Sport Minded

Nigel Gray Commended in ECB Awards

2009-12-14T16:38:00.001Z

Often it is the people behind the scenes who rarely get noticed. Whilst Jimmy Adams and Michael Lumb get the plaudits for their top one day batting this year, the pitch was rarely mentioned. However, this week the ECB announced the 2009 Groundsman of the Year Award, and Hampshire’s very own Nigel Gray was commended in the one day category.

Matt Merchant from Old Trafford was the winner of the four day category and Neil Godrich from Derby received the award in the one day category, but it’s a testament to Gray’s ability to be even mentioned for the award. Gray was responsible for preparing the pitches for the amazing one day games that left the fans full of excitement and he has rightly been commended for the second year running.

Hampshire Hawks, with the aid of Gray’s brilliant skills, were able to record scores of 300 against Leicestershire, 316 against Ireland and 310 against Middlesex on their way to Friends Provident Trophy success. Creating the right environment for a score of 281 against Nottinghamshire and the excitement of a last ball win against Yorkshire in the Pro40 were down to Gray’s work as well.

Thousands of fans at The Rose Bowl saw Hampshire destroy most of their own Twenty20 records in an active summer. The 191 in the win over Surrey, a record breaking 219 against Essex, with the help of Lumb’s 124, and the 183 against Middlesex would not have been possible without Gray.

Chairman and Chief Executive Rod Bransgrove could not be more complimentary about the work Gray does: "It's tremendous recognition for Nigel Gray getting a commendation for his one day pitches. He's a brilliant groundsman who does a wonderful job for us - together with his entire team - and it's a huge achievement to be commended two year's running."

Alan Fordham, the ECB’s Head of Operations (First Class Cricket), commented: “The work of all head groundsmen is highly valued and we are delighted to make these annual awards which recognise the head groundsmen who have prepared the best pitches this season”.

Every pitch gets an assessment from each of the umpires after every match, and the winners of each category are the groundsmen whose pitches have achieved the highest average rating across the course of the season.

Written for Hampshire CCC website

Countdown to 2010 Begins

2009-11-28T18:22:00.001Z

There's plenty for Hampshire fans to be excited about now that next season’s fixtures have been released. The LV County Championship campaign begins on April 9th with three fascinating away trips. The team go to Chelmsford to face recently promoted Essex before venturing north to the current LVCC Champions Durham, and then heading to Edgbaston to take on Warwickshire. Last season’s runners up Nottinghamshire are the first visitors at home in the LVCC on May 4th, with Somerset coming to The Rose Bowl a week later.

Nic Pothas is as upbeat as ever about the news. “In a way it is better to be travelling around the country at the start of the season when you are fresh and raring to go. Later on in the season, it is more of an issue when you are tired and carrying a few niggles. Not playing at home for the first few games means we will have more fixtures at home in the summer when the wickets are dryer and hopefully that will help Ajantha Mendis.

“The County Championship is really tough whoever you play. Obviously, Essex are newly promoted and won’t be used to the intensity of the First Division so we need to use that to our advantage. We will be looking to hit them hard like we did with Worcestershire at the start of last season [Hampshire won inside three days]. Having said that I believe Essex will be a better side than Worcester were last year. Playing Essex away in four day cricket is very different from playing Essex away in one day cricket where they are a much more confident side.

“Durham away is always a very difficult fixture but it’s nice to catch them at the start before they hit their straps. As a squad we will have to be at our best to beat them so we just want to have a really good pre season, get our planning right, go there and perform well.”

There is a certain symmetry to the campaign as at the end of the season Hampshire also have three consecutive away LVCC games, this time against Yorkshire, Lancashire and Division Two champions Kent, before the curtain closer on September 13th against Warwickshire at home.

The Hawks kick off their ECB 40 League season away at Durham before entertaining Nottinghamshire for the first game at The Rose Bowl. Kent, Leicestershire, Scotland and Warwickshire make up the other sides in Group C in the new competition before the end of season semi-finals and final in September.

Hampshire Hawks’ Friends Provident T20 season begins on June 3rd with a floodlit fixture against 2008 losing finalists Kent at The Rose Bowl. New signing Simon Jones will be heading back to his Glamorgan roots in the Hawks’ first away Twenty20 fixture at the SWALEC Stadium. June and July are dominated by T20 action as more emphasis has been put on the competition this season. Finals’ Day will make a splendid return to The Rose Bowl on August 14th so keep your eye out for that one.

England and Australia renew their rivalry on June 22nd with a floodlit NatWest Series One Day International at The Rose Bowl before England Women take on India Women in a NatWest Women's International Twenty20 on July 1st. Pakistan come to Hampshire on September 22nd to play England in another NatWest Series One Day International, which will be last game of the season at The Rose Bowl.

Written for Hampshire CCC website

Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Pro40

2009-11-10T16:36:00.001Z

The three runs scored off the first two overs of Hampshire’s innings gave The Rose Bowl crowd basking in the autumn sunshine little indication of what was to come. But in Darren Pattinson’s second over Michael Lumb broke loose with a six so huge it completely unnerved the bowler, who promptly no balled and the subsequent free hit was knocked back over his head for four.

This set the tone for what was to follow and by the end of the tenth over Hampshire had put on 78 runs with Lumb leading the way on 47. Lumb’s fifty came up shortly afterwards, with a well timed two off Jason Brown in an over that went for 12 runs in total, leaving the Outlaws little option but to go for the spin of Samit Patel. Although this slowed the run rate it was Kevin O’Brien, bowling from the pavilion end, who ended Lumb’s dominance when he was out stumped. His innings of 61 had taken only 47 balls, with 10 fours and a six, his partnership with Jimmy Adams achieving a run rate of 7.5 an over.

It was now Adams’ turn to accelerate and he showed his intent with two fine fours off the first balls of the next over. His next boundary left new batting partner James Vince flat on the floor as he made a spectacular dive to avoid the speeding ball. Adams continued to show his liking for Patel’s bowling when he brought up his fifty with a hard run two. In the context of the game it was positively sedate, taking 56 balls, with 8 fours.

Hampshire were making batting look all too easy, with Vince the third player to reach fifty, in 39 balls and with 5 fours, pulled and driven to all corners of the ground, mainly off Luke Fletcher. But the party was almost over, when, in the 28th over Outlaws’ captain Chris Read turned to his seventh bowler, rookie Akhil Patel, Samit’s younger brother, who promptly took a wicket with his first List A ball. Vince was caught by Carter running in from back of square leg for 55.
Patel was to prove that is wasn’t simply beginner’s luck when in his next over he had Adams caught by Hales close to the boundary for 73. In the course of the innings he had made his 1,000th List A run. By this time Notts had a Patel at each end, and not to be outdone Samit snared Chris Benham lbw for 8, leaving Hampshire 227 for 4 in the 33rd over.

The Hawks were keeping the rate above 7 an over and Sean Ervine carried on in the same vein, making a busy 31 off 35 balls; unusually for him without a single boundary. He was out in the 38th over, looking to slog Fletcher across the line. Dawson made 6, losing his wicket to Fletcher in the last over of the game, with Chris Tremlett finishing on 2 and Nic Pothas on 23.
Hampshire set Nottingham a total of 282 to win.

Hampshire made a bold decision to open the bowling with youngsters Hamza Riazuddin and spinner Danny Briggs and as early as the 7th over it looked like a masterstroke. Mark Wagh did manage to spectacularly hoist a Briggs delivery over the mid off rope towards the pavilion for a six but the very next ball he was walking that way himself having scored only 13. Briggs had cleaned bowled him to take his first ever List A wicket.

Riazuddin then sent Matthew Wood (18) packing when a short delivery deflected up off the bat for Jimmy Adams to make a stunning diving catch at point that left Nottinghamshire 36 for 2. Samit Patel and Alex Hales began shoring up the visitor’s innings with a couple of well-struck fours but Chris Tremlett and Sean Ervine came into the attack and the latter was an instant success by clean bowling Hales for 19 for his 150th List A wicket. This prompted Akhil Patel to join his elder brother at the crease.

