A Sporting Insight

Are there any positives for England?

2015-03-12T01:40:00.000+00:00

commons.wikimedia.org

If you have been living in a hole (sleeping) for the last few days, or just given up on England in ODI cricket, you may have missed that they are out of the World Cup after a fourth defeat in five group stage matches. Eoin Morgan's side slumped to defeat to Bangladesh for the second World Cup in a row and now many questions will be asked. There are not any good signs, surely?

The English, not just in cricket but in sport in general, love to talk about the positives after a heavy defeat. Peter Moores' team have had plenty of crushing losses in the last few months in One Day Internationals to stew over and that dreadful form did not only continue, but worsen at the World Cup.

The obvious positive is that it cannot get any worse, well unless defeat to Afghanistan follows on Saturday of course. If England have to bat first against a talented Afghan seam attack that is not even an impossibility.

There were some real positives too; Joe Root is now a top quality performer in all three forms of the game and Jos Buttler again proved his destructive power, although there is no doubt that sometimes he should bat higher up the order.

There were also some shoots of light that failed to materialise though, Ian Bell was typically pleasing on the eye, which just made his dismissals all the more frustrating. England's all-time leading run scorer in ODIs now has just four centuries in his 160 matches, despite reaching fifty 38 times.

Moeen Ali is one of England's few players that attacks the match in the modern way, but apart from his innings against a club-standard Scotland team, he also failed to go on to post anything seriously meaningful.

World Cups since 1992	Result for England
1996 (Sub-continent)	Quarter-finals
1999 (England)	Group stage
2003 (Africa)	Group stage
2007 (West Indies)	Super 8
2011 (Sub-continent)	Quarter-finals
2015 (Aus + NZ)	Group stage

The main thing that England can take out of this tournament is that the way they are doing things simply does not work. They have some good players, probably not enough to reach the final, but definitely enough to reach the knock-out stages.

Changing the team so close to the tournament was baffling. James Taylor had done well at three and then found himself down at six, while Gary Ballance was drafted in despite having hardly played an ODI in a year. Ravi Bopara missed out despite his useful bowling and death-hitting potential. One of the most bizarre decisions was the one to replace Chris Woakes as opening bowler with a completely out-of-sorts Stuart Broad, which clearly must have come from the bowler having too much power in the dressing room.

The way Morgan and Moores spoke before and after matches was in stark contrast to some of the other teams. They were clearly over reliant on statistics, but then when there was a statistic that mattered (that if you bat first in Australia you are more likely to win), they ignored it and paid the ultimate price.

At the end of the day though, England and their supporters focus much more on Test cricket and quite rightly so. The longer format is still the pinnacle of the sport but now there will be serious worries, not only over England's Ashes prospects in the summer, but also of their chances in the preceding series against a refreshingly attacking New Zealand out-fit.

Alastair Cook will need all of his experienced players in form this summer to stand a chance in either of those series, himself included. Whether or not he will have the experience of Jonathan Trott remains to be seen, although he would be a welcome addition. A Kevin Pietersen return is about as likely Nigel Farage winning the general election, if he cannot find himself a county. Even if he can it is about as likely as Ireland winning the World Cup.

But Cook does need the likes of James Anderson, Trott and Bell firing (Broad is not really that important to the team any longer), or England could find themselves in an even worse state come the end of the English summer. So if you were one of those who thinks that having a good night's sleep is better than watching cricketing failure, your sleeping pattern should be safe for a while yet.

England's latest self-destruction confirms fall from grace

2013-12-09T03:22:00.002+00:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

England's lower order inevitably folded amidst a flurry of feeble shots parallel to those played by their more heralded team-mates yesterday. The biggest worry for Andy Flower, Alastair Cook and the beleaguered batting line-up is that they can't put together an acceptable innings on pitches flatter than the Dutch landscape, and against an Australian side who hadn't won a Test in nine before this series.

The shot that Cook played yesterday morning set the tone for a disappointing effort at batting for two days, but it was the way they subsided to a successive first innings collapse that will worry Englishmen the most.

The simple fact is, too many of the tourists have lost their heads with the bat, and it is as much because of the brilliance of Mitchell Johnson's bowling as the surprise factor of the Aussie insurgency.

What can England do to turn it round I hear you say? The obvious answer: not a lot. The home side have won their last six Ashes Tests at the WACA and it is the moustached-assailant's favourite corner. But with the batsmen in such poor form, the tourists's only hope is for their seamers to drag them out of the mire as they did in the summer, and there is a better chance of that happening in Perth.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad must take early wickets and maybe, just maybe, one or two batters will ensure their team doesn't do as badly as their opponents. For one thing is certain, this Australian batting line-up still has huge flaws and are still not even in the shadow of the side from the bygone era.

But it is hard for anyone to imagine that unlikely scenario taking place, the most ardent Barmy Army member included. The way that Johnson gave them a wave showed how confident the men in green and gold are and just how difficult it will be for Cook and co to turn the tide.

They have to go back to basics. The biggest problem is the shot selection and the way they gave away their wickets. For all the batsmen to be out to deliveries that were missing the stumps, and on a low deck, shows how poorly they played.

In Perth the batsmen will have to leave the ball much better and play like Joe Root did for his 87. Make the bowlers bowl to them; just like Cook did in his golden winter three years past. The chances of England retaining the Ashes are all but gone, but they could at least go down with a fight.

Why England can still retain the Ashes despite their deficiencies

2013-11-25T21:24:00.000+00:00

Photograph from Flickr

England took a battering from a bunch of fired up Australians over the weekend and have a mountain to climb if they are to regroup and retain the Ashes, especially after the loss of top order mainstay Jonathan Trott. Harsh words were sent in England's direction from both on and off the pitch and it could be these that spur Alastair Cook's men back into action.

Anyone who thinks that England are going to be thrashed in this series are deluded, but it is certain that they are going to have to work hard to keep hold of the precious urn.

The bowlers did an excellent job on the first day despite Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin's fightback and it is of great solace for England that James Anderson looks in form and Stuart Broad has put his horror-show from three years ago well and truly behind him.

Even if the bowlers look more than capable of taking 20 wickets, it is the top order's failure to score a meaningful total, let alone not totally collapse, that makes them look like more of a sitting duck. Trott's withdrawal is a blow to the visitors' hopes, but it is good to see that he is tackling the problem head-on and this shows how far cricket has come to recognising the problem of mental illness.

