde up well and gets his feet in order, before matching him step-for-step and taking away the ball back across goal, having ushered him onto his weaker foot. Despite the natural difficulties of being an 18-year-old rookie, suddenly playing at a much higher level, and doing so in one of the worst three teams in LaLiga, Bah has rarely looked overstretched in his defending. Inevitably, there have been subtle errors of misjudgement and the moments of over-aggression. To defend well is to limit errors — not avoid them completely — and Bah hasn’t gotten everything right. But he hasn’t looked flustered by his environment or swept up by the dynamics of play. At this very early stage, Bah’s flashes and relative consistency in the open field are among the most promising news. Whether he’s been in a central pair of on the right of a central three, he’s performed well in the balancing act of defending at different heights on the pitch, where your positioning is tested and where you always run the risk of either being over-aggressive or not aggressive enough. (Just before the winter break, there was a video published from Atlético’s win at Barcelona where precisely that topic was being aired after conceding. While Oblak, Griezmann, and De Paul lobbied for the back line stepping out more, the only defender in the argument, Giménez, argued that they couldn’t.) Not to mention, the defensive line he’s played in so far has been a turnstile of different players, combinations, and systems. There hasn’t been much by the way of sturdy foundations surrounding Bah, which speaks further to the way he’s evaded the ragged moments you’d expect from a young defender in such a context. Bah’s ability to hold up in the open field is important for the fact that his defensive prowess in deeper areas looks a pretty safe thing (that being said while knowing it’s impossible to be certain at this point, and with plenty of nous in the box still to be naturally acquired). Being able to defend on the move and when the game is in its most dynamic phases, as well as stand out when its time to defend the box, is any centre back’s ticket to moving up the career ladder. At the very least, it’ll get you noticed — as appears to have happened. On that note, Bah has made a pretty formidable start as far as presential defending goes. Among centre backs with 600+ minutes played in LaLiga this season, he currently ranks in the top five for both aerial duel success (71%) and clearances per 90 (6.3). As touched on earlier, that’s not to say he’s a top-five box defender in the league, but it is instructive on an individual basis. When married up with the eye test, it’s pretty clear that Bah is a forceful presence inside the area. Especially when we’re talking about an 18-year-old. In a game against Valencia back in December, Bah racked up 13 clearances and won 6/8 aerial duels in his side’s eventual 1-0 victory. Their opponents crossed the ball an astonishing 64 times over the course of 98 minutes, which was the most by any side in a LaLiga game since 2019. However, they only put up 0.85 xG and landed just two attempts on target overall, in a second half that was typified by Bah’s dominance of the penalty area. (Side note: The last defender aged 21 or younger to make as many clearances in a LaLiga game was Mohammed Salisu, over five years ago, who also just happens to be a player Valladolid once recruited directly from African football. And was later sold to the Premier League…) Flickers of distributive talent Playing in a team merely trying to stay in LaLiga, the opportunities for Bah to stand out with the ball aren’t exactly abundant. Valladolid aren’t looking to go through the thirds from the back very often, nor do they have much weight in the possession battle. The recent managerial change isn’t likely to improve anything on that front either. Diego Cocca hasn’t arrived to initiate a ball-playing revolution. Suffice to say, you won’t find Juma Bah’s name at the top end of any distribution stats in LaLiga. Within what’s reasonable or possible in his current context, however, there have been things to like. Overall, the teenager has shown good reliability in deciding when and when not to play. As mentioned before, Valladolid aren’t always spacing the pitch to be able to go through the thirds, nor is there an abundance of midfielders looking to make themselves available when the ball is at Bah’s feet. In that environment, his smartest decision is often reduced to playing over the top of midfield. With that said, it’s clear that Bah has a better vision of the game than his pass completion numbers would otherwise tell you. He’s not in a hurry to bypass the midfield and loft one into the channel. Bah could certainly make his life easier on the possession front, what with the grind that Real Valladolid are engaged in to try and stay in the league. It’s hard to imagine his side spending hours and hours on build-up play, choreographing patterns to evade opposition pressure and arrive to the attacking half in control. Diego Cocca would probably trade five of those a game for his defenders not losing the ball in their own half. Not content to simplify things entirely, however, Bah keeps hunting his opportunities to play. He refuses to let attackers off the defensive hook; instead, looking for his moments to keep Valladolid’s possession alive. Even in their relegation six-pointer against Valencia, when all anyone in the ground seemed to be thinking about in the second half was when the full time whistle would sound, the teenager was still thinking there was football to be had. Bah’s poise when finding solutions from the defensive third might not be massively impactful in the grand scheme — Valladolid still have a long way to go to arrive to goal and opposition defenders are usually better than their attackers — but that doesn’t figure in his natural approach on the ball. Quite simply, there’s more that Bah is capable of than what Valladolid’s current context requires. Another promising aspect of Bah’s play is being able to make a defensive action and then follow it up with another positive one, or flip from defensive to attacking thinking with little waste in general. There was that moment where he stripped Nico Williams in November, and the clip below from the recent Betis game stands out as one where he added a lot of (unexpected) value. Betis have been one of the top counter-pressing sides in LaLiga this season, but watch how sharp Bah is at spotting the opportunity and feeding the pass through a tight window into Kike Pérez — in turn, setting Valladolid off on attack where every Betis midfielder was caught ahead of the ball. Like everything attached to Bah’s game at this early stage, clubs are looking for glimmers rather than absolute certainties. Moments like the one above stand for much more than a couple of misplaced passes, as they show a good sense of place and being able to appreciate the wider game situation. The paradox of all that’s related to Bah and his development is that despite probably needing to see more of him to be absolutely sure, there isn’t going to be a whole lot of time left if you’re a club weighing up whether to act upon your interest. Throw in the fact that Valladolid are currently in the relegation zone and probably thinking about their economic situation in the worst case scenario, and the urgency only grows for those taking a look. With rumours swirling and scouting departments no doubt already well down the line in their work, they will very quickly have to ask themselves: have we seen enough to override the fact we aren’t going to have enough time to see more? Then again, that’s essentially the book on deciding whether you want to sign a young player or not these days. It’s never been easier to become aware of players across the globe, meaning you have to be quick on the trigger. Then, as much as anything, it becomes a battle to secure the rights to the development of said player – a process that can then be shaped in the way the winning club sees fit. Bah might be great. He might not. But there’ll be plenty who want to take ownership of finding out which one it will be.

