Worthy Champions On the final Saturday of the season, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini signed autographs and posed with fans for pictures.
Russ
Smith Louisville Jersey . Less than 24 hours later, the Chilean was being
thrown into the air by his jubilant players underneath him, the unlikeliest
Premier League champion. A year ago to the day many of those players walked off
the famous Wembley pitch as losers, to lowly Wigan in the FA Cup final. Many
said then that manager Roberto Mancini should be given another year but no one
in Manchester cares about the Italians whereabouts today. Citys title victory
signaled their second in three years; the start, perhaps, of a dynasty in the
Premier League but, in truth, their second one was very different to their
first. This is a different kind of City. The noisy neighbors, as once dubbed by
a rude, naïve Sir Alex Ferguson, beat United two years ago in the most narrow of
circumstances, goal difference. That year City were abysmal for over three
months on the field while allowing the petulant Carlos Tevez to stay in
Argentina, the immature Mario Balotelli to continue to disobey team rules and
the mouthpiece Mancini to comment far too aggressively on far too many topics.
City were champions but didnt stand for what they felt they should stand for.
Enter Chief Executive Ferran Soriano and Director of Football, Txiki
Begiristain. For a year, much like they did at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard
before getting Pep Guardiola, they watched and took it all in. Last season City
never looked like winning the title, falling behind by 12pts by the end of
February and by 15pts at the end of March. They lacked width, had no real
identity and creative players like Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri looked lost. Enter
Pellegrini. City needed a manager who would never be bigger than the club, whose
calmness and belief in his players would help the team on the pitch. His first
test regularly came away from home. In September he shrugged his shoulders and
shook his head in disbelief when his team lost at Aston Villa. Theyd played
three away games and won none of them. By the fifth away game, at Chelsea, Citys
latest setback was called a crisis by the media. The team was, supposedly, not a
good side away from home but Pellegrini knew just how incorrect that statement
was. Results are crucial, of course, but losses at Cardiff and Aston Villa
should have been victories and City were outstanding in the second half at
Stamford Bridge before Joe Hart lost his mind for a second and allowed Fernando
Torres to score a late winner. Pellegrini kept his head and believed in his
team. Quietly results started to match performances, yet it would be months
before City would be top again. On the morning of April 21st, City woke up nine
points back of Liverpool. In 21 days the season would be over and they had five
leagues games remaining to Liverpools three. A win against West Brom that night
started a run of five straight victories that culminated in a much-deserved
title. It is easy to say City bought another trophy but this Premier League
powerhouse is not at a level, yet, where they are easily unlikeable. Their style
of play has to be admired, dictated by genuine world-class stars like David
Silva, Yaya Toure and, when healthy, Sergio Aguero. Right now City is
responsible for bringing such wonderful talents to the English game. It is clear
their place at the top table of English football is here to stay but, so far,
their inconsistencies have meant they havent always laid claim to the giant
throne. Until now. Smart, shrewd leadership has made its way from the boardroom
to the dugout and on to the pitch. Noisy neighbors? More like ruthless, quiet
assassins led by a real gentleman in Pellegrini. Champions League Qualifiers
Liverpools season had a cruel, unfortunate final act dubbed ‘the collapse by
some but it is all too simple to say that without Steven Gerrards slip against
Chelsea and the ‘Cyrstanbul 3-3 the Reds would have won the league. It was a
year that Liverpool locked up talisman Luis Suarez and then spent the rest of
the campaign showing him just why he should stay. Just quite what the striker
decides to do next is anyones guess, after all he did turn his back on the club
last summer after they had gone out of their way to support him in his darkest
hours. Thankfully, for the club, Suarez, and the sport, once he returned from
his suspension in September, dark days disappeared and the Uruguayan shone
brighter than any other player in the league, on his way to matching Cristiano
Ronaldo and Alan Shearer on 31 league goals. Chelseas year was, naturally, all
about Jose Mourinho. He started the season proclaiming ‘this is a team of kids,
it is not a team to win tomorrow and he spent the season proving himself right.
