Sports Category
Sports news, commentary and scores with wit and added value. We compare and contrast the best and worst sports reporting in the mainstream press, blogs, TV and online. We love the English Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City) and all things football but we cover cricket, rugby, the Olympics, tennis, golf, F1 and highlights of the sporting year.
Chelsea Balls: Dennis Wise debuts his Lego Hair on Setanta Sports
Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh sp[ots former Chelsea irritant Dennis Wise on the telly. He tweets:
But forget Chelsea, City or Spurs – the biggest shock of the day is Dennis Wise’s hair on Setanta Sports
Hair by Lego
Spotter:@Ciaran_O
Posted: 24th, January 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comments (2)
Get the Ched Evans looks: celebrity Natasha Massey shows us how
So. What’s resting footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans been up to? The Sun has news:
RAPIST Ched Evans lets his fiancee pick up the tab after the couple enjoyed a meal at a top restaurant.
Tsk!
The ex-Sheffield United footballer, 26, showed off a custom phone cover of him and partner Natasha Massey as they left Novikov in Mayfair, central London.
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Transfer Balls: Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea chase Paul Pogba to Spain
Transfer Balls: The Daily Express has stella news on Juventus and France star Paul Pogba. Apparently, Pogba has dropped a “MASSIVE” hint that he will not play for Manchester United or Chelsea.
So. The Express was wrong whan it reported on January 13 2015:
Also on Mourinho’s radar is Paul Pogba, with the player’s agent revealing that his client will leave Juventus if the right offer was made. United and Real Madrid are also keen on the France international, but Pogba is understood to favour a switch to London over a return to Old Trafford.
The Express told us that Pogba was on his way to Manchester United for £77m.
The same Express told us that Pogba was on his way to Chelsea for £40m:
And the Express told readers that Pogba “loves”: Maanchester United:
And there was the story that Juventus “MUST’ sell Pogba to United, Chelsea or Arsenal:
To day the Express has written 60 Paul Pogba stories this January alone. And the latest one is that he will not be joining Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal because he is leaning Spanish.
It;s tue. You read it in the Daily Express…
Posted: 24th, January 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment
25 Years ago today Manchester United’s Eric Cantona king-fu kicked himself into legend
Je suis Eric… et Matthew…
Magna Carta, Nelson’s death at Trafalgar, the Battle of Waterloo, Victory in Europe, VJ Day… Some significant anniversaries fall this year, but the one that will always have a place in my heart occurred just 20 years ago, on 25 January 1995 at Selhurst Park Stadium, London SE27.
With one end of the ground knocked down for a new stand, there was a crowd of less than 19,000 packed in for the evening game between Crystal Palace and reigning champions Manchester United.
Things were predictably tight and tense when United’s hot-headed French maverick and borderline nut-case Eric Cantona lost patience with the close attention of Palace centre-back Richard Shaw and kicked out in frustration.
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Posted: 24th, January 2015 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Talking Balls (and anus): Manchester United launch new all-star 4-4-2 line-up
The bigger the pornographer, the bigger the prude. Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal said:
“I know all the stats. I read the stats. I know that we have won more with 4-4-2 in a diamond. But when you analyse the game, then we have twitched our ass on the bench. I said to my players I was squeezing my ass, but it was the wrong expression. I have twitched my ass on the bench because we were out of balance. All the matches when we play 4-4-2, like against West Ham United, it was always twitching your ass. I don’t like that. We have won nine or 10 in a row, then we lose one match and then the discussion about the system is coming. It is ridiculous. Now I have answered your question in a very good way.”
That quote is from the BBC.
Now for the Sun, the paper with topless Page 3 stannas, adverts for sex chatlines and published by Rupert Murdoch, via whose Sky TV network you can watch loadsa porn:
“I said to my players I was squeezing my a*** but it was the wrong expression, I have twitched my a*** on the bench because we were out of balance. We lost the game at Leicester 5-3 and that was undeserved. And all the matches when we’ve played 4-4-2, like against West Ham, it was always twitching your a*** and I don’t like it.”
A****? Is that anus?
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Posted: 23rd, January 2015 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Arsenal outbid Real Madrid for Sergio Ramos as Manchester get Paulista
Transfer Balls: a look at mainstream media reporting on football transfers.
The Daily Telegraph has news on Sergio Ramos:
Arsenal transfer news and rumours: Arsenal Wenger handed boost in hunt for Real defender Sergio Ramos
He has? The media is full of news that Arsenal are buying central defender Gabriel Paulista for £6m (Metro), £10m (Telegraph) and £15m (Guardian). So. Why would they buy Ramos, too?
