February 2, 2012

With today being the last day of the January transfer window, it seems unfair that when looking at the runners and riders for the York Sport Presidency, I am unable to stand in front of a large plasma screen, complete with a countdown clock, screaming fervently that the President of one sport or another has thrown their hat into the ring.

Alas, it is only within the confines of this very column that I am able to run the rule over those jostling for position to replace Sam Asfahani as York’s sporting supremo.

Exactly who will put themselves up for election is unclear but a little bit of prediction, rumour and gossip never hurt anyone – unless those rumours turn out to be false and forever besmirch someone’s name but hey, take your sob stories to the Leveson Inquiry.

The best place to start is the York Sport Committee; the inner sanctum of Asfahani’s administration, his faithful cabal, similar in many ways to Blair’s ‘Sofa Government’ but less powerful. Two people who seem set to run for the position are College Sport Officer Charlotte Winter and
Tournament Secretary Ben McGladdery.

McGladdery has previous, he unsuccessfully challenged Asfahani last year before heavily implying he’d be back for another crack at the top job. Name recognition could be a big factor for the man who donned a Scooby Doo costume in the run-up to last year’s election (as you do…) but Winter will pose a significant challenge. A Lacrosse player, she will be able to count on significant club support and her role within College Sport has certainly added to her exposure.

If I was a betting man, and I am, I would be backing her for the role. Unfortunately when I nipped into William Hill, I was met with looks of bemusement when I asked the odds for the York Sport Presidential race – amateurs.

To predict who else might run is less clear-cut but equally as fun. Other members of the York Sport Committee could all be logical bets, Netball president, Shadyn Nikzad, perhaps the most likely, team-mate Kay Masterson could also be worth a punt. The man in charge of the money, Andreas Papadolambakis, may also decide to chance his arm but he would probably need to improve on the election message he used in his attempts to become treasurer; ‘being Greek’ and ‘good with money’ might not be enough to catapult him to victory here.

Another group of people who may become runners and riders are the Presidents of Sports Clubs. If the whispers are to be believed – which they rarely are – then Sam Morrison of the Rugby Club could be a name to consider.

To use a sporting cliché, it could be anyone’s.

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February 2, 2012

As you sit and read this the January transfer window will be drawing to a close.

Jim White’s eyes will be popping out of his head, Bryan Swanson’s phone will be on the verge of meltdown, Harry Redknapp will be conducting an interview in his car whilst holding up traffic around Spurs’ training ground, and numerous footballers will be in helicopters hovering over various cities in an attempt to confuse us.

Or at least, that’s how it normally works.

This year has (so far) failed to live up to the high standards set by previous deadline days, most notably last season’s when Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres were involved in two of the biggest transfers in English football history.

And that was after a month in which Darren Bent had already swapped Wearside for Villa Park (a transfer that still irks loyal Sunderland fans like myself), and Luis Suarez, David Luiz and Edin Dzeko had all completed big-money moves to the Premier League.
In comparison, this January has been somewhat of a let-down, though I am writing this a few days before the window slams shut (cue dramatic graphic on Sky Sports News) so there is still time for a bolt from the blue.

But all the important deals that have gone through so far have lacked a certain fanfare and excitement.
Gary Cahill’s move to Chelsea was sufficiently protracted to make us all bored of the affair by the time it was concluded, and Papiss Demba Cisse was quickly whisked off to the African Cup of Nations after his move to Newcastle.

Even the two real shocks of the window have been somewhat tainted – Thierry Henry’s return to Arsenal by the fact the great man is not his former self and will soon return to New York, and Paul Scholes’ surprise comeback by the knowledge that he is not the long-term solution to Manchester United’s midfield woes.

All I can say right now is that I hope something stunning happens on deadline day; but if it doesn’t, then we’ll all probably be glued to the TV anyway.

Managers may be united in criticism of the January window, but for fans it has become a source of excitement and wonder, even when nothing is really happening.

Such is the draw of the transfer window, a lack of any genuine action cannot serve to dampen our enthusiasm.
Even if you think your club doesn’t stand a chance of signing anyone, you never know, so we sit for a month with one eye firmly fixed on live transfer updates, constantly checking our Twitter feeds.

It may be filled with unfounded rumours, banal non-stories and pathetic acts of desperate panic-buying, but we endure it all in the hope of that one earth-shattering move.

Perhaps Carlos Tevez will finally find a way out of Manchester City, or Kenny Dalglish will finally bite the bullet and try to find Liverpool a natural goalscorer to supplement Suarez.

But if there is one defining and endearing feature of the window, it is that it captivates us all regardless of what is happening on the transfer front.

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February 2, 2012

The Super Bowl is fast approaching and once again it is that time of the year when everyone pretends to care about American football.

The cursory patronising articles in the newspapers, bars begging you to give them some rare Sunday service and TV channels goading you into justifying the money they paid for the right to show the ‘biggest game in the world’.

As a genuine fan of gridiron, I find this all to be rather annoying, as the sport is actually gaining in popularity in this country, and deserves more than the annual perfunctory hat-tip it currently garners.

As far as tangible evidence for this goes, there is the rampant success of the NFL International Series, which has sold-out an NFL regular season game at Wembley Stadium every year since 2007, and plans to do so until at least 2016.

The NFL itself estimates there to be around “11 million fans in the UK” and Sky Sports have seen their ratings for the sport increase by “91 per cent since 2006”, all of which the NFL is using as support for a potential London franchise in the future.

In terms of less tangible variables, the advent of the internet has obviously made American sports much more accessible to the modern fan. Those who were interested in the sport only 15 years ago had to rifle through papers to find minimalist box scores, whilst today fans can easily follow games as they happen on their phones.

Whilst the NFL has not embraced YouTube in the same way the NBA or NHL has (in fact they were one of the companies that supported the recent SOPA/PIPA bills in Congress), their website offers free highlights pretty much instantaneously, something the Premier League has failed to capitalise on in this country.

For the more dedicated, NFL Game Pass and Sky Sports offer high definition quality coverage of matches on their computers or televisions; and if they don’t feel like paying there are always the slightly more nefarious corners of the internet that offer alternatives.

Whether you are a diehard or not, this year’s game promises to be special as it is a rematch of Super Bowl 42, one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory and all-time classic.

In that game four years ago the underdog New York Giants beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots, preventing them from completing a staggering 19-0 season, as Eli Manning led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

Whilst the squads involved this time are admittedly noticeably different from their last encounter on this grand stage, the fans will not have forgotten.

Some players and coaches may have moved on, but the head coach-quarterback combination for both teams remain, and once again New York’s Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning will be attempting to out-duel their more illustrious New England counterparts, the three time Super Bowl winning duo of Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady, who are appearing in their record-breaking fifth championship game together.

While all the headlines before and after the game will inevitably belong to the quarterbacks, I personally feel that they will not have that great an effect on the outcome of the game; instead the result will hinge on the performances of the Giants’ defensive line and the Patriots’ secondary.

The Giants pass rush is the best in the league, and if they can generate pressure on Brady and force him to make mistakes, they will be able to keep, and the score low, whilst Patriots’ secondary on the other hand is the league’s worst, something Manning and his receivers will look to exploit. An above average performance by them could well be enough though, whether they are up to this is debatable however.
History has already repeated itself to pit these teams against each other, and I suggest you tune in on 5th February to find out if we have another potential classic on our hands.

