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      in Soccer

      Frank Lampard’s Derby days show just how Chelsea can cause Spurs serious problems

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      TO UNDERSTAND the importance of Chelsea’s new-look attack, you must go back to Frank Lampard’s time at Derby.
      What Lampard did not get enough credit for during his spell with the Rams was how organised their collective press was.

      Frank Lampard has impressed since taking charge of Chelsea in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      With the likes of Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, they pressed from the front and were able to spring their attacks from high up the pitch.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      This is now exactly what the likes of Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham and Hakim Ziyech are doing consistently and effectively for Chelsea.
      When you bring in the amount of players Chelsea did this summer, it will always take time to adjust.

      Frank did well not to just throw them all in together at the same time.
      And he is now seeing the benefits, firstly on his defence.
      Yes, Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva have had their impacts, but the collective press, starting from that front three, is where it all starts.
      It is why in the last eight games in all competitions, they have kept six clean sheets. That is a good base to work off of.

      And when they do win the ball back, the embarrassment of riches they have up top is finally showing.
      The beauty of the players Frank has brought in is they can attack in a number of ways.
      With the 4-3-3 that Frank seems to be settled with, Ziyech can sit deep and pick that pass over the top, while Werner uses his pace to get in behind or drag full-backs out.
      Mount can capitalise on the latter, darting into the corridors created by Werner in between the full-back and the centre back.
      And with Tammy, he showed just what he can do with Chelsea’s first goal away to Rennes in the Champions League, dragging centre backs away from goal to create space in behind.
      And to make it even harder for defences, now that they are all on the same wavelength, they constantly interchange and intertwine to pick holes.
      It is similar to what Manchester City did in the first few seasons under Pep Guardiola, and it is working just as effectively right now too.
      This Chelsea team has incredibly intelligent players, and against a side like Tottenham under Jose Mourinho who are likely to sit back, they have options to rip you apart.

      Chelsea’s Premier League squad

      Full squad, in number order…

      Kepa ArrizabalagaAntonio RudigerMarcos AlonsoAndreas Christensen – homegrownJorginhoThiago SilvaN’Golo KanteTammy Abraham – homegrownChristian PulisicTimo WernerWilly CaballeroFikayo Tomori – homegrownKurt ZoumaEdouard MendyMateo KovacicOlivier GiroudMason Mount – under-21Callum Hudson-Odoi – under-21Ben Chilwell – homegrownHakim ZiyechBilly Gilmour – under-21Reece James – under-21Cesar AzpilicuetaKai Havertz – under-21Emerson PalmieriPetr Cech

      In particular with Werner and Ziyech, expect them to cut inside inbetween the back four and the midfield if Mourinho sticks with the low block that has been successful for him.
      But on the flip side, arguably one of the most important players on the pitch will be that sitter in the midfield three, which is likely to be N’Golo Kante.
      He has to remain attached to his two central defenders to stop Harry Kane dropping off and dictating the game from deep.
      Nullify him, and Chelsea’s front three can cause serious problems up the other end.

      Chelsea vs Tottenham – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      in Soccer

      Football pundit Steve ‘Tommo’ Thompson suspended by BBC after describing players’ scuffle as ‘handbags’

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      A FOOTBALL pundit has been suspended by the BBC — for describing a scuffle between two players as “handbags”.
      Steve “Tommo” Thompson was relieved of his duties for using the familiar matchday phrase after ­listeners complained.

      Steve ‘Tommo’ Thompson was relieved of his duties after describing a scuffle between players as ‘handbags’Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      He made the comment on BBC Radio Lincolnshire during Lincoln City’s 0-0 draw away at Accrington Stanley in the Sky Bet League One last Saturday.
      It is so common it appears in the Collins Dictionary as “an incident in which people, ­especially sportsmen, fight or threaten to fight, but without real intent to inflict harm”.
      Freelancer Steve, 65, who played for and managed Lincoln, was said to be “devastated” by the BBC’s decision.