And Arsenal are not alone. Just yesterday the Daily Star reported:
Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd target Sergio Ramos CLOSE to agreeing HUGE deal
But why would Manchester United wants Ramos. The Star also reported that they want Paulista:
The Telegraph’s story continues:
Arsenal have been given a huge boost in their hunt for Sergio Ramos, reports The Metro.
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Posted: 23rd, January 2015 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Chelsea sign Paul Pogba For £37m less than Manchester United paid for him
Transfer Balls – a regular look at rumour and utter drivel being presented as fact by the mainstream media – look once again at Juventus and France star Paul Pogba. So far this Janauray, we’ve read that Pogba is heading to Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool for £50m, Arsenal for £40m and Manchester United for £77m.
Today the Daily Express tells its readers:
EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea plan £40m bid former Manchester United flop Paul Pogba
Tony Banks has an “Exclusive”:
And Chelsea appear to be in with a shout because the Express has other news. It turns out that Juventus “MUST SELL POGBA”. And they “must sell him to Arsenal, Chaela or Manchester United”. They MUST!
Lippi must really rate the Premier League. Unless it’s all; utter balls? It is. Lippi said on Sky Sport Italia:
“Of course, it would be a big sacrifice to lose Pogba, but selling him would generate enough money to buy three or four great players to help improve the team. When I returned to Juventus in 2001, I got a call that the club were going to sell Zidane. He was the best player of the world, but Madrid were paying €75 million. The club told me to remain calm and that they would reinvest all the money in the squad. We eventually signed Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram and Pavel Nedved and continued to win silverware.”
As for today’s “exclusive”, the Express writes:
With Jose Mourinho’s side still on track for four trophies, the Stamford Bridge club have already begun to plan for next year. Pogba, who is also a target for both Manchester United and City, has been on Chelsea’s radar for some time, and the club are poised to offer a players-plus-cash deal.
So. £40m plus. And they are not buying Pogba now with the Transfer Window open?
Chelsea will try to balance the books by allowing players to go in part exchange for Pogba, with midfielder Ramires and German forward Andre Schurrle likely to be offered, as well possibly as Nigerian John Obi Mikel.
So. Where once Juventus got the great Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram and Pavel Nedved for the brillaint Zidane; they now get three Chalsea spare parts for their star.
Sounds like a plan – an “exclusive” one. Or they could get £77m for Pogba from United? I read that in the Express…
Arsenal Transfer Balls: Tiote, Augustin, Otamendi and Bryam join the Gunners revolution
Arsenal Transfer Balls: Who are the Gunners buying today? To date, the mainstream media has told readers that Arsenal are buying – get this – 63 players. And there are MORE!
The Telegraph: “Arsenal weighing up £9m bid for Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote”
So. No bid made. Unless you rea the Daily Express:
Arsenal launch £9m bid for Man United and Liverpool target Cheick Tiote
ESPN has more news:
Arsenal target move for PSG striker Jean-Kevin Augustin
Arsenal had been linked with Nicolas Otamendi in the Sunday papers, but news on Monday suggested that Manchester United had seen a £27million bid turned down for the versatile defender.
Which Sunday papers, the Metro doesn’t say.
Daily Mirror: “Arsenal news and transfers: Leeds United defender Sam Byram on Arsene Wenger’s radar?”
As ever the Mirror shrouds a started by ending it with a question mark.
Arsenal are now buying in this January Transfer Window: 66 players!
Previously:
Batch 1: William Carvalho, James McCarthy, Mario Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Loris Karius, Ilkay Gundogan, Teddy Bishop.
Batch 2: Loic Perrin, Mattia Destro, Federico Valverde, Rayan Souici, Sami Khedira, Yohan Cabaye, Ayoze Perez, Bruno Martins Indi, Moussa Sissoko and Takefusa Kubo.
Batch 3: Iker Casillas, Petr Cech, Adrien Rabiot, Stephan El Shaarawy, Marcelo Brozovic, Krystian Bielik, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes, Victor Wanyama, Xherdan Shaqiri, Adil Rami, Paul Pogba, Sebastian Lichtsteiner, Morgan Schneiderlin and Winston Reid.
Batch 4: Aymeric Laporte, Virgil van Dijk and Ron Vlaar.
