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Playing almost any sport in general can and does have several positive impacts on our body, mind, and social skills. However, can the same be said about people who watch sports? With football being the most popular and the most watched sport globally, several studies have been conducted to find out whether watching football has a positive impact on fans of the sport. As it turns out, there are indeed pros of even watching the game being played on TV or at the stadium.

Entertainment

It is common to undermine the importance of entertainment and relaxation until it’s too late and life begins to feel like a chore. Football is the most watched sport in the world because it is also the most entertaining sport to watch for billions of people across the planet. The satisfaction of watching your favourite team win after a tiring day at work is nothing short of stress relief. If you are into sports betting, then that’s another reason to watch more relevant matches, follow the players, and stay updated with team progress, changes, transfers, etc. for making accurate predictions.

Peace

The infamy surrounding some fanatic fan groups in football may not make you feel that football can bring about peace, which is understandable. However, football as a sport has managed to bring about peace on a much larger scale than a few ruffians occasionally acting unruly. Several parts within the United Kingdom itself have managed to keep their historic enmities limited to football derbies, whereas the past was much darker and violent.

On an even larger scale, wars have been temporarily halted because of football, or in one particular case, because of Pele. As one can imagine, if the powers that be did not watch football and love it as much as they did/do, it wouldn’t be possible. Also, if the people they preside over did not support the decision in favour of football, they would not be able to make such decisions either. It might get rough on and off the field sometimes, but in the end, football does help in keeping the peace.

Socialising

If you are a fan of club football, socialising will never be an issue for you. Not only can you talk and argue about football with even strangers, but you can also become part of a much bigger sports community. Local fan clubs are abundant, and socialising is a common aspect of such clubs. They hold exclusive events, fundraisers, etc. to encourage socialising among fans too. Going to a derby with a group to support your team at the stadium is always a grand experience for anyone who loves watching football and socialising at the same time.

Aside from that, staying updated with what is going on in the world of football can help you break the ice in awkward social situations. It can turn a dull party into something interesting, help you make a friend, and perhaps even land a date! Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of female football fans these days than there was a decade ago.

Intelligence

Yes, it’s true that watching football can enhance our brain functions quite significantly. Unlikely as it may sound, neuroscientists at the University of Chicago published a report way back in 2012 that confirms the theory which originated in the 90s. The aforementioned study, as well as several others which point to finding similar results, defines the principle of increased brain function through watching sports like football as embodied cognition.

Apparently, when someone truly engages himself/herself in watching a match with full attention, their brains show activities which would normally be seen in someone who is actually playing the sport in question. It is a partial activation, as compared to someone who is physically playing football, but even watching the game with attention will boost your brain function and create brand new neural links. These new links are often found to be beneficial in terms of language comprehension, which is directly related to IQ points.

Not that sports fans need an excuse to watch football of course, but just in case you do, now you have several! From increased intelligence and socialisation, to stress busting relaxation, it seems as though football has more to offer than watching mindless entertainment.

Image from: unsplash.com

Leeds United have received a triple injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Brentford at Elland Road this afternoon.

What’s the word?

In Friday’s press conference, Marcelo Bielsa confirmed Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk will be available for selection once again over the weekend following their respective fitness woes.

“It’s likely Patrick and Luke [Ayling] will be available on Sunday. Pascal [Struijk] has a knock around his hip, but we think he’ll also be available,” Bielsa revealed to reporters during his pre-game press conference.

Marcelo Bielsa will be delighted

News that all of Bamford, Ayling and Struijk could return to the matchday squad against the Bees will leave Bielsa feeling absolutely delighted, given their importance to the first-team squad.

Leeds have a great opportunity to secure consecutive victories in the Premier League for the first time this season when they take on Thomas Franks’s newly-promoted charges over the weekend.

Raphinha’s injury-time penalty last time out snatched all three points against Crystal Palace, but their performance level still left significant room for improvement.

Therefore, Bielsa will be relieved that the returning trio will once again be at his disposal.

Last term, Bamford finished as the west Yorkshire outfit’s top scorer with a hugely impressive 17 strikes in the Premier League, while Ayling and Struijk also played a pivotal part in their success. ,

As per Whoscored, Ayling averaged 2.8 tackles per league game throughout 2020/21, bettering all of his teammates tallies, and Strujik notched up 3.1 clearances, also outperforming all of his colleagues.

With Leeds currently just three places and five points above the relegation zone having played a game more than 18th-placed Burnley, securing a positive result against Brentford could be crucial to the Whites’ season, meaning Bielsa will warmly welcome the trio’s comebacks.

