After yet another early World Cup exit the media post mortem will again draw up the conclusion that they had the players to go all the way, but just couldn't live up to their potential on the field. And no matter what sport you think about, at some point these words could've been applied to the England National team (or players). Tim Hennman in Tennis never won a grand slam and was heavily noted for doing so. In the last 50 years, depite possesing some of the greatest footballers, we have failed to win a Football World Cup. Only recently have we lived up to our potential in cricket, although the one day world cup was a bit of an issue.
After years of watching England go into tournaments with far higher expectaitons that results, it has become very clear that all of them suffer from the same problem. They're all afraid of playing their own way. Sometimes it's not even the players fault, but the sporting associations themselves. After the 90's the Sampras era over Wimbledon was waining, and Britain had themselves the best serve volleyer in the game in the form of Tim Henman. For those of you who remember dear old Tim getting knocked out again and again and are probably pulling a face to the tune of 'as if he was the best', Sampras had said it himself. So this was Britains chance to get a Grand Slam hero for the first time in ages. Instead the All England Club slowed both the courts and the balls down to help baseline play, not exactly what Tim was after. However it was good timing for a little chap called Federer to bring in another era of grass court domination, no chance for Henman anymore. But the governing bodies of sport aren't usually to blame.
Since the start of the Premier League in the 90's it has been heralded as the most competetive top League in the world, with many teams battling for honours and European spots, and very rarely have there been a definite bottom three. There are also more British players in this league than any other, so logic would dictate that England would be regularly challenging at major tournaments. Wrong. Year after year we have all watched England try and play a style of football that we just don't suit, posession football is just not in a English players nature. The fans have demanded fast frantic football with fast wingers and counter-attacks at every opportunity, and the Premier League has provided, but the National team has not. Recently we have started to play more of the football we see week in week out, but watching how other teams play and trying to copy wont work, we just become poorer versions of those teams. Brazil had the samba football their street football upbringing gave birth to, the current Spain and the Netherlands of the past have their 'total football', and in a different way Italy had their stone wall defensive pay, and their players love it because it's the style they want to play, and they get results that way. If we want sucess, we have to play our own way.
The same goes for Rugby. 8 Years ago when Martin Johnson led the English team all the way we had a rock hard defence, a disciplined team, and a well thought out kicking game. Watching the game against France was painful, because we were sloppy, left holes in the defence and the only person willing to put boot to ball was the scrum half, who's box kicks we never won back and didnt gain any ground from. The All Blacks and the Aussies have always goaded us for being a kicking team afraid to take the ball on. But it worked. Our brilliant kicking game allowed us to play most of the match in their territory, and our discipline meant that when the game broke down we usually had more of a chance of leaving their half with 3 points than not. It's great to have line breakers in our team like Tuilangi, but after 6 attempts the French knew what was happening and we got nowhere.
In conclusion, British sport needs to grow a pair and do it's own thing, and not be sucked into whats working for others, every sport would benefit from it.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Friday, 30 September 2011
Should Tennis players strike?
Recently Andy Murray has added his name to the a number of top tennis players that have voiced their concerns over the crowded professional schedule. Tennis players get one month of off season a year, and even that is cut short if you happen to have made the final of the Davis Cup with your country. Straight after this off season they have one of the four main tournaments of the year, the Australian Open. The timing of this event means that even during the rest period you have to be keeping fit and training is almost as intensive as it is during the playing season. But surely it's this hectic schedule that allows them to make so much money overy the 10-15 year career they have? You could also argue that if someone wants to risk playing week in week out for ranking points and money, but risk injuries along the way, then it is that players choice to do so?
Whilst footballers are complaining about having 2 or 3 games a week tennis players regularly have 4 games a week,and during grand slam fortnights this could mean 7 matches of around 4 hours each. And with two grandslams (The French Open and Wimbledon) falling within just over a month period there is a lot of tennis to be played, especially as these two surfaces (clay and grass) are the most different of all the surfaces that the sport is played on. If these players are injured for 2 or 3 weeks they're missing a lot of matches, and a lot of ranking points in the process. Footballers on the other hand will still get their weekly wage, just missing a few bonus payments for playing or scoring. Longevity in the game is not just attributed to skill, but how you can condition your body as well. But with the game becoming increasingly punishing on the body players like Nadal will be hard pressed to match the records of Federer, who hasn't retired from a tournament since he was 16. All in all the game is getting tougher and the schedule hasn't evolved with it.
Despite this sporting professionals all seem to complain about playing a sport they love for a living, and the tabloids do love to moan at them for this. The players put their bodies on the line but they get rewarded for it. Ranking points can be protected if the player is injured, so it is not as huge a loss as it might have been in the past if you now get injured. The prize money for each of the grand slams is eye watering, and despite not yet winning his first Grand Slam Murrays earnings so far total nearly $17m, so he's not exactly on the breadline. Also if a player is good enough he can set himself up for huge endorsement deals, such as Federer with Nike, Gilette and Rolex, as well as future coaching jobs for the players who understand the technical side of the game that bit more. John Lloyd never really captured the imagination as a tennis player, but he's forged a long career out of the sport with his own string of clubs up and down the country offering a comprehensive sporting club membership.
Taking everything into account, I do feel the players need to have some restbite when it comes to their schedule, and it definitely needs to be looked at if we want the game to progress as it has done in the last 30 years. Maybe limiting the number of tournaments that can be entered by a player each year would help, so players wouldnt feel pressured to push their bodies as far as their games need to be. So despite the stick they will get from saying its too hard work, Maybe their schedule does need to be ammended, otherwise I don't think the game will continue to be as exciting as the last few years.
Whilst footballers are complaining about having 2 or 3 games a week tennis players regularly have 4 games a week,and during grand slam fortnights this could mean 7 matches of around 4 hours each. And with two grandslams (The French Open and Wimbledon) falling within just over a month period there is a lot of tennis to be played, especially as these two surfaces (clay and grass) are the most different of all the surfaces that the sport is played on. If these players are injured for 2 or 3 weeks they're missing a lot of matches, and a lot of ranking points in the process. Footballers on the other hand will still get their weekly wage, just missing a few bonus payments for playing or scoring. Longevity in the game is not just attributed to skill, but how you can condition your body as well. But with the game becoming increasingly punishing on the body players like Nadal will be hard pressed to match the records of Federer, who hasn't retired from a tournament since he was 16. All in all the game is getting tougher and the schedule hasn't evolved with it.
Despite this sporting professionals all seem to complain about playing a sport they love for a living, and the tabloids do love to moan at them for this. The players put their bodies on the line but they get rewarded for it. Ranking points can be protected if the player is injured, so it is not as huge a loss as it might have been in the past if you now get injured. The prize money for each of the grand slams is eye watering, and despite not yet winning his first Grand Slam Murrays earnings so far total nearly $17m, so he's not exactly on the breadline. Also if a player is good enough he can set himself up for huge endorsement deals, such as Federer with Nike, Gilette and Rolex, as well as future coaching jobs for the players who understand the technical side of the game that bit more. John Lloyd never really captured the imagination as a tennis player, but he's forged a long career out of the sport with his own string of clubs up and down the country offering a comprehensive sporting club membership.
Taking everything into account, I do feel the players need to have some restbite when it comes to their schedule, and it definitely needs to be looked at if we want the game to progress as it has done in the last 30 years. Maybe limiting the number of tournaments that can be entered by a player each year would help, so players wouldnt feel pressured to push their bodies as far as their games need to be. So despite the stick they will get from saying its too hard work, Maybe their schedule does need to be ammended, otherwise I don't think the game will continue to be as exciting as the last few years.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Guest: Josh Heffernan on the Oscar Pistorius debate
Oscar Pistorius has broken records in the paralympics, and has now set his sights on able-bodied games. He is one good race away from qualifying for the Olympic 400m, despite the minor inconvenience of having no legs. After being described as an “inconvenient embarrassment” by the BBC the other day, the guy has every right to be a little angry at people. But there are three things about this whole deal that I feel need to be sorted out, fast:
- First of all, if people are not sure if the guy’s artificial legs give him an advantage, then I think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt. He trains and works hard like everybody else, and he deserves to be treated as such.
- Second of all, the IAAF only letting him run the first relay leg for safety reasons seems to ignore the fact that the rest of the athletes have inch-long spikes on the soles of their feet. If they can let Zola Budd run barefoot, they can let Blade Runner run wherever he wants.
- Third of all, Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians, said that if Pistorius runs in the Olympic 400m, it will turn the Paralympic 400m into a ‘B event.’ That sounds to me like someone admitting that the Paralympics has no value other than as a filler for those who cannot enter the Olympics. However, I would argue that this does the opposite. It makes the Paralympic Games relevant to the Olympics themselves in a way that has never really happened before.
True, he is not the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics (Swimmer Natalie Du Toit, also of South Africa, for all you pub quiz fans), but he is the first one to really capture the attention of the general public. It amazes me that the first amputee athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games will be looked at as anything but an inspiration, and I hope that, eventually, common sense and human decency will prevail.
- First of all, if people are not sure if the guy’s artificial legs give him an advantage, then I think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt. He trains and works hard like everybody else, and he deserves to be treated as such.
- Second of all, the IAAF only letting him run the first relay leg for safety reasons seems to ignore the fact that the rest of the athletes have inch-long spikes on the soles of their feet. If they can let Zola Budd run barefoot, they can let Blade Runner run wherever he wants.
- Third of all, Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain’s greatest Paralympians, said that if Pistorius runs in the Olympic 400m, it will turn the Paralympic 400m into a ‘B event.’ That sounds to me like someone admitting that the Paralympics has no value other than as a filler for those who cannot enter the Olympics. However, I would argue that this does the opposite. It makes the Paralympic Games relevant to the Olympics themselves in a way that has never really happened before.
True, he is not the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics (Swimmer Natalie Du Toit, also of South Africa, for all you pub quiz fans), but he is the first one to really capture the attention of the general public. It amazes me that the first amputee athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games will be looked at as anything but an inspiration, and I hope that, eventually, common sense and human decency will prevail.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Guest: Josh Heffernan on The Six Most Impressive Individual Performances from the World Championships
This is my second guest to write on this blog in a few days, and I think again it's a very interesting article, with one to follow in a few days that I think is a very interesting debate, any athletcis fans keep your eyes open for the updates.
Athletics is one of the rare sports that actually has a World Championships, and yet it is still not the biggest tournament in the sport. Having said that, last week in Daegu gave us plenty to look at going into the Olympics, including some big performances from relatively new names. So, here are six performances from Daegu that have really made me rethink some of my predictions for next year.
Mo Farah – A silver medal in the 5,000m at the World Championships is not to be sniffed at, but it says a lot about Mo Farah that we then expected him to ‘make up for it’ in the 10,000m. It says even more than he actually did it. Distance running has always had two key levels: world class, and Kenyan. Farah has been in the first category for a few years, but his gold medal in the 10k proved that he might just be a genuine contender in London. This wasn’t your average Commonwealth Games or European Championship crowd; he edged out the great Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat to win that (for the second time in six weeks, I might add). It was a perfectly run race, and for the first time in many years, Brits have a reason to watch the 10k at the Olympics.
Christian Taylor – Now, I have always been a big triple jump fan. I was brought up idolising Jonathan Edwards and, with Phillips Idowu being the best in the world right now, it amazes me that the event is not more prominent on British television. Personal issues aside, I sat back to see the inevitable moment when someone told me (note: told. Probably midway through the 800m, in passing) that Idowu had won. Then I found out about a 21-year-old who jumped 17.96m. I want to make this very clear: Idowu, widely recognised as the best triple jumper in the world did not perform badly. He did not choke. Idowu jumped a season’s best, just 4cm short of his PB, and he was still 22cm short. Taylor, who was not a contender, is now 5th on the all-time list. One more thing: in qualification for the final, Taylor failed to reach 17 metres. I hope he isn’t a one-off.
Yohan Blake – Undoubted shock of the tournament. Usain Bolt was such an overwhelming favourite that I didn’t even think to watch the heats. It’s just Bolt versus the clock at the moment. However, when Bolt fell afoul of the second most ridiculous rule in world athletics (I’ll get to that part later), we suddenly realised that other people run the 100m pretty damn quick. 9.92s quick. He isn’t a fluke either, as he proved at this week’s Diamond League (9.82). For those of you wondering if he is really all that good, bear this in mind: Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team broke the word record at Daegu. Blake was running instead of Asafa Powell. If you can keep Powell out of a relay team, you might just have something special.
Kirani James – Like Blake, this is a new kid who proved his win was no fluke by winning the Diamond League event this week. The 400m is a tough event to run, and to see an 18-year-old Grenadian to run 44.60s at the Worlds, beating the Olympic champion on the line, makes you wonder why this guy hasn’t really been seen before. Looking into his junior career had me even more excited about this guy. At the Carribbean Games (CARAFTA Games) Under-17 event, he won the gold medal with 47.86s… aged 14. Give this guy a good coach, and I can see this guy breaking a world record before he is done. I guarantee it.
David Storl - Shot put doesn't get a huge amount of viewership these days, but it doesn't mean there aren't big rising stars. Storl broke his personal best three times on his way to the shot put gold medal. Already the world junior record holder, the German became the youngest World Champion in shot put history. This isn’t impressive because of the distance though, but when you break your personal best three times in one week, it means you are still on a steep upward curve. This guy is on a steep upward curve, AND he’s already world champion. Again, I want to see how good this guy can go.
Dai Greene – I began this list with a Brit and it only seems reasonable to finish with a Brit. After winning in Daegu, the 400m hurdler is now surely the favourite to win gold in London. However, as if that wasn’t enough pressure, the Olympic title is all Greene needs to complete the athletics equivalent of a Grand Slam. Greene is already World, European and Commonwealth champion, and this will surely be his one and only chance to hold all four titles at the same time. Make sure you watch the 400m hurdles next year; it will be a big deal.
Athletics is one of the rare sports that actually has a World Championships, and yet it is still not the biggest tournament in the sport. Having said that, last week in Daegu gave us plenty to look at going into the Olympics, including some big performances from relatively new names. So, here are six performances from Daegu that have really made me rethink some of my predictions for next year.
Mo Farah – A silver medal in the 5,000m at the World Championships is not to be sniffed at, but it says a lot about Mo Farah that we then expected him to ‘make up for it’ in the 10,000m. It says even more than he actually did it. Distance running has always had two key levels: world class, and Kenyan. Farah has been in the first category for a few years, but his gold medal in the 10k proved that he might just be a genuine contender in London. This wasn’t your average Commonwealth Games or European Championship crowd; he edged out the great Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat to win that (for the second time in six weeks, I might add). It was a perfectly run race, and for the first time in many years, Brits have a reason to watch the 10k at the Olympics.
