Time constraints and a realization that most of this is just waffle have led me to suspend this blog for the time being and just post on Before I Forget. Sport and news posts will be added here if I feel the urge.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Monday, 20 June 2011
A busy couple of days, sporting wise, with the biggest story being Rory McIlroy putting aside his demons from Augusta and running away with the US Open at Congressional. Many have already offered their superlatives for this performance but the statistics speak for themselves - youngest winner of this tournament for nearly 90 years, record score of -16, only dropped shots on 4 holes etc and these simply highlight how far ahead of the rest of the field he was. Criticism that this course may have played easier than other major courses does McIlroy an injustice in claiming -16 was easier than it may have been elsewhere as he still won by 8 shots. The Americans warmed to him and the consensus that this could be the first of many major wins will be welcomed by his fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
After Graeme McDowell's victory last year the curious statistic of back to back victories for Northern Ireland giving plenty of reasons to be proud and this added to the Republic of Ireland's Padraig Harrington 3 recent majors. This win puts McIlroy 4th in the world rankings to demonstrate the current strength of European golf with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer at 1, 2 and 3.
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As if to prove that a heralded team that can mount a serious challenge in a major tournament only to fall disappointingly short is not just confined to the senior team, the Under 21s were eliminated from the European Championship after conceding two late goals to lose 2-1 to the Czech Republic. Mirroring and typifying the senior team the Under 21s defended well but showed little flair going forward and struggled to break opposition defences down. Stuart Pearce, with one eye on his own position and in justifying the set up of his team, complained that by the time he gets the players in this age group it is too late to improve on their skills saying that, with some truth, that ball control and passing ability should be taught before they reach 17. The one flair player who could have made an impact was Jack Wilshere and he was not taken to Denmark with fatigue used as an excuse. This excuse was used to explain England's poor performance in the recent Euro qualifier against Switzerland but as was demonstrated players from other European nations who had played as many, if not more, domestic games managed to display the energy levels one would expect of fit men in their twenties.
The question of burn out was also cited for his exclusion with his elevation into the senior squad seen as expecting too much from him but Spain took Juan Mata who was also in their World Cup squad last year and who is regarded as one of the hottest transfer targets this window. Similarly, Switzerland are fielding another hot prospect in Xherdan Shaqiri who impressed in the that recent qualifier against England. In reality the clubs are calling the shots, fearful that their charges may get injured as is demonstrated by their disdain for friendly internationals and their insistence that their players do not participate for the full 90 minutes.
On top of all this excitement we have had the first Test Match to be played at the Rose Bowl where only the rain, quite figuratively managed to piss on Hampshire's chips in what was otherwise a well staged event with the weather being the only winner with the draw being the inevitable conclusion to see England take the series 1-0. And now all that is over Wimbledon started today so we can expect the usual hyperbole about Murray's chances for the next fortnight or until he gets beat.
After Graeme McDowell's victory last year the curious statistic of back to back victories for Northern Ireland giving plenty of reasons to be proud and this added to the Republic of Ireland's Padraig Harrington 3 recent majors. This win puts McIlroy 4th in the world rankings to demonstrate the current strength of European golf with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer at 1, 2 and 3.
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As if to prove that a heralded team that can mount a serious challenge in a major tournament only to fall disappointingly short is not just confined to the senior team, the Under 21s were eliminated from the European Championship after conceding two late goals to lose 2-1 to the Czech Republic. Mirroring and typifying the senior team the Under 21s defended well but showed little flair going forward and struggled to break opposition defences down. Stuart Pearce, with one eye on his own position and in justifying the set up of his team, complained that by the time he gets the players in this age group it is too late to improve on their skills saying that, with some truth, that ball control and passing ability should be taught before they reach 17. The one flair player who could have made an impact was Jack Wilshere and he was not taken to Denmark with fatigue used as an excuse. This excuse was used to explain England's poor performance in the recent Euro qualifier against Switzerland but as was demonstrated players from other European nations who had played as many, if not more, domestic games managed to display the energy levels one would expect of fit men in their twenties.
The question of burn out was also cited for his exclusion with his elevation into the senior squad seen as expecting too much from him but Spain took Juan Mata who was also in their World Cup squad last year and who is regarded as one of the hottest transfer targets this window. Similarly, Switzerland are fielding another hot prospect in Xherdan Shaqiri who impressed in the that recent qualifier against England. In reality the clubs are calling the shots, fearful that their charges may get injured as is demonstrated by their disdain for friendly internationals and their insistence that their players do not participate for the full 90 minutes.
On top of all this excitement we have had the first Test Match to be played at the Rose Bowl where only the rain, quite figuratively managed to piss on Hampshire's chips in what was otherwise a well staged event with the weather being the only winner with the draw being the inevitable conclusion to see England take the series 1-0. And now all that is over Wimbledon started today so we can expect the usual hyperbole about Murray's chances for the next fortnight or until he gets beat.
Friday, 10 June 2011
With Jordan Henderson joining Liverpool from Sunderland for £20 million and the proposed move of Phil Jones from Blackburn to Manchester United for around £17 million it would appear once again that the prices being paid have moved to another ridiculous level. However, the effects of the 25 man squad with the limits on foreign players are starting to kick in as clubs scout around for the best English players to add to their teams. Since the start of last season Manchester United have lost Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves already with transfer rumours surrounding Wes Brown and Danny Welbeck amongst others making it imperative to either promote more youth players or sign players like Phil Jones who may not make the difference in being able to stop Messi next season but is someone tipped for the future. This regulation may also explain why Michael Owen got a one year extension on his contract.
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As well as England's attack bowled in the first test against Sri Lanka the second test showed the limitations of only picking four bowlers. What was highlighted even more, however, was how much England missed Paul Collingwood who not only took pressure of the bowlers on flat pitches allowing them to rest but whose catching in the slips was an asset. Without him in the team the pressure is on Graeme Swann to hold an end up even more with very little in reserve from back up bowlers. Pietersen, Trott and Bell can all turn their arm over but not regularly enough to bowl spells of several overs which is despite how well Eoin Morgan has done the inclusion of Ravi Bopara may have added more balance to the team. Our batting line up with Broad and Swann at 8 and 9 should be strong enough to add an extra bowler and move them up the order one but having included Morgan already and see him score runs I doubt if they would drop him now.
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As well as England's attack bowled in the first test against Sri Lanka the second test showed the limitations of only picking four bowlers. What was highlighted even more, however, was how much England missed Paul Collingwood who not only took pressure of the bowlers on flat pitches allowing them to rest but whose catching in the slips was an asset. Without him in the team the pressure is on Graeme Swann to hold an end up even more with very little in reserve from back up bowlers. Pietersen, Trott and Bell can all turn their arm over but not regularly enough to bowl spells of several overs which is despite how well Eoin Morgan has done the inclusion of Ravi Bopara may have added more balance to the team. Our batting line up with Broad and Swann at 8 and 9 should be strong enough to add an extra bowler and move them up the order one but having included Morgan already and see him score runs I doubt if they would drop him now.
Monday, 30 May 2011
I'm not sure if England themselves will believe what happened as they beat Sri Lanka in the first test in Cardiff. With no play until 3pm England still came out to bat to allow Ian Bell to complete his century and then declared with a lead of 96 runs and 55 overs left to bowl. Presumably they thought it a matter of going through the motions for the afternoon with Jimmy Anderson unfit to bowl to see if the rest of the attack could get a bit of practice in ahead of the next test and perhaps ruffle some Si Lankan feathers. What followed was more of a plucking with, as would be expected with the resultant collapse, a combination of good bowling and poor batting.
Dramatic as England bowling the Sri Lankans out for 82 in under 25 overs was the reassuring thing was the killer instinct England showed when they got a good start and continued to press the opposition. This ruthless streak is something England teams have not always demonstrated in most sports and has stopped them from being a good team into an excellentt team. With India due in the summer this spirit needs to develop ready for that challenge.
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It is hard to believe that nobody in FIFA can see the harm that they are doing to themselves and regardless of the guilt or innocence of the accused officials the whiff of whitewash will continue to haunt them. That Blatters only challenger Mohammed Bin Hammam has stepped down from the presidential race and since been suspended along with Jack Warner whilst Blatter was effectively exonerated despite the accusations against him will only add to finger pointing. There is still the farce of that election which now resembles something found in a banana republic rather than asking for other candidates or delaying the election as well as the fact that Blatter has not been suspended whilst his rival was.
Talk that companies may start withdrawing sponsorship in light of the revelations unless change happens seem fanciful. Whilst such action has been seen with individual sportsmen as Tiger Woods can testify and no doubt why Ryan Giggs sought his superinjunction as they would rather keep sponsors sweet than their partners. FIFA, however, is different as there is always another sportsman to sell your wares but there is only one governing body and it would be a brave company who withdrew their name from a World Cup and the coverage that would generate just because they disapprove of FIFAs antics.
Dramatic as England bowling the Sri Lankans out for 82 in under 25 overs was the reassuring thing was the killer instinct England showed when they got a good start and continued to press the opposition. This ruthless streak is something England teams have not always demonstrated in most sports and has stopped them from being a good team into an excellentt team. With India due in the summer this spirit needs to develop ready for that challenge.
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It is hard to believe that nobody in FIFA can see the harm that they are doing to themselves and regardless of the guilt or innocence of the accused officials the whiff of whitewash will continue to haunt them. That Blatters only challenger Mohammed Bin Hammam has stepped down from the presidential race and since been suspended along with Jack Warner whilst Blatter was effectively exonerated despite the accusations against him will only add to finger pointing. There is still the farce of that election which now resembles something found in a banana republic rather than asking for other candidates or delaying the election as well as the fact that Blatter has not been suspended whilst his rival was.
Talk that companies may start withdrawing sponsorship in light of the revelations unless change happens seem fanciful. Whilst such action has been seen with individual sportsmen as Tiger Woods can testify and no doubt why Ryan Giggs sought his superinjunction as they would rather keep sponsors sweet than their partners. FIFA, however, is different as there is always another sportsman to sell your wares but there is only one governing body and it would be a brave company who withdrew their name from a World Cup and the coverage that would generate just because they disapprove of FIFAs antics.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
The fan belief that Manchester United could win the Champions League soon dissipated and in a perverse way I'm glad that they didn't as, aside from the obvious that they did not deserve to, a victory would have papered over the cracks of what is a weaker team than in recent seasons. Ideally Ferguson can now approach the board with the claim that whilst being the best in the country they still lag behind in Europe but a bit of judicious spending in the summer transfer window may help close the gap.
The whole Premiership was rather poor this season and the Champions League final just emphasises the gulf in class although whilst all the other commentators drool over the way Barcelona pass the ball and dominate possession I get rather bored by it all. It may look pretty and intricate but like the Spanish national side it can often not go anywhere as they may stop the opposition from having the ball but just bide their time whilst they have. It is all very clinical and precise and where they do still have flashes of genius this is diluted by being constantly informed that Lionel Messi is the greatest player ever. This hyperbole grates and whilst he is undoubtedly a very good player it is still early in his career to be compared to Pele, Best, Maradona, Puskas et al.
Perhaps its the gothic romantic side in me that insists that every true genius must be wrestling with his demons as he takes his area of expertise to the next level that refuses to allow Messi a place in this pantheon yet although as far as I am aware Pele's only problem may be erectile dysfunction. Of course happy and pleasant footballers can be greats but my prejudice will usually find them on the subs bench in my All Star best ever XI (not strictly true) as people find it easier to warm to those exuberant players with a back story whatever the sport. Alex Higgins and Jimmy White got bigger cheers than Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry and George Best received tributes from fans of other clubs (including Man City) that were genuine and heartfelt on his death.
Yes they have world class players and play pretty football and yes the way the club is run as a sort of fans co-operative is pleasing as is their current form thereby sticking it to former dictator Franco's former team Real Madrid. Also resisting shirt sponsorship for so long before having UNICEF emblazoned across their chests is such a refreshing change in the current shady money centred business that is football (not that they do too badly on the financial front). Everything about Barcelona says I should love them but I just can't get that excited by them.
The whole Premiership was rather poor this season and the Champions League final just emphasises the gulf in class although whilst all the other commentators drool over the way Barcelona pass the ball and dominate possession I get rather bored by it all. It may look pretty and intricate but like the Spanish national side it can often not go anywhere as they may stop the opposition from having the ball but just bide their time whilst they have. It is all very clinical and precise and where they do still have flashes of genius this is diluted by being constantly informed that Lionel Messi is the greatest player ever. This hyperbole grates and whilst he is undoubtedly a very good player it is still early in his career to be compared to Pele, Best, Maradona, Puskas et al.
Perhaps its the gothic romantic side in me that insists that every true genius must be wrestling with his demons as he takes his area of expertise to the next level that refuses to allow Messi a place in this pantheon yet although as far as I am aware Pele's only problem may be erectile dysfunction. Of course happy and pleasant footballers can be greats but my prejudice will usually find them on the subs bench in my All Star best ever XI (not strictly true) as people find it easier to warm to those exuberant players with a back story whatever the sport. Alex Higgins and Jimmy White got bigger cheers than Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry and George Best received tributes from fans of other clubs (including Man City) that were genuine and heartfelt on his death.
