Archive for February, 2021
Austria vaccinated only 2,65% so far
The vaccination rate of the UK is 16,9%, miles ahead of the EU’s figures (above).
Austria is even more behind with only 2,65 people out of 100 vaccinated so far. Only 6 of the 27 EU member states have a lower rate than Austria.
The UK’s much quicker authorisation and roll-out of vaccines could be seen as a vindication of Brexit and a strong argument against the power of the EU at least in the sector of health care.
West Ham Win Away at Villa
That could hardly have gone any better! West Ham immediately bounced back from their disappointing defeat against Liverpool last Sunday and won 3:1 at Villa Park on Wednesday night.
West Ham gave a superb display from back to front and were rewarded with all three points. Loan signing Jesse Lingard (above) was man of the match and really brought quality in to the team.
Tomas Soucek got us going six minutes after the break, before Jesse Lingard (28), on loan from Manchester United since January, took over with a debut double. With Lingard West Ham had a “Grealish” of it’s own.
And Villa’s Jack Grealish got two “securities” on “his” left side of the park, a perfect move from West Ham manager David Moyes.
West Ham remain fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool who lost 1-0 at home to Brighton, while Villa stay ninth, six points behind the Hammers.
Best season since 1986
The win on Wednesday gave West Ham 38 points, their highest tally after 22 matches of a top-flight season since 1985-86.
The Hammers have won three consecutive away league matches for the first time since December 2018 and have already beaten last season’s total of 10 Premier League victories with their eleventh win last night! A brilliant season so far – exceeding all our expectations!
In David Moyes we trust!
O Captain, our Captain!
In the 1989 movie “The Dead Poets Society“ by Peter Weir, the poem “O Captain, my captain“ by Walt Whitman is referred to several times. The poem was written in 1865 about the death of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. In Weir’s movie it is the respectful address of the club’s students for the popular English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams). When Keating is fired and returns to collect his belongings, the students stand on their desks and address Keating as “O Captain! My Captain!”
Now the first line of it was used by a commentator in The Telegraph by telling us about the death of 100 year old Captain Tom Moore. The WWII veteran had raised almost 40m Pounds for the NHS in spring by walking 100 laps in his garden in Bedfordshire.
Captain Sir Tom Moore rallied the nation’s morale at a low moment during the spread of coronavirus. He wasn’t a knight then, of course. “One small soul like me won’t make much difference,” he said as he set out to do 100 laps of his garden in the days before his 100th birthday. He did it, and he raised more than £32 million. It was not the money that made him lovable, but straightforward decency. This was a man who loved restoring fast motorbikes, and then did his duty as a despatch rider in Burma in the war. Duty meant risking his life. And what could have been more moving than to see the Queen knight him with her father’s sword? She knew well what duty meant. It was no irony that he succumbed to the virus against which he had found something noble to do. That is the hero’s way.
Remarkable Captain Tom was the very best of us (The Telegraph)
West Ham Still Number One…
The Hammers are still number one of the six London Premier League clubs. Despite their disappointing defeat to Liverpool (1:3) on a rainy Sunday afternoon, they remain fifth in the table, in front of Tottenham, because Spurs were beaten in the evening game by Brighton and have now lost twice in a row. In contrast, FC Liverpool have now taken six points within four days from their last games in London against Spurs and West Ham and have moved up to third in the table.
After West Ham’s six wins in January so far, I had hoped for a better result, remembering a 3:1 win over Liverpool back in 2014 which I have witnessed myself in London at Upton Park. Sam Allardyce was West Ham’s manager then, and the Reds were coached by current Leicester manager Brendan Rogers.
Well, it was a 3:1 again – but it was Liverpool that scored three goals (two of them coming from man of the match Mohamed Salah) and West Ham’s Craig Dawson could only add a consolation when the score was already 3:0. West Ham manager David Moyes had decided to approach this game with a very defensive strategy which worked in the first half, but West Ham really never looked like they truly believed they could extend their run of six straight wins in all competitions against the reigning champions.
Chelsea with their new coach Thomas Tuchel also played on Sunday. Their lunchtime kick-off game brought the first win for their new manager with a 2:0 win over Burnley. The Blues are sixth, level on points with Tottenham and two points behind West Ham.
On Saturday Crystal Palace beat Wolves, and Arsenal and Fulham drew their respective games. Arsenal are tenth, the Eagles moved up to thirteenth and Fulham with manager Scott Parker remain in the bottom three after a 2:2 draw with fellow strugglers West Brom. Albion have replaced manager Slaven Bilic with Sam Allardyce to little effect so far and are 9 points from safety. The Cottagers are 7 points behind Brighton in 17th.
In the Championship London club Brentford which had been beaten by Fulham in the 2020 play-off final is again chasing promotion and sit third in the Championship table after trashing Wycombe 7:2 this weekend.
West Ham v Liverpool 1:3 (0:0)
Match report (BBC): www.bbc.com/sport/football/55769215
EXTRA TIME 
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