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January 30, 2012

Ospreys take on Biarritz in this year's Heineken Cup, Image: Sum_of_Marc via flickr Creative Commons

Every January the rugby press is inundated with articles and blogs analysing the implications of Heineken Cup qualification for the Six Nations Championship. The fettle of the clubs in the former is read as symptomatic of their respective nations in the latter and what follows is an influx of opinion articles predicting the Six Nations champion as whichever country is performing most admirably thus far in European club matters. Such articles are tedious, their methods crudely over-simplistic and I am yet to be convinced that a strong correlation exists between Europe’s top club competition and its annual international tournament.

With a quick glance at the history books, the argument already starts to fray around the edges. In the twelve seasons since the Six Nations’ inception, only four have seen the winners of the Heineken Cup and the Six Nations come from the same country. Wales have never provided a Heineken Cup winner, yet won Six Nations Grand Slams in 2005 (when no Welsh province reached even the quarter final stage of the European Club tournament) and 2008. This year, floundering pundits will point to the qualification of three Irish provinces as evidence of the national team’s good health, yet in only four of the last twelve seasons have the Six Nations champions been the nation with the most representation in the last eight of the Heineken Cup.

The temptation for pundits is obvious: why should the success of a country’s clubs not carry over to the international scene? The answer is a whole host of reasons. Most obviously, clubs are not populated entirely by players qualified to play for that particular nation. With the likes of Isa Nacewa (Leinster), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Clermont Auvergne), Lifeimi Mafi (Munster) and Schalk Brits (Saracens) all adding foreign talent to their respective European sides, clubs simply cannot be seen as constituent parts of corresponding international teams. Granted, in many cases these expatriates operate in conjunction with a host of home-grown talent, but at times it is hard to ignore the match-turning input that a club’s foreign contingent makes. A third of the Ulster XV that humbled Leicester in round five, for example, were not of Irish blood. The impression clubs give of national form is further distorted by examples like Ben Morgan, an English forward plying his trade with the Scarlets in Llanelli, and Tommy Bowe, Ireland’s potent winger who plays for the Ospreys in Swansea.

Imported talent aside, though, injury and squad rotation often mean that club form cannot be used as a barometer for that of national teams. English fans who watched Munster overwhelm Northampton last weekend might take heart that Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood and Chris Ashton, variously unavailable for the Saints are all likely to start when England take on Ireland on 17 March. Those who think Ulster’s dismantling of Leicester makes an Irish victory all but certain at Twickenham when the national sides meet – an argument the Ulstermen who jeered a tongue-in-cheek rendition of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ that night might adhere to – may have forgotten that only Tom Croft and Ben Youngs from the Tigers’ lineup are likely to start for England in the Six Nations’ final fixture.

Observers who think that Heineken Cup rugby pre-empts the Six Nations also seem to be ignoring the often substantial role that contingency plays in rugby. With a change in the wind here or a different call by a referee there, an entirely different group of teams might have qualified for the last eight. In both rounds 1 and 2, final-play drop goals by Munster’s Ronan O’Gara brought the men from Limerick victory; clearly neither match was a foregone conclusion and without those victories Munster may not have qualified at all, let alone secured the top seed spot. In November, Edinburgh edged Racing Metro 48-47 in a thrilling game that evidently could have gone either way; a week earlier Glasgow had claimed a victory over Bath with a fortuitous last minute try. Of course the very nature of professional sport comes down to fine margins and although teams with more class tend to succeed in the long run, there are indisputably times when luck is needed on top of merit to secure a win. In a tournament where each team is afforded just six games to secure a quarter-final spot, there are English, Welsh and French clubs who might all argue that, but for a little misfortune, they could and should have qualified.

The simple fact is that for all of the passion and talent on display in the Heineken Cup, international and club rugby in Europe remain two very different phenomena. The lack of both ‘home’ and ‘away’ ties in the international arena can skew results at times (no Six Nations side can any longer feel safe when playing away, even in Rome) and the bonus point system, which brings an added level of nuance to the club tournament, is not present in the international championship. The difference in pressure between playing for club and country is even bigger than the difference in scale and much will come down to how well players with little international experience deal with such pressure.

Don’t get me wrong – a fruitful Heineken Cup campaign can put a country in good stead for the Six Nations, but nothing more; my point is simply that success in the former is neither a pre-requisite nor a guarantee of success in the latter. Ireland’s provinces have been playing well and French clubs have shown touches of brilliance in Europe this season but crucially, transferring club success to international dominance is not an exact science. The man who confidently predicts a Six Nations champion before the tournament has begun is a braver one than I. The impending championship, thanks to a host of new international players (at the dawn of a new World Cup cycle) as well as three new coaching setups, is even more difficult than normal to predict. So, when February 4 rolls around, count on nothing, expect anything and enjoy the spectacle that the 2012 Six Nations promises to be.

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January 30, 2012

Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium, Image: bevkevtrev via flickr Creative Commons

Currently languishing second from bottom in the Championship, and five points from safety, Doncaster Rovers’ four season stay in the second tier of English football looks to be coming to a close.

The last decade has signalled almost constant expansion and improvement for the South Yorkshire club, who, backed by Chairman John Ryan, have risen three divisions and now occupy a 15,000 all-seater stadium which is a far cry from their previous Belle Vue home. However, having abandoned the philosophy that underpinned this remarkable ascent, when sacking manager Sean O’Driscoll after a poor start to the present campaign, Rovers’ dramatic change in direction has yielded little reward on the pitch or respect off it.

Formerly heralded as a model of the respectable family club making the most of limited resources, the replacement of the popular and innovative O’Driscoll with the more pragmatic Dean Saunders also coincided with the arrival of controversial agent Willie McKay, who is the orchestrator behind their present superstars transfer policy. The arrangement has witnessed the arrival of numerous out of favour Premier League players on heavily subsidised loans, with the intention of taking a sizeable cut from any eventual sell-on fee. In essence, Rovers have been acting as a convenient shop window for bigger clubs to display their disillusioned wares in the hope of financial gain for all parties involved in the deal.

So far this has seen such familiar faces as Chris Kirkland, Marc-Antoine Fortuné, Habib Beye and Hérita Ilunga, amongst others, arrive on loan, while the previously unattached El Hadji Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda and Lamine Diatta have also pitched up at the Keepmoat on short-term contracts. This array of ageing internationals undoubtedly have self interest at heart, using this ailing second tier side as a stepping stone on the way back to bigger things. When the plan was initially announced supporters were concerned that this revolving door policy would compromise the very continuity which had been so key to their club’s success. Such fears seem well-founded as a number of loanees have already returned to their parent clubs after failing to inspire an upturn in Donny’s fortunes.

McKay’s misguided belief that this could be a model for clubs of Doncaster’s size and limited fan base to survive in the Championship significantly overlooks the last three years in which they have punched well above their weight, even securing a top-half finish in the 2009/10 season. The club has long taken into account its inherent disadvantage in the transfer market, but has prospered nevertheless by recruiting players ready to slot into a pre-ordained system of passing football. All the while the necessity of selling has never impeded their progress, with substantial profits being made on a conveyor belt of talent including the likes of current Leicester duo Richie Wellens and Matt Mills.

O’Driscoll, following on from the groundwork laid by Dave Penney, always built with an overarching ideal in mind and created a team which was greater than the sum of its parts. This is in marked contrast to the current alliance of Saunders and McKay, who have overseen an influx of talented yet often temperamental players. A club once without ego, and who used the loan market for its primary purpose, to test out young players like Jordon Mutch and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, has since become a bizarre experiment in discontinuity and the first port of call for McKay’s stable of clients and contacts.