Yes they have world class players and play pretty football and yes the way the club is run as a sort of fans co-operative is pleasing as is their current form thereby sticking it to former dictator Franco's former team Real Madrid. Also resisting shirt sponsorship for so long before having UNICEF emblazoned across their chests is such a refreshing change in the current shady money centred business that is football (not that they do too badly on the financial front). Everything about Barcelona says I should love them but I just can't get that excited by them.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
I know as a nation we Brits are not especially renowned for our tennis ability (I played once after watching Wimbledon 20 years ago and am now ranked No. 22) but to boast about getting 3 players into the 2nd round of the French Open really is clutching at straws. That equates to less than 2.5% and is half as much as Germany managed or as good as Belgium. France and Spain both have 11 representatives in the 2nd round so it's probably fair to say that there is still room for improvement.
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That thrill of excitement at the start of another international cricket season turned into a bit of a damp squib thanks to the weather which delayed the start of England's Test match against Sri Lanka. Rushing from the changing room at work to listen to the score in my car proved a waste of time as the match had not started and the only action to take place on the drive back was the coin toss. Unfortunately this is always likely at this time of year which does not leave much room for manoeuvre in a three test series.
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That thrill of excitement at the start of another international cricket season turned into a bit of a damp squib thanks to the weather which delayed the start of England's Test match against Sri Lanka. Rushing from the changing room at work to listen to the score in my car proved a waste of time as the match had not started and the only action to take place on the drive back was the coin toss. Unfortunately this is always likely at this time of year which does not leave much room for manoeuvre in a three test series.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
As the dust starts to settle after the final set of Premier League games the last two relegation places have now been settled and Blackpool and Birmingham join West Ham in the Championship next year. Not for the first time a club have been relegated after winning a trophy and it may be scant consolation for Birmingham that they will be playing in Europe next season in the Europa League. Ironically the fair play league to determine the last European place could go to Blackpool giving England two representatives in the second tier playing in Europe joining Spurs and Stoke.
The way Blackpool have conducted themselves, primarily the attacking football they strive for as well as the entertainment factor of manager Ian Holloway, has won them plenty of plaudits and many supporters of other teams are sad to see them go down. However, football is not sentimental and goodwill is no replacement for points and to Blackpool's further credit they are well aware of that and did not make the mistake of others and try to spend their way out of trouble. By keeping their means modest they return to the Championship in a good financial position but as Holloway himself intimated returning will not be straight forward as they struggle to keep hold of key players.
The way Blackpool have conducted themselves, primarily the attacking football they strive for as well as the entertainment factor of manager Ian Holloway, has won them plenty of plaudits and many supporters of other teams are sad to see them go down. However, football is not sentimental and goodwill is no replacement for points and to Blackpool's further credit they are well aware of that and did not make the mistake of others and try to spend their way out of trouble. By keeping their means modest they return to the Championship in a good financial position but as Holloway himself intimated returning will not be straight forward as they struggle to keep hold of key players.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Belated I know but been busy and away and I still felt like adding my two pennorth to this weekends football where both the Premiership and the FA Cup were won. Many have already had their say on this matter and its seems to be a rather unanimous vote for this being wrong. Talk of the FA Cup being undermined is fair enough and plenty of examples are cited as to why that may be with the the decision that Manchester United should represent the country in FIFAs club tournament in South America instead of defending the FA Cup in 2000 being often mentioned as starting the rot.
No final replays and semi finals at Wembley are also popular excuses and there is probably something in these claims although I struggle to see the connection regarding replays. The Man United decision was a farce and it would have been better all round if they had fielded a youth team for the third round whilst on their jaunt and to rub salt into the wound we never got the benefit of the exercise helping us win friends for a World Cup bid. It's not just the semi finals that get held at Wembley that I think detract from the final itself as the play offs do as well and like the semis used to be they should all be held on neutral grounds somewhere between the two competing clubs. To play at Wembley was supposed to be the ultimate honour for an England footballer who would get the chance only if his team made a major final or he represented England. I know that Youth Internationals took place there as well but this surely adds to the encouragement of imagining what it would be like to plat there more regularly in front of a full stadium. Now if you finish sixth in Division 2 and get through the play off semi final then you too can have a big day out at the home of football. This is no longer an option however as the FA seek to recover the costs of building the stadium.
The FA Cup was always the last match of the domestic season and the whole day was dedicated to the occasion with, depending on whose turn it was to broadcast, a Question of Sport special or Saint & Greavsie stretching their routine out over several hours. This year that has not happened as the Champions League final is to be held there and UEFA insist on the pitch having a fortnights holiday beforehand. Allowing for the fixture congestion as a one off it may have been acceptable to hold the FA Cup early but why the hell were other league matches scheduled for that day and not all played on the Sunday at least.
This is becoming a vicious circle as the fans can see where he importance of the trophy lies in their clubs ambitions and turn up accordingly. In the earlier rounds the "Romance of the Cup" is still there for lower league teams but for the excitement of every Crawley fan to go to Old Trafford how many Manchester United fans would be getting a thrill from watching their reserves barely turn up against the (then) non league minnows. As these lower ranked teams start to fall by the wayside as the tournament progresses that romance tends to fade as well as the teams to be found in the last few rounds see it more as a distraction. Fourth place in the league is now viewed as more important as it brings Champions League entry and lower down teams are getting worried about relegation. Likewise the better Championship sides who may have had a good run will be putting more energy into getting promotion as the disparity between those two leagues in terms of money is such that the Premiership is all consuming. One way that this could be readdressed would be to award the fourth Champions League spot not to the third loser in the league but to a team that has won some silverware and lifted the FA Cup. As it stands the FA Cup offers little more reward than the League Cup and the disdain that has apparently undergone has been commented on frequently enough.
Saying that I quite like seeing some of the top sides play their younger squad members as it helps give them experience and as a viewer it is nice to see some of these kids making their way in the game and trying to spot who might go onto bigger and better things.
No final replays and semi finals at Wembley are also popular excuses and there is probably something in these claims although I struggle to see the connection regarding replays. The Man United decision was a farce and it would have been better all round if they had fielded a youth team for the third round whilst on their jaunt and to rub salt into the wound we never got the benefit of the exercise helping us win friends for a World Cup bid. It's not just the semi finals that get held at Wembley that I think detract from the final itself as the play offs do as well and like the semis used to be they should all be held on neutral grounds somewhere between the two competing clubs. To play at Wembley was supposed to be the ultimate honour for an England footballer who would get the chance only if his team made a major final or he represented England. I know that Youth Internationals took place there as well but this surely adds to the encouragement of imagining what it would be like to plat there more regularly in front of a full stadium. Now if you finish sixth in Division 2 and get through the play off semi final then you too can have a big day out at the home of football. This is no longer an option however as the FA seek to recover the costs of building the stadium.
The FA Cup was always the last match of the domestic season and the whole day was dedicated to the occasion with, depending on whose turn it was to broadcast, a Question of Sport special or Saint & Greavsie stretching their routine out over several hours. This year that has not happened as the Champions League final is to be held there and UEFA insist on the pitch having a fortnights holiday beforehand. Allowing for the fixture congestion as a one off it may have been acceptable to hold the FA Cup early but why the hell were other league matches scheduled for that day and not all played on the Sunday at least.
This is becoming a vicious circle as the fans can see where he importance of the trophy lies in their clubs ambitions and turn up accordingly. In the earlier rounds the "Romance of the Cup" is still there for lower league teams but for the excitement of every Crawley fan to go to Old Trafford how many Manchester United fans would be getting a thrill from watching their reserves barely turn up against the (then) non league minnows. As these lower ranked teams start to fall by the wayside as the tournament progresses that romance tends to fade as well as the teams to be found in the last few rounds see it more as a distraction. Fourth place in the league is now viewed as more important as it brings Champions League entry and lower down teams are getting worried about relegation. Likewise the better Championship sides who may have had a good run will be putting more energy into getting promotion as the disparity between those two leagues in terms of money is such that the Premiership is all consuming. One way that this could be readdressed would be to award the fourth Champions League spot not to the third loser in the league but to a team that has won some silverware and lifted the FA Cup. As it stands the FA Cup offers little more reward than the League Cup and the disdain that has apparently undergone has been commented on frequently enough.
Saying that I quite like seeing some of the top sides play their younger squad members as it helps give them experience and as a viewer it is nice to see some of these kids making their way in the game and trying to spot who might go onto bigger and better things.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
As far as football results have gone this week has been quite good from a personal point of view. Being a Manchester United fan it was a fair start to make the Champions League final with today's 2-1 win against Chelsea effectively ensuring the Premiership title returns to Old Trafford. Whilst it has not been a vintage year at the top of the table with few teams showing improvement on recent years United have shown their experience to produce the results when it matters. Certainly the Champions League final against Barcelona will be a different proposition but it will probably not be the one sided affair that many believe.
Added to that my home town team of Darlington won their first major piece of silverware by winning the FA Trophy after scoring a last minute winner in extra time to defeat Mansfield. After year upon year of mid table obscurity the last few seasons have been rather more traumatic after the disastrous tenure of George Reynolds nearly brought the club to its knees. Still recovering from the aftershock and chopping and changing of managers resulted in elimination from the league last season with a finish a couple of places from the play offs in the Blue Square league this year. Hopefully this win can galvanize the squad to go on and get promoted back into the league next time.
If that was not enough it was also pleasing to see Norwich gain promotion to the Premier League after back to back promotions. My three years in that city whilst at University left me with a soft spot for the club who at that time were riding high in the league and qualified for Europe. It was at this time that goalkeeper Bryan Gunn lost his daughter to leukaemia and aside from the obvious sympathy that this generated there was also enormous respect as he was heavily involved with The Big C to research cancer with the School of Biological Sciences at UEA.
A bit of a downer to end there but in personal football supporting terms still a good week.
Added to that my home town team of Darlington won their first major piece of silverware by winning the FA Trophy after scoring a last minute winner in extra time to defeat Mansfield. After year upon year of mid table obscurity the last few seasons have been rather more traumatic after the disastrous tenure of George Reynolds nearly brought the club to its knees. Still recovering from the aftershock and chopping and changing of managers resulted in elimination from the league last season with a finish a couple of places from the play offs in the Blue Square league this year. Hopefully this win can galvanize the squad to go on and get promoted back into the league next time.
If that was not enough it was also pleasing to see Norwich gain promotion to the Premier League after back to back promotions. My three years in that city whilst at University left me with a soft spot for the club who at that time were riding high in the league and qualified for Europe. It was at this time that goalkeeper Bryan Gunn lost his daughter to leukaemia and aside from the obvious sympathy that this generated there was also enormous respect as he was heavily involved with The Big C to research cancer with the School of Biological Sciences at UEA.
A bit of a downer to end there but in personal football supporting terms still a good week.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Judd Trump may have lost the World Championship snooker final to John Higgins but he comes away with many more followers after impressing with his young talent and prodigious potting. He and his immediate circle will be more than aware that he is not yet the finished article with one criticism being that he needed to be so good at potting to rescue him from his poor positional play. He may have made errors to let Higgins win key frames but that is understandable and is something that can be improved. A lot of hard work and practice will be required to maintain his position as being talented is not enough and whilst there is every chance that he will become a World Champion in the future it is by no means a guarantee. To frame it another way: Which is the most likely outcome? Judd Trump never wins the World Championship or Jimmy White does finally win one.
For all that once the emotion of the tournament has died down he will no doubt be proud of what he achieved at the Crucible as will John Higgins who will probably feel slightly vindicated after serving his ban. Higgins has answered his critics in the best way possible and is still hungry for more with talk of matching Hendry's 7 crowns. Such talk is to be expected and whilst it is certainly possible for him to do so it will be extremely difficult as at 35 he has just been ran close by a 21 year old and there are more and more talented youngsters coming through and that's before you consider Ronnie O'Sullivan.
On a sadder note the death of Ted Lowe was at least beautifully timed, if such a thing is possible, taking place before the final allowing a poignant moment for reflection from old and new players. He was the voice of snooker when I was growing up and it was nice to see him make a decent break of 90.
For all that once the emotion of the tournament has died down he will no doubt be proud of what he achieved at the Crucible as will John Higgins who will probably feel slightly vindicated after serving his ban. Higgins has answered his critics in the best way possible and is still hungry for more with talk of matching Hendry's 7 crowns. Such talk is to be expected and whilst it is certainly possible for him to do so it will be extremely difficult as at 35 he has just been ran close by a 21 year old and there are more and more talented youngsters coming through and that's before you consider Ronnie O'Sullivan.
On a sadder note the death of Ted Lowe was at least beautifully timed, if such a thing is possible, taking place before the final allowing a poignant moment for reflection from old and new players. He was the voice of snooker when I was growing up and it was nice to see him make a decent break of 90.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
I have great admiration for the sportsperson who knows when their time is up and retires from the game whilst still well regarded and with the public wanting more but even I am wondering if Stephen Hendry may be a little premature in considering retiring from snooker in the summer. On the face of it his heavy defeat to Mark Selby losing 13-4 in the World Championships may focus his mind after an inconsistent last few years where he has failed to win a ranking event and his position in the top 16 is in jeopardy.