Batch 5: Nabil Fekir, Fabio Coentrao, Nemanja Vidic, Sergio Busquets, Lucas Silva, Marco Reus, Matt Targett, Sebastian Giovinco, Nikola Vlasic, Marcelo Brozovic, Gabriel Barbosa and Malcolm Silva.
Batch 6: Juan Quinetero, Isco, Sergio Ramos, Paolo Dybala, Jonathan Calleri, Gabriel Paulista, Luis Suarez.
Batch 7: Mario Mandzukic, Saido Berahino, Wilfried Bony, Jay Rodriguez, Ter Stegen and Edgar.
Liverpool Balls: Norwegian Fan Names His Daughter ‘YNWA’
Pies spots a Norwegian Liverpool fan who named his daughter ‘YNWA’ – as in “You’ll Never WalkAlone”.
Speaking to Dagbladet, the little girl’s mother, Eirin Isabell Iversen – herself a Tromso fan, described how her and her lunatic husband picked the unusual name after having his first choice scuppered by Mother Nature.
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Posted: 20th, January 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports, Strange But True | Comment
Liverpool Balls: Brendan Rodgers got Divock Origi on the never-maybe
Liverpool Balls: LFC manager Brenadan Rodgers has been talking about Divock Origi:
January 15:
“There have been discussions [over Divock Origi]. He’s a player that will definitely be here next summer. Whether he’ll be here or not in January is something that there has been discussion about”
November 21:
“The young player we signed last summer, it was always on the understanding that he had to stay at Lille. I’ve seen reports that he’ll be coming back early but that was never the case. When we signed the player, it was one of the main reasons we were able to sign him — he would have to stay at Lille for this season”
He’s football’s Mr Consistency….
Posted: 20th, January 2015 | In: Liverpool, Sports | Comment
Manchester United balls: Radamel Falcao scores an unlikely hat-trick
Manchester United defeated QPR at the weekend. The game finished 2-0, with goals scored by Man United substitutes Fellaini and Wilson.
Garth Crooks was watching. He heaps praise on United’s Radamel Falcao, picking the stupendously well paid Colombian striker for his BBC column’s team of the week:
I don’t know what Louis van Gaal said to Falcao last weeek, having left the Colombian out of the game against Southampton, but based on what I saw against QPR at Loftus Road Manchester United must keep this striker at the club. His work rate was phenomenal and it was only Robert Green who denied the player a hat-trick.
Garth, you need to score one before you can get a hat-trike, which is three.
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Posted: 19th, January 2015 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Arsenal balls: Flamini and Carzorla futures in jeopardy (and other Daily Mail clickbait)
Football fans love those player ratings that feature in newspapers. At home they compile league tables. It’s a little known fact that clubs ask a random sample of 101 fans for their end-of-season results. The data dictates clubs’ tranfer policies.
Today in the Daily Mail, Neil Ashton delivers his verdict on Manchester City v Arsenal. Let’s look at the Arsenal players’ scores.
Ospina: 7
Bellerin: 7
Mertesacker: 7.5
Koscielny: 7
Monreal: 7
Ramsey: 7
Coquelin: 7.5
Cazorla: 7
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 6
Giroud: 8
Sanchez: 6.
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Transfer Balls: Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao offers himself to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City
Transfer Balls: Is Radamel Falcao staying at Manchester United?
The Sunday Times has news:
ARSENAL, Liverpool and Manchester City have inquired about Radamel Falcao’s availability as the Colombian struggles to nail down a place in Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United starting XI.
Yeah. The player who commands a salary of – get this – £265,000 a week (!!), who has scored three times for Manchester United this season and has a history of injury is interesting Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Says who?
Falcao, right, is said to have been left ‘perplexed and bemused’ by his treatment at United…
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Posted: 19th, January 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Arsenal Transfer Balls: winger Edgar makes it 63 and counting
Trasnfer Balls: Arsenal recruitment update. We’re keeping a running score on how many players have been linked to the Arsenal in his January transfer window. The total so far is 62!
And there are more.
The Sun: “Arsenal and Everton are keeping tabs on Almeria’s 23-year-old winger Edgar, who could be available for as little as £2million.”
Number of quotes from playerm, agent or club: zero.
Thats 63!
Transfer Balls: Arsenal sign Schneiderlin who wants to play for Manchester United
Transfer Balls: Can it be true? Have Arsenal signed Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin?
