Although this season may have involved a bit of a procession, not every Premier League title is won on a high note.
Former Blackburn teammates Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton recall the dramatic trophy-winning season 1994-95 when Rovers defeated Manchester United.
READ MORE: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rovers
Watch Football Focus on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and app starting at 12:00 BST on Sunday, May 25.
Every step closer to Anfield, the air is red, the air is oozing smoke and song, and the senses are assaulted once more.
Liverpool fans are gathering to watch the final game of the season, at the end of which their title-winning team will lift the Premier League trophy on what promises to be a day of celebrations.
People traveling across Stanley Park might notice a sign that has been sellotaped to the front of a rundown house about 100 meters from the ground.
“MATE OR TRAITOR” appears on it. Take Ya Pick, Trent”. Trent Alexander-Arnold is the subject of this article.
Alexander-Arnold, a Scouser, has won every trophy they can with Liverpool since he was six years old.
Now 26, he is preparing to say goodbye to join Real Madrid, arguably the biggest club in world football. There are likely cheers, tears, and boos on what will undoubtedly be an emotional afternoon.
This is more than just a club losing their star player, who some people consider to be one of the most naturally gifted English footballers of his generation.
This is about identity.
You do cling on to stories like Trent’s, according to Josh Sexton of the Anfield Wrap podcast, because there is a general sense of detachment in football right now, at least until the end of this season.
You think you can relate to that and put your hat on it, she said. It’s people like Trent who you look at and think ‘ I am like you ‘ in some ways.
Local players like him almost give the impression that playing football is a grounded experience, even in the now-global behemoth that is global football.
However, there are fewer local players:
The sense of” detachment “Sexton talks about doesn’t just come from the influx of foreign players, but from the wider globalisation – and commercialisation – of the game.
Only two top-flight clubs are currently managed by Englishmen, while only five of the 20 Premier League clubs are currently owned by English people or businesses (more are owned by Americans).
Since the Premier League’s founding in the early 1990s, football has undergone a significant change.
Yet, according to sociologist and author David Goldblatt, there remains a yearning for the past – in part, playing out through fans ‘ relationship with local players.
In a world where there is practically no other option but to fulfill that function, Goldblatt said, “Football clubs are symbolic and practical representations of local communities and neighbourhoods.”
A remnant of the old order is peculiarly valuable, even though the game has been globalized in terms of the player labor market, coaches, ownership, and even fandom in some clubs.
“Football in England – and Britain as a whole – is a long, romantic goodbye to industrial working-class Britain. A sense of localism, working-class security, and pride are at the center of our mythic remembrance of that time. You worked for a company for life, and firms in particular, represented and expressed the area.
” The residue of that in football is the very few one-club stars. “
Dunk, 33, stated in a 2022 interview that he wanted to remain “a one-club man” at Amex Stadium.
Not many people get to do that in your hometown because I was born here, my childhood was here, and I’ve played for and led the club, he said.
But Dunk is not your typical footballer.
Fans may dream about playing for the club they support, but it doesn’t often turn out that way for players.
It’s “sometimes really hard for supporters,” he says, “because you feel like they fall for it.” This player really loves us’… and then they move on, “former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports”. Players don’t think like supporters do.
“He]Alexander-Arnold will lose something in front of the Liverpool fans right now,” he said.
” Some people will say playing for Real Madrid… that price isn’t worth paying. Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, despite the claims that you must play there.
He has given up on that, he claims. That’s his decision”.
Additionally, being a local player has its drawbacks.
Chris Sutton won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers between 1994 and 1995, but Norwich was his first professional team.
The former striker was born in Nottingham but his family moved to Norfolk when he was a couple of years old, so for him it was his hometown club.
When playing for your neighborhood club, is there a difference? Yes, because you are deeply committed to the club, your family, and the area. You are playing for them all”, he told BBC Sport.
People always consider how great it is when someone enters and plays for his or her boyhood club, but in many ways there is more pressure than when you relocate.
Because you are a local lad, you don’t always get more fans’ cries, which is a result of the environment and the expectations at clubs. A lot of the time now, fans expect immediate success from these players coming through. They want the finished product, according to them.
It’s likely Alexander-Arnold’s departure from Anfield will be more about the advantages of living with Los Blancos than the drawbacks of any additional pressure on Merseyside.
Many Liverpool supporters have left questioning the defender’s dynamic, though. To use Sexton’s words: “Why are you doing this”?
He continued, “It’s that lack of understanding that has caused such a strong reaction.” It’s not surprising that it’s emotionally charged.
Matt Butler, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, says the depth of feeling is not dissimilar to that shared among a group of mates.
