Hitting the Fans

Barclays Premier League prediction

2010-08-13T23:50:00.005+01:00

Champions:

Chelsea- Despite having lost the peripheral figures of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is hardly weakened from the team that wrapped up the double in May. What might hurt them is the loss of Ricardo Carvalho, so often John Terry’s safety net. Even without the Portuguese defender The Blues have enough going forward to comfortably secure their fourth Premier league crown.

Champions League:

Arsenal- Arsene Wenger can be more than satisfied ahead of the new season after a decent summer's work. A new forward, in Marouane Chamakh, a dominating centre half in Laurent Koscielny and the retention of Cesc Fabregas has been the fruit of the Frenchman’s labor but acquiring a new goalkeeper, perhaps Mark Schwarzer, will be vital to their title challenge.

Manchester United- While Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, not to mention spend the money from the sale of the former world player of the year, the Scot does appear intent on building for the future. The signings of Javier Hernandez, Bebe and Chris Smalling might help United to future glories but they are unlikely, along with the old guard of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, to lead the club to another league triumph this season.

Manchester City- The most active of all of their Premiership’s elite, and given their spending power there is only so long they can be kept out of the top four; this season should be the start of their breakthrough. Jerome Boateng and Yaya Toure will add defensive steel, while new boys David Silva and Mario Balotelli can be called upon up front, along with Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Europa League:

Liverpool- Roy Hodgson has his work cut out to survive The Reds’ impending takeover, let alone to reclaim one of the four Champions League spots. While his reputation will help retain his job, the problems on the field make it difficult to contend for the title. Fernando Torres’ fitness will be crucial, as will the ability to keep Javier Mascherano happy, as the Argentine looks for the move to Barcelona.

Tottenham Hotsphur- Have been surprisingly quiet during this summer on the transfer front, and that lack of action might be their downfall come May. Loic Remy does appear to be on his way however, and he needs to help improve Spurs’ away form if they’re to challenge with the ‘big four’ again. Perhaps some strengthening to the back four needs to be made with Ledley King’s injury problems still apparent.

(Everton)- As a top four side invariably reaches the FA Cup final the Premiership's seventh placed side is handed a European place and after the resignation of Martin O'Neil, Everton look the most likely after retaining their star names after the World Cup.

Relegated

Wigan Athletic- Were the third lowest scorers in the division last season and even with the signing of Mauro Boselli it’s unlikely their fortunes will change. The loss of Charles N’Zogbia, whose transfer request is imminent, could be the final nail in the coffin.

West Bromich Albion- Another whose failure to find the net could well be their downfall. Have the likes of Chris Brunt and Graeme Dorrans in midfield, but don't have a forward with the ability to find the net with any great consistency in the Premiership.

Blackpool- Simply don’t have the resources to keep up with even the more modest Premiership sides and a quick return to the Championship is on the cards. Marlon Harewood is the highest profile name to arrive but even he won’t be able to keep The Tangerines afloat.

npower Championship prediction

2010-08-04T22:27:00.001+01:00

Promoted:

Middlesbrough- After the mass signings from north of the border Gordon Strachan appears confident he’s found the right mix for a promotion tilt. Kris Boyd is the biggest of those new names, along with Nicky Bailey, the tricky midfielder from Charlton.

Nottingham Forest- Billy Davies’ men have lost very few of the squad that took them to the play-offs last season and appear set for a similarly high finish this term. Only James Perch has departed to Newcastle while the likes of Rob Earnshaw and Lee Camp have amid speculation over their future.

Playoffs:

Reading- Perhaps a surprise inclusion but after their amazing turn around during the second half of last season under Brian McDermott Reading could be ready for a return to the Premiership. Gylfi Sigurosson might be the big game player in the team but keep an eye out for Shane Long, conqueror of Liverpool.

QPR- Have at last got the right man at the helm in Neil Warnock. The no nonsense manager is still looking to bring in Darren Ambrose from Crystal Palace, while the return of Adel Taarabt is still not yet assured. Expect a more resolute Rangers team this season, a factor that should result in a top six finish.

Burnley- Worked on a low budget in preparation for relegation, from the Premiership and they look better equipped than they did two years ago at winning promotion. Brain Laws has recruited former player Lee Grant in goal, while Ross Wallace’s signing is a real feather in the cap for Laws.

Norwich City- Paul Lambert turned Norwich around last season after a poor start under Brian Gunn, and I expect more heroics from the Scot this season as well. It’s crucial the club re-signs Fraser Forster in goal, while the combination of Andrew Surman and Wes Hoolahan in midfield could be devastating.

Relegated:

Watford- Relied mainly on young players and loan signings last season as they finished 16^th, but without those same player who Malkay Mackay has failed to re-sign you have to worry for a thin Hornets squad. Long season ahead.

Barnsley- Appear to have released a number of their finer players without bringing in proper replacements and that spells doom for Mark Robins’ side. One of those, Liam Dickinson, has limited championship experience, but will nevertheless be the main goal threat.

Scunthorpe United- Survived by five points last season but without Paul Hayes and Gary Hooper relegation seems a certainty. Chris Dagnell will be left to fight on his own up front, and the step up from League Two should be too great for him.

npower League One prediction

2010-08-04T22:13:00.008+01:00

Promoted:

Southampton- So often teams find it hard to raise themselves again after a successful season dominated by a points deduction. I don’t expect it to be plain sailing for Alan Pardew’s men but with the squad they have, on top of the investment that will come in January if all is not right, makes them favorites for promotion.

Huddersfield Town- Lee Clark appears to have added steel to Huddersfield’s leaky defence by signing Joey Gudjohnson in midfielder and defender Gary Naysmith, and along with last season’s similar frightening forward line it could be the perfect combination to fire Huddersfield to promotion.

Playoffs:

Charlton Athletic- In my mind Phil Parkinson worked wonderers at Charlton last season and despite losing two both Jonjo Shelvey and Nicky Baily for hefty fee’s I expect much the same this year round. The loss of Deon Button is a blow with Akpo Sodje expected to be relied on for goals.

Sheffield Wednesday- Despite last season’s final day heartbreak I expect Alan Irvine to motivate his squad for a stab at re-promotion to the championship. The loss of Lee Grant is a huge blow, but Clinton Morrison’s signing on a free is a real coup.

Bristol Rovers- Never truly replaced Rickie Lambert last season and faded away during the final 10 games of the season. Now with Will Hoskins on board, and Luke Daniels in goal, a man pivotal to Tranmere Rovers’ survival last season Rovers are equipped to finish in the top six.

Peterborough United- The experience of Gary Johnson could prove pivotal for Posh as they seek re-promotion to the championship. With George Boyd on board and new signing Grant McCann the London Road faithful can rest assure the club is in good hands. Let’s hope owner Darragh MacAnthony lets them get on with it.

Relegated:

Hartlepool United- Survived by the skin of their teeth last season after a succession of loan signings, but after failing to sign up Roy O’Donovan and making little changes this summer you have to fear for Chris Turner and his team.

Carlisle United- Ian Harte’s heroics last season are unlikely to be repeated as the full-back struck 18 times for the mid-table side. Richard Keogh and Scott Dobie’s departures aren’t ideal with replacements few and far between.

Dagenham and Redbridge- Even though John Still has brought in some impressive names, not least Damien Scannell from Southend you have to fear Dagenham’s jaunt in League One will be a one-season affair. Still’s policy of also drafting in non-league players is bold, but unlikely to pay off a division above.

Rochdale- Not that it will dampen their supporters’ spirit, but the club’s first promotion since 1974 might end with just a single season in League One. Keith Hill has seen a succession of key players depart, not least Chris Dagnall, and with Craig Dawson’s future also uncertain it’s likely to be a long season at Spotland.

npower League Two prediction

2010-08-04T22:06:00.007+01:00

Promoted:

Rotherham United- The fine line between a top seven finish and a season in mid-table might be down to whether Ronnie Moore can retain forward Adam Le Fondre for another year. If he can, The Millers are more than equipped to go one better after last season’s playoff heartbreak.

Shrewsbury Town- Graeme Turner did so much with so little at Hereford and has already started to acquire shrewd new players. Lionel Ainsworth has joined after a previous spell under Turner at Easter Road while Ian Sharps’ signing could be the difference.

Wycombe Wanderers- Might have appeared a bizarre move at the time, but Gary Waddock’s move to Wycombe appears to be making sense. They put up a hell of a fight last season and expect more attacking verve this time around. The experienced Nikki Bull and forward Scott Rendell are some of the new faces.

Playoffs:

Gillingham- The Gills have made one of the signings of the summer in their new manager Andy Hessenthaler, who was working miracles down at Dover Athletic. Marque signing Adebayo Akinfenwa will grab the headlines one way or another and the acquisition of Lance Cronin could be inspired.

Oxford United- Play the right sort of football to be successful in this league, and have a forward with the correct attributes to score over 20 goals this season in James Constable. The addition of Mitchell Cole will add to a busy midfield.

Bradford City- Finished the season with something of a flourish, and with the right man in place, Peter Taylor The Batams’ League Two misery might finally be over.

Crewe Alexandra- Whether he’ll be the manager or not, Dario Gradi has a squad with the capabilities to entertain a few in League Two. Over 140 goals were scored in games involving The Railwaymen last season, but Clayton Donaldson’s presence up front could help them to a more consistent season.

Relegated:

Stevenage- Having lost Mitchell Cole, the acquisition of new players has been limited at Broadhall Way. Hard to see where the goals will come from amongst the forwards of Yemi Odubade, Tim Sills and Charlie Griffen and a quick return to the conference could be on the cards.

Aldershot Town- The Shots have endured plenty of change during these past 12 months, but this summers activity might spell the end to their football league status. A number of the clubs’ star players have departed and with Marvin Morgan’s future still uncertain, you have to fear for Kevin Dillon’s side.

Race for fourth could set precedent

2010-05-05T18:16:00.002+01:00

While this evening’s battle for fourth place in the Premiership and that final elusive Champions League spot intrinsically surrounds Manchester City and Tottenham Hotsphur, in truth the result could well affect the remainder of the division just as much.

Blackburn Rovers and more recently Chelsea have seen daft amounts of money thrown at them in a quest to topple the best domestically and abroad and the success has since been littered.

Both sides did break Manchester United and Arsenal’s stranglehold on the Premier League title, but Rovers’ relegation four years after their title win proved that Sir Jack Walker’s back pocket, however deep, was no match for established success.

The men from the Kings Road lured successive league titles to Stamford Bridge after an investment on a scale that our country had never seen before, to the extent that no club was safe from Chelsea’s financial power.

The third bout of purchasing power in the Premier League has come from Manchester City, who after the rash signing of Robinho seem to have struck upon a formula of buying established league players, tried and trusted.

It speaks volumes about the stick-ability of United and Arsenal that they have been all but unmoved with all this money flying around and that despite an investment of over £100 million during last summer that City’s title ambitions haven fallen flat on their face. The question is, how long will they be kept at bay?

Tonight’s result might go along way to solving this mystery. If the Eastlands club are victorious, Sheikh Mansour has vowed to again bank role his second City manager, with Roberto Mancini this time the beneficiary.

The effects of that sort of money management, where price is no object, will create a far greater chasm between the top four and the rest of the division. With Champions league football on offer who can City not attract?

If they lose, then an air of realism will be shed on the issue, that no club can go from mid-table to Europe’s elite with just the flutter of a checkbook. And thank goodness that so far that hasn’t become a reality.

The worry would be is that if City are successful it would just open the floodgates to the extent the shape of the league we once knew will be nothing more than a distant memory.

There victory in finishing fourth would prove to any investor that they could take a mid-table Premiership side, for which City were, to the Champions League inside a year. Scary thought.

The gap is such that a nine-figure sum has seen a rise to possibly 4^th in the league. How much could we see spent this summer to help topple either Chelsea or Manchester United? £300 million? Who knows.

Spurs are an entirely different story however. Yes, manager upon manager has been given license to spend money, and plenty of it, but the investment has purely been to keep pace with the rest of the league, not to try and surpass it in one fell swoop.

They’ve honestly built there way up the league slowly but surely. In addition it’s refreshing to see a team near top of the league headed up by a number of English players. Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon and Jermaine Defoe have been at one time or another integral to Spurs’ progress.

You also have to admire Harry Redknapp as well; at least in the way he’s taken his side from dire straights last season, to Champions League potential this, with a mere quarter of the money available to their opponents.

So whom are you supporting? A team decked with stars and style that are going for hit or miss success? Or a side who’s steady progress is the sort of model that any England league side should pride itself on. All I’ll say is this; football rewards the decent and often not the foolhardy. Mr Redknapp will be hoping for as much this evening.

Lampard's Professionalism Going Unnoticed

2010-03-28T13:03:00.012+01:00

In sport consistency is key to any success, and in Frank Lampard, Chelsea have a player whose reliability is as undeniable as it is astonishing.

Lampard reached 20 club goals for the 5^th season in a row, after scoring four goals, two of which were penalties, against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The regularity of his performances, his temperament on the field and his refusal to disgrace himself in the public eye means he is the modern day professional in amongst the playboys of the Premier League.

Above all else his performances for both Chelsea, and England have always been exemplary, only Wayne Rooney can boast to having similar success for both club and county.

Gone are the days that saw England fans use Lamaprd as the scapegoat for their inability to qualify for the European Championships in 2008. Yes, Steve McLaren was slated off the pitch but Lampard was the main focus of abuse on it.

Those same England fans have now been eulogizing over Lampard’s performances for the national side, all of which have been while playing largely out of position in a more reserved role alongside Gareth Barry.

Continual comparisons to his father (left) contributed to Lampard's exit from Upton Park

While at West Ham United Lampard failed to escape from his father’s shadow, being branded ‘Fat Frank’, and a move to Stamford Bridge, for a hefty £11 million, helped loosen those shackles. That move signaled an improvement in his career, regular England call-ups and stunning long range strikes followed as did league titles under Jose Mourinho.

Along with a superb goal tally, for which he now lies 3rd in the all-time list of Chelsea goal-scorers, he holds the record for consecutive appearances in the Premier League for an outfield player, at 164.

This is a tribute to his dedication and conditioning as a footballer and it’s no coincidence that he doesn’t get long term injuries, while England’s current skipper Rio Ferdinand, has played just four league games all year and played a bit part in the countries successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

The pressure upon Lampard on the pitch is heightened by the fact he’s the Blues’ regular penalty taker, and his success is astounding with just a single failure in four years.

His quality from the spot was clear to see as he scored three times from 12 yards against West Ham United earlier this season, after having to retake the penalty twice.

In addition he struck from the spot in extra-time of a Champions League semi-final against Liverpool in 2008 just a week after the death of his mother. His two handed point to the sky, a salute to his late mother, now accompanies every goal from Lampard, and Chelsea fans certainly aren’t getting bored of seeing the gesture.

Lampard's tribute to his mother accompanies every goal he scores

As if that wasn’t enough, his profile off the pitch is nothing short of exemplary, a few misdemeanors during his younger years only went to teach Lampard how to behave as a professional footballer, and the death of his mother matured the player further.

That mellowness was clear to see, when last year, during a radio talk show, he called in after being labeled as weak and scum by presenter James O’Brien following accusations that he wasn’t looking after his children appropriately after his split from Elen Rives.

He dealt with the issue in a dignified manner, and given that the radio show coincided with the anniversary of his mother’s death, his coolness was applaudable.

His split from Rives in 2009 was much publicized in the tabloids, but did it affect his performances? Not one bit, as he scored a 90^th minute winner for Chelsea against Wigan Athletic that very same month, Terry take note.

Yes, like any other footballer he earns one of the higher wage packets in the division, £150,000 a week to be exact, but given that he’s rarely unfit it’s hardly money gone to waste and in truth he’s probably a victim of the money dominated era of the game we’re now experiencing, rather than being a cash grabber.

It begs the question, with all these attributes, why the 31-year old wasn’t chosen as England’s replacement skipper, after team-mate John Terry was stripped of the captaincy.

Maybe the close relationship between the two always put Lampard out of the running, but if Fabio Capello was that bothered about relationships in the camp, and given Terry’s popularity, he wouldn’t have made the change at all.

I personally find it difficult to find a flaw in Lampard; he doesn’t goad supporters or lambast referees while he doesn’t crave media attention or fruitless sponsorship deals like many others. It’s just a shame that Mr Capello doesn’t seem acknowledge him in the same vein.

Could this be the most exciting Formula 1 season ever?

2010-03-11T22:35:00.002Z

It may have been 159 days ago that Jenson Button secured the Formula 1 Drivers Championship, but in truth its feels like just yesterday that the 30-year old produced one his finest performances behind the wheel as he powered his way to the title in the Brazilian sun.

But after a summer of activity, including team changes, new rules, new teams and the return of an old face we’re again ready for what’s gearing up to be one of the most exhilarating seasons in recent memory.

The biggest of those stories revolves around the return of Michael Schumacher, who after a four year absence from the sport has given in to the calls for his return as he links up with the Mercedes team, and Ross Brawn in particular.

That duo masterminded Ferrari’s dominance of the sport at the beginning of the current century, and both will be keen to continue their great relationship in this toughest of seasons.

One of the unique aspects of this F1 season is the amount of former World Champions around, and the last two champions, both of who are British are teaming up for McLaren in a mouthwatering duel.

Lewis Hamilton had a subdued year in an off the pace McLaren car, while his new teammate Button stormed to his first world title after winning six of the season’s opening seven races.

The way Hamilton took the sport by storm in his first two seasons, missing out on the title in Brazil in 2008, and then on the exact same stage the following year piping homeboy Filipe Massa to the title in a race in which he finished fifth, the same position that confirmed Button as champion last season.

Both are sure to be vying for the title, Hamilton probably has the upper hand given his long history with McLaren, but Button won’t want to give up his title with a whimper, watching two Brits fight for the title for a British team will be thrilling.

As ever we have new teams, three at that, with Lotus F1, Hispania Racing and Virgin Racing coming into freshen up the sport, but there are fears about the ability for any of the teams to be competitive on the track, or to even survive until the end of the season, have already surfaced.

Yes, the FIA have permitted these teams to start the season, and given the financial restraints the governing body now impose on the sport, a thorough inspection into each teams finances should have been carried out so that a mid-season collapse doesn’t ensue.

As ever the FIA have chopped and changed with the rules, two of which stick out like a sore thumb.

Firstly there will be no re-fueling during the race, meaning pit stops will be shorter, but at the same time it means there is no margin for error during the stops like there may have been before.

Given that, qualifying will now be a true reflection on how fast each car is during a weekend, making it far more accurate, but is part of the excitement in waiting till race day to discover the fastest man on the grid and of the weekend?

The second, and the most radical, is the change of the points system, with the top 10 finishers now eligible for a point, with the podium finishers likely to pick up 25, 18 and 15 points respectively.

The clear downside is the history of the sport in terms of point scoring is now irrelevant, and now with a higher and widespread scoring system there’s nowhere to hide for any team.

Will the system mean more drivers can challenge for the title? That’s left to be seen, but with so many scoring spots will drivers be less willing to go for a podium finish when they know a top 10 finish will see them score anyway?

It’s one of the number of questions to be answered for the new season, and another is how some of the new drivers will fit in at their new teams, and the focus in that respect is liable to be on the fourth world champion competing in this season, Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari have rid themselves of their world champion Kimi Raikkonen, and Alonso will join Massa in an exciting line up for the Italian based team and the Spaniard is many people’s favorite for this years title.

Elsewhere Niko Roseberg is to be mentored at Mercedes by Schumacher after his move from Williams and replacing him will be Rubens Barrichello, while Heikki Kovalainen joins Jarno Trulli at new team Lotus Racing.

There are so many sub-plots to this year’s championship it’s impossible to know where to look next, and the season is still yet to kick off.

Personally, the plot I see coming to the fore in the championship race is that between Hamilton and Alonso, a pair who have their history while at McLaren, but in opposite teams, with fine cars at their disposal, a real title battle can unfold between the two.

Last season showed Formula 1 still possess some unpredictability, but with last year’s rules now very familiar to most teams, shocks might be few and far between, but excitement? Now that’s a given.

Food For Thought For Capello as England Power Through

2010-03-03T23:03:00.002Z

England can be content, if not totally thrilled with their nights work as they overcame African Nations Cup winners Egypt 3-1 after a second-half resurgence at Wembley.

Mohammed Zidan steered the visitors ahead mid-way through the first half after a slip by Matthew Upson, but a brace by substitute Peter Crouch and a fumbled Shaun Wright-Phillips strike saw England home.

England took the field in their new away strip; partly resembling the shirt worn by the countries World Cup winning team of 1966, but for nearly an hour that was the only parallel onlookers could draw between the home team, and that side from yesteryear, as an efficient Egyptian side controlled the early stages.

Fabio Capello gave plenty of answers to his intentions for his starting eleven at the World Cup finals this summer with his selection, with Robert Green starting in goal at the expense of David James and Joe Hart.

Given James’ age you have to wonder why he’s being selected at all for the squad if he’s not first choice, and in this friendly environment not giving Hart some much needed experience is an oversight, but it further maintains that the West Ham keeper is No.1 for the foreseeable future, and is unlikely to budge.

Leighton Baines seems to have won the battle at left-back over Stephen Warnock, but it again seemed strange that with such a dilemma in that position, with or with Ashley Cole, that the Aston Villa left back wasn’t given a run-out in the closing stages.

In mid-field Theo Walcott was preferred to both James Milner and Shaun Wright-Phillips, but in truth the performance of Walcott left a lot to be desired and his place in the squad for South Africa is under serious jeopardy, not just because of his own inept display, but because of the encouraging showing by Wright-Phillips.

He may not be first choice for his club Manchester City, but his performance on Wednesday night, which included a goal and an assist of Crouch’s second, was enough to suggest that he’ll be majorly considered for this summer.

Up-front Jermaine Defoe partnered Wayne Rooney, and as on so many occasions without Emile Heskey, Rooney looked distinctly quiet in his national colors, if Capello learned anything from Defoe’s performance it was that he doesn’t bring the best out of England’s talisman.

The central two of Garth Barry and Frank Lampard can be happy with their night’s work, safe in the knowledge they’re assured a starting role in South Africa, and maybe even Michael Carrick can starting packing his bags as well after an assured performance.

Steven Gerrard however still looks a bit lost in an England shirt, and Baines’ unwillingness to get forward, understandable on his debut, meant England were hopelessly narrow at times- Ashley Cole is unlikely to be as reserved when fit though.

Gerrard took the captaincy in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand, but it was the circus surrounding England’s former skipper John Terry that intensified again as the Wembley crowd booed and jeered the Chelsea player.

I understand that having paid up to £40 for a ticket to Wednesday nights match the crowd are permitted to make their feelings heard, however maybe they should try cheering on a player who, when on form is crucial to England hopes at regaining the World Cup, rather than booing one of their own. It was frankly pathetic.

Along with Capello overlooking Hart and Warnock, he refused to given Stuart Downing a run-out, while Carlton Cole was given just five minutes to impress.

Both players have been out of action for some time, and are far from assured a place in the final 23-man squad and for them to be given scant reward for their encouraging league form must have been disappointing.

The Italian will name his provisional squad for the finals on 16^th May, so opportunities to impress are few and far between. The jostling for position starts now.

Football has lost a true character in Keith Alexander

2010-03-03T18:45:00.004Z

Occasionally the football and sporting worlds lose a true character, the like of which we probably won’t see again. The name of Sir Bobby Robson springs to mind.

Today however, the beautiful game lost another hero, this time in the lower leagues, with the unexpected and sudden death of Macclesfield Town manager Keith Alexander.

He took charge of his final game at Macclesfield on Tuesday evening as his side lost 1-0 to Notts County in a League Two encounter.

The 53-year old had battled illness for a number of years. A brain aneurysm in 2003 almost cut his career short, but when he was given a clean bill of heath he was quick to return to the game.

Although his final spell as manager came with Macclesfield, he’ll also be fondly remembered for his time with Lincoln City, where he clocked up over 250 games in charge as well as a number of play-off near misses.

Indeed he holds the unfortunate record of taking The Imps to four consecutive play-offs without promotion, with final appearances against Bournemouth and Southend. But this stat just adds to the affection football had for the manager.

His spell at Peterborough was short lived, as he became a victim of the soaring expectations at London Road under Darragh MacAnthony. How the Irishman would wish he could call upon Alexander now, as the club lie bottom of the Championship.

Year after year at Moss Rose he had the club punching above their weight, possessing a budget that was one of the lowest in the Football League. But did one ever hear him making excuses? Absolutely not.

What’s more he flew the flag for black managers in the Football League, and his loss in this respect might be the greatest blow to the football world.

He was the first black manager to be given a permanent job in the game in this country when hired by Lincoln in 1993, where he had previously played as forward.

The tributes that have flooded in for the boss prove his worth to the football world, and while he may not have had the League success that he will have craved, he has the respect that many, even at the top level, can only dream of.

The game between Macclesfield and Hereford United on Saturday will not go ahead as a mark of respect to Alexander and rightly so. It is just one in what is sure to be a long list of tributes to the late manager.

Bridge's Announcement Disguising Deeper Issues

2010-02-26T19:49:00.004Z

Wayne Bridge’s declaration that he will effectively end his international career may have pulled the personal issue between himself and John Terry to the forefront of our minds again, but in truth its contributed to cover up a greater problem in the selection of England’s world cup squad.

While it seems likely that Stephen Warnock will join Ashley Cole in South Africa instead of Bridge, solutions to other areas of the pitch are more difficult to predict, with some unfilled spots in mid-field leaving some England fans and I’m sure Fabio Capello, scratch their heads.

However the progression of James Milner this season has been nothing short of fabulous.

He’s firmly broken into an Aston Villa side that looked full to the brim with wingers are the signing of Stuart Downing, but Milner hasn’t let the signing of the former Middleborough player trouble him.

His form, and the disappointing showing of some of his rivals for the position mean Milner, for me, is a sure starter for England against USA on 12^th June.

He’s overtaken Theo Walcott for the position, who after his hat-trick against Croatia in Zagreb, had all but secured his place at his second World Cup tournament, but his form of late has hardly been encouraging.

When everyone is fit at the Emirates Arsene Wenger uses Walcott sparingly, but that hasn’t been the case this season as injuries throughout the squad had meant his opportunities has been more frequent, but he’s hardly taken advantage of that break.

In some of Arsenal’s bigger games this season, particularly in the recent league encounter with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Walcott has gone missing, and with one league goal to his name this season it’s hardly been the ideal time for his form to drop off.

Some of Walcott’s inept displays might be blamed on tiredness after he was taken to the Under-21’s European Championships last summer, something Wenger was hugely against, but Milner, who captained the side in Sweden, has had no such problems this season.

Fatigue is liable to be a factor, and we can’t expect Milner to continue to produce the form of displays that we’ve been treated to this season all the way till May.

Elsewhere in this troublesome position we have Joe Cole, forever England’s solution to their left-sided problem under Sven Goran Eriksson, but now back in the blue of Chelsea he has failed to break back into the side, and when selected been unable to re-produce any of the magic we once enjoyed.

After such a long rehabilitation, has the World Cup come too soon for Cole? Capello’s squad selection for the friendly against Egypt will tell us all we need to know.

