evins departure -- he would be a larger icon than ever before.Cornett is confident the Thunder can rebound without Durant.I reaevins departure -- he would be a larger icon than ever before.Cornett is confident the Thunder can rebound without Durant.I rea | Forum

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde refused to be drawn on a supporter walk-out during Tuesdays defeat to Everton. Custom Sean Elliott Jersey . The Premier Leagues bottom club slipped even closer to relegation as the Toffees eased to a 3-1 victory in front of a crowd of less than 30,000 at Villa Park.The number of those in attendance decreased significantly in the 74th minute when large sections of home supporters left the ground in direct protest to the Aston Villa hierarchy. Remi Garde calls for unity after fan protest during Everton defeat However, speaking after the game, Garde urged everyone connected with the club to stay united as he continues to plot a path to avoid relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.Its always better when everyone - the fans, the club, players and manager - stick together, Garde told Sky Sports.When you are bottom of the league it is because there are problems and the more problems you have the more problems come as well. Everton boss Roberto Martinez was pleased with his sides start to the game after they beat Aston Villa 3-1. I dont want to make comments about that [protest], Ive got enough work to do with the players in trying to give them the best solution to win the next game.I still believe that mathematically we can still do it [avoid relegation}. I am frustrated at the results tonight with rivals getting a point or having lost games.It is not over, of course it is more difficult but when I see my team in the second half I still believe that we can win enough games and points. Aston Villas Micah Richards says they have not been good enough this season after they lost 3-1 to Everton. It is going to be very difficult but I have said ever since I joined this football club that I will try to make my players believe they can do it.Tuesdays defeat leaves Villa eight points adrift from safety with just ten games remaining to save their top-flight status.Ramiro Funes Moris fifth-minute strike set the Toffees on their way to victory before strikes from Aaron Lennon and Romelu Lukaku put the game beyond Gardes men. Angry Aston Villa supporters leave the stand in the middle of second half against Everton And the Frenchman was left to rue his team selection which failed to keep Everton at bay, adding: We are very disappointed.Again, we have conceded three goals, two early ones, after that it was difficult to come back into the game.We tried, in the second half it was better we had some chances but not enough to threaten Everton. Clearly tonight we had a lack of confidence. Everton cruise at Villa Aston Villas dismal run of form continued as Everton cruised to a 3-1 victory at Villa Park. Some spells of the game were good, we created chances, we used width of the pitch as we wanted with many crosses and we scored one goal. But tonight Everton were probably better than us.I tried to change the shape of the team to stabilise and give more confidence at the back playing three but unfortunately we conceded goals.One from a set piece, thats too many from set pieces in the last three of four games we have conceded at least one from set pieces.Even with three at the back it was not enough tonight to prevent the Everton goals. Also See: Everton cruise to Villa win Villa video Villa fixtures Villa stats Wholesale Custom Spurs Shirts . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cheap Spurs Jerseys . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.customspursjersey.com/ . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Oklahoma City was left stunned and is in a bit of a panic after the departure of free agent and?Thunder?star Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors, longtime mayor Mick Cornett told ESPN Radios Capital Games podcast.Were stunned, said Cornett, who has been the mayor of Oklahoma City since 2004 and is a former sports reporter in the city. We had no history. Kevin was our Ernie Banks and Michael Jordan. Hes the history. ... Weve been spurned by someone we cared deeply about. Thats the emotional aspect of it.Durant, the 2007 national player of the year after one season at Texas, was selected No. 2 overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who then moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.Durant was the NBA Rookie of the Year and went on to be NBA MVP in 2014. He also was a seven-time All-Star selection, Olympic gold medalist (2012) and led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012.In 2013, he donated $1 million to the American Red Cross after a devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.On Monday, Durant announced he was leaving for the Golden State Warriors, who erased a 3-1 deficit to beat the Thunder in the Western Conference finals. Durant, a free agent, reportedly will sign a two-year, $54.3 million deal with a player option after the first season.[Durant] took on being an almost incredible figure in the city, Cornett said. If you said youre from Oklahoma City, theyre likely to say Kevin Durant or theyre likely to say OKC Thunder. He put us on the map. Its not all him -- (owner) Clay Bennett and (GM) Sam Presti have orchestrated an incredible franchise here -- but he was the face of the franchise both here locally and worldwide.Cornett said it was hard to put into numbers the financial impact that Durant had on the city.He meant so much in ways its impossible to quantify, Cornett said. If you were a CEO in OKC and you were hiring from the East or West Coast 10 yeears ago, you might have said Oklahoma City isnt culturally relevant. Cheap Custom Spurs Jersey. .But Kevin is a part of the success story for OKC. Kevin was a part of the renaissance. This city has come so far, so fast -- probably further, faster than any city in American history. Kevin was right there along with us. Theres a slight sense of panic.Cornett heaped praise on Durant, but he did say the perception of the superstar has been tainted in the city.His image has changed drastically than it was last week because of his decision to join a team of superstars in the NBA, Cornett said. You cant get that back. From the basketball side of it, I dont believe Kevin is going to have the impact on the Warriors that he did on the Thunder. The Thunder could have won next years championship. But I never got the sense -- and I cant imagine he fooled us for nine years -- that he wanted to leave Oklahoma City.Cornett made an impassioned plea for fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook to stay. Westbrook can be a free agent in 2017.If the Thunder build a team around Russell Westbrook, they could easily do so, Cornett said. But Russell has to buy into that. I dont know if Russell is interested in being the figurehead of the franchise. If Russell were to choose to stay in Oklahoma City -- and in the wake of Kevins departure -- he would be a larger icon than ever before.Cornett is confident the Thunder can rebound without Durant.I really do put a lot of trust in Clay Bennett and Sam Presti, Cornett said. They want to be good every year and for the long term. The idea that they would trade their best players for draft picks and try to rebuild and get in the lottery ... thats never been the strategy that theyve communicated [to me]. They want to compete here and they should. ' ' '