The Metro says they have:
Arsenal agree transfer deal for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin
So. Schneiderlin will save Arsenal. But wait a moment. The Mirror has news:
Southampton dealt Morgan Schneiderlin injury blow with in-form midfielder out until February
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Floyd Mayweather opens his ‘toy world
This week on the Instagram Beat, boxer suprmere Floyd Mayweather was showcasing off his chattles:
Bugatti Veyron $1,600,000; Bugatti Veyron $1,600,000; Bugatti Gran Sport $3,000,000; Ferrari 458 Spider $360,000; Ferrari 458 Spider $360,000; Lamborghini Aventador $390,000; Porsche 911 Turbo S $205,000; Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano $350,000; Private Jet #AirMayweather
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Transfer Balls: Arsenal sign Ryan Shawcross, Grzegorz Krychowiak and it’s 65
Arsenal Transfer Balls: To date, the media has liubnked the Gunners to – get this – 62 footballers. Arsenal are going mad in the January sales. And it does not end there. No way. There are even more players heading to the Emirates:
The latest batch:
Daily Express: “Liverpool LEADING Arsenal and Spurs in £5m to land ‘Iranian Messi’ Sardar Azmoun”
Daily Telegraph: “Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak could be available this month after his club, Sevilla, opened talks over a deal to sign Lucho González on loan from Porto.”
Could? No. In the Mirror it’s fact:
Daily Mirror: “Arsenal target Grzegorz Krychowiak set to leave Sevilla after they sign Lucho Gonzalez”
Daily Express: “‘Emirates enemy Ryan Shawcross could be Arsene Wenger target’.
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Transfer Balls: Arsenal buy Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels for £43m more than they have
Transfer Balls: The BBC has stella news for Arsenal fans, who will recslls news that the Gunners have a £20m transfer kitty for this January’s transfer window (Daily Mirror). Now read on:
Arsenal are ready to begin talks with Borussia Dortmund over a £63m deal to sign 24-year-old midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and centre-back Mats Hummels, 26.
That sounds like a lot of money. But it must be true becasue rhe Independent has the same story:
Arsenal bid £63m for Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels
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Transfer Balls: Manchester City CAN Get Messi, Chelsea can’t but Manchester United could
Transfer Balls: Manchester City are buying Lionel Messi. Well, sort of. The Sun leads with news that City “CAN”get Messi.
The “City Transfer Taunt” leads to a news story based on a line.
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has opened the door to a bank-busting Manchester City move for Lionel Messi.
How?
Pellegrini spoke about Messi after completing a £28million deal for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony.
Well, sort of. He was aked about Messi. And he replied:
“It’s normal we are linked with the best players in the market.”
And the taunt? That’s it. The £480m deal?
Messi, 27, has a £210m buy-out clause in his contract… The Argentine maestro would expect a six-year deal worth around £270m, taking any switch to a staggering £480m.
But if Messi won’t come to Pellegrini, will Pelligrini go to Messi at Barcelona?
“They are just rumours. I am very happy at City and I still have a year and a half on my contract.”
In other news, espn says today:
Lionel Messi: Why only Man Utd and Real Madrid can afford to buy him
The Mail reported a week ago:
Lionel Messi commits his future to Barcelona after Chelsea and PSG interest
Such are the facts…
Posted: 15th, January 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Spurs Transfer Balls: Delph, Rabiot, Benteke and a ‘new Messi’ lead the charge
Spurs Transfer Balls: so who are Tottenham buying this January Transfer Window? We’ve looked through the mainstream media for insight into which footballers at heading to The Lane. It turns out ther are loads of them. Grab the scattergun:
Evening Standard: “Tottenham transfer news: Spurs eye Seydou Doumbia but club are reluctant to meet forward’s £25m buy-out clause”
The Indy: “Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike continues to be linked with a move to White Hart Lane after his agent claimed Tottenham remain in the hunt for the Nigeria international.”
The Indy: “Spurs enter race for £27m Manchester United target Nicolas Gaitan; Carlos Bacca deal close”
Belfast Telegraph: “Spurs desperate to land in-form striker Danny Ings”
Telegraph: “Villa face losing 25-year-old Fabian Delph for nothing at the end of his contract in the summer, but, again, Tottenham believe the Midlands club are prepared to forgo the fee they could get for the England international now in a bid to boost their chances of survival.”
Daily Express: “Liverpool LEADING Arsenal and Spurs in £5m to land ‘Iranian Messi’ Sardar Azmoun”
Evening Standard: “PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot wants Spurs loan move”
Daily Mirror: “Spurs have their eyes on a series of strikers from West Brom’s Saido Berahino to Valencia’s Paco Alcacer to long-term target Christian Benteke… Napoli’s experienced Spanish star Raul Albiol is one ambitious target.”