After Cole come Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon, who both, for different reason will do well to make it on the plane for England.

Wright-Philips, by his high standards hasn’t been at the top of his game for Manchester City and has, like he was at Chelsea, been a victim of their embarrassment of riches.

Yes, more often that not he plays, but too inconsistently to gather any momentum in his league form.

As for Aaron Lennon, well lets first not forget that he hasn’t kicked a football in 2010 yet, and as a result will miss out on selection for the friendly against Egypt.

Lennon has had a terrific first half of the season, but it’s painfully obvious that he lacks a final ball and amongst other things he looks short of a trick or two from a standing start, more often than not he needs help from a galloping full back to create space for him.

When I selected my own World Cup squad in October, I omitted both Wright-Phillips and Lennon, and I’ve seen nothing in the previous four months to suggest I should overturn that decision.

I did mention the name of Adam Johnson as the future for England, but that the World Cup had come just too soon for him, and not for the first time I may be wrong.

Although I was disappointed that he left Middleborough for City on deadline day, he’s given himself a chance to prove he belongs at the top level and with a few injuries around, I think he deserves a punt, in this squad at least.

There’s always one player who makes a late break and makes the squad, and now that Milner looks a certainty, Johnson will have his heart set on a World Cup spot.

In addition I also feel there is a spot unfilled for another central mid-field player, and given the way the England team is structured Michael Carrick seems primed for the spot, but Lee Catermole, another who traveled to Sweden last summer must also be considered.

So while fans might be fretting over who will replace Bridge in the squad, England fans might want to turn their attention to England's mid-field dilemma.

Decision Time for Title Rivals

2010-02-24T12:08:00.005Z

During a week where attention has turned to Jose Mourinho’s clash with Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League, the Blues' title rivals, Manchester United, cut the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just a single point, with a comfortable 3-0 win over a home sick West Ham United.

Just one win on the road all season has contributed to the Hammers plight at the foot of the League and another defeat here came after the side more than held their own in the opening 30 minutes.

Gianfranco Zola’s team secured a vital win over Hull City at the weekend, meaning they could travel to Old Trafford and play an open, expansive game while knowing they had done the hard work at Upton Park last weekend.

As is always the way with visiting teams at Old Trafford, their game is raised to try and keep up with the home team's standards, and as a result many onlookers will admit that if West Ham can replicate the sort of form they showed in the opening half an hour at the Theatre of Dreams, they’ll comfortably retain their Premiership status.

Whereas most of the attention was on Wayne Rooney, whose brace all but put to bed this Premiership encounter before the hour mark, eagle eyed supporters would have acknowledged the defensive pairing at the heart of West ham’s back four.

Despite seeing three goals, and many other chances created against them, both James Tomkins and Matthew Upson can come away from this fixture with their heads held high with both being terrific from start to finish.

With Rio Ferdinand, now looking like a severe doubt for the World Cup this summer after a re-occurrence of a long standing back injury, questions will arise as to his replacement in the team, and with Upson effectively the third choice centre back, this performance shows England fans should have no worries about the ability of the former Arsenal defender.

United fans should however have reservations about the loss of Ferdinand, with the inept displays their second string defender have produced of late.

Jonny Evans was dropped to the bench for this one after being found out badly at the San Siro, the venue of his making as a United defender last season, and at Goodison Park on Saturday.

At the top of the pitch, Carlton Cole looked lively, but again lacked a goal or two to cap off a fine performance, a factor that will see him miss out on selection for England World Cup squad.

The only way the 26-year old might force his way into the squad will be if Rooney endures an injury before the end of the season, a loss neither England nor United can afford.

While Rooney showed that he is potentially the best player on the world right now with two goals and a host of other nimble touches, he further proved how vital he is to the Red Devils chance of securing any one of the three trophies they crave this season.

On this occasion however, others did come to the party, Antonio Valencia, a player crudely dropped in recent week in place of Nani, provided both of Rooney’s goals, Paul Scholes looked at his brilliant best as he continues to benefit from a run in the team and Dimitar Berbatov looked more willing to contribute than he has in recent weeks.

As ever the close season run-in is crucial to the destiny of the Premiership title, as well as the European Cup, and it might be a case that United and Chelsea will have to pick their priority even at this stage of the season.

Chelsea travel to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan tonight, three days before taking on fifth placed Manchester City, who themselves face Stoke City in an FA Cup replay.

Carlo Ancelotti’s love affair with the Champions League, and Roman Abramovich’s infatuation with the competition means it’s possible domestic affairs will have to take a back seat as a challenge for Europe’s premier club competition takes precedence for the Blues.

In addition Sir Alex Ferguson’s obsession with usurping Liverpool as England’s most successful club side will mean surely the Premiership title will become the important entity for the Scot.

I stress this is just a theory, both managers are still winners after all, and neither will relent in their quest for either trophy, but in a modern era where teams play over sixty games a season, is it really possible to fight for trophies on three levels during a single season?

It highlights how great an achievement United’s treble triumph was in 1999, although Barcelona’s own treble last season shows it can be done, albeit with a winter break.

And although his love for the club is still strong, Mourinho will be first in line to attempt to throw a spanner in the works of Chelsea’s own treble ambitions, and as we know he’s never been one to turn down a challenge.

Beckham's Return a Reminder of What Could Have Been

2010-02-15T18:29:00.007Z

Football fans of my generation will always look at Euro ’96 at being their first football experience.

The image of Alan Shearer’s near-post header against Germany, or Paul Gascoigne’s dazzling volley against Scotland are such distinctive moments of English football history than even the most forgetful among us couldn’t possibly overlook these iconic pictures.

However neither Shearer, nor Gascoigne, were characters that fans of the younger generation could really relate with.

Just 76 days from that infamous semi-final tie with Germany we were introduced to a man whose ability with the ball, as well as his boy band good looks and charismatic personality would capture our hearts in a way no footballer had since the late, great George Best.

David Beckham signed for Manchester United in 1993, and within three years had established himself as the Red Devils’ leading threat on the right hand side of mid-field.

Sir Alex Ferguson had so much faith in the mid-fielder that he sold Russian winger Andrei Kanchelskis to league rivals Everton, to make way for Beckham to have a run in the team during the 1995-96 season and the Scot’s gamble paid off immediately.

It wasn’t until after Euro ’96 though that Beckham came fully into the public spotlight, and a single kick from what was to become an iconic right foot in the closing minutes at Selhurst Park from fully 50 yards saw him etched into football folk law.

The rest as you say is history, and for millions of supporters across the world a new star was born and the eulogies for Beckham haven’t since relented, even as he reaches the twilight of his career.

Too often when players leave football clubs they are forever revered and ridiculed by supporters for being traitors, or being hopeless flops, Beckham however comes into a totally different league.

It’s sometimes very difficult to disagree with Sir Alex Ferguson, yes he may hurl abuse at referee’s like its going out of fashion, or he might make sarcastic quips at journalists because they’ve asked him a awkward question, but his decisions within the walls of Old Trafford have always been in the club’s best interests.

The sale of Beckham, a transfer completed in July 2003, was the one-day I almost fell out of love with football forever, and almost lost faith with our talismanic manager.

Everything that I felt United stood for, honest, hard-working and dam right committed was sold off like it was a bit of unwanted furniture, and all to fuel the ego of a Scotsman whose personally feelings had finally crossed over into his working life.

I never have, and never will forgive Ferguson for selling Beckham; a sale that he knew would impact on the team’s results as United went on to endure three seasons without the League Championship.

It wasn’t that barren run without a title success that hurt me and most of the fans the most, no; it was that a player who loved his club unrelentingly was shipped off without even a consideration, another in a long line of players who were more like commodities than actually people.

I was in-fact was party to the first cracks in the Ferguson-Beckham relationship, when the England International was left out of United’s crucial title decider against Leeds United after choosing to look after his poorly child Brooklyn rather than turn up for a training session.

The decision seemed vindicated at the time, with United stealing a 1-0 win at Elland Road, but you kind of felt that things wouldn’t be the same, it was as if Ferguson was waiting for Beckham to slip up so that he could ever so slowly force him out of Old Trafford.

He of course got his wish via a thrown boot and after lashing out at Beckham preceding a Champions League tie against Real Madrid the penny finally dropped.

On Tuesday evening Beckham will come face-to-face with the man who banished him from the club seven years ago, and despite the way he was treated, watch the 34-year old be the first to shake Ferguson’s hand before kick-off.

That’s something Beckham has always been able to show, a little bit of decorum when pressured the most, something the FA took into account when recruiting him to boost the countries 2018 World Cup bid.

The glory hunting United fans out there will argue Ferguson has vindicated his decision of ridding Beckham from Old Trafford, because of the major success he's provided since he departed.

But part of me will always wonder whether it could have been the other way around, and whether with Beckham at the helm United’s success could have been equally as prolific.

For me, and for many others he was the first footballer, and even when he retires, potentially after this summers World Cup, he will always be close to my heart.

England Save The First Test.

2009-12-20T19:29:00.004Z

If there’s one thing that England Cricket supporters have come to learn from following their team is that win, lose or draw they’re in for a bumpy ride- and on the final day of the first test at Centurion against South Africa the nations cricketers didn’t upset the form-book.

England eventually fought off a late South Africa resurgence to claim a draw in Pretoria, after seeing six middle order wickets fall for just 46 runs in the final session of the test.

The collapse was sparked by a crazy run-out involving Kevin Pietersen, who was cruising towards his 17^th test century before going for a single that partner Jonathan Trott stood motionless for, resulting in the run-out of the South African born player.

Pietersen and Trott’s 146-run partnership had looked as if it would all but seal England a draw in this opening test, with the duo combining solidity and carefully selective stroke play in their match saving innings.

The dismissal of the two will spark discussion for plenty of reasons, Trott’s because of the marvelous catch that brought the wicket, from AB De Villiers, and Pietersen’s because of the softness of the dismissal.

The hosts had seemingly run out of ideas heading into the final session and Pietersen’s run out gave them the initiative and the belief that they could in-fact go on and win the match.

In predictable fashion, the wicket has become the catalyst for some harsh criticism towards the England batsman with his exuberant batting style resulting in him unnecessarily trying to rotate the strike- with dire consequences.

This comment on the BBC Sport Website reflects the majority of the feeling towards the former England skipper.

"What a shambolic waste from KP. A typically senseless way to give up your wicket when the situation needs the exact opposite. Kevin may be a supreme hitter of a cricket ball, but great batsmen are far more shrewd and tactical than KP seems able."

This is a typical comment from one of the many fickle sporting fans this nation accommodates and is something better left for a rant on Radio 5 Live’s 606, or one of Talksport’s numerous discussion forums.

Pietersen’s contribution to England’s cricketing success, however limited it may have been during the last four years, can mainly be attributed to his quality with the bat and his unique match winning ability.

The odd mistake from him should not be scrutinized to the extent that he’s been made the scapegoat for England’s batting collapse.

I did mention his dismissal opened the floodgates for England’s collapse but it didn’t mean England’s batsman were suddenly obligated to give their wickets away, five wickets fell after his remember.

The circumstances surrounding the collapse did highlight how much work England have to do if they are to turn there fortunes around after a match in which they never had control of their own destiny.

From the instant Andrew Strauss sent South Africa into bat on the first morning of the test, England shattered any chance of drawing first blood in this test, and they failed from then on to wrestle the onue away from Graeme Smith’s side throughout the five rain-free days in Pretoria.

The fact that we saw five full days of cricket and the team batting fourth was still over 100 runs from parity proves how flat and lifeless the Centurion pitch was.

We’re expecting a bit more grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day test at Durban, and both teams’ selection policy is sure to different from this opening test for contrasting reasons.

The hosts have the luxury of being able to welcome back Dale Steyn into their bowling attack, and with Jacques Kallis also set to be able to bowl at 100% Smith can be confident ahead of the second test.

England on the other hand have to decide the worth of playing a sixth batsman, and whether they are willing to put any faith in Matt Prior batting higher up the order.

The hosts showed a depth and quality in their bowling attack that England couldn’t match, so a natural all-rounder, either Luke Wright or Liam Plunkett will have to be brought in to even up the England attack.

Frankly I’d be tempted to go with Ryan Sidebottom as the fifth bowler, given that both Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann make up for there not being an out and out all-rounder.

The selectors are however uneasy with the idea of Broad batting at No. 7, and therefore I expect to see Liam Plunkett given a chance to make his first test appearance since 2007.

Elsewhere in the team I’m worried about the form of Alastair Cook, who after averaging just 24.22 during the Ashes series made pitiful scores of 15 and 12 in this test and it highlights an area of concern in the England team- but one that won’t be delved into in the middle of a test series.

My final point surrounds the thrilling ending we saw to this test, and it was true testament that only test cricket could have seen an ending as exciting as what we saw today.

Even it’s biggest detractors, such as West Indies captain Chris Gayle for example couldn’t have argued that today’s climax to the game wasn’t electrifying, and rarely in other forms of the game could a game swing with such vigor as it did in the final session of the test match.

James Anderson’s tweet sums up the feeling behind test cricket, and Gayle apart, most of the players seem to be huge fans of the notion.

JimmyAnderson9: We are single handedly trying to keep test cricket alive!

Let’s hope for the future of the form of the game that he’s not the only one, otherwise we’ll be seeing decreasingly less of the types of finishes that we saw unfold this weekend.

British Swimming Set for Duel in the Pool

2009-12-17T18:46:00.014Z

Great Britain’s everlasting memories from last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, excluding our cyclists, was of our swimming team who while in the Water Cube in Beijing won six medals, which included two gold’s for Rebecca Adlington.

Seven further medals were picked up at the world championships in Rome earlier this year with Liam Tancock and Gemma Spofforth this time the heroes.

For the years climax to the swimming calendar a concept called ‘Duel in the Pool’ something largely only used in America, has been revamped to incorporate more countries to create a Europe vs. America a model based on Golf’s own Ryder Cup.

A team from Great Britain will be joined by their German and Italian counterparts as they take on the might of the USA, which will of course include Michael Phelps.

The USA have consistently held the upper hand at previous world championships, Olympic games and earlier Duel in the Pool competitions, but never have they had to face three countries at once.

A points system has be introduced to score each of the top three finishers in each race, with five points available for first place, three for second and one for third.

The event is to take place in Manchester over this weekend and is sure to further boost the profile and awareness of British swimming in this country and beyond.

The biggest draw of the weekend is sure to be the American Phelps whose seen controversy and loss of form trouble him since his Olympic heroics, and during his first trip to the UK he’ll be looking to make up for those mishaps

Whether the same ability to become a team player will occur like it does for Tiger Woods in Ryder Cups is difficult to say, but either way he’s sure to be a big draw for the crowd and the other competitors.

Phelps will be unable to compete in more than six events over the two days, but expect him to dominate the events he is involved in.

It will be a chance for Britain’s golden girl Adlington to re-assert herself as the world’s No.1 800m swimmer with Jo Jackson set to miss out, and the double Olympic Champions year has been dominated by her decision not to wear the soon to be prohibited swimming suits.

She was left short at the World Championship failing to pick up a gold medal at the event as Jackson amongst others showed the vast difference between the two suits.

It’s the only sour note on what should be wonderful few days for British swimming, and at the end of the day it’s sure to be the difference between a winning European team, and a loosing one.

The medal table at the Olympic Games and World Championships suggest USA should just sneak the win overall, with the combined medals earned from those events by Italy, Germany and Britain, just short of the Americans.

But in truth the British Swimming Association won’t mind too much if the team come up short, because it’s sure to be days full of showing off the depth of Britain’s swimming talent, and along with the brilliant facilities they have to host the event it can only boost the sports importance.

Solid Kallis Halts England’s Charge

2009-12-16T15:47:00.002Z

An unbeaten 112 from Jacques Kallis took South Africa to 264 for 4 at the close of play on day one of the first text against England at Centurion.

Early wickets had looked to justify Andrew Strauss’ decision to insert the hosts after winning the toss, with Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Graeme Swann all striking early on to leave South Africa 93 for 3.

But Kallis showed patience that many of the teammates had lacked as he hit his 32^nd test century in the typical unyielding style we’ve come to expect from the all-rounder.

Even with a slight injury- one that will deny him the chance to bowl in the match- he strolled to his century without serious alarm.

England will be encouraged by a terrific early start for their bowlers, the two wickets for spinner Swann who also saw for AB De Villiers, but will worry about little niggles that seems to have eroded some of the confidence from the England seam bowlers.

It did seem like a strange decision however to field just three seam bowlers in the team and then insert Graeme Smith’s side to bat, surely a selection geared towards taking on what was a slow pitch with the bat, rather than the ball.

JP Duminy should be praised for his rearguard performance, as he was able to rotate the strike and give Kallis the chance to put England to the sword.

The 34-year old's unnerving ability to keep his nerve at the crease means he’ll be odds on to make his first double hundred in test match cricket.

Yet again the referral system, a system that isn’t favored by the players, was involved in some controversy as England had two successive referrals rejected.

The second of which involved De Villiers, who Swann claimed to have had caught behind, and after the umpire didn’t raise his finger, he referred the decision.

The decision remained however because the television company covering the game don’t have the technology available to confer on caught behind decisions.

Why on earth would you implement the referral system, and then not have the technology to back it up when the players want to use it? You either have it or you don’t.

Yes Swann and keeper Matt Prior will be criticized for asking for the referral despite possessing this information about the abilities of the TV company, but surely this should have been sorted out before the test series begun.

The ICC really has to drop the referral system sooner or later, or put their money where there mouth is and fund this technology, something they’ve failed to do up till now, and that would have prevented a situation like we saw today.

It was the only blip of the day however, one that was dominated by one of the current era’s greatest players. Onlookers will be craving much of the same for the days to come.

Notts County Proving Financial Power Isn’t Always the Best Medicine

2009-12-15T16:18:00.004Z

It may have only been five months, but Notts County’s ‘five year’ plan, which included promotion to at least The Championship within that time frame, looks like little more than a pipe dream after yet another big name departed the club on Tuesday.

Manager Hans Backe, who had been in charge for just seven weeks, has resigned from his post-just days after the club underwent yet another ownership change.

Munto Finance put the club up for sale last week, with Peter Trembling, a representative of that company, purchasing the club for a nominal fee.

Backe seems to have been unsettled by the constant speculation behind the owner’s intentions and identity and this latest episode, that was cleared up over the weekend seems to have been the last straw for the Swede.

He also has a case for being provided with little or no funds, unlike his predecessor Ian McParland and it was unclear whether he would have any money to spend during the upcoming January transfer window.

County’s second managerial departure of the season will only add to the dressing room unrest and unsettle the fans, who for the most part have been subjected to some hugely entertaining and successful football at Meadow Lane.

This time last season Notts County had just been beaten 2-0 by Chester City, now bottom of the Blue Square Premier and facing a second successive relegation, and were languishing in 16^th after four wins all season.

This season the club find themselves 6^th in League Two just five points off the third automatic promotion place after a near perfect home record this season.

Their single home defeat came last weekend at the hands of Accrington Stanley and proved that the off-the field goings on has maybe affected the players confidence.

Of course the astronomical wages and fees being paid out at the beginning of the season may well have to be toned down, now Munto Finance have sold the club, and that might mean a complete re-structure of the wage system meaning many players will have to either take a pay cut, or leave altogether.

But it’s this sort of conjecture that Magpies fans don’t want and it’s sure to continue until Trembling and director of football Sven Goran Eriksson reveal their intentions.

Whether they have the financial power necessary to keep County challenging in the higher echelons of League Two is again difficult to say but its unlikely they’ll have the same sort of financial power as the previous owners did.

Eriksson’s relation with the club means that high-profile international names are sure to be linked with the vacant managers job, with Roberto Mancini almost certain to be a strong front-runner as he was after McParland’s departure.

I was never a supporter of McParland’s sacking to begin with, yes he wasn’t highly thought of in League Two, and was lucky to retain his job after the clubs takeover, but given that he was allowed a chance to start the clubs meteoric rise and that he faired pretty well, why was he rid of when the club were flourishing?

Since his sacking the club have gone from 5^th, four points off the top, to 6^th, 10 points off the top; where’s the progress there?

What’s more the club have been completely embarrassed by the scenario surrounding Sol Campbell and now this ownership squabble, wasn’t it so much simpler before the takeover?

It brings up the question; does a financial injection create more problems than it’s worth?

QPR for example have had six different managers in the two years following on from the massive money boost at the club, and are as a result no closer to their ultimate dream; promotion to the Premiership.

Portsmouth have had three different owners during their foray into the Premiership, and are becoming unstuck on and off the pitch as a result with administration reportedly looming over the south coast club.

And finally two of English footballs most illustrious clubs, Manchester United and Liverpool have debts topping £600 million between them after respective American takeovers and are finding success on the field an absolute necessity if the clubs are to survive in the short term.

It will surely take the liquidation of one, if not two of the countries best loved clubs for fans and chairman to realise success can’t be pushed- the best things come to those who wait, remember?

Not that its likely, but maybe Trembling and Eriksson will take these wise words into account when deciding what to do next at Notts County, the football leagues oldest ever club don’t deserve such an uncertain future.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year or X-Factor? You Decide!

2009-12-13T14:09:00.007Z

In a decision that would send Victor Meldrew into an epic frenzy, television’s big boys, the BBC and ITV, have decided to put their personal ego’s ahead of their viewers pleasure by showing their ‘crown jewel’ events on the same evening as each other.

That’s right both The X-Factor, a show that’s gripped the nation for the past four months will compete with BBC Sports Personality of the Year this evening for the first time ever.

It already seems like this blunder, for which the blame can be equally shared it must be said, will leave some people switching channels constantly as they send some of their family into epileptic fits, while others will be wondering why they bothered watching some tight-trousered Geordie prance around the stage- the things Alan Shearer will do for TV exposure eh?

You can make an argument for both shows being the source of the viewer’s frustration this particular year, with X-Factor changing the format of the show entirely for this year, having the preliminary singing on the Saturday and the results show on the Sunday evening, something that has if anything raised viewing figures.

The BBC has consistently hosted their show two weekends before Christmas, and given that The X-Factor traditionally hosts the show plus the results on the Saturday previous so that the winner can be in contention for Christmas number one, there has never been a clash.

However the timing of the BBC’s announcement that the event would be staged in Sheffield on December 13th came a full four months before ITV announced a split results show would be implemented- possibly suggesting the ITV want to show the Beeb a lesson.

The less cynical side of me believes that it’s all just a coincidence, but this is clearly just another episode of these two corporations trying to get one over the other, and given the numbers we’ve already seen glued to the X-Factor the BBC should expect a trouncing in the ratings.

The current format that we now know as The X-Factor has been running since 2004 and after seeing three boys flop, and two girls flourish as winners the victor of this years show promises to go very much the same way; history suggests as much if not the metronomic personality of the duo.

Like the slave to Saturday night television that I am, I’ve been drawn to the show like Simon Cowell’s drawn to an overpriced suit and it has hugely entertained me for the most part if I’m honest.

The Sports Personality of the Year however is a pure example of a show growing in stature and importance as its years has gone on, something I’m not sure X-factor can profess to- if anything it’s popularity has remained ever since it’s induction in the mid-noughties- again something the BBC have to concede.

Something the show can boast is a legacy and a prestige dating back over 50 years, with nine different venues used, each one bigger than the last.

Last years capacity of nearly 11,000 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool was almost as many as who voted in the events first staging of the show, an show that lasted no long than three quarters of a hour and was won by Christopher Chataway from Roger Banister, a common theme throughout 1954.

The X-Factor final will go out live from the Fountain Studio in Wembley, a simple Television centre, albeit the biggest in the country, and in truth it’s strange given the magnitude of the show that the franchise merchant that is Cowell hasn’t upgraded the venue furthur as the years have progress, as there’s no doubt it’d be filled twice over.

As for the winners of the respective shows, well one is far easier to call than the other.

Like any Brit I love an underdog, but I want to see the SPOTY winner to be someone whose actually won something notable, so Andy Murray and Mark Cavendish can kiss goodbye to there chances of claiming my vote.

My favorites for the award come in the way of Ryan Giggs one the finest footballers I’ve ever seen strike a ball and the most decorated footballer in England league history.

Tom Daley, whose triumph at such a young age has to be implored as he shocked the world as he won world diving gold.

And Jessica Ennis whose career went from possible ruin to becoming world heptathlon champion in just over a year and her individual story will earn her plenty of recognition.

The sporting public love to have a particular empathy, relation and particular background knowledge around their winner, take Joe Calzaghe’s relationship with his dad Enzo, or the history surrounding Zara Phillips, daughter of 1971 winner Princess Ann- given these stories any of the aforementioned three can be strongly considered.

As for ITV’s effort my tip comes courtesy of the good old fashioned history book; never has anyone won the X-Factor whose appeared in the bottom two in any of the previous weeks, therefore Joe McElderry is a sure-fire winner in my eyes.

And the winner of my viewing figure, well that’s one of the easier decisions I’ll have to make. No rule breaking on my part Louis, Lineker’s ears just do it for me.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year

2009-11-29T19:18:00.003Z

Although we still have another month of jam packed sporting action to come its already that time of the year where one of the most prestigious award ceremonies begins to come to the forefront of our minds.

It is of course the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and yet again our country has been blessed with dozens of high-class performances spanning a high number of sports.

It’s an event that has grown in stature over recent years, and is largely viewed as the most comprehensive sporting awards event in this country at least.

The evening is sure to be crammed with graphic defying video montages, Gary Lineker’s overrated jokes and probably one of Britain’s heroes re-enacting a part of their sporting routine live in the studio al la Beth Tweddle- although I’m not sure Tom Daley plunging into the Sheaf will be a particularly good idea.

The 10 nominees are announced on Monday evening by Adrian Chiles, and in my typically opinionate style I’ve had my say on who I would like to see on the shortlist.

Jenson Button: Odds: (8/13)

Britain’s second Formula World Champion in as many years, but maybe not the man we all expected after last season’s thrilling climax. Six wins in his first seven races for his new team Brawn GP all but sealed the title, but his inspirational drive in Brazil will live long in the memory and proved that despite a difficult end to the season he deserved his world title. Overwhelming Favorite.

Jessica Ennis: Odds (9/2)

If Button’s career was on a knife edge after Honda sold their team before the most recent F1 season, then Jessica Ennis’ can boast that she wasn’t even certain of a career after a stress fracture to her ankle in 2008 left her future in Athletics in tatters. After constant reservations over her ability to return she regained full fitness and won four of her seven-heptathlon events to become world champion in Berlin in July. Her glorious personality will assure her presence in the top three in Sheffield.

David Haye: Odds (6/1)

Despite his performance not being the most sparkling against Nicolai Valuev, the fact he’s Britain’s third ever world heavyweight champion means he’s a shoe-in for this top ten. Valuev in truth was a poor fighter and the making of Haye will be his clash with either of the Klitschko brothers next year. Next year might his year for both his career, and this award.

Andrew Strauss: Odds: (16/1)

He masterminded England’s Ashes triumph over Australia as captain but in truth you couldn’t have argued with his nomination even if he had not been the captain, his effort with the bat would have alone justified his nomination. Michael Vaughan couldn’t quiet combine the two during England’s last win in 2005, and even then the country had been consumed by ‘Flintoff fever’. No one stands in the way of Strauss this year and it would be criminal if he’s not a serious contender.

