Mahrez, Rangers, and the Champions League - we get our journalists' opinions

Ryiad Mahrez this week won the PFA player of the year was he a deserving winner..??? If not who in your opinion should have won the award..???


Mark thinks Mahrez is a worthy winner

 

Mark McGuire S2 - Ryiad Mahrez


I think Mahrez did deserve the pfa player of the year because he has been crucial to Leicester’s season and their title challenge. Last season he scored 4 goals with 1 assist, this season however he has had 17 goals and 11 assists in the premier league. He has developed a great partnership with Jamie Vardy and can produce moments of magic whenever he wants. When Mahrez plays well, Leicester play well. Kante and Vardy have also been pivotal to his season, without Kante Mahrez would not have got the chances he needs to score and without Vardy he certainly would not have as many assists as he has.  Without Mahrez’s magic however I think Leicester would have finished 8^th or lower. At home he has got 5 goals and 7 assists and away he has got 12 goals and 4 assists.

 

Nathan Cowan S3 - Ryiad Mahrez

In my opinion Mahrez was one of the best players of the season and has had a big influence on how well Leicester has done this season.  Mahrez has scored 17 goals and made 11 assists in 34 league games taking them to the top of the league and only one more win away from securing the league title. He also had a massive effect on how well Jamie Vardy has been playing this year and had a big part in him breaking the record of scoring in 12 games in a row. Their partnership this season has effectively won Leicester the title. Only a few players could come close to him this season for example Ozil for Arsenal by creating most of Arsenal’s goals or being involved in the majority of the play and chances they create. Payet has been great for West Ham with some of the free kicks he’s scored this season has been unbelievable and his passing and long balls chances for his teammates. Kante for Leicester in midfield has been fantastic he has been one of the most consistent players this season, his decision making on and off the ball has been unbelievable and the distance he covers in every game is more than any other player this season.

 

Calum Grant S2 - Ryiad Mahrez

I agree that Mahrez deserves to have won the award because he has played great all season, has scored 17 goals this season and made 11 assists. He is the one that changed Leicester’s season, if Leicester didn’t have Mahrez they would have finished about 9^th I think. If Mahrez plays well, Leicester play well and they always win. He links well with Vardy and they have a good connection together. I think if both players stay at Leicester, Leicester can win the league again next season.

 

Andrew Gilchrist S2 - Ryiad Mahrez

 

I think he deserved it because he has easily been the best overall player this season. He’s made Leicester a better team, he’s good at defending and he’s scored 17 goals with 11 assists. Mharez is one of the premier league’s best players and when Mharez is on form Leicester are on form. He is a huge confidence boost for the squad, the players around him trust him to create chances to supply goals and to get in one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper

 

Steven Fray S3 - Ryiad Mahrez

I agree with the decision as Mahrez is phenomenal and gives you goose bumps just watching him. I believe there should be more defensive players nominated for the award, there is arguments about surely the award should be given to the player who has banged in the most goals as goals win games but on the other hand if you’re the player who stops the player from scoring, you deserve the most credit and you’re the hero who won the game

Connor McCallum S3 - Ryiad Mahrez

In my opinion Mahrez was a very consistent player for Leicester this season, he scored goals, switched play and also worked extremely hard all over the pitch. His influence on Leicester has been outstanding and is deservedly the player of the year in my opinion. Others could have won it such as Payet from West Ham United and Ozil from Arsenal, but in the end the wonder player for Leicester deserved the prize for this season. If Mahrez wasn’t playing for Leicester this season who knows where they would have ended up in the league, he has contributed to 27 goals this season for Leicester and has effectively secured the title for them this season

 

Max Delrio S2 - Ryiad Mahrez

I think that Mahrez deserved to win the PFA player of the year due to the simple fact his current performances have been outstanding, constantly creating chances, assisting and scoring goals. He showed a great deal of skills when playing against great teams such as Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal. Mahrez is a pivotal player for Leicester city as when he plays well he and puts on a great performance the team play well. With 17 goals and 11 assists, this season I think he has given confidence to players like Vardy and Kante alongside him they trust him to be able to play the correct ball at the correct time.

 

Jay Lusted S3 - Ryiad Mahrez

It’s not just the numbers that add up for Mahrez I think of the really decisive moments such as the wins at Watford and Crystal Palace make him player of the year. He has been the central figure for Leicester this season. His goals and assists have been responsible for 30 of Leicester’s 72 points. Vardy, of course, would be a worthy winner and Kante has been a monster in the midfield, but Mahrez has been relentlessly brilliant. He deserves the gong.

 

 

Rangers have secured the SPFL Championship title and will be return to the Scottish Premiership after a four year absence, but can they challenge for the title..???