Christian Taylor – Now, I have always been a big triple jump fan. I was brought up idolising Jonathan Edwards and, with Phillips Idowu being the best in the world right now, it amazes me that the event is not more prominent on British television. Personal issues aside, I sat back to see the inevitable moment when someone told me (note: told. Probably midway through the 800m, in passing) that Idowu had won. Then I found out about a 21-year-old who jumped 17.96m. I want to make this very clear: Idowu, widely recognised as the best triple jumper in the world did not perform badly. He did not choke. Idowu jumped a season’s best, just 4cm short of his PB, and he was still 22cm short. Taylor, who was not a contender, is now 5th on the all-time list. One more thing: in qualification for the final, Taylor failed to reach 17 metres. I hope he isn’t a one-off.
Yohan Blake – Undoubted shock of the tournament. Usain Bolt was such an overwhelming favourite that I didn’t even think to watch the heats. It’s just Bolt versus the clock at the moment. However, when Bolt fell afoul of the second most ridiculous rule in world athletics (I’ll get to that part later), we suddenly realised that other people run the 100m pretty damn quick. 9.92s quick. He isn’t a fluke either, as he proved at this week’s Diamond League (9.82). For those of you wondering if he is really all that good, bear this in mind: Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team broke the word record at Daegu. Blake was running instead of Asafa Powell. If you can keep Powell out of a relay team, you might just have something special.
Kirani James – Like Blake, this is a new kid who proved his win was no fluke by winning the Diamond League event this week. The 400m is a tough event to run, and to see an 18-year-old Grenadian to run 44.60s at the Worlds, beating the Olympic champion on the line, makes you wonder why this guy hasn’t really been seen before. Looking into his junior career had me even more excited about this guy. At the Carribbean Games (CARAFTA Games) Under-17 event, he won the gold medal with 47.86s… aged 14. Give this guy a good coach, and I can see this guy breaking a world record before he is done. I guarantee it.
David Storl - Shot put doesn't get a huge amount of viewership these days, but it doesn't mean there aren't big rising stars. Storl broke his personal best three times on his way to the shot put gold medal. Already the world junior record holder, the German became the youngest World Champion in shot put history. This isn’t impressive because of the distance though, but when you break your personal best three times in one week, it means you are still on a steep upward curve. This guy is on a steep upward curve, AND he’s already world champion. Again, I want to see how good this guy can go.
Dai Greene – I began this list with a Brit and it only seems reasonable to finish with a Brit. After winning in Daegu, the 400m hurdler is now surely the favourite to win gold in London. However, as if that wasn’t enough pressure, the Olympic title is all Greene needs to complete the athletics equivalent of a Grand Slam. Greene is already World, European and Commonwealth champion, and this will surely be his one and only chance to hold all four titles at the same time. Make sure you watch the 400m hurdles next year; it will be a big deal.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Guest Writer : Nathan on Arsenal and Arsene
Hello Sport Central UK readers! For those who don't know me, my name's Nathan and I'm doing a nice little guest entry here on Scott's sports blog, and given my opinionated nature this could well be the first of many.
Today I've got a few bits and pieces to say about Arsenal. Anybody who knows me even the slightest will know that I'm quite a big Arsenal fan (and according to Scott "so biased that I could be Arsene Wenger's love child"). However, in this article it shouldn't really affect my opinions because I know for a fact that Arsenal fans are quite divided on this issue, so hopefully my affiliation with Arsenal will simply bring more knowledge to this discussion.
This whole thing is based firstly on Arsenal's appauling run of form and transfer shenanigans (or lack thereof) as well as something I heard Adrian Durham say on Talksport. Firstly I should point out that I am massively paraphrasing him here and do not claim that wat he is saying is necessarily right or wrong; just that it makes for a good thing to discuss. Durham's words were off the back of Arsenal's mad rush to sign new players on the last 2 days of the transfer window following their humiliating 8-2 defeat to Manchester United. Essentially his argument boiled down to the fact that for the last 2-3 years, Arsene Wenger has said that there's money at the club to spend but then hasn't spent it. Durham's view is that this decision not to spend money has come from Arsenal's board, and not from Arsene Wenger. He even went on to say that Wenger deliberately fielded a weakened side against Manchester United at Old Trafford the other week so that Arsenal would lose badly and that he would therefore be able to pursuade the board to give him money for transfers.
OK, so this is quite an extreme view to take and the truth is much more likely (as with most things) to be somewhere in the middle; however it is certainly true that there were some players (Vermaelen and Sagna being the most notable) who were borderline fit to play who Wenger didn't risk. Under normal circumstances this would be sensible, but Man United is one of the biggest games of the season not to be taking risks for. As with transfers, Wenger has built up a reputation of not spending any money. However, think back 7 or 8 years ago. Did he have that reputation then? The answer is no. He did not.
Looking back at Wenger's long career at Arsenal, the first transfer window open to him he splashed the cash on Marc Overmas and Emmanuel Petit, both of whom inspired the double-winning season of 97-98. The next two seasons he bought 13 players, many of very high quality; such as Nwankwo Kanu, Davor Suker (who was unsuccessful at the club but was signed off the back of a Golden Boot winning World Cup), Fredrik Ljungberg, Lauren and (of course) Thierry Henry. The season after that Wenger spent a grand total of £35 million; not a lot in todays market, but this was a time when Chelsea were poor and Man City in the 1st Division. In this same year that Marc Overmars was sold to Barcelona for a record-breaking £25 million, which somewhat dispels this idea of Wenger always refusing to make good use of the cash gained from the sale of big players. In fact before Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger spent less than he gained in transfers in a season only once. This was in the 99-00 season when Anelka was sold to Real Madrid for £23 million, and the same year that Henry, Suker and Lauren came to the club.
So, why has this changed after the move to the Emirates? Going back to Durham's argument, it's essentially because the board has less money they want to give to Wenger as they want to pay off the massive debt they incurred in the construction of the stadium as quickly as possible; which you can't really blame them for doing (especially as Wenger's the one who'll be taking the criticism for this). Whether he deliberately sent his players out to lose to United or not is more contentious. However, I do think that Wenger has come under some very unfair criticism in recent years for pursuing a transfer policy which is in fact, not his. People have forgotten, not just the fact that Arsenal does not have the money of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, or even Liverpool; but also the huge number of famous players around who Wenger signed for Arsenal. There are obvious examples such as Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor; but also some less obvious ones such as David Bentley, Matthew Upson, Slyvinho, Eduardo, Sebastian Larsson and Giovanni Van Bronkhorst.
The big question now is, where does this leave our opinion of Arsene Wenger? Personally I think much of the criticism of him has been quite harsh. In the past when I have said this, people have responded by saying that it's just because I'm an Arsenal fan. Maybe that's so, maybe it isn't; but this year with so many lifelong Arsenal fans screaming for a new manager, I think my defence of Wenger comes from taking a good long hard look at his situation. To be fair, he has made some pretty big mistakes in recent times. The two big ones for me are firstly the lack of honesty at the club. Arsenal have pretty much only just accepted that they can't be challenging for the league this season. This should have been said two years ago to stop the media and fans' hype and disappointment when we don't win anything. We're not the only team in the league not to have won anything for a while, so let's lower our expectations a bit. Also, if you don't have the money to rectify the situation over a season's worth of big transfers, then say so. Secondly, whilst I can potentially see why the signing of new players was left so late if the board were reluctant to spend; I really cannot see why the sales of Fabregas and Nasri had to wait so long when they were clearly on the cards. I don't just mean that these sales were inevitable because the media said so (I mean Fabregas was "definately going to Barcelona" every season since 2005); what I mean is that from inside the club Wenger must know who's most likely going that summer and who isn't. Why then did he not sell them quickly and use the time to pursuade the board to let him spend the money they made on those players, rather than wait until there was very little time left?
On the whole however, I don't see how the board would be able to justify sacking Arsene Wenger (especially seeing as his lack of success in recent years in partly down to them). Trophiless for 6 seasons we may be, but he is the most successful manager the club has ever had. With 3 Premiership titles and 4 FA Cups he is more successful even than the legednary Herbert Chapman. Also, a bigger question in my eyes, is who is going to replace him? Can anyone honestly think of another manager who is better than Wenger who will want to come and manage Arsenal on a long term basis? The only reasonable thing I've heard is that Guardiola apparently would like to manage Arsenal for want of a fresh challenge; although I must say I find it very difficult to believe that he would take the job when not faced with a hypothetical situation.
So, that's where I stand on the whole 'Arsenal and Arsene Wenger' situation going into Saturdays game against Swansea. I must say, transfer deadline sagas aside I'm very excited to see what our new signings are like - particularly Per Mertesacker who I think was a brilliant buy considering that he's 71 caps and 1 trophy better off than Gary Cahill, at £7 million less. Arteta will be another interesting one too. Obviously he's been very good for Everton, but I will reserve judgement until I see what he can do for us. I can't help but thinking though he should have left Everton 3 years ago so he could play at a higher level when he was a bit younger. If anyone has any comments or counter-arguments or anything that they wish to post below then I'd be happy to read and reply to them. Thanks very much to Scott for allowing me to write this little something for the blog (and for reading it through given that he already knows my arguments on this). Thanks for reading!
Today I've got a few bits and pieces to say about Arsenal. Anybody who knows me even the slightest will know that I'm quite a big Arsenal fan (and according to Scott "so biased that I could be Arsene Wenger's love child"). However, in this article it shouldn't really affect my opinions because I know for a fact that Arsenal fans are quite divided on this issue, so hopefully my affiliation with Arsenal will simply bring more knowledge to this discussion.
This whole thing is based firstly on Arsenal's appauling run of form and transfer shenanigans (or lack thereof) as well as something I heard Adrian Durham say on Talksport. Firstly I should point out that I am massively paraphrasing him here and do not claim that wat he is saying is necessarily right or wrong; just that it makes for a good thing to discuss. Durham's words were off the back of Arsenal's mad rush to sign new players on the last 2 days of the transfer window following their humiliating 8-2 defeat to Manchester United. Essentially his argument boiled down to the fact that for the last 2-3 years, Arsene Wenger has said that there's money at the club to spend but then hasn't spent it. Durham's view is that this decision not to spend money has come from Arsenal's board, and not from Arsene Wenger. He even went on to say that Wenger deliberately fielded a weakened side against Manchester United at Old Trafford the other week so that Arsenal would lose badly and that he would therefore be able to pursuade the board to give him money for transfers.
OK, so this is quite an extreme view to take and the truth is much more likely (as with most things) to be somewhere in the middle; however it is certainly true that there were some players (Vermaelen and Sagna being the most notable) who were borderline fit to play who Wenger didn't risk. Under normal circumstances this would be sensible, but Man United is one of the biggest games of the season not to be taking risks for. As with transfers, Wenger has built up a reputation of not spending any money. However, think back 7 or 8 years ago. Did he have that reputation then? The answer is no. He did not.
Looking back at Wenger's long career at Arsenal, the first transfer window open to him he splashed the cash on Marc Overmas and Emmanuel Petit, both of whom inspired the double-winning season of 97-98. The next two seasons he bought 13 players, many of very high quality; such as Nwankwo Kanu, Davor Suker (who was unsuccessful at the club but was signed off the back of a Golden Boot winning World Cup), Fredrik Ljungberg, Lauren and (of course) Thierry Henry. The season after that Wenger spent a grand total of £35 million; not a lot in todays market, but this was a time when Chelsea were poor and Man City in the 1st Division. In this same year that Marc Overmars was sold to Barcelona for a record-breaking £25 million, which somewhat dispels this idea of Wenger always refusing to make good use of the cash gained from the sale of big players. In fact before Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger spent less than he gained in transfers in a season only once. This was in the 99-00 season when Anelka was sold to Real Madrid for £23 million, and the same year that Henry, Suker and Lauren came to the club.
So, why has this changed after the move to the Emirates? Going back to Durham's argument, it's essentially because the board has less money they want to give to Wenger as they want to pay off the massive debt they incurred in the construction of the stadium as quickly as possible; which you can't really blame them for doing (especially as Wenger's the one who'll be taking the criticism for this). Whether he deliberately sent his players out to lose to United or not is more contentious. However, I do think that Wenger has come under some very unfair criticism in recent years for pursuing a transfer policy which is in fact, not his. People have forgotten, not just the fact that Arsenal does not have the money of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, or even Liverpool; but also the huge number of famous players around who Wenger signed for Arsenal. There are obvious examples such as Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor; but also some less obvious ones such as David Bentley, Matthew Upson, Slyvinho, Eduardo, Sebastian Larsson and Giovanni Van Bronkhorst.
The big question now is, where does this leave our opinion of Arsene Wenger? Personally I think much of the criticism of him has been quite harsh. In the past when I have said this, people have responded by saying that it's just because I'm an Arsenal fan. Maybe that's so, maybe it isn't; but this year with so many lifelong Arsenal fans screaming for a new manager, I think my defence of Wenger comes from taking a good long hard look at his situation. To be fair, he has made some pretty big mistakes in recent times. The two big ones for me are firstly the lack of honesty at the club. Arsenal have pretty much only just accepted that they can't be challenging for the league this season. This should have been said two years ago to stop the media and fans' hype and disappointment when we don't win anything. We're not the only team in the league not to have won anything for a while, so let's lower our expectations a bit. Also, if you don't have the money to rectify the situation over a season's worth of big transfers, then say so. Secondly, whilst I can potentially see why the signing of new players was left so late if the board were reluctant to spend; I really cannot see why the sales of Fabregas and Nasri had to wait so long when they were clearly on the cards. I don't just mean that these sales were inevitable because the media said so (I mean Fabregas was "definately going to Barcelona" every season since 2005); what I mean is that from inside the club Wenger must know who's most likely going that summer and who isn't. Why then did he not sell them quickly and use the time to pursuade the board to let him spend the money they made on those players, rather than wait until there was very little time left?
On the whole however, I don't see how the board would be able to justify sacking Arsene Wenger (especially seeing as his lack of success in recent years in partly down to them). Trophiless for 6 seasons we may be, but he is the most successful manager the club has ever had. With 3 Premiership titles and 4 FA Cups he is more successful even than the legednary Herbert Chapman. Also, a bigger question in my eyes, is who is going to replace him? Can anyone honestly think of another manager who is better than Wenger who will want to come and manage Arsenal on a long term basis? The only reasonable thing I've heard is that Guardiola apparently would like to manage Arsenal for want of a fresh challenge; although I must say I find it very difficult to believe that he would take the job when not faced with a hypothetical situation.