The astonishing long-term transformation the club has undergone during Ryan’s tenure is at risk of being irreparably damaged by a series of short-sighted decisions. Just a day before dismissing O’Driscoll, Ryan even cited fellow Yorkshire side Sheffield United, and the three managers they used in last year’s relegation to League One, as an example of the potential perils arising from unnecessary upheaval. Yet having failed to heed his own highly prescient advice, Doncaster are now facing not just the prospect of relegation, but of losing their hard-won reputation for forward thinking and good football.

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January 25, 2012

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, Image: Keith Allison via flickr Creative Commons

The Luck of the Patriots

The media narrative running up to Super Bowl 46 will be about the great Bill Belichick, the other-worldly Tom Brady, and their chance to add to their already historic legacy. This is misleading though, papering over the cracks of an obviously flawed team that has relied on the deficiencies of others and some incredible luck to get them this far. During the regular season, the Patriots’ defence was ranked 31st in the league, a shocking statistic that led to every New England game becoming a ludicrous shoot-out. The fact that such a feeble defence could rise to the number one seed in the AFC is an indictment of how poor the conference was this year, a fact that was evident in the teams representing it in the playoffs. The Bengals and Texans were never realistic threats with rookie quarterbacks at the helm, the Steelers had too many injuries, and the Broncos had a quarterback whose best asset was an unwavering (and frankly obnoxious) belief in God. Compared to the loaded NFC, where all six playoff teams could claim a legitimate chance of winning it all, only two teams really stood out as championship calibre, leaving the Patriots essentially a single victory away from the Super Bowl

After dismantling the Broncos the week before, the Patriots were finally facing their first real test in the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens, and by all accounts they played terribly. Brady was outplayed by Joe Flacco, throwing two interceptions with no touchdowns and giving the Ravens a huge opportunity to go to the Super Bowl. Baltimore could comply however, handing victory to the Patriots via two crucial miscues in the final minute. First of all Lee Evans could not hold on to a potential game-winning touchdown, and seconds later, Billy Cundiff missed a regulation 32-yard field goal which would have sent the game into overtime. The New England Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl for the fifth time under coach Bill Belichick, but for the first time as a fraudulent team.

Joining the Patriots in Indianapolis on February 5th will be the equally lucky New York Giants. Playing the San Francisco 49ers on the road and with the game in overtime, the Giants were forced to punt the ball, giving the home team the chance to drive and score a field goal that would take them to the Super Bowl. The 49ers returner Kyle Williams fumbled said punt however, leaving the Giants in field goal range themselves. Lawrence Tynes succeeded where Billy Cundiff could not, propelling the Giants into a rematch of Super Bowl 42.

Super Bowl XLII Déjà Vu

Both of the conference championship games were defined by the mistakes the losing teams made in crucial positions, but this will be quickly forgotten as this year’s Super Bowl is a rematch made in heaven. The Giants and Patriots met in the championship game only four years ago. That Patriots team was undefeated, attempting to go an unprecedented 19-0, and had destroyed any opponents who had dared stand before them. The Giants on the other hand were a plucky 10-6 team that had been forced to win three straight road playoff games to reach the big stage. The game was dismissed a mismatch, David versus Goliath, and the Patriots were favoured by twelve points according to bookmakers. But for those who know their Biblical history, the bigger the man, the harder they fall, and Eli Manning led the Giants to a shocking victory, one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. This loss is still fresh in the minds of many New England fans, especially as the team has struggled ever since. They will be desperate for revenge. The Giants on the other hand will be eager to prove that the last Super Bowl victory was no fluke, and that the Tom Coughlin-Eli Manning combination is equally as great as the much lauded coach-quarterback team in New England.

Injuries Galore

The NBA is a pretty ugly product at the moment. Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Derrick Rose; you could make a historically good team with the guys currently riding the bench in street clothes for their teams, nursing ‘minor injuries’. I add scare quotes there because if it were the playoffs, these guys would be out there every game. In fact, even if it were merely a normal 82 game season, I would imagine that they would be playing more. But due to the compressed schedule in the wake of the lockout, teams are acutely aware of how little the regular season matters this year, opting to rest players over gaining meaningless wins. The aims of teams have shifted from ‘win as many games as possible in the hope of securing home court advantage in the playoffs’ to ‘just get in the playoffs injury free’. There is a precedent for this as well. After the last lockout in 1998, the New York Knicks scraped into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s 8th seed, and ended up reaching the Finals. The same could easily happen again this year, as with training camps hugely truncated, teams had little to no time to practice together before the season started, turning the regular season into an extended preseason as teams hope to peak heading into the playoffs. All of this is not good for the fans though as the games are noticeably worse, missing star power and offensive cohesion. Just like the NBA teams themselves, we are going to have to wait until April for the real quality.

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January 20, 2012

Sepp Blatter (right) has long been an opponent of goal line technology, Image: World Economic Forum via flickr Creative Commons

Of all the sticks used to beat Sepp Blatter with, including allegations of corruption, cronyism and downright incompetence, both the least justifiable and the most tiresomely predictable is FIFA’s failure to adopt goal line technology.

Proponents for change see it as an essentially unarguable point, an unavoidable next step on the way to eradicating the influence of human error over a match’s outcome. Yet if football’s administrators were to make such a concession, it would serve only to undermine rather than aid the officials whose benefit it is purportedly for.

After each round of fixtures we are currently treated to the same line-up of familiar managerial faces either railing against unjust decisions or professing relief over getting that little bit of luck they deserve, depending upon which way the result has gone. A manager’s appraisal of the referee’s performance has never knowingly been noted for its sense of proportion, perspective or impartiality, but in a sporting culture where players must be shielded from criticism at all costs, they are forever drawing attention to refereeing errors in order to explain away their own team’s shortcomings.

Complaints against the inconsistency of officials’ decision-making, especially concerning the punishment meted out for two-footed tackles, has become a staple source of manufactured outrage and controversy in recent weeks, especially since Vincent Kompany’s red card in the Manchester derby. Yet this highly subjective area of the game, which is inevitably prey to personal interpretation, could become the next target for video referrals should they be introduced to deal with supposedly more clear-cut cases like whether a goal should be given or not.

If we’ve survived just fine without goal line technology up until this point, why is its introduction any more critical now? This can be attributed to a misplaced belief that the occasional mistake is somehow of greater consequence since football has become the endlessly over-analyzed, financially-bloated behemoth it now is. The mantra for football’s new seriousness seems to be much like that of the recent Sky Bet advertisement, which depressingly asserted that the result “matters more when there’s money on it”.

The suggestion that with football’s enhanced status there is now too much money at stake for the occasional wrong call, and that technology should be brought in to deal with these tragic imperfections, is a perfect example of approaching an issue the wrong way round. To me the idea that a goal line decision could matter so much signals that the money involved is the problem, rather than the means of making such a decision, and that we should tackle the warped mentality responsible for deeming any football result to be of such earth-shattering importance to begin with.

Instead, the introduction of technology would merely feed into football’s sense of its own significance, while irritation over offsides or penalty decisions, which occur far more often than any qualms over whether the ball has crossed the line, would continue unabated until they too became the subject of in-game video analysis. The problem is only exacerbated by the media’s incessant courting of controversy and the overbearing demands of pundits and fans in search of an unattainable perfection.