He also remolded the side, making them much more difficult to break down, while
selling on Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne, Tomorrow came and went for the Blues
and next season, with presumably one very good new striker, they will be much
stronger, not least in central midfield where the likes of Nemanja Matic,
Ramires, Marco Van Ginkel, and possibly, Paulinho can take over games at a level
that Eden Hazard and Willian did this year. Arsenal spent more days than any
team at the top of the table but were out of the title hunt with two months to
go. Again. The Gunners blew away many teams in the bottom half of the league,
helping them race to 22pts through the first nine games. Arsene Wenger still
kept his job despite three humiliating performances away from home at the teams
above Arsenal and after allowing the club to go through the entire campaign with
one legitimate striker. Of the 20 teams in the league this season, only Everton
and Newcastle have spent (net) less than Arsenal in the past five years. Some
feel the club continues to overachieve based on this but for a team that is
supposed to be big, surely it is time for the club to find a man who puts
pressure on rich owners to spend more money and take such a fantastic club to a
position it deserves. Europa League Qualifiers Everton finished fifth under the
magnificent Roberto Martinez after another entertaining season on the pitch and
a tremendously smart campaign in the transfer market. The same could not be said
for Tottenham who threw away the season the moment Andre Vilas Boas was sacked.
This wonderful club, that has had so many flamboyant, skillful artists play for
them lost its way this year and end the season without a real manager or
identity. Hull City, under a calm Steve Bruce, were welcome arrivals to the
league and never looked in danger of dropping down to the Championship. Their
successful season was rewarded with a spot in the FA Cup final and although
their league campaign took a turn for the worse late in the season they should
be applauded for targeting Premier League caliber players who helped them stay
up. The good, the bad and the ugly of mid-table Manchester United finally had
the season all the detractors dreamed of. Their worst campaign for 25 years hit
rock bottom in April when David Moyes was sacked. It was time, after far too
many woeful performances, but at least he showed just how poor many of United
players are. No matter which Scotsman was in charge at United, it was clear
changes were needed and now it will be interesting to see what the Glazers do
after being backed into a corner, one where piles of paper are stashed in a box
labeled ‘bad contracts. Southampton finished a wonderful eighth place and
brought a fresh, vibrant attacking style to the league. Many of those behind it
were, surprisingly, English and the national team manager Roy Hodgson could do
worse than send Mauricio Pocchetino a bottle of his favourite red wine for
helping some of his players improve dramatically over the cause of a season.
Stoke City moved on without Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes rescued his career as
they finished a record high ninth, just ahead of Newcastle United who, unlike
Stoke, had a tumultuous campaign. It is hard to take club chairman Mike Ashley
seriously anymore. Many of his decisions form a moronic pattern. He didnt change
the name of the stadium this season but the hiring of Joe Kinnear was a
disgrace, as was the latters interview, soon after, on national radio where he
mispronounced many of the players at his team. It was like a scene from a comedy
show. The episode continued for the Magpies as they spent no money on players,
sold their best player in the final week of the window, didnt replace him, let
go of Kinnear, watched their manager head-butt an opposing player and then saw
the team fall to pieces, claiming just 16pts from their last 19. As the season
ended, this proud, historic club, supported by brilliant football fans, who
deserve far more, was in the gutter. For Ashley, of course, it was a successful
season as they made lots of money and finished mid-table. Many clubs would have
swapped with Newcastle but, in truth, all ten teams in the bottom half of the
league were below average.Crystal Palace were the best of the rest, a remarkable
climb from the mess Ian Holloway had left them in. when they had just three
points at the end of October. “We didnt keep the same spirit, with some of the
new lads coming in, some of their attitudes I am finding very annoying. Someone
else can come in and make that right,” said Holloway as he resigned. Pulis came
in and did exactly that. The Relegation Battle The race to mediocrity and the
prize of safety that came with it was long, exhausting and very frustrating for
many other teams who battled with their own identities. Swansea let go of
Michael Laudrup and appointed Garry Monk to get back to the way Huw Jenkins
demanded, Sam Allardyce bored his own fans towards safety with a brand of
football they disliked. While outsiders told them to be thankful for survival,