So, that's where I stand on the whole 'Arsenal and Arsene Wenger' situation going into Saturdays game against Swansea. I must say, transfer deadline sagas aside I'm very excited to see what our new signings are like - particularly Per Mertesacker who I think was a brilliant buy considering that he's 71 caps and 1 trophy better off than Gary Cahill, at £7 million less. Arteta will be another interesting one too. Obviously he's been very good for Everton, but I will reserve judgement until I see what he can do for us. I can't help but thinking though he should have left Everton 3 years ago so he could play at a higher level when he was a bit younger. If anyone has any comments or counter-arguments or anything that they wish to post below then I'd be happy to read and reply to them. Thanks very much to Scott for allowing me to write this little something for the blog (and for reading it through given that he already knows my arguments on this). Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Sporting Update
Rugby World Cup
I really don't understand the science behind watching sport, especially when it comes down to domestic vs international. I could watch most premier league football matches, even if it's not a team I'm interested in, but I can't for international matches. I just feel that the matches drag out and no-one really cares about the international matches until the world cup. However with rugby I cant stand domestic games, but I could watch any two nations in a Union Test match. This is why I love the rugby world cup. It's a brilliant atmosphere and its refreshing to see players who want to give it all for their country, not worrying about their pay packets or reputations.
Favourites - New Zealand
New Zealand are everyones favourites for the tournament, and you only have to look at their team to see why. Pace, power and a world class fly half. Dan Carter is the leading points scorer of all time, not only for New Zealand, but in the world, taking over from Wilkinson. Their pack is huge, and not afraid to run with the ball either as they all handle the ball terrifically well. Their back line also packs a huge punch, and don't be surprised to see Dan Carter simply hand the ball off for someone to simply try and break the defensive lines. Then when the defense gets used to that, Carters wonderous kicking abilities will have the opponents wondering what on earth is coming next. If you look at their team, something would have to go wrong for the All Blacks not to win.
English Prospects
England have a great chance to make their third final in a row. The team looks to be getting back into a nice flow, the pack seems to be operating as a complete unit and Wilkinson seems to be up to his old tricks again. I would also expect Manu Tuilagi to play a huge part with his speed and power if England are going to make it to the final.
Other hopefuls
France, Australia and South Africa will also fancy their chances going into this tournament. Australia will be bouyed by their recent victory over the all Blacks to seal the tri-nations, and would love to go to New Zealand to claim the Web Ellis trophy again. France have looked the complete outfit for while, but really struggle to keep their discipline at the vital points, they really need to focus to remain a danger in this world cup. South Africa have always been there or there abouts and would love to claim another trophy, they would have to play exetremely well though, because I'd put them as 4th or 5th in terms of technical ability.
So my verdict is an All blacks victory, but there is hope for other teams, because the pressure will really be on to claim a world cup after a 24 year wait. and in front of a home crowd that is rugby mad the pressure could really tell for the Kiwis and it will be a very interesting world cup.
Tennis
If you've been watching the tennis this week you'd be forgiven for thinking you were watching Wimbledon, for all the rain delays now garauntee that there will be play on Monday, for the fourth year in a row. Nadal and Murray have today raised safety concerns after only 3 games were played before play was delayed again due to rain. Nadal is the only top 4 player that hasnt really hit top form this tournament, with both the Djoker and Federer reaching their imperious bests at some point during their run through to the quarter finals. Murray looked dominating in the last three sets against Haase, but Nadal has stuttered through, collapsing with cramp for 15minutes in his press conference. My bet is the winner of the Djokovic v Federer (if they get to this) semi final to win, and I'd very much fancy Federer in that match, as the Djoker seems to have a mental block when it comes to the FedExpress.
International football
In the most recent round of international matches, there was a dissapointing lack of upsets. England won both of their matches in predictably uninspiring fashion, and everything seemed to be going to plan for everyone across the broad. Scotland will be the only ones agrieved with the results, after two controversial decisions in stoppage time robbed them of a chance to overtake the Czech Republic. The officials gave a very soft penalty to the Czechs for their equaliser, then refusing an identical appeal for a penalty straight after, instead booking the Scot for diving. I do feel aggreived for the Scots because I felt the edged the game and deserved all three points. Return to far more interseting football this weekend, thank God.
Athletics
So with the World Championships in Daegu now over, on paper it was a sucess for British athletics, and we can now look forward to London 2012 with mild optimism. For me the people that won the medals give great hope, but apparently for BBC reporters it means we've failed. Because some of our bigger prospects failed for gold and we relied on people that weren't expected to get gold to bring our medal haul up, its a failure. I think this is the brilliant, as if we can get people that are not tipped for gold to succeed, we're going to do very well in 2012. One of the reasons that we tend to not do so well at Olympics is that we pressure those with previous success, such as Jessica Ennis, who scored more points that wen she won the Heptathlon before but unluckily failed to take gold this time. If those who have no pressure can shine, and those with the talent also fulfill that promise, London 2012 will be a spectacle for the home fans inside the new Olympic Stadium. If you want to doom and gloom of the BBC here it is
I really don't understand the science behind watching sport, especially when it comes down to domestic vs international. I could watch most premier league football matches, even if it's not a team I'm interested in, but I can't for international matches. I just feel that the matches drag out and no-one really cares about the international matches until the world cup. However with rugby I cant stand domestic games, but I could watch any two nations in a Union Test match. This is why I love the rugby world cup. It's a brilliant atmosphere and its refreshing to see players who want to give it all for their country, not worrying about their pay packets or reputations.
Favourites - New Zealand
New Zealand are everyones favourites for the tournament, and you only have to look at their team to see why. Pace, power and a world class fly half. Dan Carter is the leading points scorer of all time, not only for New Zealand, but in the world, taking over from Wilkinson. Their pack is huge, and not afraid to run with the ball either as they all handle the ball terrifically well. Their back line also packs a huge punch, and don't be surprised to see Dan Carter simply hand the ball off for someone to simply try and break the defensive lines. Then when the defense gets used to that, Carters wonderous kicking abilities will have the opponents wondering what on earth is coming next. If you look at their team, something would have to go wrong for the All Blacks not to win.
English Prospects
England have a great chance to make their third final in a row. The team looks to be getting back into a nice flow, the pack seems to be operating as a complete unit and Wilkinson seems to be up to his old tricks again. I would also expect Manu Tuilagi to play a huge part with his speed and power if England are going to make it to the final.
Other hopefuls
France, Australia and South Africa will also fancy their chances going into this tournament. Australia will be bouyed by their recent victory over the all Blacks to seal the tri-nations, and would love to go to New Zealand to claim the Web Ellis trophy again. France have looked the complete outfit for while, but really struggle to keep their discipline at the vital points, they really need to focus to remain a danger in this world cup. South Africa have always been there or there abouts and would love to claim another trophy, they would have to play exetremely well though, because I'd put them as 4th or 5th in terms of technical ability.
So my verdict is an All blacks victory, but there is hope for other teams, because the pressure will really be on to claim a world cup after a 24 year wait. and in front of a home crowd that is rugby mad the pressure could really tell for the Kiwis and it will be a very interesting world cup.
Tennis
If you've been watching the tennis this week you'd be forgiven for thinking you were watching Wimbledon, for all the rain delays now garauntee that there will be play on Monday, for the fourth year in a row. Nadal and Murray have today raised safety concerns after only 3 games were played before play was delayed again due to rain. Nadal is the only top 4 player that hasnt really hit top form this tournament, with both the Djoker and Federer reaching their imperious bests at some point during their run through to the quarter finals. Murray looked dominating in the last three sets against Haase, but Nadal has stuttered through, collapsing with cramp for 15minutes in his press conference. My bet is the winner of the Djokovic v Federer (if they get to this) semi final to win, and I'd very much fancy Federer in that match, as the Djoker seems to have a mental block when it comes to the FedExpress.
International football
In the most recent round of international matches, there was a dissapointing lack of upsets. England won both of their matches in predictably uninspiring fashion, and everything seemed to be going to plan for everyone across the broad. Scotland will be the only ones agrieved with the results, after two controversial decisions in stoppage time robbed them of a chance to overtake the Czech Republic. The officials gave a very soft penalty to the Czechs for their equaliser, then refusing an identical appeal for a penalty straight after, instead booking the Scot for diving. I do feel aggreived for the Scots because I felt the edged the game and deserved all three points. Return to far more interseting football this weekend, thank God.
Athletics
So with the World Championships in Daegu now over, on paper it was a sucess for British athletics, and we can now look forward to London 2012 with mild optimism. For me the people that won the medals give great hope, but apparently for BBC reporters it means we've failed. Because some of our bigger prospects failed for gold and we relied on people that weren't expected to get gold to bring our medal haul up, its a failure. I think this is the brilliant, as if we can get people that are not tipped for gold to succeed, we're going to do very well in 2012. One of the reasons that we tend to not do so well at Olympics is that we pressure those with previous success, such as Jessica Ennis, who scored more points that wen she won the Heptathlon before but unluckily failed to take gold this time. If those who have no pressure can shine, and those with the talent also fulfill that promise, London 2012 will be a spectacle for the home fans inside the new Olympic Stadium. If you want to doom and gloom of the BBC here it is
Friday, 26 August 2011
Sport Roundup
Cricket
So England completed a memorable series whitewash and cemented their place at the top of the ICC test rankings with their 7th innings victory in 13 matches, a stat which in itself shows how dominant they have been in recent form, although after the first 3 tests this series was really over as any sort of contest. Since India lost Zaheer Khan in the first test you really have been wondering how India were going to take 20 wickets, and its really shown all through the series. India had England 124-8 and still let them get 120 more runs, they really lacked a cutting edge all series. However poor India were you do have to feel for Sachin Tendulkar, who looked in ominous form in the fourth test, only to be dismissed by a very fortuitous run out from Graeme Swann, then in the fifth test reaching 91 only to be trapped LBW by an absolutely wonderful delivery from Tim Bresnan. This kind of display shows how England have evolved, and really if they continue to evolve like this they could be a team that people feared in the like of Australia of the Warne and Gilchrist era. There are many parallels to be drawn between the two sides, especially from this series.
1 - Any number of batsmen could score a century. When Australia used to bat, you knew your bowlers were going to have to be on top from to stop them scoring 350/400, as every single batsman was a danger. Hayden and Langer opening, Ponting, Gilchrist and the Waughs following on. It was a tough ask to get them all out cheaply. The current English batsmen may lack the style and hard hitting that that Aussie team had, but they are all just as capable of scoring the runs. And when your bowlers are scoring runs like Bresnan and broad did, you're always looking at a healthy score.
2 - You could turn to a number of bowlers to take your wickets. Swann, Broad, Anderson, Bresnan and Tremlett all took wickets at pivotal times, and when Strauss changed bowlers you felt every bowler bought something to the crease. Australia used to have brilliant bowlers in the shape of Lee, McGrath and of course Warne, and if one of those wasn't performing another was just as likely to take the wicket.
3 - They field brilliantly. Everyone in that Aussie team knew what they were doing in the field, and the same can be said for the England side at the moment. Only a few dropped catches and it is the one area India never looked like competing with England, India looked sluggish in the field and only a few players looked like they'd paid any attention at catching practice.
Next for England is the One Day series, and unless India really exchange things around, I would predict much of the same. Obviously it's not as forgone as that, being One day matches there is a lot more uncertainty involved but I would still back England to win comfortably unless India really sort themselves out.
Football
With 5 days left of the transfer market one of the more obvious transfers of the season has been completed. Nasri to Man City has been on the cards for a while, especially since the player admitted he wanted the move himself. And after the move Arsenal really need to reinvest the money, or my prediction of them still making the top four is going to be way off the mark, especially with Liverpool looking solid. They're trying to buy Cahill, and I also heard a rumour that they were after Kaka for the season, which would be a massive capture, but I'm not convinced Wenger is able to buy big players at decent prices, rather than spotting young people for tuppence. This season is going to be another struggle for Arsenal unless they can convince some clubs to part with their big players. Tottenham also look like they're in the business of remodelling their squad, with 8 players rumoured to be moving out, with Adebayour moving in as well. In things concerning Tottenham the Europa league outcomes for the English clubs were brilliant, will all teams making it through to the group stages with relative ease, Spurs themselves fielding a team of academy graduates for a 0-0 draw. But at the other end of the scale, Scotland has no teams in the draw for the fist time since the competitions inception. However the best news of the Europa league must be the First Irish side to make the main draw of the Europa League which really is one for the sporting fairtytale believers.
Tennis
In the world of tennis the last major of the season starts on Monday, and after winning the last Masters tournament Murray is on good form and may well be in the best shape possible to win his first Grand Slam. If Djokovic is on form the only member of the top 4 I'd rule out is Nadal, as he really does not seem to know how to beat the Djoker, whilst Federer remains the only man to beat a fit Djokovic this year. If I was going to pick a winner, my heart says Federer will claim his next Slam, but my head says it's going to be Djokovic's 3rd Grand slam of the year. If you're after a dark horse for the title, either Del Potro or Tsonga could be dangerous of the hard courts, but personally I feel only 4 players have a chance here.
Formula 1
This weekend on the formula 1 calendar is a favourite amongst fans and drivers, with the Circuit de Spa-FrancorchampsSchumachers 20th anniversary, meaning he's been racing in F1 almost precisely as long as I've been alive, only a couple of days in it infact. With such a long break between races it's almost impossible to predict who's made the most progress, but I'll back Hamilton's desire to win to bring a McLaren 1-2 in a most likely damp Spa Sunday.
So England completed a memorable series whitewash and cemented their place at the top of the ICC test rankings with their 7th innings victory in 13 matches, a stat which in itself shows how dominant they have been in recent form, although after the first 3 tests this series was really over as any sort of contest. Since India lost Zaheer Khan in the first test you really have been wondering how India were going to take 20 wickets, and its really shown all through the series. India had England 124-8 and still let them get 120 more runs, they really lacked a cutting edge all series. However poor India were you do have to feel for Sachin Tendulkar, who looked in ominous form in the fourth test, only to be dismissed by a very fortuitous run out from Graeme Swann, then in the fifth test reaching 91 only to be trapped LBW by an absolutely wonderful delivery from Tim Bresnan. This kind of display shows how England have evolved, and really if they continue to evolve like this they could be a team that people feared in the like of Australia of the Warne and Gilchrist era. There are many parallels to be drawn between the two sides, especially from this series.
