Daily Mirror - 17.08.2019

(C. Jardin) #1
17.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR
mirror.co.uk/sport/football^5

DM1ST

IT’S TWEET


AND SOUR


FOR LEEDS
BY DAVID ANDERSON
ADAM FORSHAW has revealed
players are stung by social media
trolls and that it is impossible to
ignore the online abuse.
The Leeds squad came under fire
from some fans when their
promotion bid fizzled out last
season and Forshaw says the
haters should remember they have
feelings like them.
The players were slated when
they lost to today’s opponents
Wigan at Easter and Forshaw
(above) said: “Social media
nowadays is just a platform for
people to slate you if they want and
there are no repercussions.
“Not everyone is going to like
you. People are going to voice their
opinions about you and a lot of
times, you do remember the bad
comments rather than the good
ones.
“People just forget you are a
person sometimes. Some of the
messages you get, the same person
may see you in the supermarket
and ask you for a picture because
they’re there face to face with you.
“People forget you’re a person.
People are lying if they say it
doesn’t affect you because it does.
You have to have thick skin.”
The midfielder was speaking on
the documentary ‘Take us Home:
Leeds United’, which is available to
download on Amazon Prime, and
defender Luke Ayling also said he
has been hurt by online abuse.
“I try not to listen to it, but you
do get drawn into reading some
things and some things aren’t nice
to hear,” said the defender.
“People always say we should
have a thick skin, but that doesn’t
mean we aren’t hurt by it because
we do listen to things, we do read
things.
“At the end of the day, it does
hurt when people say things like
‘Oh, he’s cr*p, get him out’.
“It’s just one of those things.
Players go up and down in form
and supporters pay their money, so
they can say what they want.
“Every time I step out on to
Elland Road, the fans still cheer my
name and there are 34,000 people
there. After the game, there may be
20 people on Twitter who give you
stick and say you’re rubbish.
“Those things can play on your
mind a little bit.”

Name v Name
Championship: 3pm

WIGAN v LEEDS UNITED


HOT LEGS


Villa boss Smith: Jack may be a pin-up to female fans


but to me he’s a dedicated pro who will be Prem idol


BY ALEX CROOK
EDDIE HOWE wants his keepers at
Bournemouth to pack a knockout
punch – after signing them up for
boxing training.
Aaron Ramsdale, Mark Travers,
Asmir Begovic and Artur Boruc all
took part in a sparring session
(left) at a gym near the Cherries

training ground this week. Veteran
Pole Boruc, 39, even stepped into
the ring with former IBO light
heavyweight champion and fellow
countryman Andrzej Fonfara.
Now Cherries boss Howe hopes
to have today’s hosts Aston Villa
on the ropes. He said: “We have
integrated sparring as part of their

training. We think there are
parallels between boxing and
different sports. It’s nice to see
them go out there and is a great
way of keeping fit.
“I certainly would not like to get
in a ring with Artur. He would be
formidable and I would like to pick
my opponents a little bit smarter.”

BOXING JUST THE JAB FOR HOWE


BY DAVE ARMITAGE
IT is not Jack Grealish’s boy-
band looks that have convinced
Dean Smith he is going in One
Direction.
The Aston Villa boss says
when it comes to hard
graft his 23-year-old
skipper is not a pop idle.
Local lad Grealish is
a cult figure on the
terraces he stood on
as a boy with his
silky skills and
even silkier
hair style.
‘The

much he has matured. And Jack
seems to have a good relationship
with a lot of the players.
“Even big Wesley Moraes came
up to me the other day and said, ‘Is
he your son?’”
Smith is excited at the thought
of a packed Villa Park and
wants his side to shrug
off the disappoint-
ment of last week’s
defeat at
To tt e n h a m.
He added: “We
certainly seem to
have captured the
imagination of our
supporters. We’ve
sold 30,000 season
tickets and there’s
8,000 in reserve.
“We’ve got to
make sure we
make this place a
tough ground to
come to for
opponents.
“It’s certainly a spe-
cial place and we had it
rocking at the end of last season
when we went on that winning run.
“We have to make sure we’re
right at it. It’s our home games
which will define our season.”
Smith came through the ranks
with Bournemouth boss Eddie
Howe in the lower leagues.
He added: “A packed Villa Park in
the Premier League and everything
that goes with it is a long way from
when we came up against each
other in our League One days when
I was at Walsall.
“But that just underlines what an
incredible job Eddie has done.
Eddie is not a coach who
stands still and whatever
team he puts out, we
will need to perform.”

Grealish’ even appears as a hairstyle
on a TV advert, but Smith prepares
his side to meet Bournemouth,
revealing just why his young
captain is proving a cut above.
Smith (below, with Grealish after
the play-off final) said: “You only
have to look at his legs –
and I know a lot of the
girls will be looking
at them! He’s just
so powerful.
“I felt he was
like a Premier
League player
last season in the
Championship.
He’s so strong now.
“But I’ll tell you
one thing – I know
how professional
and driven this
lad is.”
Smith says
behind Grealish’s
pin-up image is a
total pro who this
week took him by
surprise when he
dropped in at Villa Park.
Smith adds: “I don’t pay
too much attention to the
persona thing that’s
around him. I came to
watch the Villa Ladies
team and at around
8pm Jack was still in
the gym.
“That shows
me just how

HE’S ALRIGHT JACK
Jack Grealish was backed to be
a smash hit by his Aston Villa
manager Dean Smith


ASTON VILLA v


BOURNEMOUTH
Villa Park, 3pm

of a packe
wants
off t
me
d
T

c
h

his legs –
of the
ng
st

m
m
to
co
opp
“It’s
cial plac
ki g t th

a
his
m by
hehennhhe
at Villa Park

h
im
suupp
soolld
tic
8

.
w.
ou
w
Free download pdf