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Day: 18 October 2017

Is the Champions League draught in England finally going to end?

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

The 2017/18 Champions League has been incredible for English teams so far. At the halfway stage every team was either top or joint top with all of them looking likely to progress. The last English team to win the competition was Chelsea in 2011/12, but if there are five teams present in the last 16, it wouldn’t be scandalous to picture at least one reaching the final.

On Tuesday evening three English teams were in action, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City, with great success. Spurs were the only one to not receive all three points, but Pochettino would have bitten your arm to before kick-off to walk away from the Bernabeu with a draw.

In Group H Spurs sit joint top with Madrid on seven points, with the exact same goals scored and conceded. APOEL Nicosia, fresh from their stunning draw at home to Dortmund, and Dortmund share just a single point. At this stage, the Lilywhites are all but guaranteed progression to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Even if they lose all remaining games, Dortmund or APOEL would have to win two and score a boatload of goals, or win two and get points in their final game. It wouldn’t surprise me if they relax this competition to focus on the league, starting youngsters or second string players, until of course the last 16 begins.

Elsewhere in Group F, Manchester City are flying high with nine points out of a possible nine. Their game on Tuesday was touted as the game of the midweek and it certainly entertained. City were utterly dominant in the first half scoring two and making Napoli look as Stoke did just days before, amateurish.

Late in the second half, Kyle Walker did as Kyle Walker does and dragged a player down in the box to give away a penalty. Ederson proved his worth and made a stunning save and the momentum remained fully in City’s favour. In the second half, the momentum did swing towards Napoli, who have won eight out of eight Serie A games.

Guardiola’s team managed to cling on by the skin of their teeth winning 2-1 after conceding another penalty, this time put away by Diawara. In the other game in the group, Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Feyenoord to go second on six points. Out of all the English teams, City look the most comfortable and it would take a truly tragic affair for them to miss out on the last sixteen.

The final game on Tuesday night was Liverpool, who reside in Group E. Their start was the weakest showing in Europe for England, drawing their first two games against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. Klopp more than made up for that with a thumping 7-0 win away at Maribor, just one goal shy of their record European victory against Besiktas.

Spartak are exceeding all expectations in this group, sharing five points with Liverpool after an incredible 5-1 win at Sevilla, who sit third with four points. As it stands this is the tightest group in the competition, and Liverpool will have to fight hard to make it through, but I am confident that they will progress.

The second day of Champions play was a mixed bag with Chelsea and Manchester United both in action. Although Mourinho’s men were victorious it was the game at Stamford Bridge that was the spectacle of the night.

Starting off with Group A as United travelled to play Benfica at the Estadio da Luz. Having lost their first two games, the second 5-0, expectations were that United would bounce back from the shoddy performance against Liverpool and start scoring goals for fun once more, but that was far from the case.

Manager Rui Vitoria had them drilled and running to the letter. In defence they were immaculate and going forward they were incredibly dangerous, only lacking in that something special to create chances. Initially, the reds were taken aback and it took 30 minutes for them to calm down and start playing the game that they prepared.

Sadly the goal was the result of a bad mistake by 18-year-old keeper Mile Svilar. Rashford fired a free kick into the box but it instead almost lobbed Svilar. As he tried to save it he crossed the line ever so slightly. The win takes United to the top of their group and it would take at least two defeats for them to drop out of the competition, a scenario that I wouldn’t bet on.

Finally in Group C Chelsea played Roma in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Chelsea were utterly dominated for great lengths of the game but were the first to score. David Luiz got his initial shot blocked but the follow up curled in from just outside the box.

Hazard got a second late in the first half before former Chelsea player Kolarov got one back before the break. Roma continued their possession in the second half and were rewarded as Dzeko scored two great goals to put them 3-2 up. Not wanting to be the only English defeat of the third round of fixtures Eden Hazard scored another wonderful goal to level it up, and there it stayed.