1 - Any number of batsmen could score a century. When Australia used to bat, you knew your bowlers were going to have to be on top from to stop them scoring 350/400, as every single batsman was a danger. Hayden and Langer opening, Ponting, Gilchrist and the Waughs following on. It was a tough ask to get them all out cheaply. The current English batsmen may lack the style and hard hitting that that Aussie team had, but they are all just as capable of scoring the runs. And when your bowlers are scoring runs like Bresnan and broad did, you're always looking at a healthy score.
2 - You could turn to a number of bowlers to take your wickets. Swann, Broad, Anderson, Bresnan and Tremlett all took wickets at pivotal times, and when Strauss changed bowlers you felt every bowler bought something to the crease. Australia used to have brilliant bowlers in the shape of Lee, McGrath and of course Warne, and if one of those wasn't performing another was just as likely to take the wicket.
3 - They field brilliantly. Everyone in that Aussie team knew what they were doing in the field, and the same can be said for the England side at the moment. Only a few dropped catches and it is the one area India never looked like competing with England, India looked sluggish in the field and only a few players looked like they'd paid any attention at catching practice.
Next for England is the One Day series, and unless India really exchange things around, I would predict much of the same. Obviously it's not as forgone as that, being One day matches there is a lot more uncertainty involved but I would still back England to win comfortably unless India really sort themselves out.
Football
With 5 days left of the transfer market one of the more obvious transfers of the season has been completed. Nasri to Man City has been on the cards for a while, especially since the player admitted he wanted the move himself. And after the move Arsenal really need to reinvest the money, or my prediction of them still making the top four is going to be way off the mark, especially with Liverpool looking solid. They're trying to buy Cahill, and I also heard a rumour that they were after Kaka for the season, which would be a massive capture, but I'm not convinced Wenger is able to buy big players at decent prices, rather than spotting young people for tuppence. This season is going to be another struggle for Arsenal unless they can convince some clubs to part with their big players. Tottenham also look like they're in the business of remodelling their squad, with 8 players rumoured to be moving out, with Adebayour moving in as well. In things concerning Tottenham the Europa league outcomes for the English clubs were brilliant, will all teams making it through to the group stages with relative ease, Spurs themselves fielding a team of academy graduates for a 0-0 draw. But at the other end of the scale, Scotland has no teams in the draw for the fist time since the competitions inception. However the best news of the Europa league must be the First Irish side to make the main draw of the Europa League which really is one for the sporting fairtytale believers.
Tennis
In the world of tennis the last major of the season starts on Monday, and after winning the last Masters tournament Murray is on good form and may well be in the best shape possible to win his first Grand Slam. If Djokovic is on form the only member of the top 4 I'd rule out is Nadal, as he really does not seem to know how to beat the Djoker, whilst Federer remains the only man to beat a fit Djokovic this year. If I was going to pick a winner, my heart says Federer will claim his next Slam, but my head says it's going to be Djokovic's 3rd Grand slam of the year. If you're after a dark horse for the title, either Del Potro or Tsonga could be dangerous of the hard courts, but personally I feel only 4 players have a chance here.
Formula 1
This weekend on the formula 1 calendar is a favourite amongst fans and drivers, with the Circuit de Spa-FrancorchampsSchumachers 20th anniversary, meaning he's been racing in F1 almost precisely as long as I've been alive, only a couple of days in it infact. With such a long break between races it's almost impossible to predict who's made the most progress, but I'll back Hamilton's desire to win to bring a McLaren 1-2 in a most likely damp Spa Sunday.
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Midweek Football
Champions League
Arsenal 1-0 Udinese
Arsenal really needed this result after the loss of Fabregas, but it could have gone many a different way if either team could finish. 3-0 Arsenal wouldn't have been hard to imagine, with Gervinho and Walcott both going close, whilst on the other hand 3-1 Udinese wasn't far away, with Di Natale going close and rattling the bar on one occasion. Whilst this victory was the pickup Arsenal needed, I'd be worried how fragile they looked missing a few of their bigger names.
Championship
Barnsley 1-3 Middlesbrough
Crystal Palace 2-1 Coventry
Doncaster 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Ispwich 2-5 Southampton
Leeds 4-1 Hull
Portsmouth 1-0 Reading
Watford 0-4 West Ham
If the premiership was a bit too boring with three 0-0 opening matches, make sure you watch the championship highlights. Leaky defences and organised attacks usually mean there's a lot of goals on offer, and last nights games really showed that, 7 games played with 25 goals shared between them. Southampton continued their 100% start to the season and looked very impressive against Ipswich, but I won't change my predictions of Leicester and West Ham to go up automatically, as Southampton haven't really faced a tough opposition yet. West Ham looked impressive themselves last night, sweeping aside former Premiership side Watford with ease, to bring them back-to-back away wins for the first time since 2007. Leicester play tonight so it'll be interesting to see how they bounce back from a defeat to Reading last time out.
Arsenal 1-0 Udinese
Arsenal really needed this result after the loss of Fabregas, but it could have gone many a different way if either team could finish. 3-0 Arsenal wouldn't have been hard to imagine, with Gervinho and Walcott both going close, whilst on the other hand 3-1 Udinese wasn't far away, with Di Natale going close and rattling the bar on one occasion. Whilst this victory was the pickup Arsenal needed, I'd be worried how fragile they looked missing a few of their bigger names.
Championship
Barnsley 1-3 Middlesbrough
Crystal Palace 2-1 Coventry
Doncaster 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Ispwich 2-5 Southampton
Leeds 4-1 Hull
Portsmouth 1-0 Reading
Watford 0-4 West Ham
If the premiership was a bit too boring with three 0-0 opening matches, make sure you watch the championship highlights. Leaky defences and organised attacks usually mean there's a lot of goals on offer, and last nights games really showed that, 7 games played with 25 goals shared between them. Southampton continued their 100% start to the season and looked very impressive against Ipswich, but I won't change my predictions of Leicester and West Ham to go up automatically, as Southampton haven't really faced a tough opposition yet. West Ham looked impressive themselves last night, sweeping aside former Premiership side Watford with ease, to bring them back-to-back away wins for the first time since 2007. Leicester play tonight so it'll be interesting to see how they bounce back from a defeat to Reading last time out.
Monday, 15 August 2011
Weekly Roundup
Football
Blackburn 1 - 2 Wolverhampton
This was a game that Blackburn really should be winning to get out of any relegation battles that want to avoid. If this is going to be representative of their season I'd be worried if I was a rovers fan, they didn't really create much and even though they had an inexperienced back line they looked shaky throughout. Wolves will take this win and look to build some momentum, building on wins is the difference between staying up and going down.
Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa
If any of the opening games was going to be goalless it was going to be this one, with villa having lost attacking inspiration Ashley Young and Fulham being consistent if unspectacular. Given proved to be an inspired buy with a couple of saves to keep Villa in the game, but they need to make a signing in the forward department, as Heskey is not premiership quality. Fulham should settle under Jol over the next 37 premiership games and do fairly well this year.
Liverpool 1 - 1 Sunderland
I was a bit surprised when I saw this result, as I thought Liverpool would have started their campaign a bit brighter, and a bit more aggressive. They may well have done better if Suarez had put the penalty away, but he did make up for the mistake later by scoring Liverpools only goal. However credit to Sunderland and they looked far better in the second half, if a little uninspiring upfront. At the end of the day, a fair result, but Liverpool would have wanted a win from this fixture
Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal
Is this a sign of whats to come for Arsenal in a world without Fabregas (or Nasri?), where Arsenal can't get a real scoring chance, let alone fail to miss it. Arsenal really failed to capitalise on some poor Newcastle play, and I can't see them doing as well as I predicted before unless they sign some serious firepower. The match itself was also marred by a strange incident where Barton was the one to go down easily, and it made a bit of a mockery of the match. Arsenal badly need new guns and Van persie to be on some serious form.
QPR 0 - 4 Bolton
If anything says welcome to the premiership, it's a 4-0 defeat at home to Bolton, and unless they're holding something back they're in for a rough ride. Bolton played well, but not that well, and they really punished QPRs championship level defending. Kieron Dyer must be the unluckiest man in football, but I really hope that for him and QPR it's not as bad as the stretcher made out. Great start for Bolton, QPR have some thinking to do.
Wigan 1 - 1 Norwich
I hate to call a season opener a relegation 6 pointer, but in my eyes this was. Wigan have no-one who is a truly premiership class player, and Norwich have signed Championship players, rather than premiership ones. Dull match, dull teams, and i can expect a disappointing season for Wigan and Norwich fans, sorry guys.
Stoke 0 - 0 Chelsea
I was disappointed by the number of nil nil score lines this weekend, and I hope it's not a trend for the season. Chelsea and AVB had some big expectations this season and they'll need to play better if they want to match them. Torres was by far Chelsea's best player, and Stoke really contained him, if sometimes unfairly. Saying that, Begovic played out of his skin and Chelsea had a number of decent penalty shouts turned down. 2 points lost for AVB's Chelsea.
West Brom 1 - 2 Manchester United
Manchester united's old favourite Own Goals came to their rescue again against a resilient West Brom after a gaffe from new kid keeper De Gea. West Brom looked like they were going to be on the end of a thumping after rooney scored and Nani blazed over from close range early on, but after the ball slipped under De Gea West Brom looked like they were holding firm. But credit to united they didn't give up and they pushed the mistake out of West Brom, they did deserve the win no matter how fortuitously it came.
Man City 4 - 0 Swansea
Buy of the season? The fee may have been a huge one but if Aguero keeps this up he could have a wonderful season, and Man City will have an extremely successful season. Will Tevez still want to leave now? Who knows, Man City will hope that he stays to join fellow Argentine but I can't see it. Swansea showed promise and their goalkeeper looks very tidy, so I think they just need to put this result behind them and move on. Great result for Man City, but not a bad performance from Swansea.
Championship
Cardiff have set the early pace defeating Bristol City 3-1, whilst promotion favourites Leicester and West Ham occupy mid table with 1 win and 1 loss in the opening matches. The championship could prove to be highly unpredictable this year, with some big signings apparently in the pipeline for some of the non-favoured teams.
Cricket
Ten years ago I would not have believed what I am about to write, but England are now the top ranked test team in the world. After another innings demolition of India England have gained the top ranking for the first time. Pundits may forever say that India have lost a few of their top players, but the way England have been performing all round, I really don't see how it would have mattered. England have lost Tremlett, and Bresnan has come in and done an amazing job, scoring runs and taking wickets which simply shows England's strength in depth. If Anderson is out for the final test, England will also be down 3 players, and I'd be interested to see what difference that makes to the scoreline, if any. England have been dominating the Indian bowling, and tearing apart the Indian batting. England to win the final test and to whitewash the series.
Tennis
The build up to the final grand slam of the season is finally underway after the Rogers cup in Canada this week. Djokovic carried on his imperious form, with Federer remaining the only person to beat him this year. Meanwhile, the other big three crashed out in successive rounds, Murray in the second, Nadal in the 3rd, and Federer in the quarters to Tsonga, who seems to be able to beat the former master fairly comfortably now. None of these three would have wanted to exit before the semis at least, so it really will be interesting to see how they pick themselves up over the next few weeks, otherwise the overwhelming favourite will be Djokovic to make it 3 out of 4 grand slams this year.
Golf
If anyone's claiming to have predicted the winner of the final major of the year, they're lying. On Sunday Keegan Bradley became only the third person to win a major on their first appearance at one. He also broke the USA's worst ever run of 6 Majors without a winner, despite being relatively unknown. He won on a playoff after being 5 shots down on Jason Dufner after he triple bogeyed the 15th. Dufner really must feel like he's thrown away his best chance of a major. British interests all faltered with Donald, Westwood and McIlroy all having disappointing times, with McIlroy spraining his wrist in the first round.
In other golf news I've bought a set of golf Clubs! They're WoodWorm make, and were great value for money, so if you're thinking about starting up, a brand new set will only set you back £120, which is great for an expensive sport like golf.
Blackburn 1 - 2 Wolverhampton
This was a game that Blackburn really should be winning to get out of any relegation battles that want to avoid. If this is going to be representative of their season I'd be worried if I was a rovers fan, they didn't really create much and even though they had an inexperienced back line they looked shaky throughout. Wolves will take this win and look to build some momentum, building on wins is the difference between staying up and going down.
Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa
If any of the opening games was going to be goalless it was going to be this one, with villa having lost attacking inspiration Ashley Young and Fulham being consistent if unspectacular. Given proved to be an inspired buy with a couple of saves to keep Villa in the game, but they need to make a signing in the forward department, as Heskey is not premiership quality. Fulham should settle under Jol over the next 37 premiership games and do fairly well this year.
Liverpool 1 - 1 Sunderland
I was a bit surprised when I saw this result, as I thought Liverpool would have started their campaign a bit brighter, and a bit more aggressive. They may well have done better if Suarez had put the penalty away, but he did make up for the mistake later by scoring Liverpools only goal. However credit to Sunderland and they looked far better in the second half, if a little uninspiring upfront. At the end of the day, a fair result, but Liverpool would have wanted a win from this fixture
Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal
Is this a sign of whats to come for Arsenal in a world without Fabregas (or Nasri?), where Arsenal can't get a real scoring chance, let alone fail to miss it. Arsenal really failed to capitalise on some poor Newcastle play, and I can't see them doing as well as I predicted before unless they sign some serious firepower. The match itself was also marred by a strange incident where Barton was the one to go down easily, and it made a bit of a mockery of the match. Arsenal badly need new guns and Van persie to be on some serious form.
QPR 0 - 4 Bolton
If anything says welcome to the premiership, it's a 4-0 defeat at home to Bolton, and unless they're holding something back they're in for a rough ride. Bolton played well, but not that well, and they really punished QPRs championship level defending. Kieron Dyer must be the unluckiest man in football, but I really hope that for him and QPR it's not as bad as the stretcher made out. Great start for Bolton, QPR have some thinking to do.
Wigan 1 - 1 Norwich
I hate to call a season opener a relegation 6 pointer, but in my eyes this was. Wigan have no-one who is a truly premiership class player, and Norwich have signed Championship players, rather than premiership ones. Dull match, dull teams, and i can expect a disappointing season for Wigan and Norwich fans, sorry guys.
