Johnny Silk Sport

Bale soaring high

2012-01-31T16:25:00.001-08:00

There was an unfortunate statistic being bandied about at the time: if he played, his team didn't win. That team were Spurs and that much maligned player was Gareth Bale.

The Welshman had been at the club for more than two years before that statistic was finally broken. Admittedly he was injured for a sizeable proportion of his early time at the club but it was indicative of his, and his club's, form following his £7 million move from Southampton in the summer of 2007.

Manchester United were amongst a string of suitors that summer and how they must be ruing that missed opportunity now as his value has soar towards the £50 million mark. In fact, the biggest compliment that could be paid to him in his current form is that he would grace any team in the world, including the current Barcelona side.

Bale's, and his club's, last three years have seen a dramatic turnaround. From bottom of the table under Juande Ramos, to Champions League quater-finalists and now title contenders under Harry Redknapp. This has been ably assisted by the rise of the full-back turned winger.

One of the most memorable moments of last season was the way Bale tore apart the widely best recognised right-back in the world, Inter Milan's Maicon, both in the San Siro as he scored a hat-trick and then again back at White Lane, as the home crowd mocked the Brazilian with the chant 'taxi for Maicon'.

Last night his two goals against bottom club Wigan Athletic were exquisite and perhaps only Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo could have scored them in world football today.

It is inevitable he will leave Tottenham one day, but probably not this summer. He certainly has the character and quality to grace one of Spain's top two clubs, Real Madrid and the aforementioned Barcelona, it is extremely unlikely he will remain in this country.

For now, though, it is Spurs who will be the grateful recipient of his goals and assists as they seek an unlikely Premiership crown.

Manchester United XI of the Fergie era

2011-11-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

25 years ago today I was sat having my breakfast. It was a Thursday morning and Manchester United were recovering from the embarrassment of a 5-0 League Cup defeat at Southampton. Ron Atkinson was sacked as a result and the radio that I was listening to announced something that would change the Old Trafford's outfit forever. Alex Ferguson, the Scot who had dismantled the Glasgow monopoly of Scottish football with Aberdeen, was to become the new manager of Britain's biggest club.

Ferguson's mission south of the border was to knock Liverpool off their perch, just like he had done to Rangers and Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

However, after three trophy-less years, that ambition seemed as far away as ever. Liverpool continued to dominate and United were struggling in mid-table. During a 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace one fan unfurled a banner stating: "3 YEARS OF EXCUSES AND IT'S STILL CRAP … TA RA FERGIE."

Just a few weeks later a 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round gave Ferguson some respite and was the beginning of an upturn in fortunes. Mark Robins' goal set them on the way to Wembley. Many have suggested that game against Forest was the one, and more specifically, Robins' neat headed finish, saved Fergie's job. United went on to beat Crystal Palace in the final after a replay.

The rest, as they say, is history. And to add to Ferguson's mirth, Liverpool began to decline, and have yet to stem the tide of trophies heading to Old Trafford.

So, the big question is after t 25 years at the helm, who would make a Fergie XI. Well here goes my best efforts at separating Vidic from Stam, Cantona from Van Nistelrooy...

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel

The great Dane at just £550,00 proved to be one of the bargains of the century. He went on to become the greatest goalkeeper of his generation, culminating in captaining the side to that memorable Champions League success in 1999.

Right back: Gary Neville

One of the easier choices. Red Nev was a mainstay of the United defence for the best part of 15 years.

Left back: Denis Irwin

Irwin was Mr Reliable. He was an outstanding defender and would occasionally pop up with the odd goal from a free kick or penalty.

Centre back: Rio Ferdinand

Probably the world's best defender over the last ten years.

Centre back: Nemanja Vidic

The second half of the famous Ferdinand-Vidic defensive axis, Vidic is now the club captain.

Right midfield: Cristiano Ronaldo

66 league goals, three league titles and one Champions League in his last three years at the club make him a certainty for this team.

Centre midfield: Roy Keane

The first name on the teamsheet for almost ten years says it all. Any queries, just watch that performance in Turin against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final of 1999. The fact that he received a booking that meant he could not play in the final makes his performance all the more remarkable.

Centre midfield: Paul Scholes

Nicknamed 'SatNav' by his team-mates due to his unerring accuracy with his passes, one of the biggest compliments that he could be paid came from Pep Guardiola. The Barcelona coach said the little maestro was the United player he would most like to have at the Nou Camp.

Left midfield: Ryan Giggs

20 years marching up and down the wing of one of Europe's top clubs. Need I say more?

Forward: Wayne Rooney

Rooney has gone from potential to one of the world's most feared attackers in the modern game.

Forward: Eric Cantona

The catalyst for United's success. A £1.2 million purchase from Leeds United and was a crucial part of the first four Premier League titles of the Fergie era. The influence he had over the younger players is much underestimated to this day.

Brits Abroad

2011-10-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

With the first anniversary of the Wayne Rooney saga on the horizon was it really conceivable that the boy from Croxteth really could have ended up plying his trade away from these shores? 

Culture vulture: Rooney's refuelling away from the pitch

"Una mas cerveza y uno vino tinto, por favor," he uttered to the bar person, according to the Guardian back in 2003. This was not an expert linguist flexing his oral muscles but a footballer. A Scouser, no less. Steve McManaman moved to Real Madrid and acclimatised well and, though not fluent, managed to reach a decent level in Spanish. 

McManaman was the first British player to win the Champions League twice, both with Real, and, according to much of the mass media a few months ago, Wayne Rooney was destined to follow in the footsteps of his fellow Liverpudlian by making the bold move to La Liga.

The Manchester United striker was linked with a record-breaking transfer to Barcelona. This rumour followed Christiano Ronaldo's plea in the Sun to "come and join me" at Real Madrid just one year before. So, was the England international really set to make the ambitious move abroad? Could you really have imagined him lapping up the delicacies that another European country has to offer? Some may have found this hard to believe. They are more accustomed to seeing Rooney as a typical English tourist in the Catalan capital, wandering down La Rambla wearing a vest and shorts, donning a lobster coloured tan, rather than enjoying the local tapas and learning the language.

If he had made the move he would not have been the first to do so. That accolade belongs to Herbert Kilpin, who played for FC Torinese in 1891, then for Mediolanum Milano from 1898 to 1900 and Milan from 1900-07.

Kilpin's defining moment, though, came in a wine shop in Tuscany at the end of the 19th century when, along with two friends, he founded the Milan Cricket and Football club. They have since taken on the more familiar guise of AC Milan and they have the English flag of Saint George in the club emblem.

Paul Gascoigne, to whom Rooney is so often compared due to having the same innate ability aligned with a natural tendency to court off the field controversies, did make the move abroad and he enjoyed a modicum of success, the highlight being when he scored the winner for Lazio in the Rome derby.

Gazza-tta dello Sport: James Richardson speaks fondly of Gazza

Gazza, as he was affectionately known, was something of a phenomenon to the Italian public. James Richardson, who presented Football Italia on Channel 4 throughout the 1990s, explains: "The Gazza thing was extraordinary. He was even talked about in parliament. It was like an alien had arrived on earth. He was a completely different kind of person to what they (the Italians) were used to. Maybe because he was more the image they had of a football supporter, yet he was a player, and I think that was why he was so popular with the supporters."
And it was not just fans of the club he played for that loved him. "I remember being in his car in Rome," Richardson continued. "And fans on scooters were banging on the window saying 'Hey Gazza, hey Gazza' and they were Roma fans. For Roma fans to salute a Lazio player just doesn't happen."

Richardson, who now presents the Football Weekly podcast for the Guardian, was keen to emphasise that Gascoigne had a good time in the Italian capital. He said: "I think he enjoyed himself. It was a very mad lifestyle that he had because of his celebrity, because he was who he was - a bit of a fish out of water in some ways. He made a lot of friends, though."

Italian friends? "Yes, some at the club and his minder, Gianni. People were quite loyal to him because he's a guy who inspires a lot of loyalty and sympathy because he's a very warm, open guy. At the time we thought 'ok, he's not the most practical but that's why we love him'."

Richardson got on well with the ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United midfielder. "I used to film with him on a Thursday and sometimes we would go out afterwards."

Gazza was surprisingly cultured and the bilingual journalist was taken aback. Richardson added: "I remember the first time I heard him speak Italian. I was shocked. He eschewed things like grammar but his vocabulary was quite good."

There are on the field differences between Italian and British football that not every ex-pat can get used to. Richardson illustrates perfectly the difference in footballing ethos between the two countries when he told an interesting anecdote regarding an un-named British export to the peninsular. He said: "There was one player who played a game in the south of Italy and he was astonished when, before the game kicked off, everyone agreed, including the opponents, that a draw would be the result of the game. The opposing captain came in to the dressing room, prior to kick off, to confirm that it was ok (a draw) and everyone agreed, except said footballer who said he wanted to play for the win. 45 minutes later he was substituted due to his ambitious play, i.e. overlapping a winger and taking players on."
John Charles proved to be the perfect export where he plundered goal after goal for Juventus in the sixties, assisting the Turin-based club to three Serie A titles.

When asked who he believed made the biggest impact Richardson said: "Paul Ince and David Platt were two that really stood out."

Platt is not a surprise to be amongst Richardson's choices given that he played for three different clubs - Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria - throughout the nineties, scoring goals aplenty from midfield. In addition, he accumulated a whopping £17.4m worth of transfer fees whilst in Italy and he managed to learn the language which.

Plumping for Ince is somewhat more of a surprise given that, prior to moving from Manchester United to Inter Milan for £7 million, the move appeared risky on the Italian outfit's part due to Ince's combative nature, combined with the strict, no-nonsense refereeing on the peninsular.

However, Ince adapted well but, of course, it has not always been plain sailing for our footballers abroad. Take Darius Vassell's plight when moving to Turkish outfit Ankaragucu in 2009. Around 3,000 fans greeted his arrival by dancing and singing at the capital city's airport.

Things soon turned sour for the former Manchester City forward when the club encountered financial difficulties. Subsequently, the Ankara based club were unable to foot the bill for the player's hotel. However, it is not known if Vassell was consigned to the streets or not.

Beanz Meanz Heinz: Ian Rush refutes suggestions he had baked beans shipped out to him in Turin

Ian Rush had his problems on the field following a multi-million pound move to Italian side Juventus in the mid-eighties. The move proved unsuccessful for the Welshman as he failed to find the back of the net as frequently as he had done for Liverpool. Rush allegedly complained that his Italian experience was "like living in a foreign country".

