It is claimed that West Ham boss David Moyes wants his scouts to track Blackburn star Armstrong ahead of a summer bid. The Scotsman is a big fan of the 18-goal striker and considered an £8 million offer in the January window but did not go ahead with a move with Rovers wanting more than £10 million plus for their star striker. The Hammers have been left short of options up front with the departure of club record signing Sebastian Haller in January as the Frenchman sealed a move to Dutch giants Ajax. Meanwhile, Everton and Fulham both want to shore up their attacking ranks in the summer and want Armstrong in order to shore up their attack. The jump from Championship to the Premier League is quite a big one but we have seen players making the transition look really smooth and Armstrong could well be next in line. Unlike most centre-forwards, Armstrong does not boast a big frame. He is just 5 feet 6 inches tall that makes him really short compared to traditional English strikers … [Read more...] about West Ham United want Championship striker, a good deal?
Rovers quartermaster grim dawn
The one thing the last 20 national champions have in common
The lifeblood of every blue-blood program is tied to fertile recruiting grounds — and, yes, rankings and stars do matter. From the dawn of the BCS era (1998) through the College Football Playoff (2014), one constant holds true: if you’re not among the nation’s best recruiting programs, you are barred from Title Town. The 247Sports Composite hit a benchmark recently with 20 recruiting years ranked from top to bottom. It’s a nice round number, particularly for the modern era of recruiting as it correlates to national championship scene that has evolved from BCS computers selecting two teams to a committee picking four programs. We have seen the playoff evolve and teams come and go, but there are most certainly trends we can tie to the results on the field to recruiting rankings through the years. So, we did a little digging in the top 10 over the last 20 yeas, and the results were not all that surprising. Simply put, if you’re searching for the next national … [Read more...] about The one thing the last 20 national champions have in common
Top 50 Florida high school football players from the Class of 2021
Jacorey Brooks - 2019 Highlights 5,883 views 2:03 Video: Jacorey Brooks highlightsWatch Alabama-bound receiver in action last season. In this pass-heavy era of spread offenses, the best high school football players in Florida these days are the ones who get up and go get it — the football that is. Of the Top 50 recruits from the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports, 11 of them are wide receivers, including Alabama-bound Jacorey Brooks and Oklahoma commit Mario Williams. Interestingly, only one of the 50 plays quarterback and he's a transfer from Illinois, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) pro-style signal caller J.J. McCarthy, who has committed to Michigan. Almost half (24) from the list have already committed to college, with the University of Miami leading the way with five, followed by Florida and Michigan (three each) and Tennessee, Alabama and Clemson (two each). See the complete Top 50 as compiled by 247Sports composite below. Photo by Annette Wilkerson Terrance … [Read more...] about Top 50 Florida high school football players from the Class of 2021
Tom Brady’s post-Patriots success proves the value of deference to great quarterbacks
Getty Images For years, NFL teams have treated quarterbacks like employees, even when expecting quarterbacks to behave like quasi-members of management. Tom Brady ‘s instant success with the Buccaneers should cause teams with truly great quarterbacks to seriously reconsider that approach. Although Brady blazed the trail by beating a path out of New England, other quarterbacks can get to the same place without leaving where they currently are. With the salary cap expected to drop from $198.2 million in 2020 to roughly $180 million in 2021, capable veterans will lose their roster spots. Skilled free agents will not receive the kind of offers they expect. If players in a depressed market will be forced to take whatever they can get, why not get it from a great team? Specifically, why not choose to play for a competitive team with a great quarterback? Teams with great quarterbacks but average supporting casts will need to be ready to make their moves. Brady compelled the … [Read more...] about Tom Brady’s post-Patriots success proves the value of deference to great quarterbacks
Liverpool to pay ‘record amount’ of compensation to Fulham for Elliott
Elliott signed his first professional contract with the Reds as a 17-year-old in July 2020, having made his debut for the club in an EFL Cup match against MK Dons in 2019, becoming the youngest player to start a game in Liverpool's history. The Fulham youth product went on to make 13 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side before moving to Blackburn on a season-long loan in October 2020 and he has played 23 games and scored four goals this season for Rovers. Elliott became the Premier League's youngest ever player while at Fulham, playing in a 1-0 defeat to Wolves in May 2019, and has been capped at England under-15, under-16 and under-17 level. After the clubs could not agree a fee at the time of his transfer, the case went to tribunal, and the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) made its judgement on Wednesday. The London club revealed in a statement that they are "very pleased" to be awarded a record compensation fee for a 16-year-old player. "The Professional … [Read more...] about Liverpool to pay ‘record amount’ of compensation to Fulham for Elliott