And, in other news…Bielsa could repeat Gelhardt masterclass with Leeds swoop for 20 y/o “manager’s dream”

West Brom’s best hopes of promotion back to the Premier League rely on Valerien Ismael keeping hold of Sam Johnstone beyond the January transfer window.

The Baggies were relegated last season after a torrid campaign saw them collect just five wins in 38 games to finish in 19th place. It was expected that they would lose a host of first-team stars after relegation, with one of the names most expected to leave was goalkeeper Johnstone.

The Manchester United academy graduate impressed enough despite the team’s poor results to earn inclusion into the England squad for Euro 2020 alongside Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale. But despite making it to the final with his country in the summer’s tournament, a transfer never materialised for the 28-year-old and he remained at the Hawthorns.

But with his form continuing to impress in the second tier, West Brom are in the hunt for an immediate return to the Premier League. They currently sit in third place in the Championship table, six points behind Bournemouth in the automatic promotion places with more than half of the season still to play.

As the January transfer window approaches, there have been fears that he could leave the club for a Premier League club mid-season and leave the Baggies struggling to replace him. If West Brom and Ismael are serious about their promotion chase, they need to stand firm and do everything they can to keep him at the club.

So far Johnstone has conceded just 15 goals in 20 appearances for the club so far this season, keeping nine clean sheets in the process – more than all but one goalkeeper. He currently concedes a goal per 120 mins, the best minutes per goal ratio of any stopper with ten or more appearances this season.

Once described by Steve Bruce as a “diamond”, Johnstone has more than justified his £32.5k-per-week wages with stellar performances this season. Former Baggies striker Kevin Phillips lauded him as “fantastic” and believes he is integral to the club’s chances of promotion. It’s hard to disagree with him too, as in each of the last six seasons the team with the least goals conceded in the division has earned an automatic promotion place.

With arguably the best goalkeeper in the division, West Brom have a chance of making that seven out of seven if they can keep hold of Johnstone beyond the upcoming transfer window.

AND in other news, Masi reveals Ismael’s January transfer window plans.

West Ham United could find another Tomas Soucek in Hans Vanaken in the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Belgian outlet Voetbal24, the Irons are amongst the leading candidates to sign the Club Brugge midfielder, having held a long-term interest in signing him.

Back in the summer of 2020, the east Londoners reportedly saw a £13m bid rejected for him, via Sky Sports, with the Jupiler Pro League outfit demanding more. Almost 18 months on, it remains to be seen what sort of price tag he would command.

Transfermarkt currently value the Belgium international at a slightly higher price of £14.4m.

Shades of Soucek

The attacking midfielder, who stands at a whopping 6 foot 5 inches, has all the hallmarks to be another Soucek for David Moyes at the London Stadium, as the similarities go behind their position and towering physical presence.

Vanaken is capable of providing plenty of goals from the engine room, too, having scored eight times and provided five assists in 25 appearances this term, thus taking his goal total tally to 94 for the Belgian giants.

That includes valuable strikes against the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Impressive.

As we know with Soucek, he is one of Moyes’ major goal threats aside from players like Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen. Indeed, he shared the club’s top scorer award with the 31-year-old talisman in the Premier League last season.

Interestingly, Vanaken is equally adept with the ball at his feet despite his tall and thin stature.

“The special thing about Hans is that he has the footwork of a player of 1m 70. You can say that it is not nice to watch, that he is a bit slow, but he has an extraordinary intelligence,” claimed former teammate Onur Kaya to Sport Voetbal Magazine. “To be honest, I think he is stronger than a Dele Alli at Tottenham. He’s skinnier and less pretty to look at, but for me, he has his place at 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs.”

Meanwhile, journalist Peter Vandenbempt once claimed that “Vanaken gets better every year. He has everything Club Brugge wants: vision, technique, the right mentality and scoring ability.”

The Club Brugge colossus could be a shrewd addition for Moyes, in which he could find another Soucek-like presence to help dominate Premier League midfields and defences into the second half of the current campaign.

Vanaken could well be the next goalscoring midfielder to grace the London Stadium, should Rob Newman and co seal his signature this time around.

AND in other news, West Ham fans will love “unbelievable” Irons star’s 5-word hint after latest Moyes snub…

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to the injury Celtic midfielder David Turnbull sustained last weekend in the League Cup final, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury; expert’s thoughts

Turnbull missed his first game under Ange Postecoglou on Wednesday in the 0-0 draw with St. Mirren after hobbling off with a hamstring issue at Hampden Park on the weekend.

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Postecoglou was awaiting results of a scan to learn the extent of Turnbull’s problem, with injury expert Ben Dinnery telling Football Insider it would be down to fatigue and could keep him out for up to two months.