Atlético Madrid surprisingly drew their game at Qarabag 0-0 which means it would also take utter capitulation by Chelsea to not progress, a feat I don’t see any chance of happening.

The record for most teams from a single country in the quarter-final stage of the Champions League is four, set by the Premier League in the 2007/8 season with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Interestingly that was repeated the very next season by the same teams.

There is the chance, albeit unlikely, that all five teams progress, and then win their last 16 games to break the record. Though it is far more likely that two, or possibly four, English teams are drawn together. After failing to compete in Europe for so many years the stage is set for a change. The only question is, which English teams, if any, will be there when the curtain rises on the final.

Felix HB, Global affairs (Rohingya & Somalia) Not to be published

Written by Felix Hanif-Banks on . Posted in Uncategorised.

Somalis respond to deadly Mogadishu attack

A public demonstration of solidarity and strength signalled hope for the people of Mogadishu as thousands took to the streets in response to the recent terrorist attack that saw over 500 casualties.

Police presence in the city centre was strong, with protestors coming under fire as they neared the site of the attack. Protests were especially strong as this attack marks a peak of sustained terror campaigns across Somalia.

A smaller demonstration took place in Dusamareb, a town in central Somalia, as residents called the war against militant groups to be more strongly pursued.

Although no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it is thought that Al-Shabaab, a group with links to Al-Qaeda, are behind the bombings. Both vehicles used to carry out the attack, each containing 350kg of explosives, were traced to Bariire, an Al-Shabaab stronghold, as was one of the drivers of the vehicles.

It is thought the attack could stem from anti-US sentiment, and was a protest against a controversial US operation in Bariire in August which saw 10 civilians killed.

 

Rohingya Massacre – A Month On

Over a month after news of the atrocities being committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar broke in the western mainstream media, Amnesty International has released a report condemning the actions of Myanmar’s security forces as crimes against humanity.

The report contained deeply unsettling testimonies from 120 Rohingya people, with the village of Min Gyi worst affected, and has evidenced that at least scores of women were killed in five Myanmar villages.

Myanmar’s population of Rohingya people contains over 1.1 million Muslims, and their persecution has worsened immeasurably in the last year. Recent violence in the northern state of Rakhine saw 90,000 Rohingya Muslims flee to Bangladesh, and the persecution has since spread across the country, reminiscent of widespread anti-Islamic violence that the country saw in 2012 and 2013.

Fleeing seems to be the only option for Myanmar’s Rohingya population. Critics of the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi claim she has failed to adequately protect the Rohingya people, claims that seem valid given the state-backed nature of the violence.

Superb start spares City’s blushes

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester City started this game where they left off with the last. The confidence provided by their 7-2 hammering of Stoke at the weekend was evident from the first whistle. In contrast to previous European nights at the Etihad, City started brightly. Moving the ball with pace and purpose, they were quick to dismantle the fluid Napoli defence.

Raheem Sterling was the first name on the scoresheet having put his side ahead in the opening ten minutes. Leroy Sane was directed by the pointed finger of David Silva as the German fed the ball into the path of the Spaniard. Silva, nearing the byline, cut the ball back to a queue of City attackers. Jesus dummied, Walker scuffed, Sterling finished.

Next was the turn of the most in-form player in the Premier League as Kevin De Bruyne beat his man on the right-hand side and slid the ball to the feet of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian took the chance with joyful glee as he netted his fifth goal in seven days.
2-0 and fans were sensing another mauling. It is a testament to how far City have come that this all seemed quite normal.

After the second goal, two men behind me began to chat of which chippy to visit on the way home. Pep Guardiola has installed an elite mentality into both his players and the fans.

City continued to probe with the next chance falling to De Bruyne. Sane found an arriving Belgian on the edge of the penalty area and De Bruyne wrapped his foot around the ball. The curling effort hit the underside of the bar but the ball bounced down and then away from the goal.