the intelligent fans, paying good money to watch their beloved Hammers, hit back
with hours upon hours of evidence in their favor. Sunderland performed a
miracle, winning four in a row in late April and early May after losing five in
a row in late March and early April. Aston Villa, one of just three teams in the
bottom ten who didnt change their manager, actually went backwards after a
dreadful season that was even worse than last year. This once big club has paid
a heavy price for previous managers spending money freely and is fortunate to
still be in the top flight after three woeful campaigns in a row. Spare a
thought for their home fans, whove now watched just 15 wins from their last 57
home games during that stretch. West Brom fans knew too well just how bad ‘the
Villa were but had an even worse season, finishing just one spot off the bottom
three after finishing eighth just one year ago. The sacking of Steve Clarke in
December seemed premature and his just over one point per game ratio wasnt
bettered by his successor, Pepe Mel, who took over a team in 16th and finished
17th. Down into the Championship went Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff. All had very
different stories of woe. Cardiff, forced to play in the wrong colour all
season, were in shambles under owner Vincent Tan, Fulham copied the QPR model
for signing too many players and having no identity while Norwich, quite simply,
couldnt score goals. No one wants to see their team relegated but, quietly, some
Norwich fans will surely be excited at the prospect of playing at a level next
season that they will be able to cope with, where they can express themselves
and remove the brake that seemed to stunt their progress during their three-year
existence in the Premier League. The sport is, after all, in the entertainment
business. No matter which side you supported the 2013/14 Premier League
certainly did bring entertainment. In the end it came down to a battle between
two clubs who scored over 100 goals! In a sport that can be often over
regulated, shackled by tactical systems and ‘parked buses, two North West teams
exploded with wonderful precision making the hardest thing in the game look
easy, time and time again. Kevin Keegans Newcastle was once the reference point
for an attacking team in the historical world of the Premier League. They
wouldnt have come close to handling these two.
Jacory
Harris Miami Jersey . -- Lindsey Vonn squeezed in a little freeskiing on
Thanksgiving morning, a step in the right direction for a return to racing after
reinjuring her right knee in a recent training crash.
John
Wall Kentucky Jersey . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points
and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory
over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year.
http://www.cheapjerseysquality.us.com/wildcats-15-demarcus-cousins-blue-basketball-stitched-ncaa-jersey-53-gr.html . - Alex Dostie scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Gatineau
Olympiques to a 5-3 victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League action on Sunday.ASPEN, Colo. - Simon dArtois exceeded even
his own expectations at the 2015 Winter X Games.The Whistler, B.C., native
scored 93.00 points on his third and final run on Sunday to become Canadas first
gold medal winner in the mens ski superpipe competition.DArtois, who was
competing in just his second X Games, placed 14th in last years event after
failing to qualify for the finals. All I wanted to do was make the finals this
year, my expectations were just to ski as well as I could, said DArtois. My goal
is to be a consistent skier. I think it showed tonight and helped me get the
gold.The 22-year-old qualified for this years finals after finishing fourth in
the elimination round with his top score of 85.00. He trusted the same run in
the finals to beat the field.I definitely threw my best run that I could at
qualifying and for me to win gold with that run is pretty awesome, said
dArtois.DArtois held the best score heading into the final run with a 90.
Luke
Hancock Louisville Jersey. 33, which he threw down on his first time down
the pipe in the medal round. But he knew the gold medal wasnt guaranteed yet
with the remaining riders saving their best for last.Frances Kevin Rolland, who
finished second at the 2014 Winter X Games, recorded a score of 92.33 and
American Alex Ferreira scored a 91.66 to put the pressure back on the
Canadian.The first run set the bar, said DArtois. (But) even after the first I
was like, man theres two more runs that everybody has to take. I was nervous all
the way up until the end.I knew what I had to do if I wanted to win. I stuck to
my gameplan and I was rewarded.Rolland finished with his second straight silver
while Ferreira took home bronze for the second year in a row.Calgarys Noah
Bowman, the 2012 X Games silver medallist, finished sixth. Olympic silver
medallist Mike Riddle of Sherwood Park, Alta., was eighth.
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