Rush denies ever making that comment, though. He said: "People who say that I said that are lying. It was Kenny Dalglish who said that when he was asked by the press what it was like for me in Italy. Kenny was joking and the press twisted it as if it was me."

It has been reported that the former Welsh international striker had baked beans shipped out to him as he went in search of home comforts but he says that could not be further from the truth. "One of the things I liked most was the food in Italy. It was fantastic."

So where did it all go wrong? "I didn’t like the style of play. It didn’t suit me. The football was very negative compared to what I was used to at Liverpool. It’s only when you leave a club like Liverpool you realise the grass is not always greener."

David Platt, who James Richardson spoke highly of, had a very different experience to Rush during his time in Italy. Platt succeeded where many of his British predecessors failed — he managed to learn the language. This would appear to be a crucial aspect to any footballer’s life when living abroad.

Gary Lineker sampled life in Spain with Barcelona and then Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight. He felt it was imperative to learn the lingo.

Lineker told the website cilt.org.uk: "My wife and I learnt Spanish and Japanese when I played at Barcelona and Nagoya. We spent hours and hours in tuition – yet we could have learnt either language at school. Modern languages prepare you for modern life." 

The Match of the Day presenter added: "I've really enjoyed learning Spanish and Japanese. Getting to grips with a new language can be great fun and you learn so much about other people and what makes them tick. Immersing yourself in the culture is critical to making it work abroad." 

Former Scotland manager, Craig Brown, was in agreement. He oversaw the international careers of Paul Lambert, who enjoyed Champions League success with Borussia Dortmund, and John Collins, who starred for Monaco. Brown said to the same website: "Paul Lambert and John Collins learned the required German and French languages very quickly. As a consequence, their children are bilingual and the players settled easily into their environments."

Germany appears to be a happy hunting ground for our footballers as Lambert (Dortmund), Tony Woodcock (FC Cologne and Fortuna Cologne) and Kevin Keegan (SV Hamburg) have illustrated.

Claus Melchior, co-founder of German fanzine Der Toedliche Pass, enthused: "Lambert was quite popular and is still revered in Dortmund, I believe."

And he offered an interesting side effect of Keegan’s three years at SV Hamburg: "Kevin is also still a very popular first name and I think Keegan started that trend."

Then there is the case of David Beckham, who moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2003.

Arguably England’s most famous footballer ever, ‘Becks’ endured mixed fortunes during his spells with Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and AC Milan but, whilst in Spain, ‘Los Madridistas’ were appreciative of his efforts as he helped them win La Liga in his final year at the club.

Having Real and AC on your CV is an admirable achievement no matter who you are.

Whether Rooney will join this select band of footballers who ply their trade on the continent is unlikely but what is apparent is that if you make the effort to familiarise yourself with your surroundings, you can definitely reap the benefits and improve as a footballer. Perhaps England, as well as Rooney, would prosper from such a career move.

Premier League Preview

2011-08-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

The most controversial scribings since the Satanic Verses sees the return of my Premier League predictions for the season. Heavily criticised this time last year for predicting Manchester United would win the title with a little help from Javier Hernandez, my crystal ball still seems to be in fine working order...

The bottom half of the table is certainly much tougher to predict than the top half with 8 or 9 clubs what I would describe as relegation candidates.

20th Swansea

A swift return from whence they came for the Swans but not without some entertainment en route. Brendan Rogers will win many friends but not enough points.

19th Queens Park Rangers

A lack of summer investment and continued uncertainty surrounding Neil Warnock will mean it is going to be a long, and tough, season ahead for last season's Championship winners.

18th Blackburn Rovers

Rondaldinho and Kaka have yet to appear at Ewood Park, and even if they do show up they won't be able to prevent Rovers' exit from the Premier League as the Venky's will end up looking like turkeys for employing Steve Kean, who might well be the first managerial casualty of the new season. Come back Big Sam, all is forgiven?

17th Norwich City

Tempting to add the Canaries to a triumvirite of promoted teams returning to the Championship but I believe in the star quality of the manager. He has resisted the temptation to bring in players with Premier League experience and gone with the policy that has seen him gain promotion in two consecutive seasons - acquiring young, hungry players.

16th Newcastle United

A club that continues to be undermined by off the field troubles will just avoid the drop, mainly due to the astute acquisition of Demba Ba from West Ham United. He should be able to provide the goals to stave of the threat of relegation but whether he will keep his manager in a job is another question, though the strange decision to award a five year contract may mean Alan Pardew remains.

15th Wigan Athletic

Two reasons for thinking Wigan will avoid the troubles of last season: Hugo Rodallega and Roberto Martinez. The Spanish manager and his side really seemed to turn a corner towards the end of last season and I anticipate that form continuing into this season, though an opening day defeat to relegation rivals Norwich could alter things somewhat. Mind you, they lost 4-0 at home to Blackpool on the opening day last season and still survived.

14th Wolverhampton Wanderers

Roger Johnson's arrival should help cure their main problem last season of conceding soft goals. If they could add better form against the teams around them to their fine displays against the top six, they might just end up in the top half. It is more likely they will be embroiled in a relegation fight once more, but this time they might just secure their top flight status with a week or two to spare.

13th Bolton Wanderers

A couple of weeks ago they would have been top half certainties but an injury to the South Korean Lee Chung-Yong ruling him out for the season, aligned with Stuart Holden's prolonged absence, means Owen Coyle's side might just find it tough going this season. Keeping Gary Cahill should mean they'll be fine, though.

12th Fulham

May find their Europa League exploits prove to be a hinderance but Martin Jol will still continue the tradition of Fulham being a mid-table Premier League side. No signings but no sales either is not such a bad a summer for the Cottagers.

11th West Bromwich Albion

Since taking over at the beginning of the year, the job Roy Hodgson's done has been nothing short of miraculous. Ben Foster will be an improvement on Scott Carson between the sticks and with Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie up front goals will not be hard to come by.

10th Stoke City

The Potters continue to impress with their activity in the transfer market, with mooted moves for Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios a sign of their intentions. If they can keep Jonathan Woodgate fit, and their wingers Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington, they might just pick up a trophy.

9th Aston Villa

Severely under-performed last season with Gerard Houllier at the helm when they were relegation contenders for long periods, the Villains should be pushing for a European spot this season with the talent at their disposal. Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Brad Friedel will be missed but Charles N'Zogbia and Shay Given aren't bad replacements. New boss Alex McLeish desperately needs to get off to a good start, though, to dispell the doubters who will no doubt be on his back at the first available opportunity.

8th Sunderland

No less than ten arrivals this summer should mean an improvement on last season's tenths place, despite the loss of Jordan Henderson. Lee Dixon has tipped them as his dark horses for the season. Will also be on the hunt for a trophy to rub salt into the wounds of their bitter rivals Newcastle.

7th Everton

Coleman, Cahill, Jagielka, Fellaini, Arteta, Rodwell, Distin, Phil Neville, Baines. These are players that would get into most Premier League teams. Sadly it all goes wrong once you get to the top end of the pitch - Beckford, Yakubu, Anichebe would struggle to get into Championship teams. Louis Saha is the exception but he is rarely fit. Last year's top score was midfielder Tim Cahill with nine goals. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out where they need to improve.

6th Tottenham Hotspur

If Luka Modric stays Spurs might just be pushing for a Champions League spot come next May but you suspect a striker will need to be added to the ranks for that to happen. However, given Harry's penchant for whealing and dealing you wouldn't rule out a deadline day capture in this area.

5th Liverpool

Many are predicting a return to the top four for Liverpool but it might just take a time for the new guys to settle in. In addition, the continued absence of Steven Gerrard and the decline of Jamie Carragher look set to undermine the brilliance of Luis Suarez.

4th Arsenal

Despite the doom mongers saying this is the end for Arsene Wenger and his team I still expect a top four finish, as well as a good run in the Champions League this season. A midfielder and a centre half are still required but there are still three weeks left of the transfer window. They need to keep Gibbs, Vermaalen and Van Persie fit but if they do things might be even better than I'm predicting and that elusive wait for a trophy just might come to an end.

3rd Chelsea

Really difficult one to call. They could be as high as first, or as low as fifth. So I went for in the middle. They might just pip Man City for second if they can secure Luka Modric's signature. A Champions League Final appearance cannot be ruled out either but they need an answer to the Fernando Torres conundrum and they need it fast.

2nd Manchester City

Despite an underwhelming performance in last weekend's Community Shield they should finish in the top two and make the last eight of the Champions League. Aguero will turn out to be one of the League's star performers but it might take him a few weeks to find his feet. By which time Manchester United might just be beyond reach.

1st Manchester United

Phil Jones and Ashley Young will no doubt improve an already impressive squad but doubts remain around the new goalkeeper, David De Gea, and a failure to replace Paul Scholes. A 20th title still looks likely, though, as their rivals have shown few signs they are capable of bridging the gap. Further disappointment in the Champions League is likely where they can expect a semi-final appearance at best.

"The best day of my life" Djokovic proclaims upon winning Wimbledon

2011-07-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon for the first time in a four set thriller against Rafael Nadal.

After a few wobbles the Serbian closed the match out 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 to be the first man to beat Nadal at SW19 since 2007.

He didn't have it all is own way, though, in a match that had more swings than the local park. But he never expected it to be against one of the best players of all time. Few can doubt, however, that his victory was well deserved and Nadal acknowledged as much afterwards.

All the talk beforehand was whether Djokovic was a rightful world number one, particularly if, as was likely, he would lose to Nadal, whom the Serb was usurping at the top of the rankings.
The first nine games went with serve as both players demonstrated their awesome power and the set was heading inexorably towards a tie-break. But then Djokovic broke in the blink of an eye.

What followed was some of the best tennis of the Serbian's career as his forehand winners left the Spaniard dumfounded. He broke his opponent twice en route to winning the second set 6-1 and there seemed no way back for the outgoing world number one. Djokovic won an impressive eight games out of nine and there was something irrepressible about the way he was playing.

On top of that, Nadal didn't seem to be at his best. At one stage he had won just 20% of his second serves and was committing the kind of unforced errors we normally associate with his opponents.

However, Nadal didn't get to where he is today by giving in easily and he fought back in only the way he can. He was ably assisted by mistakes from Djokovic as the number two seed seemed to tense up with the finishing line in sight.

Nadal started to give out the kind of treatment he was receiving in the previous set as he crushed his opponent 6-1 to take the match into a fourth set. Djokovic chose the worst time to make his first double fault of the match as he faced break point and seemed to be relieved the when the set came to an end.