In the 18th over the two Patels got into a strange mix up and Akhil was eventually run out by Adams’ quick thinking for just 6 runs. The visitors finally reached the 100 mark in the 21st over with a single from the remaining Patel. The next ball saw another wicket tumble when Ervine cleaned bowled Chris Read for 10 – his second wicket of the match.

Imran Tahir then got in with the act when Patel (28), attempting to slog, hit straight to Riazuddin at deep mid-wicket to leave Nottinghamshire 104 for 6. Ervine continued his devastating spell when he took out Luke Fletcher’s middle stump for just 3. Briggs then caught Darren Pattinson (5) off his own bowling after the batsman tamely knocked it back.

Andy Carter (7) skied Tahir for Tremlett to catch out on the boundary. Kevin O’Brien smacked a six over Tahir’s head before airing the next delivery to Nic Pothas to catch for a deserved Hampshire win, bowling Nottinghamshire out for 139. The Hawks won by 142 runs.

LVCC Hampshire v Durham Day 4

2009-11-10T16:35:00.000Z

Hampshire came into the last day of this County Championship game against Durham looking to reach the 400 mark and with the fall of Chris Benham and nightwatchman David Griffiths last night, they only had 4 wickets in hand to achieve that goal.

Starting the day on 267 for 6, new man Sean Ervine laid down his intentions of picking up the pace with a huge six in the first complete over of the day off Scott Borthwick.

Ervine’s swashbuckling attitude demonstrates Hampshire’s perseverance to push on and brilliantly timed sweeps off Borthwick and then Liam Plunkett raised the home side’s run rate under a very cloudy Rose Bowl. Nic Pothas, resuming on 55, beautifully crafted a sweep shot down to the square leg rope for his first boundary of the day as the pair looked to build a big scoring partnership.

Hampshire won their third batting point when Ervine nipped Plunkett to third man in the day’s 9th over. However with Hampshire making good progress the umpires decided to stop play for bad light prompting an early lunch; Hampshire were 319 for 6.
Hampshire resumed their innings after Lunch when the umpires decided light was good enough to restart.

Pothas and Ervine managed to score runs freely, all be it fortuitously. The first over after lunch Ervine flashed hard outside his off stump and found the boundary through the gap between slips and gully from the bowling of Steve Harmison. Two overs later Pothas saw an inside edge race to the boundary again from Harmison.

In the 110th over Ervine ran a scampered two to reach his half century from just 56 deliveries, which included 7 fours and 1 maximum.

Hampshire’s captain Pothas (78) was dismissed by Ian Blackwell in the 112th over, when he attempted a big sweep only to see his off stump unhinged; leaving the home team on 345 for 7.
With overs ticking away, Hampshire gained their fourth batting point of the innings after Ervine ran a single off Blackwell to take the score past 350.

The 118th over saw Dominic Cork take the attack to Blackwell, hitting him through mid-on for two consecutive boundaries as the Home team chased after the final batting point.
Cork (24) then tried one elusive shot too many, when he attempted to guide a Harmison delivery over the slips only to be caught by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard.

Two balls later Ervine (67) was heading back to the pavilion after trying to hit Blackwell for a big shot on the leg-side, which resulted in a top edge and was caught behind, giving Durham maximum bowling points.

Hampshire were bowled out for 384 when Youngster Danny Briggs was dismissed by Blackwell for a second ball duck. The Durham all-rounder finished the innings with figures of 5 for 110.
Durham started the second innings with a lead of 55 and made their way without scare to 8 for 0 before the umpires took the players off for bad light.

The match ended in a draw after the players failed to return to the field resulting in Hampshire scoring 10 points and Durham 11. The result leaves Hampshire closer to safety with one game remaining away against fellow relegation strugglers Yorkshire.

LVCC Hampshire v Durham Day 3

2009-11-10T16:33:00.001Z

Champions Durham had one wicket in hand going into this third day of the County Championship match against Hampshire. Resuming on 435 for 9, Steve Harmison and Scott Borthwick looked to add as many runs as possible but fortunately for the home side they lasted only 10 balls. David Griffiths trapped Harmison leg before for Durham to end their first innings on 439 all out.

Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson began Hampshire’s innings positively. Harmison opened the attack for the visitors and it was a lively over. Adams nudged the first ball to cover for an easy single before Dawson guided a perfectly timed cover drive for the first boundary. The next ball saw Dawson edge a Harmison short delivery that fell tantalisingly short of third slip.In the 8th over spinner Ian Blackwell replaced the ineffective Mark Davies to attempt to decrease Hampshire’s run rate.

Adams and Dawson had found the rope on many occasions but with Durham’s aggressive field placements, they found their first wicket. Dawson, surrounded by five fielders, mistimed a Blackwell delivery that looped up for wicketkeeper Phil Mustard to make a diving catch. Dawson was looking in good form but he had to depart having scored 29.Blackwell picked up his second wicket quickly. Michael Lumb, trying to hit through cover, was trapped leg before for 6 reducing Hampshire to 72 for 2.

James Vince entered the fray looking to stabilise and build a partnership with Adams and his first boundary came after 9 overs with an excellent drive through extra cover.Durham started to implement spin from both ends with Borthwick joining Blackwell in attack as they looked for a further breakthrough before lunch and they found it. Borthwick seduced Vince (8) into playing a straight drive but the ball found an inside edge and then pad before being caught by Will Smith.

It left Hampshire 87 for 3 at lunch.

Durham continued with their spin attack after lunch and in the third over Adams made his 7th fifty of this Championship season, off 78 balls and with 6 fours. He wasn’t to last much longer, however, when on 57 he hit a Borthwick delivery straight to Harmison on the square leg boundary, bringing stand-in captain Nic Pothas to the crease on 114 for 4.

Initially runs were hard to come by for Pothas and number 5 batsman Chris Benham, the exception being Pothas hitting two spectacular fours in one over, the second straight back over bowler Blackwell’s head.But it was Benham’s afternoon and he too reached fifty off 78 balls and with 6 fours – his first in the 2009 Championship. His strokeplay was impressive and included a beautifully swept boundary off Borthwick as well as elegant cover drives. Pothas was happy to take the supporting role and at tea he had made 32 off 93 balls while Benham had charged ahead with 71 off 114.

Hampshire went in for tea on 207 for 4, their first batting point from this game securely in the bag.Straight after the interval Davies came into the attack for the third time to try to break the stubborn partnership between Pothas and Benham that had moved past 100 in the 69th over. Durham became more defensive in their fielding and runs became harder to find for the batsmen.

The visitors opted for the new ball as soon as possible to unleash the lethal ‘Grievous Bodily’ Harmison to try to end this immovable partnership. Apart from it being maiden, his first over accomplished little and it didn’t threaten with much authority.The next over saw Pothas taking advantage of a loose Blackwell delivery that he punished through cover for a boundary. With a single in the 83rd over Benham moved past to his own personal best First Class score of 95.

Pothas, in his 200th First Class game, made his 50 off 192 balls with 7 fours when he drove a Blackwell delivery down the ground to the ropes for a boundary.Benham then moved on to his maiden First Class century in the following over, off 185 balls with 10 fours, by running a quick three after playing to the mid off fence. Whilst on 100 Benham perished; he edged to Michael Di Venuto in the slips for Borthwick to claim his third wicket of the match on his County Championship debut.

Nightwatchman David Griffiths came to the crease to see out the day’s remaining overs. He did just that as he got out to Plunkett for a single, bringing the end of the day’s play; Pothas will resume tomorrow on 55 not out.

Hampshire finished the day on 267 for 6.

Match reporting for Hampshire CCC Website

FA Website

2009-11-06T23:49:00.002Z

My university appeared on the FA website and funnily enough whilst watching the gripping television I notice me and two of my classmates appear.

Have a look yourself.

http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/2009/bristolrovers_southampton_041109.aspx

Jimmy Adams talks to Steven Woodgate

2009-08-06T16:11:00.000+01:00

Following Hampshire Hawks’ one run victory over Yorkshire Carnegie, opener Jimmy Adams admitted it was a win that the team needed: “We needed that win having lost against Sussex. We were very disappointed after last week’s game at Northants where we didn’t do ourselves any justice at all and were well below par. To win a close game is always a great feeling so we’re very happy.”