Hamilton unveils new Jazzmaster Open Heart in two sizes — 42mm and 36mm You'll love the new Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart https://www.themanual.com/fashion/hamilton-jazzmaster-open-heart/ Hamilton added new timepieces to the Jazzmaster Open Heart collection, available in two sizes. Founded in the 19th century, the brand manufactured many watches in the past few decades, from pocket and military pieces to mechanical timepieces. The latest addition creates a balance between high-quality horology and elegance. It’s worth noting that this line of watches comprises different pieces characterized by unique dials. However, open-dial chronographs always capture the attention of many. These two new models have an open-dial design, which offers beautiful views into the mechanism. The edge of the dial is accentuated by a gold hue that takes the overall design to the next level. While these watches have the same design, they come in two different sizes—36 mm and 42mm. And each size was rolled out in two different styles. The midnight blue option is well-detailed with white dots that look like stars. Thanks to the gold finish featured on the hour markers, the front face looks quite stylish. The hour markers are also accentuated by gold accents that complement the whole look. Even though the midnight blue dial is the center of attention, the stainless steel casing also adds to the look, with its polished surfaces. Hamilton rolled out this new watch with a blue strap, which completes the whole look. It is also available in a steel bracelet option, a material that blends smoothly with the casing. The 42mm watch option retails at $1,125 for the stainless steel strap and $1,075 for the blue strap, while the 36mm watch option is priced at $1,075 and $1,025, respectively.

£10.9m? they can fuck right off why the fuck would we take a 7m euro loss on him??????

would rather Arse get Vlahovic than a pretty large number of other CFs: Lautaro Martínez Victor Osimhen Alexander Isak Viktor Gyökeres Marcus Thuram Omar Marmoush Loïs Openda Ollie Watkins Samu Aghehowa Benjamin Sesko João Pedro Matheus Cunha Jonathan David Jhon Durán Liam Delap

atm this is a good comparison to Nico they both cannot shoot to save their lives far too often

how SHIT is SOTON??? one of the worst EPL sides I have ever seen

delete

Hat trick for Amad 3 1 wow

of course 2 1 smdh Amad is their best player now

arfff 1 1 ffs

Slabhead coming on

even Manure are getting fucked by the refs just wow

2 nil FT

2 nil Brighton