We can easily compare the events of friends leaving a friendship group, moving away, or a coworker who was headhunted by another company and sets up with a competitor, he told BBC Sport. It can give the impression of betrayal or even grief that it is taking place.
“Humans form groups, and we give them a lot of respect.” That includes football teams because football fans can have identity fusions where their own identity becomes merged with the group – the club and the players.
That entails that we attach a lot of emotional significance to our groups, and we are very careful to prevent others from stealing from the organizations we belong to. So any attempt to leave the group or feel like they have been betrayed feels like a real transgression.
A feeling of betrayal – and also a sense of longing for what was once shared but is now being lost.
He continued, “Football is steeped in nostalgia.” We all recall our previous successes and how things used to be, which is what nostalgia really helps groups connect.
Monaco Grand Prix
Dates: 23 May 2019 Start time: 14:00 BST on Sunday
Adrian Newey claims that “some of our tools are weak” will hinder Aston Martin’s efforts to develop into a competitive team.
The design legend, who was born in March, will compete for the first time this weekend in Monaco with the team at a grand prix.
As they strive to become world champions, Newey has been given a five-year contract that could be worth as much as £30 million annually, including bonuses and add-ons.
Newey pointed out Aston Martin’s new Silverstone factory as a weak point, despite the fact that the company has constructed a new factory there.
It’s accurate to say that some of our tools are ineffective, according to Newey. The driver-in-the-loop simulator, which is a fundamental research tool, needs a lot of work, particularly because it doesn’t seem to be correlating at all right now.
The 65-year-old claimed that Aston Martin would need to “sort out a plan to get it where it needs to be,” but that project would likely take two years.
Two and a half months into Newey’s time with the team, he said, “There are many very, very good people there. Just need to try to work together, perhaps in a slightly more organized way.
“That’s simply a result of the roots of the team at Jordan, which later evolved into Force India, Racing Point, and was as a result always a small but marginally over-performing team, and to become a very big team that has, in reality, underperformed this year.
After a distinguished career with Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, Newey stated that working with Fernando Alonso, the team’s former world champion, for the first time in a live event was one of the things he was looking forward to in Monaco.
“Newey said, ” Fernando, he’s such a cool character. I’ve had him and Lewis (Hamilton) as enemies for a number of years, but I’ve never really got one of them because I wanted to work with both of them.
I’m looking forward to that developing a little bit this season, but especially next season, because it’s only once once you hit the track that you truly begin to form that bond.
When asked about rumors that Aston Martin might try to woo four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who Newey previously worked for Red Bull, they said: “If we want to ever attract Max, we need to make a fast car.
When Aston Martin might be able to provide that, he claimed he had “no idea.”
As a result of the Japanese company becoming Aston’s works partner, Newey has been working full-time on the design of Aston Martin’s 2026 car, which will compete in line with the new chassis and engine regulations being introduced next season.
He claimed that he recently took a weekend off and that he had a two-week break. It’s been a pretty good day since I started blogging in March, aside from that. My wife kind of makes me go into a design trance, and I understand what she means.
I have a tendency to miss the lines when I’m having a sharp focus. My processing goes entirely to the one area, which is attempting to design a fast-paced car with everyone’s input.
In order to harness enough electrical energy for the engines to function effectively, the 2026 rules introduce movable front and rear wings and introduce a change to the engines that increases the proportion of the hybrid engine’s electrical element’s power to about 50%.
When I first glanced at the 2026 rules, Newey said, “God, this doesn’t leave much.” There is a reasonable amount of flexibility once you get into the details, though. I’d like more, of course.
In front of a spirited home crowd, England’s world lightweight champion Terri Harper triumphed over the overmatched Natalie Zimmermann to win the WBO title.
The 28-year-old dominated right away, picking her rival up as she went along, never really putting a stop to the clock.
German Zimmermann, 42, was the target of a head-to-head brawl at the Eco-Power Stadium, which caused the fight to end in blood.
As three-weight world champion Harper increased her winning streak to 16 wins, two losses, and two defeats, all three judges scored it 99-91.
After that, Caroline Dubois, a fellow Briton and WBC lightweight champion, and Doncaster’s Harper demanded a unification fight.
O’Connor lost her battle with cancer and enjoyed a sizable following among her fellow fighters.
In what was the debut of the promotional outfit’s stadium card and world-title headliner, GBM hosted the event.
Harper made her ring walk at 23:10 BST after each fight on the main undercard went to points.
She was later renamed “Beger” and became the same-named ” Belter ” in Gerry Cinnamon’s folk song.
Many fans had already left, but those who still stood gave her a heroic welcome.