But it leaves a gaping hole at number three in the batting order and although Root opened in the summer it has to be Ian Bell to step in given the rich form he is in. Stability is going to be the key for England's batting and the Warwickshire batsman is more likely to provide that than any other of the candidates, despite his relatively poor record there in the past.

Photograph from Flickr

That will most likely mean Joe Root will move up a place to five, who despite his dreadful shot in the cauldron of the second day played manfully in the face of certain defeat and got some good batting practice against Johnson and Ryan Harris in the second innings.

The problem number six spot is becoming more troublesome with every passing week, but Gary Ballance is more than capable of taking his expected opportunity with style. The Yorkshire youngster has a stunning record in all forms of the game and has the power and strokeplay to change a game in an instant, as well as having the confidence to stand up to some bombastic Australians.

England have fought back from 1-0 successfully many times in the recent past and Alastair Cook is yet to lose a series as captain. He showed good form in making 65 second time round and will most likely be the man to lead the team to a big score on a probable docile pitch in Adelaide. It is imperative that the tourists bat well, because if they do not lose then they are still in a good position for the rest of the series.

The bowling attack looks good on the whole, although if Tremlett and co struggle in the second Test then the pace and bounce of Steven Finn could be an obvious solution at Perth. For all the talk of Australia's plethora of fast bowlers England have plenty of options of their own and could even turn to a five man attack in the shape of Ben Stokes if needed.

At the end of the day Australia still have far more weaknesses than England, especially in the batting department and Andy Flower's side will come back fighting in Adelaide. The sceptics who think the series is over need to be prepared for a serious backlash from this quality, experienced England team.

England rock Trott will be sorely missed

2013-11-25T21:23:00.000+00:00

Photograph from Wikipedia

For decades England trialled multiple top order batsmen for the vacant number three role, from county run machines (e.g Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick) to young prodigies (e.g Rob Key and John Crawley), but all failed to meet the demands of being the first man in after the new ball in Test match cricket.

But then came the answer to the woe; the latest world-class South African-born batter Jonathan Trott. For the four years since his Ashes-winning hundred at the Oval in 2009 he has been the glue that has given the England team their greatest level of stability in many a year.

The stress-related illness that has prematurely ended his Ashes tour is a long-standing one that has been heightened by the pressure of back-to-back Ashes series and all in the world of cricket, especially England supporters, will wish him a quick and speedy recovery.

His idiocentric manner at the crease calms the England batting line-up and his statistics speak for themselves. With a World Cup less than two years away his reliability in the one-day scene could also potentially be a great loss to Alastair Cook's men if he follows the pattern set by England's previous sufferers of mental illness, Marcus Trescothick and Michael Yardy, and does not return.

But the determined and battling qualities he has always brought to the field of play suggest that a return may not be too far around the corner.

Jonathan Trott's international record

	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Tests	87	3763	46.45	9	18
ODIs	65	2819	51.25	4	22
T20Is	7	138	23.00	0	1

But for now England have a decision to make that could determine the destiny of the little urn come January. It is highly unlikely that an uncapped player such as Gary Ballance will be thrown straight into the top order in the viper-pit that is down under, but picking Jonny Bairstow would be risky at best given his summer form.

So the only other option is to promote someone from down the order and despite having a poor record at three Ian Bell should get the position over Joe Root on a temporary basis. He is England's only batsman in top form and although Root is used to facing the new ball he needs time to build his game, although he will probably find himself at number five in Adelaide.

Kevin Pietersen is an outside shout but putting him in so early would be the equivalent of Wayne Rooney playing at centre-back, KP needs protection, not added responsibility.

That leaves England back with their usual problem position, the one they thought they had plugged with Root, number six. Matt Prior is batting worse than Geoffrey Boycott's grandmother so can not move up a spot, meaning that a five-man attack and a place for Ben Stokes is out of the question. That leaves the two players mentioned previously and Ballance wins the battle of the Yorkshire men courtesy of his superior county form in the summer.

He has everything from the ability to score runs quickly and to dig in when needed and is by far Andy Flower's best option.

England should have enough to go on and retain the Ashes, but with no Trott in the team it is a much tougher ask.

Video of the Week: 25/11/2013

2013-11-25T18:05:00.003+00:00

Just a standard striker's tackle according to Roberto Martinez...

Clarke and Australia send out brash message to England

2013-11-25T17:58:00.000+00:00

Photograph from Wikipedia

The baggy green of Australia is bouncing with a level of unbridled joy that even the most ardent West Brom fan could not dream of. Without a Test win since January and having been outplayed in the last three Ashes series they looked desperate when they so confidently talked up their chances before walking out at the Gabba last week. But that's the way they are and there was nothing fraught about the way Mitchell Johnson and David Warner got stuck into the more passive 'Poms'.

After the first day Stuart Broad called England 'silent assassins', but come the early hours of Sunday morning they had been reduced to nothing more than unsuccessful shoplifters with Michael Clarke's men attacking without respite, relentlessly exposing their top order's flaws on a pitch devoid of demons.

While Jonathan Trott's exit from the touring party highlights how many aspects of life pale cricket into insignificance, England have a whole host of sporting problems to contend with. The top order's innate ability to roll over in the first match of an away series is troubling, but the way that Australia's bowling plans worked so comfortably suggests that this failure will be tougher to come back from than in India last winter.

Credit where credit is due, Mitchell Johnson overcame the song that the Barmy Army voted as their second greatest chant to bounce England's batsmen into feeble submission. Kevin Pietersen looked good in both innings but could not resist a go at the enigmatic quick bowler in the second innings while Trott, although at battle with his mind, clearly had a problem with the short ball.

Michael Carberry and Alastair Cook both showed some resistance, but failed in producing a solid opening partnership. Ryan Harris still seems to have the England skipper in his sights while Carberry will not be used to the ball coming at his head from around the wicket at 93 miles per hour. It is something that Australia will continue to do on the quick bouncy wickets which they will undoubtedly produce again in the series.

For all his indiscretions Warner showed excellent attacking form with the bat while looking very solid. If he can keep up this form, and not let the success get to his head like that pint in Walkabout, then he could play many more starring roles over the coming weeks.

The bowling unit is extremely dangerous, and although the Australian top order still looks fragile, coach Darren Lehmann will be very pleased with the way his batsmen did not take their feet off the visitors' necks in the second innings.