Beth Tweddle: Odds (66/1)

If her performance in Beijing showed us anything it was that there was more to come from Gymnast Beth Tweddle. And blimey hasn’t she produced. Six major events she competed in this year, five of them were won by this talented athlete. No Britain can profess to have such an impress win-rate in their sport this year and it would be a crime for her to be discounted. Might struggle to compete with the mainstream sports however.

Tom Daley: Odds: (100/1)

World champion at 14 year-old, now it doesn’t get much better than that does it? He went into this year’s world diving championships as nothing more than an outsider, just like he had done in Beijing the previous year. Under pressure, he produced a stunning final dive to leapfrog his opponents and snatch the Gold medal when he only expected to play a bit part in the competition. Did someone say 2012?

Phillips Idowu: Odds: (100/1)

This man won everything going in 2008 and then stumbled at the final hurdle, as he finished just second at the Beijing Olympics. This year after going through a similar vein of form the triple jumper wasn’t going to be denied, and at the World Championships in Berlin he finally realized his potential with a major Gold medal that he’s forever craved. He may not be Jonathan Edwards’ favorite but his hair amongst other things has captured the nations heart. The Athlete of the Year is a great price at 100/1.

Lee Westwood: Odds (609/1)

Westwood’s radical improvement saw him finish in the top 3 in two of the four majors this year. He then finished a terrific year by being crowned Europe’s top player after a stunning win at the tour ending Dubai World Championships. Yes he’s still after that elusive major title, but given how close he’s come already you can’t help but think it’s just round the corner. An outside bet to be even nominated.

Jo Jackson: Odds: (N/A)

It may only have been the British Championships, but to beat a two time Olympic champion and break the world record all in a days work deserves proper recognition, and for Jo Jackson that’s just what she’s received. Completely overwhelmed by Rebecca Adlington in Beijing she came back with a memorable performance on home soil. Two silvers and a bronze at the World Championships later in the year, including finishing ahead of Adlington again, meant she became the most successful British swimmer to leave the event.

Claire Taylor: Odds (N/A)

Another whose achievements this year have gone unnoticed by the bookmakers and if I’m honest look like the BBC will overlook them as well. Dare I say had a male in her sport mirrored her achievements then the decision would have been unanimous. The cricketer has been part of an England side that has won the T20 and 50-over world cup and retained the Ashes. She is currently the world’s number one female batsman and the only women to be named Wisden Cricketer of the Year. And yet it’s almost certain that she’ll be ignored entirely.

Can the ATP Tour Finals Be Considered the 'Fifth' Major?

2009-11-23T20:27:00.012Z

There’s no doubt that after 39 years of the competitions history, the newly named ATP Tour Finals is a firm and necessary fixture in the Tennis calendar.

The tournament collates the world’s top eight players in a uniquely formatted event, with the aim being to crown the year’s number one player on the tour.

It comes at the climax of a grueling season for the world’s best-hardly an ideal time for the players-but to be honest it’s the only appropriate occasion to decide who’s been the finest player of the year.

The tour as a whole has come in for plenty of criticism from ex-professionals and current players due to its hectic scheduling, but given that players can pick and choose which tournaments they do and don’t play in do they really have much of an argument?

Surely it’s the ATP’s points and ranking policy that needs to be looked into further, given that they take the points from a players last twelve finishes in the past year, and that then forces players into playing a high number of tournaments to retain there ranking position.

If the ATP puts less onus on the points of tournaments then will it decrease the credibility and the need to play these events that aren’t worth much towards your ranking?

The enormity of this weeks tournament puts added pressure on players to play more tournaments to reach it, meaning injuries and niggles have to be ignored for the most part, hence the queries behind the player’s exhaustion.

The way the Williams sisters deal with the tour is a case in point; the younger Serena restricts her involvement in the WTA tour due to her age and stage and plays fewer tournaments per year that her competitors.

It’s a damming reflection on the women’s game that despite this she can still achieve a number one ranking, so in truth the depth of the women’s division means her treatment of the tour works well within the strict points system.

This is a sole example of a player being able to shape their season as they want, and also being able to preserve a high ranking; it’s unlikely anyone else, especially on the men’s game could afford such a luxury.

The depth and quality of the men’s game means qualification for this weeks event is never assured for most players until the final tour event in Paris, which is used as a pathway for most players to qualify for the year ending event.

The schedule and demands on the players to try and qualify for this tournament had led to a number of withdrawals due to injury in recent years, with the most recent being American Andy Roddick, who even after one of his more successful years on tour has to sit on the sidelines ruing is bad luck.

It’s a great shame that Roddick can’t show off his immense improvement on the court as he would have been a real threat to any one of the seven other qualifiers, but it probably highlights the huge effort the 27-year old made just to get this far.

The strains players go through throughout the season shows they do care about this season ending event and definitely their ranking, but does it have the prestige to be compared to any of the four majors?

Well the points on offer is the largest outside of the four majors, (1,500) the quality of the players can’t be questioned and the prize money and organization of the event is consistently second to none.

The event has been staged in some of the world’s biggest cities such as New York, Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai and for the next five years London’s O2 Arena, a ploy to spread the importance of the event- a shrewd move by the ATP.

The four major’s have the history and integrity that is widely acknowledged, and the constant changing of this events venue means its significance can be preached throughout the Tennis world and therefore it’s profile can be raised.

One thing that is certain is that the professionals see the significance.

Nine time finalist Ivan Lendl will be the first to profess the tournament’s substance after his five victories in the 80’s, and along with him some of the greatest players to ever hold a racket have at one time held aloft this trophy.

Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe can all boast multiple wins in this competition and if that’s not a definition of its importance then nothing is.

And isn’t that the whole point at the end of the day?

If the top players take the tournament seriously then their drive and enthusiasm will shine though, and the importance of the tournament will just grow and grow.

Whether this tour ending event can be considered a fifth major or not isn’t clear, but given some of the performances we’ve already seen in Greenwich this week, the players certainly understand the magnitude of the event.

England Still Have Much To Learn

2009-11-14T19:59:00.002Z

Since England’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup finals next summer Fabio Capello would have been looking to learn as much as he can about his players in the upcoming friendlies before he finalises his playing party for the tournament in South Africa.

However the Italian manager would have discovered very little about his depleted England team, who succumbed to yet another bout hesitation at the back as they were beaten 1-0 by Brazil in Doha.

A beautifully directed header just 90 seconds after half-time from Nilmar sealed the win for Dunga’s side, who saw Luis Fabiano sky a penalty later on after yet more deliberation in the England defence.

Wes Brown, who was certainly at fault for the 56^th minute penalty award which saw Nilmar ghost in behind the defender and be eventually caught by Ben Foster, has done nothing to assure the manager that he can ably step in at full-back ahead of the defensively naïve Glen Johnson.

In the final third things hardly improved as England looked totally devoid of ideas, and frustratingly lacked a final ball when they did carve out half chances, with Shaun Wright-Phillips and James Milner the worst offenders.

Milner in-fact had England’s best chance of the match with a volley that he careered over the bar after Wright-Phillips eventually found an England player from one of his more effective crosses.

The likes of Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott will be licking their lips after seeing a poor performance from both of England’s wing-wizards and a repeat showing from either of these players in an England shirt will all but end their chances of making the plane to South Africa.

You do have to however feel sorry for the partners of Wayne Rooney- Darren Bent and Jermaine Defoe- who saw a lack of service affect their ability to impress in the humidity of Qatar.

The Sunderland man, whose playing catch-up in trying to make the squad for next summer, will be more hurt by his performance than Defoe, who knows his two-goal salvo in Holland will linger in the mind of Capello when he chooses the final 23.

Elsewhere it’s difficult to find many more positives in England’s performance, Wayne Rooney’s guile and effort was very much in vein, Gareth Barry’s passing was unusually inept and Jermaine Jenas must come away from his showing thinking he’ll need yet another injury-stricken squad to find himself in an England team.

It was slightly disjointed from Brazil as well however-none of the free flowing football that we’ve come to expect- but more steel and a higher intensity off the ball, much of England’s failure in the final third was down to the pressure on the ball from both Gilberto Silva and Filipe Melo- an added string to the Brazilian bow.

But Brazil showed the perfect trait of any top quality side though, and that was to capitalise upon their opponent’s shortcomings- something that goes along way in a major tournament.

One plus for England though was that they kept Brazil down to just a one-goal win, with just two players who could boast to being first choice in Capello’s team starting the game, and you’d have to think both team’s performances would have altered had England been able to call upon their star-turns.

It’s a slim but important point to take from this latest friendly- and until March the player’s league form will have to do the talking- but after the heat of Doha that alone may not be enough to seal their place in South Africa.

Sky is the Limit For Haye

2009-11-09T15:56:00.002Z

If we learnt anything about David Haye on Saturday evening it was that his ability to shoot for the stars is a gift that no other boxer currently on the Heavyweight circuit can match.

Yes he was able to make a 7’2 giant look like an estranged alcoholic at the back end of his fight in Neremberg with Nikolai Valuev, but the way he set his sights on the remainder of the boxing world just minutes after his historic victory shows that his ambition is almost as vibrant as his talent.

The fight had barely finished when Haye laid down his intentions for the rest of the Heavyweight division and the boxing world.

"Here I am, heavyweight champion of the world and I'm loving it. I'm going to clean up the division."

Now most boxers are well known for talking themselves up before and after matches no-matter what the result may be- but Haye’s confidence in his own ability is infectious to say the least.

The Brit has a mandatory defence of his title early next year against John Ruiz, before setting his sights on either of the Klitschko brothers, in particular the older Vitali.

The 38-year old fought Britain’s last World Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 2005, with Lewis winning by technical knockout after a dominant performance by Klitschko-so the Ukrainian certainly has some unfinished business.

Haye’s match-up with Ruiz- a boxer whose has been defeated by Valuev on two occasions- is expected to take place at the O2 Arena, but it’s the venue of the potential unification title fight between Haye and either of the Klitschko brothers that’s of most interest.

Wembley Stadium and the New Den are the current front-runners to host a future fight proving that Haye is now one of the most in-demand boxers in the world right now.

The home of English football can seat up to 90,000 people while the New Den is the home of Haye’s beloved Millwall football club.

It’s surprising that given his personality that a fight in Las Vegas hasn’t been mentioned as yet, as it’s certain that the American public would lap up his eccentric persona.

However it’s important that with all these major venue’s and opponents being mentioned, that Haye doesn’t get to far ahead of himself, he might be world champion now but holding onto his crown will be a bigger ask- he needs to stay focused.

Given that, maybe taking his progress one fight at a time would be more favourable, after all you don’t become a great Boxer overnight, Haye might have to bide his time.

Safin Takes His Bow In Paris

2009-11-09T13:22:00.003Z

Without uttering an often used ‘legend defining’ cliché it’s difficult to sum up the immense impact that Marat Safin has made in world tennis since his debut on the tour in 1997.

He burst on the scene during his first ever tournament in Holland, reaching the semi-finals before being eventually ousted by Spainard Salvador Navarro.

The following year however his progress was rapid.

He hit the stage at Rolland Garros, beating Andre Agassi and Gustavo Gurten, players who lay in the top 20 of the world at the time, before loosing out at the fourth round stage.

It was obvious that as his career progressed, that he would begin to excel on the hard court, and that’s where his four Grand Slam finals have taken place.

A win at each of the hard-court major events, including a victory over Pete Sampras in 2000 will assure Safin’s name in Open era history, but the way his career faded away as a result of injury and loss of form will probably linger just as greatly.

His victory over Leyton Hewitt in Australia in 2005 was his last major tour final, with a semi-final on his less favoured grass court at SW19 in 2008 the only glimmer of success the Russian has mustered in his remaining years.

In-fact in 2008, the year of his Wimbledon resurgence, he failed to surpass the third round in any major tournament, but maybe this single success highlights his ability to perform on the big stage rather than the inconsistent nature of his career.

Safin’s success opened the floodgates for an influx in Russian tennis stars with Nicolay Davydenko, his sister Dinara Safina and Maria Sharapova-another whose injury problems have affected her recent progress- all entering the world stage with prolonged success.

Safin was the first ever Russian to win the US Open in 2000 and can attribute part of the recent success and talent in Russian tennis down to his own early victories.

All of which leads us to this week, and Safin’s bow in professional tour tennis.

The Paris Masters is usually a tournament left to players scrapping for places in the season ending Masters Finals-this year to be hosted in London-but with many of the places all but secured it might be a week best left for reflection on Safin’s superb career.

He takes on qualifier Thierry Ascione in the first round in Paris on Monday evening, and if victorious will take on Juan Martin Del Potro, a player who’s in the Safin mold himself.

The Argentine won the US Open last year against world number one Rodger Federer, and Safin produced as big a coup in 2000 when he beat Sampras at the same event, victories that both players will surely see as career defining.

Either way Safin’s career will be over by the end of this week, but will the Russian be remembered for his double major success and his number one ranking, or his battle with injuries and his brittle temperament? I’ll let you decide.

Chelsea Find the Finishing Touch as United’s Big Game Temperament Fades

2009-11-08T21:01:00.005Z

John Terry’s 75^th minute header at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening proved that even in the pressure filled cauldron of the Premiership grasping football’s basics can be the biggest weapon of them all.

It was a lesson that Manchester United ultimately failed to understand meaning that League leaders Chelsea could come away with all three points in a tight game at Stamford Bridge.

The visitors dictated play for long periods but failed to turn a dominance of possession into clear-cut chances as Chelsea pounced on United’s lack of creativity and concentration.

The Champions will surely be questioning the judgement of the officials for Chelsea’s winning goal, which saw a free kick given for a foul by Darren Fletcher in which he seemed convinced that he’d won the ball and then from the resulting free-kick which saw Didier Drogba waft at the ball while in an offside position.

In truth both queries don’t diminish the fact that Terry-arguably The Blues’ finest header of a ball- was left unmarked from the free kick and had the simple task of guiding the ball into the far corner of the net.

United’s fans and players were quick to blame the officials for their defeat at Anfield last month, but just like that fateful day on Merseyside they should have a long look at their own performance before crucifying the decisions of the men in the middle.

In addition it’s now becoming a common theme of United’s form on the road that they can’t raise their game sufficiently against their ‘top four’ rivals.

Yes they endured this type form while still claiming a third successive League Title last season but given the current form of both Arsenal and leaders Chelsea, United might need to buck up their ideas.

Carlo Ancelotti alternatively will be delighted that in two home games against their title rivals they’ve claimed maximum points while rarely breaking a sweat.

It’s difficult to see much of a weakness in a Chelsea side that could rely on Terry to produce the goods as their attacking gems were marked out of the game.

Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were particularly frustrated as a makeshift United back-four got the better of Chelsea’s attacking threat.

Their squad size also makes for impressive reading, with the likes of Florent Malouda,Yuri Zhirkov and Jon Obi Mikel not even called upon on Sunday evening.

I’m not sure the temporary suspension of the clubs transfer ban will make a host of difference to their title chances, it will be more down to the size of lead they can take into the African Cup of Nations, where they’ll lose four of their star turns.

Maybe Ancelotti had thought ahead and demanded a fast start ahead of next year’s African competition so that in the close season run-in the club would still be in the running for the title- it’s a move that already looks shrewd.

Their rivals from North London are also setting the League alight with their all action performances, but unlike previous years Arsenal seem to have a final product to their ultra precise passing game, and the spread of goals is something to feared by both United and today’s victors from the Kings Road.

Of course Liverpool should not be discounted, especially at this early stage of the season but it seems like they look devoid of ideas and drive without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres- the return to fitness of the duo appears to be crucial to their chances.

As for Chelsea they just continue to turn up when it matters, but we’re yet to see how their Italian manager can cope over the course of a whole season, remember you win nothing in November.

Superb Harper Kicks New Era into Top Gear

2009-10-28T18:17:00.012Z

An inspired performance from Goalkeeper Steve Harper ensured Newcastle United celebrated their new backroom stability by going top of the Coca Cola Championship after prevailing in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

The 34-year old seemed intent on impressing his on looking former teammate Shay Given, with a number of first class reaction saves to deny the Blades a point.

His stop from Darius Henderson’s late header particularly caught the eye, and his showing was yet again the cornerstone of another impressive away win for the Magpies.

The win took Newcastle two points clear at the top of the Championship, news that is sure to excite plenty of fans in the North East- but maybe last weeks announcement about the clubs immediate future should make more of an impact at St James’.

Just a week ago it was announced that Chris Hughton would be appointed full-time manager of the Geordie's and more importantly that owner Mike Ashley had taken the club off the market and promised to invest in its future.

Ashley had originally put the club up for sale 14 months ago, but a number of failed takeovers by local and foreign investors has led to Ashley taking a new interest in taking the club forward himself, and it’s this sort of stability that the clubs supporters have been craving.

Confusion over the destiny of the club had been widespread since Ashley’s admission that he could no longer run the club but last weeks announcement means the club can finally move forward off the pitch and concentrate fully on regaining their place in the Premiership.

Newcastle’s performances and results have in-fact been a far cry from the chaos that’s been going on behind the scenes and last night’s triumph was their ninth win in 15 league games.

Given the physiological scar that relegation left on the players, this season’s effort has been truly astonishing especially with a painfully thin squad to work with.

The trio of Marlon Harewood, Danny Simpson and Zurab Khizanishvili have arrived on short-term deals to bolster the squad, but despite the impressive start the squad still needs more work if promotion is to be assured.

Hughton has to be hugely praised for getting on with his job with limited resources, and with the confusion surrounding his and the clubs future his commitment to the cause means he’s deserved his chance.

Fortunately for the manager, finances may well be available in the near future after Ashley announced that he plans to sell the St James’ Park name to gain further revenue.

In keeping with their frustration during Ashley’s tenure at the club, the supporters have reacted angrily to the move with the supporters trust starting a petition in a vain attempt to ensure the stadium’s original name is retained.

It seems that no matter what Ashley does at the club the fans simply won’t back him, and now that Hughton has been appointed as manager full time it should now delay, if not extinguish the possibility of Alan Shearer undertaking his second spell in charge of his hometown club- despite the supporters own wishes.

The former England captain displayed huge tactical naivety as manager last season as he took Newcastle down to the Championship and it’s feasible that had Shearer taken over last week all of the momentum and success created by Hughton would have been lost.

While the North East faithful may never warm up to the ‘cockney mafia’ at St James’ it’s surely results on the pitch that they should be concentrating on- and although we're only in November it’s doubtful that they’ll be complaining just yet.

My England World Cup Squad

2009-10-27T11:21:00.003Z

As qualifying for next years World Cup in South Africa starts to reach a climax it’s a good time to start looking at England’s possible squad for next summer mammoth tournament.

All the big guns are set to join England in South Africa after Argentina assured their place in the final 32, with Portugal and France odds-on to make their way past their tricky play-off opponents.

England squads usually feel the brunt of a full English league season, which might go on as late as the 22^nd May, and Fabio Capello might have to re-vamp any possible 23 he has in mind at this stage, to make way for injuries.

Injury permitting however the Italian has an excellent group of players to choose from, and like every wannabe manager I’ve had a go at churning out my own version of the squad.

So get ready to sharpen your knives and here we go.

Goalkeepers

David James: - England’s most experienced goalkeeper, and comfortably number one in the side despite being recently overlooked for Robert Green. Important to England’s chances that he brings the same form he’s produced over the past three years as oppose to his ‘calamitous’ side that we saw while he was at Liverpool.

Robert Green: - Even though I’m not a fan of the keeper, it would be naïve of me to suggest that he won’t be in the squad. For his country, apart from the error that could have seen him sent off against Slovenia, he’s been pretty solid, but his day-to-day work with his club worries me.

Joe Hart: - A sure international goalkeeper of the future and the experience of a World Cup at his age and stage will be invaluable. As an England fan I wouldn’t be at all worried if he was introduced as an emergency goalkeeper at some point as his talent is undeniable. His shrewd loan move to Birmingham alone shows his desire to make this squad

Defenders

Glen Johnson: - His defensive abilities have been rightly scrutinised but it seems that his attacking intent will see him start as first choice full back for Capello.

John Terry: - Aiming to become the second England captain to lift the World Cup, and just like Bobby Moore, Terry is the heart and soul of this England side. His fitness is crucial to their chances.

Rio Ferdinand: - Lack of fitness or lack of match practise? Whatever you want to call it Ferdinand is far from his best right now. The worry mainly surrounds his form because of the lack of world-class replacements, and the contrast of the strength and no nonsense approach of Terry with Ferdinand’s composure and pace is difficult to find elsewhere. He’ll make the squad and the team but he must buck up his ideas.

Ashley Cole: - Arguably the best left back in the world right now and he’s one of the first names on the England team sheet. Might be the only solely left-footed left sided player in the squad so his contribution going forward will need to be thorough.

Matthew Upson: - The hard-hitting defender has made himself third choice centre-back and will ably step in if either Terry or Ferdinand is struck down. A certainty who is likely to play second fiddle for the most part in South Africa

Wayne Bridge: - Like Upson is a certainty to be on the plane, but may well not appear in the tournament whatsoever. Solid, if not spectacular left back.

Wes Brown: - Capello seems to see something in Brown that many, including Sir Alex Ferguson, doesn’t. For a long time Brown was the team’s first choice full back ahead of Johnson, and his versatility, including the ability to fill in at centre back will be his trump card and see him creep onto the plane.

Midfielders

Frank Lampard: - After calls for him to be dropped from the England side, his true ability has been summed up in this qualifying campaign as he adapted his style of play to fit in Capello’s 4-2-3-1 formation. His breaking from deep might be un-defendable manoeuvre for most countries.

Gareth Barry: - His defensive minded role means his worth to the side is hugely undervalued, but in a day and age where a holding midfield role is almost mandatory Barry fits the bill perfectly. Another sure starter for the opening group game.

Steven Gerrard: - I still feel he under-whelms too often for his country but his sheer potential to thrill means he shouldn’t be underestimated and should definitely not be excluded. Asked to play out on the left far to often, and it clearly affects his performances. Joe Cole’s return to fitness might interest him.

Theo Walcott: - His hat-trick in Zagreb assured he’d make his second World Cup squad and his electric pace is sure to terrorise defences in South Africa. Whether he’ll be blooded from the start or not is to be decided, as a number of injuries kept him out of the back end of the qualifying campaign.

Owen Hargreaves: - Set to make his comeback from a long term injury next month but his importance to the team, something that we saw in abundance in Germany four years ago is nothing short of unique. If fit, his versatility and high-energy will see him take one the last remaining places, at the expense of his club team-mate Michael Carrick.

Joe Cole: - Another who could make the journey despite seeing a long injury limit his involvement in the qualifying campaign. Is still the solution to England longstanding problem on the left-hand side and has always popped up with important goals. Could make a surprise start if he hits top form.

David Beckham: - Now that Beckham has assured himself a move to AC Milan in January he should be attending his record fourth World Cup. His contribution may well be limited to just a number of late substitutions, but his know-how in pressure filled situations will be crucial.

James Milner: - Several players are fighting it out for this final midfield place, and I expect Milner to kick on this season seal his place in Capello’s squad. With an excellent final ball, the ability to beat a player, being adept with both feet and plenty of experience on the international stage (albeit it with the under-21’s) he’ll be the perfect impact player for England.

Strikers

Wayne Rooney: - England’s irreplaceable player. Rooney has now added more goals to his repertoire. His fitness and form is vital to England’s chances, and no other player can boast their importance to the side more than the Manchester United striker.

Emile Heskey: - He’s been rightly criticised for his goal-scoring form, but his importance to the team goes far beyond his goal contribution. Apart from making space for England’s ‘flair’ players, his work with his back to goal can’t be replicated elsewhere in the squad. The sort of player you need to win big tournaments as he does so much grafting on and off the ball.

Jermaine Defoe: - His two goals in Holland all but assured his place in the squad and his league form suggests the World Cup is coming at the perfect time for the striker. Rumours that he’ll start ahead of Heskey are far from the truth but he’ll be England’s go-to-guy if things go pear shaped.

Peter Crouch: - Reasons for his inclusion are about as long as his 6 ft 7inch frame. His goal scoring record for both England and his club Spurs is excellent for a player who isn’t first choice in either side and I have yet to see a defender deal with his incredible height. Yes the side’s style of play is sometimes affected by his introduction as a substitute but he’s sure to get goals when given a chance.

Micheal Owen: - If fit and getting goals then it’s difficult to see Owen being left out of this England squad. The country’s fourth highest ever goal scorer adds to an already impressive strike force and if anyone has the ability to produce the goods on the big stage then it’s Owen.

As ever there’s players that will miss out. Darren Bent has never quiet cut it in his short International career but maybe deserves a chance in at least one of the remaining warm-up games to reward his good club form. He same could be said about Carlton Cole

Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright Phillips have pace in abundance but loose out to a goal-hungry Walcott, a delivery specialist in Milner and the experience of Beckham, components that both these wingers lack at International level

As for the goalkeepers, Ben Foster has chosen the worst possible season to start making high profile mistakes and it’s obvious he’s not ready to be trusted with a big international in the World Cup.

The tournament has come a bit to early for Adam Johnson, whose form in the Championship has been nothing short of stunning. Expect him to be part of the post-World Cup era.

As ever you’ll all have your separate opinion about who should and shouldn’t go to next years World Cup, and please feel free to post your recommendations, queries and concerns about my squad selection below.

Liverpool’s Challenge is Far From Over

2009-10-18T10:50:00.002+01:00

It’s 45 years since a team from England’s top flight lost four of its opening nine league games and then went on to win the league title.

This stat might be disappointing reading for any other side in this years Premiership title race, but for Liverpool, who have been turned over no more than four times already this season, history is on their side.

They were the side that endured those four defeats in their first nine games, and the same side that turned around that difficult start by winning the league title by four points from Manchester United.

Yes the league seasons have shortened since those days in the 60’s and the margin for error was greater but its proof that even with a terrible start like that of the 63/64 Liverpool title winning team that no team should be simultaneously written off as possible title winners.

But by the same token maybe there’s a good a reason why it’s been so long.

Liverpool, believe it or not, are only six points off the pace in the league despite those four defeats; and as a result they’re already been all but written off as possible champions this time next May.

In truth the fixture list has not been kind to the Reds, with three of their defeats coming against teams that finished in the top eight last season.

The fourth came on Saturday; against Steve Bruce’s reinvigorated Sunderland, who are another club feeling the benefit of a generous American owner and an ambitious new manager.

Managerial frailties of both Roy Keane and Ricky Sbragia meant the Black Cats finished just two points above the relegation zone last season- but now after taking four points off last seasons top two they can firmly set their sights on joining that top eight.

Rafael Benitez could argue his side have now endured the worst of all their away league games and that now their season can properly start.

The thing that for me sets Liverpool above their other title contenders is that they seem to be able to dig out results without their star players- something that is well documented as nothing more than a fallacy.

Last season Chelsea struggled to keep up with the pacesetters after constant injuries and loss of form to Didier Drogba, and then latterly to Joe Cole who made his first league appearance since January on Saturday at Villa Park.

Manchester United constantly needed to rely on both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo to win matches last season, in fact not a single player apart from the pair reached double figures for goals in the league last season.