The crowd were now really getting behind the man from Mallorca as they were desperate for a deciding set. Nadal could see history beckoning as no man in the modern era has recovered from two sets down in a Wimbledon final.

Djokovic, though, had other ideas and broke his opponent early in the fourth set. He seemed set for his third grand slam victory.

However, once again he let it slip as Nadal responded immediately with a break of his own, albeit ably assisted by a net cord when a backhand return had the temerity to hit the net before trickling over to Djokovic's disbelief. The fortune and form were now firmly in the double Wimbledon champion's court.

Just as a fifth set seemed likely, back came Djokovic. Nadal opened with a double fault in the eighth game and was down 0-40 before he knew it. Nadal won the next point but not even he could get out of jail this time.

Serving for the match the audience began to wonder if Djokovic could hold his serve, as well as his nerve, one more time and he didn't disappoint.

Upon winning, he said: "This is the best day of my life and the best game I have ever played on grass." And now he's the new world number one. "This has certainly been a good day at the office."

The game may not have had the consistent quality of the 2007 and 2008 finals between Roger Federer and Nadal but there is a feeling that we are beginning to see the start of a new rivalry at the top of men's tennis. At the moment the advantage is clearly with Djokovic in that tug-of war.

Federer v Nadal. Game, set, match?

2011-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

The dust has long since settled and Switzerland's Roger Federer has achieved an unprecedented 16 Grand Slam titles, overtaking Pete Sampras' previous best of 14. The Swiss also holds the record for most consecutive weeks as the world's number one, 237. With all this in mind, surely he is the greatest of all time?

Ace: But Nadal has the Indian sign over Federer

Federer can also lay claim to the fact that he has won all four of the Grand Slams, something only six others have done in the history of the game.

While there are several reasons to suggest he is the greatest, there is one over-riding argument against it - Rafael Nadal is better. Until he overcomes Nadal, which now appears unlikely as Federer enters the autumn of his career, doubts will persist as to his true claim to be the best ever.

For a start, the Spaniard is one of the six who has won each of the slams on offer.

And Despite Federer’s record-breaking period as world number one, the rankings can frequently giving a false reading. Much depends on fitness as, when injured, a player accrues no points, whereas even the less talented players can gain points just by playing and winning the occasional match. This contributes towards the quirks regularly on offer in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) rankings. Take note of the Williams sisters’ bizarre rankings of 17 and 29, respectively, in the women's latest list.

It is highly unlikely we would even be talking about Federer's feats had Nadal stayed fit throughout Federer’s period of domination. Mallorca-born Nadal would undoubtedly have won last year’s French Open, something he had done for the previous four years (beating Federer en route to victory on each occasion), but for a knee injury curtailing his progress early on in the tournament. Admittedly, Federer was there to pick up the pieces to win at Roland Garros for the first time, but he has never even come close to defeating Nadal on clay, with the exception of a fortuitous win in Hamburg two years ago.

When we look at the last three years at Wimbledon, a pattern becomes clear. Remember, grass is Federer's strongest surface and therefore the courts of SW19 are ideally suited to the man from Basel.

In 2007 he came through to win the title against Nadal in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Rafa was on top until a knee injury prevented him from performing at his best for the final dozen or so games and Federer managed to take full advantage of his opponent’s disability.

In 2008 Nadal not only outplayed his opponent by putting in the performance of his life, but displayed arguably the greatest tennis performance in the history of the game to beat Federer in that memorable final.

And then to 2009, Federer had been on the wane for the previous 12 months with his record against Nadal deteriorating further still. Their current head to head in Grand Slams stands at 9-6 in the Spaniard's favour, with Nadal winning five of the last six meetings. But those statistics are put into greater perspective when you look at their head to head in Grand Slams, where Nadal leads 5-2, winning the last three in a row.

So it is difficult to imagine Federer winning another grand slam with a fully fit Nadal in opposition.

Even though Federer won Wimbledon in 2009, Nadal’s absence was without doubt the biggest contributing factor.

The competition contained some exciting matches that enthralled the crowd as much any other Wimbledon in previous years but the overall quality was probably at its lowest since 2003. Can you really imagine Andy Roddick pushing Nadal to five sets and to 14 all in the final set? The American has never come close to winning Wimbledon before or since.

Can you really imagine a fully fit Nadal only breaking the American's serve once in nearly 40 games as Federer managed in that final two years ago?

This is not to say that Federer cannot do something about it. Should he dispel the myth that Nadal has the Indian sign over him by actually beating him in a fair contest in the future, and perhaps improve his record against him, then he could definitely be regarded, unequivocally, as the greatest.

It is just that it appears extremely unlikely that he will do that.

Nadal's career, when his knees have been strong enough, has been on an upward curve (at least until the beginning of this year when Djokovic came to the fore) whilst Federer's has been in decline for about three years. And unless he can rediscover that forehand that used to be so deadly, the 16 times grand slam winner will almost certainly never win another major again.

The Guardian’s tennis journalist, Kevin Mitchell, is in no doubt where the big two’s career’s are heading. He said: “At this point in their careers, Nadal (is ahead). He is five years younger, owns
three of the Slams and still getting to finals. Federer has not won a slam since Australia 2010, although he still goes deep into nearly every tournament. I think he will retire after the Olympics.”

Much in the future, of course, depends on Nadal's long-term fitness. When asked if Nadal could eventually overtake Federer’s Grand Slam record of 16, Mitchell said: “He can if his knees hold out.”

The problem for Federer now is that Djokovic has at last found some consistency, squeezing the former world number one down to third in the latest ATP rankings.

Whichever way you look at it, any claims that Federer's is the best of all time will always be overshadowed by Nadal because how can the world's greatest ever player be dominated to such a degree by his ultimate rival?

Could Schumacher be regarded as the best if he was consistently beaten by Mika Hakkinen or Jacques Villeneuve?

Would Mohammed Ali be so revered if George Foreman or Sonny Liston had frequently demonstrated they were better than him?

The answer to all of the above is of course not.

Don't cry for Serena Williams

2011-06-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Following today's fourth round defeat at the hands of Marion Bartoli, the blog says good riddance to the American. Here are three unsavoury moments in the career of Ms Williams.

Under exposed: Serena Williams felt she didn't get enough exposure at this year's Wimbledon

1. At the 2009 US Open she was on the verge of defeat to returnee Kim Clijsters. She foot-faulted and then shouted towards the line judge: ""I swear to God I'm fucking going to take this fucking ball and shove it down your fucking throat, you hear that? I swear to God." Williams, who was already on a warning for an earlier indiscretion, lost the point and, as a result, the match. A farcical way for her opponent to announce her return to the sport after a two year lay off with a US Open final appearance.
See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VxYvfwVas&feature=related

2. Former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich accused her of feigning injury to help unsettle her opponent at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships. Her miraculous recovery prompted Stich to say: "You're either injured or you're not. I'm not sure what I saw last night." Little wonder the German made these comments following Williams' inability to walk due to injury followed by some incredible movement around the court from the apparently disabled Serena.

3. At this year's Wimbledon she complained about being stuck out on Court Number two. Williams said: "They like to put us on Court 2, me and Venus, for whatever reason," Williams said after beating Simona Halep of Romania, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. "I haven’t figured it out yet. Maybe one day we’ll figure it out." Many dream of playing at Wimbledon but for Serena and her ego it is not enough. She needs to be the centre of attention at all times. Ah, de dums!

Czech Republic U21s 2 England U21s 1

2011-06-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Distraught: England captain Phil Jones trudges off as the Czech Republic celebrate

England crashed out of these championships in agonising fashion following the concession of two late goals that ensured the Czech Republic progress to a semi-final date with Switzerland on Wednesday evening and the Three Lions head home.

England took the lead through a fine headed goal from Danny Welbeck in the 76th minute, scoring his second of these championships, and the Three Lions looked set to go through at the expense of their opponents.

However, England were undone when Jan Chramosta prodded home on the edge of the six-yard box to equalize for the Czechs in the 89th minute.

Tomáš Pekhart sealed England's fate with a simple tap in following a counter-attacking move after Stuart Pearce's men had piled forward, leaving them exposed at the back.

Pearce, who has been surprisingly awarded a two year extension to his contract, said: "We probably felt we played better in this game than we did in the previous two games. Once you get your noses in front you hope to see it out but we were not dogged enough. Credit to the Czechs, they've shown great quality."

Although Pearce had a point, they did play much better in this match than the two matches that preceded it, England did not do enough throughout this tournament to be worthy semi-finalists, scoring just two goals in three matches.

Some positives can be taken, not least the form of Jones and Smalling at the back who seem to have built up a decent understanding and could be the central defensive partnership for many years to come, both at club and international level.

But this tournament will be littered with disappointment. New Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson looked out of his depth. Living up to the billing that Harry Redknapp gave him with his thinly veiled comment last week of "some footballers are going for 20 million quid who are not fit to lace Luka Modric's boots".

And Pearce himself didn't look entirely comfortable as he sought to fix England's on field problems, even receiving some words of advice from Fabio Capello following last week's draw with Spain. Tactically he was caught out and relieving Michael Mancienne of first team duties for the last game was too little, too late.

England U21s 0 Ukraine U21s 0

2011-06-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

England struggle once again and will have to beat the much fancied Czech Republic in their last game to ensure progress to the semi-finals.

Under pressure: Pearce knows England must improve

If it is a pre-requisite to play bland football and frustrate the watching audience with tepid performances at major championships in order to progress to the full squad, then this current batch, coach Stuart Pearce included, have passed their audition with flying colours.

There were even fewer positives to take from this game than the 1-1 draw against Spain. Even Phil Jones looked susceptible to the occasional lapse that had apparently deterred Manchester City from bidding for the 19 year old defender, prior to his £16.5 million move to rivals Manchester United.

Goalkeeper Frankie Fielding saved Jones' blushes by blocking Roman Zozulya's effort from just eight yards out with the centre-back floundering.

England only stepped up a gear in the final ten minutes. Daniel Sturridge forcing Anton Kanibolitskiy into a smart save from long distance and striker Danny Welbeck nodding straight at the keeper from the resulting corner. But it was all too little, too late.

Too often England struggled in the final third and, as a result, rarely threatened. Indeed, the nearest Pearce's side came to opening the scoring was via a 35 yard screamer from Chelsea striker Sturridge that rebounded back off the cross bar towards the end of the first half. Any nearer the Ukranian box and England seemed to run out of ideas.

To be fair, Sturridge and Arsenal's Henri Lansbury could possibly be exempt from criticism. Welbeck, however, was listless and spurned his best opportunity in the 54th minute when through on goal. Sir Alex Ferguson seems to be quite active in the transfer market this summer and it remains to be seen who will be shipped out of Old Trafford. If Welbeck performs like this in the red shirt of Manchester then it won't be long before he's shown the door.

