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buggie-hagen · 1 year

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Midweek Advent Homily III: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments (12/14/22)

Primary Text | Matthew 14:3-4

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Dear People of God,

We have these last two of the Ten Commandments because it is one thing in an outward manner not to commit adultery or not to steal. God has given us these last two commandments because he wants to address what is going on not just what is on the outside, but also what is going on inside of us. That is to say, what is going on in our hearts. The heart must also be in a right condition for any of these commandments to actually be fulfilled. So God says, “You shall not covet.” Basically to covet means to be envious, or even simply to desire what others have. It means to have designs to take what rightfully belongs to our neighbor for ourselves. With the Ninth and Tenth Commandments we are also forbidden to desire what other people have, whether it be their property, their spouse, or whatever God has given them. These commandments are fraternal twins. The main difference between the ninth and the tenth is that the ninth forbids desiring our neighbor’s things and the tenth forbids desiring our neighbor’s relationships.

About a month ago, on November 8th, the prize-winning ticket for the world’s largest Powerball jackpot in history was sold in Altadena, California. $2.08 billion. In the days before the ticket was sold it was often asked, “What would you do if you won the Powerball?” Some say they would give it all to charity. Some say they would buy a brand-new house, a new car, a new everything. Others say they would use it to help pay off their student loans or help their family in some way. As high or low as our aspirations may be with that question, it seems more often than not money and possessions are not enough to satisfy our desires. Big lottery winners tend not to have things not turn out well for them. It ruins their relationships, they end up going broke, they admit they would rather have not won in the first place. (pause) Miserable covetousness has its grasp on us no matter what we already have. The lower-class desires what the middle class has, the middle-class desires what the relatively wealthy has, the relatively wealthy desires what the rich has. And so on and so on. Covetousness is a monster with an endless gullet. When it gets the first thing it wants it will then want yet even more.

Instead of running headlong into the whirlwind of keeping up with the Jones’, instead of harboring envy over what others have, instead of seeking to wrest away the possessions and relationships of others….may we be formed by these words of the Scriptures as found in 1 Timothy: “For we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Tim. 6:6-7). Coveting is ultimately not trusting God. It is finding our worth in what we have or in what we don’t have—rather than in God himself. Coveting also causes harm because it does not seek “to love others as you yourself would like to be loved.” These Ninth and Tenth commandments dig deep. Simply desiring what others have is enough to shatter these commandments like glass falling on cement. They show us just how upright we really are before God. As is the function of all the commandments, though they give us many things to do, they act like a mirror. Like we felt within us last week with the Eighth Commandment “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” each of the Ten Commandments pierce right through us, the commandments call us out without mercy, they show us how far we actually are from fulfilling any of them. They reveal to us that we are sinners through and through. They drive us away from thinking we have any righteousness of our own. And then immediately, once we despair of our own ladder-climbing to God, are we made ready to receive the grace and mercy of the Christ. It is alone Christ’s perfect obedience, obedience unto death, that accomplishes our salvation. He alone has fulfilled all Ten Commandments in the outward and inward manner for our sake.

It is grace, and pure mercy that saves us, not our works. In our whole life as we have it now, we will continue to be sinners—we will be far from perfect, and we should never expect to reach perfection in this life; rather, it’s opposite. At the same time, you have this particular gift of God through faith. All your life you will be in possession of this divine thing named the forgiveness sin. For your God in Christ has graciously made his Advent to you, he has become of the same flesh and blood as you, and in that way he has arrived to you in his word and gives you himself completely, withholding nothing. In Christ, God has created in you a clean heart. In him you have forgiveness, joy, peace, salvation, gladness, worth, grace, life, hope, love, faith, and every heavenly blessing.

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kopzone · 5 years

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This Is for Liverpool by Andy Robertson

I need to start with a confession. Not many things bug me, but if there’s one thing that does, it’s the idea that my story is a football fairy tale.

I know when people say I’m some sort of Cinderella Man that it’s meant as a compliment. I appreciate that, but to be totally honest, it doesn’t feel like one, because it isn’t true.

No magic wands have been waved in my direction, I didn’t win some kind of lottery to land a spot on one of the biggest clubs in the world. The reason why I’m a Liverpool player is the same reason why I’m captain of my country: I’ve worked my bollocks off to get where I am, and by doing that, I’ve been able to make the most of whatever talent I have.

Why does this matter? In truth, it doesn’t matter to me as an individual. It probably doesn’t matter to my family, either. It only matters because there are God knows how many little Andy Robertsons out there. Kids who are struggling to convince people that their talent deserves an opportunity. Kids who just need a break to get to wherever they deserve to be.

Kids who might give up if they start believing that only a fairy tale can save them.

I’ve never wanted to be a poster boy, but if I’m going to be a poster boy for anything, it should be this ― if you don’t give up, and if you carry on believing in yourself when others are doubting you, you canmake it. You can show that you are good enough.

Now I’ve got two kids of my own, that message is more important than ever. I don’t want them to think that their dad got a lucky break. I need them to understand that whatever potential they have can only be fulfilled if they put their minds to it. Fairy tales? That’s bedtime stuff.

One of the best things about football is that there are loads of people like me. Most players get to the top because they are so driven. The Liverpool team that I’m a part of has no shortage of players like that.

Take Virgil van Dijk, for example, the best centre back in the world. How many coaches and scouts looked at him and thought he wasn’t destined for the top? He’ll tell you himself that there were plenty

.Mo Salah, one of the best finishers in the game today, was once discarded as not being good enough for a top Premier League side.

Jordan Henderson must have lost count of the times he has had his ability questioned – although never by anyone who has been fortunate enough to work with him – and here he is on the brink of captaining Liverpool in a second successive Champions League final.

I could go on and on, I really could. If these were all fairy tales, we’d have more than Hans Christian Andersen. They’re not, though. They are all examples of hard work and commitment making the difference.

The same applies to us as a team and to Liverpool as a club. We are where we are because of our work ethic and our belief that pretty much anything is possible. That’s the reason we were able to come back from 3–0 down against a great Barcelona team. We didn’t wait for fate to play its hand and hope that it would go in our favour, we forced fate to go our way and not even Lionel Messi, the best player I have ever set eyes on, could stop that.