The main difference is that as snooker is an individual sport you are only going to let yourself down and there are enough supporters still keen enough to watch him play and to be in the top 20 of any sport is to still be competitive. The difference of course is knowing within yourself that from the heights that you have achieved to be on a downward path it may be better to end it before the choice is no longer yours and you are unable to qualify for events. Again there is conflicting role models in Jimmy White who struggles to qualify but who can still draw a large audience and obviously loves the game and Steve Davis who again is a shadow of the player he was but there is still affection for him and people are genuinely pleased to see him play even if he is not as competitive, perhaps because he remains self deprecating and the nostalgia glow when watching him can mask some shortcomings.
For Hendry, I believe he could still be competitive for a few more years yet but he may wish to avoid the gradual slide down the rankings and if he does, snooker will be for the worse without him.
The main difference is that as snooker is an individual sport you are only going to let yourself down and there are enough supporters still keen enough to watch him play and to be in the top 20 of any sport is to still be competitive. The difference of course is knowing within yourself that from the heights that you have achieved to be on a downward path it may be better to end it before the choice is no longer yours and you are unable to qualify for events. Again there is conflicting role models in Jimmy White who struggles to qualify but who can still draw a large audience and obviously loves the game and Steve Davis who again is a shadow of the player he was but there is still affection for him and people are genuinely pleased to see him play even if he is not as competitive, perhaps because he remains self deprecating and the nostalgia glow when watching him can mask some shortcomings.
For Hendry, I believe he could still be competitive for a few more years yet but he may wish to avoid the gradual slide down the rankings and if he does, snooker will be for the worse without him.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
An intriguing FA Cup final in prospect as Manchester City will face Stoke City with it being 30 years since the former were last there and, surprisingly for a club with Stoke's history, this will be there first FA Cup final. Man City will undoubtedly start as favourites but playing against a well organised team is never straight forward and the pressure of the millions pumped into the club demanding silverware may prove not to follow the script as Arsenal found to their cost in the League Cup final against Birmingham.
It is interesting to note that Manchester City's first silverware for over 30 years may not be enough to keep Roberto Mancini in a job should they fail to finish fourth in the league and miss out on the Champions League whereas Tony Pulis has further cemented his position by taking Stoke this far. Immediate success is a very hard thing to perform no matter the size of the budget and everyone needs time to build something and for Man City winning the FA Cup could be the kickstart that is required to show the team that they can win things but if the manager constantly has the threat of the sack hanging over him then this will not make the task any easier.
I, personally am a little disappointed that the other semi-finalists did not win out. As a Man United fan to lose to City was initially a let down although the limpness of the defeat was worse. However, talk of the treble will at least be stopped and whilst it is nice to see your team win trophies for this current United team to be talked of as treble winners seems a little ridiculous when they would not have won the league in other years. Nothing against Stoke in today's match but in the year that Nat Lofthouse passed away it would have made a fitting tribute to see Bolton make the final.
So the nouveau riche multi millionaires with the superstar players will play what is perceived to be an old fashioned family club with its promising youngsters and honest(ish) journeymen(ish).
It is interesting to note that Manchester City's first silverware for over 30 years may not be enough to keep Roberto Mancini in a job should they fail to finish fourth in the league and miss out on the Champions League whereas Tony Pulis has further cemented his position by taking Stoke this far. Immediate success is a very hard thing to perform no matter the size of the budget and everyone needs time to build something and for Man City winning the FA Cup could be the kickstart that is required to show the team that they can win things but if the manager constantly has the threat of the sack hanging over him then this will not make the task any easier.
I, personally am a little disappointed that the other semi-finalists did not win out. As a Man United fan to lose to City was initially a let down although the limpness of the defeat was worse. However, talk of the treble will at least be stopped and whilst it is nice to see your team win trophies for this current United team to be talked of as treble winners seems a little ridiculous when they would not have won the league in other years. Nothing against Stoke in today's match but in the year that Nat Lofthouse passed away it would have made a fitting tribute to see Bolton make the final.
So the nouveau riche multi millionaires with the superstar players will play what is perceived to be an old fashioned family club with its promising youngsters and honest(ish) journeymen(ish).
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
My what a lot of sport we've been having recently - so much in fact that the annual daft couple of quid on the Grand National never materialised and as such I did not pay much attention to the event. A reluctance to take a 16 month baby into a betting shop and not being arsed to set up an online account for all the various family wagers at least meant that I broke even as I would not have backed the winner. Instead the Masters provided more than enough entertainment by promising a first European win in 11 years, threatened a win for Tiger Woods who had a little charge on the last day after being written off beforehand and eventually saw the little heard of South African Charl Schwartzel claim the green jacket.
The last couple of years have shown that European players have managed to shake off their major winning hoodoo but it is still a relatively new dawn for them and confidence is not yet fully formed. At the start of each major championship their Ryder Cup and tour performances are praised and they may place well but in this century out of 45 major tournaments only five have been won by Europeans and Padraig Harrington won three of them himself. When Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer won last year it felt like the flood gates may open but Rory McIlroy's capitulation means that they will have to wait a bit longer.
There is a danger that as long as they are labelled a golden generation before earning that moniker like their football counterparts that the likes of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and even Sergio Garcia may flatter to deceive. There is no doubt they are all quality players but the question of temperament will continue to be asked as long as their talents are not showcased on the largest individual stage. Lesser names from the United States, South Africa and elsewhere have shown themselves capable of holding their nerve on the big occasion and the Europeans will have to wait until at least June to prove that they are worthy to join this elite club and merit their high rankings.
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Disappointing as McIlroy's fall from the leader board was he is young and talented enough to recover. The most disappointing thing that I've encountered this past sporting weekend (and depressing) is the over commercialisation of the IPL. I am aware that it's whole raison d'etre is as a commercial venture but you've really got to take a step back and wonder if you've gone too far when you start replacing perfectly ordinary words with company names. Batsmen no longer hit a six but a DLF as the Indian real estate company have paid for such a shot to be branded a "DLF Maximum" Will footballers now score a Coke (on the pitch) or perhaps Andy Murray will be serving to win a Barclays. Whatever the upshot it certainly restricts a commentator in his use of language which should be his major skill and instead finds him shouting out company names rather than commentating.
The last couple of years have shown that European players have managed to shake off their major winning hoodoo but it is still a relatively new dawn for them and confidence is not yet fully formed. At the start of each major championship their Ryder Cup and tour performances are praised and they may place well but in this century out of 45 major tournaments only five have been won by Europeans and Padraig Harrington won three of them himself. When Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer won last year it felt like the flood gates may open but Rory McIlroy's capitulation means that they will have to wait a bit longer.
There is a danger that as long as they are labelled a golden generation before earning that moniker like their football counterparts that the likes of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and even Sergio Garcia may flatter to deceive. There is no doubt they are all quality players but the question of temperament will continue to be asked as long as their talents are not showcased on the largest individual stage. Lesser names from the United States, South Africa and elsewhere have shown themselves capable of holding their nerve on the big occasion and the Europeans will have to wait until at least June to prove that they are worthy to join this elite club and merit their high rankings.
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Disappointing as McIlroy's fall from the leader board was he is young and talented enough to recover. The most disappointing thing that I've encountered this past sporting weekend (and depressing) is the over commercialisation of the IPL. I am aware that it's whole raison d'etre is as a commercial venture but you've really got to take a step back and wonder if you've gone too far when you start replacing perfectly ordinary words with company names. Batsmen no longer hit a six but a DLF as the Indian real estate company have paid for such a shot to be branded a "DLF Maximum" Will footballers now score a Coke (on the pitch) or perhaps Andy Murray will be serving to win a Barclays. Whatever the upshot it certainly restricts a commentator in his use of language which should be his major skill and instead finds him shouting out company names rather than commentating.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Summer's here. At least it feels like it now the cricket season has started. A strange contrast as Twitter has been providing me with updates of Durham's progress against Hampshire at Southampton in the County Championship whilst I have been watching the start of the IPL in the TV where Chennai Superkings (surely a brand of cigarette) beat Kolkata Knight Riders. A good start for Durham but disappointing for England players in general as Cook and Bopara failed for Essex and Eoin Morgan dropped a sitter and made 6 for Kolkata. There was a time when I would not pay as much attention to the cricket season whilst the football season was underway and likewise the footballers could play as much as they wanted in August but I would not pay much heed to any results until the resolution of the cricket season.
There is the obvious reason that the finale to any season is of more interest than the opening matches but now I feel genuinely excited about the the commencement of the cricket season. This is despite plenty to still be resolved in the football but I have really started to lose interest in that sport. I speak as a follower of Manchester United, who are still going for three trophies, and I will keep an eye their results but my general interest in the game has waned. Poor performances by the national team without anybody doing anything to change, blanket coverage by the media or the obscene amount of money being thrown around may all have contributed to my apathy although I do feel more kindly to those lower down the league pyramid.
For that reason I have more interest in seeing Norwich get promoted from the Championship or if Darlington can make the Conference play offs (former looking good; latter not so) but in the meantime at least I have the cricket to distract me.
There is the obvious reason that the finale to any season is of more interest than the opening matches but now I feel genuinely excited about the the commencement of the cricket season. This is despite plenty to still be resolved in the football but I have really started to lose interest in that sport. I speak as a follower of Manchester United, who are still going for three trophies, and I will keep an eye their results but my general interest in the game has waned. Poor performances by the national team without anybody doing anything to change, blanket coverage by the media or the obscene amount of money being thrown around may all have contributed to my apathy although I do feel more kindly to those lower down the league pyramid.
For that reason I have more interest in seeing Norwich get promoted from the Championship or if Darlington can make the Conference play offs (former looking good; latter not so) but in the meantime at least I have the cricket to distract me.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
No matter the result there was always going to be a story in today's cricket World Cup final. For certain journalists the prospect of Sachin Tendulkar scoring his one hundredth century on his home ground in a final whilst Muttiah Muralitheran's last match provided others with a chance to salivate at the opportunity for him to take the winning wicket. In the end Tendulkar scored 18 and Murali failed to take any wickets which in terms of this final may be for the best as it does detract from the actual match, which may have been the case had one of those scenarios occurred. Personally I am sure that there first concern would be to win the match and for that reason Tendulkar will be pleased enough that he did not reach his milestone in this match but for Murali this does not detract from his career which is worthy of all the accolades he is sure to now receive.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433606.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/engine/current/match/433606.html
Sunday, 27 March 2011
After limping through to the quarter finals England's players can put their feet up on their own sofas after a tour that started in autumn and has finished in spring on two different continents. Tiredness and the number of injuries to the team have been cited as an excuse since the first match which is never a good sign and should not distract from a number of issues which were highlighted in his tournament but have been present for a while. Whereas the test team is settled with replacements ready to step up in most positions the One Day side is still at the experimental stage and seems to have been for a number of years. No one still knows what the best opening partnership is or who is best suited to keeping wicket in this format.
I'm all for putting pressure on the first team by allowing other players a chance to play and gain experience so that they can fit easily into the team if injury or form dictates and it stops the player in the starting XI from getting too comfortable knowing that a willing replacement is after his spot. An element of this occurred to the test team in the 1990s where the selectors would pick the same players over and over even when poor form suggested some needed a break. Eventually someone would make way for whoever happened to be flavour of the month at the time only to overawed by the occasion and not perform as their county statistics suggested and thus be dropped with their chance gone.
The One Day team seems to go the opposite way where more opportunities present themselves as the matches occur at the end of a series when test players are rested and the selectors try to blood promising youngsters in the international arena. Whilst there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the philosophy it does throw out the message that the England selectors see One Day cricket as inferior and that thought process can only filter down to the players no matter how professional they are.
If that is the case then the selectors would be better divorcing test cricket from the One Day game, both 50n and 20 over and picking completely different squads. Then after a hard test series like the Ashes those players can go home for a well earned rest as the One Day squad replaces them. Players who perform well in the limited over matches will gain experience of international cricket with lengthy runs in the team and could be "promoted" to the test squad should the need arise.
It would certainly solve a couple of problems such as why Matt Prior was not considered good enough for the One Day squad until the series against Australia and then prove it as he was shuffled around the order but may cause further problems when test players want to play in one dayers, especially in the big tournaments.
I'm all for putting pressure on the first team by allowing other players a chance to play and gain experience so that they can fit easily into the team if injury or form dictates and it stops the player in the starting XI from getting too comfortable knowing that a willing replacement is after his spot. An element of this occurred to the test team in the 1990s where the selectors would pick the same players over and over even when poor form suggested some needed a break. Eventually someone would make way for whoever happened to be flavour of the month at the time only to overawed by the occasion and not perform as their county statistics suggested and thus be dropped with their chance gone.
The One Day team seems to go the opposite way where more opportunities present themselves as the matches occur at the end of a series when test players are rested and the selectors try to blood promising youngsters in the international arena. Whilst there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the philosophy it does throw out the message that the England selectors see One Day cricket as inferior and that thought process can only filter down to the players no matter how professional they are.
