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Leeds looking for next Van Dijk in Celtic

Celtic have produced some brilliant defenders in recent years and Leeds United believe they have found the next great in Leo Hjelde

The injury to centreback Diego Llorente last week has shown that Leeds can be vulnerable at the back. A poor second-half display saw them ransacked by a classy Manchester United side.

Cooper and Struijk could not deal with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba as they scored five passed with Whites’ defense. The Leeds senior and U23 sides are now looking for new talent abroad to be the future leader of the club.

They have shown great interest in Celtic’s young defender Leo Hjelde. Although he is only 17 years old, he has senior team experience in the Scottish Premiership. He appeared 12 times while on loan at Ross County last season, as well as scoring his first senior goal.

Hjelde showed his flexibility, appearing both in the center and the left side of the defense in his stay.

The teenager joined Celtic from Rosenborg FC’s youth side and he has been a part of Norway’s underage teams since U16. He is highly rated amongst the up-and-coming Norweigan youth that is destined for greatness in the next few years.

Hjelde is a physically large player, standing at 6’2”. For a young player, he has a good aerial presence and is willing to play the ball with his feet.

If the move goes through with his transfer value estimated under €1 million it will be unlikely that he jumps straight into the first team. A spot has opened up in the U23 team after Olly Casey moved to Blackpool.

He could improve as a player in the Premier League 2 before making the leap into top-flight football when he is a bit older.

There is a lot expected of young Hjelde, it will be interesting to see if he can live up to the hype.

Arsenal v Chelsea – Preview, Team News, Betting

Arsenal have a tough following to their opening match as they face Chelsea at home in week two of the Premier League

The match kicks odd at 16:30 on Sunday, 22nd August in the Emirates stadium with Paul Tierney in charge. The match will be broadcast live by Sky Sports Premier League Ireland.

This is Mikel Arteta’s chance at redemption after a humiliating defeat to Brentford last week. Although missing players, they showed no real attacking threat or tenacity in the game.

The team should be lifted by the return of Aubameyang from illness and Martin Odegaard joining the club permanently a few days ago.

Chelsea, on the other side of the coin, dominated their first game, giving Crystal Palace no shots on target after 60 minutes. Now with the signing of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, they have secured themselves as one of the favorites for the league.

The team will also nearly be at full strength with very few injuries to the squad giving Thomas Tuchel a full hand to choose from.

What might seem surprising is that Arsenal have actually won the last three fixtures between the teams. Their last loss to Chelsea was in December 2019.

Predicted Starting 11

Arsenal

Formation

4-2-3-1

Starting Team

Leno (GK), Tierney, White, Mari, Chambers, Xhaka, Lokonga, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Pépé, Aubameyang.

Injuries

Lacazette, Nketiah, Gabriel, Runarsson, Partey

Chelsea

Formation

3-4-3

Starting Team

Mendy (GK), Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Azpilicueta, Mount, Havertz, Lukaku.

Injuries

Ziyech, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic

Betting

Arsenal, although at home, are major underdogs with odds of 15/4 to win.

A draw has odds of 11/4.

Chelsea are heavy favorites with odds of 7/10 to win.

Score Prediction

There is no other way of looking at it, Chelsea are title contenders this season and Arsenal will battle for the top eight. With Saka and Aubameyang back in the team, expect them to be stronger but not strong enough.

Expect this game to end 2-1 with Chelsea taking all three points.

Connacht Men’s Age Grade squads named for Interprovincial Series

Connacht Men’s Age Grade squads named for Interprovincial Series

The Connacht Rugby U18 and U19 squads have been announced ahead of their upcoming interprovincial series in Dublin which will be sponsored by GMIT.

The series will start this coming weekend on Sunday with both Connacht squads in action against rivals Ulster as a part of a series doubleheader.

The U18’s will play first against Ulster at 12 pm at Energia Park before the U19’s will also take on their Ulster counterparts with kick-off at 2 pm in the same venue.

For more information on matchday squads, ConnachtRugby.ie will have all key details coming up to the two matches as the news comes in. Which is set for 12 pm.

Further information regarding future fixtures against Leinster and Munster will follow on the weekends of 28th of August and 4th of September.