Maybe there were those outside Liverpool who didn’t believe we would make it to the final. To be fair to them, they had more than enough reasons, especially after we had our arses kicked in the Nou Camp. There was something about that first leg, though, that gave us belief. We had seen enough to know that we could compete against Barcelona. The problem was that all of the decisive moments had gone against us, and we knew that with Anfield behind us, that momentum could be reversed.

If I was a sympathetic type, I’d probably feel sorry for opposition players coming to Anfield on European nights. What they’re up against is almost unfair. That intoxicating mix of history, passion and unshakable belief is a hell of an advantage to have, and that’s why Liverpool have beaten the odds on many occasions, and that’s why our supporters turn up convinced that the seemingly impossible is possible. They’ve seen it before, so why shouldn’t they expect it?

We knew that we had a chance when we were in the dressing room waiting to run out. We knew that the manager believed in us because he had told us. We knew that the supporters believed in us because we could hear them. My God, we could hear them. And, probably most important of all, we knew that we believed in ourselves and in each other.

That’s why when Divock scored in the seventh minute, I didn’t just believe. I knew. I knew what was coming — what Anfield was going to create. I hope that doesn’t sound disrespectful in any way, because I couldn’t have more respect for Barcelona, but on that night it wasn’t about them. It was about us. We were fired up by the fans and our hunger was on another level.

It hadn’t been easy to feel like that in the minutes after Messi had worked his magic in the first leg. At that stage, we felt flat, which was probably unavoidable. Although we were in Barcelona, Madrid couldn’t have felt further away. Then the manager came into the dressing room, bouncing and wearing his trademark massive smile.

“Boys, boys, boys!” he says, “We are not the best team in the world. Now you know that. Maybe they are! Who cares? Who cares! We can still beat the best team in the world. Let’s go again.”

It might have taken me a second, or maybe the entire flight back to Liverpool to believe him, but in hindsight that was the moment that changed everything for us. In football, everyone always talks about belief. Every team says they had it after a comeback. But that’s not the case at every club. It’s just not. The manager, he starts it all. He lights the touch paper and then Anfield does what it does.

I remember in the warmup, the place was jumping. It felt like everyone was on top of us, so God knows what it was like for the Barcelona lads. When Div scored so early, you could just see it in their eyes. The fans went insane. I couldn’t hear a thing. I just remember looking at Hendo, Milly and Virgil — those boys barely cracked a smile.

They just waved their arms at the crowd, as if to say, “We’re gonna go again.”

I suppose that night will go down in history. Anybody who loves this club will remember where they were, and who they were watching with. For me personally, what made it even more special was where I had come from to get there. I knew how hard it had been and I knew how, if I had listened to others, I wouldn’t have made it anywhere near Anfield that night — except maybe as a fan who wanted to understand what all the fuss was about.

I had grown up going to Celtic Park with Mum, Dad and my brother. We had four season tickets. My brother and I had Henrik Larsson posters everywhere. Legend. Absolute legend. I even had green wallpaper. Celtic was a part of our family. That’s just the way it was and the way it still is. I joined the youth team as a wee lad, just bombing around the pitch pretending I was at Celtic Park.

At the start, I actually played up top for a bit. Dad even paid me two quid a goal. I think I made £75 one season — unlike now, when I’d probably end up owing him money, seeing as I’m not exactly Salah in the scoring stakes. Over time, I found my way into midfield, and in my last season with Celtic I bounced between the middle and left side quite a bit. They’d brought in a new technical director that year and apparently I just wasn’t in the plans for whatever reason.

At my end-of-year interview, the coaches let me know they wouldn’t be bringing me back. I was 15. One year away from getting a pro contract. One year from being a proper Celtic player. But it was over, just like that, and it hurt like hell.

Mum hated to see us cry. Still does. But she saw me shed more than a few tears that day. I remember she grabbed me a takeout curry from my favourite place to try to cheer me up. It was midweek, too. I almost never got midweek curry. I couldn’t even eat much of that. That’s how she knew how bad I was hurting.

It was just gutting, but thankfully my family really had my back. They let me keep chasing my dream, even when it might have felt unrealistic to keep going. We decided to give it another go at Queens Park in 2010. Bit of a smaller club in Glasgow, to say the least. Life was different there. I was making six quid a night. It was a working-class type of club, and most players were coming from jobs they worked during the day. It was no different for me.

I did all sorts of jobs to scrape by. I got set up with landscaping gigs, I cleaned up after the first team, and I even worked down at Hampden Park during Scotland matches. My parents told me if I didn’t start to find my game that year, it’d probably be best to start looking at Uni options. So I just put everything I had into getting better every day. That was real work, real pressure.

People always ask me about the pressure of playing for Liverpool. And it’s there, trust me, I feel it. But there’s that pressure, and then there’s the pressure of playing for your life — knowing that if you can’t figure it out, you have to give up on everything you love. That’s the harshest pressure I’ve ever felt. And in that situation, I began to truly believe in myself — maybe for the first time in my life. I didn’t really have another choice.

Dundee United approached me a few years later, and that allowed me to train every day while making enough money that I didn’t need the side gigs. But I think in the end it was good for me to see what people deal with day to day, outside of the bubble of football. When I got the chance to play in the Premier League with Hull City in 2014, I had lived a lot of real life. My ambitions were always to be a solid SPL player. When I was landscaping and emptying the bins, I didn’t think I’d ever be playing Champions League football, especially for Liverpool.

It’s funny, actually … a few clubs called when I was in preseason with Hull in 2017, but I wasn’t really that interested. My missus was pregnant, and we were in the process of getting everything ready for our big arrival — that was our top priority, like any expectant parents.

Then I heard Liverpool wanted me.

Liverpool.

When you hear Liverpool want you, you call your agent back in about five seconds. I couldn’t sign the contract fast enough, to be honest.