Broad criticism helps Dar and Clarke avoid inquisitions

2013-07-13T12:25:00.000+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The Ashes is back. People all over the country are forgetting to check football transfer news or read the latest article about Andy Murray because of the wicket-tumbling, tail-end wagging and controversial scenes in Nottingham.

One thing is for certain; even the most patriotic Englishman should not assume that victory is in the bag despite Ian Bell's heroics taking his team's lead over 300. This match has been unpredictable from the off and the Aussies have quelled the naive doubts of supporters and pundits alike - they are very much up for the fight.

Despite all the drama on the pitch, the memory that will live long after this game, and even the series, is the contrast in the facial expressions of Darren Lehmann and Stuart Broad after the latter edged to slip.

Broad's face would have paled Matt Le Tissier's efforts on Sky Poker into insignificance, while Lehmann's might have instantly scared Kim Yong-Un into a hidey-hole.

No-one could quite believe that umpire Aleem Dar had failed to see what they had seen, while some could not fathom how Broad managed to hide his clear guilt.

But to all the people out there saying Broad acted against the spirit of the game; walking was abolished by the men in corked hats a long time ago.

The fact that Clarke and his team's fury was directed at Dar and not at Broad shows that he did nothing wrong - what he did was what anyone would in the heat of the Ashes.

There were only two mistakes made that produced the unsavoury moment. One was obviously the three time 'Umpire of the Year's' failure to spot the most obvious of edges.

The second was Australian captain Clarke's failure to use the Decision Review System for what it was invented. It is meant to be for clear umpiring mistakes and that is why England skipper Alastair Cook uses it sparingly, not for a gamble on optimistic L.B.W shouts.

In that respect the tourists can only have themselves to blame for what happened. The DRS should not be scrutinised, the wrong use of it by the captain should be.

Dar will never know how he made such a howler, Clarke will wonder why he wasted his side's second chance, and the Trent Bridge crowd will no doubt, fuelled by products kept in barrels, enjoy what should be a thrilling run chase.

Dustin Brown fires shots at Wimbledon

2013-06-26T15:15:00.000+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

Dustin Brown. What can you say about the dread-locked caravan enthusiast? After not dropping a set in three qualifying rounds and the first round proper he unleashed several shots never seen at the All England Club before to blow away former champion and world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

The world number 189 thrilled Court Two with some outrageous winners that would never be found in any coaching manual.

The pace and precision of his serves came as much of a shock to Hewitt as the spin and bounce generated by his 6' 5'' frame. Tennis watchers all over the world have taken to social media to express their love for the German of Jamiacan descent whose care-free attitude produced a gripping win.

Many thought that 32-year-old Hewitt was going to surprise a few this year after reaching the semi-finals at Queen's and ousting 11th seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the opening round, but it was not to be.

Brown is such a cool customer who did not seem to feel any nerves as he served out for the match and endeared himself to viewers with his exuberant celebrations and post-match tears.

After the match Brown was trending on Twitter and gained thousands of followers before tweeting: "#DidAllThatJustHappen... #CriedLikeALilGirl #ARastsManRunDiWorl #TeamDreddy."

The 28-year-old played for many years on the Futures and Challenger circuits with a world ranking fluctuating between 450 and 550. Living in a camper-van he travelled Europe using his winnings to buy petrol and food.

He reached a career-high of 89 in 2010 and was playing in just his eighth Grand-Slam tie today. He will now play in the third round against world number 111 Adrian Mannarino with a good chance of reaching the second week.

Whatever happens from now Brown will be remembered as one of the faces of Wimbledon 2013 and will get a handsome check to boost his current account. #TeamDreddy

Video of the week 30/04/2013

2013-04-30T18:31:00.001+01:00

Stephen Hendry hits a maximum in his final World Championship:

Rhythmic gymnast Gore looking to future

2013-04-30T18:21:00.002+01:00

There are many young sportsmen and women across the country whose dream is to represent Great Britain abroad in top competitions like the World and European Championships. For rhythmic gymnast Kezi Gore these ambitions became reality, but now she faces not competing again as a result of injuries and a need for more funding.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that has never attracted large audiences or media coverage in this country, despite being one of the most graceful and picturesque Olympic sports. Funding was cut a few years ago but in the wake of London 2012 it has received a slight increase for the coming year.

However the sport is not funded on the same level as sports which have medal prospects, which is understandable, although the British group almost failed to receive a London place despite representing the host nation and being self-funded.

Gore said: “A lack of funding means lack of training facilities, lack of international competition and training experiences, lack of international squads, and more. This means lack of full potential for the gymnasts, coaching and full GB team.

“We have been given more funding this year, so hopefully it will be put to good use and various improvements will be made.”

One way to secure more funding and sponsorship would be if the profile of rhythmic gymnastics could be raised. In order to do this Gore thinks that more girls will have to take up the sport: “I think a good way to get more girls involved is to get the word out there and invite them to come and join a local club; open days are especially good for this, like we do in Canterbury.”

A series of injuries have meant that Gore hasn’t fully trained for a year and she will now miss a second consecutive British Championships. She has two all-around British titles and won two individual gold medals in 2011, beating Welsh Olympian Francesca Jones in the process.

Her best achievement came in the Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney when she took the all-around silver medal, becoming the first rhythmic gymnast from Britain to medal in the competition. Those heady days now seem a long way away.

Gore said that her injury is very complex: “I started with an Achilles and foot injury early on last year that had never fully recovered by the time I went back into action in the summer. It got bad again and then two weeks later I got a groin injury.

“Physios and osteopaths have been puzzled by my groin situation, and say it’s more than just a strain. It’s been over 6 months and although my foot has almost entirely recovered I daren’t say there has been much improvement in my groin. I am waiting to see a hip specialist so hopefully he can help.”

Most international gymnasts retire by the age of 24, but in Britain they rarely stay in the sport into their twenties.

The 18-year-old thinks that this is for a number of reasons: “In my experience many of my friends stopped due to school work becoming too much when they were training up to 20 hours per week. I’ve noticed that if you just do the sport as a ‘hobby’, or do not compete at a high athlete level, it doesn’t matter how many hours training that can require; the school will not put it above education and work.

“It is also a time when you become more independent; when your friends start going out more without you. It can be hard to keep motivated at training if you don’t often place high in competitions and so you’d rather be having fun with your friends.”

Obviously Gore won medals frequently and was a regular in the Great British team, so this would explain why she continues to hope that she can return to the sport. The best chance of British girls being successful internationally is always the Commonwealth Games and the next instalment is next year in Glasgow.