That technology is yet to encroach on the game of football should be a source of pride, proving that for all the upheaval it has undergone it remains fundamentally the same sport from grass roots level to the very top. This state of affairs would only be threatened by the arrival of prohibitively expensive technology, widening the gulf between the haves and the have-nots of league football even further, so that games in the Premiership would, quite literally, take place on a different playing field altogether.

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January 13, 2012

In-form England wing Charlie Sharples, Image: PaulSh via flickr Creative Commons

The selections made for the England rugby squad by Stuart Lancaster’s interim coaching staff betray their intent in terms of how they hope the team will play. Whether they can match intent with ability is their next obstacle, and therein England may find that their ‘new era’ is still plagued by some very old – as well as some new – problems.

The attributes of the selected players give a very clear impression of the kind of rugby England will strive to display in the Six Nations. Perhaps most strikingly, Lancaster is trying to build a hard-running, athletic, mobile pack of forwards with good handling skills. The inclusion of the likes of uncapped Callum Clark, Joe Marler and Ben Morgan, along with the more experienced Tom Croft, Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes, demonstrates the coaches’ desire for a group of forwards, all of whom are quite comfortable roaming the full breadth of the pitch – be it carrying, offloading, tackling or rucking.

It is also evident that Lancaster and his coaches want two ball-players in their England midfield. The inclusion of Charlie Hodgson, Owen Farrell and Toby Flood (and Alex Goode, deputising for injured Flood) signifies that one centre, as well as the fly half, will be primarily a passer of the ball, rather than a carrier. This will be in stark contrast to the model previous manager Martin Johnson adhered to for so long: two centres designed to simply batter the opposition defence into submission.

The game-plan, then, is relatively clear. Quick forwards beat their opposite men to each ruck, supply England with fast recycled ball, from which their two ball-players thrive. One centre, as well as these athletic forwards, carry the team through a number of phases until a gap opens up in a tired and confused opposition defence. The electric finishers then arrive, – the likes of Charlie Sharples, Ben Foden, Mike Brown, all in fine form – finish the well-worked try and the Red Rose of England is happily on track for glory once more. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, actually, quite a lot. Notably, England lack a truly eye-catching number sevem. The players selected in the back row are among the most talented in the country, many of whom have played at seven for their clubs, but, crucially, none of the flankers in the squad are what rugby pundits call ‘out-and-out open-sides’. The over-used phrase refers to the type of player who flirts with legality in the ruck, getting away with whatever he can in order to prevent the opposition winning the contest easily, and perhaps more crucially winning the ball for his own team. Many players in the English Premiership do this quite well, yet none do it to a world-class level. Open-side flankers are all too often the architect of victory in rugby and if England cannot find an effective and legal way of securing the ruck, their good intentions might never materialise.

Additionally, the clarity of England’s game-plan is shrouded in the midfield. If England, as suspected, desire a duo of passing maestros and one centre more heavily built for ball-carrying and defence, how do injuries to Toby Flood and Manu Tuilagi affect their intent? What if Owen Farrell gets injured? Brad Barritt and Jordan Turner-Hall are admirable carriers and tacklers for their clubs at inside-centre; should either be trusted in an international outside-centre jersey? Successful midfields are carefully balanced and if Lancaster begins to put his players into positions they do not regularly play for their clubs, the national side might find its attack blunted and its defence porous.

What concerned me most when I perused the squad was that an area of traditional strength for England suddenly seems more vulnerable: the scrummage. The likes of Steve Thompson, Andrew Sheridan, Louis Deacon, tight-five forwards known for their strength in the set-piece are all unavailable for various reasons. There is no doubt that the players who replace them bring youth, pace, and skill (Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dave Attwood are among the names that spring to mind), but in scrums where brute strength and experience tend to win the day, England’s new forwards might struggle.

Make no mistake there is much that is good about this squad. Their finishers are among the best in the Northern hemisphere: Chris Ashton and Ben Foden are the two high-profile scorers included, yet Charlie Sharples and Mike Brown are in scintillating form this season and even the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell and Ben Youngs have proved themselves prolific try-scorers. I expect England’s lineout to provide plenty of possession with Croft, Wood and Palmer to the fore, and more generally the team will benefit from greater mental freedom than it had under the previous regime, in the knowledge that their coaches are (probably) not permanent and the team will not be judged too harshly for losses if they perform well.

The big question that underpins this article is whether England will achieve what they believe they can. If they find an effective way of contesting breakdowns, strike a good balance in midfield and hold their own in the scrum, I expect England to do well. If they fail to address these issues, they will finish the Six Nations in the bottom half of the table. Either way, they will be utterly compelling to watch over their next five games.

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January 12, 2012

Will Spurs bring the title to White Hart Lane for the first time in over 50 years? Image: Diego's sideburns via flickr Creative Commons

With over half of the season now complete, the Premier League is shaping up for an exciting climax with three teams in the championship picture. This is despite many claiming the championship was a two horse race between the red and blue halves of Manchester. The third contender, the team which haven’t won the championship since 1961, is Tottenham Hotspur.

With many predicting Harry Redknapp will become the England manager after Euro 2012 succeeding Fabio Capello, can he take the club who were flirting with relegation when he took over to a historic Premier League crown?

The simple answer is yes. Spurs have quality throughout their team with the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Emmanuel Adebayor and perhaps the best winger in the league, Gareth Bale. Add to this a reliable man between the sticks in the evergreen Brad Friedel, and solid central defenders Ledley King, William Gallas and Michael Dawson, Tottenham can pose real problems to any team in the league. With the depth of the squad the only problem compared to Manchester City and to a degree Manchester United, there is a strong likelihood that Redknapp may well delve into the transfer market, with the club being linked to Blackburn duo Chris Samba and Junior Hoilett. These signings would add even more quality to the wealth of talent Redknapp has at his disposal.

After their 2-0 win over Everton at White Hart Lane, Tottenham are now level on points with United and just three points behind City with a meeting at the Etihad between the two on January 22nd. City will be without the Toure brothers, who are at the African Cup of Nations, and the suspended Vincent Kompany, giving the men in white a great chance of going level at the top of the Premier League. Spurs have lost only once in the league since Manchester City demolished them 5-1 at White Hart Lane at the end of August; a quite incredible sequence of results.

Furthermore, the fact that Tottenham may still not be the main topic of conversation regarding the title will suit them; they can go about their business in a quietly efficient manner as they have all season. Spurs’ credentials must be enhanced when opposing managers such as Roy Hodgson state that they are ‘serious title contenders’. In addition to Hodgson, Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson have spoken of their belief that the title race is between three teams, with Spurs included. As well as managers being positive on Tottenham’s championship hopes, striker Jermain Defoe has proclaimed that ‘City and United know we are a threat’ and that everyone at the club wants to take the opportunity which has arisen with both hands.

Admittedly, the second half of the season may be a lot harder for Spurs as they have to face Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City away, but if they are still in touch with the league leaders as they go into each of these games, they will remain hopeful of mounting a serious challenge for the title. Unbelievably, the bookmakers still have Tottenham at odds of 7/1, a price which clearly suggests that they will fail to keep with the two Manchester clubs. However, with both City and United suffering with injuries and suspensions and their involvement in the Europa League, Spurs may have the advantage of keeping their squad relatively fresh and injury-free.

It is clear that Tottenham are part of this season’s title race and both Manchester United and Manchester City should not overlook the Londoners. If they do, Spurs could well take the title in what would be a shock to many.