The reigning champions have already shown a great deal of vulnerability in defence this season and without the host of goals the Portuguese International consistently provided the champions purely rely on Rooney for goals, and it was no coincidence that without him United only stumbled past Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Only winger Ryan Giggs looks like creating a spark in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, and the Scot can’t reply on the 35-year old to play every game this season let alone to keeping digging his side out of a hole every week.

Liverpool however seem to be able to call upon the rest of their squad, albeit thin on the ground, to chip in with goals while their big stars sit on the sidelines.

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard started just 13 league games together last season, and while it’s perceived that the duo are relied on entirely for Liverpool’s success the reality is far different.

Together they contributed 30 (38%) of Liverpool’s goals as they finished second behind United.

However Ronaldo and Rooney, United’s alternative superstars, scored the same amount of goals, but that amounted to 44% of the team’s overall effort, while in terms of total starts between them they made just six more than their rivals from Anfield.

The extent of Liverpool’s goal threat was summed up by Dirk Kuyt’s goal effort, as the Dutchman, Liverpool’s third top goal scorer last season with 12, was equal with United’s second top goal scorer Rooney.

I think it’s a slight myth that Liverpool only perform with Torres and Gerrard in the side, yes Saturday’s defeat highlighted how much they miss the duo, but I’d debate the defeat was more down to a bizarre change of tactics and bad luck.

And in addition with the amount of defeats last season’s top four have already endured it’s unlikely we’ll see a team win the title with less than five defeats to their name-the gap between the ‘top four’ and the rest of the league seems to be shrinking with an increasing number of foreign investments littering the league.

Next weekend sees a pivotal game for the Red’s title hopes as they host Manchester United in a match they won last season without their two much talked about stars.

A defeat would see a nine point gap open up in late October but writing Benitez’s team out of the title race would still be foolish to say the least.

The End Could be Nye For Trescothick

2009-10-15T22:22:00.005+01:00

In a final and desperate attempt to successfully deal with his stress related illness, Marcus Trescothick may well have taken the first step towards his cricketing retirement as he pulled out of yet another tour abroad: with the same condition that ended his international career.

The Somerset man has been forced to pull out of his counties Twenty20 Champions League campaign with a recurrence of the stress related illness that forced him to retire from international cricket in March last year.

This is the third occasion the illness has forced him to leave a tour, something that first occurred back in 2006 during England’s tour of India.

To say the illness has hindered Trescothick’s cricket career would be a huge understatement, and his loss to his country was summed up by the frenzied speculation surrounding his possible return for the fifth Ashes test at The Oval.

It was a return that Trescothick refused to entertain and he continued to turn out match-winning performances for his team as he was named county cricket’s player of the year and the most valuable player of the year last season.

This latest setback however could well extinguish any possibility of a return to the national team and finally set the wheels in motion for his career to end.

With Twenty20 cricket becoming more predominant and the first class game diminishing in stature, the opportunities for matches to take place this side of the equator are going to be limited as years go on.

Along with that, the added responsibility of being named captain of the Taunton outfit as well as the time needed to fully get over this latest setback means it could be a long winter for the former England opener.

Trescothick is clearly committed to trying to battle against this crippling illness though, on two further occasions he attempted to make a previous tours before eventually not making the trip and extended periods on the sidelines receiving treatment meant he missed months of action for his county.

If the batsman’s career was ended by this horrific illness then a real talent would be lost from domestic cricket, as his form has blossomed since his personal exile from the international arena, but you can’t help but think it will eventually be his downfall.

Can the star really be expected to return from this third bout of illness and revive the sort of blistering form we saw him produce last season? He’s under enough pressure as it is.

Waddock Succumbs to Wycombe’s Advances

2009-10-14T18:43:00.004+01:00

After 2 ½ years, 112 matches, 58 wins, two trophies and with legendry status safely achieved Gary Waddock has decided to move to Adams Park to seek a new challenge with Wycombe Wanderers.

The League One side have moved quickly to acquire the 47 year-old to replace former England under-21 manager Peter Taylor.

Just one win from their first twelve matches saw Taylor ousted from his position as manager, but in truth their struggle in the division was expected.

The manner in which Wycombe won promotion last season was enough of a sign of how they’d get on this as they stumbled over the line on the final day of the season.

Just a point on the final day at home to Notts County would have assured the club automatic promotion, but a 2-1 defeat meant Bury could snatch that third automatic promotion spot with a two-goal win over Accrington Stanley.

The shakers could only secure a single goal victory, which meant a venture into the playoff lottery and semi-final tie with Shrewsbury Town who defeated them after being just two minutes from an appearance at Wembley.

But as for Wycombe it was obvious there was a struggle to come and loosing influential defender David McCracken in the summer did nothing to improve their chances.

Waddock does have a pedigree of recent success in his short career as a manager, completing a league and cup double in his first full season in charge of the Shots in 2008

Maybe even more impressively, and with only minor changes, he turned the Conference champions into a comfortable League Two outfit inside just a season and before his departure the club looked set to mount a serious playoff challenge in this new term.

His departure from the post is sure to put talk of a playoff finish on hold as the search for a new manager begins and there are a number of names already in the frame.

Names from Steve Coppell to Tony Adams have been mentioned for the vacant managerial position, with some supporters leaning towards Stevenage manager Graeme Westley.

His success with Stevenage during his first spell at Broadhall Way is proof enough that he could tackle League Two football, that despite his inability to win promotion from the Conference with the same club.

The Rec would provide a home devoid of much expectation and knowing the clubs illustrious past, the new manager would be given plenty of time to get things right.

Waddock’s departure is the third big loss the club has had to endure in the past few months, and it could turn out to be the most significant.

After constant speculation as to his future, goalkeeper Nikki Bull chose to leave the club at the end of July, seeking an alternative career outside football.

Bull, who had targeted a career in journalism as light relief from the beautiful game, signed for Andy Scott’s Brentford three days later much to the despair of Aldershot fans.

A further blow to the club came in late August as it was announced that their Chairman John McGinty had lost his long running battle with cancer.

McGinty joined the club in 1992 and he oversaw five separate promotions as the club climbed into the football league.

His role in recent times has been slightly reserved as his illness started to take a hold of him, but his presence at the club was enough that the fans admiration of him was on a par with any of the club’s players.

Three huge losses in three months has damaged the club massively and it’s down to the new manager to instil the belief that the club can live on following the departure of three legendry figures.

Plunkett and Wright Profit From Ashes Fallout

2009-10-09T15:48:00.004+01:00

Despite England’s Ashes victory this summer the international selectors have seen it fit to drop three members of that triumphant squad for the upcoming tour to South Africa.

Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar and Ravi Bopara make way for a new breed of England players such as Luke Wright, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid.

All three have experience in the shorter format of the game with England and have now been given their chance in the test side alongside the winning team from the final Ashes test at the Oval.

Joining the trio is Surrey’s Steven Davies, who is one of the most talked about players on the county circuit after impressing at Worcestershire last season.

It’s been made clear that he’ll be purely acting as a understudy to Matt Prior in the test side but soon enough the 23-year old will be challenging properly with the Sussex keeper.

Given that he’ll be spending more time carrying drinks that donning the gloves during the test series it’s a surprise that he’s not been included in the one-day squad after he replaced Prior in the Champions Trophy semi-final earlier this month.

In truth Davies’ omission is the only surprise in the one-day squad with Joe Denly again given a chance to impress.

Owais Shah may be in some peoples eyes be unlucky not to have been included, but his exclusion shows how the selectors are looking for consistent performances rather than sporadic scores.

An average of 30.56 just doesn’t stack up with those of other international number three’s and it might finally be time to stick fully fit Kevin Pietersen in the position to spearhead England’s batting line-up in both forms of the game.

Sajid Mahmood, whose one-day record has come under scrutiny before, is also included.

With Mahmood’s List A performances having yielded just seven wickets for his county Lancashire, Plunkett, whose test match career has been re-ignited by this latest re-call might feel unlucky not to have made both squads.

The Durham bowler took 49 wickets and scored 400 runs as his side retained the County Championship last season and he takes his place in the squad along with team-mate Graeme Onions who will vie with Plunkett for the final bowling spot.

His ability with the bat is sure to sit well with the selectors who will be keen to fill the void left by Andrew Flintoff with both bat and ball.

Plunkett’s inclusion does seem to have been eclipsed by the absence of Harmison, whose test match career may well be over after this latest snub.

It’s been well documented how Harmison has struggled away from home for England, but in truth the fast-bowler has never been the same player since his return from his first international exile and whether it be at home or on the road he’s struggled to hit top form in recent years.

His contribution in this year’s Ashes was passive at best and his attempts at trying to re-create his best form have been valiant but a failure all the same.

His petulant attitude towards being possibly given drinks duties may well have ended any chance of a second re-call to the squad, and it’s possible that we’ve seen the last of the strike bowler- a player the Australian’s will be delighted to see the back of.

Another man whose best form for the test squad seems like a distant memory is that of Ravi Bopara, who will find it tough to fight back into the team with Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Pietersen already battling it out for two batting spots.

Wright will certainly add an extra dimension to the batting order as well, but his call up comes in the midst of some poor form in the 50-over game for the youngster.

He might have made 48 in his last outing for the side, but that is just one of seven scores over 20 in his one-day career-hardly the form of a potential international star and definitely not of one who deserves a test-match call up.

Wright and the rest of the new breed may have to wait their turn on this forthcoming tour, but with youth on their side they represent the future of English cricket, and for the most part it looks pretty bright.

Dunne Shows His Worth As Bellamy Saves a Point

2009-10-05T22:06:00.004+01:00

Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City

Craig Bellamy came back to haunt former manager Martin O’Neil to secure a point for Manchester City as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa

Richard Dunne had given the home side the lead after 15 minutes, scoring against his former club in the process but Bellamy upset the former Celtic boss by assuring the points were shared with a quality finish.

The match had been preceded with plenty of talk about Gareth Barry’s return to Villa Park, but in truth the mid-fielder escaped in comparison to that which his adversary Emmanuel Adebayor received during his recent meeting with Arsenal.

The Togo international was returning from a three-match ban after his much-talked about reaction to his mistreatment by Gunners fans last month and he lined up in a three pronged attack for the visitors.

The former Arsenal striker could have learnt a lot from Dunne, who himself was playing against a former club, as he rose above Barry of all people to head home brilliantly after a quarter of an hour.

Dunne showed the sort of professionalism that had been neglected by his opponent as he chose not to celebrate the opening goal in-front of his former employees, despite it’s great important and quality.

The game had given us the expected early goal, but the remainder of the half seemed to display both side’s defensive qualities in a game blessed with nine English players for the on-looking Fabio Capello to access.

The midfield duo’s on show went some way to explain City’s first half frailties, with Barry and Nigel De Jong happy to sit and rarely support their attacking team-mates, with the omission of Stephen Ireland seeming more and more glaring as the evening progressed

In-fact it took till the 40^th minute for Mark Hughes’ men to record a credible shot on target when Adebayor leapt higher than Steve Sidwell from a Barry corner only for Brad Friedel to tip the ball comfortably over the bar.

There was then no surprised when Ireland was introduced after just five second half minutes to replace the Dutchman as Villa continually pushed to double their lead.

Dunne forced the best of those opportunities created as he could only force his header wide of Given’s right-hand post.

The significance of the miss was more a tribute to how Dunne and Co. had dealt with City’s multimillion pound strike force at the other end and that a second goal, even with 30 minutes remaining, would have all but sealed the points for the midlands club.

And as it turned out Dunne and Villa were to be punished, as a frantic clearance by the Irishman found his fellow countryman Ireland whose threaded pass found Adebayor who played the ball back for Craig Bellamy to smash the ball into the roof of the net.

It’s a tribute to Hughes that he’s been able to get the best out of the troubled striker whether it’s been for club or country and this goal was fully deserved for Bellamy’s tireless display down City’s left-hand side.

Both side’s laid down there intent for the remaining 23 minutes by both bringing on strikers, Roque Santa Cruz for City and Emile Heskey for Villa, with the England striker replacing the barely fit John Carew.

But the changes seemed to disrupt the play more than spur either side to go and take all three points and resulted with the remainder of the match being played in a subdued manner after what had been a typically frenzied evening at Villa Park.

Both managers will have been pleased not to have given anything over to their Champions League contenders, but the quality of the play suggested that both will be pushing the elusive top four all the way this season.

Staunton Needs Hope Rather Than Expectation

2009-10-05T15:34:00.007+01:00

Not that anyone at Darlington Football Club would admit it, but the team’s future in the Football League is already hanging by the thread after a start to the season that has seen just two points acquired in their opening 10 league matches.

However it’s certain that the diminishing faithful at the Darlington Arena are only partly concerned by the team’s poor form, as they could have been left without a club entirely after a summer of uncertainty on and off the pitch.

The club entered administration for six months from Feburary last season, something that not only wrecked their promotion ambitions but also dwindled down their playing staff to just three and put the clubs future in real jeopardy.

A charity match and a number of other fund-raising events kept the club going throughout the summer until a buyer was found days before the beginning of the season, meaning the club could come out of administration and avoid another 10-point deduction.

So in all fairness you can forgive Quakers fans for not complaining too much about the clubs current predicament which see’s them already eight points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Colin Todd had been appointed earlier in the summer due the consortium’s confidence that the club would take it’s place in League Two at the start of the season, but instantly Todd’s job became almost impossible as all but three of the first team squad was culled to keep the club alive.

It took a huge re-building job for Darlington to even have a team at the beginning of the season with a number of free transfers from throughout the football league joining Todd to fight against relegation.

In addition a number of youth players were promoted to the first team including Curtis Main who had in-fact turned out for the full team on a number of occasions last season.

With a squad with more odds and ends than a Blue Peter model, Darlington have struggled to make any impact this season, just two points have been recorded, four goals scored and plenty of embarrassment endured along the way.

The player/assistant manager role of Dean Windass summed up the clubs predicament perfectly, a player clearly way past his prime trying desperately to re-create some of the magic that made him a cult hero with fans up and down the country.

The result wasn’t pretty.

Todd and Windass were sacked after the club failed to pick up a win away at Grimsby Town a few weeks ago, but the move has clearly been made by an owner, Raj Singh, whose footballing nouse is on a par with Del Boy.

It seems obvious that the owners expectations of the clubs progress this season are completely unrealistic, and if he felt that Todd should be keeping a squad up with a shoestring budget and a host of players who have come from all ends of the country then he needs his head checked.

The new man appointed Steve Staunton is on a hiding to nothing in my book.

He is sure to fight tooth and nail to keep the club afloat, but even with his managerial talent, which as we saw while he took charge of the Republic of Ireland is slightly limited, it would take a major turn around to see this club climb up the table; even 23^rd would be an achievement.

Singh clearly needs a reality check, and maybe when he sees Staunton struggle just like those before him maybe he’ll realise that not only was sacking Todd a mistake but also that his club are doomed to relegation whether he likes it or not.

He’s revealed he will back Staunton and his assistant Kevin Richardson in the transfer market, but in having to wait another two months for that opportunity the beginning of the end might have already begun.

Keane Proving Success Hard To Replicate

2009-10-03T21:40:00.016+01:00

After finding the pressure too much at Sunderland, Roy Keane is now discovering the expectations at new club Ipswich Town to be just as demanding as his second stint as a manager in the unforgiving Championship is turning into a nightmare.

The Irishman’s first spell as a Championship manager proved hugely successful as he gained promotion with the Black Cats at the first time of asking after being partly bankrolled by chairman Niall Quinn.

Keane brought in a number of experienced heads before the summer transfer window closed in 2007 including David Connolly and Graeme Kavanagh who both arrived from Wigan Athletic, two players who helped the Latics to promotion to the Premiership two years previous.

After leaving Sunderland last season he was recruited by new owner Marucs Evans to mastermind promotion to the Premiership after the clubs seven-year absence.

Ipswich have endured some difficult times after there relegation from England’s top flight, torturous times that included administration the year after dropping out of the league, but nevertheless they’ve been famous for keeping faith with managers throughout their illustrious history.

Jim Magilton was given three years to turn the clubs fortunes around and in turn became the clubs second shortest serving manager when he was relinquished of his position two games short of the end of last season.

Keane enjoyed the predictable honeymoon period typical of any team in need of a new start winning their last two games of the season including the final match at Ninian Park against Cardiff City.

But that ideal start has been followed by a summer of inept signings by the former Manchester United skipper, and a start to the season that has seen as many goals tumble as records.

Evans has followed his promise of backing the new manager in the transfer market, but instead of going with the tried and tested method of bringing in players who have been there and done it, Keane has brought in a number of players without that important promotion experience.

Grant Leadbitter, who was indeed part of that Sunderland promotion side, is one of the few with any knowledge of getting out of this difficult division.

As of result of this, and some less than average performances particularly at home, the club have gone 10 league games without a win leaving some of the previously unconvinced supporters calling firmly for Keane’s head.

His unforgiving reputation as a player was never going to endear him to many set of supporters outside Old Trafford, but after being provided with plenty of funds this uncertain start just adds fuel to an inferno of abuse that Keane received as a player.

Keane’s financial demands at Sunderland reached ridiculous levels at times, as he demanded millions from Quinn to keep the side up after his opening season in the Premiership and even with that cash injection his tenure eventually ended in tears.

The media seemed quick to predict Ipswich as definite promotion contenders at the beginning of the season, and in some quarters as top two certainties but now survival seems like a more realistic ambition which sky rocketed after the purchase of the club by Evans.

In hindsight the squad that Keane has acquired is simply not one who have the ability to swap mid-table finishes for automatic promotion in just one season, not many sides can make that much of a turn-around in just two and half summer months.

Despite just a two year-contract being dished out to Keane his job, unlike that at Sunderland who had just been relegated, should not be directed towards promotion inside the first season given successive mid-table finishes under Magilton.

Hopefully Evans doesn’t follow the trigger-happy approach that so many managers have adopted already this season and in previous years, but in truth as I mentioned previously Ipswich as a club have the tradition of giving bosses plenty of time.

A two-year deal suggests to me the owner wants instant success and isn’t ready to trust Keane with a long-term deal until the club are regularly contending for promotion or even in the Premiership and will he see 10 matches without a win even a slight bit of progress? It’s unlikely

Even given his limited track record it would be disappointing to see Keane sacked before the end of the season, if nothing else how are a team able to develop and nurture if the new manager is given less than a season at the helm?

It’s a question I pose to almost every Football League chairman.

Only when Evans believes that relegation is a real possibility should he begin to consider Keane’s position, but the sooner he and the fans realise that expectations of promotion after just a single season are unreasonable then the club might be able to finally progress.

But in this current climate of endless managerial changes, Keane’s long-term ambitions could become nothing more than a pipe dream.

Flower Deserves the Plaudits For England’s Revival

2009-10-01T16:58:00.006+01:00

England headed into this years Champions Trophy as one of the most un-fancied sides in the competitions history.

Along with the West Indies, who for months have been unable to field a fully strengthened side due to an ongoing contract dispute which has seen a number of high profile players refuse to turn out for the side, England were expected to be turned over in their three group games and become nothing more than spectators as the knock out stages came into full swing.

But Andy Flower’s team have barely given this grim script even a momentary glance as they beat strongly fancied Sri Lanka and then toppled hosts South Africa, victories that stunned the cricketing world.

What makes these performances even more baffling is that just days before the competition begun England had reached the climax of a seven match one-day series with their semi-final opponents Australia in which they were humbled 6-1.

And as if the odds weren’t stacked against England enough they’ve achieved this feat without unquestionably their two finest players in Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.

Now if you’re a fellow England fan forgive me for my slight patronisation of the side’s achievement, I know they are still a cricket team after all, but when you look at England’s success in previous one-day competition’s you can hardly be brimmed with confidence.

Already the side have punched above their weight, and on Friday they have the chance to reach their second Champions trophy final when they take on the old enemy Australia, who stumbled into the semi-final with a final ball victory over Pakistan.

It’s fair to say that England’s resurgence in the aforementioned circumstances is partly down to a solid togetherness in the dressing room, no team could go through the loss in form and luck that they’ve endured without the solid foundation of team spirit.

Along with that the selectors should be praised for sticking with the same players throughout the whole summer and not being forced into a knee-jerk reaction after constant defeats.

Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood are two men who are definitely benefiting from the selectors consistent selection, and the duo have been intrinsic to England’s passage into the knock-out stage proving that the ECB’s continuity is finally paying off.

But for me aside from the players contribution there’s one-man above all else that has pulled this team together, and albeit momentarily, has never allowed the side’s standards slide after their Ashes victory and that man is Flower.

It might seem to difficult to believe but the team were turning out some decent performances in the one-day series with Australia and could have seen themselves one if not two-nil up early on in the series- and this is purely down to Flower pushing the team to retain their concentration.

Flower seems to have the dressing room all as one, not like under Peter Moores or Duncan Fletcher, who as one-day coach found it difficult to create any kind of consistency in performance.

Moores clearly had only half the dressing room on his side, and after Pietersen’s comments about his ability to do his job the ECB finally seem to have found the right man.

Post match interviews suggest that he takes no prisoners when things aren’t going right and he isn’t frightened to give players a dressing down if they simply aren’t performing and it’s clearly this type of moral boosting pep talk that has inspired England to the semi-finals in South Africa.

Between them and the final however is Ricky Ponting’s Australia who dismantled England’s post Ashes party with a thumping 6-1 series win last month and the holders will rightly go into the match as favourites

England will be hoping that it’s Australia who haven’t read the script on this occasion however.

Sporting Controversies Continue as Summer of Shame Roles On

2009-09-09T10:20:00.006+01:00

As every Sports fan knows our beloved games are never too far away from the wrong side of the law.

OJ Simpson and Ben Johnson can maybe most famously testify (no pun intended) to the fact that even at the pinnacle of sporting competition that no one is safe.

The incidents surrounding those two athletes were certainly contrasting in both their media coverage and of course their relative punishment.

Both, despite receiving contrasting penalties failed to clear their names in the world of sport and rightly or wrongly will both be tarnished with that controversial brush for the rest of their lives.

This summer has seen a string of controversies that will affect sport for years to come, with some iconic sporting figures, particular in Great Britain had more than a blemish placed against their name.

Frankly the most despicable of all of which we have seen this summer is that surrounding Harlequins Rugby Club, and the ‘bloodgate’ affair that has shaken England Rugby and more importantly challenged it’s whole integrity.

Dean Richards, the former director of rugby at Harlequins, instigated on up to four occasions fake blood injuries to his players as a way of bending the rules, which would allow him to bring on another player as a replacement.

Richards ended up being caught in the act during the Heineken Cup quarter-final at the Stoop between Quins and eventual winners Leinster, as Tom Williams infamously winked towards the bench as he was escorted from the field with ‘blood’ pouring from his mouth.

Williams had inadvertently bitten the wrong side of the capsule leading to the ridiculous scene that followed as Williams was cut in the aftermath attempting to cover up this embarrassing episode.

The winger was banned, after appeal, for four months, while Richards escaped with a three-year ban.

For someone with the profile of Richards to only receive only a three-year ban is shocking in my opinion, but hopefully his reputation has been affected enough that his place in domestic and world rugby will forever be void.

The shame that rugby has encountered may never be fully overcome and given that it’s whiter than white image off the field has now changed will this just crank the focus on the sport up even higher?

In terms of trying to eek out who is breaking the rules lets hope the RFU start the clamp down as soon as possible.

The governing body have always treated post-match issues with immediate and impressive accuracy, and it now seems that football is trying to follow its lead.

Eduardo, the Croatian striker has recently been charged with simulation after Arsenal’s Champions League-qualifying tie with Celtic.

The attacker has been banned for two matches for the offence, which was dealt with after the match in which Eduardo dived to win a penalty.

The incident was scrutinised in the press to the extent that FIFA decided to act upon the episode with harsh results for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger rightly confronted FIFA about the way they had conducted themselves in the matter, and called for a level of consistency to be introduced.

Now it’s unclear at this point whether FIFA will act upon every bit of simulation, but if they are it’s a huge move towards irradiating a poison that has attempted to destroy our beautiful game for over a decade.

Everyone pinpoints that foreign takeovers and ridiculous transfer fees are destroying our game when in-fact right in-front of us week after week we see people we call footballers sending the wrong message out to young players all over the world but petulantly diving to gain an advantage.

In the English game at least it seemed that at first foreign players were only to blame, but now the shameful act has spread to some of our home-grown players such as Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole.

Neither have ever been pulled up on the act, and maybe it will take a harsh ban from the Premier League or the FA to finally bring diving to the forefront of people’s minds.

FIFA haven’t stopped there however, and after Lord Stevens’ investigation into transfer dealing in this country, the world football governing body have come down hard on the first of sure to be a number of illegal transfer dealings.

Chelsea have been the unlucky one’s on this occasion after being convicted of inducing the departure of Gael Kakuta from Lens in 2007, and as a result being banned from any transfer dealing in the next two transfer windows.

In fairness the London club have been made an example of, in what is a unique punishment for an offence that has rarely been encountered before in world football.

However this decision is sure to open the floodgates of cases in which clubs believe their players have been illegally tapped up.

Le Havre and Crewe Alexandra have both reported incidents of a similar nature, with Manchester United the centre of the French clubs complaint over the transfer of Paul Pogba.

The Premiership Champions have predictably gone on record denying the accusation, and have threatened the French side with legal action if there is a repeat of the claim.

This could be seen as a way to make the Ligue 2 club drop their accusations before FIFA start to investigate the issue, with Le Harve’s motive maybe slightly affected by Chelsea’s punishment last week.

Even if they’re not guilty on this occasion United have continually been linked with illegal transfer dealings, none more so than that of Dimitar Berbatov, which in many peoples mind has been forgotten about despite the public nature of the crooked transfer.

A can of worms has certainly been opened by FIFA on both counts of simulation and illegal transfer dealings, and it’s left to be seen whether they can sort out this desperate situation.

As ever it seems that no sport can hide away from controversy, and on Golf’s European Tour one of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes from last year was caught up in an incident that affected his chances of winning one of the tours more prestigious events.

Ian Poulter experienced an overeager cameraman during his final round at the French Open where he went from a tournament contender to outsider after a bogey five in which he hit into a water hazard after an ill-timed camera click.

The Englishman has gone on record saying that he’ll never attend the event again after an incident that he claims ended his chances of winning the event.

But sometimes winning an event will never end the controversy, and as for South African Caster Semenya opinions over her gender will seemingly never go away.

The athlete burst onto the scene this year by first qualifying for the South African team for the World Athletics Championships in Berlin and then winning the Women’s 800m final in convincing fashion, but because of her sudden emergence the IAAF want her to take a gender test to prove this claim.

What’s worse is that the problem has been brought up and played out for all the world to see and for Semenya, an up till now innocent human being, the last few weeks must have been torturous.

Governing bodies have always been seen to come down hard on athletes caught cheating, but the moment one excels on the world stage to the extent that Semenya has, suddenly it must be through unlawful means and not through simple hard work.

But sometimes hard work just isn’t enough especially when in swimming at least technology is holding back the development of the sport rather than letting it grow.

I’m of course talking about the recent ban of Hi Tech swimsuits, which has blighted this summers Swimming World Championship’s, and effectively made the last 18 months of competition null and void.