Celtic will soon have the chance to have a breather with the winter break, but should Turnbull miss two months, he wouldn’t be available for the Glasgow derby, despite the fact it has been put back four weeks to February 2.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Hutton, who regularly works for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Turnbull’s injury.

This is what he had to say in reply, labelling it as a potential ‘massive miss’.

“They‘ll be worried about that Old Firm game.

“Especially if Turnbull and Jota are both out.

“Even Rangers are trying to protect Joe Aribo from getting that yellow card suspension. That just shows you what a massive game it is in terms of the league title race.

“Turnbull has been one of their top performers this season. He’ll be a massive miss. They’ll have to be careful. It’s a hamstring injury that could keep him out for a long time.”

The Verdict: Not good…

Should Turnbull miss the meeting with Rangers at the beginning of February, it would be a big blow.

He’s been Celtic’s best-rated performer this season in the Scottish Premiership (to have played at least five games), averaging more key passes and crosses per 90 than any of his teammates. [WhoScored]

The Hoops may also be without top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi and regular Tom Rogic against Rangers due to possible international commitments.

Being without three star men against your biggest rivals is never good news, and the meeting at Parkhead could have a major say in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, with Celtic currently six points behind.

In other news: Possession lost 44 times, 0 shots on target, 1 cross: Celtic’s worst three players vs St. Mirren. 

Celtic appear to be closing in on the permanent signing of current loanee Jota from Benfica, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Jota spotted in Lisbon

Jota has recently returned to his permanent employers and was spotted at the club’s training complex to assess his hamstring injury.

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The 22-year-old has missed the last seven games prior to the winter break due to injury and was ordered home by Benfica’s medical staff.

Prior to his injury the versatile attacker was in fantastic form and becoming one of Ange Postecoglou’s most trusted players, providing 13 direct goal involvements in 16 starts.

Celtic have the option to make the winger’s loan move permanent for a fee of £6.5m, and it seems as if they are going to do just that going off recent reports.

The Latest: Advanced stages

According to A Bola, relayed by The Daily Record, Celtic and Benfica are now in advanced talks over a full-time transfer.

Jota, described as ‘clinical’ by Owen Hargreaves, could become the club’s third permanent attacking addition, with the Hoops already signing Daizen Maeda and close to landing teenager Johnny Kenny from Sligo Rovers in the coming days.

The Verdict: Brilliant news

The Portuguese attacker has been a revelation at Parkhead since joining in the summer, so a permanent switch should be viewed as excellent news. He was in a real purple patch in front of goal prior to his injury, racking up three goals in his last three Premiership games.

The manager is clearly a big fan too, praising the youngster not just for being ‘very talented’ but also for buying into the system, working hard and pressing from the front.

Jota is still just 22 years of age, so even though the Hoops will need to pay more than his £4.95m Transfermarkt valuation to make him a permanent Celtic player, you’d expect that his market value will surpass the £6.5m mark sooner rather than later due to his displays on the pitch.

It would be the most expensive signing of the Postecoglou era, and over time, it could be viewed as one of the most important.

In other news: Celtic ace could now leave for Italy, find out who it is here. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Jack Simpson.

As per The Daily Record, the Ibrox faithful could let him leave on loan once the January transfer window opens, with a number of clubs in the English Championship thought to be interested in his signature.

Simpson has barely featured at all over the past two seasons for the Teddy Bears, with just four games played in total over all competitions so far this term (central defenders that they have at their disposal, it may be a wise idea just to get him off of the wage bill.

Moreover, some of his performances this campaign have been far from flattering, and so an exit could be best for all parties.

Nonetheless, the money gained could then be used to help fund other signings for other priority positions in the winter market.

Rangers fans on Simpson transfer news

These supporters of the Light Blues were left buzzing as the transfer news on Simpson was shared across Twitter:

“I’ll drive him down south myself – Stevie G’s biggest mistake.”

Credit: @BobMacCallum1

“I’ll pay for him to leave”

Credit: @morvenatkinson9

“I’ll lock him in my boot and drive him.”

Credit: @Baldy_Barisic

“Happy Thursday x”

Credit: @paula2561

“Happy New Year”

Credit: @johnnywasajunky

“Start the engine”

Credit: @kennygrfc

In other news, find out what club update has Gers buzzing here!

With the 2022 January transfer window now open, this will allow a variety of clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, who are on the hunt for promotion back to the Championship, the chance to make some changes to their squad that will give them the best chance of achieving their main objective this season.

With that in mind, it seems as though the Yorkshire club have their eye on adding a new player to their ranks this month to help strengthen Darren Moore’s squad for the second half of the season which would surely please a lot of fans.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Yorkshire Live by Owls journalist Dom Howson, Wednesday have inquired about the possibility of signing Brighton and Hove Albion defender Haydon Roberts on a loan deal until the end of the season.