      Steve made the comment on BBC Radio Lincolnshire during Lincoln City’s 1-0 win at Swindon Town in the Sky Bet League One on Tuesday nightCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Lincoln fan Bernard ­O’Mahoney is campaigning for his reinstatement. He said: “As any football fan knows, ‘handbags’ is an incredibly well-known saying.

      “I can’t begin to think who’d be offended by it. The BBC has lost touch with the public.”

      ‘Handbags’ appears in the Collins Dictionary as ‘an incident in which people, especially sportsmen, fight or threaten to fight, but without real intent to inflict harm’

      Fan Marcus Greatorex added: “It’s just an old term. The BBC should pay more attention to songs on their stations promoting knife crime and drug use.”
      The BBC said: “After listeners raised concerns, Steve acknowledged some of his comments on air didn’t meet the standards we expect. He is taking a break but will be back in the New Year.”

      Freelancer Steve, 65, who has played for and managed Lincoln, was said to be ‘devastated’ by the BBC’s decisionCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      THE SUN SAYS

      THE BBC has been in the grip of “woke” madness longer than almost anyone.

      But dropping a footy pundit for calling an ineffectual on-pitch scuffle “handbags” is a new level of foolishness.
      Who exactly is offended by this term, so common it’s in the dictionary?
      No one outside the imagination of hyper-sensitive producers.
      The BBC is growing more distant by the day from the public whose licence fees it needs.
      It’s one own-goal after another.

      U23Malaysia and UAE friendly marred by shocking violence as players throw punches and trade blows
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      in Boxing

      Daniel Dubois ready to fly flag for British boxing like legends Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno

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      DANIEL DUBOIS is ready to hold the weight and expectation of the nation on his giant shoulders.
      Ahead of the British and Commonwealth champion’s defence against Joe Joyce on Saturday night, SunSport draped the wonderkid in an iconic Union Jack flag.

      SunSport draped Dubois in the British flag after home heroes Bruno, Lewis and Haye did the same before world title winsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Frank Bruno celebrated his WBC title win with the Union FlagCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Lennox Lewis also celebrated with the Union Flag after a title win

      British heavyweight heroes Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis and David Haye all wore the same national colours before their world title wins.
      And the Peacock Gym prodigy believes he is ready to burst on to the mainstream scene as a major force – just like the three home stars before him.
      Dubois, 23, said: “It’s a proper heavy flag and I appreciate the meaning behind it.
      “But I understand and appreciate the magnitude it brings and the responsibility it brings.

      “The heavyweight division remains almost separate from the rest of the sport of boxing.
      “If it’s thriving, then the sport is healthy. When there is a heavyweight dip then everyone suffers.
      “Britain has had some legends and also had some quiet periods.
      “Lennox, Frank and David did amazing things and the sport thrived on the back of them in this country.

      The Peacock Gym prodigy believes he is ready to burst on to the mainstream scene as a major forceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      “I want to continue that, I want to carry the sport forward and be the face of British boxing, starting on Saturday night.
      “I feel like the country is starting to warm to me. I’m going to try to entertain them and make sure at this time, which the whole world is going through, that a great fight can happen.
      “Everyone can sit back and watch… don’t blink, it’s going to be amazing.”
      Dubois is one of 11 siblings and sister Caroline, 19, who won Olympic youth gold, is expected to become one of the UK’s finest ever fighters – of any sex.
      Little brothers Prince, 16, and Solomon, eight, are also in training, making the most of the gyms they have just built inside and in the garden of their new Essex home.
      The fresh start is a far cry from the days Daniel and his dad shared racing around London markets like fictional Trotter icons Derek and Rodney.