If that is the case then the selectors would be better divorcing test cricket from the One Day game, both 50n and 20 over and picking completely different squads. Then after a hard test series like the Ashes those players can go home for a well earned rest as the One Day squad replaces them. Players who perform well in the limited over matches will gain experience of international cricket with lengthy runs in the team and could be "promoted" to the test squad should the need arise.
It would certainly solve a couple of problems such as why Matt Prior was not considered good enough for the One Day squad until the series against Australia and then prove it as he was shuffled around the order but may cause further problems when test players want to play in one dayers, especially in the big tournaments.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
So the RFU have announced Rob Andrew as the Director of Rugby Operations. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9433208.stm
He has beaten off competition from a field of at least one to claim this position which is one of a number of new posts created from the former post of Elite Rugby Director which was held by Rob Andrew. Presumably this means that Andrew can continue in his role of sitting behind Martin Johnson looking serious during internationals where he can be now be joined by Steve Grainger and quite likely Sir Clive Woodward.
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Commenting on Sir Alex Ferguson's recent comments about referee Martin Atkinson Craig Moore of the FA's Independent Regulatory Commission stated that Ferguson had "undermined the FA's Respect campaign". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/9434094.stm Now whilst I don't condone the comments made I seriously doubt that the FA's much vaunted campaign lies broken in the gutter as children up and down the country cry about where the spirit of the game has gone now that one individual has taken his immediate frustrations of losing a game out on the official in charge. It is by no means the first time that this happened and Ferguson is not the only manager to blame the referee but to use such hyperbole does not help the situation either. Not many managers will criticise their own teams in public but have a microphone thrust under their noses as soon as the final whistle goes as reporters search for soundbites. Ferguson himself demonstrated that after a few days to calm down his assessment of a match can be more honest and balanced when he discussed the defeat to Liverpool after refusing to talk immediately after the match. Such comments may not sell as many papers but were far more constructive and interesting. As for a lack of respect - that takes place on the back pages of the tabloids every day but then the FA have no recourse to fine them. Ideally it would be nice for officials to answer questions about the match - again not straight after the event but with time allowed to calm down and possibly to see video of key incidents - but is something that has been avoided. If the public can hear the referee perhaps they will realise that they are human and capable of making mistakes and thus cut them some slack. I was going to say forgive but opposition fans certainly won't do that but it can't be any worse than to have the referee scurry away without explaining his thinking on certain decisions.
He has beaten off competition from a field of at least one to claim this position which is one of a number of new posts created from the former post of Elite Rugby Director which was held by Rob Andrew. Presumably this means that Andrew can continue in his role of sitting behind Martin Johnson looking serious during internationals where he can be now be joined by Steve Grainger and quite likely Sir Clive Woodward.
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Commenting on Sir Alex Ferguson's recent comments about referee Martin Atkinson Craig Moore of the FA's Independent Regulatory Commission stated that Ferguson had "undermined the FA's Respect campaign". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/9434094.stm Now whilst I don't condone the comments made I seriously doubt that the FA's much vaunted campaign lies broken in the gutter as children up and down the country cry about where the spirit of the game has gone now that one individual has taken his immediate frustrations of losing a game out on the official in charge. It is by no means the first time that this happened and Ferguson is not the only manager to blame the referee but to use such hyperbole does not help the situation either. Not many managers will criticise their own teams in public but have a microphone thrust under their noses as soon as the final whistle goes as reporters search for soundbites. Ferguson himself demonstrated that after a few days to calm down his assessment of a match can be more honest and balanced when he discussed the defeat to Liverpool after refusing to talk immediately after the match. Such comments may not sell as many papers but were far more constructive and interesting. As for a lack of respect - that takes place on the back pages of the tabloids every day but then the FA have no recourse to fine them. Ideally it would be nice for officials to answer questions about the match - again not straight after the event but with time allowed to calm down and possibly to see video of key incidents - but is something that has been avoided. If the public can hear the referee perhaps they will realise that they are human and capable of making mistakes and thus cut them some slack. I was going to say forgive but opposition fans certainly won't do that but it can't be any worse than to have the referee scurry away without explaining his thinking on certain decisions.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
It feels like a victory worthy of King Pyrrhus with England collecting the Six Nations championship trophy after suffering defeat to Ireland, thus depriving themselves of a Grand Slam. It feels a bit hollow now, and it's reminiscent of England's performance a decade ago when they went a number of years in the position of winning the Grand Slam before losing the final match, but if offered this position before the Six Nations started they would have been delighted. Ironically England's competition has been the reverse of last year where they started poor but improved compared to this campaign where they struggled in the last few matches. Those last few matches probably put England's team into perspective: they are not as bad as we thought they were but they are not as good as we thought they were becoming. Now at least there is the possibility of England building on what they have achieved so far without the ridiculous talk of them being World Cup potential winners adding unnecessary pressure.
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By contrast the England cricket team have been completely inconsistent but thanks to other teams performing as the form book expects they have qualified for the quarter finals of the World Cup. They are certainly not doing it the easy way and it is certainly entertaining in a perverse sort of way but is it too much to hope for a nice straight forward win.
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By contrast the England cricket team have been completely inconsistent but thanks to other teams performing as the form book expects they have qualified for the quarter finals of the World Cup. They are certainly not doing it the easy way and it is certainly entertaining in a perverse sort of way but is it too much to hope for a nice straight forward win.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
It was a shock to hear that Bryan Robson had undergone surgery for throat cancer. http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Club-News/2011/Mar/Bryan-Robson-statement.aspx
I know he is not the only person to be afflicted by this pernicious disease but as a boyhood hero whose posters I had on my bedroom wall it feels particularly sad from a personal point of view. The prognosis sounds positive but once cancer rears it's ugly head then the spectre of it haunts you for the rest of your life.
The abiding memory I have is of his goal after 27 seconds against France in the 1982 World Cup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJio5ZcBLLA although injury blighted the latter part of his career he was able to collect a Premiership medal finally in 1993 before retiring.
Hopefully the worst of his ordeal is over.
I know he is not the only person to be afflicted by this pernicious disease but as a boyhood hero whose posters I had on my bedroom wall it feels particularly sad from a personal point of view. The prognosis sounds positive but once cancer rears it's ugly head then the spectre of it haunts you for the rest of your life.
The abiding memory I have is of his goal after 27 seconds against France in the 1982 World Cup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJio5ZcBLLA although injury blighted the latter part of his career he was able to collect a Premiership medal finally in 1993 before retiring.
Hopefully the worst of his ordeal is over.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
After the latest round of Six Nations matches have provided enough drama for yet another weekend with upsets, controversy and England still on course for the Grand Slam despite being below par. Italy beating France is a massive fillip to that nation who have been accused of making up the numbers since their introduction to the tournament in 2000 and the scalp of France shows that although they may not challenge for the title their presence in the Six Nations is increasing their development, which can only be good for the game.
Mike Phillips' try that shouldn't have been for Wales has unsurprisingly drawn criticism about the point of using technology when mistakes still arise as in this case when a different ball was used at a quick throw in allowing Phillips to run through to score. This misses the point that the same mistake would have occurred without technology and referring to cameras to check reduces the number of possible errors but will never eradicate them. Ireland may feel aggrieved, and it is unfortunate, but as in other sports the officials tend to get more criticism for errors than players. Possibly this may be because they don't have the chance to atone for them: if Chris Ashton had dropped the ball when swallow diving over the line against Italy he would have been forgiven after scoring three more. The goalkeeper that lets the ball run between his legs may save a penalty and the cricketer who drops a sitter can make it up with runs or wickets. Such instances do not even have to be in the same game as fans can forgive their own players one off aberrations but will not let the official off so lightly. No matter how good the rest of his performance he can not do anything other than not make another mistake.
As Martin Johnson warned, Scotland are not to be dismissed lightly and England were right not to be complacent about assuming they would win easily, although it is tempting to think that they did not really believe that after the disjointed performance on display. Such are the margins at this level that Scotland's energetic display where they upset England's rhythm still sees them bottom of the table with no points and England top with maximum points and one game to go. With a performance more reminiscent of last years campaign England will need to rediscover their earlier form if they wish to win their first Grand Slam since 2003 - which would represent a remarkable achievement from where they were 18 months ago.
Mike Phillips' try that shouldn't have been for Wales has unsurprisingly drawn criticism about the point of using technology when mistakes still arise as in this case when a different ball was used at a quick throw in allowing Phillips to run through to score. This misses the point that the same mistake would have occurred without technology and referring to cameras to check reduces the number of possible errors but will never eradicate them. Ireland may feel aggrieved, and it is unfortunate, but as in other sports the officials tend to get more criticism for errors than players. Possibly this may be because they don't have the chance to atone for them: if Chris Ashton had dropped the ball when swallow diving over the line against Italy he would have been forgiven after scoring three more. The goalkeeper that lets the ball run between his legs may save a penalty and the cricketer who drops a sitter can make it up with runs or wickets. Such instances do not even have to be in the same game as fans can forgive their own players one off aberrations but will not let the official off so lightly. No matter how good the rest of his performance he can not do anything other than not make another mistake.
As Martin Johnson warned, Scotland are not to be dismissed lightly and England were right not to be complacent about assuming they would win easily, although it is tempting to think that they did not really believe that after the disjointed performance on display. Such are the margins at this level that Scotland's energetic display where they upset England's rhythm still sees them bottom of the table with no points and England top with maximum points and one game to go. With a performance more reminiscent of last years campaign England will need to rediscover their earlier form if they wish to win their first Grand Slam since 2003 - which would represent a remarkable achievement from where they were 18 months ago.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Now I know that there is a train of thought that suggests that you should slowly build momentum in tournaments and the team that gets off to a flier and batters all before them in the group stage run out of steam by the knockout stage and get eliminated. England's stuttering start to the Cricket World Cup however is the flip side of the coin where, inconsistent as they are, they still show patches of form that threaten to make them dark horses. All that, however, is dependent on England making the knockout stage in the first place which no longer seems assured after defeat to Bangladesh. Poor performances against the minnows have been off set by a draw against India and a win against South Africa making their tournament so far all the more frustrating. Whether the length of time away from home is taking it's toll and petty frustrations come to the fore like today or they relax when considered underdogs, England are at least proving to be compelling viewing which has not always been the case.
The way England have been playing it is tempting to suggest that they have finished their tricky fixtures after facing all the associate nations in their group and the more daunting prospect of the West Indies next week should therefore be an easier proposition after which we can look forward to more straight forward games against the favourites. That scenario is too simplistic for England still and something involving run rates and Duckworth Lewis will no doubt interfere to create more tension.
The way England have been playing it is tempting to suggest that they have finished their tricky fixtures after facing all the associate nations in their group and the more daunting prospect of the West Indies next week should therefore be an easier proposition after which we can look forward to more straight forward games against the favourites. That scenario is too simplistic for England still and something involving run rates and Duckworth Lewis will no doubt interfere to create more tension.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
For God's sake front up and admit you played rubbish. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/9413236.stm
Whilst I don't expect Graeme Swann to pick out individual players for criticism and there is the whiff of the bunker mentality that the dressing room are sticking together after England's humiliation he can not claim that England did not bowl that badly and that commentators are being unfair. Yes, Kevin O'Brien's innings was stunning but our attack does not look particularly strong and we have conceded 959 runs in three matches, two of which were against associate nations, with Jimmy Anderson in particular looking a shadow of the bowler he was in the Ashes conceding 212 runs off 28 overs so far at just over 7.5 an over. Add the shambolic fielding into the mix and we do not look much of a World Cup winning side. Congratulations still to Ireland and if nothing else England's last two matches have been hugely entertaining.
Whilst I don't expect Graeme Swann to pick out individual players for criticism and there is the whiff of the bunker mentality that the dressing room are sticking together after England's humiliation he can not claim that England did not bowl that badly and that commentators are being unfair. Yes, Kevin O'Brien's innings was stunning but our attack does not look particularly strong and we have conceded 959 runs in three matches, two of which were against associate nations, with Jimmy Anderson in particular looking a shadow of the bowler he was in the Ashes conceding 212 runs off 28 overs so far at just over 7.5 an over. Add the shambolic fielding into the mix and we do not look much of a World Cup winning side. Congratulations still to Ireland and if nothing else England's last two matches have been hugely entertaining.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Tied matches in cricket are a rare thing and usually provide for a nail biting finale with the match so evenly poised and today's encounter in Bangalore is certainly no exception with India and England both scoring 338. With the benefit of hindsight it is easy to see how each run could prove so valuable but both innings relied on a fantastic century with the bowling side managing to peg back the batting side for a few vital overs towards the end of each innings to provide the game with varied momentum as India and England both had chances to win the match.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/9408115.stm
After the Indian innings it was tempting to think here we go again but Tim Bresnan's spell at the end where he picked up five wickets ensured that the Indians did not get over 350 which was looking likely whilst Tendulkar was in his pomp on his way to yet another century. The general feeling was that 339 to win was far to much for the English batsmen to achieve so it is to Andrew Strauss' credit that he bettered Tendulkar's innings with 158. Again England were on course for victory until a superb over by Zaheer Khan put them on the backfoot and swung the momentum back in India's favour. This occurred in the first batting powerplay over and not for the first time we see wickets fall as well set batsmen try to smash the ball all over when they have been scoring freely without it. This is compulsory to take and most sides tend to leave it for somewhere in the last 10 overs or so for a last push. However in England's case we have often run out of top order batsmen by then and those that are left feel the need to play differently to account for the field settings and get themselves out like today. I wonder if any thought has been given to taking it earlier when the top order batsmen are in and provide some impetus to the middle overs when the spinners are usually on. Bowling sides do not normally like to use their spinners in powerplay overs or at the end of an innings which can become a slogfest regardless of fielding restrictions. This may give the fielding captain something to think about as he shuffles his bowlers accordingly and as it is still relatively early in the innings if the batting powerplay is taken between, say overs 25 and 35 then the batsmen may not feel the need to be quite so reckless.