Adams praised the batsmen for their part in the win. “The guys in the middle did a great job. We got a little stuck after the first 15, the spinners and Hoggard bowled well and pegged us back a little but we kept wickets in hand and it served us well.”

As the floodlights came on, Yorkshire’s fielders seemed to struggle as a series of chances went begging: “It seemed that a few guys had trouble picking the ball up but in a tight game the losers will always think about their errors – that’s the nature of the game.”

Adams believes it was a job well done as a real team effort gave Hampshire victory: “I felt we started really well with the ball, but once they got going we struggled to hold them back. A few of the bowlers may feel they’ve had better days but us batters have had better days as well, they’ve done the job a lot for us this year and this time we were able to do it for them.”

The opener believes the heavy schedule of matches (Hampshire play Lancashire in the LVCC starting today) is tough but accepts it as part of professional cricket: “The fixture list is the fixture list; we can only do what we can do. We’ll try and get a good night’s sleep and we’ve got half an hour lie in! It’s a little bit bonkers but that’s the way it is, we were lucky to have a week off before the FP Trophy semi. Sometimes the fixture list works in your favour and sometimes it doesn’t but most of the lads are night owls anyway.”

Adams was bemused by the Twenty20 defeat against Northants last week and believes it will spur the team on to better things. “Northants was hugely frustrating. We were nowhere near where we wanted to be, unfortunately we had a low but it gave us a kick up the backside. Winning every game isn’t possible. It was a massive game for us and annoying we had it so soon after such a great day at Lord’s.”

Post match reporting by Steve Woodgate.

Pro40: Hampshire v Yorkshire

2009-08-06T16:05:00.003+01:00

The first Pro40 match of the season at The Rose Bowl saw Hampshire, on their return from winning the Friends Provident Trophy, lose the toss and Yorkshire Carnegie’s stand-in captain Jacques Rudolph used his initiative and decided to bat first in the brilliant sunshine.

The hero from that final, Dominic Cork, took the new ball and had some success in conceding only two runs in the first over. South African Rudolph showed all of his international class when he hit Dimitri Mascarenhas for a well guided four in the second over. Fellow opener Andrew Gale was in equally impressive form with a perfectly timed off drive off Mascarenhas.

Gale hit a delightful chip over Billy Taylor at mid-wicket for another boundary before pulling for four more in one expensive Mascarenhas over. He hit another pair of boundaries off Sean Ervine as Yorkshire passed the 50 mark. Gale, in spectacular form, soon reached his 10th half century as Yorkshire looked in aggressive mood.

A direct hit by Michael Carberry, for a possible run out, made Gale sweat but the third umpire made the correct decision in declaring him not out. Two balls later though, Gale (54 off 52 deliveries) was out; he mistimed a short Taylor delivery that fell kindly to Liam Dawson at short square leg for Hampshire’s first breakthrough. New man Adam Lyth and Rudolph continued to pile on the runs however and raced past the 100 mark in no time.

A piece of brilliant fielding by Mascarenhas saw the end of Lyth for 25. The batter tried to run a quick single to fine leg but the quick thinking captain managed to throw the ball to Dawson for a simple run out. Chris Benham was not to be outdone; a throw, whilst diving, to Tom Burrows saw the end of Jonathan Bairstow (1) for another run out in the next over.

Rudolph eventually hit his 37th half century as Hampshire’s spin combination of Imran Tahir, Dawson and Carberry slowed down Yorkshire’s run rate. Gerard Brophy hit the first six of the game as he moved down the pitch and hit Dawson over deep mid-wicket. Dawson got his revenge by bowling him for 34.

Rudolph hit a fine six before getting out the next ball. He tried to hit Tahir for consecutive maximums but mistimed it and was caught by Cork at mid-wicket for a well-played 79. Tahir picked up another wicket when Dawson brilliantly caught Richard Pyrah’s reverse sweep at deep square leg for 17.

Yorkshire Carnegie finished on 232 for 6.

(Full Match Report here - www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Warwickshire Day 4

2009-08-06T16:03:00.002+01:00

Hampshire and Warwickshire head into the final day of this County Championship match with a draw as the probable outcome. Michael Carberry, who passed 6,000 First Class runs yesterday, showed no signs of slowing down as two consecutive fours from the second and third ball of the day added to his overnight 183.

Carberry soon broke a personal milestone by passing his previous First Class best of 192 by running two off Naqaash Tahir to keep Hampshire in a strong position. His previous best also came against Warwickshire.

Warwickshire managed to get themselves an early wicket when Michael Lumb, who just received a call up the England provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, edged Boyd Rankin to Jonathan Trott at first slip for 20. Just two balls later Carberry surpassed yet another milestone; he scored his maiden double ton in First Class cricket off 260 balls by running a quick two off Tahir.

However he didn’t last much longer. Carberry’s wild swing outside off stump found a thick edge that fell to Ricky Clarke at point for Tahir’s first wicket of the match. Carberry finished on a career best 204 as Hampshire neared the 400 mark. John Crawley (14) soon departed as well; he was caught at second slip whilst poking outside off stump for Rankin’s second wicket.

Rankin almost had Sean Ervine caught and bowled but he couldn’t get a full hand to the ball. Rankin did get his third wicket of the morning soon after though when Liam Dawson (18) hooked to Jim Troughton for a simple catch. Rankin was giving Hampshire all kinds of problems, Dimitri Mascarenhas ducked into a bouncer that hit him through the grill and he retired hurt without scoring a run, however it has already been confirmed that he will be fit for the Friends Provident Trophy Final tomorrow.

Tom Burrows entered the fray to help to steady the ship but he was trapped lbw Chris Woakes without scoring a run. At lunch Hampshire were 390 for 6.

(Afternoon Session written by Michael Gales)

With only one session remaining the chance of this game ending in anything other than a draw would have been near impossible. However with the Friends Provident Trophy Final at Lord’s tomorrow it was an opportunity for Imran Tahir and Liam Dawson to get in some valuable overs. To their credit they took the new ball and bowled very tightly and accurately to limit the Warwickshire openers to quick singles.

Tahir had Tony Frost caught by Chris Tremlett for just 3 and then straight bowled England hopeful Ian Bell for a duck after he faced just six balls. An end to play was agreed with both sides gaining 11 points.

Warwickshire 484 for 7 and 23 for 2 drew with Hampshire 505 all out.

(Full Match Report here - www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Warwickshire

2009-08-06T16:02:00.002+01:00

Hampshire went in search for early wickets on day 3 of this LV County Championship game against Warwickshire, as Jonathan Trott (140) and Chris Woakes (77), who dominated proceedings yesterday, looked to add more runs to their flourishing partnership.

The excellent Trott moved on to his 150 from 251 balls with a well timed four through the offside and with that Warwickshire claimed their fifth batting point passing 400.

When a breakthrough looked certain for Hampshire Imran Tahir somehow dropped Woakes after he skied James Tomlinson when the batter was just two short of his century. The subsequent Tomlinson over saw Woakes pass the hundred mark, for the first time in his First Class career, off an impressive 159 balls.

After a flurry of boundaries Warwickshire decided to declare on 484 for 7 to put Hampshire in to bat to face a few difficult overs before lunch. Trott finished 184 not out and Woakes 131 not out as the pair’s unbroken 222 run partnership put Warwickshire in a very dominant position.

Hampshire began their reply positively as openers Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams found runs relatively easy to come by in the bright sunshine. Carberry found the boundary many times in the early overs as the bowling attack of Naqaash Tahir and Boyd Rankin rarely threatened with the new ball.

The first change saw Chris Woakes enter the fray to see if he could break the developing partnership. Although Woakes did look more threatening, Carberry managed to turn on a sixpence to hit him for a big six to bring up Hampshire’s 50.

At lunch, Hampshire were 64 without loss with Carberry on 43 and Adams on 18.