      Dubois and Joyce weighed-in for their big fight on FridayCredit: Stephen Dunkley/Queensbury
      “I loved those days,” the retired fly pitcher said. “They were probably the best days of my life.
      “It was exciting, we were never sure how the day would go.
      “Dad had a way of making people come and buy, it was like magic. He was a master at his stuff and I’m trying to do the same with boxing.
      “We probably were a bit like Del and Rodney actually – or maybe I was just like any other labourer. But I loved going along and seeing how it worked.”
      Joyce, 35, and a teenage Dubois were once GB team-mates in Sheffield, helping Anthony Joshua prepare for London 2012.
      And the 2016 Olympic silver medallist also gave fellow Londoner Dubois career advice in his early days.
      But the healthy rivalry went out the window in February at the launch of this delayed bout.
      Dubois snapped at Joyce’s mum Marvel at the press conference and said the fact she had 93 per cent blindness would spare her from seeing him beat up her son.
      Softly-spoken Dubois has refused to apologise ahead of tonight’s showdown at London’s Church House, where the European crown is also up for grabs.
      He insisted: “Why would you bring your mum to a press conference? It’s not personal but they are enemies until after the fight.”

      Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce weigh in ahead of their big fight More

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      in Boxing

      Is Mike Tyson’s historic fight with Roy Jones Jnr the most sensational and controversial comeback in boxing history?

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      WITH raw punching power that sent dazed opponents crumbling to the canvas, the self-declared “baddest man on the planet” was the youngest heavyweight champion of the world.
      Now 14 years since hanging up his gloves, Mike Tyson, 54, is stepping back into the ring — but is not allowed to knock his challenger out.

      Is Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jnr the most controversial comeback in boxing history?Credit: Triller

      Tonight, Tyson will make what is the most sensational and controversial comeback in boxing history.
      In what is supposed to be an “exhibition match” rather than a competitive bout, Iron Mike will trade blows with Roy Jones Jr.
      Jones, 51, has been a world champion in four weight classes from middle to heavyweight and only quit the ring two years ago.
      But due to their ages, the authorities in the US insist the fight can only go ahead with restrictions.

      Mike Tyson comes out of his corner in 1990, aged 24Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Both men will have to wear bigger gloves to cushion the impact of punches and there will be a maximum of eight rounds, each lasting two minutes, rather than the normal three.
      But no one thinks that the now softly-spoken Tyson will play nicely once the bell rings.
      Frank Bruno, who felt the full ferocity of Iron Mike’s blows in a title fight in 1989 and then again in 1996, tells The Sun: “I have never heard of an exhibition fight.
      “The way Mike Tyson’s body is and mind is set, if someone tries to hit him, he will hit you harder.

      Tyson in his Instagram profile picture now, aged 54Credit: https://www.instagram.com/miketyson/
      “He has a hard punch and he has venom, he was nasty.”
      Frank, who lost to Tyson both times, jokes the only person who hit him as hard as Tyson “was the taxman”.
      ‘IT MAKES MOCKERY OF THE SPORT’
      Tyson is certainly talking about the rumble like a real boxer should.
      In the run-up to the bout at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, there was all the usual trash talk about hurting his opponent.

      Tyson with third wife Lakiha Spicer, who he married in 2009Credit: Getty Images
      He said: “Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about that it’s not a real fight. It’s Mike Tyson and Roy Jones and I’m coming to fight and I hope he’s coming to fight. 
      “That’s all you need to know.”
      Tyson insisted his intention was to “disable my opponent” and that the bout would be “brutal”.
      He has been training hard to get close to the shape of his peak when he first won the world title in 1986 at the age of 20.

      First wife Robin and promoter Don King watch Tyson in 1988Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      In the other corner Jones claimed: “I love boxing. So if I die in boxing, I die a happy man.”
      Both men have a lot on the line in the fight. If they do not go at each other hard, they face ridicule from disappointed fans. But any injury could lead to permanent damage.
      The Sun’s legendary boxing correspondent Colin Hart says: “I am dead against this fight. To me it makes a mockery of the sport.
      “It is also highly dangerous, two men of 50-odd years of age to be throwing punches at each other.