With that in mind, the gymnast still believes she might have the motivation to come back: “If I was yearning to get back into action I’m sure I could well do after the injury has cleared.

“If I did continue my main competition goal would be the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But we shall have to see what happens.”

However after such a long time without having to train extensive hours week after week there is always the chance that it would be tough to give the effort and dedication required after a long period out with injury.

But even if that does turn out to be the case Gore says she will still look back on her career with pride: “If I’m not that motivated it may be because I have proudly and thankfully looked back at all the achievements and fun times I have had during my time as a gymnast. So if it’s not in my path to continue then at least I know I have had a fortunate ride and I can be content with that.”

It can be difficult for top-level athletes to know what to do once competitive sport cannot offer them anything any more, especially when the sport does not have high exposure.

Despite her predicament Gore has kept in touch with the sport by coaching young pretenders at her local club in Canterbury.

This has given her another option if she does retire: “Since I’ve been out of action I have been doing a bit of coaching at my local club. I am really enjoying it and even though I pass down knowledge I have collected over the years about the techniques to be a better gymnast; I am learning something new about how to become a better coach each time too.

“I think I would enjoy carrying on coaching even if I stayed just part-time in the sport.”

In 2006 Kezi and her younger sister Jael became the first sisters to both win all-around British titles.

Jael is now a senior and when asked what it would be like to compete against her younger sibling Gore said: “I suppose I might not talk to her for a month if she did beat me!”

Luis Suarez nibbles away at Liverpool's patience

2013-04-24T22:03:00.002+01:00


Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

George Best, Eric Cantona, Paul Gascoigne, Rudi Voller. There have been plenty of wonderful players to have graced the game whose misdemeanours will live as long in the memory as their talent.

From glorious free-kicks and delicate chips to soaring saliva and plastic breasts, football has never been predictable.

And now there is someone else sinking their teeth into the sport's controversial side. For the last three years there has been no keeping Uruguayan enigma Luis Suarez out of the lime-light.

His first transgression could almost be excused. He broke the hearts of a continent when he handled the ball on the line to deny Ghana, and Africa, a World Cup semi-final place, but his celebrations on the touch-line made everyone wonder whether or not they would have done the same for their country.

Despite his eight-match ban for using abusive language towards Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra and his admission that he dived in a Premier League game against Stoke, the focus is now on why his extra-large front teeth are so attracted to fellow professionals' shoulders.

When the forward completed the deal that took him to Liverpool he was serving a seven-match ban for gnawing on PSV Eindhoven defender Otman Bakkal.

When someone receives such a hefty ban for biting an opponent you would be forgiven for expecting them not to do it again. However Suarez seems to enjoy shocking spectators and fellow players alike, so it should have been no surprise when he took a liking to Chelsea centre-back Branislav Ivanovic.

To add insult to bite-mark the South American scored a controversial 97th minute equaliser to anger Chelsea even more.

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

Players who commit these sort of sporting crimes usually get landed with a hefty ban. Suarez would not have got ten matches if he had a clean record already, but he was a far cry from that particular piece of paper-work.

The ban itself has not taken many people aback, but what is confusing is that the Liverpool board have come out and said that he will remain at Anfield without a doubt. For how long will they continue to defend him?

Surely he will not get many more chances before he gets shown the door, albeit it being one that opens to a queue of managers bursting to get his signature.

His playing ability is astonishing. That header on Sunday was his 30th goal of a prolific season in which he has catapulted himself into contention for the PFA Player of the Year award. Although Suarez is a worthy candidate based on this season, it is hard to see many of his counterparts ticking his box on the ballot paper.

Wherever he is in August, he'll be twiddling his thumbs for a few weeks under intense media scrutiny as the world watches his every move. But what appears to be certain is that he doesn't seem to care.

Video of the week: 17/04/2013

2013-04-17T13:29:00.000+01:00

Engraver almost puts Adam Scott's name on 2004 Players Championship trophy too early

Adam Scott closes Lytham wound in style

2013-04-15T02:37:00.001+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The Masters. Pure sporting theatre as always. In the midst of heartbreak for so many, there was adulation for Adam Scott as he conquered the undulations of Augusta National to end the Australian Green Jacket curse.

Many demons were banished today; Scott's collapse at Royal Lytham and St Annes is now a distant memory and there will finally be a Masters winner down under.

The 2012 Open Championship was a tournament of agony for the likeable Aussie when he suffered one of the worst major competition meltdowns the game has ever seen. But today was a far cry from those four horrible closing bogeys, and the major monkey has been replaced on his back by a Green Jacket.

His control on the slippery greens with the controversial broom-handle putter was a joy to watch, while his length and accuracy off the tee was unerring all week. To top it all off he conquered the nerves that cost him the Claret Jug less nine months ago as he saw off a spirited challenge from the man who only bothers for majors, Angel Cabrera.

It was a day that had many twists and turns with many men seeing chances come and go over the back nine. Amen Corner was at its harrowing best, two players taking ten strokes on the par-three 12th, one of them defending champion Bubba Watson.

From the very start of the round there was a strong possibility of the 'Greg Norman' jinx being lifted with three Australians, Marc Leishman, Jason Day and Scott all within two shots of the lead.

They all had their opportunities. The more unheralded Leishman threatened to mount a charge when he birdied the 11th to reach -6, but faltered when his iron at 15 found the water. Day looked the champion-elect for much of the round as confident putts and stunning bunker shots took him two strokes clear with three to play, only for his concentration to let him down as he bogeyed 16 and 17, much like when he dropped shots on the last two holes the day before.

That paved the way for world number seven Scott to pour in a long-range birdie try on the last to all but seal the victory. Cabrera had other ideas though and the Argentinian forced a play-off and then came to within millimetres of a birdie on the second sudden death green that could have made the story so different.

Today was all about the victor. He showed his class all week, yet almost seemed to sneak under the radar to win. The media focused their coverage on the controversial penalty shots awarded to 14-time major champion Tiger Woods and 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, while Scott went about his business quietly.

He has focused mainly on the majors recently and has been rewarded with a string of impressive results, kick-started by his runner-up finish two years ago. The big 'W' was all that was missing and now all that remains to be seen is whether or not he can go on to add more to his career statistics.

Adam Scott's recent major record:

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

	2011	2012	2013
The Masters	T-2	T-8	W
U.S Open	CUT	T-15	?
The Open	T-25	2	?
USPGA	7	T-11	?