Stoke 0 - 0 Chelsea
I was disappointed by the number of nil nil score lines this weekend, and I hope it's not a trend for the season. Chelsea and AVB had some big expectations this season and they'll need to play better if they want to match them. Torres was by far Chelsea's best player, and Stoke really contained him, if sometimes unfairly. Saying that, Begovic played out of his skin and Chelsea had a number of decent penalty shouts turned down. 2 points lost for AVB's Chelsea.
West Brom 1 - 2 Manchester United
Manchester united's old favourite Own Goals came to their rescue again against a resilient West Brom after a gaffe from new kid keeper De Gea. West Brom looked like they were going to be on the end of a thumping after rooney scored and Nani blazed over from close range early on, but after the ball slipped under De Gea West Brom looked like they were holding firm. But credit to united they didn't give up and they pushed the mistake out of West Brom, they did deserve the win no matter how fortuitously it came.
Man City 4 - 0 Swansea
Buy of the season? The fee may have been a huge one but if Aguero keeps this up he could have a wonderful season, and Man City will have an extremely successful season. Will Tevez still want to leave now? Who knows, Man City will hope that he stays to join fellow Argentine but I can't see it. Swansea showed promise and their goalkeeper looks very tidy, so I think they just need to put this result behind them and move on. Great result for Man City, but not a bad performance from Swansea.
Championship
Cardiff have set the early pace defeating Bristol City 3-1, whilst promotion favourites Leicester and West Ham occupy mid table with 1 win and 1 loss in the opening matches. The championship could prove to be highly unpredictable this year, with some big signings apparently in the pipeline for some of the non-favoured teams.
Cricket
Ten years ago I would not have believed what I am about to write, but England are now the top ranked test team in the world. After another innings demolition of India England have gained the top ranking for the first time. Pundits may forever say that India have lost a few of their top players, but the way England have been performing all round, I really don't see how it would have mattered. England have lost Tremlett, and Bresnan has come in and done an amazing job, scoring runs and taking wickets which simply shows England's strength in depth. If Anderson is out for the final test, England will also be down 3 players, and I'd be interested to see what difference that makes to the scoreline, if any. England have been dominating the Indian bowling, and tearing apart the Indian batting. England to win the final test and to whitewash the series.
Tennis
The build up to the final grand slam of the season is finally underway after the Rogers cup in Canada this week. Djokovic carried on his imperious form, with Federer remaining the only person to beat him this year. Meanwhile, the other big three crashed out in successive rounds, Murray in the second, Nadal in the 3rd, and Federer in the quarters to Tsonga, who seems to be able to beat the former master fairly comfortably now. None of these three would have wanted to exit before the semis at least, so it really will be interesting to see how they pick themselves up over the next few weeks, otherwise the overwhelming favourite will be Djokovic to make it 3 out of 4 grand slams this year.
Golf
If anyone's claiming to have predicted the winner of the final major of the year, they're lying. On Sunday Keegan Bradley became only the third person to win a major on their first appearance at one. He also broke the USA's worst ever run of 6 Majors without a winner, despite being relatively unknown. He won on a playoff after being 5 shots down on Jason Dufner after he triple bogeyed the 15th. Dufner really must feel like he's thrown away his best chance of a major. British interests all faltered with Donald, Westwood and McIlroy all having disappointing times, with McIlroy spraining his wrist in the first round.
In other golf news I've bought a set of golf Clubs! They're WoodWorm make, and were great value for money, so if you're thinking about starting up, a brand new set will only set you back £120, which is great for an expensive sport like golf.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Transfer Roundup: Who's done best so far? And what needs to happen?
Before this blog entry I'd just like to mention a sports retailer that's really caught my eye recently.
Now, on with the roundup...
Arsenal
In - Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, 1m), Gervinho (Lille, 10m)
Out - Gael Clichy (Man City, 7m), Denilson (Sao Paulo, Loan)
Wenger needs to act quickly on two fronts. One to sort out the future of Fabregas and Nasri, and to make sure that the club has what it lacked last year, a bit of fight. When you look at the Arsenal lineup there's no doubting the skill that they possess, but they lack a player in the mould of Parker or Barton, who are willing to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and win by any means necessary.
If I was in charge of transfers at Arsenal, I'd currently be looking to sign a strong centreback, and a workman for the midfield. If they can keep Nasri and Fabregas they could well challenge till the end this year.
Aston Villa
In - Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan, 9.5m), Shay Given (Manchester City, 3.5m)
Out - Stewart Downing (Liverpool, 20m), Ashley Young (Man U, 16m), Braf Friedel (Spurs, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton, free), Pires, Carew, Osbourne (All released)
In terms of who's made the best money for players, Aston Villa have raked it in. £20m for Stewart Downing is one of the most ridiculous fees I've ever seen for a one footed player. However they may find life without Ashley Young is a lot harder than with him. Friedel has been adequately replaced, so that's not a problem, but I don't know if Aston Villa will finish much above mid table this year, unless Darren Bent and N'Zogbia can really combine.
Blackburn
In-Goodwille (Dundee, 2.8m)
Out - Phil Jones (Manchester United, 16.5m), Frank Fielding (Derby, undisclosed)
Blackburn really haven't done themselves any favours recently, and they could be in for a struggle this season. They removed one of the only things that guaranteed them premiership football, and that was Sam Allardyce. They haven't signed any proven players and sold their best young talent. Goodwille was good in the SPL but that's little better than Championship standard. Blackburn could be in for a long season trying to pick up points wherever they can, its going to be a struggle, especially if Samba leaves for Arsenal.
Bolton
In - Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears (Burnley, joint 3m), Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, free)
Out - Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, 4m) Johan Elmander (Galatasaray, free), Jlloyd Samuel (released), Joey O'Brien (West Ham, free), Matt Taylor (West Ham, 2.2m)
Bolton have been reasonably busy in the transfer market but they've not really improved because of it, but they haven't lost out either. Bolton have always been one of these teams that are almost impossible to predict, they can hold up against the top teams but could crumble against the bottom teams. I think Bolton should do alright this year, and will finish around mid table.
Chelsea
In - Romeu (Barcelona, 4.3m), Piazon (Sao Paulo, undisc), Courtois (Genk, 5m)
Out - Courtois (Athletico Madrid, loan), Bruma (Hamburg, loan), Mancienne (Hamburg, 3m)
Chelsea, the Abramovich Chelsea anyway, have always been big spenders in the transfer market, but this year seems to be a little quiet for them. Obviously there is the Modric battle to be resolved, but my guess is that there are one or two big signings to be made by Chelsea. Whatever happens, I think Villas Boas is exactly what Chelsea needed to revamp their team, and I can see a strong Chelsea challenge for the title this season.
Everton
In - Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, Loan)
Out - Vaughan (Norwich, 2.5m)
Everton have been pushing for regular European football under Moyes, but they will not get any more success than they have unless they push a bit more in the transfer market. In relative terms of money spent they have done brilliantly to push to where they have got to, but that's all they can reach. The fact they've have only brought one player in shows a lack of ambition, and If I was an Everton fan I'd be very anxious about this. Despite this, I think they will again challenge for a European spot.
Fulham
In - Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, 4m), John Arne Riise (Roma, 2.4m), Dan Burn (Darlington, undisc)
Out - Stockdale (Ipswich, Loan), Greening (Nott Forest, 670,000), Gera (West Brom, Released)
Fulham have become a real class outfit in my opinion, first under Hodgson now with Hughes. They play a nice style of football and defend solidly at the back, and I also think they are very savvy in the transfer market. In my opinion Arne Riise is a great capture as hes a solid left back and if you cant remember his trademark left foot piledrivers, just search them on youtube and you'll see some amazing long range finishes. I think Fulham can qualify for Europe this year, and will be pushing with Everton this season.
Liverpool
In- Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, 20m) Henderson (Sunderland, 16m) Charlie Adam (9m) Dhoni (Roma, free)
Out - Konchesky (Leicester, 1.5m), Darby (rochdale, Loan)
After Years of complaining about other teams spending too much money, Liverpool have spent over £40m this transfer window, with only £1.5m coming in. Downing for £20m is about 7 or 8 million too much, especially when you consider the fact Ashley Young has gone for £16m, and in my opinion Young is the better player. Henderson was also a bit overpriced, but Adam could turn out to be a nice buy. Liverpool could challenge with Tottenham this season, but I don't think they'll break the top four. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Carrol and Suarez joining together upfront.
Manchester City
In - Sergio Aguero (Athletico Madrid, £38m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, 6m) Gael Clichy (Arsenal, 7m)
Out - Jo (Internacional, undisc), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5), Boateng (Bayern Munich, £10m), Michael Johnson (Leicester, loan), Patrick Vieira (retired), Tevez?
The new financial powerhouses of the Premier League have made the biggest signing of the transfer window so far, with Aguero moving for 38m. This was meant to be a replacement for Tevez, but so far no team feels up to forking out 45m for the Argentinian. Man City hit hot and cold last year as they struggled to find a balance between shutting out a game and all out attack. If Mancini can find a nice balance to the team, or even convince Tevez to stay (which looks unlikely), they should take their place in the top four this year. However, Mancini if you're reading this, please get rid of Balotelli, I hate that man, so very much.
Manchester United
In - David De Gea (Athletico Madrid, 17.8m) Phil Jones (Blackburn, 16.5m) Ashley Young (Aston Villa, 16m)
Out - Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Ritchie De Laet (Norwich, loan), Owen Hargreaves (released) Paul Scholes and Van Der Sar retired, Wes Brown and John O'Shea (£2+m, Sunderland)
Manchester United really showed that you that it doesn't matter if you can play great football but if you can win when you're struggling. They've lost some decent players but they've got the strength where they needed it with some decent transfers, and the signings of De Gea and Jones show they're looking towards the future. With Hernandez bagging 20 in his first season, and Rooney a bit below par last year, I'd be surprised if Man U weren't fighting until the very last. Man U are my pick for this years title.
Newcastle
In - Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, free), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, 4.3m), Demba Ba (West Ham, free)
Out - Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Campbell and Kuqi (released)
Newcastle don't really seem to know what they want. Before Chris Hughton's departure they were safely in 10th with a squad with a good mix of youth and experience, led by Nolan and Barton from midfield and the talented Andy Carroll up front. But now with Alan Pardew at the helm, I don't know how much of a ship he has left. Carroll was sold for 35m in January, with Nolan choosing to rejoin Big Sam in the Championship and Barton simply being hung out to dry. If Newcastle don't sort the situation out then they could well be back in the championship next year. The only good piece of business they've managed is Demba Ba for free. If the squad stays the same, it's not going to be a happy season for the Toon.
Norwich
In - Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, 2m) Steve Morrison (Millwall, £2.8,) James Vaughan (Everton, 2.5m), Elliott Bennet (Brighton, undisc), Richard De Laet (Man U, loan), Kyle Naughton (tottenham, loan)
Out - Luke Daley (Plymouth, free), Matt Gill (Bristol Rovers, free), Sam Habergham (Tamworth, free)
I can't see Norwich lasting in the Premiership. Despite being active in the transfer market, they've bought in a lot of Championship players, or young top club players. That's not what a new premiership club needs. They needed Premiership players, or at least players with Premiership experience, and they've just made what would have been good signings last year. Unless they've got some hidden weapon that I just can't see, they're my pick to be rock bottom.
Queens Park Rangers
In- Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (West Ham, free), Bothroyd (Cardiff, free)
Out - Chimbonda, Mahon, Parker and Rose (all released)
QPR are the only promoted club that I'm certain are going to survive this season. They've got money behind them, and have made three reasonable signings on the cheap. Gabbidon is a decent defender, and if they could get 20-25 games out of Dyer this season it'd be a great boost for their hopes. I would think they need one or two more players to be certain of survival, and one needs to be a striker who can claim some goals from set pieces, which have become increasingly important for the promoted clubs in the past few years.
Stoke
In - Jonathan Woodgate (Spurs, free)
Out - Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham, free), Eidur Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, free) Ibrahima Sonko (released)
As shown by the 0 spent 0 received in Stokes's summary they really don't like change. They replace players like for like and they play the same way game in, game out. This means that Tony Pulis has built a side whose worth is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everyone knows their job and they do it, and each players job helps another player, meaning they just get better at it each season. They may be dull to watch but Stoke are as effective as any other team on their day, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top half of the table this year.
Sunderland
In- Connor Wickham (Ipswich, 13m), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), Wes Brown and John O'Shea (Man U, 2m+)
Out - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, 16m) Zenden, Luscome and Kay all free.
Sunderland have become a decent side under Steve Bruce, even if they do lack a bit of consistency. I think they've made a few shrewd buys with the captures of Man U defenders O'Shea and Brown, so I think they'll be a bit more resilient than last year. I don't think they'll do much more than their usual mid-table obscurity, especially after some abject form towards the end of last season that saw them record only 4 wins after January 5th meant they slid down the table again. Nothing exciting for the Black Cats this year I feel.
Swansea
In - Danny Graham (Watford, 3.5m), Steven Caulker (Tottenham, loan), Moreira (Benfica, undisc) Lita (Middlesbrough 1.75m)
Out - Dorus de Vries, Pratley, Donnelly, Serran, Van der Gun, Pintado all released.
Swansea stand a better chance of survival than Norwich, but I think they'll face a real struggle to stay in the top flight this year. Looking at their squad I just don't know if they're solid enough to stand the step up in quality to the premiership. They need to concentrate on picking up points at home and the other strugglers and hope that something else happens elsewhere, as I can't see them consistently putting in the performance required to challenge the established top flight teams.
Tottenham
In - Friedel, Cristian Ceballos (both free, Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively), Souleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed)
Out - Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, 5m) Woodgate, (Stoke, free)
Tottenham have a had a great few years after qualifying for the Champions League and having some wonderful results in the competition, to confirm their status as a top Premiership club. As a West Ham fan it kills me to say this but I think Tottenhams style of play under Harry Redknapp has been brilliant and if they'd been a bit luckier in the league last season they could have gone for re-qualification for the Champions League. If they can keep hold of Modric they could have a right go at a top 4 spot once again.
West Bromwich
In - Ben Foster (Birmingham, loan), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free), Zoltan Gera (Fulham, free)
Out - Boaz Myhill (Birmingham, loan), Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Carson (Bursaspor, 2.1m)
West Brom have started to get the hang of staying in the premiership now, and they've become a far harder team to beat under Roy Hodgson. Their transfers sum up the club, nothing exciting but they do what they need to do. Although the recapture of Zoltan Gera is a good move for the club, he is an experienced player and I feel he really could help the team. Lower half of the table I think this season.