England's championship hopes are hanging by a thread.

Nevertheless, the Czechs looked particularly vulnerable in their 2-0 defeat to tournament favourites Spain earlier today but they are fully aware that a point against England will probably be enough for them to progress to next week's semi-final. And if the English serve up more dross like this then they will surely get the draw they require.

England U21s 1 Spain U21s 1

2011-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

England coach Stuart Pearce has described Spain as "arrogant" for not making the most of their dominance in this keenly fought contest and that England "would've won 4-0 or 5-0" if they had enjoyed the same amount of possession as their Spanish counterparts.

Spain, at this level, are more like Barcelona-light (aka Arsenal) than the real deal and are clearly lacking someone to put the ball in the back of the net. Indeed, there one goal in last night's Group B clash in Herning came courtesy of a hand ball from Ander Herrera, the And of God as one tabloid coined it.

And they were made to pay when two minutes from time Danny Welbeck coolly slotted home past soon to be club team-mate David De Gea.

Undoubtedly Spain were the better side throughout, but there were some classy performances in the white shirts of England, noticeably Chris Smalling and Kyle Walker

Spain will retain their status as favourites after this display but there are plenty of teams out there who can do them harm en route. It promises to be a fascinating fortnight ahead.

Barca/Man Utd XI

2011-05-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar

Both Victor Valdes and Edwin van der Sar have excellent distribution so it then came down to who was the more consistent of the two and the big Dutchman won this hands down. Tomorrow will be his last game for the club and he will be hoping he can bow out at the top.

Right-back: Dani Alves

Although Fabio and Rafael may one day usurp Alves in the national team, currently the Barcelona right back is streets ahead of them. The former Sevilla man is often questioned for his defensive frailty but, in truth, this is only surmised due to the fact he is so rarely tested in that area of the field.

Left-back: Patrice Evra

In spite of not having his best season at the club, Evra at left-back was one of the easiest decisions as this is a position of weakness in the Barcelona line-up.

Centre-back: Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand is one half of the best central defensive pairing in world football. Nuff said.

Centre-back: Nemanja Vidic

Vidic is the other half.

Midfielder: Sergio Busquets

The son of a former Barcelona goalkeeper who played against United in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, Busquets will be hoping to avoid a repeat of his father's performance as he was culpable for both goals in a 2-1 defeat for the Catalan giants in Rotterdam. This would be unlikely, though, as the holding midfielder is accurate in passing and tough in the tackle.

Midfielder: Andres Iniesta

Iniesta was described by Wayne Rooney as the best player in the world after the 2009 final and was an easy choice in what is an area of the pitch where United are easily outstripped by their opponents.

Midfielder: Xavi Hernandez

The best passer in the world. How can he not be in this team?

Forward: Wayne Rooney

Just makes the team ahead of team-mates Nani and Antonio Valencia. Rooney's form has returned in 2011 after a disappointing 2010 and is still one of the most feared strikers in world football. He also would suit a fluid front three with the opportunity to play left, right or down the middle in an inter-changing formation.

Forward: David Villa

Just edges out his team-mate Pedro. Villa's not been as consistent for Barca as he was for his former club, Valencia, but is still a major threat and ignore him at your peril, as Arsenal discovered at the Emirates in February.

Forward: Lionel Messi

Do you really need this one to be explained?

Canaries return to a very different tree

2011-05-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

Norwich City will be in the Premier League next season and it will be only their second year in the top flight since the heady days of twenty years ago but the division has changed a lot since then.

Norwich secured promotion earlier this month thanks to a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth. This, aligned with Cardiff’s 3-0 defeat at home to Middlesbrough on the same day, enabled the Canaries to gain entry at the nation’s top table after a six year absence.

However, if you cast your mind back further, to the beginning of football, as Sky Sports always seem so keen to remind us, the start of the Premier League era in August 1992 saw Mark Robins scoring a hat-trick on his debut. This was against the recently deposed champions, Arsenal, on their own turf, as Norwich City posted a 4-2 victory.

The Canaries began that season in fine style and continued in a similar vein right through to April, when Manchester United, inspired by a certain Eric Cantona, won 3-1 at Carrow Road, preventing the Norfolk side from winning their first ever league championship.

Indeed, Norwich were top at Christmas but this title tilt was not a surprise as Norwich frequently finished in the upper echelons of England's top flight in those days. For almost a decade in the late 80s, early 90s Norwich threatened the establishment. Twice they finished in the top four during that spell, without betraying the club’s traditions of playing attractive football along the way.

Those league positions would have made Norwich an infrequent participant in world football’s premier club competition - the Champions League. But the landscape of football has changed drastically since then and the thought of the Norfolk club entertaining the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid on a regular basis sounds as barmy as a rousing half-time speech from owner Delia Smith. ‘Where are ya’, the TV cook famously asked the loyal Carrow Road support. Well, you won’t hear the giants of European football asking the same question of Norwich each year they enter the latter stages of the Champions League.

It was a case of bad timing for Norwich when they exited the Premier League in 1995. They left the party just as things were about to get good.

Sky’s financial input was increasing with every new deal; the new millennium arrived as English clubs began to find their feet in European football; to make matters worse for the Canaries, the Champions League pot of cash increased year upon year and so did the number of English participants.

In 1995, the number of English entrants was just one. This had doubled by the 98/99 season and Manchester United took full advantage by winning the Champions League, despite finishing second in the title race to Arsenal the previous season.

Of course, as it stands today, UEFA, European football’s governing body, awards four Champions League places to the Premier League. How Norwich must wish that had been the case when they were a prominent force in English football.

To add to Norwich’s chagrin, a glance at the prize money awarded by the Premier League has changed dramatically since its inception in 1992. The inaugural winners, Manchester United, earned £815,000, approximately the same as what West Ham will earn for finishing bottom this year. For winning the title this season, United will earn in excess of £16 million. 19 years ago Norwich finished third. They received £741,000 for their efforts. If they had finished in the same position in 2011 they would have expected to be £14.5 million richer.

City legend Jeremy Goss, who is about to embark on a charity bike ride to Munich, the scene of his famous volleyed goal in a 2-1 victory for the Carrow Road outfit in a 1993 UEFA Cup tie, thinks super rich owners have added to the financial gulf in today’s game.

The former Wales international said: "It started off with Jack Walker when he bought Blackburn (in 1995). They bought Tim Sherwood, (Alan) Shearer, Chris Sutton. They bought success."

Sherwood and Sutton were both snatched away from Norwich and the club were relegated as Blackburn won the title.

The financial input of new owners did not end there, as Goss continues: "The next big thing was Abramovich at Chelsea who blew the footballing world apart. It was ridiculous. No-one could compete with them, players earning £10 million a year, unheard of in my day.

"This was on top of the big clubs, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, who were all paying massive wages and filling 40, 50, 60,000 stadiums. Little old Norwich couldn’t compete."

In addition, transfer fees and player wages have increased ten-fold over the last two decades.

Goss, however, is not bitter about the riches on offer to the current crop of Premier League footballers. He said: "You can’t help when you were born. My era was terrific and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t go into the game for financial gain – the fast cars, the flash houses. But I think a lot of the young players of today are motivated by money."

What is particularly galling for Norwich’s support is the manner in which they went down in ‘95. Comfortably in the top half at Christmas, Norwich suffered an unlikely relegation and almost ten years of frustration.

The Norfolk club regained Premier League status in 2004 under the guidance of manager Nigel Worthington but this time the priority was survival, not a Champions League spot, as the landscape of the Premier League had changed beyond all recognition since they last kicked a Premier League ball in anger nearly ten years previously.

In spite of an end of season run of victories, including a 2-0 home win over Manchester United, the Canaries did not have enough to preserve their top flight status. The final nail in their Premiership coffin coming at Craven Cottage, a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Fulham on the last day of the season, as they headed back whence they came, to English football’s second tier.

This was soon followed by relegation to League One as Delia’s team went into freefall.

The 7-1 opening day home defeat to Colchester at the beginning of the 2009/10 season is often seen as a nadir for the club. Two season ticket holders remonstrated with then coach Bryan Gunn on the touchline, ripping up their season tickets in front of the former City goalkeeper.

However, the appointment of Paul Lambert, who won the Champions League as a player with Borrussia Dortmund as Norwich’s demise was taking hold in 1997, has seen Norwich gain successive promotions and a return to the promised land.

Lambert has brought an indomitable spirit to the club as BBC Radio Norfolk commentator Chris Goreham confirmed: "I think the most remarkable transformation under Lambert has been the away form. Our approach to games has been really refreshing. Having been away with Norwich as a commentator for almost every game since 2005 our away record before Lambert was appalling but now it is much different. Look at the way we dismantled Ipswich at Portman Road."

Norwich won 5-1 against their arch-rivals from neighbouring Suffolk last month to help propel the club towards promotion.

However, it’s the club’s penchant for last minute goals that has really caught the eye since the Scot took over as manager.

Goreham added: "It doesn’t happen by accident. I think it comes back to the spirit and the belief that comes from the manager. Last season they scored 12 or 13 late goals which speaks volumes."

Needless to say, their first, and possibly sole, mission next season is to retain their Premiership status. The days of a newly promoted side finishing in the top four, or even better, are over.

Jeremy Goss is hoping for a little more than safety, though. He said: "I can see them being a team like Fulham, where they progress slowly into the Premiership."

They certainly won’t be lacking in support. The Norwich faithful are renowned for filling their stadium. When they were in League One they would still sell out Carrow Road’s capacity of 27,000 on a frequent basis.

Now that they’re in the Premier League, ex-midfield maestro Goss feels that they could expand their stadium to appease demand. He said: "If you built a 40,000 seater stadium they’d fill it. When I worked at the club last season (as Reserve team manager) I think there were plans to build on the existing City stand. Add maybe 5,000, plus executive boxes and they would fill it every week. Every single person round here wants a taste of Premiership football."

With the additional income that would bring, the future could be very bright, particularly as there isn’t a league club within 40 miles of Norwich.

Attracting players has proved to be a problem for the Norfolk-based club in the past as Radio Norfolk’s Chris Goreham explains: "Glenn Roeder, when he was manager, once described Norwich as being like a city in a big field and I do think it puts players off coming here but Paul Lambert has shown there’s no reason why that shouldn’t stop us recruiting the right kind of players. Maybe the young players want the bright lights of London and see Norwich as the back and beyond but the characters Lambert wants at this club are level-headed, intelligent, experienced blokes that give us great team spirit."