I got a dose of reality pretty quickly, though. The medical took two days, and it was brutal. My diet was weird because the medical staff had to do so many tests to make sure I was fit and was going to stay fit. After I passed those tests, I had to go to Melwood to do a lactate test. I was running it with Danny Ings, and after a few laps around the pitch, I felt something going on with my stomach. I knew things were going to get bad, but what can you do? I just kept running. A few minutes later, I’m on my knees, puking my guts out on the Melwood pitch.

This hallowed ground. This place where all these legends have trained. King Kenny. Rushie. Stevie Gerrard. And here I am, some wee lad from Glasgow, spewing up in front of the Liverpool medical staff.

If first appearances count, God knows what they thought about me.

The next day, I met the manager and I heard his laugh from a mile away. He’d obviously heard about my test. I turn around and he’s walking toward me, rubbing his belly and pointing at me. The staff behind him are having a laugh, too.

Then he gave me a big hug. After that, I relaxed a bit.

The whole squad made me feel welcome that week, but honestly, it took a really long time for it to sink in that I was a Liverpool player. I wore the red shirt. I wore the club tracksuit everywhere we went. I was wearing it around the house. But I still didn’t feel like a Liverpool player.

I was in and out of the lineup for quite a few months. And the system we play is so complex, I was working so hard in training to learn it all, to understand what the manager wanted from his fullbacks. When I wouldn’t see my name on the teamsheet, my belief in myself started to dip. It did. But all my experiences in life, and the tough times I went through at Celtic and Queens Park, it taught me to be patient.

So I would just come back to training every day and try to catch the manager’s eye by working harder than everyone else. Eventually, he noticed. I think he was just waiting for me to get it — to feel like a Liverpool player and have that confidence. And when I slotted into the lineup, I was ready.

Our supporters have been incredible to me since I got here. And last year they really carried us all the way to the final whistle and beyond in Kiev. That night was hard, and I don’t think you ever really get over a match like that. You just live with it. That night, I remember the silence in our dressing room, I remember the painful flight home. And I remember hearing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” after the final whistle.

The supporters still sang their hearts out, and that sticks with you.

We got back to Melwood at four in the morning, and the manager gave us all a hug and told us how proud he was of our team. And he also told us that we’d be back. Somehow, after a very long road … after being down 0–3 to bloody Barcelona … he was right.

We are back.

It’s not lost on any of us what this opportunity means. This has been an incredible season, full of so many ups and downs and emotional moments. But for me, it’s also been a chance to take a step back and see the full picture. From being released by Celtic and sobbing over my curry, to making six quid a night grinding away in Scotland, to signing for Liverpool and putting on that red tracksuit, barely believing it.

It feels good to have another crack at this final. Nobody deserves it more than our supporters, who have backed us through the good times and the heartbreak. But like us, they will know that we are up against a top side in Spurs. Mauricio Pochettino and his players will be just as determined as we are to do something special in a final like this.

The thing that matters most is that our fate is in our hands. We know that. And if there’s one thing I can guarantee about this team, about this group of players, it’s that we will stop at nothing to try to make our supporters’ dream come true.

If that does happen, it won’t be a fairy tale.

It’ll be because we deserve it.

#andy robertson #lfc #liverpool fc #long post

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bulukeleksblog · 3 years

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PS5 Restock Tracker: How to Buy Playstation 5

Need to find a PS5? We have tips on how to get this week.

Want to get PS5? We have tracked all places that sell standard editions and digital editions of PS5 for months, helping thousands of people get the console when they appear. If you have trouble finding one for yourself, this article has all our tips for getting checkout, as well as tracking when the next PS5 batch will be available for purchase.

The latest PS5 news and rumors

Tuesday, August 24 began with PS5 inventory rumors that came to Amazon and Playstation Direct. The first does not seem to occur (as far as we know), but the PlayStation Direct is opened at 5 P.M. ET / 2 P.M. PT. As usual, availability is sold out quickly. We will update this story as soon as we hear about the next big opportunity.

Everywhere the console is available in the last 30 days

It seems that the PS5 always runs out of stock everywhere, but it really rises for purchases with surprising regularity. This is what we found recently:

Sony: August 17, 19, 24

GAMESTOP: July 27, August 3 17

Target: August 10

Walmart: July 29, August 5, 12

Buy Best: July 23

Why is PS5 very difficult to buy?

There are three big reasons why you still struggle to get PS5. The first is the most obvious in this system very popular. Sony confirmed the PS5 was the best-selling console and had sold 10 million units since it was launched. The second reason is the lack of chip today which affects most of the world electronics. Sony did say it gets enough chips to fulfill its objectives of 14.8 million consoles for fiscal years. As for the last reason, it fell into the bot. Retailers use software to buy a large number of PS5 while just leaving a little to buy real humans. Retailers added various bot protection during the PS5 Restocks, but this limitation only hindered resellers.

How do I get a PS5 from Sony's PlayStation Direct?

The shop with the most frequent PS5 restocks is the official Sony store, PlayStation Direct. Drops usually occur at 2pm PT (5 P.M. et) during the midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). What Sony has done lately provides many email invitations for exclusive access to the store, which starts usually at 12 nights. PT (3 P.M. et). To get one of these special invitations, you don't only need luck, you also need a PSN account. This can be done on the PSN website and it's free. When registering, make sure to receive marketing emails from Sony. From here, this problem becomes patient and has a little luck on your side. It seems that priority access emails are sent randomly, but you have to take part in one queue on the PlayStation Direct to consider.

Playstation Direct PS5 Restock works slightly different from other retailers. When starting, there is a welcome page with a countdown clock which shows when the queue will begin. You can stay on this page and when time runs out, the website will start placing people into the line to buy PS5. The page will update and say how long you have to wait with a shorter time to be better, but it's not a guarantee. To help your chances, after you are in the queue, share a link with your other device like your cellphone. Make sure every device uses a different IP address (like having a cellphone on its cellular package when your computer uses your home wi-fi). This can increase your chances, because your other device can be inserted into a different line that moves at a faster speed. Even if you don't get PS5, as mentioned earlier, you can still get permission to buy one in the next round.

What are the useful tips for finding PS5?

