DON’T COUNT ME DROUGHT
No wins now in 24 events but Rory insists his best is still to come
RORY McILROY has rubbished suggestions he is a busted flush as far as top honours go.
The Northern Irishman felt “dejected” after Sunday’s 76 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill made it 24 events without a victory.
He drowned his sorrows with a few glasses of wine and by watching “a pretty compelling interview”, which aired that night in the US.
Off the canvas and the sofa, McIlroy – who won the last of his four Majors in 2014 – tees up in his delayed defence of the Players Championship tomorrow vowing to get his hands on silverware again.
He said: “You have to be an eternal optimist in this game and I truly believe my best days are ahead of me.
“There’s no point in me being out here if I didn’t think that. That’s just not part of my psyche, or anyone’s psyche out here.
“That’s the difference between people who make it to the elite level and the people who don’t – because they don’t think that way.
“I certainly believe my best days are ahead of me and I’m working hard to make sure that they are.”
A false start last year, when the tournament was called off after one round because of Covid, kept the world No.11 waiting to return to Sawgrass.
He was nine behind leader Hideki Matsuyama after just 18 last year but said: “I birdied my last three holes to shoot even par, so it could have been a lot worse as well.
“It feels weird that it’s two years removed from winning but I’m still the defending champion. It’s nice to be back and hopefully I can get off to a better start than I did last year. I’ll try to rekindle those feelings and memories from two years ago and hopefully that gives me the spark I need to get my game in shape.”
As for the Canadian Open, McIlroy will have to wait until 2022 to defend his title after this year’s event, due to be held in June, was cancelled in a repeat of last season.
Former Masters champion Danny Willett will sit out this week’s tourney after testing positive for Covid-19.
The PGA Tour last night announced the Englishman will be replaced in the field by American Kramer Hickok.
You have to be an eternal optimist. I truly believe best days are ahead RORY McILROY ON FINDING A WAY TO WIN ONCE AGAIN
JURGEN KLOPP insists his Liverpool side will fight to end their Anfield agony tonight.
After six defeats in a row at home, some fans might be worrying about crashing out of the Champions League, even though they lead RB Leipzig 2-0 from the first leg in Germany.
Liverpool have scored once in that agonising Anfield run but their manager still has faith in them clicking into gear.
Klopp laughed off suggestions that their one-time fortress is now a jinx and promised his players would leave everything on the pitch against Leipzig.
He said: “I’ve no doubts about us for this game. Not that I know we will go through 100 per cent but I know we will give Leipzig a proper fight – and that’s the only thing I need to know.
“There is nothing bad to say about Anfield. Absolutely nothing – that we don’t like it there or the pitch is not good enough. It’s all fine. It was just about the games.
“I don’t know whether
Leipzig are any more dangerous than four weeks ago. It’s only halftime. We’ve been in this game long enough to know we are not qualified yet, we’re not there yet.”
After batting away questions about the German national job, Klopp departed pretty swiftly, leaving the stage to Gini Wijnaldum.
That cleared the way for a key player to lay bare the uncertainty and confusion at the Reds.
Wijnaldum has been an under-acclaimed member of Liverpool’s winning machine over the past three seasons, a relatively unsung hero.
To use his own word, he would be “devastated” if he leaves Anfield in the summer.
Yet contract talks – his current deal expires this summer – drag on.
The club might suggest that is Wijnaldum’s doing but it is still not a good look and asked how he would feel if this season does turn out to be his last on Merseyside, the Dutchman said: “It will be really difficult because if that happens you leave a team you really love and are really comfortable.
“But you would know the situation why you have to leave. I will be devastated not to play with this team again, that’s for sure.”
The former Newcastle midfielder has featured in every single Premier League game this season and, by that token, must also take responsibility for the startling collapse of Liverpool’s title defence.
He admitted: “It has been really shocking.
“The confidence is less and for a lot of the players, it is a new situation.”
winning They’re need to but they better – playing be to see you want the that from manager
I ENJOYED seeing a bit of needle between Robbie Neilson and James McPake on Saturday.
Robbie’s passionate about his club so I wouldn’t expect anything less and I’d be the exact same if I was him.
I’ve read his interviews when he has demanded more. Yes, they’re winning and there’s a 14-point gap but Hearts need to be playing better and you want to see that from the manager.
You want someone who’s passionate about the team and the job. I know Robbie is.
I had a few feuds with other players throughout my career.
I had the tackle on James which was a shocker and, to be fair to him, the next time I played against him, he was brand new.
I just hated playing against Jim Goodwin and always wanted to do him. He was either doing me first or I was doing him. He’s a really nice guy off the pitch but you just knew it was coming. I actually enjoyed that side of it and Scott Brown was the same. Every time we were standing at either side of the centre circle at kick-off, I’d be staring at him thinking I’m doing him before he does me.
That’s lost a bit nowadays but it was part of the game that I loved. You knew you were going to go after each other because that’s what we were there for. We’re grown men and the fans want to see players who are passionate.
It was never personal though. You were there to do a job, then shake each other’s hand and walk off.
The win on Saturday was a decent result and Dundee are no mugs. Hopefully Hearts can kick on now because I don’t want to be writing this column and caning them every week!
The change in formation and playing two up front massively helped the game and the way Hearts played.
They should always play two up front. Liam Boyce and Armand Gnanduillet are too strong for any defence in that division. Playing the four behind them – whether 4-4-2 or a diamond – with the quality they have is a big plus for Hearts.
Gary Mackay-Steven’s miss was a shocker but he made up for it with the ball in for the goal.
I’m the last guy to dig him up though, I’ve done it as well. I missed from a yard out against Hibs in the derby so it happens to the best of us!
It was a great assist from Gary and it was good to see Andy Halliday getting a goal. In my second spell at Hearts, it took me 16 games to score and it was a massive burden.
The first four or five games you’re just trying to find your feet but after that the next 10 or 12 games were a struggle.
Billy Brown gave me probably the best bit of advice I’ve had when I was going through that spell. He told me to work as hard as I could, run harder, tackle harder and if I got a chance, shoot. If I missed, I missed and to shoot the next time.
I just kept plugging away but it was a major thing for me. I can tell that because I can still remember it took me 16 games.
It was a penalty against Aberdeen that ended up getting my first goal and something that had played on my mind.
Andy will be a massive player for Hearts so I was delighted to see him scoring. Hopefully that gives him the confidence to kick on, he should be stamping his authority all over that division.
Someone who has done that is Craig Gordon, who was needed late in the game and his two saves showed he’s worth his weight in gold.
Having a good goalkeeper and a good striker wins you leagues and Hearts have that in Liam and certainly in Craig. He might not be involved much but he’s there when he’s needed.
He’s one of the best keepers Scotland has produced over the last 20 or 30 years.
It’s horrendous playing against goalies like him. One, you know he’s big and covers the goal, two, you know he’s good so it plays on your mind.
If you get a penalty against him, you know there’s more chance of him saving it than a normal goalie. I hated playing against him and Fraser Forster because of their sheer size.
He’s a leader, he’s a Hearts fan – the club should keep him the next three to five years. It’s not as if he’s doing a lot of running about! Craig’s fit and looks as hungry as ever.