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So the nailed on trophy that Arsenal apparently deserve after no silverware for six years still eludes them after Birmingham beat them in the Carling Cup final. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9405702.stm
A reminder that nothing should be taken for granted in sport although I am reminded of a comment a friend made during the 92/93 season. He (an Arsenal fan) said towards the end of that season that he hoped that Manchester United would win the league so that everyone would shut up about how it was 20 odd years since they had won the title. I am starting to feel like that about the constant references to Arsenal's current barren run which victory today would have put an end to.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/9408115.stm
After the Indian innings it was tempting to think here we go again but Tim Bresnan's spell at the end where he picked up five wickets ensured that the Indians did not get over 350 which was looking likely whilst Tendulkar was in his pomp on his way to yet another century. The general feeling was that 339 to win was far to much for the English batsmen to achieve so it is to Andrew Strauss' credit that he bettered Tendulkar's innings with 158. Again England were on course for victory until a superb over by Zaheer Khan put them on the backfoot and swung the momentum back in India's favour. This occurred in the first batting powerplay over and not for the first time we see wickets fall as well set batsmen try to smash the ball all over when they have been scoring freely without it. This is compulsory to take and most sides tend to leave it for somewhere in the last 10 overs or so for a last push. However in England's case we have often run out of top order batsmen by then and those that are left feel the need to play differently to account for the field settings and get themselves out like today. I wonder if any thought has been given to taking it earlier when the top order batsmen are in and provide some impetus to the middle overs when the spinners are usually on. Bowling sides do not normally like to use their spinners in powerplay overs or at the end of an innings which can become a slogfest regardless of fielding restrictions. This may give the fielding captain something to think about as he shuffles his bowlers accordingly and as it is still relatively early in the innings if the batting powerplay is taken between, say overs 25 and 35 then the batsmen may not feel the need to be quite so reckless.
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So the nailed on trophy that Arsenal apparently deserve after no silverware for six years still eludes them after Birmingham beat them in the Carling Cup final. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9405702.stm
A reminder that nothing should be taken for granted in sport although I am reminded of a comment a friend made during the 92/93 season. He (an Arsenal fan) said towards the end of that season that he hoped that Manchester United would win the league so that everyone would shut up about how it was 20 odd years since they had won the title. I am starting to feel like that about the constant references to Arsenal's current barren run which victory today would have put an end to.
Saturday, 26 February 2011
A fine second half performance against France keeps England on course for the Grand Slam but a few question marks still remain. A relatively poor first half was mitigated a little by the slippery conditions but that does not explain France looking hungrier and lapses in concentration at the restart that led to two of their three penalties. We looked a little nervous in the last ten or so minutes, almost inexperienced as if stung by previous criticism of not playing flowing rugby that we insisted on trying to run from our own 22 all the time. This led to one of the penalties at the restart straight after our first penalty and worryingly it was not as if we had not cleared our lines with Nick Easter kicking the ball away at the right time, although the ball was not in hand at the time and was from a French breakdown.
One might think that a lack of experience with a young team full of exuberance, keen on showing off their skills may appear rash at times but by the end of the match, with England two scores ahead, we had the World Cup winners Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson, Steve Thompson and Simon Shaw all on the pitch as well as other senior pros like Easter and Mark Cueto. Thankfully France were unable to capitalise and while I enjoy watching us attempt to counter attack all the time it would be reassuring to see us clear our lines once in a while when the occasion demands it.
With England performing well internationally in rugby and cricket (although tomorrow is the acid test to determine whether recent one day performances were due to an Ashes hangover or we genuinely underperform in ODIs: Relaxation against the weaker Dutch team may explain only scraping a win against them but that is not an option against India) it may be time for the national football team and start utilising more players from "the colonies". Unfortunately whilst 2nd XI South Africans and New Zealanders may prove useful assets to our rugby and cricket teams I don't believe their footballers are good enough to represent England yet. But then again...
One might think that a lack of experience with a young team full of exuberance, keen on showing off their skills may appear rash at times but by the end of the match, with England two scores ahead, we had the World Cup winners Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson, Steve Thompson and Simon Shaw all on the pitch as well as other senior pros like Easter and Mark Cueto. Thankfully France were unable to capitalise and while I enjoy watching us attempt to counter attack all the time it would be reassuring to see us clear our lines once in a while when the occasion demands it.
With England performing well internationally in rugby and cricket (although tomorrow is the acid test to determine whether recent one day performances were due to an Ashes hangover or we genuinely underperform in ODIs: Relaxation against the weaker Dutch team may explain only scraping a win against them but that is not an option against India) it may be time for the national football team and start utilising more players from "the colonies". Unfortunately whilst 2nd XI South Africans and New Zealanders may prove useful assets to our rugby and cricket teams I don't believe their footballers are good enough to represent England yet. But then again...
Monday, 21 February 2011
It is reassuring to see the British cycling team continue to perform well after their success in Beijing and since, which is not always the case of British sporting teams and continued success at an international level. We have a habit of resting on our laurels or losing a few key players who choose such a high point in their careers as a good time to retire with resultant deleterious effects. It is a credit to the coaching staff that has not been the case and senior members of the team in Bradley Wiggins and Sir Chris Hoy are still competing at a high level, presumably wishing to take part in the London Olympics next year, but crucially as others develop more they are not as crucial as they may have once been.
Still one of the most astonishing sights was in the keirin final where the Malaysian rider Azizulhasni Awang was part of a crash that took out most of the riders and he had his leg pierced by a shard of wood before getting back up to win the bronze behind Hoy who took gold.
http://www.vimeo.com/20169195
Incredibly the talk of him riding again in a fortnight is testament to the medical staff looking after him and his own strength.
Still one of the most astonishing sights was in the keirin final where the Malaysian rider Azizulhasni Awang was part of a crash that took out most of the riders and he had his leg pierced by a shard of wood before getting back up to win the bronze behind Hoy who took gold.
http://www.vimeo.com/20169195
Incredibly the talk of him riding again in a fortnight is testament to the medical staff looking after him and his own strength.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Whereas the England Test team were a perfect example of planning and execution in the winter we see that when it comes to One Day Internationals we still do not seem to have any clear idea of tactics and continue to react to circumstances. Thus it is that for yesterday's warm up match against Canada with the World Cup just round the corner we opted to open with Kevin Pietersen alongside Andrew Strauss with the view to use this partnership in the competition. I like the fact that Prior is dropping down the order where I feel he can be more effective (his 78 yesterday a good early sign of this) but the decision to do this now on the eve of the World Cup after seven ODIs against Australia is a little late and an obvious ploy to counteract the loss of Eoin Morgan. Pietersen himself talks of relishing the opportunity as you would expect but it still feels like we are throwing players into the team and hoping for the best. http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/story/501272.html
The one positive in a faltering display was Stuart Broad's return with a five wicket haul alongside Ajmal Shahzad's two wickets. Reservations still remain about the fifth bowling option with Wright and Collingwood sharing the duties yesterday but without Anderson, Bresnan and Swann. The danger is that without Morgan in the middle order and with Collingwood's lack of form with the bat we try to fit an extra batsman into the team and share the fifth bowler duties amongst part time bowlers. This would not be necessary as with Broad and Swann back and with Bresnan in the lower middle order our batting line up should be long enough to cope with Morgan's loss without having to sacrifice one of them.
The one positive in a faltering display was Stuart Broad's return with a five wicket haul alongside Ajmal Shahzad's two wickets. Reservations still remain about the fifth bowling option with Wright and Collingwood sharing the duties yesterday but without Anderson, Bresnan and Swann. The danger is that without Morgan in the middle order and with Collingwood's lack of form with the bat we try to fit an extra batsman into the team and share the fifth bowler duties amongst part time bowlers. This would not be necessary as with Broad and Swann back and with Bresnan in the lower middle order our batting line up should be long enough to cope with Morgan's loss without having to sacrifice one of them.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
One sport I have never really got into is horse racing as the horse seemed to do all the hard work and aside from a few big names had the credit taken from them by the jockeys. I believed it to only be of interest to gamblers and if you had no money invested in a race then the sporting spectacle was somewhat diminished. That's not to say that moments of drama or sporting excellence can't occur but again they are more likely to revolve around the jockey as we can get involved with the back story for a tale of triumphing over the odds such as Bob Champion or one off displays like Frankie Dettori and his seven winners in a day. It is rarer for people outside those directly involved to get emotionally involved with the actual horses save for the very few exceptions that seep into the public consciousness like Nijinsky or Red Rum.
For all that everybody understands and feels for the two horses that died at Newbury yesterday after what is suspected to be an electric shock.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/9395743.stm
We can grasp this tragedy by the very nature of its unusualness and relate it to other incidents of people dying before their time. Any suggestions that this only goes to show that the sport is cruel to its equine competitors is ridiculous as this occurrence has nothing to do with the sport itself. For all that seeing horses being whipped during races as a teenager left me feeling uneasy and contributed to my antipathy but not enough to stop me having the obligatory flutter on the Grand National.
Hopefully the issue can be resolved swiftly and the necessary precautions put in place to prevent a repeat of this awful and bizarre incident.
For all that everybody understands and feels for the two horses that died at Newbury yesterday after what is suspected to be an electric shock.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/9395743.stm
We can grasp this tragedy by the very nature of its unusualness and relate it to other incidents of people dying before their time. Any suggestions that this only goes to show that the sport is cruel to its equine competitors is ridiculous as this occurrence has nothing to do with the sport itself. For all that seeing horses being whipped during races as a teenager left me feeling uneasy and contributed to my antipathy but not enough to stop me having the obligatory flutter on the Grand National.
Hopefully the issue can be resolved swiftly and the necessary precautions put in place to prevent a repeat of this awful and bizarre incident.
Friday, 11 February 2011
So West Ham have been given the nod that their bid to take over the Olympic Stadium once the 2012 festivities are over is successful. Complaints, particularly from Lord Sugar, that it would prove to be a white elephant and that the athletics track would spoil the atmosphere were dismissed for the petty whinings of someone who has interests with the other bid having been chairman of Tottenham Hotspur.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12424549
Football has become so obsessed with itself that it struggles to countenance the possibility of sharing its stadia with not only another sport but with another club. On the continent the fiercest of rivals are perfectly capable of ground sharing yet such a suggestion is anathema in this country where two teams in the same town would rather have two smaller stadia than pool resources for a larger communal venue for all the community.
The notion that the addition of an athletics track will move supporters further away from the action and thus somehow lessen the atmosphere is false as a ground's atmosphere is generated by the people inside not their relative position to the pitch otherwise supposedly the fans at the back of the stands would be quieter. If the stadium is full and the match is of enough interest then the fans will generate the atmosphere accordingly. To blame an inanimate object for supporters not cheering loudly enough is one of the worst excuses for a team's performance. It is not as if an athletics track is moving the stands so far away from the action to make visibility a problem as it will be no further away than e.g. watching a cricket match or even a field event at an athletics meet.
Certainly the West Ham bid has more going for it than the proposal from Spurs who want to take over the new ground, knock it down and build a new, new stadium without a track. Given that the stadium is in Stratford and therefore out of the Tottenham borough the whole bid seems a bit ill conceived especially as they have apparently got planning permission to rebuild at White Hart Lane. The point that giving the stadium to West Ham would leave a white elephant with nothing to remind people of the legacy is perverse as surely leaving the same stadium with the athletics track in tact is more of an Olympic legacy than walking past an even shinier football ground with a slightly improved athletics stadium at Crystal Palace.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12424549
Football has become so obsessed with itself that it struggles to countenance the possibility of sharing its stadia with not only another sport but with another club. On the continent the fiercest of rivals are perfectly capable of ground sharing yet such a suggestion is anathema in this country where two teams in the same town would rather have two smaller stadia than pool resources for a larger communal venue for all the community.
The notion that the addition of an athletics track will move supporters further away from the action and thus somehow lessen the atmosphere is false as a ground's atmosphere is generated by the people inside not their relative position to the pitch otherwise supposedly the fans at the back of the stands would be quieter. If the stadium is full and the match is of enough interest then the fans will generate the atmosphere accordingly. To blame an inanimate object for supporters not cheering loudly enough is one of the worst excuses for a team's performance. It is not as if an athletics track is moving the stands so far away from the action to make visibility a problem as it will be no further away than e.g. watching a cricket match or even a field event at an athletics meet.