Unlike many first time major winners, he looks consistent in all areas of his game and should go on to lift many more trophies. His driving is long and accurate, he has a rhythmical swing with excellent distant control and his putting has been rejuvenated by introducing the long stick.

The only reason why Scott won't go on to win more major titles will be the banning of the anchored putter, so he needs to get as many under his belt before 2016 as he can.

Whether he adds more to his collection or not there will be some barbecues hotting up and beers being swigged in Australia now, no matter the time of morning.

The Masters 2013 day 1 - as it happened

2013-04-12T10:23:00.001+01:00

The Masters 2013 day 1 - live

77th Masters not all about the big guns

2013-04-09T23:39:00.002+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The Masters brings the best out of the best and always has done. Augusta National is a course that separates the men from the boys, although it is more difficult than ever to distinguish the difference.

It isn't hard to differentiate in a literal sense; 14-year-old Chinese prodigy Tianlang Guan will play alongside two-time champion Ben Crenshaw who is 47 years his senior. However in golfing terms, despite Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson being the three favourites, the Green Jacket is there for the taking.

Major championships are becoming increasingly tough to predict, Ernie Els' romantic Open win last July halted a run of nine consecutive first-time major winners. Although Rory McIlroy claimed his second major win in two years with his emphatic victory at the USPGA and Tiger Woods has won three times this season en route to world number one, there are a whole host of players hopeful of conquering Augusta.

Martin Laird's final-day 63 last weekend ended an unbeaten start to the PGA Tour season for the Americans, and there are plenty of home players in with a shout this week other than the obvious two.

A new young breed of big-hitting, imaginative and stylish golfers are emerging from the US and are starting to re-establish their country's dominance in the sport. Bubba Watson's thrilling win last year, that culminated in one of the all-time great Masters shots, is evidence of this, while Webb Simpson's US Open victory that followed proves the point even more.

Even though both Watson and Simpson have failed to win on tour since their major breakthroughs, plenty of other Americans look in excellent shape.

26-year-old Keegan Bradley took the golfing world by storm when he won the 2011 USPGA on his major championship debut and has started this season in brilliant form. He now has a WGC title to his name and backed up his USPGA win with a top three finish last August. Top 10s in each of his last four tournaments make him one of the form men that will walk up Magnolia Lane on Thursday.

Matt Kuchar is yet to win a major, but has spent over 40 weeks in the world's top ten and backed his impressive 2012 Players Championship win up with victory in the World Match-Play in February. The man he beat in that final, the winner from the year before, is Hunter Mahan, another player perfectly capable of breaking a major duck. His consistency from tee to green gives him a great shout of improving on a previous best of tied eighth in 2010.

Jason Dufner held the joint half-way lead last year and has had a great couple of years, his waggle becoming a familiar sight during the back end of big tournaments. He is a steady player who could hold on to a place at the top of the famous leaderboard for longer this time around.

There are older Americans who have not been at the top of their game as often as they would have liked recently, but who could still go all the way on Sunday. Steve Stricker has cut his schedule short and with the pressure seemingly off his shoulders could use his trusty putting stroke to finally master the undulations in the greens. Jim Furyk is another who could re-kindle a flickering flame, while 1992 champion Freddie Couples always seems inspired by the competition.

Despite the force that the stars and stripes hold, the internationals have many potential winners among their ranks. Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel have all won in the last five years, with Louis Oosthuizen going close last spring.

No European has won since Jose Maria Olazabal won his second title fourteen years ago, so maybe on the 30th anniversary of the late great Seve Ballesteros' last win, a Spanish winner in Sergio Garcia is the order of the day.

The Brits hold a strong contingent outside of McIlroy, perennial nearly-man Lee Westwood has moved to the US in a bid to quash his major woes and Justin Rose loves playing at Augusta and is on magnificent form, while battlers Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter are always sure to put up a fight.

The Scandinavians will be out in force as well. Henrik Stenson will be looking to put an 18th hole quadruple bogey in the first round and a closing 81 last year behind him and Peter Hanson could go two better than his previous effort of tied for third. Dane Thorbjorn Olesen is a promising talent and Carl Pettersson is a reliable performer who challenged at the USPGA.

There are many others who have every right to believe they can spring a surprise, but what is certain is that this year's Masters is far from a fore-gone conclusion, despite the credentials of the 'big three'.

Photograph from Flickr.

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons.

Photograph from Flickr.

The Masters 2013

2013-04-09T13:46:00.000+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

Nothing grabs attention quite like the Masters. The green pinnacle of golf that is Augusta National captures the imagination of the world for one week every year thanks to its meticulously prepared fairways and greens, and the majestic pine-straws that bring about the death of so many a round.

The players are mere midgets in the face of 7,400 metres so daunting, yet so beautiful. In 48 hours time 93 men of all ages and stature will take their turns to attempt to conquer the beast, and what a spectacle it promises to be.

From the sorry (Kenny Perry 2009) to the sublime (Nicklaus 1986), the Masters never fails to disappoint and this year could excite the pallet more than ever. There are plenty of tales ready to be written. Could 14-year-old Tianlang Guan make the cut despite not being able to reach all the greens in regulation? Will Sergio Garcia win his first major on the 30th anniversary of the late Seve Ballesteros' last Masters win, in the same week that it would have been the great Spaniard's birthday? Only time will tell.

A Sporting Insight won't be leaving a blade of grass uncovered, with live text commentary and reports. Join us for golf's greatest advertisement, don't miss the Masters.

Video of the week: 09/04/2013

2013-04-09T12:01:00.001+01:00

Jack Nicklaus remembers 1986

Why Sunderland's gamble could pay off

2013-04-03T18:18:00.001+01:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The circus that is the Premier League continues to take twists and turns as more and more managers take part in the merry-go-round that is the industry.

The latest jester to join in the royal mess is Italian nut-job Paolo Di Canio. After initially refusing to reveal his political views he has now said that he is not a fascist. Former member of the Labour Party David Miliband left the Sunderland FC board after expressing his disagreement with the decision to appoint the man who once did a Nazi salute while playing for Lazio.

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

The enigmatic former West Ham favourite is replacing well-regarded boss Martin O'Neill, who was sacked after a poor run of games left the Mackems in the relegation mix.

The North-East side have gone eight games without a win and the Irishman paid the price after a dire first-half performance set the tone for a drab 1-0 defeat at home to champions elect Manchester United.