The main retailers such as Walmart, Gamestop, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy usually do not provide much notice in front. Sometimes they will have charging in the morning, another time in the afternoon and in some cases, even in the middle of the night. Here are some tips to help jump in competition Login Lapak303.

First Tip: Don't wait until you see a warning for a decrease in PS5 inventory. Check the link at a large retailer for stock updates every day or even a few times a day. (We have all of them lined up below.) If you happen to some of the availability of PS5, go all with the browser and device as much as possible. On the desktop, for example, open the retail page in Chrome, Firefox and EDGE. Then do the same thing on your cellphone and tablet. The more devices and browsers, the better. It's like with lottery tickets: the more you have, the better your chances of winning.

The second tip: Create an account at a different retailer and make sure you have logged in if you will try to get PS5. Make sure all shipping information, your bill and payment are updated on whatever device you can buy, whether it's a laptop, desktop or telephone. This makes check out much faster, which is very important because the retailer site quickly jammed, leading to people to lose the opportunity to secure PS5.

Third Tip: Continue to repeat this post and follow CNET and Oscar Gonzalez on Twitter for updates.

Where else can I buy PS5 if I'm willing to pay extra?

If you start solving and considering buying PS5 now (and we know that with the large number of PS5 games it will drop over the next few months, active pressure), you can do it, but at a cost of a fairly markup on sites like eBay or Stockx. On eBay, for example, we have seen the PS5 unit at a price of more than $ 1,000, although the price slowly runs to around $ 700.

#lapak303 #gaming

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Andy Robertson: ‘I worked really hard to get to where I am today’

Andy Robertson is irritated. Polluted with his own personal saga framed by folk on the outside looking in. I wanted to straighten the story.

& # 39; I know when I don't know what to do, people say I am a Cinderella man that it is a compliment.

Andy Robertson has risen from the lower competitions of Scotland to a second Champions League final "

Andy Robertson has risen from the lower divisions of Scotland to a second Champions League final ['Iappreciatethisbecauseitisnotentirelyhonestthatitisnotthatitisnottrue

& # 39; waved wands in my direction, I did not win any kind of lottery to one of the biggest clubs in the world.

& # 39; The reason why I am a Liverpool player is the same reason why I am the captain from my country: I have finished my b ******* to get to where I am, and by doing so I have been able to get the most out of whatever talent I have. & # 39; Sportsmail reported yesterday that Robertson wanted to lift the Champions League trophy on Saturday night to cover up the pain of missing the past season.

But on the Players & Tribune website, Robertson writes his own story about a broken heart and redemption.

<img id = "i-dc605cba0c8323a3" src = "https://dailym.ai/2J2OwKp /30/00/14126086-0-image-m-52_1559173613441.jpg "height =" 586 "width =" 634 "alt =" Robertson wants to lift the trophy on Saturday to make the pain of missing the previous season dull the trophy on Saturday to cover up the pain of missing the past season "

Robertson wants to lift the trophy on Saturday to make the pain of missing the previous season dull

To have given a final season to sweep away an amateur with Queen & # 39; s Park, earn six pounds a night and do odd jobs to make ends meet.

Or he made Something happens to himself, otherwise he must run away from the game.

Sometimes moving, sometimes downright hilarious, never more than his retelling of surrendering the whole field on his first trip to Melwood, Robertson & # 39; s story it deserves to be heard. Straight from the mouth of the full back, as it were.

Again stressing his lack of patience when he heard that he had a lucky break from the lower divisions of Scotland to a second consecutive Champions League final, the 25-year-old asked: & # 39; Why does this up to it?

& # 39; In fact, it doesn't matter to me as an individual. It probably doesn't matter to my family either.

The defender went from a £ 6 per night amateur in Queen's Park to the opposite Lionel Messi from a £ 6- per night-amateur in Queen's Park to opposite Lionel Messi "

The defender went from a £ 6-per-night amateur in Queen & # 39; s Park to opposite Lionel Messi

& # 39; It only matters because God knows how many little Andy Robertsons are there – children struggling to convince people that their talent deserves a chance.

& # 39; I have, I, you, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, never wanted to be a poster, but if I were to be a poster for everything, this should be this – if you do not give up, and if you continue to believe in yourself when others doubt you, it can make You can show that you are good enough.

& # 39; Now I have two children of my own, who b message is more important than ever.

& # 39; I want them to understand that whatever potential they have, they can only be fulfilled if they set their sights on it. Fairytales? Those are bedtime things. & # 39; We all know the bare bones of Robertson's background story. Issued by Celtic, the club he had worshiped, at the age of 15.

A leader in Barcelona, in a fashion way, he feels like a Liverpool player a side that Barcelona dramatically conquered, he feels like a player in Liverpool "

A leader in a side that dramatically conquered Barcelona, he feels like to the player of Liverpool

Earlier, however, "The pain of that rejection is only spoken of in almost general terms. No more.

& # 39; Mom hated seeing us cry & # 39;" he writes. & # 39; But she saw me shed more than a few tears that day.

& # 39; It was midweek, it was taken to curry my favorite place to cheer me up. Also, I almost never I couldn't even eat much of it, so she knew how much I hurt.

& # 39; n try it again in Queen & # 39; s Park in 2010. & # 39; A bit of a smaller club in Glasgow, to say the least. Life there was different. I was making six pounds a night. It was a working class club and most players came from jobs they worked during the day. It was no different for me.

& # 39; I did all kinds of odd jobs to scrape by. I started with landscape concerts, I cleaned it up after the first team and I even worked in Hampden Park during competitions in Scotland.

& # 39; My parents told me that I wasn't starting to find my game that year, it would probably be best to look at Uni options. So I stopped everything I got better every day.

& # 39; That was real work, real pressure. People always ask me about the pressure to play for Liverpool. And it's there, believe me, I feel it. But there is that pressure, and then there is the pressure to play for your life – knowing that if you can't figure it out, you have to give up everything you love. That is the heaviest pressure I have ever felt.

