Sports Takes I

I know today is not a Sunday, but there are so many different things happening in the sports world that I have to talk about.

Should Marcus Rashford Stay at Barcelona?

Marcus Rashford is currently a Manchester United player on loan at Barcelona, and it's safe to say he's back to himself.

The free kick he scored against Real Madrid was a banger. This whole season, Marcus Rashford was an X factor. Not only was he scoring goals, getting assists, dribbling, and creating chances, but the most important thing was that he regained his confidence. Rashford is an interesting player because he is such an up-and-down player. Sometimes he's one of the best players in the world, then other times you forget that he's on the pitch. Players like that are sometimes scary for clubs because you never know when their form will dip. Rashford reminds me of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and even Ousmane Dembele.

I am a Man City fan, so I've watched all of Phil Foden's career, and it's been a wild watch. Sometimes he's so good that he becomes the best player on the team, outshining KDB, Haaland, Aguero, anyone really. He would score bangers from outside the box, create chances, and be in talks for a Ballon d'Or. This season, he was non-existent. It becomes scary for managers because if he doesn't perform, you need a backup. Luckily for Barcelona and Man City, they have Doku and Raphinha, so when Foden and Rashford are having a bad season, someone else can step up.

Answering the question: Should Marcus Rashford stay at Barcelona?

My answer is yes.

Not because of his amazing last season, but because it's time for him to part ways with Manchester United. There is a history of players leaving United and playing better. Even Rashford went on loan to Aston Villa and became a baller. Sometimes clubs and players aren't a good fit. I mean Antony, Sancho, McTominay, and even Elanga all left United and became better players.

An argument could be that La Liga is 10x easier than the PL. Which it could be, but Rashford was scoring in Champions League games, scoring against Real Madrid, and showing up in the big games. The main problem still stays with Marcus Rashford: inconsistency.

With the World Cup coming up next month, should he start for England? To me, he still hasn't proved that he won't lose his confidence. That's why I think staying at Barcelona would be a great move in his career, because he isn't the main option. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal are world-class players who consistently show up, and Rashford becomes the backup option. It pushes him to fight for a place in the squad and regain his confidence. He even said he would love to stay at Barca.

Rashford would be one of the main options in a Manchester United squad that is very inconsistent and does not have a true identity, and this is why he should stay.

Why is AR Playing the Point, Rui = Goat, What Happens to LeBron Now?

I watched the majority of Game 4 of OKC vs. Lakers, and there are a lot of things to dissect.

The Lakers genuinely put up a good fight. They didn't lose heart even though they were 3-0 down. They kept fighting, kept trying to get open looks, and played good defense, but OKC was just too good.

Rui Hachimura and LeBron genuinely carried the game for the Lakers. Rui was shooting the ball with no hesitation, getting to his spot for the middy, and he was unstoppable. The ball just kept going in the net. Rui stepped up when he needed to. No Luka, AR coming back from an injury, and it just shows that the Lakers need to keep Rui as a backup or even as a starter.

AR had 27 / 7 / 6 this game, and he was definitely influential. Coming off an injury, he deserves to be cut some slack. This might not make sense to some people, but I think Marcus Smart should've been the one driving the ball up and down the court. He should've played more point guard than AR. The reason why I felt this way was because AR isn't a natural PG. He is a SG by default. This was shown when he had 8 turnovers this game. It didn't feel natural. He is better coming off the dribble, creating a shot, or driving to the basket.

Once again, it's not entirely his fault because when you have an injured Luka, you have to improvise. However, I felt like Marcus Smart did a better job as PG, even though he also had 6 turnovers.

I'll be honest, I love basketball, but my knowledge isn't as deep as it is with football. Marcus Smart isn't a natural scorer. He is a Jrue Holiday type of player who focuses on doing the dirty work, getting rebounds, getting stops on the defensive end of the floor, and being a menace on the court. Smart isn't Luka, but he can be the one to make the right passes so Rui can make a step-back three, so LeBron can go to the post, and so AR can show his bag. I think JJ Redick should've trusted Smart more with the ball and let his team catch and shoot while playing to their own strengths.