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Posted: 14th, January 2015 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment (1)
Arsenal Transfer Balls: Perin, Gomis and Moreno arrive
Transfer Balls – Arsenal: To date Arsenal have been linked to – get this – 59 players. Not by some small websites. The mainstream media has said Arsenal are buying players in batches. And there are more:
Daily Express: “Arsenal will consider launching a £12million bid to sign Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin.” The Mirror calls him “the new Buffon”.
Daily Mail: “Arsene Wenger is considering a move to sign Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis.”
Daily Mail: “Arsenal eye up swoop for Mexican centre back Hector Moreno to bolster defence”
Those three new players make it 62.
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Transfer Balls: Thomas Muller and Paul Pogba say the same thing to Manchester United
Transfer Balls: a look at football rumour, speculation and what unnamed sources say being passed off as fact in the mainstream media. Today, the Daily Express exels itself with a news of Manchester United, Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller.
Well, dealing with head scoop in turn:
Lionel Messi is not going to Cheslea.
Paul Pogba is not leaving Juventus for Manchester United.
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Posted: 12th, January 2015 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United Transfer Balls: Aymeric Laporte and Nathaniel Clyne make it 30
Manchester United Transfer Balls: let’s catch-up with players signed by United this January Transfer window. The experts in the mainstream media have been informative:
Daily Mirror: “Southampton defender Nathaniel Clyne is also interesting Manchester United”
Daily Star: “Manchester United are trying to sign 20-year-old Athletic Bilbao centre-half Aymeric Laporte for £25m.”
Previously United have signed: Hugo Loris,Paul Pogba, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Morgan Schneiderlin, Daniel Alves, Radamel Falcao, Sergio Busquets, Pepe, Ilkay Gundogan, Teddy Bishop, Tyrone Mings, Gareth Bale, Enzo Perez, Nicolas Gaitan, Kevin Strootman, Seamus Coleman, Fabio Coentrao, Adil Rami, Ron Vlaar, Virgil van Dijk, Marco Reus, Victor Valdes (done deal!), Martin Odegaard, Nigel De Jong and Lewis Cook.
Running total of players linekd to Manchester United by the mainstream media: 30
Posted: 12th, January 2015 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Paul Gascoigne Death Watch: The Sun scans Gazza’s ‘slippers’ for signs of a story
Paul Gascoigne Liver Watch: the Sun can’t leave Paul Gascoinge alone. The former Spurs, Newcastle and England footballer has been fighting alcoholism.
The Sun has taken it upon itself to keep track of Gazza, seeking signs of stories in his bins, hair and shoes. Unable to find one it creates a story from a photo of Gascoigne at the shops in Liliput, Poole.
The story – an “EXCLUSIVE” (as in we bought the photo taken from across the road) – trills:
TROUBLED star Paul Gascoigne shuffles out of his local off licence in a pair of slippers. The former England football idol was sporting a new beard as he emerged from a branch of Oddbins.
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Transfer Balls: Arsenal sign Mandzukic, Bony, Berahino, Stegen and Rodriguez
Throughout this January Tranfer Window, Anorak has been noting the players Arsenal are going to sign. Like you, we’ve not heard a murmer from the Gunners about any players. They like to keep these things quiet until a deal is done. But the experts in the maintream media have ‘sources’. Usually one newspaper’s scoop is dutifully repeated as a scoop by its rivals. No facts. No sources. Just repetition.
So many players are heading to Arsenal, we’ve grouped them into batches:
Batch 1: William Carvalho, James McCarthy, Mario Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Loris Karius, Ilkay Gundogan, Teddy Bishop.
Batch 2: Loic Perrin, Mattia Destro, Federico Valverde, Rayan Souici, Sami Khedira, Yohan Cabaye, Ayoze Perez, Bruno Martins Indi, Moussa Sissoko and Takefusa Kubo.
Batch 3: Iker Casillas, Petr Cech, Adrien Rabiot, Stephan El Shaarawy, Marcelo Brozovic, Krystian Bielik, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes, Victor Wanyama, Xherdan Shaqiri, Adil Rami, Paul Pogba, Sebastian Lichtsteiner, Morgan Schneiderlin and Winston Reid.
Batch 4: Aymeric Laporte, Virgil van Dijk and Ron Vlaar.
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