Connacht Rugby U18’s Squad Announced

Connacht Men’s Age Grade squads named for Interprovincial Series

Name Position Club
John Hughes Prop Corrib
Eoghan Harlowe Prop Galwegians
Dylan Bolger Prop Buccaneers
Lee Kilcoyne Prop Creggs
Sean Hopkins Prop Ballina
Charlie Byrne Prop Buccaneers
Oisin Dolan Hooker Buccaneers
Charlie Leonard Hooker Corinthians
Ronan Lydon Hooker Galwegians
Rory Glynn Lock Corinthians
Ryan Gaughan Lock Corinthians
Alastair Hill Lock Sligo
Bryan Walsh Lock Corinthians
Conor Ryan Lock Ballinasloe
Max Flynn Backrow Corinthians
Robbie Byrne Backrow Buccaneers
Eoin Kelly Backrow Creggs
Ciaran Purcell Backrow Creggs
Jamie Treacy Backrow Ballinrobe
Blayze Molloy Backrow Ballina
Joey Tierney Scrumhalf Ballinasloe
Ben Matheson Scrumhalf Ballina
Harry Walsh Scrumhalf Galwegians
Conall Gill Scrumhalf Westport
Jack Conway Outhalf Corinthians
Ryan Roche Outhalf Galwegians
DJ Hession Outhalf Creggs
Cian Anderson Centre Ballina
Charlie Naughton Centre Ballinasloe
Hugh Gavin Centre Galwegians
Harry Sheridan Centre Westport
Sean Fox Centre Corinthians
Callum Brown Back Three Galwegians
Eoghan Flannery Back Three Corinthians
Cathal Kelly Back Three Ballina
Shane Fitzpatrick Back Three Ballinasloe
Cormac Lyons Back Three Westport
Cody Farrell Back Three Galwegians

 

Connacht Rugby U19’s Squad Announced

Connacht Men’s Age Grade squads named for Interprovincial Series

Name Position Club
Nicky Pfeiffer Prop Galwegians
Jonathon Flynn Prop Corinthians
Aaron Burke Prop Buccaneers
Alex Hennigan Prop Ballina
Dylan Keane Hooker Galwegians
Adam Nash Hooker Buccaneers
Lorcan Fallon Lock Buccaneers
Eoin Ryan Lock Sligo
Harry Regan Lock Ballina
Gareth Kilkelly Backrow Corinthians
Daithi Blackweir Backrow Ballinasloe
Luke Balsiger Backrow Buccaneers
Adam Hunter Backrow Sligo
Luke Walsh Backrow Ballinasloe
Fiachna Barrett Backrow Ballina
Andrew Sherlock Scrumhalf Galwegians
Kelvin Langan Scrumhalf Monivea / Galwegians
Niall O Connor Scrumhalf Sligo
Harry West Outhalf Ballina
Tadhg Finlay Outhalf DLSP
Patrick Nash Outhalf Galwegians
John Devine Centre Ballinasloe
Liam Golden Centre Ballina
David Gacquin Centre Creggs
Blaine Barry Back Three Connemara / Corinthians
Adam Madden Back Three Corinthians
Hugh Reddan Back Three Galwegians
Ross Fahy Back Three Tuam
MJ Duffy Back Three Galwegians
Adam O’Carroll Back Three Ballinasloe

 

For more news and stories on all things Irish and Rugby Union, read more at SportsNewsIreland.

Republic of Ireland U18s draw with Hungary U18s

A late Cian Kelly-Caprani penalty earned the Republic of Ireland Under-18s a 2-2 draw in their second friendly against Hungary in Budapest.

Derby County’s Kelly-Caprani converted the spot kick in the 82nd minute after Southampton’s Luke Pearce was brought down in the box.

Pearce had scored earlier in the contest in what was his first start in green.

Head Coach Colin O’Brien made eight changes to the line-up that started Tuesday’s 2-0 win.

Owen Mason, David Toure, Tommy Fogarty, Darragh Reilly, Justin Ferizaj, Billy Brooks, Jad Hakiki-Filloche and Pearce all made their first starts as Under-18 internationals.

Republic behind early on

Hungary took the lead inside the third minute from their first attack. Zsombor Menyhárt pounced from close range when Mason was unable to hold on to an effort from Tamás Vid Tóth.

O’Brien’s side responded well and were back on level terms five minutes later. Kelly-Caprani’s blocked effort wasn’t dealt with by the Hungarian backline and the wideman was able to knock the ball through to Pearce. The frontman latched onto the pass and fired home into the far corner.

It was a frantic start to the game and in the 12th minute the Hungarians made it 2-1. Vid Tóth, who was involved in the first, was able to capitalise on a loose ball in the Irish box to find the net with a fine finish that went in off the underside of the bar.