What Spurs have done this year underlines the fact that Harry Redknapp is one of the best managers in the league and would be the ideal candidate to replace Capello in managing England. This is a nightmare situation for Tottenham, as they face losing a manager who has turned the club around and they could see a return to the mid-table mediocrity which they have suffered for far too long.

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January 10, 2012

Robin van Persie was rested by Arsenal after the hectic festive period, Image: Ronnie Macdonald via flickr Creative Commons

It was certainly a festive season to remember for fans of the Premier League. With the John Terry and Luis Suarez racism cases making headlines off the pitch, the action on it provided ample respite to remind us of why we continue to watch the beautiful game regardless of any controversies and criminalities that surround it.

Beginning with arguably the best game of the season so far, with Manchester City beating Arsenal 1-0 in a pulsating encounter at the Etihad, the Christmas period produced no end of thrills and spills. Manchester United secured two convincing 5-0 wins, what seemed to be the start of the usual mid-season resurgence at Old Trafford, and Chelsea dropped points in four consecutive games, but the best was still to come.

As 2011 became 2012, we witnessed some of the most shocking results seen in a single week of football. Aston Villa went to Stamford Bridge and took all three points. Blackburn, against all odds, did the same at Old Trafford, capping a week in which they had already earned a point at Anfield. The next day, City drew a blank for the second consecutive game and were made to pay by Ji Dong-won as Sunderland’s renaissance under Martin O’Neill hit new heights.

That was before Fulham struck twice in the closing stages to beat Arsenal at Craven Cottage and Newcastle put the champions to the sword on Tyneside. Just when we thought it was all over, the FA Cup served up an enthralling and controversial Manchester derby, followed yesterday by the glorious return of Thierry Henry. Truly, it was a brilliant advert for English football.

However, enjoyable as all of this was, I couldn’t help but notice that not many people were talking about the infamous winter break. Whilst the stars of La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga were enjoying a well-earned rest, the high drama on these shores seemed to distract from the usual clamour over introducing a winter break here.

The lack of a debate that has now been exhausted may have come as a Christmas blessing; after all, it has been discussed for years without any kind of conclusion being reached. But, come the summer when England begin to show signs of fatigue at the European Championships, the calls for a winter break will surface once again.

Many club managers would welcome a break of some kind as well, particularly those facing an injury crisis right now (and there are quite a few). But for most people, introducing a winter break similar to those of Spain, Italy or Germany would rob us of some of the most exciting football of the year, alongside a host of our footballing traditions.

To me, the answer lies not in an extended pause in the English football calendar nor in sticking rigidly to the ways of the past, rather in common sense. There is no urgent need for a winter break and most fans would be against it, but why the powers that be decide to buck the trend to such an extent that we play more games in December and January than at any other time is beyond me. And asking teams to play twice in 48 hours over New Year was ridiculous, undoubtedly leaving many to count the cost of injuries at this crucial time.

A simple solution is this: treat Christmas and New Year as if it were any other time of the season. Take a normal five or six day gap between matches and everyone will be better off, for a whole host of reasons. Fans won’t have to shell out for tickets and transport at an expensive time of the year, players will suffer fewer injuries (both now and for the rest of the season), the FA Cup might be taken more seriously if first choice players are better rested and we could still hold on to our beloved Boxing Day and New Year matches.

This stops short of a winter break, as well as other more radical plans like reducing the number of teams in the league, but would help reduce some of the problems we face now and wouldn’t back up the fixture calendar too much. Surely it would, at least, be a step in the right direction.

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January 8, 2012

Man City outcasts Wayne Bridge and Emmanuel Adebayor, Image: sp3ccylad via flickr Creative Commons

As the physical demands of football have increased over time, so have the size of squads needed to compete on all fronts. The Premier League’s attempt to curb the biggest clubs’ propensity to stockpile playing talent, by introducing a 25 man limit, has encouraged top flight managers to exercise greater restraint in their recruitment activities to avoid the absurd situation evident at Manchester City. The intense investment made over the last four years, which sees City currently occupying top spot, has also given rise to a new breed of throwaway footballer.

In many ways, the entire Manchester City project was predicated on just the sort of disposability that the club is now encumbered by, struggling to rid itself of many who were bought with short-term aims in mind, to bridge the considerable gap between mid-table also-rans and European certainties. To achieve this they were required, particularly during Mark Hughes’ largely fruitless year and a half in charge, to overspend on a number of players who, having now outstayed their welcome, are of little inclination to leave given the financial rewards their contracts still entitle them to.

Some would say that Man City are getting due comeuppance for assembling a group of players whose ambition was understandably questioned upon their arrival, their decision to join the club seemingly driven primarily by the prospect of increased earnings. They therefore remain unable to offload Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Wayne Bridge amongst others from their almost obscenely talent-laden squad. And even Carlos Tevez, now effectively ostracised by manager Roberto Mancini after their falling out in Munich, could prove hard to usher out of Eastlands on a permanent deal, given the reluctance of other clubs to match his reported £250,000 a week salary.

The consequence is that many, including the aforementioned Adebayor and Santa Cruz, have had to be loaned out on heavily subsidised wages while others, like the obstinate Bridge, seem unwilling to leave their lucrative roles as occasional bench occupiers, with the former Chelsea full back having made a just one senior appearance this season against Birmingham in the third round of the League Cup. That City’s ability to spend big in the January transfer window, should Mancini see fit, remains profoundly unaffected by their current reputation as the ideal refuge for pitch-shy players is a sad indictment of modern football’s oligarch-driven indebtedness to money above all else.

Aside from frustration at the manoeuvrings of mercenary players, City come out of this scenario practically unscathed due to their limitless wealth, circumventing Premier League restrictions on squad size by banishing the unwanted from front line action. This issue has been evident previously, with Winston Bogarde’s acrimonious spell at Chelsea a notorious example of the non-playing footballer, but this phenomenon has been taken to extremes at Manchester City. So perhaps it’s fitting that their ostensible third choice keeper is Stuart Taylor, formerly of Arsenal and Aston Villa, who has made a mere 86 appearances during a fourteen year career.

Unfortunately, at Man City and elsewhere the role of perennial back-up seems to have become increasingly common, and almost a specialist position in its own right, as players are tempted into a state of semi-retirement.

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January 4, 2012

The LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Image: Keith Allison via flickr Creative Commons

The NBA season may already be underway, but here is my preview of the Western Conference teams, ranked from worst to first.

15. Utah Jazz
Poor Utah. This time last year they had the longest serving and most revered coach in the NBA, Jerry Sloan, and a premier point guard, Deron Williams, running his tried and tested system. But after Sloan was ousted following a spat with Williams, who then forced his way to New Jersey via trade, there is not a lot left for the Jazz to be happy about. Devin Harris, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are evidently talented and capable of putting up gaudy stats, but it is going to be a very tough job for Tyrone Corbin to make this team competitive in his first full season as a head coach.

14. Phoenix Suns
This is not how the Steve Nash story should end. The two time MVP should not be committing ample turnovers whilst trying to push the issue for lottery bound team. Whilst he may have lost his trademark quickness and is a defensive liability, Nash is still an offensive genius, and led the league in assists last season at the age of 37. Surely a trade to a contender is the best for everyone, giving Nash one last shot at a title and allowing the Suns to bottom out for a high draft pick.