Certainly the West Ham bid has more going for it than the proposal from Spurs who want to take over the new ground, knock it down and build a new, new stadium without a track. Given that the stadium is in Stratford and therefore out of the Tottenham borough the whole bid seems a bit ill conceived especially as they have apparently got planning permission to rebuild at White Hart Lane. The point that giving the stadium to West Ham would leave a white elephant with nothing to remind people of the legacy is perverse as surely leaving the same stadium with the athletics track in tact is more of an Olympic legacy than walking past an even shinier football ground with a slightly improved athletics stadium at Crystal Palace.
Monday, 7 February 2011
A few points:
Cricket: Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have received their punishment for spot fixing by the ICC with all three banned for at least five years with the former two having another five and two years suspended respectively. Curiously the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt vaguely described the outcome as regrettable without any reported explanation of whether the cheating or the sentences were giving him cause for regret.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/pakistan/9389867.stm
If their appeals are unsuccessful then it may mean the end of Butt and Asif's international careers as they will be in their 30s once they have served their ban and after being out of the game so long will find it difficult to break back into the Pakistan team. Amir will still only be 23 and his promising career may well be able to continue if he works hard enough which seems to reflect the mood at the time where the consensus seemed to be that he was immature and led astray.
England's one day series against Australia finally limped to an end with the visitors eventually losing 6-1 and managing to find defeat where victory looked certain. This feels slightly surreal now in the knowledge that this tour will go down as one of England's finest performances for winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years despite it seeming rather a long time ago now.
Football: Belatedly I know but I thought I should pay tribute to Gary Neville after he announced his retirement last week. He is one of those divisive figures who is adored by his own supporters but derided by opposition fans, though often with tongue in cheek as Liverpool fans demonstrated when filling his drive with empty milk bottles after Liverpool beat Manchester United in what used to be the Milk Cup.
One club players are a rarity nowadays so to have several at Manchester United is impressive, especially given that they have been performing at a consistently high level for so long. Such loyalty is always appreciated by the fans and whilst it may have been easy for Neville to stay as he supports the club himself and continued to win trophies there that in itself is not a guarantee that you will stay at the club as his brother and best friend can testify. Disappointingly there is still nobody who comes close to him for England but perhaps now is the time for someone to step from under his shadow.
Motor Racing: Thankfully surgery appears to have been successful so far on Robert Kubica after crashing in a rally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9389513.stm
From talk of losing his hand to mentioning that he may only miss the first few months of the Formula 1 season is an incredible turnaround and whilst the latter sounds optimistic, as he may even have reservations about racing for a while even if fully fit, it is a remarkable tribute to the medical team looking after him and a reminder of the dangers of the sport.
Cricket: Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have received their punishment for spot fixing by the ICC with all three banned for at least five years with the former two having another five and two years suspended respectively. Curiously the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt vaguely described the outcome as regrettable without any reported explanation of whether the cheating or the sentences were giving him cause for regret.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/pakistan/9389867.stm
If their appeals are unsuccessful then it may mean the end of Butt and Asif's international careers as they will be in their 30s once they have served their ban and after being out of the game so long will find it difficult to break back into the Pakistan team. Amir will still only be 23 and his promising career may well be able to continue if he works hard enough which seems to reflect the mood at the time where the consensus seemed to be that he was immature and led astray.
England's one day series against Australia finally limped to an end with the visitors eventually losing 6-1 and managing to find defeat where victory looked certain. This feels slightly surreal now in the knowledge that this tour will go down as one of England's finest performances for winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years despite it seeming rather a long time ago now.
Football: Belatedly I know but I thought I should pay tribute to Gary Neville after he announced his retirement last week. He is one of those divisive figures who is adored by his own supporters but derided by opposition fans, though often with tongue in cheek as Liverpool fans demonstrated when filling his drive with empty milk bottles after Liverpool beat Manchester United in what used to be the Milk Cup.
One club players are a rarity nowadays so to have several at Manchester United is impressive, especially given that they have been performing at a consistently high level for so long. Such loyalty is always appreciated by the fans and whilst it may have been easy for Neville to stay as he supports the club himself and continued to win trophies there that in itself is not a guarantee that you will stay at the club as his brother and best friend can testify. Disappointingly there is still nobody who comes close to him for England but perhaps now is the time for someone to step from under his shadow.
Motor Racing: Thankfully surgery appears to have been successful so far on Robert Kubica after crashing in a rally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9389513.stm
From talk of losing his hand to mentioning that he may only miss the first few months of the Formula 1 season is an incredible turnaround and whilst the latter sounds optimistic, as he may even have reservations about racing for a while even if fully fit, it is a remarkable tribute to the medical team looking after him and a reminder of the dangers of the sport.
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Quite a satisfactory start by England in the Six Nations to defeat Wales in the Millennium Stadium
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9386391.stm#top and England at last seem to be developing a new team out of the shadow of the 2003 generation. I heard somebody mention that it takes eight years to rebuild a team from past successes and that is proving about right despite England making the final in 2007 and this year's competition a little too soon for this latest incarnation. The 2007 result always felt like a bonus from a team in transition and going so far in the competition on the back of Jonny Wilkinson's boot hid a number of cracks. We were over reliant on Wilkinson and players such as Dallaglio and Robinson were coming to the end of their careers and as dependable as Martin Corry was as a player and captain, the impression was always that he was not Martin Johnson. This is probably unfair but he was always a substitute until Johnson retired along with Richard Hill and Neil Back and as he was not a young player starting out it meant we were weaker than we had been as well as losing Matt Dawson at scrum half where we have especially struggled to find a replacement.
Eventually younger players have come into the side so that Ben Youngs looks assured at scrum half with enough distance since Dawson last played to avoid comparisons and we have also settled on Toby Flood at fly half, who started out ass understudy to Wilkinson at Newcastle, but who was young enough to develop and who has matured enormously since the last Six Nations. A man of the match display this evening making all his kicks, picking up where he left off fro the autumn internationals. I must also commend Nick Easter who was another who I thought to be a good solid professional whose best position was on the bench who continues to put in international class performances, but the big difference is that England are also more clinical now and with Chris Ashton we have a player who can finish of moves by scoring those crucial tries.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9386391.stm#top and England at last seem to be developing a new team out of the shadow of the 2003 generation. I heard somebody mention that it takes eight years to rebuild a team from past successes and that is proving about right despite England making the final in 2007 and this year's competition a little too soon for this latest incarnation. The 2007 result always felt like a bonus from a team in transition and going so far in the competition on the back of Jonny Wilkinson's boot hid a number of cracks. We were over reliant on Wilkinson and players such as Dallaglio and Robinson were coming to the end of their careers and as dependable as Martin Corry was as a player and captain, the impression was always that he was not Martin Johnson. This is probably unfair but he was always a substitute until Johnson retired along with Richard Hill and Neil Back and as he was not a young player starting out it meant we were weaker than we had been as well as losing Matt Dawson at scrum half where we have especially struggled to find a replacement.
Eventually younger players have come into the side so that Ben Youngs looks assured at scrum half with enough distance since Dawson last played to avoid comparisons and we have also settled on Toby Flood at fly half, who started out ass understudy to Wilkinson at Newcastle, but who was young enough to develop and who has matured enormously since the last Six Nations. A man of the match display this evening making all his kicks, picking up where he left off fro the autumn internationals. I must also commend Nick Easter who was another who I thought to be a good solid professional whose best position was on the bench who continues to put in international class performances, but the big difference is that England are also more clinical now and with Chris Ashton we have a player who can finish of moves by scoring those crucial tries.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
League managers around Europe will be breathing a sigh of relief now that the transfer window has closed until the summer after what was one of the most hectic deadline days since the introduction of the window. The usual format is for some mid to lower teams to have a little panic buy but the big clubs to do little more than offload a few of their younger players out on loan having been more organized and done their dealing at the start of the window. That all went out of the window as Chelsea made a late bid for Fernando Torres setting off a sequence of scrabbling around as clubs reorganized accordingly, and players being transferred for unprecedented sums where Andy Carroll is now rated as the most valuable Englishman ever after Liverpool paid Newcastle £35million for his services from the £50million they received for Torres. Undoubtedly a lot of this counts as compensation as Newcastle were unable to find a replacement in time themselves, which poses the question why they did not have any targets lined up just in case or try to negotiate a swap or loan deal with Liverpool with e.g. David Ngog.
The influence of Manchester City and their dealings has been used as a possible reason for the late rush as clubs fear that if they heard of Chelsea's intentions they would try to hijack the bid and offer more. The increased transfer fee can't be a worry as again Chelsea will have had to pay an extra premium for leaving it so late but the fear that he may choose Man City has meant the have kept things close to their chest. This doesn't strictly follow due to the 25 man squad limit and Man City having already bought Dzeko (for £8miilion less than Carroll) but it certainly kept agents and the media outlets reporting on all the deals happy.
Only time will tell if they live up to such high price tags but there is a danger that they may believe they are truly worth that figure already despite not necessarily being that prominent just yet. Similarly, again at Man City they have spent a lot of money on players but just because you pay £20 odd million pond for a player does not make them a £20+ million player. Lescott, Milner and Barry are all players still on the fringes of or yet to convince for the England team and like Carroll will have to perform for their country as well as their clubs if fans are to believe they justify such prices. Complaints of extortionate prices in a recession do no good as players fetch what a club is willing to pay for them, but when a World Cup finalist like Rafael van der Vaart can have such a good season after costing Spurs £8milliion then questions will be asked of such valuable England players if their international performances don't improve.
The influence of Manchester City and their dealings has been used as a possible reason for the late rush as clubs fear that if they heard of Chelsea's intentions they would try to hijack the bid and offer more. The increased transfer fee can't be a worry as again Chelsea will have had to pay an extra premium for leaving it so late but the fear that he may choose Man City has meant the have kept things close to their chest. This doesn't strictly follow due to the 25 man squad limit and Man City having already bought Dzeko (for £8miilion less than Carroll) but it certainly kept agents and the media outlets reporting on all the deals happy.
Only time will tell if they live up to such high price tags but there is a danger that they may believe they are truly worth that figure already despite not necessarily being that prominent just yet. Similarly, again at Man City they have spent a lot of money on players but just because you pay £20 odd million pond for a player does not make them a £20+ million player. Lescott, Milner and Barry are all players still on the fringes of or yet to convince for the England team and like Carroll will have to perform for their country as well as their clubs if fans are to believe they justify such prices. Complaints of extortionate prices in a recession do no good as players fetch what a club is willing to pay for them, but when a World Cup finalist like Rafael van der Vaart can have such a good season after costing Spurs £8milliion then questions will be asked of such valuable England players if their international performances don't improve.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Andy Murray is obviously saving himself for Wimbledon! It's not the defeat per se that makes me feel so deflated as the manner. Right from the start Novak Djokovic looked ready and hungrier for the title whilst Murray looked out of place on the big stage. The really annoying thing is that he has no reason to fear the opponent or the occasion as he has earned the right to be there. The luck of the draw and a couple of good performances can see a decent player reach a Grand Slam final but Murray has now reached three and has beaten all the other top players in big tournaments at some time or other. He is a good player. He looked tense this morning which may be in part due to the increase in expectation as he was not playing Federer, but someone who he is apparently quite friendly with. This can only be used as experience now and the chances are that he will make other Slam finals and hopefully he can at least win a set. Who he might face in any future final is something he has no control over so it's no use worrying about that, only about his own game and ensure he is as prepared as he can be.
********************************
A bad day in Melbourne for Brits all round as England's batsmen again failed to impress with only one of those last wicket stands that provides a little light relief between Anderson and Finn the only batting highlight for England as the lost the series with two games still to play. Again the injury ravaged bowlers are doing their bit by bowling Australia out for 249 which was thought to be about 25 runs short of par with Chris Woakes impressing with 6-45 in only his second ODI. The first choice batsmen have played and failed throughout this series whereas the attack has only just seen Anderson return but are without Broad, Bresnan and Swann. Perhaps the new bowlers are more refreshed and feel they have something to prove but the same should also be the case for Eoin Morgan who did not feature in the test series but who has been disappointing so far. With only a few weeks to go before the World Cup England's selectors will be hoping that this is a blip although it would be nice to finish with a couple of wins here to try to gain some momentum going into the World Cup.
Overall rather a disappointing morning as I flicked between matches not to see what was happening in one sport but to avoid the let down of the other.
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A bad day in Melbourne for Brits all round as England's batsmen again failed to impress with only one of those last wicket stands that provides a little light relief between Anderson and Finn the only batting highlight for England as the lost the series with two games still to play. Again the injury ravaged bowlers are doing their bit by bowling Australia out for 249 which was thought to be about 25 runs short of par with Chris Woakes impressing with 6-45 in only his second ODI. The first choice batsmen have played and failed throughout this series whereas the attack has only just seen Anderson return but are without Broad, Bresnan and Swann. Perhaps the new bowlers are more refreshed and feel they have something to prove but the same should also be the case for Eoin Morgan who did not feature in the test series but who has been disappointing so far. With only a few weeks to go before the World Cup England's selectors will be hoping that this is a blip although it would be nice to finish with a couple of wins here to try to gain some momentum going into the World Cup.