The Boys in Green went in search of an equaliser. Fogarty went close in the 19th minute when he was allowed a free header from a corner but his effort was held well by the Hungarian goalkeeper.

Then McJannet connected well with a left-footed half volley but the captain saw his attempt go just wide of the post.

Brooks forced Simon into a save just before half time with the ‘keeper tipping his shot over the bar. The resulting corner was cleared towards Books whose goalbound volley was thwarted by the Hungary net minder again.

The second half was a tamer affair as the Republic of Ireland went in search of an equaliser. Substitute McEvoy had a glorious chance in the 80th minute when a loose ball broke to the striker just inside the penalty area. Unfortunately, his side footed-effort drew a smart save from the goalkeeper.

The visitors only had to wait two minutes to get the goal they deserved. Pearce was brought down in the Hungarian area and Kelly-Caprani stepped up to strike a sweet penalty past Simon for his second goal in two games.

Teams and Results

Hungary: Simon, Nagy- Kolozsvari, Keresztes, Csóka, Horváth, Sipos, Menyhárt, Gyruis Fábián, Vid Tóth, Lénárt.

Republic of Ireland: Mason; Toure, Fogarty, Reilly, Murphy; McJannet, Ferizaj (Coleman 59), Brooks (McEvoy 69), Hakiki-Filloche (McGuinness 59), Kelly-Caprani.

Referee. Tamás Sipos (Hungary).

Results – International Friendlies 

Tuesday, August 17 | Hungary 0-2 Republic of Ireland, BVSC Stadion, Budapest, Hungary
Thursday, August 19 | Hungary 2-2 Republic of Ireland, BVSC Stadion, Budapest, Hungary,

Wicklow Boss Davy Burke Resigns After Two Years

Davy Burke has stepped down from his position as manager of the Wicklow senior football team after two years in the job.

Burke was at the helm for Wicklow’s promotion from Division Four in 2020 and their success in retaining Division Three status for 2022.

The side beat then-Ulster champions Cavan by two points to secure third-tier football for another year in a shock win.

They reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship after a win over Wexford but fell to the same opponent in this year’s Championship in the preliminary round.

Wicklow GAA have thanked Burke for his contributions to their senior football team over the past two seasons: “Wicklow GAA would like to sincerely thank Davy Burke and his management team for all their hard work and dedication over the past two years.

“Both the 2020 and 2021 seasons were severely hampered with COVID restrictions, but the constant drive from Davy to improve standards resulted in promotion to Division 3 for 2022.

“We wish Davy the very best in the future and thank him for everything he has done for Wicklow GAA.”

Burke has issued a statement on his decision: “I would like to thank the group of Wicklow players that I was extremely lucky to have worked with over the past 2 years.

“I am very proud of the group and what they have achieved in gaining promotion from division 4 and retaining division 3 status for 2022 in what were very challenging times.

“I can’t thank my management team of Mike Hassett and Gary Jameson enough for their huge effort and unwavering support over the 2 years.

“I would also like to thank our backroom team for their time, commitment and expertise they each brought to our setup.

“Finally, I would like to thank the Wicklow County Board, the Wicklow Clubs and our team sponsor Renault for their invaluable support.

“Wicklow Football is in a very strong position and I look forward to following their continued progress in the coming years.”

Liverpool v Burnley – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Liverpool will host Burnley at Anfield in their first home fixture of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

The match will be played in front of a capacity crowd at Anfield for the first time since March 2020 when Atletico Madrid upset the then-defending Champions League winners.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are coming off a 3-0 opening day against Norwich City at Carrow Road last Saturday.

It was not the best performance from the Reds but the Canaries rarely troubled them, and when they did, Alisson was on hand to stop them.

Liverpool’s midfield of James Milner, who wore the captain’s armband, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did not click as well as Klopp would have hoped.

Some changes are expected in the middle of the park with Fabinho available and Curtis Jones expected to return after suffering a concussion in pre-season.

Kostas Tsimikas will make his second successive start in the Premier League at left-back, with Andy Robertson still recovering from injury.

All of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota are fit for the game and Klopp will be spoilt for choice as a result.

Harvey Elliott and Jordan Henderson will also be available for the side’s first home fixture of the season and Ibrahima Konate could be in with a shout after sitting on the bench against Norwich.

There are no injury concerns for Sean Dyche’s visitors, who return to the ground where they shocked fans of the league last season.

Ashley Barnes scored the only goal in the game that ended Liverpool’s historic 68-game unbeaten run at home.