 

Connor McCalum S3 - No   

Connor doesn't hold out much hope for
 Rangers title chances next season

After Ranger’s being relegated to the 3^rd division and their financial meltdown in 2012 they are now, after a long hard fight, back in the premiership next season. In my opinion rangers will not win it, they will need to get used to playing at the top again against top side. They will likely finish in the top 4 next season because they do have a strong side but they won’t challenge on their first season back, Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic will be the 3 toughest games for Rangers next season.

 

Mark McGuire S2 - No

 

I think Rangers will not challenge for the title in their first season back in the SPL because they do not have the right players to challenge. I think they will find I tough as the team will not be used to the SPL. There is an element of over-confidence with Rangers going into the new season their fans are impatient and will get annoyed if they do not challenge immediately. I think Celtic will be a key factor in the way Rangers season goes, if they don’t bring in the right manager or players Rangers might just have a chance

 

Nathan Cowan S3 - No

It depends on what happens with Celtic especially who their new manager is, who he signs and how much money he will be allowed to spend will be key. I think that Rangers will manage to have a successful season and will finish in the top 3/4 maybe finishing second because Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic will strengthen their squads. Rangers haven’t played at this high of a level in 4 years and it will be very different from the last time they kicked a ball in the Premiership. They will give teams really close games and make the league will be more interesting for everyone to watch.

Calum Grant S2 - Yes

I think Rangers will win the league because they have a good team and if they get some money and sign well they can do it.  If Celtic don’t appoint a good manager they could finish third behind Aberdeen. I think if Rangers will need to tighten up their defence, they have a good, solid attack, and a good midfield.

 

Andrew Gilchrist S2 - No

I think Rangers wont challenge for the title because it’s the first time they have been in the league for 4 years and it’s much harder for all their younger players especially if Celtic strengthen their squad by buying some big names from some big clubs. It will change the perspective of Rangers but on the other hand Rangers are still a big successful club with a massive fan base so I predict they will finish near the top probably 3^rd  after Celtic and Aberdeen.

 

Steven Fray S3 - No

I don’t believe they will get top three but there’s a high chance they will get top six but it all depends on the form of the big sides of the league such as Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts.

 

Max Delrio S2 - No

As a Rangers fan I don’t think they will because of the simple fact that all of our players are on loan and when these players leave the player that are left will not be capable of competing against the top teams in the league.  Rangers will come back stronger the following season when the squad is stronger.

 

Jay Lusted S3 - Yes

 

The decline in Celtic’s team in recent years has been quite staggering they really aren’t in the position they should be. On the same note Mark Warburton is doing everything right at Rangers and Rangers should do everything to ensure his future at the club is a long one. He has his side playing in the right way to mount a challenge, attacking and full of belief and if Leicester can do it Rangers certainly can. I would still make Celtic slight favourites, they didn’t get out of second gear last weekend when the 2 sides met and still managed a draw against a Rangers team who played their best. However it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Rangers do win the title. If that Rangers side were in the SPFL this season then there wouldn’t be much to split the two.

After the first round of matches in the Champions League semi-finals it is too close to call but who will make the final and who will go on and win the title.???

 

Will Pep end up facing his future employers
Man City in the Champions League final ?

Jay Lusted S3 - Bayern Munich or Man City  

My pick for the Champions League final is Bayern Munich and Manchester City. I can’t call the outcome but I feel it would be an unbelievable match and a great final as the current Bayern Manger Pep Guardiola would be facing Manchester City the team he will be managing next season.

Max Delrio S2 - Atletico Madrid

 

I think that Atletico Madrid will win the champions league as they play as a team with only a few stand out players. They work together and they press hard against the teams they play and when it comes to defending they have Godin who is a top level defender and has an unbelievable work rate. Beating Bayern 1-0 in the first leg away gives Atletico a slight advantage as they have conceded no away goals. I think that Atletico will play Real Madrid in the final and the score will be 2-1 Atletico.

 

Steven Fray S3 - Real Madrid

I would like Manchester City to win but Real Madrid are more likely as they’re in decent form at the moment and have a long history in the competition.  Yaya Toure has been dropped from the Manchester City squad and he is a key player for them who can win games single handily if needed. Once again I would like Atletico to get to the final just because they are a superb team but Bayern are probably more likely because of their form and their players.

 

Andrew Gilchrist S2 - Atletico Madrid

I think Atletico Madrid and Manchester City will be in the final even though they are both underdogs. With Atletico having a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg and without conceding an away goal they have a good chance. I think City will get a lucky 90^th minute goal to put Madrid out of the Champions League and Atletico will beat Manchester city 2-1 in the final.