Overall rather a disappointing morning as I flicked between matches not to see what was happening in one sport but to avoid the let down of the other.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Well after praising Caroline Wozniacki it was inevitable that she should lose her next match so I'll refrain from commenting on Andy Murray's chances as that too may have absolutely no impact whatsoever. I'm sure that as a top ranking professional he will be totally focused on his third final and the first that he won't face Federer. The pessimist in me fears that a small part of him will relax knowing that he faces Novak Djokovic and not Federer or Nadal to provide a great opportunity at winning his first major. Djokovic is ranked No. 3 in the world and thus ahead of Murray and has experience of winning this tournament before so is not to be dismissed lightly. For all the talk of when Murray was going to hold a major title and not if he now has to deliver as the opportunity of winning one gets harder as long as Federer and Nadal continue to dominate. Also the last time either of the top two players did not win one of the Grand Slam tournaments was the US Open in 2009 when Juan Martin del Potro, who is younger than Murray, beat the pair of them to win the title. The time before that was Djokovic's victory in Australia in 2008.
He may be unlucky to playing in a time when two greats are sharing Grand Slams between them but that would make any victory all the sweeter and mark him out as a true champion that might start to earn some more public recognition for his achievements so far. He would also pretty much be a shoe in for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year but that is probably not top of his to do list just yet.
He may be unlucky to playing in a time when two greats are sharing Grand Slams between them but that would make any victory all the sweeter and mark him out as a true champion that might start to earn some more public recognition for his achievements so far. He would also pretty much be a shoe in for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year but that is probably not top of his to do list just yet.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
How refreshing to find a sports person not be completely anodyne in a post match interview and add a bit of colour. Caroline Wozniacki has entertained in front of the press as well as on the court at the Australian Open ironically after accusations of being boring in previous encounters. Her first foray saw her complain that the criticism was unfair as she was simply replying to boring questions before conducting the interview herself and then opening up to a general Q&A session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ixOQK4Ja6c&feature=related
After this performance she claimed she had been scratched by a kangaroo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAW4c7qJu9w before retracting this the following day admitting that she got the scratch from walking into a treadmill http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/9370990.stm .
In the current age of professionalism where the same cliches are trotted out by interchangeable players Wozniacki is fast garnering a support base and increasing interest in tennis from people who may have become disheartened by the Williams sisters sharing major tournaments with Belgians. This is unfair but the rankings don't help when the No1 changes so frequently, with Wozniacki the latest to reach that spot without having won a major, that the casual tennis viewer has trouble identifying them all so that Venus and Serena Williams, along with Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters are the only household names. The more that can join this group the better but Wozniacki needs more than wisecracks and has to perform on the court as well otherwise she becomes nothing more than a sideshow. She has the talent as her World ranking indicates but she will need to win a major soon to justify that lofty position in the public's eye.
Tennis is by no means the only sport that have this curious situation where the No1 ranked player has yet to win a major tournament as Lee Westwood can testify in golf and I wonder if these events still want to be considered as majors whether the points awarded for winning one takes that into account and apportions more than are currently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ixOQK4Ja6c&feature=related
After this performance she claimed she had been scratched by a kangaroo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAW4c7qJu9w before retracting this the following day admitting that she got the scratch from walking into a treadmill http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/9370990.stm .
In the current age of professionalism where the same cliches are trotted out by interchangeable players Wozniacki is fast garnering a support base and increasing interest in tennis from people who may have become disheartened by the Williams sisters sharing major tournaments with Belgians. This is unfair but the rankings don't help when the No1 changes so frequently, with Wozniacki the latest to reach that spot without having won a major, that the casual tennis viewer has trouble identifying them all so that Venus and Serena Williams, along with Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters are the only household names. The more that can join this group the better but Wozniacki needs more than wisecracks and has to perform on the court as well otherwise she becomes nothing more than a sideshow. She has the talent as her World ranking indicates but she will need to win a major soon to justify that lofty position in the public's eye.
Tennis is by no means the only sport that have this curious situation where the No1 ranked player has yet to win a major tournament as Lee Westwood can testify in golf and I wonder if these events still want to be considered as majors whether the points awarded for winning one takes that into account and apportions more than are currently.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Well it's nice to see the England selectors following my advice (I still haven't quite fathomed how to write ironically without reading it back and thinking it may be mistaken for arrogance - hence this clumsy parenthesis) having picked Matt Prior as wicketkeeper for England. It is unfortunate that he has yet to score a run in two innings with England losing both games to go 3-0 down in the series. I would still maintain that he should not be opening and bat in his normal position: if we are really struggling to find an opening partner for Strauss after the numerous partners he has been paired with it may be worth letting Alistair Cook maintain his test place given the run of form he is currently in and that he has improved as a one day player since he last represented England in that format. Since Strauss came back into the team after succeeding Pietersen to the one day captaincy in the 2008/09 series against India he has been partnered by Prior, Davies, Kieswetter, Trott, Wright, Denly and Bopara and upto his return the openers consisted of a combination of Bell, Bopara, Cook and Mustard for the previous 18 months.
Such inconsistency has not helped England's cause although there is an "after the Lord Mayor's Show" feel about this series with the impression that England have relaxed somewhat after winning the Ashes. This is dangerous with the World Cup approaching if a little understandable. I wonder if tours would be better served if they had the one day series as the starter to whet the appetite of the main course that is the test series. If the public are not too full after that a couple of 20/20 games for dessert should provide a fun end to long tours.
Such inconsistency has not helped England's cause although there is an "after the Lord Mayor's Show" feel about this series with the impression that England have relaxed somewhat after winning the Ashes. This is dangerous with the World Cup approaching if a little understandable. I wonder if tours would be better served if they had the one day series as the starter to whet the appetite of the main course that is the test series. If the public are not too full after that a couple of 20/20 games for dessert should provide a fun end to long tours.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
I can't put my finger on the exact reason why but I just can't warm to Roger Federer. I accept that he is a wonderful tennis player and perhaps the fact that many commentators like to label him as the greatest player of all time is a factor as I always balk at such suggestions in any athlete when still playing. He appears a nice enough individual and despite the number of titles he has he still has the hunger to strive for more and continues to develop his game to further improve as the challenges he faces increase. And yet, I find him too professional and even though he shows enough emotion on the court I yearn for the flaw that makes him more human and less bland in interviews. I felt the same way about Pete Sampras in the 90s who was far to mechanical a player and not a player I could really cheer for. Now he's retired he comes across as more human and age also brings flaws as his receding hairline testifies (not that there is anything wrong with baldness).
He first appeared more human to me when he was mentioned in a surreal exchange in Father Ted after Dougal named his pet rabbit Sampras. Now Federer has taken over his antipathy crown in my eyes and any time he shows a fault it no longer makes him look more human but only compounds my feelings as demonstrated by his choice of attire when wearing gold piped clothing with monograms. Completely irrational but when individual sportspeople start winning all the time at starts to get boring. In team events there isn't a reliance so much on one person and while people will rail against the popular team that is more tribal. The athlete who dominates the sport like Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods and Stephen Hendry have done to varying degrees makes that sport less interesting to watch from a competitive point of view if they win all the time. When they retire or lose form the next generation continues to suffer as they compete in their shadow and it is when more than one great player at a time can challenge each other that makes the sport interesting. Perhaps I shall warm to Federer as he continues to be pushed by Rafael Nadal but I fear the damage may be done and whilst I may appreciate the matches I will probably root for Nadal in any match ups.
He first appeared more human to me when he was mentioned in a surreal exchange in Father Ted after Dougal named his pet rabbit Sampras. Now Federer has taken over his antipathy crown in my eyes and any time he shows a fault it no longer makes him look more human but only compounds my feelings as demonstrated by his choice of attire when wearing gold piped clothing with monograms. Completely irrational but when individual sportspeople start winning all the time at starts to get boring. In team events there isn't a reliance so much on one person and while people will rail against the popular team that is more tribal. The athlete who dominates the sport like Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods and Stephen Hendry have done to varying degrees makes that sport less interesting to watch from a competitive point of view if they win all the time. When they retire or lose form the next generation continues to suffer as they compete in their shadow and it is when more than one great player at a time can challenge each other that makes the sport interesting. Perhaps I shall warm to Federer as he continues to be pushed by Rafael Nadal but I fear the damage may be done and whilst I may appreciate the matches I will probably root for Nadal in any match ups.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
It is no great surprise to see Jose Maria Olazabel being named as Europe's captain for the Ryder Cup team in 2012 in Chicago but it remains a good choice nonetheless.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/9364427.stm
Apparently he is popular amongst the players, which is key, but he is also popular amongst fans aware of his Ryder Cup exploits as a player where he formed to all intents and purposes a Spanish double act alongside Seve Ballesteros. He also knows about winning major tournaments in the USA as a two time winner of the Masters the last of which in 1999 was the last European win in the States for nine years until Padraig Harrington won the PGA in 2008. Most of the European major winners from the 80s and 90s will have had a turn captaining in the Ryder Cup now except for the Scots Sandy Lyle and Paul Lawrie, the former of whom is possibly unlucky that he may now have missed his chance and the latter has yet to be seriously considered, perhaps many still believing that he did not so much win the Open in 1999 as Jean van der Velde lost it.
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Darren Bent's transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa for a reported £18 million rising to a possible £24 million has raised a few eyebrows as he leaves a team pushing for a European place for one in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle. Most commentators admit that money is the major factor in this move and that is undoubtedly the case but apparently he had a transfer request turned down in the summer. According to the unreliable source of a couple of season ticket holders at the Stadium of Light, Bent was upset when his mother was racially abused by some "supporters". If there is any truth to this rumour then it is strange that he would rather be thought of as another greedy footballer rather than bring to light an important issue that for all the campaigns has not yet been eradicated as some ignorant fools try to demonstrate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/9364427.stm
Apparently he is popular amongst the players, which is key, but he is also popular amongst fans aware of his Ryder Cup exploits as a player where he formed to all intents and purposes a Spanish double act alongside Seve Ballesteros. He also knows about winning major tournaments in the USA as a two time winner of the Masters the last of which in 1999 was the last European win in the States for nine years until Padraig Harrington won the PGA in 2008. Most of the European major winners from the 80s and 90s will have had a turn captaining in the Ryder Cup now except for the Scots Sandy Lyle and Paul Lawrie, the former of whom is possibly unlucky that he may now have missed his chance and the latter has yet to be seriously considered, perhaps many still believing that he did not so much win the Open in 1999 as Jean van der Velde lost it.
**************************
Darren Bent's transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa for a reported £18 million rising to a possible £24 million has raised a few eyebrows as he leaves a team pushing for a European place for one in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle. Most commentators admit that money is the major factor in this move and that is undoubtedly the case but apparently he had a transfer request turned down in the summer. According to the unreliable source of a couple of season ticket holders at the Stadium of Light, Bent was upset when his mother was racially abused by some "supporters". If there is any truth to this rumour then it is strange that he would rather be thought of as another greedy footballer rather than bring to light an important issue that for all the campaigns has not yet been eradicated as some ignorant fools try to demonstrate.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
After two defeats in a row in one day internationals to Australia does this constitute a crisis for the England cricket team. Worryingly some may seriously be asking that question, but while the results have been disappointing there are positives from the performances as well as areas that can be improved upon, hopefully in time for the World Cup. Shane Watson's outstanding innings was the difference today as England posted a respectable score without any batsmen going on to score a century and Kevin Pietersen getting some needed runs.
We still seem obsessed with opening with a wicketkeeper and while Steven Davies has been perfectly acceptable in that role he has not yet raised eyebrows in the way Craig Kieswetter did in the T20 World Cup last year. At the moment he is the current favourite but there has been quick rotation of keepers recently in all formats and I still wonder what Matt Prior has done wrong when the latest vogue is to keep as much of the test team together for the 50 over version of the game. He scores quickly enough for one dayers and is much improved behind the stumps, although his previous appearances were again as an opener and he would likely benefit from coming in further down the order.
Aside from Davies the only other one day specialists who did not feature in the test series playing today were Eoin Morgan who was back up batsman and who will probably replace Collingwood in the test team, Ajmal Shahzad who similarly was in the test squad and playing while Anderson and Broad are absent and Michael Yardy who has carved out a steady niche role for himself in the team and the one genuine specialist. Missing both Anderson and Broad may have cost England today as there was a lack of experience amongst the remaining fast bowlers as we did not take enough early wickets to put pressure on their batsmen - even more so as Collingwood was dropped thereby losing another bowling option. It was a brave decision to drop Collingwood and not something recent England teams would have done, preferring instead to stick with the status quo no matter how out of form they were.
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Nat Lofthouse retired from football long before I was born and comes from the era when my father was growing up but that does not mean that I am oblivious to his talents as a player. Aside from my father's history lessons I grew up catching glimpses of these mysterious legends that existed in black and white when everything seemed more innocent before we won the World Cup in that post war shadowland. The name of Nat Lofthouse rang out alongside those of Stanley Mathews, Tom Finney, Billy Wright and the Busby Babes as something special and some football show (often in the build up on FA Cup Final day) would occasionally provide a monochrome treat of these bygone times to educate the new generation. His passing at the age of 85 is a great loss to the game.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12201099
We still seem obsessed with opening with a wicketkeeper and while Steven Davies has been perfectly acceptable in that role he has not yet raised eyebrows in the way Craig Kieswetter did in the T20 World Cup last year. At the moment he is the current favourite but there has been quick rotation of keepers recently in all formats and I still wonder what Matt Prior has done wrong when the latest vogue is to keep as much of the test team together for the 50 over version of the game. He scores quickly enough for one dayers and is much improved behind the stumps, although his previous appearances were again as an opener and he would likely benefit from coming in further down the order.