& # 39; And in that situation I really started to believe in myself – maybe for the first time in my life. I didn't really have a different choice. & # 39; The move to Dundee United was more than deserved, so also the jump to Hull City in 2014. And then …

& # 39; When I was busy modeling and emptying the trash cans, I thought not that I ever

& # 39; It's funny, actually … a few clubs called when I was in the pre-season with Hull in 2017, but I

& # 39; My Missus was pregnant, and we were in the process of getting everything ready for our big arrival – that was our top priority, like any prospective parent.

] & # 39; Then I heard that Liverpool wanted me. Liverpool. If you hear Liverpool that you want, call your agent back in about five seconds. I could not sign the contract soon enough to be honest.

& # 39; However, I quickly got a dose of reality. The medical treatment lasted two days and it was brutal.

& # 39; My diet was weird because the medical staff had so many tests to make sure I was fit and would stay fit. After I passed those tests, I had to go to Melwood to perform the lactate test.

& # 39; I was walking with Danny Ings and after a few laps around the field I felt something going on with my stomach. I knew things would be bad, but what can you do? I just kept running.

& # 39; A few minutes later, I am on my knees and puke my guts on the field of Melwood. This holy ground. This place where all these legends have trained. King Kenny. Rushie. Stevie Gerrard

& # 39; And here I am, some small boy from Glasgow, jumping up for the medical staff of Liverpool

& # 39; When the first appearances count, God knows what they thought about me

& # 39; The next day I met the manager and I heard his smile from a mile away. I have clearly heard of my test.

& # 39; I turn around and he walks towards me, rubs his belly and points at me. The staff behind him are also smiling.

& # 39; Then he gave me a big hug. Then I relaxed a bit.

& # 39; The whole team made me feel welcome that week, but to be honest it took a long time before it started. I was a Liverpool player.

I wore the red shirt. I wore the club training suit everywhere we went. I wore it all over the house. But I still didn't feel like a Liverpool player. & # 39; Inevitably Robertson just worked harder and harder until Jurgen Klopp placed him on the team. Until it became indispensable

A leader in a side that overcame Barcelona in the most dramatic way, he now feels like a Liverpool player. One that aimed to overthrow Tottenham in Madrid on Saturday night. He added: & # 39; It is not lost to any of us what this means.

& # 39; But for me it's also a chance to step back and see the full picture.

From being released by Celtic and sobbing over my curry, to grinding six pounds a night in Scotland, drawing for Liverpool and putting on that red tracksuit, hardly believe in it

& # 39; It feels good to crack again. The most important thing is our destiny in our hands. We know that.

& # 39; And if there is one thing I can guarantee about this team, about this group of players, then it is that we stop for nothing to try to make the dream of our supporters come true.

& # 39; If that doesn't happen, it won't be a fairy tale. It's because we deserve it. & # 39;

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#Andy Robertson: ‘I worked really hard to get to where I am today’"

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writingguide003-blog · 5 years

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NBA 2016-17 predictions: our writers forecast the playoffs and award winners

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NBA 2016-17 predictions: our writers forecast the playoffs and award winners

Will anyone stop the Warriors? Who will be named Most Valuable Player? Guardian writers give their takes on whats coming up this season

Im most looking forward to watching …

How teams deal with the Warriors. Or how the Warriors deal with themselves. Ill go with both. Seeing teams try to defend a lineup that has Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be fascinating. As will seeing how the Warriors keep everyone happy in an offense that features Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. DG

Last year injuries kept the Utah Jazz from making the playoffs but by January they should be completely healthy. Utah might not be the most exciting team but they are deep, good defensively and well coached. LC

How the Golden State Warriors are going to integrate Kevin Durant into their already historic offense. If anyone answers this differently theyre lying. HF

The most significant move of the NBA off-season is about to become the biggest story of the regular season. Just how might free agent signing Kevin Durant change the dynamic at Golden State? If he gels as quickly as pre-season suggests, the Warriors could push for 70 wins again. If not, theres the potential for the drama of disharmony. CS

Im least looking forward to watching …

The inevitable demise of Russell Westbrook. The (lone remaining) Thunder star plays with an edge and tenacity like no other athlete in sports and this season hell be more motivated than ever. But without Durant around anymore to help, the Thunder dont have a real shot no matter how well or angry Westbrook plays. And thats pretty depressing. DG

While most people will be excited to see how Golden State will fit all their stars into one lineup, there are enough players without big egos to make this work seamlessly. Perfection might actually make the Warriors more boring than people expect. LC

The New York Knicks, on and off the court. Its almost depressing to realize that Kristaps Porzingis is tied to this horrifically dysfunctional franchise. HF

The Houston Rockets. The NBAs most uninspiring team undermined my efforts to stay awake for last seasons midweek west coast games. Beyond the strange fascination with James Hardens beard, Ive no idea why theyre on TV so much. CS

The biggest surprise will be …

The Timberwolves grabbing a playoff spot in the West. A team featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine (reportedly now armed with an NBA-quality jumper) nabbing a playoff spot in the West with 40-45 wins may not shock avid NBA watchers. But the Timberwolves have missed the postseason 12 years in a row. Basketball being played in Minnesota in late April would be news. DG

The Minnesota Timberwolves showed signs of growth last year with the growth of Karl-Anthony Townes and Andrew Wiggins. Now they have added the promising Kris Dunn to a backcourt with Zach LaVine. By seasons end they should be playing excellent defense. LC

The Eastern Conference will be more competitive and more entertaining than the Western Conference (Warriors excluded obviously). HF

Will this be the year the Clippers finally put it all together? Nope. Rather, itll finally sink that in Griffin, Jordan and Paul wont bring a Championship to LA. The Clips will lose in the first round of the play-offs and Paul will take a giant deal elsewhere next July. CS

The biggest disappointment will be

Will the Nets fail again this year? Yes, they probably will. Photograph: Noah K Murray/USA Today Sports

The Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are expected to be awful and will likely have the worst record in the NBA. So where does the disappointment come in, you ask? Its because the franchise and their fans will get almost nothing out of suffering through this season. Thanks to the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade with the Celtics in 2013, Boston has the right to swap their first-round pick with Brooklyns in the 2017 draft. So the Nets are going to lose most of their games AND lose out on the opportunity to bring in a franchise savior. Lets hope that 2014 trip to the Eastern Conference semis was worth it. DG