LeBron James, the GOAT, my glorious king, had an amazing game. LeBron said after the game that this was his first time in his career where he was the third option and he has no regrets, and he shouldn't. I mean, the man is 41 years old, dropping 24 / 12 / 3 in a Game 4. He wasn't the problem at all. However, what happens next? Does he stay with the Lakers, retire at Cleveland, or retire? We all finna cry. The reason why I respect LeBron sometimes more than some of the GOATs like Cristiano is that he understands his role. He isn't the same 23-year-old slasher or the same 25-year-old lob threat. He understands that he is old, he isn't the main guy, and he is willing to step down for the Luka era. I think he should stay with the Lakers and still fight because he isn't the problem, but the Lakers can't rely on him to come back from a 3-0 series. Making changes around the team might be something to discuss.

Jaylen Brown, Kawhi, and the Giannis Situation

The Celtics lost a 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers, and everything might change in the blink of an eye.

When the Celtics won the chip two years ago, JB and JT were the best duo in the league and some of the best players in the league. Both are physical players who control games with an amazing defensive team of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis. However, since they left and JT tore his Achilles, it was time for JB to take the reins. He was an MVP candidate this season, he took the lead, and the team came 2nd in the East when no one had any hope for the Celtics. However, things took a turn in the playoffs. JT came back, JB was performing, but there is an identity that the Celtics live by: shooting the three.

It works because they have Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and other decent shooters with JT, JB, Luka Garza, and even Scheierman. However, sometimes the three-ball doesn't work, and the Celtics live and die by the three.

In Game 7, the Celtics shot 13/49, 26.5%, from the 3-point line, and I'm not sure why they kept going. Sometimes the ball doesn't go through the hoop. It's fine. So why not use JB and shoot some middys, use lob threats to Queta, or draw some fouls with D-White? It doesn't make sense. I'm not sure if this is Mazzulla's philosophy or something the Celts just do. But if the three-ball clearly isn't working, why keep shooting it?

This needs to change even if there are some changes next season. It can't keep happening because it might've worked in the NBA Finals two years ago, but this can't happen against better teams. Teams won't contest those open looks when players are having a bad streak from the three-point line, and they will force them to make other looks.

Now moving on to something more controversial: Jaylen Brown's comments. After losing Game 7 against the 76ers, Jaylen Brown was on stream and talked about how this was his favorite season of his career and how Joel Embiid flops.

While both of these things could be true, the timing is horrible. I mean, you just blew a 3-1 lead for the first time in Celtics history. Talking about how this is your favorite season, buddy, you won the chip two years ago. What are you talking about? And while Embiid might've been flopping, that is not the reason they lost the game. It is because they live and die by the three.

Also, clearly this was said in an emotional state. He said it less than 24 hours after the Game 7 loss. However, now everyone is talking about trades.

Some people are claiming that Jaylen Brown clearly wants to be the main focal point of a team. If he is saying this was his best season ever, it means he enjoyed playing the regular season as the main man since Tatum was injured. So why not let him go and be the main man somewhere else? That's when Giannis and Leonard enter the equation.

Giannis has been linked to the Celtics for 2 seasons now, and it might actually happen. Stephen A. Smith thinks it's a good idea because since the Celtics live and die by the three, when it doesn't work like it did in Game 7, why not let Giannis take control and be that slasher? After losing Porzingis, Giannis provides both a slasher and lob threat, but also a defensive machine, which the Celtics are lacking. Giannis is linked to the Knicks, but if they do well and even win the chip this year, why do they need him? Giannis is a top 5 player in the world, no doubt, averaging 27 / 5 / 9. Could he save the Celtics?

The next trade possibility is Kawhi Leonard. Again, Leonard isn't a three-point shooter, so when the Celtics aren't shooting the three well, why not let Kawhi take over and cook? Similar to Giannis, he is a great defensive player who averaged 27 / 6 / 3 in the regular season, and he is an amazing player who is consistent. However, both Giannis and Leonard are injury-prone players. They constantly get injured, and when you need them the most, you must pray and hope they are fit and healthy. Jaylen Brown is usually fit and healthy. Health is wealth at the end of the day, so JB staying is also not a bad idea. They just need to make changes in their style of play.

Giannis and Kawhi are some of my favorite players in the NBA, and obviously I would love to have them in Boston. However, I don't know if the Bucks are willing to do a straight swap with JB, and right now, with the state of the Celtics, they can't afford to trade some of their crucial pieces like Pritchard and Derrick White. The Celtics are definitely going to make some changes, and they could be drastic ones.

Is the Arsenal Hate Valid?