The efforts of the Sunderland players, especially in the first half, would have been way below the standards that O'Neill would have expected of a team fighting for survival. There was no urgency to get forward and help the front man Danny Graham from anyone in the team, and no real pressure exerted on the United forwards.

There has been plenty of pessimistic observations surrounding O'Neill's sacking as he is a well-proven manager who has never got the chop before in his career. But after an excellent start as Black Cats boss his former side have struggled intermittently this season, with this latest run taking them down to 16th place and just one point clear of the play-offs with a very tough last seven games to come.

Many chairmen have reacted at this stage of a season by getting rid of their managers and usually it is just the final nail in the coffin. Phil Brown's sacking from Hull City, Mick McCarthy's departure from Wolves and it now looks like Brian McDermott's Reading exit, all sealed their clubs' fates.

The Di Canio racism saga has rolled on as Charlton manager Chris Powell has refused to elaborate on the Italian's claims that their friendship proves that he is not a racist.

Paolo Di Canio's managerial statistics:

Team	From	To	Record
Team	From	To	G	W	D	L	Win %
Swindon Town	11 May 2011	18 February 2013	95	54	18	23	56.84
Sunderland	31 March 2013	Present	0	0	0	0	—
Total			95	54	18	23	56.84

Although on purely football terms, the 44-year-old's record as the manager of Swindon Town is exquisite. After winning League Two last season he led them into the League One automatic promotion places before leaving the club after a dispute with those on high.

His style of management brought as much criticism as it did praise as he fell out with players, had bust-ups on the side of the pitch and was all-round a journalist's dream. But what is certain is that he produced results and brought success.

It remains to be seen whether or not he can translate his techniques from lower league football to the big stage of the Premier League, and the huge club that is Sunderland. However he is sure to make sl28ctYoMnFQHfLBeO0MevpNlOpR56lLKthe club really need is someone who can transform their fortunes in an instant.

He will split opinion, but he will definitely get a reaction from his players and the ones that don't get on board will feel the wrath of their new boss. Sunderland have taken a massive gamble with this appointment, but it will certainly provide a different approach and hopefully for the Wearside team, a different amount of points.

Video of the week: 29/03/2013

2013-04-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

Monty Panesar's hilarious dive v New Zealand:

England should take plenty of positives from tricky New Zealand series

2013-03-26T16:35:00.001+00:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

Colin Cowdrey, Michael Atherton, Ricky Ponting, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Paul Collingwood. Add Matt Prior to the list of batsmen who have all stood in the face of extreme adversity to see their teams to unlikely draws. Today was a day that saw England muster all the fight and desire in the world to hang on against a determined New Zealand side.

While Prior's innings was magnificent, Ian Bell set the tone with a near six-hour vigil reminiscent of Collingwood at Cardiff in 2009.

Today was an excellent day for England as very few thought, at 90-4 and with an inexperienced middle order, that they stood much of a chance of saving the series.

What resulted was a day of thrilling Test match action that made many watching at home wish that they were filling up an empty-looking Eden Park.

The Kiwis did not have their share of luck, although they did waste a couple of good chances just before the lunch interval. The bails not coming off despite the ball hitting the stumps twice, after it had ricocheted off Prior's throat, was a sign that this was to be the away team's day.

Even though Alastair Cook's side produced the great escape needed to draw the series 0-0 and stay at number 2 in the world rankings, they have come in for a lot of unfair criticism.

Some pundits and former players have suggested that England make a lot of changes to various aspects of their set-up including preparation, team selection and even back-room staff.

Most of this is complete nonsense being said by old players jealous of the current side's high standing in Test cricket.

England have an excellent side, and at the moment a very settled one, with the only spot up for grabs the number six spot in the batting line-up. However Joe Root showed plenty of character in the final match and he deserves to start the First Test in May as very much part of the team. Jonny Bairstow was hung out to dry a little bit after only playing one first-class innings in six months and a couple of games with The Lions might have helped him.

The fast bowling trio all looked in decent enough form after a tough winter, and going into a busy summer, on really flat pitches that offered hardly any assistance. Stuart Broad's pace was back up to nippy speed and he quashed any doubts that surrounded him during the India series, one that ultimately ended in injury.

Monty Panesar was offered no help from the pitches as the New Zealand batsmen tucked into him with regular ease. However overall the rather dopy left-arm spinner has had a good summer and Graeme Swann will come back in for The Ashes.

Monty's Bale-esque dive:

On a different note, the pre-Test warm-up matches were not poorly prepared, England just did not have an option but to play only one first-class warm-up match because of the timings of the One Day Internationals.

Nick Compton's back-to-back centuries all but confirmed his Ashes spot at the top of the order and Jonathan Trott showed his dependable attributes in abundance.

There is no doubt that England were not at their best in this series, but that was down to a number of reasons, one being the quality of their opponents. New Zealand made wholesale changes to the side that was drubbed by South Africa and it paid off, McCullum's captaincy a massive plus.

Andy Flower's England team will take great heart from this heroic effort on the final day, and although they need to improve in a couple of areas, they will head into a very important summer of cricket full of confidence.

James Anderson: From yips to swing king

2013-03-22T11:36:00.003+00:00

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

"Oh Jimmy Jimmy, Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Anderson!"

Hailed as a wonder-kid in the 2003 World Cup, James Anderson then fell into the international wilderness in 2005 as people said he had lost it, but now the Barmy Army are rightly blowing his trumpet again.

Just five wickets short of adding to an illustrious list of names that have taken 300 Test wickets for England, the burly Lancastrian has transformed himself from a wild, but exciting young prospect, to one of the best exponents of swing bowling in the world.

The 30-year-old burst onto the scene in 2002 with a brilliant spell of 1-12 from 10 overs in an One Day International against the all-conquering Australians. His ability to swing the ball late, at pace and with excellent control earned him high praise from many and the expectations of a country were duly placed on his shoulders.

Despite a good run of form that included England's first ODI hat-trick against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, he slowly slipped out of the team as Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher set about forming their fearsome fast quartet. While Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff took the headlines Anderson stayed on the periphery of the side, bowling at cones and tail-enders.

When Jones was injured during the Test series against New Zealand Anderson must have been champing at the bit to get a chance, only to see Kent's Martin Saggers called up.