New Orleans tumbled last year, but really should be a better team than their record showed. They have the talent to be a playoff team just as they were two seasons ago but it seems like the mix still isnt there in a deep Western Conference. LC

The Chicago Bulls are going to drop off despite the addition-by-subtraction of losing Derrick Rose and bringing in a motivated Dwyane Wade. The pieces wont fit. HF

Having offloaded injury-prone Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls snubbed a refresh and a chance to hand the reins to Jimmy Butler. Instead it signed Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, who have beef going back to the Celtics-Heat wars and will both want the limelight. On the Chicago sports scale, the Bulls will be far more Bears than Cubs. CS

LeBron James is

Durable. James has now played 1,186 NBA games in his career between the regular season and playoffs. Thats already 77 more than Michael Jordan logged in his career (not including his two forgettable seasons in a Wizards jersey). Theres a lot of mileage on LeBrons legs, but other than a slight reduction in minutes from his early twenties, there are no signs of slowing down. We are all witnesses to a man who has only aged along his hairline. DG

Not going to be able to pull the Cavs over the Warriors this time. LC

Already, at the very least, the second greatest basketball player who has ever lived. And hes not close to finished. HF

The man. Regardless of who performs miracles during regular season play, can we please refrain from proclaiming Curry or Westbrook or Durant has usurped him as the games best player? They wont have. Games 5-7 of the Finals where it James played-out the longest con in the history of sports – put that debate to bed until the post-season. CS

Steph Curry is

Now a full-on villain. If Kevin Durant is a bad guy for joining Golden State, Curry looks even worse for needing another superstar to get back on top. A fresh-faced NBA superstar everyone was rooting for two years ago today is today the face of a team many want to see crash and burn. Every behind-the-back pass Curry chucks out of bounds this season will be a moment of viral glee. DG

A player too unselfish for his own good. His need to please others sometimes destroys his focus. LC

The most embattled reigning MVP for two years running in NBA history, or at least among those whove won a ring. HF

A man with something to prove once again. Although an ill-timed knee injury may be mitigating, the undisputed league MVP had a Finals series to forget. LeBron made him look like a pretender again, now well see what Currys really made of. CS

One change to improve the NBA …

This will never happen because it would be a significant change to the entire sport of basketball but, hey, if the floor is mine: get rid of the free throw and penalize players who commit a foul by removing them from the floor for 30 seconds, hockey-style. This ends the awful free throw-fests that mar the end of so many basketball games and we also get some fun 5-on-4 action. I await your call, Adam Silver. DG

Revive the draft lottery reform that owners rejected two years ago that would havegiven all seven of the worst teams a better shot at the No1 pick thus reducing the incentive to tank. LC

Theres no reason that the NBA season should be 82 games long other than money. Unfortunately, thats more than reason enough for owners to continue with it. HF

Two free throws plus the ball if deliberate Hack-A fouls are committed more than three times a game on poor FT shooters like DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. Theres no channel-turner in basketball like a Hackathon. CS

One bold prediction …

Joel Embiid will win rookie of the year. Picking a 7ft 0in center who can do this and this might not seem incredibly bold, but injuries have kept Embiid from playing in a single NBA game since he was drafted No3 overall in 2014. Predicting he stays healthy and plays well and that something good happens for the Sixers is as bold as bold can be. DG

Luke Waltons Lakers will have surpassed his entire 2015-16 loss total (four) by the time they face the Warriors for the first time (in their sixth game). LC

LeBron James will have a tough time leading the Cavaliers to another title. Photograph: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Im going to keep predicting that the Minnesota Timberwolves to end the season over .500 every single season until it actually happens. HF

Miamis resigned center Hassan Whiteside will win Defensive Player of the Year. The $98 million man, who finished third in voting last season becomes the focal point of a Heat team minus superstars. If pre-season is anything to go by, he looks ready for the responsibility. Hes also a triple double machine in the making and, as he likes to say; aint nobody doin it with blocks either. CS

Which rookie will impress the most?

When Ben Simmons returns from injury – hopefully by mid-season – hell quickly add footage to his passing highlight reel. (And many of those passes will go to Embiid, my bold Rookie of the Year pick. Hey, great choice!) DG

Kris Dunn, the Timberwolves point guard from Providence, looked fantastic in the Summer League and might be the most polished rookie in the league. LC

If Joel Embiid, who finally will be making his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, counts as a rookie, then it will be him. The 76ers will still be awful, though. HF

With Ben Simmons out until January, this is more open. Bostons Jaylen Brown drafted third out of Berkeley will have plenty of opportunities to shine in a big market team thats primed to contend. While the short forward might struggle for ROTY-worthy minutes/numbers behind Jae Crowder, he could be the most impressive. CS

Wholl win the MVP award?

Russell Westbrooks consolation prize in losing Kevin Durant might just be the MVP. If he can keep the Thunder above .500 and reach the playoffs, hell win the award and he surely wont thank Kevin Durant or Kevin Durants mother. DG

While I would be tempted to pick Russell Westbrook who could run free to as many points as he wants in the Thunders offense, the smart pick here is LeBron James. LC

Russell Westbrook. If he remains healthy, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard is going to have a monster year now that he doesnt have to share his the ball with Durant. HF

Steph Curry will split the limelight with Kevin Durant, while LeBron James saves his absolute best for the postseason and hasnt won the award since 2013. Russell Westbrooks numbers will explode without Durant and theres a legit chance he can smash last years tally of 18 triple doubles. CS

Atlantic winner

Toronto Raptors. DG

Boston Celtics. LC

Boston Celtics. HF

Im going with the Cs. CS

Central winner

Cleveland Cavaliers. DG

Cleveland. LC

Cleveland Cavaliers. HF

The Cavs will take this. CS

Southeast winner

Atlanta Hawks. DG

Atlanta Hawks. LC

Orlando Magic. HF

Close. Atlanta is the favourite, but Charlotte or Washington could easily take this one. CS