I've never seen a team get this much hate ever. Arsenal is the most hated sports franchise currently, and it's not because of one criterion. It's everything. Their manager is annoying, the way they play football is worse than watching paint dry, and their fans make me want to delete TikTok.

However, no team has ever gotten this reaction before. Is it justified?

Starting with the fans, at this point, I genuinely don't know if it's rage bait or if all of these fans need to see a psychiatrist. Comparing Saka to Messi, Declan Rice Ballon d'Or talks, saying this is the best CL team ever to possibly win the trophy, saying David Raya is the best goalkeeper ever. The thing is, as a City fan, being objective, this is just completely wrong. Anyone with a brain knows this is just wrong. So do Arsenal fans make these statements so they get more attention, or are they delusional because they are finally having some success? They might not win anything this season. I get it, being passionate is a great thing, but when you make insane comparisons, how can anyone actually have respect for the club? I am a City supporter, and I don't think KDB is better than Zidane. I don't think Haaland is better than Messi, and I don't think Cherki is going to be better than Neymar. I have a brain. I love my team and players, but I don't make these comparisons. Neither do Liverpool supporters, Bayern supporters, or even Manchester United supporters.

Their style of football is also just not fun to watch. Yes, they win games, but it's just not entertaining. Always relying on some hero type of goal to win games, using set pieces and turning it into MMA matches, and even just having no creativity and flair is boring for a neutral spectator. Eze is a great player, but when you have a bus in Viktor Gyokeres and your boring wingers in Noni Madueke and out-of-form Saka, what is he supposed to do?

The saddest thing about all of this is that this is their best chance of winning trophies this year, and they aren't even all that, in my opinion. Manchester City is in a transition season, losing KDB, Gundogan, Mahrez, Walker, Ederson, and other players. City has been buying new players and testing them out, like Khusanov, Cherki, O'Reilly, and even Reijnders. Arsenal bought their new striker who will finally help them win. They bought a new midfielder in Zubimendi and even bought backups like Hincapie and Calafiori to strengthen depth, and they are still edging their way to a title when the rest of the PL aren't at their best. Liverpool has a manager problem, Manchester City and United are experimenting, Tottenham is in deep trouble with relegation, and Chelsea has so many problems that they can't find a core starting 11.

Arsenal is similar to the NY Knicks in that their fans are delusional. However, watching the Knicks is actually entertaining. Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges are all entertaining players who don't make me bored. They are hoopers. Both fanbases celebrate every win like they won a title, but the Knicks players are actually entertaining.

The Arsenal hate is valid, unfortunately, because of so many factors. It's not an agenda against the team.

What in the World Happened to Real Madrid?

Even though I am a Man City fan, I grew up wearing a Real Madrid jersey as I played in their sporting academy in Singapore. I have a strong connection with the team, and it's just sad to see how ego and toxic fans ruined this club.

This current Real Madrid has a big name in every position in the starting 11: Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, Vinicius Junior, and more.

The obvious story is the fight between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. While I won't go in depth into this story, there was a fight between these two players on the training ground that resulted in Valverde getting stitches and being sent to the hospital.

This is a horrible time for Real Madrid right now. They lost La Liga, lost El Clasico, and the buses left the players at Camp Nou, so they had to figure out a way back home. They are out of the Champions League, and now they want Kylian out of the club.

There is a "...petition calling for his exit, which had an initial target of 200,000, has now remarkably surged past 73 million - although how many of them are actually Real fans is unclear... Despite scoring 85 goals and chalking up 11 assists in 100 appearances for Real Madrid." (Source: OneFootball)

Real Madrid is a club with high standards. If you don't meet them, leave.

The fans are the ones driving it. They whistle at their own players, and whenever a bad season like this one is happening, they aren't shy to let their own players know. It's toxic because you can't win every season, and especially targeting your main star player, who clearly isn't the problem with 85 goals, isn't helpful.

However, it's also the players' egos right now. When you have Bellingham's ego, Vini crying every two seconds, Kylian not adapting to the other players, and everyone thinking they deserve to be in the starting 11, you can't win. This isn't Blue Lock.

In my opinion, remove some of the heavy, egotistical players like Valverde and Vini, and bring in more grounded players. Luka Modric was a key player for this Real Madrid team, and he had 0 ego in his veins. They need someone like that. No one is bigger.

(all images were made using AI specifically OpenAI to avoid copyright)