The Hampshire openers resumed their innings after lunch with the imperative task of building on the 64 partnership they had crafted at the end of the morning session. Michael Carberry showed his intentions with the first delivery, when he nonchalantly drove the ball from Chris Woakes to the cover boundary for four.

Two overs later and the fluent stroke maker Carberry reached his half century with a well timed pull shot to the leg side boundary. His half century came from 57 balls including nine fours and one six. The 26th over saw the opening pair share a century partnership for the fourth time this season, the attacking style of Carberry (72) and the craftsman like innings of Jimmy Adams (26) frustrated the Warwickshire attack.

The Hampshire batsman continued their forceful batting manner; Carberry worked the ball around the ground, using a medley of batting strokes highlighted by a reverse sweep for four off spinner Ant Botha. As the sun continued to glare down on The Rose Bowl, the heat was evidently taking its toll on the Bears’ bowlers as they struggled to make a breakthrough.

In the 42nd over Michael Carberry continued with his impressive form, scoring his third first class century in four innings. His milestone was crafted in 116 deliveries and consisted of 16 fours and one six. By the time Adams reached his half century, running a delivery down to third man for a scampered two, Hampshire were 164 for 0 from 44 overs.

At the close of the afternoon session Hampshire had accumulated 191runs in a record opening partnership at The Rose Bowl. Maybe more significantly Carberry (113*) and Adams (65*) had gained valuable batting practice in time for Saturday’s Friends Provident Trophy Final.

More of the same followed after tea. Carberry, a brutal scavenger for wayward bowling, was having a field day hitting boundaries all over the place as the Warwickshire attack was out of sorts and entirely ineffective.

He and Adams were soon breaking records as well as the visitors’ patience as they passed the previous best partnership of 254 for any wicket at The Rose Bowl. Not long after though this partnership was unexpectedly broken from the unlikely source of Ian Westwood. The part-time off break bowler seduced Adams into hitting a loose delivery and the ball found Trott at cover who made a good catch for the first wicket of the day.

Michael Lumb entered the fray and could have been heading straight back. He mistimed a slow Westwood delivery that had wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose leading the appeals for lbw. Fortunately for Hampshire those appeals fell on deaf ears and Lumb scarpered a single a few balls later to get off the mark.

Hampshire brought up 300 in the 81st and the subsequent over saw Warwickshire take the new ball to look for a further breakthrough. The home side finished on 309 for 1 with Carberry unbeaten on 183, 10 short of making his highest First Class score, and Lumb on 15.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Michael Gales

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

Twenty20: Hampshire v Kent

2009-08-06T16:00:00.001+01:00

Hampshire’s continued progress in the Twenty20 Cup is hanging by a thread as they were soundly beaten by 7 wickets by Kent at The Rose Bowl. After Hampshire posted a mediocre total of 131 for 7, Kent strolled home with 12 balls remaining to qualify for the quarter final stage, with Hampshire’s fate still yet to be decided.

Kent’s captain Rob Key lost the toss allowing Dimi Mascarenhas the choice to bat first and 9 runs from the first over seemed to vindicate that decision. However the second over saw the first wicket tumble and Jimmy Adams was out for 5 as he was caught by Key off Ryan McLaren.

It wasn’t long until the second wicket fell; Michael Carberry succumbed to McLaren’s medium pace and aired his delivery for Justin Kemp to take a simple catch. It then went from bad to worse. Azhar Mahmood got the prize wicket of Michael Lumb as he skied his delivery for McLaren to catch at mid wicket for 10.

Unfortunately for the packed crowd there was worse to come. Sean Ervine hit a Simon Cook delivery up into the air for Amjad Khan to catch for just 2. The end of the power play saw Hampshire lose four left handers, all in similar circumstances, and more worryingly it left them 30 for 4 with a real fight on their hands.

The fight got more difficult when Liam Dawson (4) tried to knock Khan over short leg, but he didn’t get enough on it so it allowed Martin van Jaarsveld to take a decent catch. Wickets continued to tumble; Geraint Jones stumped Chris Benham for just 3 after he tried to come down the pitch to a Darren Stevens delivery.

The Hampshire fans finally had something to cheer when Nic Pothas found the boundary, the first since the third over, and Mascarenhas followed suit hitting another four to somewhat rebuild the Hampshire innings. But with 82 on the board Pothas played on for 21 from the bowling of James Tredwell.

New man Dominic Cork smashed Tredwell for a 6 then Mascarenhas also hit a maximum as the pair brought up Hampshire’s 100 in the 19th over. Mascarenhas finished on 45 not out and Cork 18 as the pair used all of their experience to put on a 49 run partnership that gave Hampshire a fighting chance.

With the momentum firmly in the Hawks’ favour it was the turn of their bowlers to help turn the result around. Joe Denly and Key started conservatively at the beginning of the innings, obviously keen not to give away their wickets in careless fashion.

Key delivered the first blow, flicking Cork for four, but he was soon back in the pavilion as Mascarenhas sent his off stump tumbling with a brutal delivery for just 8. His fellow opener Denly (9) was following him in the next over as Cork had him lbw with a cracking delivery from the veteran.

Kent’s start gave plenty of encouragement for the Hampshire bowlers, and even more success was to come with the introduction of Chris Tremlett. The England bowler, fresh from his 2 for 28 against Middlesex, clean bowled Martin van Jaarsveld for 7 in a hostile opening over.

Kent were 4 runs ahead of Hampshire at the end of the powerplay after stumbling to 34 for 3.

With The Rose Bowl crowd now in jubilant mood it was important Hampshire continued the momentum but a dropped catch by Cork from Geraint Jones didn’t help their cause as it seemed to swing the momentum back in the visitors’ favour. Kent surpassed 50 in the 9th over with Jones and Stevens continuing to chase down the target with minimal risk taken.

Even the introduction of Ervine could do nothing to change the Hawks’ fortunes, as the all rounder was dispatched for two successive sixes by Stevens. Stevens recorded his fifth Twenty20 fifty with a boundary off Tremlett, and in doing so pushed Kent beyond 100; now needing less than a run a ball for the remainder of the innings.

A series of dropped catches in the final overs compounded this disappointing result which was confirmed by Jones who flicked a single through mid wicket to finish on 35 not out, with man of the match Stevens finishing with a brilliant 62.

Hampshire now face Essex at Chelmsford on Sunday in a winner takes all South Division match for the right to take a place in the quarter finals of the Twenty20 Cup.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Nick Howson.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

Twenty20: Hampshire v Middlesex

2009-08-06T15:58:00.001+01:00

Twenty 20 v Middlesex Panthers 23rd June 2009

A brilliant batting display by Michael Lumb and the stunning bowling of Chris Tremlett were the major factors in Hampshire Hawks’ 28 run victory over Middlesex Panthers at The Rose Bowl.

Both teams endured contrasting defeats in the previous evening's Twenty20 Cup action with Hampshire losing out by just eight runs against Kent, while Middlesex suffered their sixth successive defeat in the competition with an eight wicket mauling at the hands of Essex.

Hampshire’s decision to bat after winning the toss initially seemed like a misjudgement as Jimmy Adams found deep square leg and Gareth Berg off the bowling of Steven Finn for 4.

Michael Lumb picked up from where he finished in the Hawks’ last home Twenty20 Cup match against Sussex, with some stunning over the top hitting in the power play overs particularly off Panthers’ pace-man Berg, leaving his side 42 for 1 when the fielding restrictions were lifted.

New man Michael Carberry was then caught and bowled by Middlesex skipper Shaun Udal for 19 after completely misjudging a turning delivery by the off-spinner. Lumb however was clearly in the mood, and a huge six off Udal in his next over took the opener to his 50 off 31 balls.

Sean Ervine’s start was slightly reserved and he’d scored just 6 when a wayward switch hit sailed into the air and safely into the hands of Udal in Dawid Malan’s first over.

Dimitri Mascarenhas took the home side past 100 in the 13th over with a square cut for two as Hampshire looked towards 180 plus off their 20 overs. This was a total that looked more realistic after Mascarenhas launched Murali Kartik for two successive sixes in the 15th over, but before the England man holed out to Owais Shah the following ball for a quick-fire 23.