Northwest winner

Portland Trail Blazers. DG

Utah Jazz. LC

Oklahoma City. HF

Utah and Portland look strong, but OKC will win it. CS

Pacific winner

Golden State Warriors. DG

Golden State Warriors. LC

Cant see anyone but Golden State. HF

Although last years regular season dominance could be beyond the Warriors, theyll win this division by at least 10 games. CS

Southwest winner

San Antonio Spurs. DG

San Antonio. LC

San Antonio. HF

Business as usual for the Spurs. CS

Eastern Conference Finals prediction

Cleveland over Indiana. DG

Cleveland over Boston. LC

Cleveland Cavaliers over literally any opponent they could face. Lets say the Boston Celtics. HF

A comfortable series for the Cavs, wholl win in five. CS

Western Conference Finals prediction

Golden State over LA Clippers. DG

Golden State over Utah. LC

Go for the Golden State Warriors over the San Antonio Spurs. HF

Warriors in seven in an all-time classic. CS

NBA championship winner

Everyone knows the classic scene in Gullivers Travels where the resting giant is overrun by tiny Lilliputians and secured to the ground by strings. Thats kind of how I see this NBA season. LeBron is the giant of the sport and no other player is close to matching him, but in adding Kevin Durant the Warriors now have enough to take down even the biggest star in all the game. Now I should probably note that Gulliver broke out of those strings in the story and that LeBron never rests. But Ill still give the Warriors 3-1 odds. DG

Last spring Golden State appeared certain to win their second-straight NBA title against Cleveland. But Draymond Green was suspended for a game, Steph Curry lost his focus and the Warriors were outplayed by the Cavs and LeBron James. They signed Kevin Durant to make sure that doesnt happen again. The same two teams are destined to meet once more but this time Golden State will have too many elite players to slump again. Expect a more locked-in Curry, a motivated Durant and enough contributions from Green and Klay Thompson to go the distance next June. LC

The Golden State Warriors, taking out the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, I know, this would be the third straight Warriors-Cavaliers finals, but its hard to imagine this season going any other way barring injuries that are too depressing to contemplate. The funniest possible result would be for the Cavaliers to take a 3-1 series lead this time around, only to lose to the Warriors. Call them the meme busters. HF

The Dubs will have learned a lot from last summers humbling loss to Cleveland and its all the motivation theyll need to put it right. Should the NBA Finals be a three-peat, Im picking Golden State to take a 2-1 lead over the Cavs in Finals match-ups. Warriors in six. CS

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

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ultrasfcb-blog · 6 years

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Garth Crooks

Chelsea beat Southampton to reach the FA Cup final where they will face Manchester United after their victory over Tottenham.

In the Premier League, Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at West Brom while Watford against Crystal Palace finished goalless.

Champions Manchester City thrashed Swansea 5-0, Arsenal defeated West Ham 4-1, while Stoke and Burnley ended 1-1.

But who did enough to make my team of the week? Read my selections and then pick your own XI.

Goalkeeper – Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace)

The goalless draw at Vicarage Road was not the greatest game I’ve ever seen but Crystal Palace won’t care about that. Watford battered them in the first half and it took an inspired performance from Wayne Hennessey to keep them in the game.

In the circumstances Palace find themselves in, a clean sheet took a lot of nerve. As for the antics of Wilfried Zaha? Really good players don’t have to go looking for penalties – they will happen naturally as a consequence of your brilliance.

Did you know? Hennessey made five saves in helping Crystal Palace keep just their second clean sheet in 12 Premier League games.

Defenders – Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)

Cesar Azpilicueta: It would appear that Chelsea, and in particular Antonio Conte, have some unfinished business to attend to at this year’s FA Cup final.

They lost the last one because of elongated title celebrations (unprofessional nonsense) and owe it to themselves to make up for the debacle this time around.

Their semi-final win over Southampton was routine and much of their spirited performance was down to that man Cesar Azpilicueta, who keeps finding Alvaro Morata in the box with great balls. The Saints, however, have bigger fish to fry – staying in the Premier League.

Did you know? All seven of Azpilicueta’s assists this season have come for Alvaro Morata.

Chris Smalling: Gareth Southgate left Chris Smalling out of England’s friendly games against the Netherlands and Italy in March, but on current form, he has to be back in the manager’s thinking.

The Manchester United central defender was superb against Spurs at Wembley in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and didn’t give Harry Kane a kick. Smalling may not be particularly skilful but there isn’t a better competitor in the Premier League.

England are not blessed with enough centre-backs to leave Smalling out. The World Cup in Russia will be nothing if not a test of bottle and Smalling has plenty of it.

Did you know? Smalling made four clearances and three blocks in Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Spurs – no United player made more.

Nacho Monreal: So the long goodbye has begun. Arsene Wenger’s farewell to Arsenal fans started with a reasonable performance against an unfortunate West Ham.

The game certainly didn’t reflect a 4-1 drubbing of the Hammers. However, it took a defender to get the party started and a fabulous strike by Nacho Monreal.

Whenever the Spain international plays for the Gunners, they look a different outfit. They will need him in midweek against Atletico Madrid. You can read more about Wenger’s farewell below, in my Crooks of the matter section.

Did you know? Monreal has scored three goals in his past seven Premier League appearances – as many as he managed in his first 153 appearances in the competition.

Midfielders – Ander Herrera (Manchester United), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Alexis Sanchez (Manchester United)

Ander Herrera: I find Ander Herrera the most irritating player in the Premier League. He looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. But if he’s not pulling your shirt, he’s leaving his foot in on his opposite number and if anyone touches him he goes down as if he’s been poleaxed.

Against Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final, Herrera did all of those things and much more. He took care of Mousa Dembele in the first half and then imposed himself on the rest of the game.

In fact, he seemed to be everywhere. For your performance to be so infectious and yet somehow remain on the field takes some doing. I suppose that’s what Jose Mourinho calls a winning mentality.

Did you know? Herrera has scored in each of his past two FA Cup games, having struck only twice in his previous 15 matches in the competition.

Kevin de Bruyne: A guard of honour was provided by Swansea, and quite rightly, for the newly crowned champions. What a performance by Manchester City. All the Swans could do was admire it.