Wigan
In - Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, £4m), David Jones (Wolves, free)
Out - Charles N'Zogbia (Aston Villa, £9.5m), Amaya (Real Betis, undisc) Caldwell (Birmingham, free)
Wigan were the worst team I've seen in a while last year, but somehow they've managed to survive again. Their only saving grace was N'Zogbia, but he's run off to pastures greener at Villa, and I have no doubt he's wanted that for a while. I can't say I expect Wigan to stay up, and I have no idea how they're going to get any points this season, but every year they seem to do it. In my perfect world, next season would see Wigan relegated and West Ham promoted, but we all know things very rarely happen perfectly.
Wolves
In - Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £7m) Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, 5m)
Out - Halford (Portsmouth, undisc)
Wolves have never really done much except scrap around the bottom of the table. However, due to the fact they have great experience in this, they seem to have perfected the art of scrapping for survival. Despite the fact the signings don't seem to have improved the squad too much, and the fees to me seem relatively large for people that don't improve the squad, I think Wolves will survive again, and I think they'll do it by finishing in a comfortable 16th or 17th.
So to sum up, here is my final league prediction
Manchester United
Chelsea
Manchester City
Arsenal
Liverpool
Tottenham
Fulham
Everton
Stoke
Bolton
Aston Villa
Sunderland
West Brom
QPR
Blackburn
Wolves
Newcastle
Swansea
Wigan
Norwich
This Weekends Championship predictions
As my team are now a championship side I feel at least the opening weekend of games deserves a mention and a prediction, this is how I think it'll start the the 2nd tier of English football.
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Now, on with the roundup...
Arsenal
In - Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, 1m), Gervinho (Lille, 10m)
Out - Gael Clichy (Man City, 7m), Denilson (Sao Paulo, Loan)
Wenger needs to act quickly on two fronts. One to sort out the future of Fabregas and Nasri, and to make sure that the club has what it lacked last year, a bit of fight. When you look at the Arsenal lineup there's no doubting the skill that they possess, but they lack a player in the mould of Parker or Barton, who are willing to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and win by any means necessary.
If I was in charge of transfers at Arsenal, I'd currently be looking to sign a strong centreback, and a workman for the midfield. If they can keep Nasri and Fabregas they could well challenge till the end this year.
Aston Villa
In - Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan, 9.5m), Shay Given (Manchester City, 3.5m)
Out - Stewart Downing (Liverpool, 20m), Ashley Young (Man U, 16m), Braf Friedel (Spurs, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton, free), Pires, Carew, Osbourne (All released)
In terms of who's made the best money for players, Aston Villa have raked it in. £20m for Stewart Downing is one of the most ridiculous fees I've ever seen for a one footed player. However they may find life without Ashley Young is a lot harder than with him. Friedel has been adequately replaced, so that's not a problem, but I don't know if Aston Villa will finish much above mid table this year, unless Darren Bent and N'Zogbia can really combine.
Blackburn
In-Goodwille (Dundee, 2.8m)
Out - Phil Jones (Manchester United, 16.5m), Frank Fielding (Derby, undisclosed)
Blackburn really haven't done themselves any favours recently, and they could be in for a struggle this season. They removed one of the only things that guaranteed them premiership football, and that was Sam Allardyce. They haven't signed any proven players and sold their best young talent. Goodwille was good in the SPL but that's little better than Championship standard. Blackburn could be in for a long season trying to pick up points wherever they can, its going to be a struggle, especially if Samba leaves for Arsenal.
Bolton
In - Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears (Burnley, joint 3m), Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, free)
Out - Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, 4m) Johan Elmander (Galatasaray, free), Jlloyd Samuel (released), Joey O'Brien (West Ham, free), Matt Taylor (West Ham, 2.2m)
Bolton have been reasonably busy in the transfer market but they've not really improved because of it, but they haven't lost out either. Bolton have always been one of these teams that are almost impossible to predict, they can hold up against the top teams but could crumble against the bottom teams. I think Bolton should do alright this year, and will finish around mid table.
Chelsea
In - Romeu (Barcelona, 4.3m), Piazon (Sao Paulo, undisc), Courtois (Genk, 5m)
Out - Courtois (Athletico Madrid, loan), Bruma (Hamburg, loan), Mancienne (Hamburg, 3m)
Chelsea, the Abramovich Chelsea anyway, have always been big spenders in the transfer market, but this year seems to be a little quiet for them. Obviously there is the Modric battle to be resolved, but my guess is that there are one or two big signings to be made by Chelsea. Whatever happens, I think Villas Boas is exactly what Chelsea needed to revamp their team, and I can see a strong Chelsea challenge for the title this season.
Everton
In - Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, Loan)
Out - Vaughan (Norwich, 2.5m)
Everton have been pushing for regular European football under Moyes, but they will not get any more success than they have unless they push a bit more in the transfer market. In relative terms of money spent they have done brilliantly to push to where they have got to, but that's all they can reach. The fact they've have only brought one player in shows a lack of ambition, and If I was an Everton fan I'd be very anxious about this. Despite this, I think they will again challenge for a European spot.
Fulham
In - Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, 4m), John Arne Riise (Roma, 2.4m), Dan Burn (Darlington, undisc)
Out - Stockdale (Ipswich, Loan), Greening (Nott Forest, 670,000), Gera (West Brom, Released)
Fulham have become a real class outfit in my opinion, first under Hodgson now with Hughes. They play a nice style of football and defend solidly at the back, and I also think they are very savvy in the transfer market. In my opinion Arne Riise is a great capture as hes a solid left back and if you cant remember his trademark left foot piledrivers, just search them on youtube and you'll see some amazing long range finishes. I think Fulham can qualify for Europe this year, and will be pushing with Everton this season.
Liverpool
In- Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, 20m) Henderson (Sunderland, 16m) Charlie Adam (9m) Dhoni (Roma, free)
Out - Konchesky (Leicester, 1.5m), Darby (rochdale, Loan)
After Years of complaining about other teams spending too much money, Liverpool have spent over £40m this transfer window, with only £1.5m coming in. Downing for £20m is about 7 or 8 million too much, especially when you consider the fact Ashley Young has gone for £16m, and in my opinion Young is the better player. Henderson was also a bit overpriced, but Adam could turn out to be a nice buy. Liverpool could challenge with Tottenham this season, but I don't think they'll break the top four. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Carrol and Suarez joining together upfront.
Manchester City
In - Sergio Aguero (Athletico Madrid, £38m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, 6m) Gael Clichy (Arsenal, 7m)
Out - Jo (Internacional, undisc), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5), Boateng (Bayern Munich, £10m), Michael Johnson (Leicester, loan), Patrick Vieira (retired), Tevez?
The new financial powerhouses of the Premier League have made the biggest signing of the transfer window so far, with Aguero moving for 38m. This was meant to be a replacement for Tevez, but so far no team feels up to forking out 45m for the Argentinian. Man City hit hot and cold last year as they struggled to find a balance between shutting out a game and all out attack. If Mancini can find a nice balance to the team, or even convince Tevez to stay (which looks unlikely), they should take their place in the top four this year. However, Mancini if you're reading this, please get rid of Balotelli, I hate that man, so very much.
Manchester United
In - David De Gea (Athletico Madrid, 17.8m) Phil Jones (Blackburn, 16.5m) Ashley Young (Aston Villa, 16m)
Out - Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Ritchie De Laet (Norwich, loan), Owen Hargreaves (released) Paul Scholes and Van Der Sar retired, Wes Brown and John O'Shea (£2+m, Sunderland)
Manchester United really showed that you that it doesn't matter if you can play great football but if you can win when you're struggling. They've lost some decent players but they've got the strength where they needed it with some decent transfers, and the signings of De Gea and Jones show they're looking towards the future. With Hernandez bagging 20 in his first season, and Rooney a bit below par last year, I'd be surprised if Man U weren't fighting until the very last. Man U are my pick for this years title.
Newcastle
In - Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, free), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, 4.3m), Demba Ba (West Ham, free)
Out - Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Campbell and Kuqi (released)
Newcastle don't really seem to know what they want. Before Chris Hughton's departure they were safely in 10th with a squad with a good mix of youth and experience, led by Nolan and Barton from midfield and the talented Andy Carroll up front. But now with Alan Pardew at the helm, I don't know how much of a ship he has left. Carroll was sold for 35m in January, with Nolan choosing to rejoin Big Sam in the Championship and Barton simply being hung out to dry. If Newcastle don't sort the situation out then they could well be back in the championship next year. The only good piece of business they've managed is Demba Ba for free. If the squad stays the same, it's not going to be a happy season for the Toon.
Norwich
In - Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, 2m) Steve Morrison (Millwall, £2.8,) James Vaughan (Everton, 2.5m), Elliott Bennet (Brighton, undisc), Richard De Laet (Man U, loan), Kyle Naughton (tottenham, loan)
Out - Luke Daley (Plymouth, free), Matt Gill (Bristol Rovers, free), Sam Habergham (Tamworth, free)
I can't see Norwich lasting in the Premiership. Despite being active in the transfer market, they've bought in a lot of Championship players, or young top club players. That's not what a new premiership club needs. They needed Premiership players, or at least players with Premiership experience, and they've just made what would have been good signings last year. Unless they've got some hidden weapon that I just can't see, they're my pick to be rock bottom.
Queens Park Rangers
In- Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (West Ham, free), Bothroyd (Cardiff, free)
Out - Chimbonda, Mahon, Parker and Rose (all released)
QPR are the only promoted club that I'm certain are going to survive this season. They've got money behind them, and have made three reasonable signings on the cheap. Gabbidon is a decent defender, and if they could get 20-25 games out of Dyer this season it'd be a great boost for their hopes. I would think they need one or two more players to be certain of survival, and one needs to be a striker who can claim some goals from set pieces, which have become increasingly important for the promoted clubs in the past few years.
Stoke
In - Jonathan Woodgate (Spurs, free)
Out - Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham, free), Eidur Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, free) Ibrahima Sonko (released)
As shown by the 0 spent 0 received in Stokes's summary they really don't like change. They replace players like for like and they play the same way game in, game out. This means that Tony Pulis has built a side whose worth is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everyone knows their job and they do it, and each players job helps another player, meaning they just get better at it each season. They may be dull to watch but Stoke are as effective as any other team on their day, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top half of the table this year.
Sunderland
In- Connor Wickham (Ipswich, 13m), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), Wes Brown and John O'Shea (Man U, 2m+)
Out - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, 16m) Zenden, Luscome and Kay all free.
Sunderland have become a decent side under Steve Bruce, even if they do lack a bit of consistency. I think they've made a few shrewd buys with the captures of Man U defenders O'Shea and Brown, so I think they'll be a bit more resilient than last year. I don't think they'll do much more than their usual mid-table obscurity, especially after some abject form towards the end of last season that saw them record only 4 wins after January 5th meant they slid down the table again. Nothing exciting for the Black Cats this year I feel.
Swansea
In - Danny Graham (Watford, 3.5m), Steven Caulker (Tottenham, loan), Moreira (Benfica, undisc) Lita (Middlesbrough 1.75m)
Out - Dorus de Vries, Pratley, Donnelly, Serran, Van der Gun, Pintado all released.
Swansea stand a better chance of survival than Norwich, but I think they'll face a real struggle to stay in the top flight this year. Looking at their squad I just don't know if they're solid enough to stand the step up in quality to the premiership. They need to concentrate on picking up points at home and the other strugglers and hope that something else happens elsewhere, as I can't see them consistently putting in the performance required to challenge the established top flight teams.
Tottenham
In - Friedel, Cristian Ceballos (both free, Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively), Souleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed)
Out - Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, 5m) Woodgate, (Stoke, free)
Tottenham have a had a great few years after qualifying for the Champions League and having some wonderful results in the competition, to confirm their status as a top Premiership club. As a West Ham fan it kills me to say this but I think Tottenhams style of play under Harry Redknapp has been brilliant and if they'd been a bit luckier in the league last season they could have gone for re-qualification for the Champions League. If they can keep hold of Modric they could have a right go at a top 4 spot once again.
West Bromwich
In - Ben Foster (Birmingham, loan), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free), Zoltan Gera (Fulham, free)
Out - Boaz Myhill (Birmingham, loan), Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Carson (Bursaspor, 2.1m)
West Brom have started to get the hang of staying in the premiership now, and they've become a far harder team to beat under Roy Hodgson. Their transfers sum up the club, nothing exciting but they do what they need to do. Although the recapture of Zoltan Gera is a good move for the club, he is an experienced player and I feel he really could help the team. Lower half of the table I think this season.
Wigan
In - Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, £4m), David Jones (Wolves, free)
Out - Charles N'Zogbia (Aston Villa, £9.5m), Amaya (Real Betis, undisc) Caldwell (Birmingham, free)
Wigan were the worst team I've seen in a while last year, but somehow they've managed to survive again. Their only saving grace was N'Zogbia, but he's run off to pastures greener at Villa, and I have no doubt he's wanted that for a while. I can't say I expect Wigan to stay up, and I have no idea how they're going to get any points this season, but every year they seem to do it. In my perfect world, next season would see Wigan relegated and West Ham promoted, but we all know things very rarely happen perfectly.
Wolves
In - Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £7m) Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, 5m)
Out - Halford (Portsmouth, undisc)
Wolves have never really done much except scrap around the bottom of the table. However, due to the fact they have great experience in this, they seem to have perfected the art of scrapping for survival. Despite the fact the signings don't seem to have improved the squad too much, and the fees to me seem relatively large for people that don't improve the squad, I think Wolves will survive again, and I think they'll do it by finishing in a comfortable 16th or 17th.
So to sum up, here is my final league prediction
Manchester United
Chelsea
Manchester City
Arsenal
Liverpool
Tottenham
Fulham
Everton
Stoke
Bolton
Aston Villa
Sunderland
West Brom
QPR
Blackburn
Wolves
Newcastle
Swansea
Wigan
Norwich
This Weekends Championship predictions
As my team are now a championship side I feel at least the opening weekend of games deserves a mention and a prediction, this is how I think it'll start the the 2nd tier of English football.
Hull 1:1 Blackpool
Coventry 1:2 Leicester
Brighton 3:1 Doncaster
Bristol City 1:0 Ipswich
Burnley 1:1 Watford
Derby 0:2 Birmingham
Middlesbrough 2:0 Portsmouth
Nott'm Forest 1:0 Barnsley
Peterborough 1:1 Crystal Palace
Reading 2:1 Millwall
Southampton 1:0 Leeds
West Ham 2:0 Cardiff
Please don't trust me when It comes to predictions, I'm notoriously bad.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Another Victory for Bristish Sport...