      Actress Robin Givens was married to Mike Tyson for a yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “Particularly Tyson, who even at 54 years of age, can still punch hard. It would never have been sanctioned by the British Board of Control.”
      So why would the white-bearded Tyson, who by all accounts has calmed down in recent years, want to fight again?
      Frank Bruno, 59, says: “Maybe he wants to get some more money, or it could be an ego thing.” Tyson says proceeds from the fight — on BT Sport Box Office and covered live on radio by talkSPORT and talkRADIO — will be going to charity. That is generous for a man who blew his £300million fortune to end up bankrupt in 2003.
      The publicity from his comeback is sure to swell the coffers of his numerous business interests though.

      Frank Bruno lands a blow in 1996 rematch with TysonCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      On his Instagram page Tyson has been advertising his own line of T-shirts to his 13.5million followers.
      He is also promoting the idea of the Mike Tyson Legends Only League, where the “greatest athletes” will compete. This fight is intended to be a springboard for veterans from all kinds of sports to make a comeback.
      Alongside those interests, Tyson grows and sells his own brand of legal cannabis, has an animated TV show called Mike Tyson Mysteries and has appeared in films.
      Business acumen, however, has not always been his strength.

      Mike Tyson promoting his T-shirts on Instagram
      He used to pay a trainer £80,000 a year to look after his two Bengal tigers, splashed out £1.75million on a solid gold bathtub for his first wife, actress Robin Givens, and spent £635,000 on a watch.
      Money aside, it is also possible that Tyson has a point to prove tonight.
      When he was beaten by no-hoper Buster Douglas in 1990 — his first ever loss — it was one of the biggest upsets in sporting history. And he never really recovered.
      In 1992 he was jailed for raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington in a hotel room in July 1991.

      The former world champion has been getting into shapeCredit: Instagram @cannon_briggs
      After his release in 1995 he returned to the ring, beating Bruno in 1996 but losing twice to Evander Holyfield and once to Brit champion Lennox Lewis.
      Sun expert Colin, who interviewed Tyson many times, believes the unpredictable fighter has calmed down over the past few years.

      Fightin’ Tyson

      Biggest single fight purse: £22million v Evander Holyfield (1997)
      Career fight earnings: £300million
      Titles: Heavyweight
      Fights: 58
      Wins: 50
      Knockouts: 44
      Loses: 6
      No Contests: 2
      Likely weight: 15st 2lb
      Height: 5ft 10in
      Reach: 71in (180cm)

      ‘I’VE LIVED A WILD AND STRANGE LIFE’
      He says: “At long last he seems to have mellowed with age. I think he is far more stable now than he’s ever been in life.
      “In the olds days you could go to him in the morning and he’d be charming, he was one of the most articulate fighters I have met in my life. Then you’d go see him that afternoon and he’d want to kill you.”

      Tyson credits wife Lakiha with turning his life aroundCredit: Getty Images
      Tyson has admitted to allowing his life to spiral dangerously out of control. He once commented: “I’ve lived a wild and a strange life. 
      “I’ve used drugs, I’ve had physical altercations with dangerous people.
      “I’ve slept with guys’ wives and they wanted to kill me. I’m just happy to be here. It’s a miracle.’”
      Much of the credit for Tyson’s change of fortunes has to go third wife Lakiha Spicer, who he married in 2009.

      Tyson’s second marriage to Monica Turner lasted from 1997 to 2003Credit: Rex Features
      Both she and Tyson know what it is like to hit rock bottom.
      Lakiha, 43, was sent to prison in 2008 for defrauding a company owned by her father out of £60,000.
      She was pregnant with their first daughter, Milan, at the time. 
      Tyson turned to drugs while she served six months in jail, but on her release she helped him quit.