Since 2008 a new suit with 100% polyurethane was introduced and immediately world record’s started to be smashed.

In-fact 135 records have been broken since the suits introduction, but at the beginning of 2010 they will be banned after the unprecedented impact they’ve made in the sport.

Some experts have even called for an asterisk to be put against any world record broken with one of these Hi Tech suits, deeming any record produced in them almost worthless and tarnished by this breakthrough technology.

It seems then that even with this new technology that the sport has in-fact been going backwards, and in effect the athletes have been cheated by the vast technology these suits possess.

Rebecca Adlington, a double Olympic champion from Beijing was one of the few to retain her 50% polyurethane suit from the Beijing Olympics, and she was only able to pick up a Bronze in the World Championships as her rivals excelled in the now outlawed suits.

Adlington’s choice is a noble one to hang on to her original suit, but maybe a naïve one if she had any ambition of following her Olympic gold with World Championship gold.

However a Bronze against a field full of athletes wearing the illegal suit must give her some encouragement, and when the suits are finally prohibited her advantage over the field could well be larger than it was in Beijing.

The Brit will eventually prosper over these rule defying suits, but like so many rule breakers in our sporting society they more often than not get their comeuppance.

The Curious Case of Goal-line Technology

2009-08-18T15:26:00.002+01:00

Another weekend, and yet another call has come bellowing from the English Football community for goal-line technology to be introduced into our game.

The victim on this occasion was Crystal Palace, who had a legitimate goal ruled out by both the referee Rob Shoebridge and his linesman.

To rub salt in the wound Palace went on to lose the game 1-0 with a late Nicky Maynard goal at Ashton Gate.

Palace manager Neil Warnock has been quick to lambaste the guilty officials, who have been suspended from duty indefinitely, and the Bristol City playing and coaching staff.

The former Sheffield United manager has claimed their opponents should have owned up to the goal being scored to help the officials make the correct decision.

In a weird twist Warnock seems to have attempted to shed some of the blame from Shoebridge and co and towards Gary Johnson’s and his staff and players.

In truth it’s difficult to side with Warnock, considering making crucial decisions like that are not one a set of players should be making.

Yet again the decision, or lack of one but brought up the debate of goal-line technology on the football pitch but yet again it’s set to meet opposition from FIFA.

A concept, set to be trialled in this season Europa League, uses an official standing either side of each goal on both sides instead of a technology system.

The same idea is used in Rugby Union, where the linesmen stand either side of the posts when a penalty or conversion kick is due to being taken.

As appealing as the option of cameras or sensors in the goalmouth is, the option would not be readily available at grassroots level, this way means the rules can be staggered down through the various levels of professional football.

Saturday’s bizarre incident brought back memories of the ‘Phantom’ goal scored by Reading at Watford last season, and on that same occasion referee Stuart Attwell was also suspended, but returned to Premiership action later that season.

In all fairness, for the officials not to have seen something that happened is one thing, but for a referee to create a goal from no-where is something quiet different.

Shoebridge should be given a second chance there’s no doubt, but not in the same way Attwell has been, as he’s continued to referee at a high level and constantly make mistakes.

As for the technology well it seems that calls just won’t go away, and that this latest idea is simply a time saving device for FIFA, as they resist in turning to the technology route that so many sports have gone down.

Gunn Takes the Bullet As the Managerial Merry-go-round Begins

2009-08-14T17:59:00.001+01:00

With the football season just six days old, the football league has endured its first managerial casualty.

Brain Gunn, the former Norwich City player has been relinquish of his position at Carrow Road after just two games this season.

The Canaries were in shocking form as they lost 7-1 on the opening day of the season to Colchester United, before a Grant Holt hat trick helped them ease past Yeovil Town in the League Cup in mid-week.

Gunn has been in charge of the club for eight months after taking the club down from the Championship last season after Glen Roeder’s unceremonious exit in January.

He was unable to keep the club in the Championship, but despite this disappointment Norwich were one of the firm favourites for promotion for League One this season.

After just one league game however, albeit a heavy defeat against Colchester, Gunn has departed and has left the Norwich board searching for a manager to gift them the perfect return to the Championship.

Three names have already come to the fore in Paul Tidsdale of Exeter City, Mark Robins of League Two Rotherham, and currently unattached manager Alan Curbishley.

Tidsdale has recently secured successive promotions with the Grecians, while former Norwich player Robins guided Rotherham to safety in League Two after the club were deducted 17 points at the beginning of last season.

Curbishley, since stepping down from the job at West Ham United early last season has been linked with a number of high profile jobs and it’s left to be seen whether he can be tempted out of the managerial wilderness by Norwich.

However as Gunn’s sacking opens the door for one of these three talented managers to take the mantle, it again raises the concern over the time given to managers in this current football climate.

For a club like Norwich, one that are built for Championship or even Premiership football, another season in League One could be devastating for the clubs finances, sure to have been hit by their previous relegations.

With success paramount, the longevity of managers job’s at clubs such at Norwich are becoming smaller and smaller.

Last season 39 managers lost their jobs, and with a sacking within a week of the season starting we could see that figure beaten before the season is up.

For Norwich, with expectations high the next appointment could make or break their season, one that they can’t afford to mess up.

Barclays Premier League 2009/10 Season Preview

2009-08-13T18:11:00.003+01:00

One of the best and most predictable leagues in the world starts this weekend, but this year could far different than years gone by.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have all lost players, while Chelsea have a new manager and Manchester City have spent millions of pounds in an attempt to break into that elusive top four.

Elsewhere newly promoted sides Birmingham City, Burnley and Wolves will be aiming to make an impact in one of the leagues more open years.

Arsenal:- Another summer, and more of Arsenal’s best players have departed but still the media and fans expect the same top four finish. The sales of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayour might have in a strange way been a welcome relief for the fans, but the inability to attract replacements might make them think again, and something that could be a factor that writes them out of the title race before its even begun. However the Gunners have always thrived on being underdogs going into a season as they showed two years ago after the sale of Thierry Henry. Andrey Arshavin’s first full season in this country could be one to savour, but a lot of the fans will point towards Robin van Persie, who had his best season in an Arsenal shirt year. More of same will be the message from the Emirates.

Aston Villa:- Martin O’Neill will do very well to repeat the heroics of last season when an excellent opening two thirds to the season saw them push Arsenal all the way in qualification for the Champions League. After loosing out in the closing weeks of the season the loss of Gareth Barry won’t help close that gap. Stuart Downing and Fabian Delph have been brought in, but given Delph’s age and inexperience its unlikely he’ll play week in week out. As for Downing, without a single Premiership goal last season a £12,000,000 price tag might seem a bit steep for the left winger, and given that he’ll be almost certainly be moving Ashley Young to the right hand side, away from a position he’s made his own, it could disrupt the sides dynamics. Top half is a certainty but Europe should be beyond them.

Birmingham City:- Plenty of investment this summer has raised hopes across the Midlands this season. Plenty of players from the Championship have come in including Scott Dann and Roger Johnson, while the club broke a club record in signing Christian Benitez for over £7,000,000. The success of the new Ecuadorian striker will be crucial in the clubs survival hopes, but Alex McLeish has a decent spine of the team to work the squad around. Joe Hart, Johnson, Lee Carsley and James McFadden are the Blues big players this season, and for me with a quality starting eleven at their disposal survival shouldn’t be a problem for the St Andrews side.

Blackburn Rovers:- The loss of Roque Santa Cruz might be seen by most fans as a huge loss, but in truth the £18,000,000 gained for the player is a great deal for Rovers. The Paraguayan played very little last season after a knee injury ruined most of his season, but it might be the loses across the rest of the pitch that could hurt the side. Aaron Mokoena and Andre Ooijer have both departed, and although they’re not big names they added the needed steel to the side. Replacements have been few and far between, and goals will again be a problem. With Sam Allardyce the team are always going to do the basics right and be well organised, but I worry about where the goals will come from. They should gain enough points to survive at the end of the season, but I predict a bottom eight finish.

Bolton Wanderers:- With four signings all leaning towards adding strength to the back four the onus will yet again be on Kevin Davies to provide more heroics at the other end of the pitch. The skipper endured his best ever season in the Premiership with 11 goals last season, but he’ll need help from others if Bolton are to retain their Premiership status. Johan Elmander will want to improve on a return of just five goals last season, a poultry sum after his £12,000,000 transfer. They look pretty sound at the back with Zat Knight joining England hopeful Gary Cahill in the middle of defence, while Sean Davis will partner Fabrice Muamba, one of the stars for England’s Under 21’s this summer, in the middle of midfield.

Burnley:- They came from no-where last season to grab promotion from Sheffield United at Wembley, and now Owen Coyle has the biggest challenge of all; keeping Burnley in the Premiership. On first assessment you’d think they haven’t strengthened enough for the new season. Steven Fletcher, a man with no Premiership experience has been signed for £3,000,000 from Hibernian, in a deal where the money could have been spent more effectively elsewhere. Richard Eckersly and David Edgar won’t exactly set the world alight either in a league where they have little experience as well. Coyle, sure to have been restricted by funds, hasn’t made the most of them and he’s set to suffer as a result. Relegation seems a certainty for them.

Chelsea:- Carlo Ancelotti’s first season in charge is sure to be full of expectations. After three years without a league title Chelsea will be keen to get back on the winning road, while still trying to hunt down that elusive Champions League trophy. Three managers have tried and failed, and Ancelotti, a veteran of two wins on Europe’s biggest stage could be the man to provide it. I worry over the money he’s spent this summer though. I’ll be the first to mention how brilliant a player Yuri Zhirkov is, but I don’t see how he fits into the Chelsea side, especially with their new diamond midfield, it’s a puzzling signing. Ross Turnbull and Daniel Sturridge have also joined, having turned down first team football elsewhere for a pay packet at Stamford Bridge. Always title challengers, but getting the system and the partnership up-front correct is crucial for their chances.

Everton:- After spending most of last season without a recognised striker but still reaching the FA Cup final, Everton will be struggling to think how they can repeat last seasons heroics. The return of Yakubu and an extended loan of Jo, who impressed last season, despite my own reservations about the deal, should give the club the added firepower they need. The possible departure of Joleon Lescott will be a serious blow, and his possible replacement Philipe Senderos is quiet frankly not up to scratch. Top half should be achieved, but Europe might be a long shot.

Fulham:- After last season’s unbelievable finale Roy Hodgson would have been fully focused on building a bigger squad for a tougher season that will included European football. Bjorn Helge Riise has signing for £2,000,000, and Stephen Kelly on a free, but these are the solitary signings by Hodgson, not exactly the squad building the fans had in mind. They will take solace in fighting off bids for Brede Hangeland however, while they still fight for the signature of Jonathan Greening. Mid-table would be a credible finish, as they strive to compete on the European stage, mixing the two will be a difficult task.

Hull City:- If Phil Brown is to keep the Tigers in the Premiership this year, equalling the start the club had in the opening half of the season (27 points) will be crucial to the cause. Only eight more were gathered in the second half and with a losing mentality now instilled within the players you can’t see much changing at the KC Stadium. New players were initially hard to come by, with the deal to bring in Bobby Zamora breaking down at the last minute. But Stephen Hunt and Kamel Ghilas have been signed just days before the beginning of the season, and with Real Madrid’s Alvaro Negredo also set to join things finally seem to be coming together. Despite these imports it seems unlikely Brown can beat last seasons excellent start and relegation looks difficult to avoid this time around.

Liverpool:- Rafa Benitez at the end of last season has put together squad capable of finally breaking the clubs Premiership duck and delivering a first title to Anfield. However the sale of Xavi Alonso, a player whose range of passing made him one of Europe’s hottest properties and that of established full-back Alvaro Arbeloa broke that squad up immediately. Glen Johnson has come in to replace the right-back but in Alberto Aquilani, a £20,000,000 signing from Roma, Benitez has not properly replaced the Spanish midfielder. Aquilani is more forward thinking that Alonso, not to mention how prone to injury he is, something that keeps him out of the beginning of this season. The Reds did show they coped ably without both Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, but if both are fit for a longer period this season, the Premiership title isn’t far away.

Manchester City:- Nearly a £100,000,000 has been spent by Mark Hughes this summer and with every high profile signing that has arrived, pressure has added from the fans, and owners and the football world that this team can be the first since Everton to break the top four. Yes Everton have yet to finish that high since, but this City side with its star-studded line-up have the capabilities to stay there for the foreseeable future. My only worry is the lack of experience in winning league titles that the squad have. Only Kolo Toure and Carlos Tevez have won a Premiership title as a player, while Mark Hughes won it as a player with neighbours United. Hughes turned around a struggling Blackburn side and took them into Europe, but he now has a bigger challenge to convert a mid-table side into Premiership contenders. Top four a bridge too far for the Eastlands club.

Manchester United:- As if attempting to win a forth successive Premiership title was hard enough, United will have to do it without both Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Replacing the hefty amount of goals that the Portuguese International contributed will be the first port of call for Sir Alex Ferguson. Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia have come in to replace the duo, but it’s unsure as yet whether they can step in to guide United to yet another Premeirship title. The loss of both Edwin Van Der Sar and Nemanja Vidic for the beginning of the season is a big one, given United’s predictably slow start. The side’s loses have been the worst of the top four and seeing them at the top of league in May is a difficult thing to see.

Portsmouth:- With all the focus on the club’s possible takeover it’s important to remember the awful loses the team have encountered. Last season’s top scorer Peter Crouch has gone to Tottenham, Glen Johnson has moved to Liverpool and Sol Campbell’s contract has run out forcing him to leave as well. Add to that the appointment of Paul Hart as manager and you’ve got a recipe for disaster at Fratton Park. The exits don’t seem like letting up, and as for Hart, a man who barely kept the club up last season, he’s sure to struggle over a whole season in the Premiership. With a wafer thin squad, no money available and an inexperienced manager at the helm relegation seems a certainty.

Stoke City:- After finishing six points above the relegation zone last season Tony Pulis might have been worrying about how ‘second season syndrome’ might affect his squad this season. To prevent that Dean Whitehead has been brought for £3,000,000, and he should add a bit of stylishness to the Potters midfield. Additions to the squad though have halted at the former Sunderland midfielder, and the squad will be basically the same one that beat off relegation last season. Teams will have adapted to Stoke’s long throw tactics and being found out, particular at home will worry Pulis. James Beattie’s goals will be crucial in keeping the side afloat.

Sunderland:- This time last season under Roy Keane’s management the fans at the Stadium of Light had high hops of a top eight finish after signing the likes of Djibril Cisse in the close season. Now with Steve Bruce preparing to re-build a club who came within a whisker of relegation, hopes of mid-table are just as high after a number of big money buys. Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole and Frazer Campbell have signed for big fees to bolster the squad. Add to that the return to full fitness of Kenwyne Jones and the Black Cats can be considered contenders for a top half finish, under Bruce, a manager who is well equipped to turn the club around.

Tottenham Hotspur:- Harry Redknapp first summer at White Hart Lane has been an eventful one. Peter Crouch has been signed again by Redknapp, along with Sebastien Bassong and Sheffield United pair Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker. Walker will return to Sheffield on loan, while Basong and Naughton will bolster what has been a struggling defence in recent times. Jonathan Woodgate looks set to miss the beginning of the season, and with concerns always surrounding the fitness of Ledley King, Redknapp’s defensive minded signings are shrewd enough to consider Spurs as top half contenders. Crouch will link up with Jermaine Defoe as he did at Portsmouth, but his partnership with Robbie Keane, who loves playing with a taller player up front, could push Spurs into the top eight.

West Ham United:- A lack of funds at Upton Park has restricted the activity in the transfer window this summer. However Gianfranco Zola has an excellent squad at his disposal already and with Dean Ashton set to return for the new season along with Carlton Cole another top half finish could be possible. Cole stepped up with more goals in the second half of the season to replace the goal threat of the departed Craig Bellamy. Lucas Neill has failed to renew his deal however and he’ll be a big loss for the Hammers. Finishing higher than last season’s ninth might be a big ask however, as their opponents continue to improve.

Wigan Athletic:- Roberto Martinez has been trusted in bringing his passing football game, that he developed at Swansea City, to Wigan Athletic in the Premiership. However without the same elegant players available at the DW Stadium it might be difficult to translate his fast passed playing style. The loss of Antonio Valencia and Lee Catermole is hugely decisive, but Martinez has replaced Emile Heskey who departed in January with Jason Scotland. Scotland’s strength and quality with his back to goal is similar to that of Heskey, but his transition into the Premiership from the Championship will have to be instant. Scott Sinclair has joined his eighth club in four years, to continue his apprenticeship away from Chelsea, while Jordi Gomez is another ex Swansea player to join Martinez at his new club. However with Martinez signing players who are unproven in the Premiership his transfer deals are a slight gamble. Survival must be the team’s ambition.

Wolverhampton Wanderers:- Mick McCarthy had a difficult time the last time he was promoted into the Premiership. With Sunderland he was sacked as manager in March after an awful season at the Stadium of Light. The club eventually finished with just 15 points, but with the squad that McCarthy has at Molineux and the money he’s had to spend, not a luxury he had while at Sunderland, could help keep the team in the league on this occasion. Kevin Doyle adds to an impressive goal threat, Andrew Surman will brings goals from mid-field as well as the ability to fill in at full back and Marcus Hahnemann will compete for the Number 1 jersey. Michael Mancienne returns on loan from Chelsea for another season in maybe the most crucial of all their transfer dealings. Survival is realistic.

Champions: Liverpool
Champions League: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal
Europa League: Manchester City, Tottenham Hotsphur, (Aston Villa)
Relegated: Portsmouth, Hull City, Burnley

England Make the Most of the Early Season

2009-08-12T22:45:00.000+01:00

England showed a fighting spirit in Amsterdam as they recovered from 2-0 down to salvage a draw against Holland.

Individual mistakes overshadowed a decent first half from Fabio Capello’s side, as both Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry’s wayward back-passes ended in Holland goals for Dirk Kuyt and Rafael Van Der Vaart, in the opening 45 minutes.

But two goals from substitute Jerrmaine Defoe gave England a well earned draw against the Number 3 country in the world, and one that have already secured their place in South Africa for next years World Cup.

Holland were unusually inept for long periods of the game, but they crucially did the simple things correctly particularly in the first half where England’s defensive capabilities were called into question.

The visitor’s two mistakes were the only openings the Dutch made in the entire 90 minutes in-fact as England’s second half substitutions excelled in dragging themselves back into the game.

Carlton Cole and James Milner were particular magnificent with the West Ham forward producing his best performance of his short England career.

Milner provided the cross for Defoe’s second, while troubling Holland’s full back John Heitinga throughout his second half display.

Michael Carrick boosted his reputation in the middle of the park, laying on the pass for Defoe’s opening goal while producing a calming influence in the defensive third.

Critics had slated England strength in depth before the game, but after this performance Fabio Cappello will be fully confident of his entire squad.

Only Ashley Young will be disappointed with his performance, as the Aston Villa winger failed to stamp his mark on the game, in stark contrast to his fellow team-mate Milner.

In previous friendlies against France and Spain England had poorly performed on the road, while failing to compete against some of the world’s best countries.

Tonight however, for almost the entire 90 minutes, England showed the composure Capello has instilled in the side, while they seem to have the added confidence to play an expansive game away from home.

The real star of the night was certainly Cole, who despite not getting on the score sheet played brilliantly with his back to goal and proved how he should be the one to compete with Emile Heskey for a starting place in the side and not Peter Crouch.

Crouch doesn’t seem to quiet have the same unique touch on the ball, and Cole’s ability to bring others into play with both feet and head is something Crouch hasn’t been able to fully grasp.

Defoe may well have assured his place on the plane to South Africa next summer with this performance, another success under the stewardship of Capello.

Tonight England learnt plenty that will stand them in good stead for next summers World Cup, and enough that might quieten the critics who hinted that this fixture might be needless before the season has started.

Capello might suggest otherwise.

Coca Cola Championship 2009/10 Season Preview

2009-08-07T18:31:00.001+01:00

In spite of it being unwarranted, this season’s Championship season is bound to be dominated by one team; Newcastle United.

The shock relegation of the Magpies is set to be the focus of attention all season long, and regardless of an uncertain summer the bookies have installed the team as second favourites to win the title.

Coverage has been limited about the rest of the Championship sides, who will be licking their lips at a possible scalp in the North East.

Barnsley:- Simon Davey, maybe down to his FA Cup exploits a year ago, has continued as the main man at Oakwell and after a final day survival scrap the Yorkshire faithful have reason to be worried about this season coming. The summer’s transfer dealings have been all about renewing players contracts, and it’s been a successful one with Luke Steele, Rob Kuzluk and Jon Macken all signing on the dotted line. Macken’s role this season is an important one, with goals always a problem for the Tykes. Returning Ian Hume will be important as well, as the side showed a notable decline after his fractured skull at the hands of Chris Morgan.

Blackpool:- A season that went largely unnoticed throughout the football league saw Blackpool finish a full 10 points above the relegation zone, in a season where they lost their influential manager Simon Grayson. Ian Holloway is the new man, and even though the former QPR manager is a well-spirited man, he needs to begin to produce at Championship level. His dealings in the transfer market won’t exactly strike confidence in the tangerine fans, with Billy Clarke, who spent most of last season in League Two, replacing DJ Campbell. The signing of Charlie Adam is a coup however in a permanent deal for the Scot worth £500,000. The former Rangers man has turned down Champions League football for a relegation battle, one that many onlookers will feel will be unsuccessful.

Bristol City:- Gary Johnson is set for a second tilt at promotion with Bristol City, and having already fallen in a Wembley final before he’ll be keen to secured one of those two elusive automatic promotion spots. City finished a respectable mid-table last season, but a host of signings have seen expectations are soar. The loss of Dele Adebola has been softened by Danny Haynes’ signing, but maybe most importantly is the introduction of Paul Hartley, a hugely experienced midfielder whose come from Celtic. The confusion over Adriano Basso’ future is a worry; with the occasionally clumsy Dean Gurkin set to begin the season in goal. Michael McIndoe is another big loss, but given the money spent Johnson will be aiming for a top six finish.

Cardiff City:- After last season’s disastrous finish to the season, this probably wasn’t ideal timing for the club to move into their new originally named new stadium-the Cardiff City Stadium. New stadiums usually destroy all the intimacy that sides had at their previous grounds, and it would take an ambitious fan to admit that some of the atmosphere won’t be lost from Ninian Park. The side’s trump card was always their hostile home support, but now without that the team might struggle to get close to the play-offs this season. Michael Chopra has returned, but if the expected loss of Ross McCormack and Joe Ledley, who could both sign for Hull, transpires then it could be a long season for the Welsh club.

Coventry City:- Plenty of money was spent and then wasted last summer by Chris Coleman and after overachieving hugely last season, plenty of their quality players have opted to leave the Ricoh Arena. Daniel Fox, Jay Tabb, who left during last season, and Scott Dann have all gone, and after the reckless way Coleman spent money last summer the focus has been towards bringing youth players through to the first team. Lots will be expected of Freddy Eastwood after a disappointing season just gone, but the undoubted star is Aron Gunnarsson, who big throw and big heart provides coal for the engine room of that Coventry mid-field. They should avoid the bottom three-but don’t expect much lea-way after that.

Crystal Palace:- Most had Palace down for a top six finish last season, but the team disappointed to the extent that relegation issues were more apparent than any in the top half of the table. More focus will be on the development of the younger players in the squad, in particularly Nathanial Clyne, whom Neil Warnock has spoken a lot of in the off season. Sam Scannell has the potential to dominate the season at Selhurst Park, and with the addition of Freddy Sears from West Ham on loan, and of Darren Ambrose formerly of Newcastle the team look in good shape to build from finishing in the bottom half last season.

Derby County:- With time bound to be on his side, and lefts face it history as well, Nigel Clough has the perfect opportunity to weave his magic at Pride Park. After inheriting a troubled squad, still reeling after a record winless run and a humiliating relegation from the Premiership, Clough has begun to ring the changes and bring in a number of players from his non-league days. Dean Moxey has joined from Exeter City as have Burton pair Jake Buxton and Saul Denney. Yes these players are far from Championship quality, but their potential seemed enough for Clough to draft them in alongside the likes of Kris Commons and Giles Barnes. Both are key for the Rams this season as is Rob Hulse, whose knack of scoring in the Championship doesn’t seem to be wearing off just yet.

Doncaster Rovers:- Trouble afoot for Doncaster this season, with most of their better players off to find a bigger wage packet Sean O’Driscoll has a bigger task of keeping the side in the Championship than that of last season. Ritchie Wellens is the most high profile departure, but Matt Mills moved to Reading just days before the beginning of the season and he’ll be fondly missed at the back. That leaves plenty of responsibility on the shoulder of Brain Stock. The influential Welshman is the team’s star player after the sale of Wellens, and anything good that Donny do next season, something that could be at a premium, will go through him.

Ipswich Town:- After his Premiership nightmare with Sunderland, Roy Keane has returned to the Championship-the venue of his first managerial success. He’s joined a club who have flattered to deceive since their relegation from the Premiership, Ipswich Town, whose owner Marcus Evans is sure to bankroll any promotion push. Initially Keane has had to deal with a host of departures, Danny Haynes being the most high profile. The front line of Jonathan Walters, Pablo Counago and new signing Tamas Priskin is decent enough, while much will be expected of David Norris after a controversial season. Keane has the foundations of a good side and given his impact at the back end of last season the top six are well in sight.

Leicester City:- How supporters at St Mary’s be rueing the day Nigel Pearson left the south coast. After keeping Saints in the Championship the season before last, the club rid of Pearson as they opted for a ‘total football’ ethic- with painful results. Meanwhile Pearson was working his magic at the Walkers Stadium forming a team that dominated League One and won promotion with 95 points. The team’s formidable spine of Jack Hobbs, who has signed permanently for the Foxes, Matt Oakley and Matty Fryatt will looked to bring them further success this season, and few wouldn’t bet against it. Ritchie Wellens will add some flair to the midfield as well as some goals, but also look out for Danny N’Guessan who won’t be first choice upfront, but is sure to ruffle some feathers are his move from Lincoln City.

Middlesbrough:- Gareth Southgate is living on borrowed time at the Riverside, but with an understanding Chairman in Steve Gibson it’s no surprise he’s been given a season to make up for a disappointing relegation. The obvious problem last season was goals, and the signing of Leroy Lita should rectify that. Lita has good experience at this level with Reading, and he’ll play alongside Alfonso Alves on most occasions, whose four goals last season was a poultry sum after his £12,000,000 transfer from Heerenveen. The loss of Stuart Downing and Ross Turnbull is only a slight concern, with Adam Johnson and Brad Jones ready to step in. With a quality squad at his disposal and time on his side, the team are my favourites to be Champions.

Newcastle United:- With the season beginning this week Newcastle are without a new owner or a permanent manager. They’ve lost Sebastien Bassong, Obafemi Martins and Michael Owen this summer while bringing in not a single new face. Their head coach has taken charge of fewer than 15 matches as a manager, and yet bookies and pundits alike are tipping them for promotion at the first time of asking. Given how little progress the club has made over the summer, and the scarring the squad would have taken after relegation it’s unreasonable to expect automatic success. Hughton is not equipped as a manager to get the side even close to the top six, and in truth the squad is hardly in the best shape either. The fans for once might accept a mid-table finish, as they finally abandon their ridiculously ambitious demands.