The manager is certainly Norfolk’s very own ‘special one’. In the future he may want to fly the Canaries’ nest but, for now, City fans can dream. Who knows, one day maybe City can rejoice with an invitation from UEFA president Michel Platini to join Europe’s elite. City fans whose memories stretch back to the days of Goss, Crook and Gunn would say it’s not before time.

*If you wish to sponsor Jeremy Goss please go to http://www.nnab.org.uk/ for more details.

Forever blowing troubles

2011-05-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday 15 May will go down as one of the darkest days in West Ham’s recent history. 2-0 up at half-time, Premier League salvation seemed possible. 45 minutes later and they were staring into the abyss following the concession of three soft goals to relegation rivals Wigan Athletic.

Owners David Gold and David Sullivan admitted to the Guardian prior to losing that game that the club was "in a worse financial position than any other club in the country".

This week in the same newspaper David Conn reported that ‘West Ham made a £21m loss last season and relegation will cause a crisis’.

The club have been in trouble since the ownership of the Icelandic group headed by Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, prior to the former Birmingham chairmen taking control. Pete May, author of Hammers in the Heart, said: "They (Gold and Sullivan) have been pretty crap but it’s not entirely their fault as they inherited huge debts from Gudmundsson. He owned an Icelandic bank which went bust following the ‘credit crunch’."

The signs are not good for the future as players will have to be sold to help trim the club’s £54 million annual wage bill and the loss of Scott Parker, the club’s talismanic skipper, will be sorely felt as the Hammers try to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Here are the key factors behind their demise, along with the thoughts of Hammers legend Tony Cottee and writer Pete May:

The appointment of Avram Grant

Gold and Sullivan sacked Grant in the immediate aftermath of the Wigan debacle. This was hardly a surprise as the former Portsmouth boss’s second relegation in a row should never have happened with the players at his disposal.

With experienced internationals like Parker, Robbie Keane, Wayne Bridge, Carlton Cole, Rob Green, Thomas Hitzelsperger and Matthew Upson, relegation should never have been on the agenda.

Stories of a rousing half-time speech from Parker in the 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion hardly did Grant any favours as the question that followed was: shouldn’t this kind of inspiration be coming from the manager, not the captain?

As for his tactics and selections, Grant came in for particular criticism for the way his side lost from winning positions. The capitulation at the hands of Manchester United, in a addition to the Wigan result, proved fatal.

His decision not to start with Parker, who was recovering from injury, or Cole against the Latics has also attracted criticism, particularly as he went for inexperience in the form of Jordan Spence, who made his debut at the DW Stadium.

With typical dignity, Grant told the Guardian: "Yes, I take responsibility. I am not a guy who gives responsibility to other people. It is my responsibility to pick the team and choose the tactics. The results were my responsibility. My job was to keep this team in the league and I failed."

Cottee: "Absolutely it was a mistake to appoint him. I’m not saying that now. I was saying that when he was appointed, it was a mistake. I think everyone in football knew it was a mistake but we can’t keep looking back and how bad the manager was. It’s over and done with now. We look forward."

Bad recruits

The purchase of in-form striker Demba Ba apart, the Hammers’ transfer record over the last 12-18 months has undoubtedly contributed to their downfall.

Winston Reid and Pablo Barrera, who both arrived for sizeable sums last summer, never looked like Premier League players.

In January the Upton Park outfit tried to rectify those mistakes but loan signings Wayne Bridge and Robbie Keane never had the desired effect.

Bridge’s debut against Arsenal included giving away two penalties and Keane, who arrived on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, contributed just two goals and will be best remembered for missing a host of chances to secure victory against fellow relegation battlers Blackburn Rovers earlier this month.

May: "For £90,000 a week you expect more from Wayne Bridge. You would expect him to help organise the defence. If you saw the way N’Zogbia, for Wigan, turned him inside and out, you expected a bit more from someone who’s supposed to be almost as good as Ashley Cole. Benni McCarthy’s another one. He was a complete waste of time. They (Gold and Sullivan) wasted £5 million on him, but he was signed before Grant’s appointment so I guess he can be absolved of any blame for that one."

Gold and Sullivan

As bad as Grant was, Gold and Sullivan are the biggest cancer at Upton Park. For a start, they appointed the Israeli in the first place. To make matters worse, they made a right mess of trying to appoint Martin O’Neill back in January as Grant’s replacement, only for the ex-Aston Villa boss to turn the job down once the story was leaked to the press.

As a result, Grant was severely undermined. West Ham played Arsenal at Upton Park in the midst of the fiasco and the visiting fans heaped more embarrassment on the Israeli when they chanted "You’re getting sacked in an hour".

Since his dismissal, Grant has claimed that six people were offered his job during his tenure.

Cottee: "They’ve got to prove to the fans that they’ve got the interests of the club at heart. In my view, they’ve got to pay the wages for a proper manager to run the football club. We haven’t had a proper manager in the last year. It’s important, to get a proper manager, to pay the right wages and that’s what I would like them to do so we can entice a Martin O’Neill, a Sam Allardyce, or another big name to West Ham to put us back where we belong. If they do that, not too many people will be complaining. Obviously, they need to sort out the financial situation at the club as well."

Injuries

Players absent through injury happens at all clubs yet West Ham’s squad, especially after their January purchases, were top heavy on strikers and lacking in midfield replacements. Therefore, the loss of Thomas Hitzelsperger at the beginning of the season for seven months and Scott Parker, their inspirational captain and PFA Player of the Year, for the final weeks was seen as crucial as the Hammers struggled against the tide taking them towards the Championship.

May: "We were unlucky with Hitzelsperger and Parker but it’s been never-ending. Ilunga, the left-back, never really recovered from injury and was left out of the 25 man squad for the second half of the season. Noble getting injured against Chelsea a few weeks ago left our midfield threadbare. Upson’s had his usual fair share of injuries, as has Tomkins, who has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season. But we’ve had the squad to cover for injuries so it’s no excuse really."

Players under-performing

Ask any West Ham season ticket holder and they will air their disgruntlement regarding certain senior players.

Matthew Upson seems to have continued his downward spiral ever since his lamentable display against Germany in last year’s World Cup.

Carlton Cole’s performances have ranged from disappointing to woeful and Robert Green has withstood a lot of what opponents have had to throw at him but even he was culpable in that defeat at Wigan.

Cottee: "The players under-performed. The players need to have a real good look at themselves because they just didn’t perform. You can blame the manager all you like, which I have done, but they’re the ones that go out onto the field and they didn’t perform."

The next managerial appointment is crucial

Former striker Cottee is in no doubt that the next guy to come in as manager has a huge task on his hands and the club, unlike last time, need to get the decision right.

He said: "I think it’s now a situation where everyone’s got to look forward to next season and the club needs to re-build. The most important thing is to get the right manager in. Once that’s done then the next manager will have to get rid of all the players that are either out of contract or don’t want to stay. Try and keep all the good, young players. And then just re-build the squad in time for August, next season."

Cottee knows who he would most like to see take the reins. He said emphatically: "I’d love to see Martin O’Neill. He’d be my first choice."

And if the Northern Irishman turned it down? "I would have no problems with Sam Allardyce," he said. "Slaven Bilic, I wouldn’t have a problem with but I would’ve thought most of those guys that I’ve mentioned are going to want pretty big wages to come to the club so if they’re not given big wages, then you’re not going to attract a big name manager. Then if it is a cheaper option, it could be anyone really."

The problem many West Ham fans would have with Allardyce would be the likelihood of an uncompromising, direct style of football but Cottee believes the former Blackburn Rovers gaffer could adapt his managerial style to suit the Hammers’ traditions.

"You’ve got to get the club back up but obviously there’s a tradition at West Ham and there’s a style of play, a football ethos, if you like, that the fans want to see," Cottee added. "Listen, Sam Allardyce is no-one’s fool. He knows how to play football. He normally works with the tools that he’s got and if he did come to West Ham he would know, more than anyone, that West Ham have got a certain style of football to play and I’m sure he would adjust accordingly. He would make sure you’ve got the right players in the club but the fans also want to get back into the Premier League so it would have to be a combination of both - winning football with playing football the right way."

And West Ham fans would settle for that as they have not seen much of either commodity for quite some time.

Senna mystery lives on

2011-03-02T03:16:00.000-08:00

With the Ayrton Senna movie hitting our screens at cinemas around the globe, seventeen years on from his untimely death, the accident from which he perished is still shrouded in mystery.

Aftermath: The wreckage of Senna's Williams

It's May 1st 1994 at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola. Ayrton Senna is about to embark on what will be the final lap of his career - and his life. What happened over the next 90 seconds and, more specifically, the corner at which he fatally crashed, Tamburello, shook the Formula One world and is still the subject of much debate 17 years on from that fateful day.

Senna was arguably the fastest driver over one lap Formula One has ever seen. Sure he won three world titles but probably the most impressive statistic was his 65 pole positions from just 162 grand prix, an average of a pole position every 2.5 races, easily the best ratio of all the leading drivers in the sport's recent history (Michael Schumacher's average is a pole every 3.66 races).

However, controversy always seemed to stalk the triple world champion. Collisions with nemesis Alain Prost decided two world titles, one in the Brazilian's favour, and there was the occasional disagreement with other fellow drivers. Not least when he punched Eddie Irvine for having the temerity of un-lapping himself by overtaking Senna.

The Guardian’s Formula One correspondent, Paul Weaver, said the Brazilian was much more than just a racing driver. He explained: "He gripped the imagination like no other driver, before or since. F1 is often criticised for not being a spectacle, a bit predictable, but Senna was somebody who showed motor sport at its best. He was an out and out racer and it is no wonder Lewis Hamilton reveres him."

Throughout his career Senna drove with his heart on his sleeve, as well as by the seat of his pants, and it was no different on the day he died.

Perhaps we should look a little further back to determine the cause of the accident, though. Senna was leading the race just ahead of Michael Schumacher but in the championship the Brazilian was 20 points adrift of the German following two DNFs (Did Not Finishes) in the opening two races.

At Imola Senna's desperation was palpable. He was supposed to win that year's championship following his move from McLaren to the widely recognised best team/car/chassis combination in the paddock - Williams Renault. He was hot favourite to become world champion for a fourth time but his title hopes were beginning to disappear before the season had truly got going.

Could the pressure have got to Senna whilst he was being pursued by Schumacher? This appears unlikely. The triple world champion's car control skills were much admired throughout the paddock and the Tamburello bend, though fast with little run off area, was not difficult to negotiate. It was comfortably flat out at 200mph with no braking required.