As a product of Brighton’s youth academy, Roberts has made a total of 61 combined appearances for their U18 and U23 sides, scoring five goals and providing three assists along the way, which is a good return for a centre-back.

The 19-year-old has also made six appearances for Brighton’s first team, with all of them coming in the Carabao Cup, as well as being in their matchday squads in the Premier League on nine occasions this season, showing that he is on the fringes of breaking into Graham Potter’s side.

However, with no senior appearances under his belt this season, it could be beneficial for Brighton and Roberts to join Wednesday this month and get him some regular game time.

Given how Wednesday have conceded six goals in their two previous league matches against Sunderland and Shrewsbury Town, it’s easy to see why the club apparently have their eye on signing Roberts to help them fix up at the back and stop conceding goals that could cost them a promotion place.

Also, with Wednesday having the likes of Chey Dunkley, Dominic Iorfa and Lewis Gibson out with injuries, this only reinforces the need for a new defender to come in this month.

Moving forward, the Owls should definitely make an approach to Brighton to sign Roberts this month in a deal that could be beneficial for all parties if the defender can get regular game time at the Yorkshire club and help them win promotion.

Should they get a deal over the line, it will understandably leave supporters buzzing due to their defensive problems both from an injury and performance perspective.

In other news: Moore could save SWFC’s season with £270k-rated tank, he’s a “fantastic communicator” – opinion

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s January transfer plans for Nathaniel Phillips…

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, the Liverpool defender is a player the Magpies are aware of and considering as they look to strengthen their squad in the coming weeks.

The report claims that Tottenham’s Joe Rodon and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos are also targets, with the latter said to be keen on a move to St James’ Park.

Clark upgrade

Eddie Howe could land a big upgrade on Ciaran Clark by securing a deal to sign Phillips this month, and it is one that has been a long time coming for the Toon.

Newcastle 4-3 Norwich September 2016, Newcastle 1-1 Norwich November 2021 – what do these two fixtures have in common aside from the opposition? The answer… both games started with Clark playing in the heart of the defence, with the defender being shown a red card in the most recent match.

It is also worth mentioning that Karl Darlow, Matt Ritchie, Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett, Dwight Gayle and Jonjo Shelvey all started the aforementioned game in 2016 and remain at St James’ Park to this day, whilst Isaac Hayden was also on the bench. Meanwhile, Norwich’s third-choice goalkeeper Michael McGovern is the only survivor from their line-up.

Football moves quickly, and Clark is simply not good enough for where Newcastle want to be. He has started 12 games this season out of 20 and averaged a horrific SofaScore rating of 6.27, highlighting how poorly he has performed and why Howe needs an upgrade in that position.

On the other hand, Phillips was sublime for Liverpool in the Premier League last season, with Jurgen Klopp hailing him as “incredible” and a “monster” for his impressive displays. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.19 across 17 appearances, winning 61% of his duels and making 4.8 clearances per match.

This shows that the 24-year-old has the quality to deliver consistently brilliant performances in the top flight, proving his worth in one of the best teams in the country. Therefore, he could be a big upgrade on Clark, who has struggled badly and looks out of his depth at this level.

The £7.2m-rated Liverpool beast could come in and hit the ground running on Tyneside, as he knows how to perform at Premier League level. This means that he could be an instant success and improve Newcastle’s chances of avoiding the drop at the end of the season.

AND in other news, Decision made: Hammond now facing his first Newcastle transfer blunder, fans will be gutted…

Many Everton fans were left slamming the display of Andros Townsend in their game at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League at Saturday lunchtime.

The winger struggled to make any sort of real impact on the match, and was subsequently hauled off for Anthony Gordon in the 56th minute.

He failed to record any shots on goal, and was accurate with only one of his five crosses, while he only managed to make one key pass and was successful in just 53% of his passes (SofaScore).

Townsend also gave possession away on no fewer than on 18 separate occasions in total, one of the highest in the team, despite only playing 56 minutes, while defensively he struggled up against former teammate Lucas Digne, losing out on five of his duels.

Everton fans slam Townsend

These members of the Goodison Park faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter of the Merseyside club even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘passenger’:

“Chose to start Townsend who was practically non-existent in the first half! Comical.”

Credit: @TheDanMox

“Gordon done more in 30 seconds than Townsend in 55 mins”

Credit: @dxhty

“Townsend is a passenger”

Credit: @SStaniford

“Townsend’s having a mare”

Credit: @mindersam

“Townsend atrocious”

Credit: @JwfFive

“Townsend actually does nothing”

Credit: @Evertxn

In other news, find out what team news had Toffees talking here!