When a left hook from Harper drew chants of “Yorkshire” from the audience, the class gap was obvious right away.
Zimmermann was pinned to the ropes and was landed to both head and body by the former super-featherweight and light-middleweight champion.
After only starting boxing at age 37, Zimmermann from Hamburg, who had competed against world-class fighters like Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner, had won all 13 professional fights.
Zimmermann rushed in her punches, but her determination to win was unmatched.
In the sixth inning, a dejected Harper began to cut a frustrated figure, and she did receive a strong uppercut.
After years of squatting up and down the ranks in search of major victories and accolades, Harper now feels at lightweight and confident in halting the Dubois’ hype.
Dubois, 26, has long been viewed as the female boxing future, and she has predicted that Harper might “crumble” in a potential unification fight.
Harper continued, “That fight makes sense,” adding that she will now take a brief break before engaging in unification fights.
Harper may take on Stephanie Han, the WBA champion, or IBF champion Beatriz Ferreira if the Dubois bout doesn’t happen.
Jurgen Klopp, the ex-LSE boss, claims he turned off his television after hearing supporters booing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The 26-year-old defender is expected to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Under German Klopp, Alexander-Arnold was a key player in Liverpool’s success, including a first league title in 30 years in 2019-20. He arrived at the club at the age of six.
However, when he emerged from the substitute bench against Arsenal earlier this month and announced his intention to stay with a new contract, some fans turned against him and booed him.
The former manager made the remarks at a fundraiser for the LFC Foundation on Friday, saying that it was “wrong” for supporters to boo him and that the England full-back needed to be defended vehemently.
I’m not interested in telling you what you think. Klopp said, “I can tell you what you think is wrong.”
“I tell you don’t forget, I don’t tell you that you shouldn’t be angry or depressed.” This group is persistent.
When he started playing, I heard the booing and I watched the game. I turned off the television. I’m so disappointed right now, I guess.
And he highlighted Klopp’s dedication to the club while he was in charge.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he had told the player he needed to improve his “defensive discipline” if he wants his country to win a major tournament despite being praised for his offensive abilities.
He sometimes relies heavily on his offensive contributions, and he doesn’t put as much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort, Tuchel said.
If he wants to have this kind of impact in the English national team, he must take the defensive aspect seriously, because that is what he did for Liverpool for so long.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also stated on Friday that he had spoken with Alexander-Arnold about how good he was at defending and that he could “could do a little more, to put it mildly” in training to get better. However, he was a better defender than people would give him credit for.
On June 7, England will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier, before hosting Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 10.
To get to know him, Tuchel said.
Jurgen Klopp, the ex-LSE boss, claims he turned off his television after hearing supporters booing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The 26-year-old defender is expected to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Under German Klopp, Alexander-Arnold was a key player in Liverpool’s success, including a first league title in 30 years in 2019-20. He arrived at the club at the age of six.
However, when he emerged from the substitute bench against Arsenal earlier this month and announced his intention to stay with a new contract, some fans turned against him and booed him.
The former manager made the remarks at a fundraiser for the LFC Foundation on Friday, saying that it was “wrong” for supporters to boo him and that the England full-back needed to be defended vehemently.
I’m not interested in telling you what you think. Klopp said, “I can tell you what you think is wrong.”
“I tell you don’t forget, I don’t tell you that you shouldn’t be angry or depressed.” This group is persistent.
When he started playing, I heard the booing and I watched the game. I turned off the television. I’m so disappointed right now, I guess.
And he cited Klopp’s best achievements as manager as well as the Liverpool-born player’s dedication to the club.
He claimed that he “always gave everything” and that he “wears the Liverpool badge in his skin.”
Why did he not accept a new contract? ‘. Fans frequently say, “He goes without a transfer fee,” in this discussion.
They (the owners) must be furious, they say.
“This 18-year-old boy scored a free kick in Hoffenheim, which means that we don’t qualify for the Champions League if he doesn’t score.”
He did the most outrageous thing in the world, scoring the winner for 4-0, which means a win and a lost game.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he had told the player he needed to improve his “defensive discipline” if he wants to help his country win a major tournament despite being praised for his offensive abilities.
He sometimes relies heavily on his offensive contributions, and he doesn’t put as much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort, Tuchel said.
“He must take the defensive aspect very seriously if he wants to have this impact in the English national team, given the significant impact he had for Liverpool over so many years.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also stated on Friday that he had spoken with Alexander-Arnold about how good he was at defending and that he could do something to improve.
On June 7, England will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier, before hosting Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 10.
Tuchel added, “Now is the time to get to know him.”