So if it was not driver error, why did Senna's Williams car inexplicably head straight on, into the wall?

Ex-Formula One driver Michele Alboreto confirmed to National Geographic in the documentary series ‘Seismic Seconds’: "It (Tamburello) is a dangerous corner because if you have a failure in the car the wall was very close in a high speed part of the track but I am sure, because I know, I had the same crash that Ayrton had, in the same place. I know that you can go out in this corner only if you have a mechanical failure on the car."

Just hours after Senna was pronounced dead speculation was rife. Former F1 driver and commentator Jonathan Palmer told the BBC at the time: "It is a very hazardous area trying to speculate (so soon after the incident) but a failure of some sort, a mechanical failure, a problem with the mechanics of the car, a problem with the tyre, all of these kind of things, possibly something on the road surface – oil or whatever. All of these things could play a part."

Tragically, Senna was not the only driver to suffer in what has been described as the darkest weekend in the sport's history. Austrian Roland Ratzenberger died in Saturday's qualifying. This followed a terrible crash that hospitalised Rubens Barrichello, Senna's compatriot, on the Friday.

Senna visited Barrichello in hospital later on the Friday and was be shaken by the events of the weekend.

Formula One's chief doctor, Sid Watkins, urged Senna not to race on the Sunday morning. Senna, as was his wont, ignored the protestations of his friend.

Veteran Gerhard Berger had a serious crash at the same corner as Senna's fatal accident five years earlier. Berger's Ferrari was destroyed and soon became engulfed in flames. Miraculously, the likeable Austrian escaped unharmed.

The Imola track, however, was quickly dismissed as being culpable for these events. In the immediate aftermath commentator Murray Walker told BBC News: "Motor racing is dangerous. I don't agree with the suggestions that the Imola circuit is dangerous. We've had turbo-powered cars here in the past which went faster than the cars he have today. I honestly think this is just a hideous chain of circumstances, coincidences, which have all come together."

Subsequent to the events of that Spring weekend in 1994, the Tamburello bend was reshaped to become, by Formula One standards, a pedestrian-like chicane but this alteration owed as much to the memory of Senna's passing than it did to any danger posed by the track.

With human error ruled out, the mechanical aspects of Senna's FW16 car and other aspects of the race soon came under scrutiny.

The initial prognosis was that there was a problem with the steering on the Adrian Newey designed Williams. This would explain why the car veered straight on, without any motion to the left. Senna, no matter how talented, would be powerless to prevent an accident without any steering.

Newey recently claimed that Senna’s loss of car control was probably caused by a puncture picked up from debris on the track but this argument is contradicted by the evidence given in court following the loss of the triple world champion.

Due to Italian law, whereby any un-natural death should be investigated with someone, or something, held accountable, a trial was held to determine the cause of Senna’s crash. (N.B San Marino is a principality within Italy)

Mauro Forghieri, former technical director at Ferrari, was called in as an expert investigator at the trial. He was in no doubt as to the cause of the accident. He told National Geographic: "In my opinion the crash was caused by the steering. Something was strange in his driving because the steering wheel was moving too much."

What Foghieri was referring to was that the steering wheel, as shown by the on-board camera, was coming away from its socket towards the driver, even by just a few centimetres, just seconds before the car went off the circuit. This unexpected movement indicated the steering column had broken.

"So he (Senna) realised something strange was going on," Forghieri continued. "So he decided to stop the car. If you are driving in your car and you feel that your steering wheel is moving (he gestures with his hands on an imaginary wheel, moving all around and towards himself) what do you believe? That something is broken. And what do you do? You stop the car. Of course he was stopping a car from 320kmph (200 mph)."

The column links the steering wheel and the front wheels of the car. It was made of steel and had recently been modified, at Senna's request, to make it longer. This extra length was grafted and welded in by the Williams team.

In the wreckage of Senna's car the column had snapped.

This, however, could have been caused upon impact with the wall. After all, that impact was calculated to be at around 130mph.

The second theory was that the Williams had a dramatic loss of downforce as it entered the corner.

An F1 car's key component as it corners is downforce. This is where the car is forced into the track by the airflow that goes through its wings. Much like an aeroplane takes off due to the air flow above the wing being greater than that below, in Formula One they simply reverse the process, sucking the car onto the track.

The car's downforce is so great that it could stick to a ceiling upside down at 200mph and any sudden loss of such a force could have disastrous consequences.

At the start of the San Marino Grand Prix a multiple pile-up occurred, leaving debris strewn across the road. Inevitably, the safety car was deployed.

This vehicle led the cars round as it lapped but at a fraction of the speed of an F1 car. As a result, Senna's tyre pressures dropped significantly.

The car 'bottomed out' (scraped the ground), caused by the tyre pressure loss, as it navigated its way round Tamburello on Senna's penultimate lap. This, the documentary concluded, was clear evidence that the Williams FW16 was losing downforce as it cornered. One lap later, this loss of grip caused the car to head off the track and into the wall.

However, this does not explain why many other cars in the race had similar scrapes with the road and still maintained their trajectory. Also, why did Senna not go off on lap six when his tyres would have been colder, with lower air pressure, instead of lap seven when they would have been nearer 'racing temperature' with greater pressure?

Furthermore, even accounting for a loss of downforce, why did Senna not attempt to steer the car away from the wall, thus lessening the impact?

At the trial the Williams team declared that the steering column had not broken and that the car had been designed in a manner where the steering wheel could come towards the driver from its centre point. Yet the footage from morning practice on the 1st of May did not indicate that to be the case.

Furthermore, Adrian Newey, Williams’ Technical Director in 1994, recently admitted to the Guardian that the steering column "had fatigue cracks in it" and "would have failed at some point". He also confessed its design was "very poor".

To thicken the plot further, the car had been tampered with by Williams team officials before being properly scrutinised by the authorities. This contravened the rules of the FIA, the sport's governing body.

In 1997 the News of the World reported that Fabrizio Nosco, a Regional technical commissioner who had worked at the Imola track for 10 years, told the trial: "The wreckage of Senna's car was brought into the Parc Fermé and put into the garage. Then, ten minutes later, two Williams mechanics came and asked to see the car. We politely told them this was impossible because of FIA rules.

"However, Nosco claimed that the FIA's race director, Charlie Whiting, arrived soon after with two more Williams mechanics and ordered him to remove the vehicle's black boxes.

Nosco added: "Whiting told me to open up the garage and that he had permission from John Corsmit, the FIA security chief that day. Whiting told me to remove the black boxes."

The Renault engine box was situated behind the cockpit. I removed it with a pair of large pliers. The Williams chassis box was behind the radiator near the back wheel on the right wing of the car.

"I have seen thousands of these devices and removed them for checks. The two boxes were intact, even though they had some scratches. The Williams chassis box looked to have survived the crash."

The boxes were eventually given to the authorities one month after the race. They were unreadable.

As for the steering column, during the Senna trial experts showed how it had cracked with metal fatigue by as much as 60-70 per cent prior to impact.

The Williams team was entangled for many years in a court case with the Italian prosecutors over manslaughter charges, ending in a guilty verdict for Patrick Head, the team's technical director. The Italian Court of Appeal, on April 13, 2007, stated this verdict: "It has been determined that the accident was caused by a steering column failure. This failure was caused by badly designed and badly executed modifications. The responsibility of this falls on Patrick Head, culpable of omitted control". Despite being found guilty, Head was not arrested. In Italy the statute of limitation for manslaughter is seven years and six months, and the final verdict was pronounced 13 years after the accident.

A spokesperson for Williams F1, said recently: "Due to the sensitive nature of the subject and legalities surrounding the case, this isn't something we would be able to comment on."

The loss of Senna was sorely felt. His ability and will to win were unrivalled at the time of his death. Even away from the circuit the Brazilian would want to be first. Michele Alboreto describes an example: "He always wanted to be the best. He showed, all the time, a competitive edge. He showed, all the time, that he wanted to win. Even on the way to the airport with a rental car he wanted to be there first."

Before Senna's death motor sport's premier racing series had grown complacent having not witnessed a death for 12 years. It had been lucky, not safe.

Subsequent to the tragic of events at Imola, F1's safety improved dramatically. Circuits were closely analysed, the Grand Prix Driver's Association was reformed and the protection of a driver's head was given far greater protection. Senna's legacy lives on.

Had he lived one wonders just how many titles Senna would have accumulated. The cause of his untimely death, like much of his career, is surrounded in mystery and controversy still to this day.

When footballers switch Edam for English cheddar

2011-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

As Uruguayan international Luis Suarez seems set to switch the Eredivisie for the Premier League the Guardian takes a look at others who have made a similar switch...

Mateja Kezman
PSV Eindhoven to Chelsea £5m
Eredivisie record: 105 goals in 123 games
Premier League record: 4 goals in 24 games

Jose Mourinho enjoyed undoubted success during his time at Stamford Bridge but even he could drop a clanger. Kezman was one of the Special One's first signings when he arrived having scored a hatful of goals for in the Eredivisie. It was not one of the former Chelsea manager's better decisions, though, as the player nicknamed Batman was more a case of scraping the barrel than Caped Crusader. Nevertheless, Mourinho showed he was still a genius when he managed to sell the Serbian for a small profit to Atletico Madrid.

Alfonso Alves
Heerenveen to Middlesbrough £12m
Eredivisie record: 39 goals in 45 games
Premier League record: 4 goals in 31 games

Managers can often by defined by a transfer. Fergie and Cantona, Wenger and Henry, possibly even Redknapp and Van der Vaart. Sadly for Gareth Southgate it is Alfonso Alves. The Brazilian arrived on Teeside amid a blaze of glory following an impressive goalscoring record for Dutch side Heerenveen. Sadly, the move soon turned sour and he is currently plying his trade for Qatar side Al Rayyan Sports Club.

Jon Dahl Tomasson
Heerneveen to Newcastle United £2.2m
Eredivisie record: 37 goals in 78 games
Premier League record: 3 goals in 23 games

With the purchase of Suarez a distinct possibility you have to wonder if John W Henry studied Dalglish's track record in purchasing prolific forwards from the Dutch league. If he did he would find the name of Jon Dahl Tomasson. His spell on Tyneside was not a fruitful one, scoring just three times in his only season in England's top flight. Like many players before and since, the Dane's career had an upward trend after leaving the Magpies.

Before tearing up Suarez's contract...

