Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT’S PAUL TO PLAY FOR
Mcelroy knows just how important it is to find a manager who believes in you & he’s determined to keep repaying Jeffrey for the faith he’s shown
BALLYMENA United new boy Paul Mcelroy has thanked David Jeffrey for giving him a “new lease of life” in the Irish League.
Starved of regular football with Crusaders last season after joining the Seaview club from Dungannon Swifts in 2019, the 26-year-old striker is now thriving at the Showgrounds.
Mcelroy, who joined
United in October as part of an exchange deal that saw Adam Lecky head in the opposite direction, has already bagged seven goals in 15 league appearances.
And he’s keen to continue repaying Jeffrey’s faith as the Sky Blues prepare for tonight’s derby showdown with fierce rivals Coleraine.
“Joining Ballymena has turned out to be a very good move for me,” said Mcelroy. “I’m really enjoying my football and I’ve definitely got a new lease of life.
“At Crusaders I felt I should have played more. I certainly wanted to play more, but obviously that’s up to the manager and sometimes a manager has other ideas.
“At Crusaders there were eight players fighting for three forward positions, but when I did get a chance, I always felt I contributed. “I scored goals and made assists, but when I spoke with Stephen (Baxter) and was told my gametime would be even more limited this season, you have to reflect.
“I’m really thankful Davy (Jeffrey, inset) has shown faith in me, given me regular football and hopefully I can continue repaying that faith.”
Ballymena head into tonight’s clash on the back of defeats to Glenavon and Dungannon, although Jeffrey’s men haven’t been helped by a lack of games in 2021. Due to the impact of Covid-19 and weather postponements, United have played only three games in six weeks dating back to a 1-0 win at Larne on January 2.
Saturday’s home clash with Linfield and last Tuesday’s trip to Glentoran both fell victim to frozen pitches, meaning this evening’s fixture is their first in 11 days.
“The number of games we’ve had called off hasn’t helped because you’re not really getting into any sort of rhythm,” said Mcelroy.
“We’re looking forward to playing games again and everyone in the squad is itching to get back to winning ways.”
While Coleraine are unbeaten in their last eight, boss Oran Kearney will be keen to get back to winning ways after successive draws with Cliftonville and Portadown.
“Coleraine are really difficult to play against because Oran has them very well organised and they’ve got players who can create and score goals,” said Mcelroy.
“They have quality all over the pitch and we’re aware of what they offer. They can pick you apart if you’re not on your game, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has defended under-fire striker Anthony Martial, insisting his attitude and class will silence the critics.
Martial, 25, has once again found himself being questioned after United’s disappointing 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened West Brom on Sunday.
The France international (right) was also subjected to inexcusable racist abuse on social media platform Instagram after the match.
But while Solskjaer admits the goals may have temporarily dried up, he said: “I am not concerned by his form. Anto is working hard to get back to where he was and he will score goals.
“His attitude is very good. Form is temporary but class is permanent and the kid’s got class. So when he works hard we know it’s going to come out with the good performances in the end.”
Martial’s talent has never been in doubt, particularly with the ball at his feet.
But his application and his desire to defend from the front have been called into question at times.
Having scored 23 goals from 41 starts during the 2019-20 campaign, his current goal haul pales in comparison, with just seven from 22 starts in all competitions.
Martial scored two of those in United’s unsuccessful Champions League group campaign.
And the striker looks likely to be given the chance to add more on Thursday night in United’s Europa League round of 32, first-leg match against Real Sociedad.
The away tie has been switched to Juventus’s Allianz
Stadium in Turin because of travel restrictions.
United’s pursuit of a first Premier League title for eight years suffered a blow at The Hawthorns, with Solskjaer’s men ceding further ground to Manchester City. United now trail by seven points having played a game more.
Victor Lindelof was another criticised for his part in the defeat after he was outmuscled by Baggies striker Mbaye Diagne for the opening goal.
But defensive partner Harry Maguire has come out fighting for his team-mate, insisting that match officials are getting more decisions wrong than right at the moment.
“I know Vic will be disappointed in there, and I’m sure he’s probably getting criticism. He knows he can do better,” said Maguire.
“But it was a foul, so we should not even be speaking about this.
“Diagne is a big striker, who is bigger than Vic, and he is wrestling him.
“He’s got his arms all about it, and he heads the ball in the back of the net.”
A FORTNIGHT ago, I still had Liverpool to finish second this season.
I could only see two teams – the Reds and Manchester City – having the ability to win a double-digit number of games and that meant there was only one outcome.
That they would be the top two again, with City, just, pipping my old club to the title.
But forget that now because Liverpool’s drop-off has been so bad they are now in a fight to finish in the top six, let alone the top four.
And, let’s be frank, if this team finishes outside of the Champions League places, even with the injuries they have had, then the huge building block for the decade ahead that was put in place last season will have been smashed to smithereens before putting another level on it.
Potential signings would think twice about moving to Anfield when, just a month ago even, they’d have been champing at the bit.
And those already at the club – Mo Salah in particular – might find themselves wondering if the time is right for a change in the summer.
Liverpool’s form is poor, and you can see and feel that the biggest commodity they had last season – confidence – has completely gone.
And that is being compounded by the dreadful situation Jurgen Klopp finds himself in following the death of his mother, and having been unable to attend her funeral because of the travel restrictions currently in place. So what’s the solution? Clearly, owners Fenway Sports Group must spend big, promise big and start to show Manchester City and Manchester United that the Liver bird has deep pockets, too.