Tyron Henderson had laboured all day for a precious Hampshire wicket, and when Lumb cut straight to Finn he looked to have grabbed that vital breakthrough only for his fellow seamer to miss the catch and watch the ball sail on for four.

But just seven runs short of his second Twenty20 century Lumb was finally dismissed after being stumped by Ben Scott off the bowling of Berg, despite the delivery being called a wide.

Henderson then took a deserved wicket bowling Liam Dawson for 3. The final two overs produced 19 runs and pushed the Hampshire total to 183 for 6, leaving last year’s Twenty20 Champions a chance of recording their first win in the competition.

Chasing 184 to win in the fading sunlight is not a task for the faint hearted; Middlesex certainly had a challenge on their hands. Hawks’ captain Dimitri Mascarenhas opened the bowling in an aggressive manner with Billy Godleman playing the only scoring shot of the first over. However Dominic Cork was not as fortunate, conceding two 4s to Neil Dexter in the next.

Those two 4s were just a flash in the pan however, as Dexter (10) skied a Mascarenhas slower ball bouncer for Michael Carberry to pick up a relatively simple catch at point. This did not slow Middlesex down; Godleman looked a man possessed scoring 29 out of the 52 runs in exuberant fashion at the end of the power play.

Owais Shah, on the back of England’s Twenty20 World Cup campaign, hit Sean Ervine for a huge 6 as he and Godleman illustrated some exceptionally offensive batting as the floodlights prominently shone. And the pair soon brought up the 100 runs in the 11th over with Shah hitting Ervine for another huge 6.

The next ball saw Godleman pass his 50 with a well-played 6 as the batters continued to dominate. Hawks’ did finally get their man though; Tahir’s brilliant leg spin trapped Godleman leg before for 57 as he ended a stunning partnership of 97. Doing this brought Eion Morgan to the crease and he soon hit his England Twenty20 teammate Mascarenhas for a 4 and then a 6 as he and Shah tried to chase down Hampshire’s total.

However Middlesex hit a stumbling block and that stumbling block was none other than Chris Tremlett. He showed Hampshire what they have been missing as his deliveries, nearing 90mph, caused problems for the visitors and he forced Morgan (18) to play a needless shot that fell kindly into the hands of Liam Dawson.

Shah (45) was soon following as he attempted one big shot too many; he skied a Cork delivery for Michael Lumb to make a good catch. Tremlett, bowling his final over, got his second wicket of the day as Lumb caught Tyron Henderson at point for 4 runs. Middlesex finished on 155 for 5, leaving them 29 runs short of victory.

Match report by Nick Howson and Steve Woodgate.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Day 2

2009-08-06T15:57:00.002+01:00

After Luke Fletcher’s heroics on Day 1, Nottinghamshire resumed Day 2 of this LVCC match on 305 for 8 with Mark Ealham and Darren Pattinson at the crease on 65 and 1 respectively. Pattinson showed his team’s intentions as early as the first ball; he took advantage of Hampshire’s lack of a third man and paddled the ball for 4 off Imran Tahir.

Pattinson’s early intentions where just a splash in the water, as he was soon walking back to the pavilion for 12. He edged a David Griffiths delivery to second slip where Dominic Cork was waiting with open arms to claim the easiest of catches. Charlie Shreck entered the fray as last man but was heading back for just 5 runs as he swung and missed a Griffiths ball that went on to hit the stumps and claim his fourth wicket of the match. Ealham’s brave efforts left him on 70 not out as Nottinghamshire finished on 326.

Now it was down to Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry to set Hampshire on the road to a competitive total. Carberry punished the bowling of Shreck with two fine hits that both flew for 4 in just the 4th over. Hampshire continued batting effectively as a collective effort from the openers brought up Hampshire’s 50 in the 14th over.

Nottinghamshire soon captured the prize wicket of Carberry (27); his attempted block shot flew to Will Jefferson in the slips off Luke Fletcher’s bowling. Michael Lumb joined Adams at the crease as the visitors put Samit Patel into the attack. Adams, in punishing mood, struck the spinner’s first ball through cover for 4 and struck one down the ground again for 4 in the same over.

Hampshire were 85 for 1 at lunch.

Adams

Hampshire began the afternoon session looking to build on their strong start. They initially found runs hard to come by against the veteran all-rounder Mark Ealham, fresh from his own batting heroics, though Jimmy Adams did reach his 22nd First Class fifty with a flick down to fine leg for his eleventh 4. Adams and Lumb took Hampshire past the 100 mark, with Adams continuing to impress, stroking a 4 through the covers off Fletcher. Lumb offered a tough chance off Ealham but Jefferson was unable to hold a one handed catch at second slip. In the next over Lumb finally got his innings going with a firmly struck cover drive for 4.

With Nottinghamshire striving for a breakthrough, Pattinson was brought on to bowl. However the boundaries only became more frequent with Lumb picking up two in one over from sweetly struck cover drives. Adams continued to move towards his century, square cutting Patel for 4, and the pair rotated the strike intelligently, frustrating the visiting bowlers.

Shortly before the tea break Lumb dented Patel’s tidy figures, drilling him for 4 before launching him over square leg for 6. However Patel got his revenge in his next over – Lumb charged down the pitch only to miss the ball and was smartly stumped by opposition captain Chris Read, having made 43. The dismissal ended a 109 run partnership and brought in James Vince for his first LVCC game.

After taking a good look at the bowlers Vince came impressively off the mark with a late cut through point for 4 before pulling Shreck through midwicket for two more boundaries. Patel continued to trouble at the Northern End, with an enthusiastic lbw appeal against Adams turned down.

Hampshire were 184 for 2 at tea.

The first ball after tea saw the instant dismissal of James Vince for 13. Mark Ealham found an edge and Vince’s attempted forward drive fell kindly to the hands of Will Jefferson at second slip. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Jimmy Adams moving on to his fifth First Class century. Samit Patel was the man that conceded the runs as Adams played him beautifully, hitting two 4s to bring up his prolific ton off 171 balls.

Hampshire swiftly moved past the 200 mark with Adams continuing his fantastic innings with a well-driven 4 through cover. Then disaster hit when Nottinghamshire finally got their man; Adams’ dominance was ended when Bilal Shafayat caught him at short leg for Patel’s second wicket of the day. Adams left to great applause from the crowd having scored 112 runs, his highest total at The Rose Bowl.

Chris Benham (13) then perished, fencing at a rising delivery from Luke Fletcher and being caught by Jefferson at slip. Sean Ervine arrived at the crease with Vince as a runner, following his hamstring pull yesterday. Pothas drove Hampshire past the 250 with a boundary through the covers but Ervine (1) departed quickly after that, edging to Chris Read behind the stumps. New batsman Dominic Cork survived a strong lbw appeal early in his innings before getting off the mark with a well-timed drive for 4.

Hampshire’s hopes of passing Nottinghamshire’s total began to diminish when Patel had Pothas (36) caught at short leg by Shafayat then Imran Tahir (0) tried to hit the spinner over the top but succeeded only in finding the safe hands of Mark Ealham at mid on. Patel secured his maiden First Class five wicket haul, inducing an edge from David Griffiths which was well taken by Ali Brown at first slip.

Cork and James Tomlinson saw Hampshire through to the close of play, ending the day on 287 for 9, 39 behind Nottinghamshire’s total.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Mark Tilley.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v

2009-08-06T15:57:00.001+01:00

Friends Provident Trophy Quarter Final: Hampshire v Middlesex

2009-08-06T15:54:00.001+01:00

Michael Lumb’s second one-day century guided Hampshire through to the Friends Provident Trophy semi-final after beating Middlesex by 44 runs at The Rose Bowl. Lumb put on an opening stand of 156 with Jimmy Adams to give Hampshire the perfect start before Billy Taylor took 3 for 44 to help dismiss the visitors for 266.

Hampshire had previously won in this competition in both 1991 and 2005 whilst Middlesex’s last success was in 1988, and the host’s chances severely improved when they won the toss and decided to bat in glorious conditions on the South Coast.