England's toughest task ahead of the 2005 Ashes was always going to be the Tests in South Africa, and with the series tied at 1-1 Anderson was given his opportunity in the fourth match in Johannesburg, amidst claims the ball would swing. Many were baffled by the decision to leave out an in form Simon Jones and Anderson failed miserably to prove his doubters wrong.

His first innings figures of 2-117 from 28 overs were flattering at best, while his second innings effort of 0-32 confirmed to many that he had the dreaded 'yips' as the ball flew to all parts of the ground, sometimes not even via the bat. What made that performance even more disappointing was that the ball did swing, Matthew Hoggard showing all the skills that Anderson lacked as he took 12 wickets to win England the game and the series.

Thanks to injuries and loss of form to many of England's bowlers, the seamer found himself back in the side for the 2006/07 Ashes. Like many in an England shirt his efforts could best have been described as pathetic as the Aussies won 5-0.

However fast forward to the next clash of the Titans Down Under and the Burnley Express was tearing the home batting line-up apart, taking 24 wickets at 26.04.

He has continued in that vain for a long time now and is England's highest ever international wicket taker.

Photograph from Flickr

England's highest Test wicket-takers

Sir Ian Botham	383
Bob Willis	325
Fred Trueman	307
Derek Underwood	297
James Anderson	295

But how? The Anderson of old would storm in and try and bowl fast swinging yorkers and magical balls almost very delivery. Now he has controlled his aggression into grinding batsmen down with unerring accuracy.

The fire in the belly remains, always ready to stare a batsmen down and shout at his own fielders. His pace is consistently around the 140kph mark, and this enables the ball to swing late, especially with the Duke ball.

One of the main reasons is that he has gone back to his old action. When he first played international cricket he bemused and confused because of the tendency to not actually look at the stumps when he delivered the ball. The coaches huffed and puffed and 'corrected' this flaw in his technique.

This threw him off guard and he seemed to be thinking too much about his technique, forgetting about the basics of swing bowling that had got him so far. Since Andy Flower took over the England set-up, Jimmy has got back to the drawing board and perfected the bowling action that shook the world in 2003.

Now he is bringing cricket to a standstill and even when he is not running through batting orders, there is always a nagging doubt in the batsmen's mind.

Video of the week: 22/03/2013

2013-03-22T00:33:00.001+00:00

Karl Ikeme's shocker for dismal Wolves

Tragic train death exposes flaw in cricket’s drug-testing system

2013-03-01T14:50:00.001+00:00

Drugs in sport have been a problem for decades. From Ben Johnson to Lance Armstrong everyone knows of at least one performance-enhancing story that has shocked the world and many of sport’s governing bodies have addressed this predicament, for example the Football Association now runs over 1,000 tests a year.

Events over the past few days have suggested that cricket, one of Britain’s oldest sports, is not quite up with the times. Even though drug tests are carried out during the season to ensure that stimulants are not taken, it is almost as if cricket players are just expected to conduct themselves in a ‘gentlemanly’ manner during the winter.

Such assumptions should never be made by anyone involved in any sport. Recreational drugs pose a bigger threat to cricket than many other sports, as it has one of the longest periods where domestic players are not in competitive action.

While Surrey batsman Tom Maynard’s death shocked many, what was more surprising was the result of the inquest in which it was revealed that he could possibly have been taking cocaine and ecstasy for three months. In the last few days many leading figures in the sport, including former England captain Michael Vaughan, have called for out-of-season tests to be introduced.

This event has caused a shock to the cricketing system, a game which is more associated with match-fixing problems than drugs. It raises a question regarding what can be done to stop this from happening again. What is clear is that more stringent tests would help.

What should be even more worrying is the reason as to why this has happened. In 1997 Warwickshire all-rounder Paul Smith was given a life ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board for using recreational drugs, although now that policy has been scrapped and counselling is now the preferred option for such cases.

	Cases of recreational drugs in sport
1997	Warwickshire cricketer Paul Smith given life-time ban by ECB
2009	England rugby union international Matthew Stevens given two year ban after testing positive for cocaine
2009	Rugby league player Gareth Hock also given two year ban for cocaine usage
2011/12	The FA conduct three drugs tests that result in players testing positive for cannabis
2012	Pakistan cricketer Abdur Rehman given 12 week ban for testing positive for cannabis
2013	Inquest into cricketer Tom Maynard’s death finds that he had taken ecstasy and cocaine before he was hit by a train

Counselling is clearly the way forward if cricket is to stop this growing problem that could mar the game, as players like Maynard should definitely be helped, rather than punished. The ECB have said that this was a ‘one-off’ incident, but should not push this under the carpet as it may not be a rarity, especially considering a number of people admitted knowing about the 23-year-old’s drug habits.

Last season Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman tested positive for cannabis and was given a 12 month ban, providing even more evidence that this case was not isolated.

Cricket is not the only sport that has had players taking recreational drugs. Of the four positive tests that the FA conducted last year, three were for cannabis. In 2009 England rugby union international Matthew Stevens was banned for two years after being tested positive for cocaine, as was rugby league star Gareth Hock.

The amount of drug-related occurrences has increased over the last few years, and the ECB and other governing bodies of sport should not ignore this. Through more tests, followed by helping the players involved, it is a problem that can effectively be stamped out.

Premier League season reaching the business end

2013-02-28T23:22:00.000+00:00

Photograph from Flickr

As the calendar flicks over towards March, everyone involved in football starts to get that tingling feeling as the Premier League season starts to unfold. As managers start to feel the pressure, every game starts to take on greater significance.

Over the last twenty years the Premier League has seen many thrilling finishes, from West Brom's great escape when the last day saw four teams fight it out for one survival spot, to last year's stunning title victory for Manchester City over city rivals United on goal difference.

The title race looks unlikely to go down to the final day of the season this time around, but there is plenty for us football fans to get excited about over the coming weeks. The relegation battle is hotting up as plenty of teams struggle to pull away from the bottom three, while the fight for the coveted Champions League spots continues to intrigue.

Champions League football for next season looks as though it will be decided on the final day of the campaign, as do the Europa League places. Nail-bitingly for some around the country, the fight against the drop also looks likely to continue well into May.

What is certain about the coming two-and-a-half months of action, is that the 19 May will bring simultaneous excitement and drama.

That Sunday will see the curtain drawn on the year's domestic football, with some potentially mouth-watering ties. Chelsea's clash against Everton at Stamford Bridge might prove vital in the race for the top four and a match that could hold equal importance in a different context may well be Aston Villa's trip to Wigan.