 

Calum Grant S2 - Real Madrid

I think Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will be in the final because they are the best two teams left in the competition and that would be the most entertaining final with the most goals. I think Real will beat City 2-0 in the semi and that Bayern will beat Atletico as they are a lot better at home than away. Real will the go onto win the final beating Bayern 2-0.

 

Nathan Cowan S3 - Bayern or Real Madrid

I think that the final will be between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich because they will both be able to beat their opponents over two legs relatively easily. It’s hard however to tell who will win out of the two as they have both won the competition before and know what it’s like to be in the final. Zidane has managed to turn around Real Madrid since taking over at Christmas time and winning the Champions League would be really impressive for his first managerial job. On the other hand Pep Guardiola has also been in a final and knows what he needs to do to win the competition and would be a good send off to the players and the fans.

 

Mark McGuire S2 - Bayern Munich

I think Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will get to the final of the Champions League because they are two of the strongest teams in Europe and they have deadly attacks and midfields. Their keepers have been brilliant all season and have kept plenty of clean sheets. Real will batter Manchester City at home and win 3-0 and Bayern will win 2-0 against Atletico Madrid. Real have not had that good a season in the league but they have been great in the Champions League and whenever Ronaldo is playing they always have a strong chance. Bayern have just about won the Bundesliga and have destroyed teams like Arsenal and Dynamo Zagreb on their way to the semi-final. I think they will add the Champions League title as they are be too strong for Real.

 

Connor McCalum S3 - Bayern Munich

My pick for the two teams to enter the Champions League final will be Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. It is quite hard to decide what the outcome of this game will be because both are top teams and both champions. Both teams this season have had mixed fortunes and neither of the teams have stuck out more than the other this season. Bayern in my opinion will win it because Pep Guardiola has had more experience with managing teams and also managing teams in the Champions League unlike Zinedine Zidane who has never been a manager before and has only been managing Real for half a season.

U-13 Cup Final Larbert v St Mungo's

St. Mungos 4-1 Larbert

29^th March 2016 Recreation Park Alloa

The U-13 Larbert High Squad get ready for their big match against St Mungo's

St.Mungos were too strong for a fighting Larbert side as they won the cup final 4-1 at Recreation Park. Larbert had an aggressive start getting a shot away in the box early in the game but it went over the bar. In the opening 10 minutes Larbert were looking the better team and pushing St. Mungos into their own half. The St. Mungos defence was solid and they were shutting down every attack most of which were started by Larbert’s Kieran Hall and Murray Brown.

In the first half Murray Brown was controlling the game for Larbert and making chances for the attackers. However in the 22^nd minute St Mungo’s Liam Fagan got a shot away from a goal mouth scramble and put St Mungo’s in the lead, it was very poor defending from Larbert. After the goal St. Mungos started to control the game for the rest of the first half.

 

In the second half larbert made one sub at half time bringing Bobby Reynolds on for Kinloch Galloway. St.mungos made a very good attacking start, they should have scored a goal but larbert played a tight defense to try and stop St Mungo’s going forward. Moments later Liam Johnston broke through the Larbert defense and scored a very good goal. St.Mungos should have scored again but hit the bar. Larbert then made another sub Aaron Wilson coming on for Fraser Crawford. Just after the substitution Liam Johnston broke through the larbert defense again and scored his second of the match. On the 50^th minute mark larbert high won a freekick just outside the box, Kieran Hall stepped up and curled a spectatular strike into the top corner to make the score 1-3.

 

A couple of minutes later St.Mungo’s recieved two yellow cards one after another. Thre minutes later Robbie Simpson got on the end of a cross and tapped it in to put St Mungo’s out of sight. Then Lewis Johnston missed a great chance to add to St Mungo’s lead and bag himself a hatrick.

In the dying minutes Larbert High got a corner it was an excellent ball but a poor shot in the end. Then the full time whistle went, the larbert players were distraught and  the st.mungos players were  joyous.

 

The St Mungo's pick up the trophy after a deserved win and a convincing 4-1 victory

 

 Before the match we spoke to Larbert Captain Murray Brown, the St.Mungo’s coach and the ref. Firstly we interviewed Murray Brown. We said “how are you and your team feeling before the game?” he quoted “We are feeling confident and strong, hopefully we can win the game”. The st.mungos coach said “ we are feeling optimistic and we are going to treat it like a normal game”. We spoke to the ref before the game and he said “ I hope there is no controversy, I want it to be a good flowing game with no injuries”. We then asked him what the best game he has ever refereed he said “ it was probably the British Police Cup Final”.

by Mark McGuire and Calum Grant

Dance is the Best Form of Exercise

Dance is the UK's fastest growing art form. More than 4.8 million people regularly attend community dance groups each year in the UK each year. 