Ex-Hampshire player, now Middlesex captain, Shaun Udal opened the bowling for the visitors which Lumb hit down the ground for an early boundary. Fellow opener Adams seemed to be in good touch as well and after opening his innings with a lucky edge for four he started to settle with his partner as the duo raced to 50 for no wicket inside eight overs.

Both men then completed their respective half centuries, Lumb’s coming off just 34 balls and Adams’ being completed with a superb switch hit off Dawid Malan with Middlesex powerless to stop Hampshire’s continued progress. In just the 15th over the partnership moved to 100, with little distress brought to either player’s wicket.

Middlesex finally got their breakthrough as Adams’ expansive drive caused him to play on off Steve Finn’s bowling for an impressive 76 - but not before Hampshire had surpassed the 150 mark.

Lumb soon moved on to his second one-day century in the 35th over but was soon out when stumped by Ben Scott off Malan with the very next delivery, and the crowd rose to their feet to applaud the opener off the field.

Lumb

Udal, who had toiled from the Northern End all afternoon, finally got a double breakthrough in two successive overs firstly seducing Ervine, who had played a solid support role to Lumb, to sky a delivery to Malan for 34. The spinner completed the wicket frenzy when in his next over he had Chris Benham in all sorts of problems, with the batsman’s only answer to find David Nash for just 3.

Middlesex had developed a foothold in the game, and with 13 overs remaining and the score at 216 for 3 both sides had much to play for, especially with two new men at the crease. Michael Carberry and Dawson gave the home side some solidity; with Middlesex using seven different bowlers in as many overs as Udal strived for a breakthrough, but failed to find one.

Both men took full advantage of the batting powerplay with Dawson beautifully sweeping Gareth Berg for 4 as he and Carberry put on a 50 partnership of their own. Dawson scored his first ever one-day half century off 36 balls as he finished on 51 not out and Carberry finished on 42 not out as they steered Hampshire to the fourth highest one day score at The Rose Bowl – 310 for 4.

The total seemed a competitive one and with cloud overhead Dominic Cork saw a perfect opportunity to knock over the Middlesex opening batsman and with just four overs passed, and despite some impressive hitting, Billy Godleman succumbed to Cork with a slower ball that slipped into the hands of Ervine for 17.

The wicket did nothing to contain the Middlesex batsman however with Nick Compton playing some sublime strokes before holing out to Cork himself off Hamza Riazuddin for 23.

Neil Dexter hadn’t taken long to find his range however, with Imran Tahir guilty of bowling short to the South African and being blasted through extra cover for four and later for six as he and Sam Robson reached their 50 partnership in the 9th over.

Liam Dawson came into the attack and bowled Robson two short of his half century, just after Dexter had completed his fourth List A fifty.

In an eventful batting powerplay, Malan was the first man to go for 18 after pulling Taylor from just the second ball of the over straight to Lumb. Key man Dexter was next to go, and along with it Middlesex’ chances of winning the match as he found Riazuddin off Tahir for a superb 79.

Taylor’s second spell was proving devastating and he bowled Udal for just 1, and Tahir was providing more success with his second wicket in as many overs as he had Berg trapped lbw for 2. Ervine came into the attack and in his first over of the day had Nash caught out in the deep by Carberry for a quick-fire 20.

Cork had Chris Silverwood caught by Benham for a duck, and Taylor completed his brilliant second spell by dismissing Finn (13) with four balls remaining. Scott was left unbeaten on 18 as Middlesex fell 44 runs short of Hampshire’s total.

Hampshire have drawn Lancashire in the semi-finals in a game that will be played at Old Trafford on 5th July.

Match report by Steve Woodgate and Nick Howson.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Sussex Day 4

2009-08-06T15:52:00.003+01:00

Hampshire Vs Sussex Day 4

A draw was the result of this rain-affected match between Hampshire and Sussex in the LV County Championship at The Rose Bowl.

On a rather sunny morning of the last day, Sussex resumed on 230 for 6, 120 runs behind Hampshire's score, as they look to obtain full batting points in the final day of this LV County Championship game.

Sussex's pursuit did hit a stumbling block however as Robin Martin-Jenkins was caught behind of the bowling of Billy Taylor for 16. And Sussex soon lost the cornerstone to their innings soon after, Hampshire used the new ball to good effect as they finally removed Matt Prior. He looked in great knick before a brilliant delivery by James Tomlinson took his wicket and he was heading back to the pavilion having scored 140 runs from 195 balls.

Overseas player Damien Wright passed a personal milestone of 3000 First Class runs, as he and Ragheb Aga brought 300 up for Sussex to Hampshire's frustration.

Wright and Aga continued to frustrate Hampshire and they soon brought up their 50-run partnership. Fortunately for Hampshire, Liam Dawson found a breakthrough as he had Wright (42) caught behind by Nic Pothas. And later in the over Dawson got another as Aga (24)was given lbw as Sussex finished 336 all out, 14 runs adrift of Hampshire's 350.

After lunch, Carberry and James Adams came together at the crease for the beginning of Hampshire's second innings with the match set to finish as a draw. Chances were still aplenty for the Sussex bowlers however, with Martin-Jenkins finding two edges in consecutive balls off Adams, only for the opener to guide them safely through a vacant third slip.

The first ten overs did see a succession of boundaries, with Carberry in particular punishing some rather wayward bowling from West Indian Corey Collymore.

The Englishman seemed to be one of the few who were taking this opportunity with some gusto, as Andy Hodd took to the wicket-keeping position relinquished by Matt Prior, a sign of the relaxed nature that the men from Hove were taking on this final day.

Carberry did complete a solid half century however, after surviving being dropped on 38, he completed the knock off 103 balls. Sussex seemed to have no answers for the resolute opening stand between Carberry and Adams, which at tea stood at 88 without loss, with the hosts having a lead of 102.

Hampshire carried on where they left off after tea. Adams and Carberry brought up their 100 partnership in no time as the visitors struggled to find a breakthrough.

Local lad Adams edged further towards his half century with a flurry of singles before hitting a well-driven four through cover for his 20th First Class fifty.

Fellow opener Carberry was out not long after for 72. Spinner Chris Nash was rewarded for his persistence as the batter was out lbw to give Sussex a wicket in a drawn out session. Michael Lumb was out for a duck and he was bowled by Rory Hamilton-Brown.

Hampshire finished on 127 for 2.

Match report by Nick Howson and Steven Woodgate

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

LVCC: Hampshire v Sussex

2009-08-06T15:50:00.002+01:00

LVCC Hampshire v Sussex - Day 1

A 150 run partnership between Sean Ervine and Nic Pothas dragged Hampshire back into contention in their LVCC match against Sussex at The Rose Bowl, after the home side found themselves on 145 for 4. Ervine went on to complete a dazzling century, eventually falling for 109 while Pothas passed 10,000 First Class career runs on his way to a sensational 74. Corey Collymore, Damien Wright and Robin Martin-Jenkins all took two wickets for Sussex with Hampshire ending the day on 341 for 8.

Yet another sunny Rose Bowl morning saw Sussex put Hampshire into bat after winning the toss, and as soon as the tenth over their decision seemed vindicated. With only 26 on the board, Michael Carberry looked to play the ball over the covers only to be brilliantly caught by Andrew Hodd off Martin-Jenkins for 17.

A further ten overs passed with Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams at the crease, the pair becoming increasingly frustrated by Sussex’s pace attack and the score remaining at 41 for 1 for a five over spell during the morning session. Hampshire’s cautious approach in the first session did include the occasional boundary, with Adams pulling Ragheb Aga for a huge six just before lunch. The partnership between the two reached fifty in the 29th over before Lumb (30) found himself caught behind by Matt Prior off Wright, who had earlier been driven deliciously by his victim.

The home side finished the morning session on 82 for 2, with Adams unbeaten on 31 and new man Chris Benham, in for the injured John Crawley, still yet to score.