      Tyson and first wife Robin pose in their home in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Tyson confessed: “I’m very happy me and my wife got together because I don’t know how I would have survived out there.”
      In the past, Tyson’s form for maintaining a relationship has not been good. 
      His first marriage to Robin, 55, lasted a year from 1988 to 1989. His second to Monica Turner lasted from 1997 to 2003.
      And he has fathered seven children from several partners.

      Roy Jones Jnr celebrates after he defeated David Telesco for the WBA, WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles on January 15, 2000Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Tragically, his four-year-old daughter, Exodus, died in 2009 in a tragic treadmill accident.
      Despite all his setbacks, Tyson is a man who does not stay down.
      And as far as Bruno is concerned, there is nothing wrong with fighters lacing up their gloves again in their fifties.

      Jabbin’ Jones

      Biggest single fight purse: £10million v John Ruiz (2003)
      Career fight earnings: £40million
      Titles: Middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight plus Olympic silver medal
      Fights: 75
      Wins: 66
      Knockouts: 47
      Losses: 9 
      No contest: 0
      Likely weight: 15st
      Height: 5ft 11in
      Reach: 74in (188cm)

      After all, Bernard Hopkins became the oldest world champion at 48 when he won the IBF light heavyweight crown in 2013. And Bruno, who retired after suffering a severe eye injury during his second bout with Tyson, does not rule out a return himself.
      He says: “I’m a boxer and I always will be a boxer, but I’m happy with how my life is going.
      “Age is just a number. It’s how you feel. It’s what’s in your heart, in your spirit. I turn 60 next year but I feel 25.”
      Tyson v Jones Jr, BT Sport Box Office, from midnight. Follow live on talkSPORT and talkRADIO.

      Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr fight simulated and ends in stunning knockout win as retired legends prepare for battle
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      in Soccer

      Jose Mourinho says the heat is on big-spending Frank Lampard vs Spurs… but not like when he was Chelsea boss

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      JOSE MOURINHO says the heat is all on big-spending Frank Lampard ahead of their Stamford Bridge showdown tomorrow.
      But the Tottenham boss insists it is still nothing like the pressure he faced while he was in charge of Chelsea.

      Jose Mourinho has guided his team to six wins in nine league games this seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Mourinho, who has also bossed Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, said: “When I was in these clubs, there was huge pressure on me — and now there is not huge pressure on the coaches of these teams.”
      Spurs start the weekend as shock Premier League leaders.
      But Mourinho claims he feels no pressure, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy having sanctioned a relatively paltry £69million on permanent signings last summer.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      This is in stark contrast to Chelsea, where rookie boss Lampard — who played under the Special One at the Bridge — is now expected to deliver trophies after they splashed out a staggering £230m on new buys.
      Mourinho said: “When you are favourites, you know why you are favourites. And you have to accept that and you have to deal with that kind of pressure and responsibility.
      “I was at clubs which were, let’s say, champions in the market because of the powerful investment in the market. I had to deal with that pressure.
      “So now it’s not for me to deal with that pressure, it’s for others to deal with that pressure.

      “We just want to try to win the next match.”

      Frank Lampard’s side are third in the Premier League table Credit: Reuters
      Asked about Mourinho’s comments, Lampard said: “We all have pressures as managers, not just myself and Jose but any manager.
      “Jose was here as a manager so he understands it very well. He also went to Manchester United and would have understood the pressures there very well when you spend a lot of money.
      “The pressures at Tottenham will be big because Jose built a fantastic squad and has incredible players. We are both in the same position.
      “We want success and people have expectations.”

      Jose Mourinho comments on the performance of Winks, Dele and the rest of his players More

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      in Soccer

      Now Premier League sides know how Jesus felt when he only had five loaves and two fish to feed the 5,000

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      THANKS to Boris Johnson for small mercies.
      Football clubs can greet spectators again or at least they can if they are not in Tier 3, the areas with the highest relative numbers of Covid-19 sufferers.