After a weekend of British sporting success only one week ago, we are hit once again with British success, in two areas. And they were brilliant performances as well.
Cricket
If this cricket match did anything it reaffirmed that even if India manage to not lose this series by the 2 matches England require to top the rankings, England are the best test side in the world. I feel I can say this with absolute confidence for 3 reasons.
1 - Even without the No.1 spin bowler in the world (Graeme Swann) bowling much the England attack tore through the Indian lineup, famous for, if nothing else, sticking it out. Dravid and Laxxman, who have proved almost impossible to remove over the years, were at ends today and even Sachin Tendulkar had no idea how to play Anderson.
2 - When batting, not until all wickets are down are England dead. For years I have resigned myself to the fact that our batting stopped at the fall of the fifth or sixth wicket, but that's not the case anymore. Broads hundred runs in the match as well as Bresnans 90 in the second innings showed that these players are closer to all rounders than we've had before, and Swann isn't a dummy with the bat, whilst Anderson isn't easy to remove either.
3 - This England team has years to go. Andrew Strauss is the oldest member of the team at 34 and most of the team are in their twenties, and in cricket this means you've got quite a few years to go still. The top Indian players are all 30 or over (Dhoni 30, Laxman 36, Dravid 38, Tendulkar 38, Khan 32). And you also have to consider the youngest English bowler ever to take 50 wickets was left out (Finn), and is a serious talent for the future.
If India wanted to stake a claim for the No.1 spot, they should have finished the game off from having 124-8 and really struggling. The players looked awful in the field and no-one really seemed to want to step up and take control for India. I will however say the MS Dhoni deserves a special mention for withdrawing the appeal against Ian Bell, the dismissal, although stupid from Bell's point of view, was against the spirit of the game and they did the right thing.
In regards to the rest of the series, if India don't find something to actually put England in trouble, this could become a series whitewash very quickly.
Formula One
After a great race from Lewis Hamilton last week, McLaren followed it up with proof that their car is now equal, if not ahead of, that of Red Bull. My prediction was McLaren to put two drivers on the podium and they looked to be set for a 1-2, after some classy driving from both McLaren men which emphasised their ability in the wet and changeable conditions. Only a poor decision from Lewis Hamilton meant that McLaren did not get the finish they wanted. With it spitting and the track getting slippery for Slick tyres, Hamilton made the decision to come in and put intermediate tyres on. However this proved to be a foolish move as it then stopped spitting, and the track dried very quickly, meaning he had to make another pit stop soon after for dry tyres. This mistake was compounded by the stewards handing Lewis a drive through penalty for spinning his car round near passing traffic, which meant Lewis went through the pits 3 times in 5 laps. If Lewis had stayed out he would have been on the podium, even with the drive through penalty he was punished with. If Mclaren can keep this type of progress up then it could make for an interesting finish, despite Vettel managing to extend his lead in the Drivers Championship again. This was another great win for Button, who has to be considered the master of wet races out of the current drivers around. As Hamilton said,"The better driver won today."
The next race is in 3 weeks time in Belgium, I shall do another weekend report at the time, with a prediction followed by a race report.
Later this week I will get round to finally posting my transfer roundup, with who I think will have to fight hard this season for survival, and who should be sitting at the top of the pack come May.
Cricket
If this cricket match did anything it reaffirmed that even if India manage to not lose this series by the 2 matches England require to top the rankings, England are the best test side in the world. I feel I can say this with absolute confidence for 3 reasons.
1 - Even without the No.1 spin bowler in the world (Graeme Swann) bowling much the England attack tore through the Indian lineup, famous for, if nothing else, sticking it out. Dravid and Laxxman, who have proved almost impossible to remove over the years, were at ends today and even Sachin Tendulkar had no idea how to play Anderson.
2 - When batting, not until all wickets are down are England dead. For years I have resigned myself to the fact that our batting stopped at the fall of the fifth or sixth wicket, but that's not the case anymore. Broads hundred runs in the match as well as Bresnans 90 in the second innings showed that these players are closer to all rounders than we've had before, and Swann isn't a dummy with the bat, whilst Anderson isn't easy to remove either.
3 - This England team has years to go. Andrew Strauss is the oldest member of the team at 34 and most of the team are in their twenties, and in cricket this means you've got quite a few years to go still. The top Indian players are all 30 or over (Dhoni 30, Laxman 36, Dravid 38, Tendulkar 38, Khan 32). And you also have to consider the youngest English bowler ever to take 50 wickets was left out (Finn), and is a serious talent for the future.
If India wanted to stake a claim for the No.1 spot, they should have finished the game off from having 124-8 and really struggling. The players looked awful in the field and no-one really seemed to want to step up and take control for India. I will however say the MS Dhoni deserves a special mention for withdrawing the appeal against Ian Bell, the dismissal, although stupid from Bell's point of view, was against the spirit of the game and they did the right thing.
In regards to the rest of the series, if India don't find something to actually put England in trouble, this could become a series whitewash very quickly.
Formula One
After a great race from Lewis Hamilton last week, McLaren followed it up with proof that their car is now equal, if not ahead of, that of Red Bull. My prediction was McLaren to put two drivers on the podium and they looked to be set for a 1-2, after some classy driving from both McLaren men which emphasised their ability in the wet and changeable conditions. Only a poor decision from Lewis Hamilton meant that McLaren did not get the finish they wanted. With it spitting and the track getting slippery for Slick tyres, Hamilton made the decision to come in and put intermediate tyres on. However this proved to be a foolish move as it then stopped spitting, and the track dried very quickly, meaning he had to make another pit stop soon after for dry tyres. This mistake was compounded by the stewards handing Lewis a drive through penalty for spinning his car round near passing traffic, which meant Lewis went through the pits 3 times in 5 laps. If Lewis had stayed out he would have been on the podium, even with the drive through penalty he was punished with. If Mclaren can keep this type of progress up then it could make for an interesting finish, despite Vettel managing to extend his lead in the Drivers Championship again. This was another great win for Button, who has to be considered the master of wet races out of the current drivers around. As Hamilton said,"The better driver won today."
The next race is in 3 weeks time in Belgium, I shall do another weekend report at the time, with a prediction followed by a race report.
Later this week I will get round to finally posting my transfer roundup, with who I think will have to fight hard this season for survival, and who should be sitting at the top of the pack come May.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Sporting Update
One week into this blog and a lot has happened this week, so be prepared for a long read...or just pick the sports you want to know about...
NFL
2 Years Ago and you would have not caught me even mentioning the American sport, but after being drawn to watching it I have fallen for NFL. I bought Madden NFL 11
and have immensely enjoyed all modes of the game, being drafted into the Minnesota Vikings in the Be a SuperStar mode (similar to Fifa's be a pro mode) and taking the same team to the Superbowl in the franchise mode. And if you know anything about the sport, you know that there was a big fear that there was going to be a delay to the start of the season because of a 'Lockout'. For those people who do not follow any American sport, this word spreads dread around the American sporting nation, as the teams and the players fight over who gets the money the sport generates. I think an idea like this would be fantastic in the Premier League and European football, but its taken this long for UEFA to get round to fair spending laws that something like this would take years longer to implement.
However, the lockout has been fixed with an agreement made, 53% to teams, 47% to players, and training is due to begin today, after a week of draft picks and re-signings. I'm sorry to anyone reading this to try and get a summary of all the trades that are going on, but there's no way I can report on the sheer volume of movement. Just before the start of the season I will sum up the biggest signings of the off-season, and my picks to make the Superbowl.
Cricket
I was very happy to be on track with my prediction for the 1st Test match with England recording a comfortable victory after a fantastic last day performance from the England bowlers. However I was disappointed by the Indian batting line-up, and in particular the little master, who failed again to perform on a big stage. His batting was ultra-defensive, even Dravid had a faster scoring rate, and was lucky to last as long as it did. His technique was sloppy and I really don't think hes anywhere near the same player he was. However that wasn't the factor that lead to the loss. To be the top side in the world you have to be strong in all three aspects of the game, batting bowling and fielding. Their batting and bowling definitely lives up to the mark, at least on occasions, but their fielding is woeful. They are lazy, haphazard and even their wicketkeeper is sloppy. Out of the two keeper-batsmen in the match Prior would get the gloves everytime, even if you could argue Dhoni is a better batsmen on average.
At the time of writing this England are 108-6 in their first innings, but apparently the conditions are extremely favourable to bowlers, so I think whoever takes a lead into the second innings will stand a huge chance of winning, but I wouldn't like to guess at a winner. If England can get around 200 or more, they'll fancy themselves to get India out cheaply, with the swing bowlers they have at their disposal.
Football
Man City have caught the transfer headlines once again with the ridiculous money capture of Aguero, but were also in the headlines for the wrong reasons with a previous signing, Balotelli. Balotelli should have been fined for that shoddy show of disregard for the friendly, Mancini was right to pull him off when he did, players should treat every game 100% and his lack of respect for the club and manager came through then. Personally, I'd sell him, his temper is unacceptable for a Premier League player. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14270989.stm
Aguero, however, could be a great capture, even if the price they paid was a bit over the odds. His skill and pace could make him a real handful in the premiership, and its exactly the player city need if Tevez is on his way.
Check next week for a roundup of whose moved and who looks to be on their way in the last month of the transfer window.
Formula One
After Hamilton's storming victory in Germany last week McLaren seem to be moving in the right direction after the first day of Practice in Hungary, with Hamilton topping the time sheet in both sessions. In a reversal of fortune, both Red Bull drivers seem to be struggling after their rivals sudden improvement on the technical side of things, languishing in around 5th place in the second practice. I'm backing Lewis Hamilton to take his second in a row, and a chance for Jenson Button to go high as well, with Alonso maybe splitting the Mclarens.
NFL
2 Years Ago and you would have not caught me even mentioning the American sport, but after being drawn to watching it I have fallen for NFL. I bought Madden NFL 11
and have immensely enjoyed all modes of the game, being drafted into the Minnesota Vikings in the Be a SuperStar mode (similar to Fifa's be a pro mode) and taking the same team to the Superbowl in the franchise mode. And if you know anything about the sport, you know that there was a big fear that there was going to be a delay to the start of the season because of a 'Lockout'. For those people who do not follow any American sport, this word spreads dread around the American sporting nation, as the teams and the players fight over who gets the money the sport generates. I think an idea like this would be fantastic in the Premier League and European football, but its taken this long for UEFA to get round to fair spending laws that something like this would take years longer to implement. However, the lockout has been fixed with an agreement made, 53% to teams, 47% to players, and training is due to begin today, after a week of draft picks and re-signings. I'm sorry to anyone reading this to try and get a summary of all the trades that are going on, but there's no way I can report on the sheer volume of movement. Just before the start of the season I will sum up the biggest signings of the off-season, and my picks to make the Superbowl.
Cricket
I was very happy to be on track with my prediction for the 1st Test match with England recording a comfortable victory after a fantastic last day performance from the England bowlers. However I was disappointed by the Indian batting line-up, and in particular the little master, who failed again to perform on a big stage. His batting was ultra-defensive, even Dravid had a faster scoring rate, and was lucky to last as long as it did. His technique was sloppy and I really don't think hes anywhere near the same player he was. However that wasn't the factor that lead to the loss. To be the top side in the world you have to be strong in all three aspects of the game, batting bowling and fielding. Their batting and bowling definitely lives up to the mark, at least on occasions, but their fielding is woeful. They are lazy, haphazard and even their wicketkeeper is sloppy. Out of the two keeper-batsmen in the match Prior would get the gloves everytime, even if you could argue Dhoni is a better batsmen on average.
At the time of writing this England are 108-6 in their first innings, but apparently the conditions are extremely favourable to bowlers, so I think whoever takes a lead into the second innings will stand a huge chance of winning, but I wouldn't like to guess at a winner. If England can get around 200 or more, they'll fancy themselves to get India out cheaply, with the swing bowlers they have at their disposal.
Football
Man City have caught the transfer headlines once again with the ridiculous money capture of Aguero, but were also in the headlines for the wrong reasons with a previous signing, Balotelli. Balotelli should have been fined for that shoddy show of disregard for the friendly, Mancini was right to pull him off when he did, players should treat every game 100% and his lack of respect for the club and manager came through then. Personally, I'd sell him, his temper is unacceptable for a Premier League player. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14270989.stm
Aguero, however, could be a great capture, even if the price they paid was a bit over the odds. His skill and pace could make him a real handful in the premiership, and its exactly the player city need if Tevez is on his way.
Check next week for a roundup of whose moved and who looks to be on their way in the last month of the transfer window.
Formula One
After Hamilton's storming victory in Germany last week McLaren seem to be moving in the right direction after the first day of Practice in Hungary, with Hamilton topping the time sheet in both sessions. In a reversal of fortune, both Red Bull drivers seem to be struggling after their rivals sudden improvement on the technical side of things, languishing in around 5th place in the second practice. I'm backing Lewis Hamilton to take his second in a row, and a chance for Jenson Button to go high as well, with Alonso maybe splitting the Mclarens.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
A weekend to remember for British sport
One week on from Darren Clarke winning the Open at his 20th attempt, we have had a weekend of British sporting success to celebrate, across a multitude of sports as well
Formula One
If you took up my recommendation of sitting down to watch the formula one this weekend, you watched one of the best races this year. Firstly, it was one of the few races that people were fighting for second, behind the imperious race leader Sebastien Vettel. Secondly, this was the first race that I felt that any one of the three major teams (McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull) could have won the race. Mark Webber had grabbed pole, and only 5 hundredths of a second behind him was Lewis Hamilton, who had already proved me wrong when I said that Mclaren were not going to challenge this weekend. Lewis then lead after the first corner when Webber had an awful start, but more surprisingly was the form of Vettel, who slipped to as low as 9th during his home grand prix. Massa, Alonso, Webber and Hamilton all lead at points during this Grand Prix, but it was the latter who sealed his second win of the season in Germany. Showing superb maturity and a stunning overtake on Alonso at the second corner, he thoroughly deserved this and hopefully it is a sign of what's to come from McLaren. Vettel needs to show he can win a race when hes not leading to truly cement his place as the fastest man in racing, whilst Webber needs to learn how to convert a pole position into a win, as that was his 5th pole in a row where he's failed to take maximum points.