Nottingham Forest:- Billy Davies is a veteran of two play-off finals in his managerial career. One with Preston in 2005, and another in 2007 with Derby County. He admitted that after getting Derby promoted after a 1-0 win over West Brom that promotion came at least a season too early. Davies last season took over Nottingham Forest, and after a massive squad re-build in the summer and some decent money spent the club can look forward to a decent push into the top half-but Davies will be wary repeating what he did with Derby during this season with Forest. Yes they’ve brought in some decent players; Dexter Blackstock is bound to score goals, as is Dele Adebola but you might worry about the centre of their defence that shipped 65 goals last season.

Peterborough United:- After being largely bankrolled for the previous two years, Darren Ferguson has his biggest task yet, and it’s one that will really test his metal as the quality manager. Successive promotions, albeit an impressive stat, might have been marred by the financial backing Ferguson Jr had from owner Darragh MacAnthony. This season in a league where the club can’t compete with the money bags of the division it’ll be interesting to see whether Ferguson’s exciting squad can take another league by storm. He’ll have problems keeping any of his three-pronged attack, particularly George Boyd in the transfer window, and after limited activity in the summer their squad does appear to be at the bare bones. A good start can assure they don’t get caught up in a relegation battle.

Plymouth Argyle:- Paul Sturrock guided Plymouth to safety last season, but after more departures in the summer the club are staring down the barrel of a long hard season. Bradley Wright-Philips has signed from Southampton, but an injury will see him miss the beginning of the season. Goals at either end will be problem, and Rory Fallon has the responsibility to find the net while it seems plenty of youth players will be brought in to bolster the squad. Funds haven’t been readily available despite the recent take-over, which will frustrate Sturrock whose been working under financial restrictions since his return.

Preston North-End:- If Owen Coyle had failed in his promotion attempt with Burnley, then Alan Ervine’s job at Preston last season would surely have come under more praise. West Brom saw his talent from afar, before going with Roberto Di Matteo, and that’s sure not to be the last approach the club will receive with Ervine’s services. In terms of the work done to the squad in the off the season the focus was mainly on keeping there prized assets, particularly Sean St Ledge and Jon Parkin, both of which signed new deals. Paul McKenna was a casualty of the squad however, and with only Paul Parry coming in the size of the squad is a problem. For Ervine to reproduce what he did last season would be a miracle, what’s more likely is that he’s tempted away by the glitz of the Premiership, something no-one would begrudge him of.

QPR:- A multi-million pound takeover over a year ago has only brought despair for the fans at Loftus Road, and not the success the owners wished. Three managers have come and gone, and now it’s the turn of Jim Magilton, hardly the name the fans had in mind when promotion is continually talked about. Magilton didn’t have the best of times at Portman Road, finishing in the top half in each season, but never coming close to contesting a play-off spot. Money is predictably around with Alejandro Faurlin signing for £3,000,000 from Instituto and much is expected of the Argentine, but Frenchman Adel Taarabt has looked bright in pre-season and he is set to be Rangers’ star player. Like most teams goals might be a problem after the sale of Dexter Blackstock and the midfielders including Martin Rowlands might be landed with the added responsibility. Magilton will be sacked before Christmas if the owners keep up their crazy trigger-finger policy.

Reading:- I naively wrote Reading off last season in their first season back in the Championship, but after stuttering towards the play-offs they were eventually beaten by Burnley in the two legged play-off semi-final. It was a convincing defeat, and with it Steve Coppell left the club to make way for Brenden Rodgers. The hugely respected coach has come from Watford to try and mastermind promotion, but yet again the side are reeling after their summer sales. Kevin Doyle has finally gone to Wolves as has Marcus Hahnemann. Rodgers will be well received at the Madejski Stadium after introducing a passing game at Watford, something that kept the side in the division. However not replacing your best players is a theme that dominated Reading last year, and its set to have the same impact this season. Play-offs will be to far for them.

Scunthorpe United:- After reaching the play-off by the skin of their teeth Scunthorpe find themselves in a star studded Championship and are ready to showcase their attacking brand of football. Striking duo Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes are sure to cause the league some problems, and with most of the squad still intact Scunthorpe have a decent chance of survival. The flair of Grant McCann and Martin Woolford can also worry a few. Nigel Adkins will be keen to keep the club up this season after previous disappointments after the clubs first promotion. The summer has been quiet for them but the signing of Rob Jones at the back is a decent one.

Sheffield United:- A host of players have left in wake of their play-off final defeat as Kevin Blackwell started to offload the dead wood in the Blades squad. Grey Halford and Kyle McNaughton are the biggest loses, and with those departures, very little has appeared in terms of decent replacements. Kyle Walker has returned on loan from Tottenham after his move to North London, and Ched Evans has left Manchester City for the Steel City. Evans is seen as a vital component of United’s season, but he’s unproven in the Premiership after only occasionally appearances, so he might be undercooked coming into the new season. Rarely do beaten play-off final sides come back and repeat the trick the following season, and don’t expect the same from Kevin Blackwell’s men this season.

Sheffield Wednesday:- Brain Laws has been given ample time at Hillsborough and going into his fourth year in the job, but could be preparing for his toughest to date. For some time he’s be under financial restraints at Wednesday, but crucially for the team on the pitch Marcus Tudgay has been kept on. Many thought he would have to be sold to secure the club’s survival off the pitch but that hasn’t been the case. Darren Purse will help out the defence after his free transfer, and Darren Potter the former Liverpool youngster is another who will bolster the squad. Mid-table would yet again be respectable.

Swansea City:- The emergence of Swansea City’s passing game made many sit and watch all around the country last season. After finishing eighth the club were well set for the play-off push this season. The departure of Roberto Martinez has set expectations back ever so slightly however. The loss of Jason Scotland to Martinez’s new club Wigan is a further blow as well. Paulo Sousa has the task of renewing hope at the Liberty Stadium, but coming into the season without a proper replacement for Scotland is an error. Sousa shouldn’t be rated on his performance at QPR where he was given very little time, but at Swansea a club who have a history of appointing unproven managers he’s likely to get time to turn things around. Unlikely to finish as high as eighth in his first season, but a top half finish should be achievable.

Watford:- Hornets fans finally got what they wanted in the summer with the appointment of Malky Mackay after Brendon Rodgers departed to Reading. Mackay was the fans initial choice after Aidy Boothroyd was sacked, but after Rodgers’ attacking brand of football was introduced the supporters will be disappointed to see him go. Up till now the club have warned off offers for Tommy Smith, but have lost Tamas Priskin to Ipswich. Danny Graham should produce a few goals however in one of few moves made by Mackay in the summer. A relegation battle should ensue, but safety should be achieved.

West Bromich Albion:- Despite just a single season in football management Roberto Di Matteo’s appointment at the Hawthorns has prompted some fans and bookmakers to install the Midlands club as favourites for the Championship this season. Di Matteo took MK Dons to the play-offs only be overcome by Scunthorpe at the semi-final stage. Under Tony Mowbray you would have found it difficult to not back the Baggies for an instant return to the Premiership, but with Di Matteo now at the helm I’m not so sure. Simon Cox, Reuben Reid and possibly Jermaine Beckford are sure to score goals, but the commitment of Paul Robinson is a little suspect and if nothing else a blow to the back four. Robinson said he wouldn’t play for the club if they weren’t in the premiership, and has therefore moved to Bolton for a single year and hopes to re-join the Hawthorns side at the end of the season. Play-offs are make-able, but automatic promotion will take a special effort.

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town
Play-offs: Bristol City, Leicester City, West Bromich Albion, Derby County
Relegated: Blackpool, Plymouth Argyle, Doncaster Rovers

Top Scorer: Tamas Priskin

Coca Cola League One 2009/10 Season Preview

2009-08-06T23:40:00.002+01:00

As I’m sure you’ve already heard, this year’s League One division has a group of some of the countries biggest clubs in one of the most open leagues to date.

Leeds United, Norwich City, Charlton Athletic and Southampton are just a few of the massive clubs fighting out for promotion and relegation this season, but it could be case that some of these huge names are left in the dust by some of the countries emerging sides.

Brentford:- Andy Scott wowed League Two last season after a convincing promotion. The 36-year-old built from the back last season, and with 20 clean sheets last season it’s obvious where there strength was. Alan Bennett has crucially stayed on from Reading, while the exciting Sam Saunders has been brought from Dagenham. Some excellent buys from Scott will only add to his swelling reputation. The squad is broader, and a second consecutive promotion isn’t out of the question at Griffen Park.

Brighton and Hove Albion:- With the great escape complete, Russell Slade can focus fully on the new season, and after a squad overhaul things are looking bright for the new year. Despite losing Lloyd Owusu the squad are in good shape, and is furthur improved with the introduction of Liam Dickinson. The real stars could end up being Gary Dicker however. Dicker was on loan at the back end of last season, and has joined permanently for this season. Slade seems to have improved the side’s team spirit amongst other things, and finishing high in the top half is a distinct possibility.

Bristol Rovers:- Constant improvement season upon season has raised hopes and expectations at the Memorial Stadium, and Paul Trollope has reason to consider this season could end in success. Having kept Ricky Lambert for yet another summer the side can start to believe, and with Jo Kuffour and Daryl Duffy still around Rovers aren’t short of firepower. It’s no coincidence that Trollope’s success has come courtesy of time at the position, and Nick Higgs’ trust in Trollope is refreshing to see in this day and age and the club could well be rewarded for such stability.

Carlisle United:- After disposing of John Ward, Carlisle stuttered to survival last season and after loosing a number of players including Danny Graham, the fulcrum of their goal threat, another relegation battle could be on the horizon. Greg Abbott saved the club after a short period last season and hopes that he can replicate that over an entire season are mixed. However Abbott had previous experience succeeding in short term roles, for the club to then offer him the job for the new season on top of last season seems rather naïve. A big struggle at Brunton Park this season.

Charlton Athletic:- It’s no coincidence that just over three years after Alan Curbishley left the club, that Charlton preside in the third tier of the football pyramid. Curbishley brought a certain stability as well as style to the club, and since his departure three managers have come and gone and two relegation's have been endured. Phil Parkinson, who took over last season, is the man with the job of taking the side back up to the Championship. The likes of Darren Ambrose and Nicky Weaver have left the club, while Miguel Angel Llera has signed on a free transfer in a surprise move. They were odds-on to return to the Premiership last season and with the current state of the club at this stage, don’t expect them to trouble the top six.

Colchester United:- The epitome of a mid-table club last season as the first season in their new stadium got in the way of their play-off push. Surprisingly enough the clubs away form was decent enough, but inconsistent performances at home-with just three wins before the New Year at the Weston Holmes Community stadium was their downfall. Injuries to Steve Gillespie last year puts him under pressure to perform after his big money move, but the signings of David Fox and Ben Williams indicate Paul Lambert is confident of a promotion push.

Exeter City:- Paul Tidsale is slowly becoming one of the football league’s hottest properties, and the link with the job at Swansea City in the summer is likely not to be last for the 36-year-old. Losing Dean Moxey and Matt Gill is a blow for the side for this season, and maybe even more alarmingly Tidsdale has failed to use the funds to improve the squad. Given the calibre of opposition the team will encounter this season further improvement seemed a necessity after last season’s promotion, but funds seemed to have been held back to try and secure the clubs immediate future-a shrewd move in these difficult times. More team spirit and togetherness is needed to get the club through the new season.

Gillingham:- Mark Stimson is back to League One with Gilligham, the league the club were in when he was appointed in 2007. He took the club down that season, only for last season’s promotion to set the record straight. Resources are at a minimum despite promotion, but a number of star players will thrive on the pressure of League One. None more so that Simeon Jackson. The Canadian was the spearhead of the clubs promotion campaign, but contributions by anyone else were in short supply; you worry for the side if he picked up an injury. The front man isn’t the only shining light in the side, with Andy Barcham making a name for himself on the wing, and after his new deal the Gills will be confident of staying in the division.

Hartlepool United:- After surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth Pool will be looking to banish any thought of another relegation battle. Former Director of Sport Chris Turner is at the helm, and after a number of previous play-off related finishes hopes are high he can help bring a repeat. The exciting partnership between Adam Boyd and James Brown should prove to be the difference between relegation and mid-table, and while most fans at Victoria Park will be praying for a play-off finish it might be a step too far for Turner this time.

Huddersfield Town:- Lee Clark’s appointment has brought some new ambition at Huddersfield, and with a number of new signings and after some impressive form at the back end of last season a proper promotion push can be planned. Anthony Kay is the biggest of those signings from Tranmere, and his performances will go a long way to seeing how well Clark can do in his first full season in management. Theo Robinson is another to look out for. A youngster at Watford, whose been on loan on a number of occasions at the likes of Hereford and Southend before finally being able to secure regular football at the Galpharm, where he’ll look to shine from day one.

Leeds United:- Last season it seemed difficult to see any side overcoming Leeds to win promotion but with the strongest squad they’ve had since they left the Premiership they fell at the play-off hurdle. This year onlookers will try to find excuses not to back Leeds again, but with Simon Grayson at the helm things do look good for the Yorkshire giants. The loss of Fabian Delph and possibly of Jermaine Beckford is worrying however. Beckford in particular had a handy knack of scoring to set up Leeds wins, and replacing him will be important to their promotion hopes. He scored over a third of the teams goals in the league last season, and despite his disciplinary problems he’s a big match winner.

Leyton Orient:- Martin Ling’s scandalous sacking so early in the season brought in Geriant Williams, formerly of Colchester, and Williams guided the side to survival after the signing of Scott McGleish. McGeish galvanised the team to safety, and more successful signings like that of the former Wycombe man has seen hopes grow in East London. Adrian Patulea has moved up from League Two to try and find the net for Orient, and his role could become vital with the side badly in need of a striker.

Millwall:- There’s always one side in each league that has to deal with play-off heartbreak, and this time it’s Kenny Jacket’s Millwall. Failure to overcome Scunthorpe in the play-off final must have been heartbreaking for a side that graced the top six for almost the entire season. Recovery from the disappointment will be important if they are to bounce back this season, because it’s beyond doubt the squad have the talent. Jason Price has signed permanently, and he’ll hope for more important goals like he delivered last season as will Nadjim Abdou, the scorer of ‘that’ goal at Elland Road. An impressive season awaits the Frenchman.

Milton Keynes Dons:- Paul Ince has returned with unfinished business at Stadium MK, and after his recent appointment he has some work to do to put his tinge back on the side. Roberto Di Matteo had brought in some astute signings that will help Ince, David McCracken for example has replace Miguel Angel Llera, but for me Jermaine Easter, Ince’s second signing since his return, could be the turning point in their season. Yes the player has issues of his own to sort out with his fitness amongst all else, but if he hits form Dons can assure themselves a place in at least the top six.

Norwich City:- The Canaries will be playing football outside England’s top two divisions for the first time for 50 years, and under manager Bryan Gunn the club are well set to make it just a one-year stay. Some decent signings have meant renewed hope around Carrow Road, and as for Gunn, who was unexpectedly kept on as boss, a second chance to set things right. League Two’s Player of the Year Grant Holt is expected much of, as is Matt Gill who arrives with a huge reputation from Exeter. The fans will be in demand for instant success, but it will be down to Gunn to deliver after a hefty transfer budget.

Oldham Athletic:- A well documented night at the dogs spelled the end for John Sheridan last season, and in the end to Oldham’s promotion ambitions after falling to eventually finish tenth. Dave Penney had excelled at Darlington under limited funds so is seen as the right man for the job here. Pawell Abbott and Rod Purdie have joined him from the League Two outfit, as well as eight more players to bolster the Oldham squad. Replacing Lee Hughes’s goals will be a problem if they are to finish in the top half, something that seems unlikely after the re-building job that Penny has started. Mid-table seems more probable.

Southampton:- It’s quiet possible that this time four weeks ago you would have been writing the Southampton Football Club obituary. Without an owner, a manager or any hope of even starting the season the talk of the clubs death would have been partially justified. However now the club have been taken over by a Swiss consortium, installed Alan Pardew as manager and now started building a squad for this season. The players were told in no uncertain terms that they could leave- so the side are without the likes of Bradley Wright-Philips and Andrew Surman, whose transfer fees alone have helped save the club up till now. A 10-point deduction won’t help matters, but in Pardew they have a credible man for the job. Promotion isn’t assured this season but a mid-table finish would keep the fans content for now.

Southend United:- Despite the small activity the club have done in the transfer market, spirits are high that Southend can push towards the top six this season. Steve Tilson last season worked masterfully with very little and finished eighth, an outstanding achievement, but as it always is-the fans are demanding more. Keeping Lee Sawyer for another year is crucial given his impact last year, but many will be bemoaning the loss of Peter Clarke. The club’s Player of the Season struck the equalizer in the FC Cup tie with Chelsea last season, but won’t be around to see the club try and emulate last season’s excellent finish.

Stockport County:- One of the worst season’s in memory took place at Boundary Park last season. Administration was the tip of iceberg, closely followed by finishing just a point above the relegation zone. Their early season exploits saw the team safe despite the late season struggle, but after selling the majority of their better player’s County could have darker times ahead. Greg Ablett has been gifted the poison chalice for this season, with most of his experience coming with Liverpool’s reserve side, hardly ideal for the pressure cooker of League One and a possible relegation struggle awaits.

Swindon Town:- Top scorer Simon Cox’s departure from the County Ground has raised a number of issues for Swindon’s survival this season, with the club just about keeping afloat due to the strikers goals. He produced 32 goals last season to keep the club up, and without him, despite the £2,000,000 win-fall, they don’t look in the best of shapes. Jonathan Douglas is a player of high class and the retention of Gordon Geer is important, given his influence at the back last season. Danny Wilson has a job on his hands this season, and with his littered success in management we might not see a whole lot of him this term.

Tranmere Rovers:- The John Barnes era has officially begun at Prenton Park, and with it comes a manager with some success in his previous jobs but at the club where players have been leaving left, right and centre. Despite some troubled periods he endured just two defeats while at Celtic, while remaining unbeaten as manager of Jamaica. Barnes likes to instil an organisational mindset in his teams, putting huge emphasis on getting the basics right. It’s a strong ethic to have, and at this level a decent one. Not sure how he’ll be able to repeat last season’s position of seventh, even with the impressive Luke Daniels between the sticks.

Walsall:- Chris Hutchings was never the best manager when money was available and big egos had to be managed. But at Walsall he has the opportunity to excel with his coaching style while money continues to be tight. The season won’t be helped by the loss of Jabo Ibehre, but Troy Deeney, a player who left his best form till after Hutchings appointment could be influential this season. Unlikely to be a season of major success, but the fans are sure to be happy with a similar mid-table finish.

Wycombe Wanderers:- You always have to worry about sides whose manner of promotion represents a tortoise crawling back to home. But in truth Peter Taylor’s boys made a right meal of their eventual promotion from League Two. They ended up losing to Notts County on the final day, only for Bury to fail to score enough goals to leapfrog them into third. That struggle and the loss of defensive rock and skipper David McCraken will add fuel to the fire that Wycombe might struggle this year, in spite of Michael Duberry being brought in as a replacement. Taylor doesn’t do long stays during his managerial career either, and in fact seeing him last the season would be a surprise. To see Wycombe stay up would be even more of one.

Yeovil Town:- Fans favourite Tony Skiverton was given the job last season after the departure of Russell Slade, after the cap-wearing manager accused the board of a distinct lack of funds being made available to him. Skivo took the side from mid-table into a relegation battle, and then to eventual safety with some late season wins after some shrewd loan signings, none more so than Jon Obika. Whether the player-manager can repeat the same sort of miracles over an entire season is hard to tell, and given that he’ll have plenty of time at the helm due to his status at the club, he has a real chance to motivate the club into another survival.

Promoted: Norwich City, Milton Keynes Dons
Play-offs: Leeds United, Millwall, Huddersfield Town, Bristol Rovers
Relegated: Carlisle United, Yeovil Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Stockport County

Top Scorer: Rickie Lambert

Coca Cola League Two 2009/10 Season Preview

2009-08-05T18:36:00.005+01:00

Last season in League Two showed how pretty much no one can be written off at the beginning of the season.

Both Brentford and Exeter City defied the odds to earn automatic promotion last season, and its left to another side to take the league by storm this year.

With the financial pitfall of being relegated to non-league even greater than ever teams will been keen to avoid the drop, while long term League Two representatives Rochdale and Darlington will be among those who can’t wait to escape the league through automatic promotion.

Accrington Stanley:- A £300,000 tax debt hangs over the club’s head, and despite been given time to pay the debt a wage re-structure means they run on one of the countries smallest playing budgets. As for the team on the pitch then things aren’t much better with the loss of Kenny Arthur to Rochdale. A good start and end to the season saved them last term, but with no point deductions to save them and a depleted squad, John Coleman’s 10th year in charge at the Crown Ground could be a difficult one.

Aldershot Town:- Gary Waddock has forever been praised at Aldershot Town but after just four wins in 2009 after their great start things haven’t been smooth as of late. The loss of Scott Davies, the side’s top scorer last season is a big blow, as is that of Nikki Bull whose injury last season coincided with the Shots decline. Defensive based signings signal to a more sturdy Aldershot side this season, but will the loss of the aforementioned stars prove to be too much of a gap in the side?

Barnet:- A young side who struggled at the back end of Paul Fairclough’s tenure, but flourished under Ian Hendon towards the end of the season, to ease their relegation fears. Albert Adomah, if the club can keep hold of him, is sure to thrive this season after a number of superb displays last year. John O’Flynn is another who stared last season, and if the rest of the squad can mature for this season they could find the top half not before long. Yet again finances aren’t flowing through the club, but Hendon, a legend at Underhill is likely to get plenty of time, and the top half is not completely out of the equation.

AFC Bournemouth:- Eddie Howe, a former Bournemouth player guided the club to safety after their 17-point deduction, something that was a truly staggering achievement. Now on a clean slate the side have a real chance of a play-off birth, but no transfer activity has yet been allowed. Sammy Igoe is a real livewire in midfield, while Jason Pearce is a real talent at the back. Given that they haven’t lost any of their influential players they’ve got a real chance at promotion, with a great young manager who knows what it means to succeed at Dean Court.

Bradford City:- After being persuaded to stay on for another year, Stuart McCall must be on a last chance saloon at Valley Parade. But given that the side were fourth at March there is some encouragement for McCall. Simon Ramsden is a decent signing from Rochdale and along with the likes of Omar Daley the side a perfectly placed to bounce back from their late season disappointment. Fans are still turning out at Valley Parade and McCall has another chance to keep them happy.

Burton Albion:- After stumbling across the line last season, many would have feared for Burton in the new season. Paul Peschisolido has been installed as manager, and he’s gone to work quickly on the squad. Richard Walker is a good acquisition from Bristol Rovers as is Russel Penn from Kidderminster in a club record fee. Guy Branston will bring some steel to the back four, but loosing Saul Deeney and particularly Jake Buxton will hit the side hard.

Bury:- Penalty heartache against Shrewsbury will only motivate Alan Knill further for the new season and with a re-enforced strike-force the club look odds-on to get it right this time. Ryan Lowe and Danny Carlton can only add to Andys Bishop and Morrell’s goals, but the former might miss the beginning of the season after hernia surgery. The side had too many draws in the league last year and the added firepower might turn a few more of those draws into three points. Promotion candidates.

Cheltenham Town:- After a summer of raising funds for the club, Martin Allen has a hopeful season ahead. Around 23 players have come in and out at Whaddon Road this summer, none higher profile than that of Barry Hayles. Another striker Justin Richards has come up a division from Kidderminster and he knows where the goal is. However plenty of the pressure will be on Allen to re-invigorate his players and help them surge up the league after last season’s relegation. Cheltenham’s success hinders on Allen’s ability to keep the players spirits on a high.

Chesterfield:- Blew a play-off spot last season, but now with John Sheridan at the helm after an early summer appointment they have a better chance of holding on to potential promotion birth. The league’s most wanted Jack Lester is pivotal to their hopes and another 20-odd goals from him this season should see the clubs succeed in at least reaching the play-offs. Ian Breckin has come in from Forest to bolster the squad as well. Top seven certainties.

Crewe Alexandra:- No wins in their final 10 games saw them drop to League Two for this season, and after a summer of balancing the books the club can look forward to a league with minor financial and relegation worries. In terms of going down the team look pretty safe, and with Mathew Mitchell-King and Patrick Ada coming in from non-league Histon the side will have some added steel for the New Year. Play-offs are out of the question, but after last season’s disappointment the fans will warm to mid-table mediocrity.

Dagenham and Redbridge:- Another side who needed to succeed to keep their most prized assets, and after missing out on a nervy final day against Shrewsbury the likes of Sam Saunders and Ben Strevens have left for pastures new. John Still hasn’t been able to replace the duo with the sort of quality he’d like, with most of his signings coming from non-league. Even with Paul Benson up-front you have to think the side will struggle, not having Matt Ritchie for another season won’t help either.

Darlington:- With a takeover due to happen any day now the club’s future at least for this season can be confirmed, but with a small amount of players on the playing staff it’s not exactly rosy at Darlington. The likes of Neil Austin and Jason Kennedy have left the club, and without them being properly replaced you have to worry for Darlo. Colin Todd is equipped to get the team on the straight and narrow and back to the form they encountered before last season point deduction. Talisman Steve Foster will be crucial to the side’s attempt to stave off relegation.

Grimsby Town:- Not that many expect a miracle from Mike Newell last season, but the club rather stuttered to survival after his appointment last term. It was seen as a pretty decent choice for the job, but after taking 15 games to gain his first win the cub never hit much of an upturn. This season things look slightly better and after a squad overhaul the team looked well set for a decent stab at the league this year. Promotion is probably a step too far, but with the saviour of last season Barry Conlon still about anything’s possible.

Hereford United:- After an awful season last year, Graham Turner has handed the reins to John Trewick to try and mastermind another successful season in League Two. After utilising the loan market for many years under Turner, Trewick has brought in some permanent signings adding to their defence in the shape of Keith Lowe and Adam Bartlett, and strengthening the attack with Leon Constantine and don’t forget Kenny Lunt-their biggest coup of the summer. Yes they’ve had to let some players go but they can be happy with the summers work, and hopefully for them a mid-table finish.

Lincoln City:- After last season’s predictions the ‘P’ word is banned from Sincil bank right now. Peter Jackson seemed confident last year, and after a disappointing season the fans are once again disappointed. Jackson is sure to be under pressure for most of the season, and if a top seven place isn’t secured then his head could role. He’ll be less confident after the departure of Danny N’Guessan to Leicester, while Rene Howe has gone the other way this time from Peterborough, in a deal that could make or break the Imps season.

Macclesfield Town:- Keith Alexander has admitted already this season that things have been tighter than ever, and this could, in the end, be the undoing for the tracksuit loving boss. For years Alexander has thrived, and succeeded on a small budget but this year with players streaming out of the door the squad looks wafer thin. Jonny Brain is about the only hope the Silkman have this season, and he’ll be keeping a goal that is sure to be barraged this season.