We know that dance has many aspects such as Flexibility, Stamina etc. that can help your health but the main question is whether or not it is the best form of exercise for overall fitness and wellbeing

Each and every style of dance such as; Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Pointe, Commercial, etc… they all use up muscles that normal activities wouldn’t. Simple movements in dance such as a kick or a pirouette can use up to more than 8 types of muscle at once. The following diagram shows that just doing small movements such as a simple Pirouette can use up many muscles.

 

A Pirouette requires a remarkable amount of whole-body strength and endurance

 

Dance is the best form of exercise for your health and here are the reasons why…

You are able to choose which style of Dance you do such as Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Ballet etc… This can be very helpful when focusing on your Physical Fitness as you are able to choose which part of your body you focus on, unlike other sports such as Football where you mainly work on your legs dance engages all parts of your body which means you can be equally strong on all bodily muscles and tissues.

Dance is not only great for your physical wellbeing it is also very good for mental health. Whilst using physical aspects in dance you are able to embrace your Core, Stamina, Flexibility, Cardio Respiratory Endurance (CRE,) Strength etc… this can help with physical confidence, health problems and weight management. Whilst using mental aspects in dance you are able to embrace your Timing, Musicality, and Dynamics etc… this can help with cerebral and cognitive thought processes and also brain functioning.

Comparing dance to other types of sport such as: Football, Basketball, Golf etc… you are able to reduce the risk of many health problems, a main example of this can be Dementia. After studying a range of activities, the most frequent prevention to Dementia was Dance:

Cycling = 0% reduced the risk of Dementia

Swimming = 0% reduced the risk of Dementia

Playing golf = 0% reduced the risk of Dementia

Dancing = 76% reduced the risk of Dementia

This is a clear way to show how much dance can help our mental health as well as improving our physical fitness.

Just as dance can help with dementia so too can it help with other Health Risks such as; Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Obesity, Joint Pain etc…

Dance encourages you to meet new people, to work with others, to get fit and to concentrate on timing  and breathing, it is definitely the best form of physical activity for your overall health.

 

 

 

by Erin Kerr 

Aston Villa - Premiership Gold to Championship Silver

 

Aston Villa are bottom of the league table with only 16 points and 2 wins in 26  games, 20 points clear of relegation safe zone and this weekend Aston Villa’s place in the English Championship was confirmed. The likes of Micah Richards and Joelon Lescott are wishing they were back at Manchester City and both will be wanting to leave in Lescott’s new shiny car - Lescott enraged Villa fans earlier in the season after posting photos of his new Mercedesa just hours after a convincing 6-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

Lescott and his new 'Championship' motor

Remi Garde cannot do much more to ruin his career aside from perhaps losing to the under 13 side after the Premiership outfit were defeated comfortably by their own reserves.  With Garde’s side out of the FA cup and falling out of the premier league, literally there’s not much hope of him staying at Villa park. If Remi Garde is given the boot there isn’t too many managers out there who want to manage a failed premier league side, now let’s look at the possibilities, there’s Rafa Benites who would have been an option but has sadly opted to ove to Newcastle whose apparent new philosophy will allow him far more freedom than previous Newcastle managers enjoyed

There’s Chris Ramsey who could possibly be a good addition to the club as he has experience in the Championship and the premier league but I don’t think Rambo would go to miserable Villa. Another candidate could be Gary Monk who had a great start at Swansea city last season and accomplishing 8^th in the table which was the highest the swans have ever finished in the Premier League. He lost his job after a poor start to the season this season but could be a very good option for Villa.

 One possibility could be David Moyes who looks lilkely to go to Aston villa or Celtic not really because he wants to but because he needs to. The one thing that could clear his name from being ‘that’ Manchester United manager who was as bad as Louise Van Gall’s English could he bring Aston Villa back to the Golden Premier league with pride and spirit, or will he be absolute dreadful? Either way Moyes seems to be Villa’s target man to hire at the moment.

 

Perfectly suited for Villa then...????

 

 

Aston Villa you may think have reached the lowest of the lows for a club that once conquered Europe. But no, no, no even with all the managers they throw money at Aston Villa is a club I believe will keep dropping down to the bottom of the bottom leagues until it will become a myth that Aston Villa where ever in the Premier league to begin with. They may yet drop lower than Bolton, lower than Leeds, Aston Villa could be and serving up some quality Sunday league football in a neighbourhood park nowhere near you sometime soon.

 

 

 

by Steven Fray