      Karren Brady can’t wait to welcome West Ham fans back to the London StadiumCredit: Reuters

      Ten Premier League clubs find themselves in that grim tier so in essence they will still be in lockdown.
      That continues to illustrate perfectly the old adage ‘as seen on TV’.
      The orgy of football on the box is being watched gratefully by fans, particularly those of the armchair variety, less so by those millions who love the real thing.
      Big cities are the catchment area of the virus and as they are generally the home of leading clubs who have the biggest stadiums, Tiers 3 or 2 are their fate.

      And so, the Government has ruled no fans or a mere sprinkling of them.
      Not that the second tier is that much better.
      Clubs in that category may host 2,000 spectators while those at the first level will be allowed up to 4,000 but as there are no Premier League clubs based in either the Isle of Wight, Isle of Sicily or Cornwall, it’s irrelevant.
      It is indeed a topsy-turvy system, logical perhaps to epidemiologists, statisticians, logicians, scientists and politicians but a bit of a mystery to me.

      It would have been better if all Premier League clubs were given the same number of supporters they could welcome back at the same time.
       They, like the lower leagues in lower tiers, know their duties when it comes down to protecting those people they need most, the fans.
      It doesn’t make too much sense that, say, Forest Green will be allowed to host crowds of up to 2,000 while Manchester United have to turn away every supporter.
      But I think we all reluctantly agree that unless and until we get some fans in some stadiums we cannot prove its safe for all to return to full stadiums in due course.
      So for the greater good we accept some stadiums will have supporters and some will not. It is true that smaller clubs rely heavily on match- day revenue and this will be a lifeline for them.
      But a number of top-flight clubs also face a bleak financial future even if they are propped up by huge broadcast revenues.
      Lost match-day ticket and corporate revenue has left a shortfall of over £100million a month in the PL, but the costs have not changed or gone down, so a financial deficit has appeared.
      West Ham in Tier 2 cannot wait to host 2,000 of our fans against Man Utd on December 5, which is the first Premier League fixture allowed to have fans.

      We now understand how Jesus felt when he had five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 people.
      We have 2,000 tickets to spread among our 54,000 season ticket holders. Not easy.
      But it will be fair, transparent and our ballot will open on Monday.
      Supporters who do get a ticket will have to sign up to a PL wide code of conduct, fill out a Covid-19 health questionnaire, carry photo ID, have track and trace downloaded on their phone, respect social distancing and wear a face mask.
      These measures are in place to ensure the safety of those attending.
      So, we continue to plan and prepare, with the hope of attendances increasing at matches to more substantial levels as soon as safely possible, so that more of our supporters can return to back the team at London Stadium.
      It’s simply not been the same without you.

      Sport fans to return to live matches from December 2 with Premier League stadiums back open as rules relax More

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      in Soccer

      Banning heading in football would turn the Premier League into glorified five-a-side, says Troy Deeney

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      I CAN honestly say that in 14 years as a professional footballer, I have never discussed the threat of dementia with another player.
      Nor have I ever heard others discussing it.

      Troy Deeney fears banning heading would turn the PL into glorified 5-a-sideCredit: Alamy Live News

      You may think that sounds blase but I don’t think so.
      We understand the link between heading a football and possible brain disease in later life but we also understand that there are elements of risk in most elite sports and we are willing to accept that.
      I have huge respect for those campaigning to help former players who are suffering from dementia and battling for increased support.
      There should be more than enough money to help them properly.

      And when you hear that Sir Bobby Charlton, like so many of England’s 1966 World Cup winners, has been diagnosed with dementia, of course you stop and think.
      But I hope and believe that modern footballs are safer to head than the old-school balls that those players who are suffering used to head.
      And it concerns me, with the way this debate is going, that we may see heading being banned from football in the long run.
      And that would change the nature of the sport beyond recognition.