13. New Orleans Hornets
Any off-season in which you lose your franchise player can hardly be called a success, but given the circumstances, New Orleans should be very happy with their situation heading into the new season. Chris Paul was never going to re-sign, regardless of how much money the Hornets could have offered him. Paul wants to win now, something he evidently was not going to be able to do in New Orleans. By trading him, the Hornets have made an early start on their rebuilding process, and the acquisition of Eric Gordon has set them up very nicely for the future. This season will be a strange one for the organization though as they start it without the electrifying Paul for the first time since 2004. Expect growing pains.

12. Sacramento Kings
This Kings team looked so much fun. Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton scoring at will in the backcourt, Chuck Hayes and DeMarcus Cousins banging bodies up front, and the NBA’s answer to Tim Tebow, Jimmer Fredette, coming off the bench. It was going to be great. Sure, they wouldn’t have played any defense, or made the playoffs, but this team could have been joyous. Well, unfortunately, Cousins has ruined all of that. He came into the league with a reputation of being a head case, and he duly complied in his rookie season, as the former 5th overall pick was suspended for a starting a fight on the team’s plane. But young DeMarcus has taken things to another level this season, apparently repeatedly and aggressively asking for a trade, to the point that the Kings have banished him from the team. The only option is to trade him, but Cousins’ petulance has left Sacramento with no leverage at all. Another season of mediocrity beckons, the Kings left ruing what could have been.

11. Houston Rockets
Houston definitely has the talent to make the playoffs this year as Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola are an efficient and effective trio. I just feel, however, that General Manager Daryl Morey is not happy with mere mediocrity, and that the team will hence look vastly different by the March trade deadline. He already made his intentions clear by attempting to trade Scola and Martin for Pau Gasol, in a deal that was all but done before the NBA (as de facto owners of the Hornets) stepped in. He will now be even more desperate to rebuild, as the mood in the dressing room must be dire, every player knowing they are seen as potential trade pieces in the eyes of the fiercely rational Morey.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves
After being the laughing stock of the league ever since Kevin Garnett’s trade to Boston, Minnesota can finally hold their head high as they have assembled a roster of exciting young players who may just over-achieve in this compressed schedule where stamina is just as important as experience. Ricky Rubio is obviously the headline addition with his boy band good looks and wizardly playmaking skills. It is only his first season in the NBA mind, but expect him to play like Rajon Rondo, lots of spectacular assists, but ultimately not enough of a scoring threat to dominate games.

9. Golden State Warriors
In the Eastern Conference, near-miss playoff teams are often dour, defense-focused teams, scraping to 80 points every night and dragging their opponents down to their level. Not out West, where its all alley-oops! The Warriors have the best young back-court in the league, as Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are lethal shooters who, on some nights, simply cannot be stopped, whilst up front David Lee is a guaranteed double-double. However all three players are veritable black holes on defense so whilst Golden State may be a lock for 110+ points every night, this often isn’t enough as their opponents take advantage of the up-tempo and non-physical style the Warriors play. Due to their high volume of scoring though, this team gives itself a decent chance of winning every game, more than can be said of some teams.

8. Portland Trailblazers
The Portland fans are known for their fierce loyalty to the team, a love that is equally parental and rabid, so watching Greg Oden once again be forced to miss a season through injury must have hit them hard. The former number one overall pick has missed 246 games in his four years in the league, and ultimately never looks like making the impact everyone thought he would. This pain was compounded by the disconsolate, if inevitable, retirement of Brandon Roy at the age of 27 due to a degenerative knee problem. Only three years ago, Roy and Oden were seen as future superstars who would lead the franchise to multiple championships. But now those hopes and dreams are in the past, and the Blazers must move on, and in LaMarcus Aldridge they have potentially another franchise player to savor. Maybe they should wrap him up in bubble wrap after every game though, just to be sure.

7. Denver Nuggets
This Denver team may not be able to boast any superstars, but what they lack in big-name talent, they more than make up for in depth. They easily run nine players deep, and in a compressed schedule that should be enough to get them into the playoffs.

6. San Antonio Spurs
This team is old. So old. Tim Duncan is 35 now, and it has been nine years since his last MVP season, whilst Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker are not exactly sprightly at 34 and 29 respectively. However, despite their age, the Spurs posted the best record in the league last year. Their performance in the playoffs should serve as more of an indication as to their performance in the upcoming season though, as the younger, more athletic Grizzlies bounced them out of the first round. Gregg Popovich is probably the best coach in the league now Phil Jackson has retired, and it will require all of his savvy machinations to keep this team healthy and competitive throughout the compressed schedule.

5. Dallas Mavericks
For a defending champion Dallas is not getting much respect, as people have been quick to dismiss talk of them repeating. This is out of deference and respect for Tyson Chandler, the defensive lynchpin behind the Mavericks’ shock victory last year. Chandler is a Knick now, following JJ Barea and DeShawn Stevenson out of Dallas and leaving the Mavericks desperately short. Lamar Odom has come in, but he cannot replace the leadership and toughness Chandler brought. Dirk Nowitzki is still very much unstoppable, but they cannot be seen as serious title contenders after losing three of their best players.

4. Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph were majestic in the playoffs last year as the upstart Grizzlies pulled off the shock of the first round by beating the number one seeded Spurs. And this was all without the help of the injured Rudy Gay. Memphis are fantastic, but do not expect them to shine as such in the regular season. Due to the style of their play, I can see them taking a few nights off, knowing that their height and ability to score in the paint will serve them well in the playoffs regardless of seeding. A clean bill of health should be their priority, as a playoff spot is a forgone conclusion.

3. Los Angeles Lakers
This Lakers team should be a mess. They really should be. First of all they lost out on acquiring Chris Paul, and followed this up by panic-trading Lamar Odom to Dallas in a misguided attempt to solve team chemistry issues, forgetting that Lamar was a hugely popular guy both on and off the court. Add to this the fact that new coach Mike Brown has the impossible task of following in the footsteps of 11-time NBA champion Phil Jackson, and the Lakers really should be dead and buried. But despite all this turmoil, their best three players are still right up there with rest of the league, and Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are surely worth around 40 wins, regardless of context.

2. Los Angeles Clippers
Lob City! Chris Paul managed to drag a frankly terrible Hornets team to 46 wins last year, and then orchestrated two shocking wins over the defending champion Lakers without running mate David West. This speaks volumes of Paul’s talent and ability to improve the play of others. With an outstanding supporting cast for the first time in his career, CP3 is an MVP candidate and the Clippers title contenders.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite possibly the quietest offseason out of all the potential title contenders, OKC looks to be the favorite to win the Western Conference as their young players get another year of experience whilst their aging competitors a year older. The only thing that seems like it could derail them is…themselves. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both offensive behemoths and superstars, players who like to have the ball in their hands at all times. Unfortunately that is just not possible, and the two are going to have to set aside their egos if they want to fulfill the seemingly limitless potential of this team.

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January 3, 2012

Lewis defeated Andy Hamilton to claim his second successive title, Image: Chris Ibbotson via flickr Creative Commons

Adrian Lewis is a rare breed. Unashamedly immodest about his skills at the oche, he also possesses the ability to win in two different ways. For Lewis, coming from behind or leading from the offset mean the same thing and inevitably end in the same result for the 2012 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship winner: success.

Whilst ‘Jackpot’s’ 7-3 walkover of Andy Hamilton in last night’s final will hardly be remembered as a classic, it was important for showing the two gears to Lewis’ game. Hamilton, the 200/1 underdog, managed to level the sets at 2-2 before Lewis slipped it into fourth gear.