Ruud van Nistelrooy
PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United £19m
Eredivisie record: 70 goals in 98 games
Premier League record: 95 goals in 150 games

Fergie waited a year to sign Van the man following a serious knee injury picked up on the eve of his proposed move but it was worth the wait as the Dutch international striker plundered an astonishing 95 Premier League goals in 150 games.

What do Gullit, Gregory, Robson, Adams and O'Leary have in common?

2011-01-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

Ruud Gullit has taken over at Russian Premier League club Terek Grozny but he is not the first former English top flight manager to take a step into the unknown. Here are a few others who have gone where no-one dare go before...

John Gregory
Israel
FC Ashdod
May 2010

John Gregory named an entire side of English players during his time at Aston Villa but that hasn't meant he knows nothing about football abroad – after all, he did purchase Bosko Balaban for the Villains. He's currently expanding his knowledge as coach of FC Ashdod and they are 8th in the Israeli top flight.

Bryan Robson
Thailand
Thailand Head Coach
September 2009

England's Captain Marvel replaced Peter Reid as Thailand's head coach 18 months ago with the remit of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Robson is also a global ambassador for Manchester United in his spare time, which he has plenty of at the moment as Thailand failed to qualify for the Asian Cup.

Tony Adams
Azerbaijan
Galaba FC
May 2010

The man cruelly nicknamed the donkey is now plying his trade as manager of Azerbaijan side Galaba following unsuccessful stints with Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth. Adams is riding high as Galaba lie sixth in the Premier League.

David O'Leary
Ali-Ahli
Dubai
July 2010

The Irishman is another former Arsenal centre-half who has looked for an alternative managerial experience. Italian World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro forms a a part of O'Leary's squad.

One small step for man, one giant leap for a footballer

2010-10-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

With the Wayne Rooney saga taking another, possibly decisive, twist, is it really conceivable that the boy from Croxteth really could wind up plying his trade away from these shores?

'Una mas cerveza y uno vino tinto, por favor,' he uttered to the bar-person, according to the Observer.

This was not an expert linguist flexing his oral muscles but a footballer. A Scouser, no less.

Steve McManaman moved to Real Madrid and acclimatised well enough to the lifestyle there and, though not fluent, managed to attain a decent level of Spanish.

McManaman was nominated by ESPN as Britain’s must successful footballer abroad after a trophy laden stint with Los Blancos at the beginning of the 21st century.

According to some newspaper reports, Wayne Rooney will soon be following in the footsteps of McManaman by making the bold move to La Liga.

The Manchester United striker has been linked with a record breaking transfer to Barcelona and this rumour follows hot on the heels of Christiano Ronaldo's plea of "come and join me" at Real Madrid.

So will the England international make the ambitious move abroad? Can you really imagine him lapping up the delicacies that another European country can offer?

Some may find this hard to believe and would more likely imagine Rooney to be more at home as a typical English tourist in the Catalan capital, wandering down La Rambla wearing a vest and shorts, donning a pink tan, rather than enjoying the local tapas and learning the language.

However, few would have predicted Jermaine Pennant upping sticks and moving to Spain but that is exactly what the former Liverpool winger did this summer when he moved to Real Zaragoza. He is enjoying a modicum of success there, too, though the different taxation laws in Spain mean that he is on the equivalent of £80,000 per week and that probably aids his satisfaction.

Of course, it is not always plain sailing for our footballers abroad. Take, poor old Darius Vassell's plight since moving to Turkish outfit Ankaragucu earlier this year.

The club have encountered financial difficulties since the former Aston Villa and Manchester City striker arrived at the club and subsequently are unable to foot the bill for the player's hotel. As a result, our Darius could well be consigned to the streets of the Turkish capital in seek of accommodation.

However, sometimes our Brits abroad deserve less sympathy. For example, Ian Rush made a multi-million pound move to Italian side Juventus in the mid-eighties but the move proved unsuccessful for the Welshman where he failed to find the back as frequently as he had done for Liverpool.

Rush allegedly complained that his Italian experience was "like living in a foreign country." Unsurprisingly, he returned to Anfield after just one season with Juve’ with his tail well and truly between his legs.

Some other players have adapted far better to their surroundings in Serie A.

David Platt found success with Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria throughout the nineties, scoring goals aplenty from his favoured midfield position.

He enjoyed his time there and succeeded where many of his British predecessors failed — he managed to learn the language.

This would appear to be a crucial aspect to any footballers life when living abroad. Gary Lineker sampled life in Spain with FC Barcelona and then Japan with Nagoya Grampus Eight and he felt it was imperative to learn the lingo.

Lineker explained to cilt.org.uk: “My wife and I learnt Spanish and Japanese when I played at Barcelona and Nagoya. We spent hours and hours in tuition – yet we could have learnt either language at school. Modern languages prepare you for modern life.

He added: “I've really enjoyed learning Spanish and Japanese. Getting to grips with a new language can be great fun, and you learn so much about other people and what makes them tick.

“Immersing yourself in the culture is critical to making it work abroad.”

Former Scotland manager was in agreement. He oversaw the international careers of Paul Lambert. who enjoyed Champions League success with Borussia Dortmund, and John Collins, who starred for Monaco.

Brown said to the same website: I am happy to confirm that international players such as Paul Lambert and John Collins learned the required German and French languages very quickly.

“As a consequence, their children are bilingual and the players settled easily into their environments.”

John Charles proved to be the perfect export where he plundered goal after goal for Juventus in the sixties, assisting the Turin-based club to three Serie A titles.

Then, of course, there is the case of David Beckham, arguably England’s most famous footballer of all time.

Becks has endured mixed fortunes during his spells with Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and AC Milan, but no-one can complain he has not tried and having Real and AC on your CV is a pretty admirable achievement.

Trying hard is not something that would be associated with Paul Gascoigne during his spell with Lazio.

He spent large amounts of time out injured and showed occasional flashes of his undoubted talent, but he did cause great offence to the Italian public with some of his outlandish behaviour, notably belching proudly in front of the cameras in a post-match interview.

Whether Rooney will join this select band of footballers who ply there trade on the Continent is not yet clear but what is apparent is that if you make the effort to familiarise yourself with your surroundings, you can definitely reap the benefits and improve as a footballer.

Perhaps England, as well as Rooney, would prosper from such a career move.

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

West Bromwich Albion

Under the astute guidance of Italian Roberto Di Matteo West Brom quietly negotiated their way back into the Premier League with an 'easy on the eye' style of play.

The acquisitions of Nicky Shorey from Aston Villa and Steven Reid from Blackburn could give Brom some much needed Premier League experience but it may not be enough as I see an immediate return to the Championship on the horzon.

Prediction: 19th

West Ham United

With Gianfranco Zola gone and Avram Grant as his replacement there have been some notable changes at Upton Park, not least in terms of playing staff.

The most notable additions include New Zealand defender Winston Reid, German Thomas Hitzlsberger and Portsmouth old boy Frederic Piquionne.

Grant could go on to prove that his former emplyers across London made a mistake in sacking him two years ago after narrowly missing out on Champions League glory.

Prediction: 13th

Wigan Athletic

Wigan's Latin American scouting system have been utilised once more after signing Mauro Boselli for 6 million pounds from Argentinian club Estudiantes.

Coach Roberto Martinez will be hoping he can have a similar impact to previous Latin American imports, such as Hugo Rodellega, Antonio Valencia and Wilson Palacios.

If he does not, Wigan may find themselves back in the Championship after eight seasons in the top flight.

Prediction: 18th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mick McCarthy has been busy raiding last season's relegated clubs as he looks to secure Premiership status for a second season.

Stephen Hunt and Steven Mouyokolo have arrived from Hull City along with Steven Fletcher from Burnley, all for a combined 12 million pounds.

These buys should enable the club to stay in the Premier League, but not without a tough fight.

Prediction: 17th

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

Newcastle United

A welcome return to the top flight for the Magpies after just a one season absence should ensure that they have enough experience to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

Acquiring Dan Gosling on a free transfer from Everton might help their cause but it is not known as to whether Sol Campbell's ageing limbs, nevermind his expanding waist, are up to the task.

Thier home form, though, should see them have enough to retain top flight status.

Prediction: 15th

Stoke City

This week manager Tony Pulis splashed out 5 million quid (rising to 8 million, depending on appearances/success) on Kenwyne Jones in the hope that he can provide the firepower that Stoke require to maintain their place at the top table.

With the sale of James Beattie imminent, aligned with the arrival of Jones, some might say Pulis is jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

However, if he can extract the best from Jones, Stoke should avoid relegation - but only just.

Prediction: 16th

Sunderland

After a frenetic summer of transfer activity in 2009, this summer has been somewhat quieter in the North East.

The departure of Kenwyne Jones could turn out well for both sides mainly due to his troublesome relationship with boss Steve Bruce.

Also where there is Darren Bent there are goals, at least at this level.

Sunderland should be well clear of any relegation scrap. In fact, they may even be looking towards Europe, if not from their league position then via one of the cups.

Prediction: 9th

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs are another side who have been unusually quiet on the transfer front this summer. Much of that could be dependent on the outcome of the Champions League qualifier with the Young Boys of Bern.

Should they negotiate that tie much of Spurs' season will be occupied with their European exploits which could hamper them as they try to retain their top four status.

Ledley King's knees are not getting any better and Jonathon Woodgate may never kick a ball again so these could be tough times for the North Londoners.

Nevertheless, Champions League football will be a sight to behold at White Hart Lane this season and being at the foot of the table under Juande Ramos is but a distant memory.

Prediction: 7th

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T03:17:00.000-07:00

Liverpool

Whether or not new owners are in place before the end of August is open to debate but what is not is that things may just be on the up at Anfield. Roy Hodgson replacing Rafa Benitez at the helm has had a calming influence on the club and star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard have been retained due to the belief that the corner may have been turned.

The acquisition of Joe Cole could turn out to be an inspired one on Hodgson's behalf and Milan Jovanovic could set the Premier League alight if his World Cup performances are anything to go by.

However, the loss of Javier Mascherano can only weaken Liverpool's midfield and it might just be enough to prevent them from making a return to the top four.

Prediction: 5th

Manchester City

Well, where do you start with a team that are set to break the 100 million pounds barrier with the seemingly inevitable signing of Mario Balotelli.

Coach Roberto Mancini will be under immense pressure to deliver, not just a Champions League spot, but a trophy to Eastlands this season.

The former has to be a distinct possibility but it could be the latter that costs him his job.

Prediction: 4th

Manchester United

Javier 'Chicarito' Hernandez should help ease the goalscoring burden on Wayne Rooney as United look to erase the memory of losing their domestic title to Chelsea.