Before that much-anticipated day will be ten rounds of typically high-octane sport.

Photograph from Flickr

Some of the romantics out there might believe that a title race to rival last season's may yet materialise after City's 2-0 win over Chelsea last week kept them 'just' 12 points behind United. Although they may be in love with the beautiful game, they can safely be seen to be deluded. There is absolutely no way that Red Devils manager Alex Ferguson will allow his side to let this one slip.

The race for second also looks to be over after City's Sunday win, and now that Chelsea have fallen behind Tottenham, they need to look over their shoulder at the clubs behind them on the hunt for a top four space. Having said that The Blues should be able to wrap up third place, especially considering that trips to the Britannia, Stamford Bridge, The Liberty Stadium and Anfield await Spurs, who are also yet to host Arsenal and Man City.

That especially tough run-in means that no Gareth Bale stunners will be able to prevent the chase for the Champions League going to the wire. Despite all their defensive woes Arsenal can still mount a serious threat to their not-so-friendly neighbours and this weekend's derby takes on added significance.

Liverpool have been readily laughed at by many, but they are a team that are well-equipped to throw those smiles back into people's faces and creep steadily up the table. Arch-rivals Everton are the most probable to feel the brunt of a red charge.

The class and quality of their squad makes Swansea favourites to add to their League Cup triumph by winning the mid-table 'table', while West Brom have a tricky fixture list that could see them hit a bit of a wall after already reaching the magic '40-point mark'. A succession of long throws and elbows with some kicking (of a football) should see Pulis' Potters leapfrog their fellow Midlands club in the standings.

Predicted final Premier League table:

	Team	P	GD	PTS
1	Manchester United	38	50	95
2	Manchester City	38	37	80
3	Chelsea	38	34	74
4	Tottenham Hotspur	38	17	68
5	Arsenal	38	29	67
6	Liverpool	38	31	66
7	Everton	38	10	64
8	Swansea City	38	3	48
9	Stoke City	38	-7	47
10	Southampton	38	-7	44
11	West Bromwich Albion	38	-7	44
12	Newcastle United	38	-9	44
13	Norwich City	38	-17	43
14	Sunderland	38	-11	39
15	West Ham United	38	-18	38
16	Fulham	38	-16	35
17	Wigan Athletic	38	-24	34
18	Queens Park Rangers	38	-27	31
19	Aston Villa	38	-41	30
20	Reading	38	-26	27

Out of the sides sitting relatively safe, but precariously placed, Southampton and Newcastle are the two that have shown enough to suggest they will pull away from danger with ease. On the flip-side, London outfits West Ham and Fulham could have some hairy moments yet.

The sides already destined for a dog-fight will struggle to creep away, but Wigan's expertise in scraping a couple of results together amidst the blossom of spring should be enough to condemn QPR, Reading and Aston Villa to the dreaded Championship.

So put up your feet, turn on the TV, grab a beer and enjoy watching the overpaid men run around (and fall over) until they have to stop when the weather gets too hot.

Make your own predictions here.

Tweet: @jedgore

E-Mail: asportinginsight@hotmail.co.uk

Is it the end of an era for Arsenal?

2013-02-20T00:07:00.000+00:00

Photograph from Flickr

Seven-and-a-half years ago Arsenal defeated Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out to win their fifth trophy in five years. The year before they had gone a whole Premier League season unbeaten and boasted a host of top players such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira.

Now their best player is undoubtedly a raw young talent in the form of Jack Wilshere, but with the side in disarray it is unlikely it will be long before he follows Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri out of The Emirates.

Although their last 16 Champions League tie with Bayern Munich is far from over, it is almost impossible to see Arsenal winning either 4-2 or by three goals in the Allianz Arena. Bayern are even stronger than when they reached the final last season and haven't lost since it was confirmed that Pep Guardiola would be taking over in the summer.

It is not as though the Gunners have been a poor side since they won the FA Cup in 2005. In that time they have not finished outside the top four of the Premier League and have reached the League Cup final twice, losing 2-1 to Chelsea in 2007 and 2-1 to Birmingham City in 2011.

Despite those efforts, their best achievement was reaching the Champions League final in 2006 when they went down 2-1 to Barcelona after having goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off. They could count themselves quite unlucky in that match and probably expected many more European finals to follow over the coming years, although those hopes have not materialized. It will be a shock to many that Arsenal have never won the Champions League under Arsene Wenger, in fact they have not been crowned champions of Europe in their history.

Even though that sounds like a poor record for a club of their size, they are the only British team to have reached the last 16/second group stage every year this century.

Arsenal in the Champions League under Arsene Wenger
Group stage	2
Last 16/Second group stage	6
Quarter-finals	4
Semi-finals	1
Final	1

Since the first two times that they played with Europe's elite under Wenger, when they were knocked out in the group stages both times, Arsenal have since sealed their place as one of the continent's best, although they are desperate to be crowned champions.

At this rate even being in the Champions League next year will take a huge effort in itself. This season has been another disappointing one for the North London club so far. They sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, four points behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur who occupy the final Champions League spot. After this latest defeat, coupled with their shock FA Cup loss to Championship side Blackburn, and their season looks destined to be another fruitless one.

For a couple of years now there have been sections of Arsenal's over-paying fans that believe Wenger's time has passed. Fail to seal Champions League qualification at the end of the season and the board might lose patience and agree with them.

However Wenger has been one of the club's greatest ever managers, in the last 17 seasons he has provided three Premier League titles and four FA Cups and countless near misses. What he has also managed is to transform Arsenal from an inconsistent side to a side that always challenges in the higher echelons of the table.

He has also not been backed tremendously by the board in recent years. The signings of Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski were big buys, but not bank-breakers by any stretch of the imagination and were never going to win Arsenal the Premier League or Champions League. So who can blame him for trusting in youth? It is all he can really do.

The defence is clearly shaky, but that is as much down to the players' concentration as it is the manager's organisational skills. Despite his unbelievable record though, it would not be surprising in the modern day football cut and thrust culture, if Wenger was shown the door if the Gunners finish outside the top four.

Whatever happens, Arsenal supporters appear to be witnessing their club fall in a similar, although not as dramatic, way to how Liverpool, Champions League regulars not so long ago, fell from Premier League favourites in 2009 to eighth place last year.

Although Wenger's men seem to only be suffering a slight slide at the moment, it appears that the slide will become a full-on crash in the near future.