The players need an honesty session at the training ground as well, where they all come together and get everything that is bothering them off their chests.
Such meetings can be vitally important, and if there are one or two factions or rifts developing, then they can nip them in the bud. Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Virgil van Dijk, who will be around despite his injury, must police the dressingroom and get things sorted.
Klopp (with Henderson, below) also needs to be given time to take a break in the summer to go home to Germany and be with his family and regroup.
I cannot think of a worse scenario than work keeping you in another country at a time when a loved one has died in your homeland.
He needs to be honest with himself about whether or not he can get out of his players what he needs to in the next week or so in his current mindset. And I’d even be looking to see if there was a way he could get back now, even if it’s just for a few days, if the answer is that he can’t.
What is obvious is that, under no circumstances whatsoever, can the club afford to risk losing this man at the end of the season.
They must back him and understand the situation he is in personally and the club are in professionally. If they can’t, they will be pulling the thread of cotton on the bottom of the T-shirt to such an extent that the T-shirt disappears.
Which would be such a shame, having only just got back on their perch after so long.
PLEASE do not adjust your sets – that really is West Ham above Liverpool in the Premier League table.
It’s a bit like seeing Iron Maiden’s heavy metal above The Beatles in the easy-listening charts – it may not last but, in the land of pearly kings, all that glitters is not sequins.
West Ham’s first penalty of the season, stroked into the corner by Declan Rice, Issa Diop’s glancing header and substitute Ryan Fredericks condemned Sheffield United to their 19th defeat in 24 league games this season.
Although the Blades are not dead and buried yet, the coroner is on speed dial and the fat lady is warming up.
But fifth-placed West Ham are on course for their highest league finish in 35 years and were briefly fourth until Chelsea spoiled it by beating Newcastle.
The Hammers are not knocking on the doors of Europe by accident. They are brisk, vibrant and on-loan Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard has taken to life at the Taxpayers Stadium like a pie to mash. Not for the first time, Lingard was the stand-out performer in claret and blue.
After six wins in nine games – three of them cup ties – this was the night when hope expired for Chris Wilder’s Blades.
Even when they were handed the unexpected bonus of Enda Stevens conceding a penalty for lunging in on Craig Dawson, and VAR official Michael Oliver intervened to overrule referee Simon Hooper, they were not good enough to cash in.
There was no need for wise men in a bunker at Stockley Park to get on the walkie-talkie five minutes before the break as the Hammers’ spot luck finally turned. They had to wait 220 days, after Michail Antonio’s bullseye in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last July, for another one – but at least it was as clear as the bubbles floating into the Stratford sky.
Chris Basham wiped out Lingard, who had robbed Oliver Norwood, and although the discarded England forward tried to gazump his captain for the privilege, Rice potted his first goal for seven months.
West Ham were twice indebted to goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for denying David Mcgoldrick, but after 58 minutes their crown as Premier League kings of the set-piece was reinforced.
From Aaron Cresswell’s corner, Diop muscled in front of Ethan Ampadu to direct his header into the far corner.
No team has scored more goals from corners this season than West Ham – and nobody has conceded more from flag kicks than Sheffield United.
All that remained was for two subs to renew a long-standing acquaintance – Mark Noble and Phil Jagielka first crossed paths in this fixture back in 2005 – and for Fredericks to compound the visitors’ misery with the last kick of the match.
CLINICAL, ruthless and back in the top four.
There weeks ago Roman Abramovich didn’t know where Chelsea’s next win was coming from.
Now the Blues’ billionaire benefactor will feel vindicated today over his decision to sack Frank Lampard.
Victory here to sink Newcastle was their fourth on the bounce in the Premier League under Thomas Tuchel (below) and their fifth in a row in all competitions.
It lifted the club above West Ham and Liverpool into a Champions League place, for the first time since December.
This really is a crazy season.
Man of the match was Timo Werner, whose refusal to accept his rotten luck in front of goal paid off with his first Premier League strike in 14 games, 31 attempts, 100 days and 1,000 minutes.
Olivier Giroud had come off the bench to open the scoring after Tammy Abraham had been forced off with injury after just 20 minutes.
Tuchel was even able to breathe confidence into £71million keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who made his first top-flight start since October, ahead of Edouard Mendy.
Abramovich and his chief negotiator Marina Granovskaia understandably want a return on their investment in bigmoney signings.
And the second-half saves made by the Spanish stopper, particularly the 74th-minute one from Joe Willock, will have done him the power of good.
He was helped overall, though, by Chelsea’s defensive strength – four Premier League clean sheets in their last five games – which is providing the platform for their resurgence.
The first-half action was all one-way with early
Chelsea chances for Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Then Abraham went down in the box under a challenge from Jamal Lascelles.
It looked a penalty. Referee Peter Bankes decided otherwise but Abraham could not continue.
Giroud replaced him and Chelsea continued to dominate with Werner setting up the Frenchman for the opening goal.
He crossed from the left, Toon keeper Karl Darlow collided with two of his defenders and Giroud swept home the loose ball for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
Six minutes before the break Werner ended his drought to add to his assist.
Mason Mount sent in a corner, the ball was flicked on to the back post and there was Werner to sweep it over the line.
Newcastle’s defeat ended their brief resurgence which saw them win two of their previous three after 11 games within a win.
Nobody will judge Steve Bruce on what his men do against the likes of Chelsea and Sunday’s opponents Manchester United.
But Newcastle, seven points clear of the drop zone, can’t afford to take safety for granted.
They need to keep looking over their shoulders, while Chelsea can start looking up.