Aside from Davies the only other one day specialists who did not feature in the test series playing today were Eoin Morgan who was back up batsman and who will probably replace Collingwood in the test team, Ajmal Shahzad who similarly was in the test squad and playing while Anderson and Broad are absent and Michael Yardy who has carved out a steady niche role for himself in the team and the one genuine specialist. Missing both Anderson and Broad may have cost England today as there was a lack of experience amongst the remaining fast bowlers as we did not take enough early wickets to put pressure on their batsmen - even more so as Collingwood was dropped thereby losing another bowling option. It was a brave decision to drop Collingwood and not something recent England teams would have done, preferring instead to stick with the status quo no matter how out of form they were.
***********************
Nat Lofthouse retired from football long before I was born and comes from the era when my father was growing up but that does not mean that I am oblivious to his talents as a player. Aside from my father's history lessons I grew up catching glimpses of these mysterious legends that existed in black and white when everything seemed more innocent before we won the World Cup in that post war shadowland. The name of Nat Lofthouse rang out alongside those of Stanley Mathews, Tom Finney, Billy Wright and the Busby Babes as something special and some football show (often in the build up on FA Cup Final day) would occasionally provide a monochrome treat of these bygone times to educate the new generation. His passing at the age of 85 is a great loss to the game.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12201099
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Somewhat predictably Lionel Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or which is an amalgam of their player of the year award and the Ballon d'Or.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9356019.stm
He was up against his Barcelona team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez who from a personal point of view I would rather have seen win. Without doubt Messi is one of the greatest players at the moment and many commentators would label him as the best in the World and it is hard to argue against that based on his domestic form with Barcelona. However if everybody has already made their subjective decision that he is the best in the World then that makes this award redundant as we can assume that he, or a select few at least, will always be guaranteed the prize. That is why I would rather some acknowledgement of actual achievements during the season as domestic trophies aside Messi won neither Champions League or World Cup. To simply look at his goalscoring record is unfair, no matter how impressive, as that rules out defenders and goalkeepers from the vote but then strikers tend to be disproportionate in such awards - the top goalscorer is often feted but not many keepers pick up a prize for most clean sheets in a tournament.
As World Cup winners Iniesta and Xavi were the star players in the best international team and it is hard to choose between the two with the former having the slight edge for scoring the winning goal in the final (decided by goals again but I never claimed they should be ignored).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9356019.stm
He was up against his Barcelona team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez who from a personal point of view I would rather have seen win. Without doubt Messi is one of the greatest players at the moment and many commentators would label him as the best in the World and it is hard to argue against that based on his domestic form with Barcelona. However if everybody has already made their subjective decision that he is the best in the World then that makes this award redundant as we can assume that he, or a select few at least, will always be guaranteed the prize. That is why I would rather some acknowledgement of actual achievements during the season as domestic trophies aside Messi won neither Champions League or World Cup. To simply look at his goalscoring record is unfair, no matter how impressive, as that rules out defenders and goalkeepers from the vote but then strikers tend to be disproportionate in such awards - the top goalscorer is often feted but not many keepers pick up a prize for most clean sheets in a tournament.
As World Cup winners Iniesta and Xavi were the star players in the best international team and it is hard to choose between the two with the former having the slight edge for scoring the winning goal in the final (decided by goals again but I never claimed they should be ignored).
Monday, 10 January 2011
It's far too early to judge how Kenny Dalglish will fare as Liverpool manager after one game only I get the feeling that we have been here before in more ways than one. A favoured son who has had success in the past as a manager comes back after a number of years out of the game only for it all to end in tears. He will most likely improve on their current position after replacing Roy Hodgson and the fans will certainly support him which may well give the players a lift. However, he is still in charge of the same underperforming team and supporters must be cautious of expecting too much too soon. He might not be Kevin Keegan but he may only be keeping the seat warm until the summer. The danger then is how the fans still perceive him as they may not welcome a new man if Dalglish does nothing disastrous and gets Liverpool into the top half of the table.
After watching the FA Cup highlights show on Saturday evening Matt Smith no doubt believe that Dalglish never played in the top flight of English football as he retired in 1990 before the Premiership started so it obviously doesn't count. During discussion of Blackpool's defeat he mentioned how it was their first year in the top flight whilst managing to acknowledge their "proud tradition in the cup". Granted it was 40 years ago when they were in the old Division 1 but that does not make this season their debut. He obviously meant their first season since the Premier League was formed in 1992/93 season but why deny that football existed prior to this point and simply mention that Blackpool last played in the top league in 1971. There seems to be a need to demarcate the modern game with the all seater stadia, huge wages and blanket coverage as somehow more relevant and the birth of the Premiership provides that neat cut off point despite a lot of overlap. It can keep things tidy and the differences are there to see eg the last winners of the old league championship were Leeds United who are still in the Championship only that is now a division lower. Conversely the first Premiership winners were Manchester United who had not won a league title for nearly quarter of a century and have not looked back since. Curiously until the other season the "Big Four" often referred to the same four teams that finished in the top four in varying orders but included Liverpool who have never won the Premier League and the only other team aside from Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal to have won it are Blackburn Rovers (then managed by Kenny Dalglish to come full circle).
After watching the FA Cup highlights show on Saturday evening Matt Smith no doubt believe that Dalglish never played in the top flight of English football as he retired in 1990 before the Premiership started so it obviously doesn't count. During discussion of Blackpool's defeat he mentioned how it was their first year in the top flight whilst managing to acknowledge their "proud tradition in the cup". Granted it was 40 years ago when they were in the old Division 1 but that does not make this season their debut. He obviously meant their first season since the Premier League was formed in 1992/93 season but why deny that football existed prior to this point and simply mention that Blackpool last played in the top league in 1971. There seems to be a need to demarcate the modern game with the all seater stadia, huge wages and blanket coverage as somehow more relevant and the birth of the Premiership provides that neat cut off point despite a lot of overlap. It can keep things tidy and the differences are there to see eg the last winners of the old league championship were Leeds United who are still in the Championship only that is now a division lower. Conversely the first Premiership winners were Manchester United who had not won a league title for nearly quarter of a century and have not looked back since. Curiously until the other season the "Big Four" often referred to the same four teams that finished in the top four in varying orders but included Liverpool who have never won the Premier League and the only other team aside from Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal to have won it are Blackburn Rovers (then managed by Kenny Dalglish to come full circle).
Saturday, 8 January 2011
The worry that Australia would somehow manage an incredible fightback or that even the weather would intervene to spoil England's party was thankfully misplaced as we claimed the Ashes 3-1 with all three victories won by an innings. This is far from a great Australia team but nevertheless the ruthless and professional way we have gone about three and a half of these tests is very encouraging. England have thrived under pressure with the defeat in Perth looking like an aberration that merely served to force the team to knuckle down more. This is a true team victory earned through planning and practice, where no individual is bigger than the team and all must work together for the cause. This may sound strange as long as Kevin Pieterson is in the team but the last 18 months have seen his importance fade as he was out of form and others picked up the baton. This initially started when England won their first one day trophy with the World Twenty20 title and players such as Craig Kieswetter and Eoin Morgan outshone KP in the attacking batsmen stakes to show that we were not solely reliant on him. This personality cult can sometimes hinder the team that are over reliant on the star name and try to build the team around him. It may work for a while but if he gets injuries like Flintoff did then that team can lose its way. Yes the current team have good players but crucially everybody contributed something at some point in this series with the possible exception of Paul Collingwood who was out of form with the bat but whose fielding remained as excellent as usual.
On Collingwood's retirement from tests I wish him well and hope he continues to play in the one day format for a time yet. A cynic may suggest that he jumped before he was pushed and can now concentrate on earning money in the IPL but many sportspeople before him have never known when their time is up and it is a brave man who acknowledges that it is time to step aside before the selectors tell you. Collingwood is characterised as the doughty middle order batsmen who won't throw his wicket away and that is true but he was (and still is) more than that in that when the situation required he could score quickly and could pace an innings superbly. He reminds me of Shiv Chanderpaul during ODIs in that they seem to start slowly but once in are adept at picking the pace up as their innings progresses. Added to that his more than useful bowling with his cutters proving difficult to score off in the shorter form of the game and his quite brilliant fielding with some stunning catches in his archive and England are losing a good, honest cricketer who won't be as easy to replace than first thought.
A quick mention too of Shane Warne's predictor. As good and accurate a bowler he was seems to be in inverse proportion to his ability to talent spot emerging cricketers. His latest "find" Michael Beer does not look as though he is about to set the world alight just yet even if he does turn out to be a dependable spinner. Warne's previous tip that England's next big star and the player they needed to get into the team from a couple of years ago was Dmitri Mascheranas who has yet to fulfill Warne's promise. How he continues to do well at poker remains a mystery.
On Collingwood's retirement from tests I wish him well and hope he continues to play in the one day format for a time yet. A cynic may suggest that he jumped before he was pushed and can now concentrate on earning money in the IPL but many sportspeople before him have never known when their time is up and it is a brave man who acknowledges that it is time to step aside before the selectors tell you. Collingwood is characterised as the doughty middle order batsmen who won't throw his wicket away and that is true but he was (and still is) more than that in that when the situation required he could score quickly and could pace an innings superbly. He reminds me of Shiv Chanderpaul during ODIs in that they seem to start slowly but once in are adept at picking the pace up as their innings progresses. Added to that his more than useful bowling with his cutters proving difficult to score off in the shorter form of the game and his quite brilliant fielding with some stunning catches in his archive and England are losing a good, honest cricketer who won't be as easy to replace than first thought.
A quick mention too of Shane Warne's predictor. As good and accurate a bowler he was seems to be in inverse proportion to his ability to talent spot emerging cricketers. His latest "find" Michael Beer does not look as though he is about to set the world alight just yet even if he does turn out to be a dependable spinner. Warne's previous tip that England's next big star and the player they needed to get into the team from a couple of years ago was Dmitri Mascheranas who has yet to fulfill Warne's promise. How he continues to do well at poker remains a mystery.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Well barring a ridiculous second innings collapse England should have done enough to ensure that they can't lose the final test leading as they do by over 200 runs with 3 first innings wickets left and two days to play and thus win the series. Last nights play seemed to epitomise the mental toughness that this team have acquired in the last year or so whereas older versions of England would have seen us bowled out for a similar score to Australia leaving plenty of time for them to set us a tricky target in the final innings. Alistair Cook in particular has had the series of his life and it was a relief of sorts to see Ian Bell's general improvement rewarded with his first century against Australia despite the controversy. He was well within his rights to refer the decision that he was caught when on 67 only the delay taken indicating that he thought he was out and having seen the vulnerability of the technology thought he would try his luck which appeared more fallible than the umpire. Unsportsmanlike accusations fall on deaf ears when the opposition seldom walk and claim wickets that aren't and whilst it may leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth, the pressures and importance of the modern game create less honesty as fear of losing ones place and the lucrative benefits that may offer (eg 20/20 contracts) make a player cling on to what they can. The technology is continually improving so that these errors are rare and it is surely better than previously when no recourse to appeal obvious howlers was available and if hotspot showed nothing then the benefit of the doubt goes to the batsman. What may happen is that hotspot in its current form is not deemed effective enough and not used in future series as this is not the first occasion that snickometer has detected something that hotspot did not only the Aussies did not kick up as much fuss when they were the beneficiaries.
Monday, 3 January 2011
Listening to my car radio yesterday just before the Old Firm derby kicked off and I was moved by how the minute's silence was superbly observed. To mark the tragedy of 40 years ago when 66 people lost their lives at Ibrox (as well as a tribute to the death of Avi Cohen who appeared for Rangers) there was apparently talk of holding a minute's applause.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12083091
This modern tribute has made a recent appearance and works at drowning out unsavoury elements in the crowd intent on spoiling the occasion. When I first heard it the crowd clapped for George Best and it worked and felt an appropriate way to mark his life and career. However, for honouring tragedies such as that on Stairway 13 then silence is the only proper mark of respect and in what is arguably one of the most intense rivalries in British sport it was heartening to hear nothing but an overhead helicopter and some seagulls. Some things are more important than petty local tribal sporting issues and yesterday both Rangers and Celtic fans did the city of Glasgow and the sport of football proud.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12083091
This modern tribute has made a recent appearance and works at drowning out unsavoury elements in the crowd intent on spoiling the occasion. When I first heard it the crowd clapped for George Best and it worked and felt an appropriate way to mark his life and career. However, for honouring tragedies such as that on Stairway 13 then silence is the only proper mark of respect and in what is arguably one of the most intense rivalries in British sport it was heartening to hear nothing but an overhead helicopter and some seagulls. Some things are more important than petty local tribal sporting issues and yesterday both Rangers and Celtic fans did the city of Glasgow and the sport of football proud.
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