Guardiola will be less pleased with the way his side struggled to cope against an athletic, possession-wise Napoli once the Italian side found their feet. Seemingly unfazed by the quick one-two of City’s opening goals, Maurizio Sarri’s progressed back into their usual game. A high press that looked to release Mertens, Callejón and Insigne.

The pressure worked and City’s back four began to make mistakes and conceding possession. Fabian Delph routinely drifted centrally from his left back spot and was guilty on more than one occasion in giving the ball away.

With half-time approaching, Napoli had their way back into the game. Kyle Walker rose alongside Raúl Albiol to meet a cross and foolishly wrapped his arms around him. Both tumbled to the ground and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Dries Mertens, a man who has seven goals in seven Serie A appearances this season, stepped up to take the penalty but saw his attempt saved. Ederson dived to his right but found his legs long enough to deflect Mertens’ central effort.

In truth Napoli most likely deserved a goal but they continued to peg City back in the closing stages of the first half. Unlike the opening minutes of the first period, the second half started in a calmer manner. Napoli were still seeing plenty of the ball but City did well to marshal them and keep them away from their penalty area.

City were drawing ever nearer that 90-minute mark and the chance to maintain their 100 per cent Champions League record this season but in the 72nd minute, the Italians were again given a chance back into the game.

A clumsy leg from Fernandinho collided with Faouzi Ghoulam and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz again pointed to the spot. This time, there was no mistake. Amadou Diawara hit the ball low, hard and into the corner meaning that although Ederson dived the right way, his fingertips couldn’t reach the ball.

With now just one goal separating the two sides, City found themselves facing a nervy final 15 minutes. Looking to restore their lead, Gabriel Jesus, who had become increasingly isolated, managed to put the ball in the net but was judged to be offside when receiving De Bruyne’s pass.

Despite threatening, Napoli did not find the equaliser and the full-time whistle blew at 2-1 and with City maintaining a perfect start to the Champions League this season. Post-match, Guardiola continued the pre-match Napoli love-in. “One of the best teams I ever face in my career. No doubt about that, maybe the best.”

It was an important win that showed another side of City’s character. Not every game is going to be a 7-2 and the team needs to know how to maintain narrow leads if they want to progress far in this competition. City’s next Champions League will be the return leg in Naples on the 1st of November.

Green jobs suffer slow growth in Manchester

Written by Amy Wei on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A new report found that green industries are growing at just half the rate of the UK average.

Joblift, a meta search job seeking engine, found that jobs in renewable energy industries in the UK are increasing by 1% monthly, lagging behind the UK average job growth of 2%.

London has been home to almost a fifth of all green job vacancies since last September. Manchester, in contrast, only shared 3% of the green job market.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, admitted to The Mancunion that Manchester’s current renewable energy goals were not “ambitious enough.”

Burnham recently announced a Green Summit which aims to move up Labour’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal by up to 20 years.

During the summit, a panel of experts and Manchester stakeholders will determine strategies to make Manchester the first city in the UK to achieve carbon neutrality.

The Councillor for Stockport, Alex Ganotis, is leading the agenda alongside Burnham. Speaking to The Mancunion, Ganotis specified that green jobs were a particular subject of discussion for the Green Summit.

“[Something] that we’re beginning thinking about in terms of this summit, is actually what are the green jobs of the future — because I imagine, that’s one of the key concerns of young people, especially in education.”

Image: Joblift

The Councillor expressed “concern” about Manchester generating enough “jobs to keep [students] there.” He emphasised the importance for the summit to answer the question: “What do we think the jobs of the future will be that are sustainable, [and] what skills will they require?”

Joblift’s analysis of the UK’s green sector revealed that solar energy is the fastest-growing green industry, with a whopping 22% increase in job vacancies monthly — 11 times the UK average.

Bioenergy, however, advertises the most positions in total, occupying 9% of all green job postings. Solar power accounts for 7% of open positions.

As well as slow total job growth in the sector, Joblift found that vacancies in renewable energy are harder to fill. Green sector vacancies remain active for an average of 18 days, 3 days longer than the UK average.

 

Image: Joblift