Benham didn’t stick around for long after lunch however, with just 15 balls passing before Rory Hamilton-Brown caught him at second slip off Martin-Jenkins for a single. However Adams’ luck was a shade better as his edge off Collymore snuck agonisingly through wicketkeeper Prior and first slip Ed Joyce and sailed for four. After making his 19th half century, Adams’ knock was ended just 11 runs later, as the local lad offered only half a stroke and his attempt to pull away was cruelly capitalised on by Prior, comfortably taking him off Aga’s bowling. It left Hampshire 145 for 4, midway through day one.

Ervine then showed his intentions to get Hampshire back into the game, smashing three consecutive fours off Aga as he and Pothas led the charge. The skipper soon reached a huge personal milestone as he passed the 10,000 First Class run mark with a brilliantly crafted four. Ervine continued his innings by bringing up his half century after smashing spinner Chris Nash for a big six. Hampshire finished the afternoon session 224 for 4 with Ervine on 63 and Pothas on 34.

With the double act well set, the final session was sure to be the perfect opportunity to press the Hampshire advantage. It took six overs after tea for Pothas and Ervine to reach their 100 run partnership as conditions became impeccable for batting. Hampshire slipped into a period of dominance as Sussex’s decision to bat first looked like a misjudgement.

Pothas reached fifty in 77 balls, but it was Ervine who was taking centre stage, completing a brilliant hundred, his 6th in first class cricket. The milestones continued the tumble for the duo as they reached their 150 run partnership, but with the new ball pending Ervine (109, his highest score for Hampshire) found Hamilton-Brown at gully off the bowling of Joyce, who in turn secured his first ever wicket for his new club, Sussex.

Pothas, fresh from his landmark achievement went searching for the new ball, but soon yielded to Collymore as he was caught behind by Prior for 74. The tail was now in sight for the away side and Dominic Cork put on just two before Collymore found the edge, which went straight to Prior - his forth dismissal of the day. Chris Tremlett was next back to the pavilion for four as he edged to Hamilton-Brown at second slip off Wright to leave Hampshire on 341 for 8 at the close of play, with Dawson unbeaten on 22.

With rain expected tomorrow both sides can be satisfied with the day’s play, especially Sussex who will be keen to knock over the rest of Hampshire tail when play should resume at 11am tomorrow.

Speaking on his impressive landmark, Pothas was keen to play down its significance. “To me, as an individual, all that matters is the winning contributions I can make for the team. If I can win three one day games for us in a year, and maybe win two or three Championship games, then I’ve done a job. If everyone can do that then it covers the whole season and we play winning cricket. That’s the most important thing to me; how many times can I get us out of trouble, and how many times I can win games for my team.”

Match report by Nick Howson and Steve Woodgate

(written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

Friends Provident Trophy: Hampshire v Worcestershire

2009-08-06T15:46:00.001+01:00

Friends Provident Trophy v Worcestershire 19th April

Despite a fine century from John Crawley, Hampshire Hawks lost to Worcestershire Royals in the first match of Friends Provident Trophy. The visitors won by 53 runs as Gareth Batty took 5 vital Hampshire wickets in a high scoring match.

With conditions ideal for batting, Worcestershire won the toss and chose to bat, keen to make up for their defeat in the recent LVCC Championship match. Openers Vikram Solanki and Steve Davies soon got to work both hitting boundaries in the opening overs, with captain Solanki picking up from where he left off in the 4 day game with a beautiful cover drive in front of square. Balcombe didn’t seem to be put off by the openers’ aggressive start however and with Solanki cruising on 35 he played all round a straight delivery to end his innings after six glorious fours.

New man Stephen Moore wasn’t around for long as he edged a delivery from Billy Taylor straight to Sean Ervine at second slip for nought. Consecutive wickets had disrupted the Worcestershire momentum slightly but Davies still found gaps available. After flicking Balcombe over third man for his sixth boundary of the day, as he moved swiftly towards his 9th one day half century. Liam Dawson was tasked with holding up the Pavilion End, and after frustrating Davies he finally secured his wicket after seducing the batsman into a long hop, a shot that was delivered straight to Sean Ervine, making it 107 for 3.

Moeen Ali and Ben Smith were brought together at the crease and although boundaries weren’t forthcoming they continued to frustrate the Hampshire attack, putting on a 50 partnership to help rebuild the Worcestershire innings. Ali himself was in fine touch and a rare boundary off Billy Taylor brought up his fifty off a steady 73 balls, but a huge six off Tremlett signalled his side’s intentions for the final 15 overs.

Hampshire were suffering from the third and final powerplay in which they conceded 64 runs with Smith and Ali reaching their 100 run partnership in the 37th over. Ali then completed a stunning 100 off 97 balls to move his side onto 227 for 3 with the final ten overs still remaining. He continued his innings with a breathtaking six down the ground, and a further Smith four increased the record 4th wicket partnership to the 150 mark. The huge partnership was eventually broken as Ali found Michael Carberry out in the deep off Balcombe for a stunning 125.

Daryl Mitchell stuck around for two scoreless deliveries as Taylor caught a thin edge, which was taken comfortably by Nic Pothas, while Smith picked up his 50 after playing a reserved role during his partnership with Ali. The final five overs didn’t produce the barrage of runs expected, with Tremlett picking up two late wickets, bowling Gareth Batty for 17, and having Dawson catch Kabir Ali for 11.

Worcestershire finished their innings on 320 for 8, with Smith being caught and bowled by Tremlett by the last ball for 70 and Gareth Andrews finishing on nought not out, leaving Hampshire an uphill task of chasing the second highest one day total at The Rose Bowl.

Hampshire’s reply began positively as opener Michael Lumb smashed two consecutive fours in the first over from the bowling of Kabir Ali, in an attempt to chase down Worcestershire’s mammoth total. Lumb continued optimistically, running a single for his 29th half century off 51 balls from the bowling of Ian Fisher. Fellow opener John Crawley contributed 35 as the pair brought up 100 runs soon after and they looked in solid form.

Gareth Batty eventually ended their dominance as Lumb was caught and bowled by the all rounder; he finished on 61 from 72 balls. Lumb and Crawley’s partnership of 116 is a record first wicket stand against Worcestershire as it passed BA Richards and CG Greenidge record of 112 set back in 1973.

Liam Dawson, batting at three, was cruelly run out for 10 after a mix up with Crawley, and all rounder Sean Ervine soon followed Dawson back to the pavilion when Fisher superbly bowled him for 3 leaving Hampshire on 136 for 3. In that same over Crawley moved on to his 56th half century after running three with new partner Michael Carberry.

Carberry was going well, 34 runs off 33 balls, before being caught easily by Chris Whelan from Fisher’s bowling. Cork (1) was heading back in no time, he was caught by Moeen Ali from Batty‘s bowling for his second wicket of the day. Chris Benham (5) did not last long either; he was bowled by Mitchell and it left Hampshire on a worrying 217 for 6.

Only 34 runs were scored in the batting powerplay, which slowed Hampshire’s progress and it was up to captain Nic Pothas to keep the Hawks on track for the win. He led the way by smashing a huge six into the hospitality suites as he and Crawley attempted to keep the run rate ticking over.

Opener Crawley got his deserved 8th one day century, just before Pothas (24), attempting a reverse sweep, was given lbw from Batty’s bowling. Batty then picked up the prized wicket of Crawley in the same over as he was stumped by Davies for 100. Batty's fifth wicket was Balcombe, for a duck, before Taylor (4) was caught on the boundary to end Hampshire’s hopes with a final score of 267 all out.

The match was watched by a crowd of more than 3,000, a fitting end to a well supported week for Hampshire Cricket with good attendances every day.

Match report by Nick Howson and Steve Woodgate.

(Written for www.rosebowlplc.com)

Hampshire v Middlesex Friendly at The Rose Bowl

2009-08-06T15:42:00.002+01:00

Hampshire v Middlesex friendly 8th April 2009 - day one of two

With a total of 76 overs bowled, Middlesex finished the first day of a two day friendly game against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl on 215 for 3; however both Godleman and Dexter retired out on 56 and 60 respectively - Chris Tremlett taking the only wicket in the first over after lunch.

Hampshire’s bowlers laboured without reward in the first session. There were a few close calls, but no wickets fell and the visitors finished the morning on 72 for 0 (Compton – 22, Godleman – 34).