Morecambe:- Consistency was the name of the game for Morecambe last season, and with a few subtle additions can look forward to an exciting season. Phil Jevons has to be looked upon as a sound loan signing. Sammy McIlroy will hope Jevons can fill in for Rene Howe effectively enough to force the side into the play-off picture. The team know a good start will be crucial, something they failed at last season and before not long we might be looking at the Shrimps in League One.

Northampton Town:- After a shock relegation last season the pressure has been heaped upon Stuart Gray for automatic success this time out. The fans have started to get restless, and after Gray was kept on for this season it’s important for his job that he starts well. John Curtis has been the only big money signing so far, Dean Beckwith and Paul Rodgers will add to the defensive unit while Steve Guinan is around to find the goals especially with the fitness concerns surrounding Adebayo Akinfenwa, whose ability to complete a training session is a far cry from his success in-front of goal. Key to the Cobblers success you have to think.

Notts County:- Where do you start? After season upon season of mid-table finishes a middle-eastern takeover and the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as Director of Football has turned the tide of ambition at Meadow Lane. Despite constant struggles the new owners are assuring fans instant success and a place in the big-time within five years. Karl Hawley, Lee Hughes, Ricky Ravenhill and Ben Davies have all signed as a signal of intent, but it might take more than just flashing some money around to get what they want. Ian McParland is still around to try and achieve this dream, expect him to be ousted by Christmas at the latest.

Port Vale:- Micky Adams seem to be on his last legs as a football manager. After failures throughout the football league, he lands at Vale Park hoping to revive a club whose fans are in manic depression after last season dismal displays. Adams has got his work cut out to change the team’s fortunes around. Geoff Horsfield has come into attempt to bring experience to the forward line as well as the back-room staff. Tommy Fraiser, another new signing, has been given the captain’s armband. A move that shows the rather disjointed feel the squad have at the moment. Will struggle to emerge from the bottom third.

Rochdale:- Two play-off heartbreaks in a row is sure to revitalize a squad into another promotion push, and with quality on view Spotland its hard to think of a reason why they won’t succeed. Their front line is quite breathtaking, with Chris Dagnall, Adam Le Fondre, Will Buckley and Adam Rundle regularly finding the net, and now with Jason Kennedy behind them to give them some support in the middle of the part. Kenny Arthur finishes off a fine team that Keith Hill has put together, surely a season success for the 40-year old.

Rotherham United:- The Millers have been splashing the cash this summer, and with a young ambitious manager at the helm you have to think they can build upon a season crippled by a point deduction. Without it the club would have finished 5th, and now with money to spend Mark Robins is building a side for promotion. The loss of Reubin Reid won’t disappoint too many Millers fans, especially with the signing of Kevin Ellison and Nicky Law, players who could spark a top three push.

Shrewsbury Town:- After scrapping into the play-offs last season after an awful away record the side failed to capitalise on their good fortune and achieve promotion, and with it went their brightest stars. Grant Holt was sold to Norwich for nearly half a million pounds, as was Ben Davies to Notts County. With the core of the side gone, Paul Simpson has a hell of the job on his hands, and with play-off hangovers always a burden it’s a difficult season ahead. Jake Robinson might make it an easier one with his electric pace.

Torquay United:- Unlike fellow promoted side Burton, the Gulls come into the season full of confidence and momentum. Headed by Paul Buckle, Torquay will be keen to repeat what their neighbours, Exeter City, did last season, and stranger things have happened. A good mix of experience with Chris Hargreaves in the middle of the park, with the likes of Elliot Benyon and Mark Ellis give the Plainmoor side a decent shot. Plenty relies on how much the 37-year-old Hargreaves can play this season, given how much the side feed off his endeavour.

Promoted: Rotherham United, Rochdale, Chesterfield
Play-offs: Bury, Bradford City, Notts County, Morecambe
Relegated: Aldershot Town, Macclesfield Town

Top Scorer: Jack Lester

Blue Square Premier 2009/10 Season Preview

2009-08-04T18:50:00.001+01:00

This summer in the Blue Square Premier has been one of the most controversial and eventful periods the league has endured for some years.

What with the break-up of Setanta Sports, clubs on the market for £1, and managers leaving after over a week in charge, the season can’t start soon enough for some.

Others might need a bit long to gather in further transfer targets, find a new manager or just to be entered in the league altogether.

Here’s a brief, but insightful look into the 24 sides battling it out for the football league this season.

AFC Wimbledon:- Terry Brown is trying to write a new chapter in Wimbledon’s history by inserting them back in the football league. With all the controversies surrounding the rest of the league the club are quietly going about their business, but with Jon Main up top they might be making more of a noise than expected this season.

Altrincham:- One of the overachievers last season, but as part time side’s go they’ve put up a hell of a fight. Looked doomed the season before last, now look towards Colin Little, who’s scored over 100 goals for the club, for inspiration. Contributions from elsewhere need to come thick and fast if the Robins have any ambitions of the top half.

Barrow:- Tough times? No such thing at Barrow after lasts season FA Cup heroics. An increased budget has meant increased expectations. The signing of experienced defender Phil Bolland is somewhat of a coup, ahead of a season that is sure to bring slightly more achievement.

Cambridge United:- After the eventual departure of Gary Brabin, and then the attempt to re-sign him as manager, Martin Ling was installed as the new boss. Despite not being able to tempt Scott Rendell for another season, the future looked bright for Cambridge. Reports on Tuesday are suggesting Ling has stepped down after just eight days in charge, and even if things are resolved there are troubled times at the Abbey Stadium.

Chester City:- Details surrounding their owner Stephen Vaughan, and his previous misgivings has forced the FA not to grant the club an affiliation for this new season and therefore are far from guaranteed to play in the BSP. Add to that a 10-point penalty for wherever they land, the loss of Mark Wright as manager and investigations by the HM revenue. All this before the season has even begun. Dire times ahead.

Crawley Town:- All change in the playing staff for Crawley this season, and the host of high-profile signings are sure to boost their play-off ambition. Points deductions have halted them in the past, but if they are avoidable this season you can’t help but think they’ll be competing with the big boys. Jefferson Louis, one of the leagues hottest properties is around to add to their goal threat.

Eastbourne Borough:- Another club who punched above their weight last season, and who will struggle to meet the demands of a cash strapped summer. The break up of Setanta hit every club in the league, but with Eastbourne’s structure fitted tightly around the deal, plenty of work has been done to secure the clubs future. Four wins out of seven in pre-season has raised hopes again, the signing of Jamie Taylor might just keep them in this league for another year.

Ebbsfleet United:- We could go on for hours about the clubs absurd business model, but at the end of the day it could see the club in real trouble if more subscribers aren’t found. Michael Gash has gone to York while Liam Daish had to contend with trialists for the new season after the owners released minimal funds. The punt saw them slip down the league even further last season, and the manager become increasingly frustrated, the system is doomed to fail.

Forest Green Rovers:- Two cups runs almost saw the club relegated last season, but a late season surge the goals of Andy Mangan saw them survive. He will miss most of the season after a betting scandal, and while the Chairman has called for players to chip in from midfield, without the controversial striker things look a little bleak. Jim Harvey’s future looks just as hazy as well, with the manager set to take legal action over his club before the side’s first league game.

Gateshead:- Bringing some joy to the North-east with promotion lasts season, but after losing top scorer Lee Novak early in the summer it already looks a bit gloomy for Gateshead. Michael McKay has come in to try and replace the front man, along with former Geordie Martin Britain. Big names such as these are sure to tempt more fans to their 12,000 capacity stadium-but to help them stave off relegation? Well that’s another thing entirely.

Grays Athletic:- It’s been all change at Grays this summer, with the new manager at the end of last season, has now come a new chairman in John Moncur, new players after a budget cut, and a three year plan put in place that could see the club in the football league. Craig Edwards has his first full season ahead of him and has brought in Crystal Palace youngster Jerson Dos Santos, a man whose proven at non-league with Sutton United.

Hayes and Yeading:- After their thrilling play-off victory last season, much is expected of this entertaining Hayes side. Church Road has seen a fair few ins and outs, and the young backroom staff headed by manager Garry Haylock will have a tough job to keep things ship shape. Looking for a star man? Look no further than Staforde Palmer, bags of pace and an eye for goal, scored 15 goals last season and was the cornerstone of their success.

Histon:- Success was necessary if Histon were to keep hold of their best players, and predictably enough they’ve have had to wilt to their players ambition, and inevitably the pull of a greater wage packet. In spite of their cup run not much money is available for Steve Fallon, and in truth the departures haven’t been properly replaced, another victim of Setanta’s break-up on the face of it. Difficult season ahead, would be an even bigger shock than last season if they could finish in the play-offs.

Kettering Town:- Fell away when it mattered last season after a prolonged stay in the play-offs, and with Mark Cooper, whose is sure to be subject of a second advance from Cambridge they are in good condition to challenge again. The signings of Ian Roper and Francis Green suggest they want some football league experience so to avoid a similar fade away as last season. Dark horses again this season.

Kidderminster Harriers:- After an excellent season the side have gone and offloaded several of their big names, including the spine of the side with Russ Penn and Mark Creighton also departing. It’s been crippling for Kidderminster and they’re set struggle this season, even with Lee Fowler joining from Forest Green. No one will envy Mark Yates’ job right now and to finish in the top half will be ambitious to say the least.

Luton Town:- Town can look upon this season will great gusto, after keeping the majority of their squad from last season, including starlet Tom Craddock, Mick Harford will set his sights on the football league once again. Harford’s experience at turning clubs around has proved uncanny in the past in a number of caretaker roles, and despite not having a promotion to his name this can be the perfect league to buck that trend. Darlington pair Liam Hatch and Alan White will add some steel to the hatters for this season and they look well placed to bounce straight back.

Mansfield Town:- After over a year of financial problems the stags can now look forward to a promotion push, and with one of the best young managers in non-league David Holdsworth, they’ve got the resources to mount a serious challenge. Pre-season has gone well with a win and a draw over Walsall and Leicester. Kyle Nix could prove to be a worthwhile signing, and the final piece of the Mansfield jigsaw. Expect them to be hovering around the playoffs come May.

Oxford United:- When you combine managerial quality, with financial infrastructure your sure to have a good chance, and for Chris Wilder at Oxford he’s got all the resources to finally end the U’s non-league nightmare. The former Halifax man seems like the right man for the job, and after a number of high profile signings the team looks odds on to hit the ground running this season. Missed out on the play-offs courtesy of their five-point deduction last term, expect not even a points deduction to deny them this time.

Rushdan and Diamonds:- Justin Edinburgh started to struggle at the back end of last season, with just four wins from the final 13 games and a restricting budget this summer may leave Diamonds in a bit of bother. Cliff Akurang and Max Porter have come in from Barnet-but any chances of a promotion push are far of the mark-expect the former Spurs man to battling for his job come the end of the season.

Salisbury City:- There are always problems when your club are on the market, but when it’s for just £1 you have to wonder. Amazingly Matt Tubs has stuck around for the fight, and he’s one of the finer players in this league-and as you can tell one of the more committed. They might have topped the league early on last season, but they lay in the relegation battle for most of the season, anticipate more of the same this season. That’s if they make it that far.

Stevenage Borough:- In a list of things to expect from any football season, Stevenage to attempt another promotion from the BSP is always up their, with expectation always sky-high. To be fair to the fans some of that has dipped after the sale of Steve Morrison, but Charlie Griffen his replacement from Salisbury is no mug, even if he is no direct replacement for the former striker. The basis of a good squad, and in Graeme Westley they do have a capable manager- it seems that the expectation is sometimes too much of a burden.

Tamworth:- Gary Mills has done a terrific job at Tamworth over the last two years, but keeping his side in the Conference after their promotion last season might be a step too far. He took them down from this league when he took over, some would say they were gone before he joined, but now he’s got a full season to keep the side up. They’ve lost their shining lights of last season Gareth Shedon and Martin Foster, something that makes the task a whole lot more challenging, but it’s one Mills is sure to relish.

Wrexham:- Yet another side who have made major cut backs this summer, and could suffer for it. Both Richards and Louis are gone, and with it possibly their promotion ambition. Were unfortunate with postponed fixtures last season and backlog proved too much for the squad to bare. Dean Saunders, who’s sure to be fast-tracked for the Wales position next summer might only have a single season to provide promotion. Seems unlikely it will be enough for the former Derby striker.

York City:- A cup final appearance in his first season was the dream start to Martin Foyle’s tenure at York, but now he needs to improve the teams league form as the perennial underachievers seek to use last season’s success as a catalyst for the new season. Michael Gash has been recruited from Ebbsfleet in a shrewd move, but Djoumin Sangare isn’t quiet what the fans might be after at Kitkit crescent. Promotion seems a long shot as well.

Champions: Oxford United
Play-offs: Crawley Town, Luton Town, Grays Athletic, AFC Wimbledon
Relegated: Salisbury City, Ebbsfleet United, Tamworth, Gateshead

Top Scorer: Tom Craddock

Pre-Season Leaving Fans and Players In The Cold

2009-07-27T19:38:00.005+01:00

We’re at that stage of the season again where players are on their way back from their holidays and pre-season fixtures attempt to hog the focus on our back pages, as well as empty the pockets of football fans ahead of the new season.

For the players and teams involved it’s a chance to dust off the cobwebs, and for some of the new signings to bed into their new sides.

It does give the chance for some unattached players to go on trial at clubs before the option is taken on them; it’s certainly lower risk than doing it during the regular season.

Journeyman striker Drewe Broughton did such a thing last summer, playing on trial for both Luton Town and Gillingham before moving to Rotherham United for the remainder of the season.

I’ve always had a varied opinion of pre-season fixtures, they’re useful for the players to an extent but with some results producing ridiculous score lines are any side benefiting from the experience?

There have already been a few examples this summer, and I firstly draw your attention to a fixture in Spain between Villarreal and Navata.

The game finished 27-0 to the La Liga side, who were left manager-less earlier this summer by Manuel Pellegrini who moved to Real Madrid.

They were led by new coach Ernesto Valverde who fielded a different eleven in each half, with Jonathan Pereira scoring seven goals in just one of those half’s.

Now apart from Villarreal blowing off some steam after what I’m sure has been a difficult summer, has either side actually benefited from this battering?

The new coach wouldn’t have had a realistic look at his squad due to the ease of the fixture, and believe me after you’ve watched it you’ll realise; walkover doesn’t even come close to describing the game, it’s a joke.

The game is simply not what football is about, and if pre-season friendlies induce this sort of game then I personally don’t want to know.

So who’s really won after that game? Frankly no-one.

The fans get to see a big team visit their local side, but did they really want to see the mauling their side received? And what does this do for the confidence of that beaten side? Nothing I’d expect.

The next sort of friendly I’ll point you in the direction of a game on Manchester United’s tour of Asia, and their final game against Hangzhou Greentown, which finished 8-2 to United.

I must admit whenever the likes of Liverpool and United organise these sorts of fixtures in Asia I always worry about what the team is getting out of the game, due to the one sided nature of the game and the inferior opposition.

Yes the money involved is clearly an added bonus and training in different conditions is a good way of putting the players through their paces, and I’m all in favour of that.

Maybe there should be two stages of pre-season for sides like this, two weeks of intense physical work abroad, then some matches against British sides who are more hard nosed and lets face it a greater opposition.

What would Sir Alex Ferguson have learnt about his side after their recent departures and how the new signings are fitting in the side? I think even I could look at home in a United side on a tour such as this

It would also give the fans an opportunity to see the side outside of the regular season.

For fans of United for example, it’s almost impossible to see the side outside of Old Trafford, which let’s be honest most fans don’t live anywhere near.

I’m sure fans of Chelsea or Liverpool etc feel the same as even more British sides go abroad for their pre-season tours.

It’s a situation when I envy the teams lower down the football pyramid, who stay in this country and play games with more of an edge than those Premiership sides encounter.

United did attempt this last season when they visited Peterborough United a week before the start of the season, with the two producing a thoroughly competitive match with Premiership Champions putting out their big guns against the Darren Ferguson’s side.

Peterborough themselves were starting the season later that week, and the fixture must have been perfect preparation for the new season, one that ended with promotion to the Championship.

Of course the added extra of the game being a meeting between father and son helped capture the imagination of the supporters and an entertaining evening was enjoyed by all.

However by and large it seems like the attraction of money from Asia and beyond is too much for some clubs to turn down.

It’s the type of friendly that I went to at London Road that we want to see in pre-season, along with the likes of Burton Albion hosting Derby County after Nigel Clough’s move to Pride Park from the Pirelli Stadium.

It’s was a competitive match that both sets of supporters could enjoy with the added edge of Clough’s return, and despite Derby’s victory Burton fans would have enjoyed the acquaintance with their former manager.

When trawling through the pre-season fixture list I came across a game that will certainly capture the imagination of both sets of fans, a match between two former Premiership sides Newcastle United and Leeds United.

Despite the match strangely taking place at St James’ Park tickets are priced at £10 for adults, perfectly reasonable for a game that is sure to be worth watching, given the two sides recent slide.

For a game like this I don’t think many fans will complain about paying £10 for entry, but for some supporters having to pay the same or even more for matches that are set to be as one-sided as the one’s I’ve described isn’t fair.

Bristol City charged £12 for their recent game with Ajax, a game they lost 4-0 and left their fans I’m sure miserable and out of pocket, notwithstanding them seeing a top European side put on a show.

Clubs, especially in the higher echelons of the football league have overpriced supporters in the regular season for years, and in pre-season while prices are lowered they still seem a little high even when the attraction of a top side like Ajax isn’t on offer.

The example I’ll use is QPR, a club who have been attacked for their ticket prices on numerous occasions are charging £20 for there friendly against Southampton next weekend.

Now this is a ridiculous price for a pre-season friendly in my opinion, but when you look at the prices for the normal league season they are identical.

It’s a strange move by the club, who would certainly fill Loftus Road in the close season if they lowered their prices.

My opinion is that clubs should in-fact have most pre-season friendlies free to fans, or at least free to members.

It would get the fans through the turnstiles, create an atmosphere and give the players some motivation to perform for those who have turned up, given that the stadium would be filled to the brim.

If clubs are going to persevere with these inept friendlies with little meaning then they might as well let the fans attempt to enjoy them for free, or at least a minimal price.

With fans shelling out for new shirts etc this would be the perfect way to give back to those loyal supporters who can’t afford to always go to games in the regular season, and maybe it will tempt a new fan to return that same season.

It’s an idea that’s more of a pipe dream than anything else, as clubs are being increasingly stubborn with ticket prices.

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Pre-season is the time for fans to begin to get excited about their clubs fortunes in the coming season, maybe if clubs thought more about the treatment of their own fans, and the needs of their players they might get more out of them than just jet lag and astronomical score-lines that pale into insignificance.

Taylor Has the Personality to Win Over Sporting Hearts

2009-07-14T18:30:00.000+01:00

Just three years ago Claire Connor, at the time the biggest name in women’s Cricket, retired from the sport after an ongoing ankle injury.

Connor had just led England to an Ashes victory in 2005, breaking a 42-year record without a win over Australia.

The allrounder brought cricket to the forefront of the minds of the nation, but were soon eclipsed later that summer by the men’s team, who regained their own version of the Ashes after a baron 18-year period.

Far too many women sports live in the shadow of their male counterparts, but Connor did her best to increase the popularity of the sport, while her media profile endeared herself to all cricket lovers.

When Connor retired there was a fear that women’s cricket would again be on the slide, but just like before her there’s a new girl on the block, and her talent alone is already taking the cricket world by storm

Her name; Claire Taylor and to date she is the only player in women’s cricket history to be named one of Wisden’s five cricketer’s of the year, and it doesn’t end their.

In 2006 after a difficult start in international cricket she eclipsed Sir Viv Richards’ record one-day score at Lords by scoring 156 and for the next three years preceding that score she was nominated for ICC women’s world player of the year.

Last year she became the joint highest century maker in women’s one-day cricket and in the same year she was ranked number 1 batsman in the world, a title she still holds today.

This year has been the crowning achievement for Taylor however as she was named player of the tournament at a victorious women’s world cup after top scoring in the tournament, averaging just under 65.

At the 20/20 world cup she was again influential in another England win, averaging 46 throughout the tournament.

And finally she was part of the same team that regained the Ashes on Monday, to complete a third major win of the year for this record-breaking women’s side.

Taylor has been intrinsic to the side’s constant improvement, and her quality with the bat in particular has seen the attentions surrounding her swell.

Her talent was fully on display in the semi-final of the 20/20 world cup as she hit a match winning 76 not out against Australia, a pressure filled innings on the biggest stage of them all.

After winning back the Ashes in 2006 Connor received an OBE for her achievements, while the rest of the side went unnoticed.

The male side however all received MBE’s after their Ashes victory, including Paul Collingwood who appeared in just a single test at The Oval.

Now there’s no doubt that the team wouldn’t have kicked up a fuss about the whole debacle, but many in the media and cricketing world saw it as an unwarranted snub to women’s cricket and women’s sport.

Taylor will be setting her sights however on another award however, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

It’s the time of the year where the contenders start to stake their claim, and even with the men’s side fighting for their own Ashes surely Taylor’s achievements can’t be eclipsed.

Now I’m not here to predict how the rest of our British athletes will get on this year, but to not see Taylor in the final ten would be yet another deliberate snub to women’s cricket, I mean what else does she have to do?

Connor did extremely well to boost the appeal of women’s cricket while she was captain and now three years on support from the ECB is even more extensive, maybe now the coverage and recognition given to their biggest stars will finally be replicated.

Ferguson Forging United a Good Deal

2009-07-13T22:33:00.001+01:00

So with Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo gone, the chasm left in Manchester United’s triple winning Premiership squad is a vast one to say the least.

With the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City pricing most clubs out of this current transfer market, United have gone about there business in a slightly reserved manner, while still attracting some of Europe’s biggest names.

Antonio Valencia, a player who has been much coveted by Sir Alex Ferguson has been acquired for an estimated £16 million and Gabriel Obertan has been purchased from Bordeaux for around £4 million.

The most high profile signing however was that of England striker Michael Owen, who joined the club on a free transfer after a four-year spell with Newcastle United.

Despite this triple signing, many United fans and football fanatics across the world would have been expecting United to invest some more of the £80 million from the sale of Ronaldo on new players to replace the Portuguese winger and his Argentine counterpart.

But according to Ferguson United’s spending spree may well be over, something that has raised eyebrows across the football world.

Filling the void left by Ronaldo and Tevez is a difficulty in itself, and it would have been unrealistic to expect Ferguson to replace them both and still kept the coherent classy team we saw last season.

But in terms of what Ferguson has brought in, it doesn’t seem to come close to what has gone before and with the constant improvement of Liverpool, United fans have a reason to be worried.

The Scotsman admitted himself that United had been priced out of the market for a number of players included Lyon’s Karim Benzema, a player who I personally feel wouldn’t have fitted into the United set-up anyway.

Maybe Ferguson didn’t want to spend money just for the sake of boosting the squad especially with the Old Trafford club’ crippling debt.

As a United fan I would appreciate a little bit more honesty from the owners, who put their backing behind Ferguson to spend almost all the money gathered from Ronaldo’s transfer, something I was against from day one.

Maybe keeping back some of the money and easing some of the debt, all be it only slightly, is the logical thing to do especially with prices rocketing in the transfer market, something that for years United have been guilty of doing.

The club are now paying the price for their escapades in previous years and result is the signing of three players that is unlikely to strike fear into their Premiership title challengers.

Valencia after a three-year spell at Wigan has moved to United after over a year of being tracked by United scouts and on the face of it looks like a direct positional replacement for Ronaldo, but in truth the Ecuadorian is far from the finished product that United fans would want to replace last season’s top scorer.

The Frenchman Obertan is ever further from a potential Premiership star, as a littered career in France meant his transfer was seen as something of a surprise in his home country and his appearances this season are expected to be limited to cup competitions.

And while these two talented midfielders may have been expected to join United, the signing of Owen is at the other end of the scale.

The former Liverpool striker had seen constant injury concerns and a lack of form engulf his attraction in world football, but Ferguson has taken the punt on the England striker.

His recent injury history is a huge concern to all United fan, and with no other players set to join the club along with Owen the workload the he might have to undertake might be a case of too much too soon.

With the sale of Frazier Campbell as well United are short on strikers, with Danny Welbeck set to play a greater role this season after breaking through to the first team last term.

Don’t think I’ve forgotten Owen’s underlying quality, and despite his injuries when fit he’s is a quality goal-scorer and with the like of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick around him chances will be aplenty.

The move is obviously partly motivated by next summer, and the World Cup in South Africa which Owen will aim to be a part of, and he’s given himself a great chance after joining the Premiership champions.

The free transfer means the risk for United is very little, and given that, it’s a no lose situation but without another striker on board maybe United are a little short on the ground.

I’ve never been one to question the decisions of Ferguson given his impeccable record in the transfer market and I have faith that he’s called this correctly and that United won’t be staring down the face of a trophy-less season, and even worse a club on the brink of liquidation.

You only have to look up the M62 to Elland Road to see the results of what misguided transfer money and ongoing debt can do to a club, and United aren’t a far cry from their rivals from Yorkshire.

And at the end of the day isn’t that the most important thing.

Forget the constant success and league titles the club’s future is the big picture.

With savings and the relative cutbacks United have made in the transfer market this summer, our future can be secured for the foreseeable future.

Another Ferguson masterstroke? Not half!

Lions Set To Rue Missed Chances

2009-06-20T17:46:00.000+01:00

After 65 minutes of the opening test in this years Lions tour you could have been forgiven for thinking South Africa were cruising as they drew nearer to a 1-0 lead in the series.

The Spring Boc’s were beginning to pound the weak Lions attack, and having just taken off fly half Ruan Pienaar an air of invincibility and arrogance crept into the World Champions spirit.

The withdrawal of Piennar, who had previously been scrutinised as to his lack of experience in the lead up to the opening test, and then of captain John Smit seemed to give the tourists some added impetus however as they sensed a chance to get at their ‘untouchable’ opponents.

With the South African’s prime out of hand kicker now on the bench they struggled to control the middle of the park, and from then on the Lions created their foothold.

Tom Croft added to his first half try by diving over after a succession of desperate tackles from the hosts, and if it weren’t for a last ditch tackle on Ugo Monye the Englishman would closed the gap further.

Finishing did seem to thwart the Lions progress; with Monye’s effort the second he had failed to ground having failed earlier in the match.

Mike Phillips was just as guilty in the second 40 minutes, but he reduced the arrears further with a dart under the posts from similar range to that of Croft.

With that single score the home side saw their opportunity to claw back the initiative.

Back on came Pinnar and Smit, who some would say is the most dominating international captain in world rugby.

An air of calm was re-introduced into the South African side, and with just five minutes to go they knew they had time on their hands.

Someone should have told Ricky Januarie however, who knocked on straight after the re-start, surely the Lions’ chance was now.

Jamie Roberts and Brain O’Driscoll were dazzling the South African midfield, not for a single minute of the 80 did they know where to turn when either centre gathered the ball.

But with seconds on the clock the home defence stood firm.

And with the Lions looking for another penalty Smit induced yet another infringement, and only then did the World Champions know they’d come through this gruelling encounter with a win.