      Deeney fears heading could be banned from football in the futureCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Heading is an integral part of the game, or at least it should be.
      Ban heading and football would become a glorified game of five-a-side with anything over head-height or shoulder-height banned.
      I don’t believe any lover of football wants that.
      Heading is already becoming something of a lost art. For so many teams, it is all about passing on the deck and producing the ball for a team-mate to score.
      You only have to see the level of surprise when someone like Dominic Calvert-Lewin emerges as a great header to realise how rare those sort of players are becoming.
      The Everton striker has a brilliant leap and great technique.
      I love to watch him but the way everyone goes ‘wow!’ when he scores one of those towering headers shows you how this skill is being lost.
      Calvert-Lewin is excellent but he wouldn’t have had the same ‘wow’ factor even ten or 15 years ago when Didier Drogba and Alan Shearer were banging them in.
      Maybe I’m biased because heading has always been a big part of my game but I do believe supporters appreciate a striker, or a centre-half, who is commanding in the air.

      Calvert-Lewin has prove the art of heading is only just hanging onCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      People worry about repeated heading but even for a player like me, I am not heading a whole load of footballs in the course of an average week.
      We might do crossing and finishing drills and set-piece work a couple of times a week but we are not suffering a significant number of blows to the head like a boxer.
      I’m happy with heading having been banned for Under-12s but at professional level it is a skill you need to practice – the timing, the way you twist your neck, getting the right contact.
      You can’t just rock up on a Saturday having not practiced heading all week.
      If they try to ban, or limit it, in training, do you honestly think a club like Burnley, who are quite direct and excellent from set-pieces, would stick to that? How would it be policed?
      As I said, I am not being totally ignorant about the threat.
      And I do believe that concussion protocols in football are enforced.
      I failed a concussion test after a match once.
      They will say five simple words to you – something like ‘apple, orange, red, blue, green’ – and you have to repeat them back in the reverse order.

      Troy Deeney reveals he once failed a concussion testCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      They test you before pre-season and if you can repeat four words back, for example, then that’s your baseline figure you have to meet if you get a knock to the head.
      After one match I was feeling a little groggy and unwell.
      I don’t think it was from a particular blow to the head and I couldn’t complete that test, so I had to repeat it before the next training session, or I wouldn’t have been able to join in.
      Some of my team-mates have had to rest for seven or ten days after suffering concussion and that seems like the correct protocol to me.
      I do believe though that football has already lost too much physicality – certainly in the Premier League, if not the Championship.
      Since Watford were relegated I’ve really noticed the difference.
      In the Championship, you have to pull a knife on an opponent to get booked. In the Premier League you only have to breathe on someone.
      It already concerns me that tackling is being lost to the sport, especially at elite level, and I don’t want to see heading going the same way.

      There’s still hope for winless West Brom and Sheff Utd despite them both being winless in nine gamesCredit: AFP or Licensors
      WHEN West Brom welcome Sheffield United on Saturday night, it will be the first time two Premier League clubs have met as many as nine games into a season without either side having won a match.
      But there is hope for both clubs.
      At Watford last season we didn’t win in our first 11 games but we did get out of the bottom three – before being relegated in the final match of the season.
      I watched West Brom at Manchester United last weekend and I thought the Baggies were excellent – only losing by virtue of VAR.
      A performance as good as that, after a long run without a win, will give them genuine hope.
      Although it also makes you wonder ‘when is the luck ever going to turn for us?’
      As for the Blades, with just one point so far, well I really like the way their manager Chris Wilder is talking.
      I heard him being asked whether he fears the sack and he replied he has never been axed in 20 years as a manager and he doesn’t intend to start now.
      If I was one of his players, I’d love that sort of talk. If the manager believes in himself and believes in you as a squad, then that gives you belief.
      This season isn’t a lost cause for either club, whatever the outcome at the Hawthorns tonight.

      Troy Deeney joins The Sun as our new hard-hitting columnist with Watford star to give you the inside track in football More