Leading the chorus were Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva. They were like Lennon and McCartney. De Bruyne scored what can only be described as a classic.

Did you know? De Bruyne has now scored five goals from outside the box in the Premier League this season, the most of any player.

Paul Pogba: When Paul Pogba actually turns up for a game, he’s not a bad player. I also get the feeling the bigger the game, the more he seems up for it.

That was a point United manager Jose Mourinho was making last week after their debacle against West Bromwich Albion.

Against Spurs, however, Pogba was the player on the pitch who saw the pass – and was not afraid to play it. The cross for Alexis Sanchez to score was superb.

The France international went on to put scoring opportunities on a plate for Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard, although neither were equal to them. It’s all very well turning up for the big games – but what Pogba has to realise is that in order to get to the big games, you have to win the less attractive fixtures first.

Did you know? Pogba has recorded 12 assists in all competitions this season – twice as many as he registered last season.

Alexis Sanchez: He always turns up for the big games. Alexis Sanchez has found it difficult at Old Trafford since his arrival from Arsenal but he has always been at home at Wembley.

You won’t find a player who works as hard or is as creative in front of goal. His header, from the missile of a cross sent in by Paul Pogba, was quite extraordinary.

The way the Chile international took the pace of this Exocet and guided the ball into the net was world-class – which is exactly what he is.

Did you know? Sanchez has scored eight goals in his eight appearances at Wembley for club and country, including six goals in five FA Cup matches.

Forwards – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Salomon Rondon (West Brom), Danny Ings (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah: How do you score 41 goals in one season? That’s more than some Premier League teams have scored.

Salah’s goal at West Brom on Saturday was another exquisite chip beyond the advancing Ben Foster. However, Jurgen Klopp’s suggestion that the Albion pitch not being watered at half-time was somehow responsible for his team losing a two-goal lead is about as pathetic as it gets.

Did you know? Salah has scored 31 Premier League goals this season – the joint-most by a player in a 38-game campaign alongside Alan Shearer for Blackburn in 1995-96, Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United in 2007-08 and Luis Suarez for Liverpool in 2013-14.

Salomon Rondon: I’ve gone on record as saying I don’t think Salomon Rondon is good enough for Premier League football and that’s probably why West Brom are staring at relegation.

That said, I can’t fault his effort and that is why I have chosen Rondon instead of Alexandre Lacazette, who scored twice for Arsenal on Sunday.

The Venezuela international scored a sensational goal against a Liverpool side who had two eyes firmly fixed on their midweek Champions League game against Roma.

The Reds made five changes to their starting line-up, let a two-goal lead slip from their grasp and made a poor substitution. Yet manager Jurgen Klopp thinks he had nothing to do with this 2-2 result. Wow!

Did you know? Rondon has been directly involved in five goals in his last six Premier League games (three goals, two assists), including the 88th-minute equaliser against Liverpool.

Danny Ings: It was great to see Danny Ings back in a Liverpool shirt and looking so effective. Two years he spent recovering from injury and, from the look on his face, putting Liverpool 1-0 up must have felt like winning the lottery.

Why Jurgen Klopp took off the striker, I don’t know. Ings needs game time and was running Ahmed Hegazi ragged at the time. The West Brom central defender must have been delighted to see Ings substituted. Liverpool’s game started to fall apart the moment the striker left the field.

Did you know? Danny Ings scored his first Premier League goal in 930 days, since netting against Everton for Liverpool in October 2015.

You’ve seen my picks this week. But who would you go for?

Choose your XI from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share it with your friends.

Pick your Team of the Week

The Crooks of the matter…

So he’s finally decided to call it a day. He’s right of course. In fact, Arsene Wenger should have left Arsenal just after he won the FA Cup for the third time but, like all who gorge themselves on adoration, they seek one last curtain call.

The moment it became clear Wenger was going to miss the top four for the second consecutive season and that Champions League football was reliant on winning the Europa League, his best chance of a fine finale was to announce his exit now.

Why? Because the news of his departure, while music to some ears and a shock to others, represents the ultimate rally call to everyone associated with the club.

Regardless of the outcome in the Europa League, the Frenchman has fallen on his sword in a dramatic display of martyrdom and appears to have died for the cause. I must say it is quite brilliant.

Regardless, Wenger deserves the applause and it will last from now until Arsenal’s last ball is kicked this season. May I remind you that this was the man who, when he first burst on to the Premier League scene, could spot a diamond in the rough when others saw mere rocks.

As a young coach, he knew where all the best kids were and how to turn them into stars. Who could forget the purchases of precocious unknowns such as Nicolas Anelka and Patrick Vieira?

Wenger also rescued Arsenal from the drudgery perpetuated by George Graham. Yes those teams won trophies under Graham, but they were desperately unattractive. Wenger turned dull, crude compositions, all too often associated with British football, into something quite beautiful.

He reined in Ian Wright and placed limitations on his excesses. He turned Thierry Henry into one of the most sophisticated strikers I think I have ever seen.

Wenger didn’t just buy gifted players either; they had to be winners and intelligent. But when that supply started to dry up, and he had to start paying exorbitant fees to replace them, it was the beginning of the end for the Frenchman.

The Invincibles will, of course, always be his crowning glory. I cannot see another team going through an entire Premier League season undefeated. This, more than anything, puts Arsene Wenger on the same stage as Jock Stein, Brian Clough. Bill Shankly and Alex Ferguson. They were all managers whose teams played beautiful football as if it were their duty, not just their jobs.

I have always maintained that if Wenger managed Tottenham, they would have built a statue of him by now – and frankly, I can’t think of a bigger or better compliment.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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'The midfield Lennon & McCartney' - who made Garth Crooks' Team of the Week?

Chelsea beat Southampton to reach the FA Cup final where they will face Manchester United after their victory over Tottenham.

In the Premier League, Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at West Brom while Watford against Crystal Palace finished goalless.

Champions Manchester City thrashed Swansea 5-0, Arsenal defeated West Ham 4-1, while Stoke and Burnley ended 1-1.

But who did enough to make my team of the week? Read my selections and then pick your own XI.

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