Who really came out of this match the victor however?

The Lions will be hugely buoyed by their climax to the match; despite coming up short they’ve given their opposition plenty to think about.

It’s obvious that they visitors have the advantage in fitness, and that’s not something the Spring Boc’s can change overnight, they’ll have to learn to kill games off early if they are to avoid a series defeat.

If you’re a Lions fan however this game did bring up a series of what-ifs.

Three times the ball pinched with the line in-sight, not mistakes our Southern Hemisphere opponents would make with glory in such close vicinity.

And to add to that will South Africa be as complacent with their substitutions as they were on this occasion?

After the dismantlement of their game after a series of changes including the departure of awesome prop Tendai Mtawarira, are they going to make the same mistake again? Have the Lions truly missed their chance?

With the altitude of Pretoria sure present even more issues for the Lions side, a test that was always seen as damage limitation rather than a good chance of evening the series, getting back into the series now seems like an impossible task.

The hosts are sure not to let the same mistakes happen again, and are sure to clamp down on the space allowed to Roberts in the centre-who was easily the Lions best player after superb display.

The medical student showed on a world stage he can mix it with the world champions, and it’s not the last we’ve seen of the Welshman either.

But was the end of the Lions chances truly extinguished in those final five minutes in Durban, as South Africa squeezed what could be the most important victory of the entire tour.

How They Play At the Augusta National: Holes Five-Seven

2009-04-09T20:24:00.000+01:00

With the 73rd Annual Master Championship up and underway it seemed like a good time to see how each hole was playing in the early going, and how some of the early leaders were getting on.

I'm going to be looking at holes five through seven, three that on paper look like good birdie opportunities, but in reality are proving a whole different ball game.

Fifth-Magnolia-Par Four

As the sun streamed over Magnolia, players found that they could shed no light in the early rounds on how to deal with one of most challenging holes on the course.

In one of the most underrated holes in golf, let alone the Augusta National, the angle has been slightly extended adding extra risk and yardage to the hole.

This 455 yard Par four has been adapted a few times over the years at the Masters with the hole extended in 2007.

The front right bunkers now have to be cleared by a 300+ drive, a distance that might see some players dive to the left to avoid the flat sand.

The green has been significantly raised, and with deeper bunkers on either side contributing to one of the more difficult holes on the course.

Problems that were fully confronted by run-away leader Chad Campbell, who birded the fifth after succeeding on the previous four holes, one of eight birdies we saw in the early stages.

The supposedly difficult green didn’t find out too many players in the opening stages, with just fourteen bogeys coming the first half of the day.

Englishman Ian Poulter was another who was successful on one of the toughest greens on the course, one that was expected to slope away from the left-hand side pin.

Poulter’s improving short game was clear to see here as he collected one of the rare birdies at this hold.

Of those that struggled at the hole look no further than Michael Campbell, whose round of 80 included a boggy on the fifth, as the pleasurable conditions were no assistance to the New Zealand player.

Sixth-Juniper-Par Three

The second shortest hole on the course is sure to tempt many into a birdie chance, but after round one it may teach some players to play for an all so important par.

The Par three has already produced some casualties on the first round at Augusta, but a stream of pars have seen the success rate level out as the afternoon continued.

The sloping green can give players a tough two-put on some occasions, something we saw plenty of in the early going.

It seems that the relative ease of the hole has succumbed a few players into dropping shots, with one of those being Irishman Padraig Harrington, who made a four in the middle of fighting his way up the leader-board.

Harrington has been one of a number of players to adapt his game to suit the shorter playing style of the American courses, something Sergio Garcia has also had to develop.

The Spaniard recovered from a four at the 5th to recover to make a three to eventually put his challenge back on track.

The European’s inconsistent putting has always been there downfall at this Major, and on this difficult sixth with speed almost built in to this green, their collective putting will have to improve.

It’s obvious we will see more birdies on this hole as the weekend continues, as the players learn that the green is higher than it appears.

Seventh- Pampas-Par Four

Almost the end of the back nine before Amen corner, and we see another hole extended by the organisers, to develop this course.

Big hitting drivers such as Garcia and Woods used to bring the ball within the green and make an easy three, but now with a longer pin, and a narrower fairway, playing for a four is now more sensible.

Hitting the ball on the right of the fairway from the tee is more preferable, but even with that shot completed hitting the green in regulation from there is still pretty tough.

Just as with the sixth we’ve seen just seven birdies today so far, and again with the tempted par five, playing to keep in the championship as been the name of the game as we’ve seen more par’s scored on this hole than many of the par fours.

Chad Campbell had to take a step back on this hole, as his successive birdies ended on the sixth, and he had to par the seventh after playing up from his second shot.

One of the players with success however was Angel Cabrera, who was tempted to go for the green with his second shot, and his gamble paid off with a superb three.

Sandy Lyle completed his second successive birdie with a three, to bring him to level par, with the high green proving profitable for those willing to test.

This hole will stop plenty in there stride, and shouldn’t be underestimated, I would go as far to say it’s what the players consider to be one of the toughest on the course, and birdies will be in a minority this week.

I’d say if we see more than 40 this week then the players have done well, and an aggregate score over the weekend of par will really have you in the top-20 players.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Tiger Woods

2009-04-09T13:37:00.000+01:00

This is the final in the series of seven where I preview the players who could make a massive impact in this years Masters Championship.

As this is the final piece I thought it was only right that I finished with Tiger Woods, a man who has defied belief at Augusta before, and who is of course making his return to Major Competition after an eight-month lay-off.

Woods’ return to Augusta will of course bring back memories of how he burst onto the scene of Golf with his record breaking victory in 1997, Woods’ first major title, and his most comprehensive to date.

In Twelve years since that stunning victory Tiger has picked up 13 further major titles, while breaking numerous records along the way including becoming the youngster player to record a career Grand Slam, all before the age of 34, which he turns at the back end of the year.

In terms of Woods’ record at Augusta, he’ll be looking for his fifth title, the his first since 2005, where he overcame Chris DiMarco in a two-way play-off.

Although Woods has failed to pick up a title at Auguta since 2005, he has failed to finish outside the top three on each occasion, with being tied for 22nd his worst performance at this championship since the turn of the Millennium.

So his form in previous years in unquestionable, and his pedigree as the longest holder of the World No. 1 is unmatched, so why is maybe not the clear favourite for this championship?

Well the knee injury he picked up, and played through during the US Open put the player out for the rest of the year, and having only returned this year he has hardly had plenty of time on the course.

But like he so often does, he defied logic by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, by one-stroke from Sean O’Hair.

To make the win even more incredible, Woods had a five shot deficit to make up at the beginning of the day, something he completed on the final hold with a mammoth 16-foot putt

In all honestly Tiger is looking as unbeatable as ever, and as his first win of the season showed it doesn’t take long for his form to start to shine, but a victory on Sunday afternoon might end up being his greatest on tour.

Liverpool Fail To Put Benitez’s Words Into Practise

2009-04-08T22:42:00.000+01:00

Football is after all a results business.

Teams are judged at the end of every season how they have done bearing on the results they achieved that year.

However while most side’s and managers alike understand this simple logic, the theory is largely lost upon Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

The former Valencia Manager, while proving his Liverpool side are a match for Manchester United in the title race has become rather outspoken in the second-half of this season.

This mind-game culture that has largely been introduced by Sir Alex Ferguson, was used to unsettle opponents with little spiteful comments, while the team on the pitch put his words into practise with thrilling performances.

Unfortunately, Benitez has yet to grasp that either, as his Liverpool side fail to live up to their manager’s words as they were humbled by Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday evening, to all but end their interest in the Champions League.

Benitez said in a pre-match press conference that the Manchester United manager was scared of his Liverpool side, and that he would be supporting them in the tie, as he knew they were a bigger threat.

Well it’s unlikely Ferguson would have been quivering in his boots on Wednesday evening, as the Spaniard’s side were overcome by a solid Chelsea side, keen on killing the tie in the first leg.

The same could be said for Benitez the previous evening however as United drew 2-2 with a very forward thinking FC Porto.

The difference between the two however?

Benitez put unnecessary pressure on his side by what he said on Tuesday, meaning his side had to produce to back up their managers comments, yet they couldn’t quiet pull through.

The manager has an uncanny knack of triggering poor Liverpool performances with his unholy words, as he proved earlier in the year as his side produced a drab performance in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City.

He accused Ferguson, maybe correctly so that he went unpunished for verbally lambasting referees during matches, as well accusing United of being nervous at the top of the league.

These words, despite some of them being true pilled further pressure on his side to perform, and while his team drew with relegation threatened Stoke, United comfortably beat Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Now Ferguson as I mentioned before has always delved into mind games with other league managers, most famously with Arsene Wenger, but while the duo would answer each other back with fierce words and equally stunning performances by the respective sides, Benitez can’t bring boast the same resources.

He may never be everyone’s favourite but Ferguson has consistently backed up his controversial words up with titles season after season, and while it’s left to be seen whether Benitez can do the same this season, having already contributed to his side’s exit from Europe he might think twice before his next media eruption.

His side have twice let him down when he’s mouthed off to the media, and maybe this latest outburst and disappointing defeat will make Benitez learn when to keep his mouth closed.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Adam Scott

2009-04-08T01:02:00.000+01:00

This is the fifth in a series of seven previewing players who could grab this years Masters by the scruff of the neck and take control this coming weekend.

Today is the turn of Australian Adam Scott, whose rise up the rankings has seen comparisons with the great Aussie players of yesterday year, but the youngster is attempting to make his own name in the game stick out.

Scott rise came in 2002, when he won the Scottish PGA Championship by a record breaking 10 shots, just two years after turned Pro.

In 2007 however he secured his best ranking position of 3rd with victory at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

The man from down-under has in-fact secured 15 titles in the last eight years, with consistent performances on the PGA Tour.

This week will be a chance to show the golfing world what he can do after a string of disappointing performances at Major Tournaments.

Scott started last year in good form capturing the Commercialbank Qatar Masters going into the Masters, but finished tied for 25th on Sunday.

Another title followed after the Augusta Tournament but he yet again endured a torrid time at the US Open and then the Open Championship.

The end to his Major season was caped off with a failure to make the cut at the PGA Championship, not the climax to the season Scott had hoped for or deserved.

His best finish at Augusta actually arrived as far back as 2002, when he finish tied for ninth.

Comparisons have already been made with Greg Norman, who has provided his own advice to this talented individual, who typically picks Norman as his all-time golfing hero.

His chances at Augusta rely on his superb natural swing, which seems to mimic the previous technique used by Tiger Woods, as seen here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZecViQxUwss

He certainly wouldn’t be a shock winner, due to the respect he has on the tour, but does he have the technical game to survive all four days, I think he does.

For me he’s the dark horse of the championship, and even thought plenty of focus will be on the American players, Scott has the talent and most importantly the wherewithal to keep up with the home favourites.

Burton Feeling the Pressure as Torquay Close In

2009-04-07T23:56:00.000+01:00

With the Premiership, Champions League and International scene sure to dominate the football arena for the next few months, there are sure to be some stories that go under the radar.

None more so than in the Blue Square Premier, which after looking like a forgone conclusion is set to climax with a fascinating race for the single automatic promotion spot, with the prize of the Football League awaiting the winner.

With just five games remaining for the majority of teams, things have started to get interesting after the seeming collapse of runaway leaders Burton Albion.

Ever since the Brewers 1-0 victory over Northwich Victoria at the beginning of November, the club have sat proudly at the top of the Blue Square Premier, and have since extended their lead to as much as 18 points at one stage.

As if things couldn’t get better for the club, the fortunes of their fixtures within the difficult weather conditions were favourable, as they rarely had games postponed, leaving no backlog of matches to play.

Burton’s form did continue until a surprising draw with struggling Woking was the catalyst for just three wins in the clubs next 10 games.

That dreadful run included Monday nights dismal defeat to Torquay United, as Roy McFarland’s men showed that both late season nerves and loss of form can equal a string of dreadful performances.

While Burton have been enduring a loss of form it’s been the emergence of Paul Buckle’s men that have given the runaway leaders the biggest fright.

Unbeaten in their last ten, Buckle has pulled together a squad every bit as strong as last years side that missed out on promotion.

But while they lost the all-so important promotion showdown with Aldershot Town at almost the same stage last season, they have given themselves a chance of catching the table-toppers this time around.

Monday evening’s win leaves an eight point gap between the two, but with a game in hand for Torquay and the two still meet on the final day, Burton have at best a two point cushion.

And that cushion is hardly the most stable, with some tough games still in the offing before the showdown on the final day.

A trip to improving Kidderminster Harriers is sandwiched between hosting both Histon, who are deep in the play-off fight, and improving Oxford United, who are set to miss out on a top five place but will still pose a worthy opponent.

The fixture list couldn’t be more difficult for Burton, who will find the going tough without top scorer Greg Pearson who saw a straight red on Monday night for a lunge at Tim Sills.

To rub salt in the wound Shaun Harrad has been on the sidelines for a few games now, and his return hasn’t been pinpointed yet, so goal getting could be an issue for McFarland, whose own job hasn’t been made easy by the quick start made by his predecessor this season.

Although it might be an easy accusation to make, the departure of Nigel Clough to Derby County in early January could well be a factor in Burton’s inability to cross the finishing line.

Clough had built his Burton side over a number of years, and for many football fans around it was disappointing not to see him complete the job he started 11 years ago.

Torquay of course have it all to do to pile the pressure on Burton, with all four of their up coming games before the match with Burton must wins for the South Devon club.

Their own games to play are far easier than their rivals, with the trip to Stevenage Borough the most difficult game for the Yellows to endure.

Can the comeback be completed though? Well I believe it can.

While Torquay just keep getting better and better, Burton are really feeling the nerves, and I expect the title to still be up for grabs when the two tussle in the final game of the season.

After writing off Torquay for almost the entire year, I feel this is their big chance to grasp promotion back to the Football League, while Burton will be left thinking what if, after the departure of Clough earlier in the season.

So as Manchester United attempt to throw Liverpool off the title scent in the Premiership, there a title battle that’s proving just as exciting at the other end of the football pyramid.

Manchester United's Youth Policy Coming To Fruition Once Again

2009-04-06T16:45:00.000+01:00

A hallmark of many successful sides under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson is the injection of talented youngsters with a mix of some of the Scot’s classic signings from overseas.

It’s been a constant theme of his title winning sides, and while the memory of the likes of David Beckham and Nicky Butt is starting wear thin, a new breed of youngsters are starting to make the grade in this current trophy chasing side.

Even if the level of ability from that famous 1992 Youth Cup winning side will probably never be matched, this new crop of players are starting to make there own mark on the first team this season, with their emergence in the side quicker than anyone at Old Trafford could have dreamed of.

In terms of players coming through the youth system, the transition of players had largely dried up for the current European Champions.

In recent years it’s been the likes of John O’Shea and Wes Brown who have broken through from the youth ranks as plenty of United fringe youth players venture off to pastures new.

This season however has seen more players given a chance from the youth ranks, and Ferguson begins yet another process of bringing through his gifted youngsters.

Jonny Evans has been one of the players of the season not only for United but in the Premiership, and is sure to be included in the shortlist for Young Football of the Year.

Evans only made his United debut in 2007, and less than two years later he is an ever present in a record breaking United defence.

The Northern Irishman’s impact in the side was capped off with a superb performance at the San Siro as the Champions drew with Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

He hasn’t been the only one however.

We’ve seen striker Danny Welbeck’s hard work in the Academy and Reserve sides rewarded this season with his first team debut against Middlesbrough, and a starting place in United’s successful Carling Cup side.

It’s been quiet a season for the England Under-21 International, who attracted the attention of Stuart Pearce in February as he made his debut against Ecuador.

Welbeck has been part of every England side right from the Under 16’s youth team, and is sure to be involved in the full squad in the coming years.

Darron Gibson has finally made his break into the United side having made his debut for the first team in 2005, but his patience in the reserves saw the midfielder start in United midfield for the Carling Cup final.
Danny Simpson had made a credible impact for the team last season, but was dispatched on loan to Blackburn Rovers, something probably down to the return to fitness of club captain Gary Neville.

As for the players that have been brought into the youth set up and then gone on to the first team, you needn’t look further that the Brazilian twins of Rafael and Fabio Da Silva.

The duo have really made there mark in the first team this season, especially Rafael who when fit is first choice right-back for the Old Trafford club.

His goal against Arsenal in a 2-1 United defeat showed the full-backs flair and attacking process, not unlike similar Brazilian full backs, while Fabio usually billed as a left back, is even more adventurous on the club and international stage.

Fabio captained and top scored for Brazil at the Under-17 World Cup in 2007 and followed up his numerous first team appearances with a hat trick for the reserve side against Rochdale this season.

The Brazilian pair are joined by fellow countryman Rodrigo Possebon, whose impact has been decreased in the second half of the season, but his calming influence on the ball is sure to result in further starts for the central midfielder.

And yesterday we saw the emergence of yet another United youngster, Federico Macheda as he made his first appearance for the club and capped it with a stoppage time winner for United in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa.

This goal is sure to increase the focus on Macheda, who going into the game was a relative unknown after scoring a hat trick for the reserves in mid-week.

But while the focus may well be shifted to the Italian alone, the entire youth set-up at United should be praised, and as critics rave over United’s strength in depth it’s down to that same set up for providing players who could be the difference for the club this season.

When any club is trying to chase the amount of trophies United are, the need of the back up of the reserves and youth squad is vital, and maybe this could be the difference between them and their envious rivals.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Sergio Garcia

2009-04-06T12:48:00.000+01:00

This is the forth in a series of seven players that could dominate the Masters this week at Augusta, and my next player is one of the most feared on the tour, even if he has never picked up a Major victory.

I am of course talking about Sergio Garcia, a player some say to be the best player on the tour without a Major title to his name.

Garcia came closest to breaking that duck in 2007 when he led the Open Championship for so long, and even had a put to win the title, before being beaten in a two-way play-off with Padraig Harrington.

That frustrating finish for Garcia did nothing for halt his confidence as a joint second finish again behind Harrington showed that he could still perform despite his inability to secure major titles.

However his record in those events are truly brilliant, especially for a man with limited success.

In forty starts in majors in his career, he’s achieved 14 top 10 finishes.

Now maybe that isn’t as good as some of the world’s best, but for a player who endures constant disappointment in these competitions it’s an excellent return.

Garcia has been part of the World’s top ten for almost nine straight years, and is constantly one of the star attractions on the European Tour.

He is an ever present in Europe’s Ryder Cup side having been selected for the last five tournaments, being included in all three of their recent victories

Garcia’s immense drive makes him feared opponent all over the world, so at Augusta this week it will be no different.,

He’s proved at major’s before he can mix it with the world’s top players, and even if his nerves do sometimes get the better of him you know sooner or later he will fulfil his potential, like Harrington did in 2007 and ever since.

Is he a serious contender this week?

Well his record would suggest it’s the major the Spaniard prefers the least, with a best finish of joint forth achieved in 2004.

But maybe the European being slightly off the radar might be a good thing, with most of the attention elsewhere Garcia might be able to make his strongest challenge yet, and win his first Major title.

Others pieces in this series are:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/149636-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-phil-mickelson

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150374-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-ian-poulter

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150811-seven-players-to-light-up-the-masters-vijay-singh

Brawn Again: Jenson Button Secures Second Win as Malaysia Goes Under

2009-04-05T12:15:00.001+01:00

Jenson Button has won his second Grand Prix in Malaysia after the race was halted after 31 laps due to a massive downpour.

The Brit led when the race was suspended with the Germans Nick Heidfeld of BMW and Timo Glock of Toyota in second and third.

Due to the early finish of the race points gained with be halved, but that won’t take anything away from Button who is really laying down a marker at during this years championship.

Even after the race was suspended, there was some confusion over whether it would be re-started, until the time permitted for the race to be concluded was surpassed meant there was no-way the race could continue.

Button’s team-mate Rubens Barrichello came in fifth behind Jarno Trulli, as the Brawn GP cars showed that their outstanding pace was yet again the difference, as with the previous race in Australia.

Ferrari yet again endured a difficult weekend, as tyre changes before it started to rain gave neither driver a chance to head up the leader-board, with Felipe Massa finishing at high as 9th.

Two successive races without a single point on the board is sure to worry the Ferrari team, during a race that they were expected to dominate.

Lewis Hamilton will be content with his weekends work, with a 7th place finish in what is still a struggling McLaren car, something which found out Hekki Kovalainen who crashed out within the first lap.

The World Champion has made no secret about his feelings about a makeshift car, but two points finishes in a row will bring some optimism, after a week full of controversy.

The Toyota team will be delighted with their weekend with a second podium finish in two races.

But it’s sure to be Button’s victory that will grab the headlines, after Niko Rosberg overtook the Brit before the first corner.

It wasn’t until just soon before the race was stopped that Button re-took the lead surpassing Timo Glock.

Rosberg will be disappointed that he couldn’t lead till the end of the race, but numerous tyre changes re-vamped the entire field producing confusion even when the race had ended as to what were the eventual finishing positions.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Vijay Singh

2009-04-05T00:11:00.001+01:00

In the third in the series of seven, concerning players who could end up winning the elusive Masters Championship next week at Augusta I look at a player who despite his high profile in the world of golf is a huge outsider for the tournament.

This player has been out of the spotlight for sometime when it comes to Majors, but the world knows that when he brings his A-game to the course, he can be a threat to the rest of the field.

That player is former World No.1 Vijay Singh, who after a baron spell at Major Championships could be ready to mount a charge at the first major of this season.

The Fijian has three majors to his name, most recently in 2004 when he won the USPGA title from Tiger Woods, one of nine tour titles collected that year by the new World No. 1.

Ever since hitting the dizzy heights of World No. 1 Singh hasn’t quiet been able to challenge regularly at Major Championships, and although it was nip and tuck between him and Woods for the best part of a year, it was Woods’ victory at the 2005 Masters that eventually set the two apart.

In 2007 Singh missed out finishing in the top ten of each major that year, and ever since his form in the big competitions has subsided.

Why have I considered him a contender? Well since a variation to his swing was introduced into his play, Singh has found the winning habit, winning three titles last year, including a crushing five-shot victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Even though the New Year has started with a few injuries, he is well on the road to recover and is set to take part at Augusta.

A crucial stat to consider is that Singh is a former winner of the Green Jacket this decade, as his win in 2000 came at the expense of Ernie Els an experience that is sure to be valuable for the Fijian.

Although he must be valued as a rank outsider due to his recent form at Major’s it would be naïve to completely write off the three-time major winner.

In a tournament where the world’s best are sometimes left wondering what if sometimes it takes a rank outsider to take that title, and with the pressure off Singh, this could be his perfect time to strike.

Seven Players To Light Up The Masters: Ian Poulter

2009-04-04T00:44:00.001+01:00

This is the second in a series of seven players who should be keenly watched during next weeks Master Championship, and who could even be wearing the Green jacket by late Sunday afternoon.

Today I take a look at one of the main European contenders in Britain’s Ian Poulter who if his ability on the course can match his self-confidence off it, he can definitely mix it with the best in the world.

Poulter’s infamous words at the beginning of 2008 have followed him all around the tour, quotes that included comparing himself to the World No.1 Tiger Woods when the duo are at there best.

The American of course went on to win at the US Open last year, and while missing out at both the Open Championship and the USPGA Poulter wasn’t on hand to put his words into practise.

Now maybe I’m being slightly harsh on Poulter here, at the end of the day he one of Europe’s top players, something he proved at last years Ryder Cup, when as a wild card entry he top scored for Europe with four points.

He also acted as a huge motivator for the visiting team, and someone who really could get up the noses of the American’s, and similar acts of emotion could see him as one of the main forerunners for this year’s title.

Poulter’s pedigree at a competition like this isn’t brilliant with his highest Masters finish being tied for 25th at last years event.

However it’s his performance at last years Open Championship that for me adds him to the list of contenders.

He lay down a very credible score and was the clubhouse leader until Padraig Harrington overhauled the Englishman, and completed successive victories at the event.

Poulter’s display last year was one of a player who could perform in a pressure situation, and at the best of times with some of the finest in the world.

Although his comments at the start of the year might have been slightly premature, Poulter has shown he isn’t far off some of the world’s elite.

His Ryder Cup performance showed that he could perform even when the crowd was on his back, skills he will need if he is to succeed next week.

The Augusta galleries are sure never to forget Poulter’s own personal comparison with the great Tiger, but with the World No. 1 returning it could be his chance to prove all the doubters wrong.

Andy Murray In Danger Of Being Undercooked As Sony Semi Final Approaches

2009-04-03T13:15:00.001+01:00

Andy Murray's straight sets victory over Fernando Verdasco on Thursday showed us all how the British Number 1 has come on as a player in such a short space of time, since he last took on the Spaniard at the Australian Open in January.

On that occasion Murray saw a rampaging Verdasco never give up, and come-back from two-sets to one down to win the match and progress to the quarter-finals.

Murray had high hopes for that tournament, after his US Open runner up finish he endured the previous year he was keen to build on his relative success.

Verdasco had hoped to do the same to Murray at this weeks Sony Ericsson Open, where the Brit had plans of leapfrogging Novak Djokovic into third in the ATP World Rankings, by winning this weeks competition in Miami.

Murray however showed his progression as a player, and disposed of an 'injured' Verdasco, dropping just three games en-route to sealing his semi-final birth with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

I say ‘injured’ with inverted commas, because in the last twelve months eight players have withdrawn from a match with Murray due to injury.

This stat does make interesting reading, and for me is tribute to the fear-factor Murray has instil in players all over the tour.

Now Verdasco did continue with the match until the end, but for me he was well beaten before the injury occurred late in the first set.

Now in a tournament taking place over a week, momentum is important and being able to turn up day after day and put in a performance is vital, being underdone can being your undoing, while being too tired can see your performance drop considerably.

My concern is Murray’s time on court has been far shorter than most of his rivals, to the extend he hasn’t had enough match practise to get him through the tournament now we enter the business end.

The longest the Brit has spent on court was in his opening match against another Argentine Juan Monaco.

However 58 minutes were taken up beating Viktor Troicki, dropping just a single game in the 4th round.

Yesterday’s match against his first world class opponent, was expected to go the distance, something we didn’t even see a sniff of as Verdasco pulled off numerous unforced errors to gift Murray the win.

His previous two matches have hardly strained the world number four, and when he goes into his semi-final encounter with Del Potro he could find himself low on match time this week.

Should this pose a real problem against De Potro this evening though? Well Maybe not.

Game time is almost at the other end of the spectrum when you think about Del Potro, who was on court nearly two hours longer than Murray was on Thursday.

Del Potro of course took on Rafael Nadal, and as the final set went into a deciding tie-breaker the new world number five is sure to be feeling it after one of the biggest victories in his career.

Nadal made Del Potro fight for every point and the physical nature of the match is sure to have taken plenty out of Murray’s opponent.

Will he be able to rise again in the semi-final? Or will Murray he halted by the express train that is Del Potro, who is sure to be riding one crest of a wave after his win over the world number one, momentum could be the Brit’s undoing.

With Murray having little court time, maybe this is Del Potro’s chance to seize the moment and reach his first Masters Series final.