For those fans of F1 who want to get a bit more hands on, I'd recommend pre-ordering F1 2011 , is the F1 2010 game is anything to go by, its going to be amazing.
Cycling
And today also marked the end of the Tour de France, but I was correct in only one of my predictions. Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France with a great overall ride. However Cavendish came home in style to become the first Briton to win the Green Jersey, winning the final stage in a sprint finish. Cavendish also moved up to 6th in the all time list of stage wins, with 20 wins to his name. If he can keep this impressive form up for next year he should be considered as one of Team GBs biggest hopes for a medal in the 2012 Olympics.
Athletics/Swimming
More medal hope talk here, with the darling of the last Olympics Rebbecca Adlington finishing runner up in the 400m freestyle at the Swimming World Championship. I hope the media don't put too much pressure on former champions such as Adlington, which they have been known to do in the past. As the Olympics are four years apart, competitors can come and go in the joining years, and its hard to stay at the top of your chosen sport for that long, especially on such an individual level.
On future prospects, our women's 4x400m won gold at the Junior World Athletics Championships, which always bodes well. Tom Daley finished 5th in the solo 10m diving, behind one of the most impressive displays I have ever seen coming from China's Qui Bo, scoring perfect 10s for two of his dives. Check it out on BBC Sport website.
Cricket
In the 2,000th test match at Lords, India and England are set for a final day showdown, with India 80-1 chasing a record 458 to win after Matt Prior scored a great unbeaten century to cement his position as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen of the game today . Is the stage set for the little master to win the match for India? Or will England's quest for test domination begin tomorrow? If England's bowlers can remove the two batsmen currently occupying the crease early tomorrow, I can't see an India win. However Dravid is notoriously difficult to remove, so if he stays in, we could be set for a tight finish.
Boxing
Former Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan floored his opponent Judah in five rounds, making him one of the best pound for pound fighters around. His next target is reportedly Mayweather, who could prove a trickier opponent than Judah, whose talk was far bigger than his game. Could Amir Khan be moving into the limelight as Haye ponders retirement? It would be great for the sport in Britain if there's a Briton at the top of the game, as I don't think enough people are taking up some of the less mainstream sports as they used to, with most kids being drawn to the huge sport of football, which as a Tennis coach I see happening all too often.
Formula One
If you took up my recommendation of sitting down to watch the formula one this weekend, you watched one of the best races this year. Firstly, it was one of the few races that people were fighting for second, behind the imperious race leader Sebastien Vettel. Secondly, this was the first race that I felt that any one of the three major teams (McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull) could have won the race. Mark Webber had grabbed pole, and only 5 hundredths of a second behind him was Lewis Hamilton, who had already proved me wrong when I said that Mclaren were not going to challenge this weekend. Lewis then lead after the first corner when Webber had an awful start, but more surprisingly was the form of Vettel, who slipped to as low as 9th during his home grand prix. Massa, Alonso, Webber and Hamilton all lead at points during this Grand Prix, but it was the latter who sealed his second win of the season in Germany. Showing superb maturity and a stunning overtake on Alonso at the second corner, he thoroughly deserved this and hopefully it is a sign of what's to come from McLaren. Vettel needs to show he can win a race when hes not leading to truly cement his place as the fastest man in racing, whilst Webber needs to learn how to convert a pole position into a win, as that was his 5th pole in a row where he's failed to take maximum points.
For those fans of F1 who want to get a bit more hands on, I'd recommend pre-ordering F1 2011 , is the F1 2010 game is anything to go by, its going to be amazing.
Cycling
And today also marked the end of the Tour de France, but I was correct in only one of my predictions. Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France with a great overall ride. However Cavendish came home in style to become the first Briton to win the Green Jersey, winning the final stage in a sprint finish. Cavendish also moved up to 6th in the all time list of stage wins, with 20 wins to his name. If he can keep this impressive form up for next year he should be considered as one of Team GBs biggest hopes for a medal in the 2012 Olympics.
Athletics/Swimming
More medal hope talk here, with the darling of the last Olympics Rebbecca Adlington finishing runner up in the 400m freestyle at the Swimming World Championship. I hope the media don't put too much pressure on former champions such as Adlington, which they have been known to do in the past. As the Olympics are four years apart, competitors can come and go in the joining years, and its hard to stay at the top of your chosen sport for that long, especially on such an individual level.
On future prospects, our women's 4x400m won gold at the Junior World Athletics Championships, which always bodes well. Tom Daley finished 5th in the solo 10m diving, behind one of the most impressive displays I have ever seen coming from China's Qui Bo, scoring perfect 10s for two of his dives. Check it out on BBC Sport website.
Cricket
In the 2,000th test match at Lords, India and England are set for a final day showdown, with India 80-1 chasing a record 458 to win after Matt Prior scored a great unbeaten century to cement his position as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen of the game today . Is the stage set for the little master to win the match for India? Or will England's quest for test domination begin tomorrow? If England's bowlers can remove the two batsmen currently occupying the crease early tomorrow, I can't see an India win. However Dravid is notoriously difficult to remove, so if he stays in, we could be set for a tight finish.
Boxing
Former Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan floored his opponent Judah in five rounds, making him one of the best pound for pound fighters around. His next target is reportedly Mayweather, who could prove a trickier opponent than Judah, whose talk was far bigger than his game. Could Amir Khan be moving into the limelight as Haye ponders retirement? It would be great for the sport in Britain if there's a Briton at the top of the game, as I don't think enough people are taking up some of the less mainstream sports as they used to, with most kids being drawn to the huge sport of football, which as a Tennis coach I see happening all too often.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Well it has to start somewhere...
Hello and welcome to the first blog on this Sports Central blog. I recently have got a bit tired of having to trawl through Sports Websites and newspapers to find the most interesting and accurate sports stories, and thought that I could actually put them all on one website, and also try and raise a few points of my own on certain debates raised in sports. I will be focusing on certain sports, namely Football, Tennis, Formula One, Golf, Cricket and Athletics, but will also feature points from Rugby Union and Cycling on a regular basis. Obviously if there is a large story from another sport it will be discussed here.
Football
During this time of year one topic is dominating the news: The Summer Transfer Window. As a West Ham fan I have often viewed the Transfer window with a sense of dread, wondering which promising youngster we'd be losing this time, but as a fan I love the excitement as managers scramble to build a squad they think is an improvement on the last years model. This year the two biggest names on the move (or not) are Fabregas and Tevez. Tevez has said that he doesn't want to return to 'small and wet' Manchester, so his future at City looks very much in doubt. Fabregas, if you believe the media, also wants to leave Britain to return to his first club Barcelona. The two stories have a completely different feel to them however. I can't remember a summer where Fabregas wasn't linked to Barcelona, whereas Tevez simply made up his mind that he didn't want to be back at his club. Tevez's reason for wanting to leave is his family, and obviously that's an honourable reason. However, he signed a contract and unless the club receives an offer that they feel is acceptable, I hope he has the integrity to carry on playing, unlike Adebayour. Fabregas has been asking to leave for a while, and Arsenal need to start building a squad that's going to be good now, not in a few seasons time. So if I was Wenger, I'd take the £37m and rebuild the squad, although I wouldn't want to tell a manager as great as him in the transfer market who to buy. Man City do not have to worry about balancing books, as long as they can continue to manipulate any rules regarding the balancing of funds, and will continue to buy anyone and everyone that looks mildly promising/talented.
In terms of other teams in the Premiership, I think Man Utd have really done the business they needed to in the transfer market, signing some new players to a squad people thought was looking tired and overused, without paying as much as some for the talent they have acquired. Liverpool, on the other hand, have paid over the odds to buy some untried players, and I think £20m for Stuart Downing was way over the market value, but well done Villa for waiting for that kind of money.
Cycling
The biggest event on the cycling calender, the Tour de France is in its final week. As a first time follower of the Tour, I have been sucked into the competition, and already have my favourite teams and riders to support. The rules may seem challenging but you do not need to know them back to front to appreciate the sheer athleticism involved. These men cycle hundreds of kilometers a day, seemingly with ease, and the speed at which they travel seems ridiculous considering the mountains they climb. My pick for the Yellow Jersey is one of the Schlecks, Andy having just taken the Jersey with the time trial stage to come, so he's in a very strong position. I think the Green Jersey is all but decided, and I think Cavendish will take it with a well deserved win after a fantastic tour.
Tennis
After the rush of two grand slams in a month, tennis fans have had to face a long wait for any tennis, with only the Davis cup offering any action to speak of. However, for GB fans, even that has been a bit lacklustre, with Murray dropping only 15 points in the second singles rubber, showing the real standard of the group Great Britain finds itself in. As the US Open draws nearer, I'll profile the 5 players I think have a chance of winning the final Grand Slam, plus my dark horse picks.
Formula One
This weekend is my favourite kind of weekend, a formula one weekend. The sport really brings something that I feel other sports lack, and can liven a slow weekend, especially since there isn't any football. Could this be the weekend that Ferrari catch McLaren or even Red Bull? Or maybe Lotus can move even closer to the main group. For me, Formula one is one of the most watchable sports around as even if you cant be bothered to understand all the technical jargon that goes on, the sheer speed, action and competitiveness of everything that happens makes the spectacle of the entire weekend beyond anything any sport can offer. If you've never watched a weekend, just give it a chance; pick a driver or a team and enjoy the spectacle. Having seen the first two practices I think this could be the weekend Webber picks up his first win of the season, although it wouldn't be hard to imagine Vettel running away with it again to pick up his first home GP win. However I don't think McLaren are going to be overly competitive unless they were hiding something today.
Cricket
The 2000th Test match begins tomorrow as England look to become the top ranked Test side for the first time ever by beating India in their 5 match series. If England win the 1st match, I think England will have overcome the biggest hurdle and will be well on their way to becoming world No1, as an England test side with the wind behind them are seemingly unstoppable. Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson, easily the best spin and swing bowlers of the current time, could run riot if not stood up to early on, and Cook has been in imperious for ever since the first Ashes test last year. England to win the series 3-1. After most of the first day gone, Pietersen looks like hes found a bit of form again, and India are now without their main strike bowler but unsure as to how long for. If England can make a big score this innings and their bowlers live up to their reputation, India shouldn't have a chance.
Check back later in the week for updates on the other sports mentioned at the start, including golf and the countdown to the Olympics.
Football
During this time of year one topic is dominating the news: The Summer Transfer Window. As a West Ham fan I have often viewed the Transfer window with a sense of dread, wondering which promising youngster we'd be losing this time, but as a fan I love the excitement as managers scramble to build a squad they think is an improvement on the last years model. This year the two biggest names on the move (or not) are Fabregas and Tevez. Tevez has said that he doesn't want to return to 'small and wet' Manchester, so his future at City looks very much in doubt. Fabregas, if you believe the media, also wants to leave Britain to return to his first club Barcelona. The two stories have a completely different feel to them however. I can't remember a summer where Fabregas wasn't linked to Barcelona, whereas Tevez simply made up his mind that he didn't want to be back at his club. Tevez's reason for wanting to leave is his family, and obviously that's an honourable reason. However, he signed a contract and unless the club receives an offer that they feel is acceptable, I hope he has the integrity to carry on playing, unlike Adebayour. Fabregas has been asking to leave for a while, and Arsenal need to start building a squad that's going to be good now, not in a few seasons time. So if I was Wenger, I'd take the £37m and rebuild the squad, although I wouldn't want to tell a manager as great as him in the transfer market who to buy. Man City do not have to worry about balancing books, as long as they can continue to manipulate any rules regarding the balancing of funds, and will continue to buy anyone and everyone that looks mildly promising/talented.
In terms of other teams in the Premiership, I think Man Utd have really done the business they needed to in the transfer market, signing some new players to a squad people thought was looking tired and overused, without paying as much as some for the talent they have acquired. Liverpool, on the other hand, have paid over the odds to buy some untried players, and I think £20m for Stuart Downing was way over the market value, but well done Villa for waiting for that kind of money.
Cycling
The biggest event on the cycling calender, the Tour de France is in its final week. As a first time follower of the Tour, I have been sucked into the competition, and already have my favourite teams and riders to support. The rules may seem challenging but you do not need to know them back to front to appreciate the sheer athleticism involved. These men cycle hundreds of kilometers a day, seemingly with ease, and the speed at which they travel seems ridiculous considering the mountains they climb. My pick for the Yellow Jersey is one of the Schlecks, Andy having just taken the Jersey with the time trial stage to come, so he's in a very strong position. I think the Green Jersey is all but decided, and I think Cavendish will take it with a well deserved win after a fantastic tour.
Tennis
After the rush of two grand slams in a month, tennis fans have had to face a long wait for any tennis, with only the Davis cup offering any action to speak of. However, for GB fans, even that has been a bit lacklustre, with Murray dropping only 15 points in the second singles rubber, showing the real standard of the group Great Britain finds itself in. As the US Open draws nearer, I'll profile the 5 players I think have a chance of winning the final Grand Slam, plus my dark horse picks.
Formula One
This weekend is my favourite kind of weekend, a formula one weekend. The sport really brings something that I feel other sports lack, and can liven a slow weekend, especially since there isn't any football. Could this be the weekend that Ferrari catch McLaren or even Red Bull? Or maybe Lotus can move even closer to the main group. For me, Formula one is one of the most watchable sports around as even if you cant be bothered to understand all the technical jargon that goes on, the sheer speed, action and competitiveness of everything that happens makes the spectacle of the entire weekend beyond anything any sport can offer. If you've never watched a weekend, just give it a chance; pick a driver or a team and enjoy the spectacle. Having seen the first two practices I think this could be the weekend Webber picks up his first win of the season, although it wouldn't be hard to imagine Vettel running away with it again to pick up his first home GP win. However I don't think McLaren are going to be overly competitive unless they were hiding something today.
Cricket
The 2000th Test match begins tomorrow as England look to become the top ranked Test side for the first time ever by beating India in their 5 match series. If England win the 1st match, I think England will have overcome the biggest hurdle and will be well on their way to becoming world No1, as an England test side with the wind behind them are seemingly unstoppable. Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson, easily the best spin and swing bowlers of the current time, could run riot if not stood up to early on, and Cook has been in imperious for ever since the first Ashes test last year. England to win the series 3-1. After most of the first day gone, Pietersen looks like hes found a bit of form again, and India are now without their main strike bowler but unsure as to how long for. If England can make a big score this innings and their bowlers live up to their reputation, India shouldn't have a chance.
Check back later in the week for updates on the other sports mentioned at the start, including golf and the countdown to the Olympics.
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