A break of throw in the fifth tipped it 3-2 in Lewis’ favour and meant the industrious Hamilton became little more than a distant spec on Lewis’ mirror as he glided to his second successive World Championships, joining Eric Bristow and Raymond van Barneveld as the only players to defend the cup after their first taste of victory.

But to see why Lewis is fancied as the usurper to Phil Taylor’s throne we must go back to his epic semi-final performance against world number three James Wade. Out of rhythm and feathering his darts at the board, Lewis found himself 5-1 down when Wade needed only double 18 to assure his first appearance in the World Championship final. Wade’s uncharacteristic miss signaled his demise.

‘Jackpot’ sprung into life and reeled off ten legs in a row before he accelerated into top gear with a stunning 6-5 triumph that included an effortless 161 checkout to deny Wade. Lewis heralded his come-from-behind performance as “the best win” of his career and confidently declared, “That shows why I am the champion. I am the best in the world.”

Supporters of Phil Taylor, 15-time world champion, may have something to say about that, but it is hard to identify anyone else with the same attributes as Lewis. Taylor’s exit in the second round to little-known Dave Chisnall could spark an alarming trend at the World Championships for the current world number one given that he failed to reach the final in 2011.

Taylor hasn’t hidden the fact that he trained Lewis as his protégé and, given the latter’s sense of timing for producing the spectacular, it seems Taylor performed his role admirably. After winning last night Lewis was asked how many times he thought he could etch his name onto darts’ most illustrious trophy. “At least ten,” was the riposte. That’s still five behind Taylor, but maybe, for once, Lewis was being modest.

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December 24, 2011

Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, Image: Keith Allison via flickr Creative Commons

Due to the lockout, this NBA season will be unlike any other, comprising of only 66 games and forcing teams to play brutal schedules. As well as this, it starts on Christmas Day, and, as my present to you, here is a preview of all the teams, starting with the Eastern Conference.

15. Toronto Raptors
This team is horrible, simply put. Just horrible. Their 5th round pick in the draft, Jonas Valančiūnas, is a gangly European Centre, just like their best player, Andrea Bargnani. Except poor Jonas is stuck in Lithuania for another year due to being under contract with his previous team. With a shortened season approaching, I genuinely struggle to see how this team wins 10 games. A depressing enough thought that will only be compounded by watching the performances of the draft prospects they foolishly passed on, such as Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland’s owner Dan Gilbert showed us once again what a petty individual and colossal tool he is this off-season. If his famed, comic sans letter to fans, professing that we would bring a title to Cleveland before the departed Lebron James won his own was not enough, Gilbert apparently led the protests about the nixed Chris Paul to the Lakers trade. Anyway, Gilbert’s buffoonery will likely overshadow this Cavs season, which is probably for the best really considering it is mostly the same team which produced last year’s putrid 19-63 effort. First overall pick Kyrie Irving obviously gives the team hope, but aside from fellow rookie Tristan Thompson, I see no one to give the kid any help.

13. Charlotte Bobcats
Due to the lockout, this past NBA off-season was unusually dominated by the owners, pretty much every one of whom took a hard-line stance in refusing to give the players anything at all, and this included Bobcats owner Michael Jordan. Yes, Jordan, one of the greatest players of all time and a hero to this generation of NBA stars, was apparently the harshest of them all. The move lost him the respect of many players and appears extremely hypocritical considering he was still an active member of the Players Union only ten years ago. However it seems pretty in keeping with Jordan’s personality. As player he would do anything to win and was a veritable sociopath by all accounts. I am once again talking about the owner of a team because the team itself is horrible. The Bobcats this year, much like every NBA bottom-feeder, will look to develop their young players while still losing enough games to garner a high draft pick. The future does look bright for Charlotte though, as a very productive draft produced two potential stars in Kemba Walker and the exquisitely titled Bismack Biyombo. You never know, Michael Jordan may still have some titles left in him…

12. Detroit Pistons
For some reason the Pistons threw a combined $71 million at Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince and Jonas Jerebko this off-season, completely ignoring the fact that they already have two perennial underachievers in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva on the books for around $19 million this year, and that cap space is a useful thing that can be used to sign good basketball players . They did however make the smart move of bringing in former Boston assistant Lawrence Frank as coach. The last Boston assistant to land a head coaching job was a certain Tom Thibodeau, reigning Coach of the Year.

11. Washington Wizards
John Wall should make the leap to an elite player in his second season as Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose did before him. It is not going to be enough to propel Washington into the playoffs however, even in the frankly shocking Eastern Conference.

10. New Jersey Nets
Mikhail Prokhorov’s master plan is finally coming together. And no, I am not referring to the current political unrest in Russia. The presidential nominee will this year oversee Nets’ final season in Newark before they move to the more desirable Brooklyn and a shiny new arena. The venue will not only generate more revenue but has an obvious appeal for potential superstar free agents – a situation not hurt by the presence of minority owner Jay-Z. Dwight Howard seems to be convinced, claiming the Nets to be his preferred destination via trade or free agency. But this is all in the future, what about this upcoming season? Well they have all-star Point Guard Deron Williams but not much else except for Robin Lopez, a seven foot Centre who cannot rebound. Brooklyn can’t come soon enough.

9. Milwaukee Bucks
I like this Bucks team a lot, and I reckon they will challenge all season for that final play-off position. Andrew Bogut is one of the most underrated players in the league, and is probably the second best Centre behind Dwight Howard, unless you are a Lakers fan and still cling on to the hope that Andrew Bynum will become elite (a belief that the organization clearly doesn’t hold as they are actively trying to swap him for Howard). Around the Aussie giant are defensive stalwarts Luc Mbah Mboute and Stephan Jackson and potential superstar guard Brandon Jennings. Milwaukee will be incredibly hard to beat this year, forcing the most physically out of their opponents, a quality that will prove extremely useful in this compressed schedule.

8. Atlanta Hawks
Does any team scream ‘mediocrity’ as much as Atlanta? Coming off their surprise (but deserved) victory over Orlando in the first round of the play-offs, the Hawks should be soaring. But instead they chose not to build on this minor success and have merely brought back the same team, except without their x-factor off the bench and all-round impossible shot-maker extraordinaire Jamal Crawford. In his place is Tracy McGrady’s corpse, not exactly a signing to bring much optimism, and a another shock first round win seems to be this teams ceiling, which is a bit depressing really.

7. Philadelphia 76ers
An absolute smorgasbord of young talent is currently in Philly, making the city relevant to basketball for the first time since Allen Iverson departed. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes are all 23 or under, whilst Andre Iguodala has turned himself into a defensive force after losing the burden of being the team’s only scoring option. They will be one of the most fun teams to watch this year and will not be afraid of anyone, especially after gaining their first taste of the playoffs last year, playing the Heat incredibly close in a first round exit.

6. Boston Celtics
Heading into the start of the season the two teams in most turmoil are the legendary Lakers and Celtics. Imagine that. After its unsuccessful pursuit of Chris Paul, Boston is left with a roster of aging, decrepit stars, an extremely disgruntled Rajon Rondo and… well nothing else really. The compressed schedule will play havoc with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett’s bodies, whilst Paul Pierce is already a doubt for the opener. What was meant to be the triumphant final act of the original Big Three is quickly turning into an epic anti-climax. For the first time since Garnett arrived and revived this historic franchise, the Celtics are irrelevant.