The Clarets lost their league opener to Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion and will want to bounce back from the 2-1 defeat.

The fixture saw Dyche set his side up in a 4-4-2 and it is expected that they will line up in the same formation on Saturday.

Lineups

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent, Matip, Van Dijk Tsimikas; Henderson, Keita, Elliott; Salah, Jota, Mané.

Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Barnes.

Betting

Liverpool 1/6

Draw 6/1

Burnley 16/1

TV Coverage

Liverpool v Burnley kicks off on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm. BT Sport will show the game live on television.

Leeds v Everton – Preview, Team News, Betting

Everton will travel to Elland Road to play Leeds United in Week two of the Premier League this Saturday

The match will kick off at 15:00 on Saturday, 21st August with Darren England as referee. The match will be shown live on Premier Sports ROI 1.

Leeds had a tough start to the 2021/22 season with a thrashing at the hands of Manchester United. Their squad was lacking some of their starters due to injuries and Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba ran rampant in the game, winning 5-1.

Bielsa’s team is expected to bounce back strong, this will be their first match at home in front of a full attendance crowd. Chris Wilder has previously spoken on the importance of Elland Road to their team, click here to read about it.

Everton, on the other hand, had a very important comeback win against Southampton in their opening game. After a mistake from Michael Keane put them behind, Richarlison lit up the game with a goal and an assist.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucouré also got on the scoresheet to win 3-1. This was Raphael Benitez’s first game in charge of them as he becomes the next manager to try to push Everton on to the next level.

Last season was an odd one for this fixture with both teams managing to win away from home. Both games were close affairs with the winners only claiming the games by one-goal margins.

Predicted Starting 11

Leeds United

Formation

4-1-4-1

Starting Team

Meslier (GK), Firpo, Cooper, Struijk, Ayling, Phillips, Harrison, Dallas, Klich, Raphinha, Bamford.

Injuries

Llorente

Everton

Formation

4-2-3-1

Starting Team

Pickford (GK), Digne, Keane, Mina, Coleman, Allan, Doucouré, Richarlison, Gray, Townsend, Calvert-Lewin.

Injuries

Gomes, Rodriguez, Gbamin, Kean

Betting

Leeds, being at home, are favorites for the game with odds of 11/8 to win.

A draw has odds of 23/10.

Everton are minor underdogs with odds of 19/10 to win.

Score Predictions

This match will not be won easily, each team will have to dig deep to earn a score in this game. The Elland Road faithful may give Leeds an advantage throughout the game but it is hard to stop Everton’s strike force of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

Expect an entertaining game ending with shared points and a scoreline of 2-2.

Chelsea’s Emerson lands in Lyon ahead of transfer

Thomas Tuchel is continuing to part ways with the players that he believes are not part of Chelsea’s future, next up is Emerson

The Italian left-wing-back Emerson has arrived in Lyon for his loan move to Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais, according to recent reports.

The defender has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and is now looking for a move to get game time. Reporter Fabricio Romano has confirmed that the deal is very close to happening.

Emerson will have to complete a medical in France before signing any paperwork. He was previously linked with moves back to Italy with teams like Juventus, Inter Milan, and Napoli but none have come to fruition.

With the defender already competing with Spaniard Marcos Alsonso and England’s Ben Chilwell, it is hard to see him getting minutes this season. The 27-year-old is craving playing more football with him not making more than 15 appearances in a season since 2017.

Is Emerson worth keeping at Chelsea?

Despite his lack of club matches, he became a valuable member of Italy’s Euro 2020 winning side. He made four starts for the Azzuri, playing in the final after Leonardo Spinnazola’s injury.

He also played in six of Chelsea’s Champions League matches last year, scoring a goal.

Emerson is known for his attacking and creative ability, making a name for himself while playing for Roma. His defensive performances are solid but not outstanding.

Now at the Blues for three years, it is time for him to get more minutes on the field or his career could slip into obscurity as he ages. Lyon will be a good move for the player as he will be needed in fullback and he will be surrounded by quality players.

They finished in fourth place last season in France but are now without talisman Memphis Depay so this season may be harder. Either way, expect Emerson to refind some of his form in his stay in Lyon this year.

Ulster Name Cooke’s Beth Cregan As Captain For Interpros

Ulster Rugby have named Cooke star Beth Cregan as the province’s captain for the 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Cregan has been involved with the provincial side since joining the U18s after impressing at an open training session.