The new contract signed by defender Nemanja Vidic will be a welcome relief to Sir Alex Ferguson and the continued development of Johnny Evans at the heart of their defence will also help, particularly in the continued absence of Rio Ferdinand.

Much will depend on how quickly Rooney overcomes his World Cup blues but if he hits the ground running the Red Devils will be difficult to stop.

Prediction: 1st

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T02:56:00.000-07:00

Chelsea

Chelsea are not the only team near the top of the table, but there is a feeling that the Blues have stood still this summer, depsite the additions of Brazilian midfielder Ramires and Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool.

Benayoun will be no more than a squad player and Ramires may take time to adapt to English football.

Furthermore, the departures of Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho, nevermind the continued unhappiness of Ashley Cole, can only harm the champions.

A susceptibility at the back was offset by a flurry of goals last season but if John Terry and Petr Cech continue their decline do not expect an ageing squad to perform such heroics again.

Prediction: 2nd

Everton

Desite a slow start, including a 6-1 home defeat to Arsenal, Everton narrowly missed out on a European place last season.

In fact, aside from Chelsea and Manchester United, they were the top points scorers in the second half of the season.

Furthermore, the retention of Steven Pienaar and, in particular, Mikel Arteta can only strenghen David Moyes' hand.

Without the cloud of Joleon Lescott that hung over the Toffees at the beginning of last season and if they can steer clear of the debilitating injuries that disrupted them last term then expect Everton to fly and push for a Champions League place.

Prediction: 6th

Fulham

Despite what was widely recognised as a successful season last term, mainly due to their Europa League exploits, Fulham finished the domestic season limply, ending up 12th after being in the top half for most of the campaign.

The loss of manager Roy Hodgson, who was described by owner Mohammed Al Fayed as a "Bugger", cannot be underestimated.

Nevertheless, incoming head coach Mark Hughes should be able to steady the ship. Whether that will be enough to convince goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer that he should stay at Craven Cottage is another question entirely.

Prediction: 12th

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

Blackburn

Rovers, like so many clubs in the middling area of the league, will find it hard to break into the upper echelons. Nevertheless, it is clear that manager Sam Allardyce is trying to build something, much like he did with Bolton.

Blackburn will remain difficult to beat but need to improve on the away form, particularly in the goalscoring department which is presumably why Allardyce moved for the loan signing of Mame Diouf from Manchester United. Much will be expected of him to provide the goals to propel Rovers up the league.

Prediction: 10th

Blackpool

Even with a decent sized squad you would imagine that Blackpool would struggle, particularly as they finished more than 30 points behind Championship winners Newcastle en route to promotion, but Pool cannot boast more than 16 professional players at the time of writing.

Undoubtedly manager Ian Holloway will provide plenty of colour to the Premier League with his unique style of management.

However, that style is likely to be witnessed for just the one season as they will struggle against the big boys.

Prediction: 20th

Bolton

Since taking over, Owen Coyle has slowly improved Wanderers, both in terms of style of play and results, and I expect that steady improvement to continue this season.

The free transfer signing of Martin Petrov from Manchester City could turn to be the transfer of the summer (he's already scored in pre-season), though the loss of Jack Wilshire after returning to Arsenal from his loan spell will come as a blow.

Nevertheless, attaining Niko Klasnic on a permanent deal from French club Nantes can only aid Coyle as he attempts to lift Bolton into the top half of the table.

Prediction: 11th

Premier League Preview

2010-08-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Arsenal

The addition of Laurent Koscielny to the backline can only solidify an occasionally shakey defence. Moreover, the free transfer arrival of Marouane Chamakh will almost certainly turn out to be another fine acquisition by Arsene Wenger.

Chamakh looks like he has the makings of doing really well, whether it be as a foil for Van Persie, or as the lone frontman in the Dutchman's absence, which was sorely missed last season.

Nevertheless, the most important movement, or should I say lack of, is that that of Cesc Fabregas staying at the Emirates, at least for one more year.

My gut feeling is that will be it (just one more year), in similar circumstances to that of Christiano Ronaldo in 2008 when he decided to give it one last shot on these shores before heading off to pastures new.

However, for real improvement upon last year I think a goalkeeper is necessary, preferably an experienced one, and Mark Schwarzer of Fulham remains a distinct possibility.

Prediction: 3rd

Aston Villa

Even before the resignation of Martin O'Neill things were looking pretty bleak for Villa and thngs have hardly improved with the Northern Irishman's departure just five days before the season begins.

The seemingly inevitable departure of James Milner will not help either but the talent at the new manger's disposal still indicates a European place is possible.

Nevertheless, at least some of the money from Milner's transfer will have to be invested or it could turn out to be a long season ahead for the Villains.

Prediction: 8th

Birmingham

Alex McLeish will undoubtedly fear the 'second season' syndrome effect that has hit so many sides.

However, the astute acquisiton of Ben Foster aligned with an already strong backline should ensure Premiership safety.

Furthermore, there is still money available should McLeish wish to add to his squad.

Whether the Blues have enough to improve on last season's heroics, though, is another matter.

Prediction: 14th

World Cup musings - XI of the tournament

2010-07-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

Following Spain's victory over Holland last Sunday it is time for me to announce my 'team' of the tournament based on the performances of the last four and a bit weeks.

Goalkeeper

Iker Casillas

One of the easiest selections to make. He deservedly won the FIFA golden glove and if there were any doubts over his position in the ultimate selection then they were dispelled in the final as he marvellously denied Arjen Robben mid-way through the second half.

Right-Back

Philipp Lahm

Lahm makes the XI despite a minor error leading to Serbia's goal in Germany's 1-0 defeat in the group stage. This was the only blot on the copybook of the tournament's outstanding right-back.

Tackling, pace, verve and steel define all great full-backs and Lahm displayed these qualities in abundance as he led Germany to third place.

Left-Back

Jerome Boateng

Boateng completes a German full-back paring in the team and looks a sound investement for new employers Manchester City following a £10.4 million move from SV Hamburg.

The left-back was outstanding in Germany's victories over England and Argentina, all this in spite of his preferred position being in the centre of defence.

Centre-Back

Gerard Pique

The Barcelona centre-half has to be at the heart of the defence following his peerless displays for Spain en route to winning the tournament.

How Sir Alex Ferguson must be ruing the day he let him leave for Champions League rivals Barcelona for a mere £4 million.

Centre-Back

Juan

The solitary Brazilian in the team is an indictaion of the disappointment Juan's illustrious colleagues served up at South Africa 2010. Juan was magnificent and even managed to get on the scoresheet with a fine header against South American rivals Chile in the last 16.

Midfielder

Andres Iniesta

Iniesta had a decent tournament but makes the selection primarily for his performance in the final where, despite being on the receiving end of some tough tackling Dutch opponents, he kept his composure to score the winning goal in Soccer City.

Midfielder

Xavi

Another strong showing at a major tournament from the midfield maestro after he performed so well for Spain at Euro 2008. Becoming one of the legends of the sport following immense success with both the national side and his club - Barcelona.

Midfielder

Thomas Mueller

The Bayern Munich winger was at heart of every German counter-attack and none more so than in the 4-1 destruction of arch rivals England in Blomfontain. He scored twice on that occasion to go along with goals against Australia, Argentina and Uruguay that earned him the golden boot.

Midfielder

Wesley Schneider

Imperious throughout in the hole behind the main striker, Schneider confirmed what we already knew - Real Madrid made a huge mistake in letting him go in the summer of 2009.

Schneider now stands alone as the best player in the world in his position.

In spite of a quiet display in the final, when he was generally eclipsed by his midfield rivals Xavi and Iniesta, Schneider was the architect behind Holland's best chance of the match - putting Robben through on goal with a glorious through ball, only for the Bayern Munich winger to fluff his big moment.

Striker

David Villa

Villa looks a bargain at £37 million, which is what his new club Barcelona have just laid out for the prolific striker, based on his performances at this summer's World Cup.

Not only was he Spain's talisman as he scored five goals to end the tournament as joint top scorer, he was a scorer of great goals as excellent strikes against Hinduras and Portugal put him in contention for goal of the tournament.

Striker

Diego Forlan

Named FIFA player of the tournament Forlan looks a completely different player to the one who was at Manchester United in the early part of the decade where he was so poor he seemed more like Forlorn than Forlan.

However, a move to La Liga in Spain re-ignited the Uruguayan's career, culminating in this year's World Cup as he played a key role in helping his national side reach fourth place.

Subs Bench

Honourable mentions must go to Sergio Ramos and Ashley Cole (England's only decent performer at the tournament) for their sterling performances, as well as Spain's Carles Puyol, who narrowly missed out on the ultimate XI.

Furthermore, Holland's Arjen Robben and Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger fail to make the cut primarily due to high-profile errors in their final games in South Africa.

Finally, Luis Suarez misses out mainly because of his 'hand of the devil' moment against Ghana.

Talking of which, their star player, Asamoah Gyan, hitherto impressive, will be best remembered for his penalty miss following Suarez's callous act. This, though, is a dis-service to someone who starred for his country as Ghana made the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

World Cup musings - Reasons England are out of the World Cup

2010-06-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

England are left reeling from their worst ever defeat at a World Cup and here are some of the reasons why...

Fabio Capello

Ever since the friendly against Egypt back in March Fabio Capellos value has been slowly deteriorating. The poor friendly dispalys against Egypt, Mexico and Japan were an indication of the rot at Englands core and Capello seemed unable to fix it.

This is a guy who is paid 6 million a year to negotiate our way beyond our ritual quarter-final departure. Well, he couldnt even get us that far.

His tactics were woeful. Rooney out of position, Gerrard out of position, refusal to accept that we needed a 5 man midfield at times to outmanouervre, as well as out-number, opponents at the highest level.

Depsite his stature within the game, he was unable to deal with the egos within the camp, something that proved to be a huge problem as players became aliented with each other and their manager.

Pace

Whether it be the rigours of the Premiership season, the age of the team or just the individuals selected, the England side were made to look foolish, particularly in defence, as the youthful German side rang rings around their English counterparts.

Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard struggled with the pace of the game and could not deal with the electric Mesut Ozil.

Furthermore, when England needed some urgency, neither of the midfielders were able to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Rooney

England's talisman has not scored since 30 March and for one of the best players in the world, he never delivered at this tournament.

Much will be made of his overall fitness but this has not hampered Lionel Messi, who was described prior to the tournament as physically exhausted by the Argentinian fitness coach, or Arjen Robben, who has played just 20 minutes of football in the last five weeks and yet still managed to inspire the Dutch to victory against Slovakia yesterday.