5. Indiana Pacers
Very quietly, the Pacers have probably had the best off-season of anyone other than the Clippers. They made the savvy decision not to resign the overrated trio of Mike Dunleavy, TJ Ford and Josh McRoberts, instead bringing in excellent young guard George Hill via trade from the Spurs and the biggest coup of all, David West via free agency. If West’s knees can hold up, securing his services for only $8 million a season is an absolute steal, especially if he can rekindle the chemistry he had with Darren Collinson in New Orleans. All of this has propelled the Pacers into a seemingly surefire play-off spot, such is the lack of depth in the East.

4. Orlando Magic
Everything this year for Magic revolves around Dwight Howard. His performance on the court determines their fate every night, and his ongoing trade saga the headlines the next morning. If he still is in Florida after March’s trade deadline, Orlando will be contenders for a title and contenders for Howard’s signature in free agency. But if he jumps ship the Magic will fade into anonymity.

3. New York Knicks
Having a ‘Big Three’ seems to be in vogue at the moment. Ever since Garnett, Pierce and Allen teamed up in Boston, a team has been defined by its best three players and everyone has rushed to assemble a similar dynamic. But this is misguided. Those Garnett led Celtics teams owed a lot to the precocious play of young players Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, the veteran presence of James Posey and the leadership of coach Doc Rivers. They were not just a three player team. Last year the feared and fêted Big Three of Miami were beaten by the depth and tactical astuteness of the Dallas Mavericks, proving the horrible old sporting trope of ‘teamwork beats talent’ to be true. Merely assembling a top-heavy team talent-wise does not guarantee success, yet by adding Tyson Chandler, New York thinks it has it made. They still have serious weaknesses however, especially in the backcourt, where Mike Bibby’s pension plan and Baron Davis’s gastric band are being lauded as genuine upgrades. Their strength undeniably lies in the frontcourt, and expect them to slow the game down and exploit this advantage. But this in itself reveals tension, as it is in complete contrast to coach Mike D’Antoni’s rapid, run-and-gun style. Ultimately, the Knicks will do well this year due to their proliferation of talent, but to pencil them in for a championship, let alone a Finals appearance, is naïve at best.

2. Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose is very good at basketball. Tom Thibodeau is a very good coach. Both of them now have an extra year of experience and greatness very much seems a possibility. Their key off-season acquisition of Rip Hamilton will bring veteran leadership and championship swagger to an already very self-assured squad. This all seems very sensible and promising, but will it be enough to get past the Heat though?

1. Miami Heat
It may be boring, but Miami are the best team in the NBA, and how could they not be? They have the two of the league’s best three players in Lebron James and Dwyane Wade (Dwight Howard is the other one) and have added Shane Battier and his tenacious defense to last year’s Final’s runners-up. Their wings are obviously excellent, but the two positions they are most deficient at, Point Guard and Centre, happen to be the strengths of their opponents in the East. Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo must be licking their lips at the prospect of taking down the self-anointed champions in the playoffs. But that’s April’s problem, for now look for the Heat to post the best record in the league and look generally other-worldly.

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December 21, 2011

The statue of former owner Jack Walker that stands outside Ewood Park, Image: Kerry Burnout via flickr Creative Commons

Anyone who watched fans of Blackburn Rovers verbally abuse their manager during their defeat to Bolton on Tuesday must have felt immensely sorry for the beleaguered Steve Kean.

From the moment Mark Davies handed Wanderers the lead after five minutes, the Scot was faced with almost permanent calls for his immediate dismissal on a scale greater than almost any I have seen in football before. The future of a manager is generally an issue that divides opinion, but there seems to be a reasonable consensus amongst Blackburn fans on this one.

Kean has had to put up with the jeers of supporters for months now, but this week they have reached new heights following three consecutive defeats. On Monday, the Lancashire Telegraph took the extremely rare step of calling for the manger’s sacking in a front page editorial. The relationship between a football club and local newspaper is a vital one and most papers will always try to maintain a good rapport with club’s hierarchy. But to break so markedly from the official club line shows just how fractured the relationship between club and fans is at this moment in time. After all, the paper has a duty to the fans above all else and was merely reflecting the mood of its readers.

It is clear, then, that the vast majority of supporters want Kean out, evidenced by the singing of his predecessor Sam Allardyce’s name during the match, but is Kean really to blame? I’m not so sure.

Yes, he is among the worst managers in the Premier League but that does not necessarily make him the awful boss he is made out to be. First, he deserves credit for conducting himself with a certain level of dignity and decorum in a situation that has reduced Blackburn Rovers to a laughing stock. He has made some decent signings and at times brought the best out of Blackburn’s flair players (the likes of Junior Hoilett and Mauro Formica) in a way that Allardyce’s style of play did not. It could be said that Blackburn under Allardyce would at least be solid, if rarely spectacular, whilst Kean’s team is often neither, but I think there are other factors involved.

The LMA today issued a statement calling the fans’ abuse and aggression towards Kean “unacceptable”, and quite rightly so. Of course, fans have the right to air their views – they are loyal, paying customers after all. But, to my mind, the remonstrations that have been seen at so many Rovers matches this season should be saved for another time and place. Booing and protesting during a match may earn them the most publicity, but it harms the team and, in my opinion, when your team is out there playing a match you should give them the support and encouragement they need.

But this criticism is merely a sideshow compared to that which I, and many others, reserve for the club’s owners – Indian poultry magnates Venky’s. At a time when owners and chairmen are so often criticised for being detached from reality, never mind the fans, Venky’s have taken it to a whole new level. They have become as despised as Malcolm Glazer, Mike Ashley, and perhaps even Hicks and Gillett ever were, and that takes some doing. But Glazer and Ashley have been able to divert much of the vitriol levelled at them by producing results on the pitch, whereas Hicks and Gillett at least knew when it was time to leave Liverpool (eventually) – there are no signs of either happening at Ewood Park. Embarrassment, as much as anger, seems to be the overriding emotion for many Rovers fans.

Upon arrival, they promised vast funds for transfers, pledging to sign Ronaldinho, David Beckham and more, but the money has hardly been seen. They sacked Allardyce when the club was stable and probably doing as well as could be hoped, replacing him with a man with no managerial experience of his own. They constantly profess their love for Blackburn, yet ignore the fans at every opportunity. Truly, they embody just about everything that can go wrong in the modern world of football ownership – a company can buy a club, promise the world, deliver nothing, and leave nothing but disarray.

True, they have invested some money, most notably in Scott Dann, but that would be eclipsed and more by the financial and emotional pitfalls that accompany relegation – a fate that seems more inevitable with each passing game. And that would be a sad end for a club that is among a very exclusive group to have won the Premier League since its inception in 1992. That title-winning side of 1994-95 included the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton at the peak of their powers, and was bankrolled by a dedicated, life-long supporter in the form of Jack Walker, the polar opposite to the current regime.

It has been a dramatic fall from grace since then, and it looks set to worsen regardless of whether Kean and Venky’s remain – and they are adamant that they will. Kean could easily be sacked in the near future, but would Blackburn be able to attract a manager capable of lifting them out of danger in their current state? The squad may well be good enough to play Premier League football but, with events off the pitch dominating proceedings at the minute, it is hard to see anything other than Championship football next season. Indeed, they look set to follow in the footsteps of Leeds, West Ham, Portsmouth and other top-flight regulars beset by problems in the boardroom.

Whatever happens and whether Kean stays or not, it can only be hoped that the owners can build some kind of a relationship with the fans and restore some semblance of order and dignity to Ewood Park.

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