The new Ulster captain plays with Cooke RFC at club level and captained her club side to the Women’s All-Ireland Shield in 2019.

She has over half a decade of experience playing at provincial level and is one of the established members of the squad.

Old Belvedere’s Fiona Tuite has been named as vice-captain for this year’s instalment of the interprovincial tournament.

The winger has been with the Ulster squad for three years and has established herself as a key figure in the side.

Both players have a wealth of experience that they can use to motivate and help others in the side.

The squad is currently training together at Newforge Country Club and will first face Munster in front of a home crowd on Saturday, August 28 at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

On the squad, Ulster Senior Women’s Head Coach, Neill Alcorn said: “This is an exciting time for this group of players. We have a great mix of youth and experience within the squad. The players have driven up standards this year and are fighting for places each week with serious determination.

“The players and coaches are focused and excited to see the start of the Interpros. We’re all looking forward to our opening game against Munster – especially as it’s being played at Kingspan Stadium – the home of Ulster Rugby.”

2021 Deloitte Ulster Senior Women’s Squad

Aishling O’Connell (Cooke RFC)

Aoife Cahill (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Ashleigh Orchard (Cooke RFC)

Ava Fannin (Barnhall RFC)

Beth Cregan (Cooke RFC)

Bethany McDowell (Malone RFC)

Diane Ramsey (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Dolores Hughes (Cooke RFC)

Elizabeth McKeever (Cavan RFC)

Ella Durkan (Malone RFC)

Emma Jordan (Malone RFC)

Fern Wilson (Malone RFC)

Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC)

Gemma McCamley (Cooke RFC)

Hannah Beattie (Cooke RFC)

Hanna Harris (Cooke RFC)

Helen McGhee (Cooke RFC)

Holly Brannigan (Malone RFC)

Ilse van Staden (Cooke RFC)

India Daley (Cooke RFC)

Jemma Farrell (Old Belvedere RFC)

Jill Stephens (Malone RFC)

Katie Hetherington (Cooke RFC)

Keelin Brady (Railway Union RFC)

Kelly McCormill (Cooke RFC)

Lauren Magennis (Malone RFC)

Pieta McAllister (Malone RFC)

Rachael McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Shannon Buller (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)

Sorcha MacLaimhim (Cooke RFC)

Stacey Sloan (City of Derry RFC)

Taryn Schutzler (Malone RFC)

Toni Macartney (Cooke RFC)

Revealed: Premier League season ticket prices ranked

The Premier League is finally back and it is time to find out which season tickets will give you the most bang for your buck

For those fans looking for the best price in terms of their Premier League season ticket, Compare.bet has come to help. There is a large range between the tickets with the cheapest costing £320 while the most expensive will set you back £2,545.

London appears to be an expensive place to live with Arsenal and Tottenham having the two most expensive seats with their cheapest tickets still costing at least seven days’ wages for the average person.

It seems that Manchester City is planning to fill out their shiny stadium this season by providing the second cheapest season ticket. On average newly-promoted Brentford are the most reasonably priced club with all of their season tickets costing between £419 and £509.

Both Liverpool and Manchester United rank just above the top half in most expensive tickets, which is expected for England’s two biggest clubs.

Each team’s most expensive season ticket:

1 – Arsenal – £2,545

2 – Tottenham – £2,233

3 – Manchester City – £1,410

4 – West Ham United – £1,200

5 – Southampton – £1,149

6 – Leicester – £1,065

7 – Manchester United – £950

8 – Chelsea – £940

9 – Liverpool – £869

10 – Newcastle United – £811

11 – Crystal Palace – £810

12 – Brighton and Hove Albion – £770

13 – Leeds United – £710

14 – Aston Villa – £684

15 – Burnley – £650

16 – Wolves – £628

17 – Norwich City – £569.50

18 – Watford – £567

19 – Everton – £565

20 – Brentford – £509

Each team’s cheapest season ticket:

1 – West Ham – £320

2 – Manchester City – £325

3 – Leeds United – £349

4 – Leicester City – £365

5 – Aston Villa – £370

6 – Burnley – £390

7 – Southampton – £399

8 – Newcastle United – £417

9 – Brentford – £419

10 – Everton – £420

11 – Crystal Palace – £435

12 – Watford – £496

13 – Norwich City – £499

14 – Manchester United – £532

15 – Brighton – £545

16 – Wolves – £549

17 – Chelsea – £595

18 – Liverpool – £685

19 – Tottenham – £807

20 – Arsenal – £891

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