Chris Tremlett opened the bowling with an impressive spell, showing he was back to his dangerous best. His partnership with David Balcombe restricted Middlesex to 10 runs off the first five overs, and to 20 runs off the first ten. Tremlett finished the session with miserly figures of 5-1-8-0.

First change was James Tomlinson who went for 9 in his first over but only 18 runs in his entire spell. Both batsmen were fortunate to survive his spirited lbw appeals, particularly Compton in the 13th over. Balcombe, bowling from the Northern End, was doubly unlucky with two close calls denied, one of them in the over before lunch.

Tomlinson

There must have been something in Hampshire’s food as the first ball after the lunch interval supplied a break through. Captain Nic Pothas caught Compton (34) behind from Tremlett’s bowling as he continued his dangerous form. But there was little else to speak of in a slow second session.

New boy Dominic Cork and Sean Ervine slowed down the Middlesex batsmen’s run rate as they conceded only 24 runs from 13 overs in search for a wicket. Godleman hit his half century after running for a risky single whilst stuck on 49, and by tea he had moved on to 56 not out, whilst partner Dexter (46) was looking in good form hitting successive fours from Ervine’s bowling.

Middlesex finished the second session on 147 for 1.

Both sides used the opportunity to give their key players some match practice, with Hampshire using seven bowlers and Middlesex five batsmen, including wicketkeeper Ben Scott who was promoted up the order from number 8 and, given the typical run rates from the day, was impressive making 20 runs off 24 balls.

Hampshire’s bowling figures were as follows:

C T Tremlett 13-3-31-1
D J Balcombe 13-3-35-0
J A Tomlinson 14-1-40-0
S M Ervine 12-4-28-0
D G Cork 11-4-26-0
B V Taylor 10-3-30-0
M A Carberry 3-0-10-0

Liam Dawson did not bowl as a precautionary measure to protect a split spinning finger.

Match report by Steve Woodgate.

(Seen at www.rosebowlplc.com)

Lewis is Back

2009-07-26T15:07:00.002+01:00

Hooray! Lewis Hamilton is back.

Despite the numerous molecules that have dodged Hamilton’s dire season seems to be a distance thing of the past. He surpassed all expectations and realities to lead and win the Hungarian Grand Prix in such dominant and frantic fashion.

All through his led there was the sneaky suspicion that he was on a verge (it’s known to happen) of a fatal mistake that would epitomise his tough season once again. But gladly there was no choke, no mistake and signs of the rekindling Brit yesterday was a breath of fresh air.

Rightly fellow Brit Jenson Button has been taken all the plaudits this season and
Hamilton has been portrayed more of a villain than a nation hero for much of it but this win will bring an awe of optimism for driver, as well as McLaren, to propel himself to start challenging the leaders.

Although it’s not a result that they can get carried away with but the signs that Hamilton, who once was the icon of so many, can right his wrongs.

It does seem decades ago that Hamilton took his spot at the spearhead of the podium but now he might get that winning feeling back again. This is also Martin Whitmarsh’s first win as team boss, after replacing Ron Dennis, and he will earmark this victory as his finest he has ever witnessed after his team has been dragged through so much this year.

From Liegate to the controversy in Malaysia, McLaren has been through it all. Coming to Hungary was big, after the significant updates to his dwindling MP4-24 model at Germany, it was time to show why he’s still the current World Championship and he duly did.

This is arguably his finest victory, his 10th and best. It was Lewis’ first victory since China last season, and his emotional exploits have been missed, Button is animated but it’s not with the exuberance that Hamilton shows.

Button was hoping for much more in his Brawn but Lewis’ victory helped his fellow Brit out. Keeping the Red Bull’s at bay is what he did and as the season heads into its second half, Lewis could become Button’s biggest ally.

Lewis, on the other hand, can leave Budapest Hungary (Sorry) for more.

Johnson is Struggling. Gladly.

2009-07-20T00:39:00.004+01:00

The Ashes is often celebrated as the biggest and best cricket contest; it has the potential to make or break any gifted individual. Mitchell Johnson baffling form so far this series is an implacable godsend for Andrew Strauss’ men and after his frightening form against South Africa last winter, the England team must be relieved that he is not just struggling he’s struggling badly.

Johnson pronounced himself as one of the leading young fast test bowlers in cricket after his one-man mission against a strong Springboks team, where he took eight for 61; he became Australia’s leading talisman as they touted him as a possible replacement for the almost irreplaceable Glenn McGrath.

Johnson’s pace and power in often seen as his strong point, ask Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith what’s it like to face Johnson, both retired hurt after a devastating bowling display, but what he supplies in speed and power he lacks in control and consistency. When on song he is one of the best. At Kingsmead, Johnson removed Hashim Amla and Neil McKenzie in his first over but the way he took on the vastly experienced Kallis and Smith was most remarkable. He broke Smith’s hand and split Kallis’ chin that highlighted his fearsome attitude and promising potential. Cricket commentator Peter Roebuck even described him as ‘the best fast bowler in the world’. Seems absolutely laughable now doesn’t it?

His bowling so far in this Ashes series, couldn't dent a tin of Victoria Bitter nevertheless dent England’s hopes of reclaiming the Ashes. He bowled wide, he lacked control, he’s not dependable and even the ‘mastermind’ that is Ricky Ponting often ignores his pledges to bowl to wrong his rights. The English batsmen have gone after him (when they can actually reach the ball) and Australia are seemingly paying the price.

They can’t rush Brett Lee back quick enough and if Johnson is omitted from the third test, it would not be the biggest surprise. Johnson’s confidence is shot to pieces and it might take a little while to get those pieces back together – God knows Ponting is not the man to help restore confidence he’s too busy being the very sorest of losers.

Johnson was heavily tipped to succeed and be successful this summer, and he was one of Australia’s most hyped Ashes debutants for years. Perhaps he was expected to do more and be the lynchpin of the visitors attack and that may have just heaped the pressure on to him a little too much. Every time Ponting hands Johnson the new ball he must feel like he’s handing his wife over to Shane Warne for a romantic evening – nothing good can ever come from it.

Johnson’s three for in England’s first innings of the second test does not speak volume of how bad his bowling has been. He conceded 132 run in just 22 overs and that’s a cardinal sin in test cricket. Ben Hilfenhaus bowled nines overs more, got four wickets and went for 30 runs less. England’s second innings didn’t go much better for Johnson either as he ended up wicketless and completely out of sorts.

For England’s sake, let’s hope his awful form continues.

Saints Takeover Complete

2009-07-08T14:45:00.000+01:00

Alas, Southampton Football has been taken over and just in time too.

It’s been somewhat of a few difficult months for the South Coast side and only last week they had to sell two gems in Andres Surman and David McGoldrick on the cheap just to be able to pay the staffs wages.

Surman was sold to Wolves for a mere £1.4 million and McGoldrick moved for a seven figure sum to Nottingham Forest as the club tried hard to balance books.

Now the saviour is not in the form of fans idol Matt le Tissier but in the form of a 61 year old German.

But no doubt the fans and everyone to do with Southampton doesn’t care who takes over as long as they have the clubs good intentions at heart.

Markus Liebherr is the man that now has taken control of Southampton Leisure Holdings Plc and all the company’s assets and now will embark on rebuilding the club that starts in League One on minus 10.

Joint Administrator Mark Fry insists: “The sale of the Saints to Markus Liebherr is a fantastic opportunity to rebuild the club.”

And too right.

With the money that will now be invested into the club it will be back in the Championship in no time.

It was believed that Markus Liebherr was attracted by many great qualities Southampton could offer such as a solid fan base, a first class stadium and training facilities and the potential to regain a future Premier League place.

For the first time in months Southampton are on a high after they’ve been tumbling down hill for months. Although they start on minus ten don’t bet against an immediate return to the Championship.

West Brom gets Cox's Signature

2009-07-08T14:44:00.000+01:00

Personally, I thought there would be a lot clubs after Simon Cox’s signature, nevertheless West Brom sweet talked the youngster to join them before the transfer window rush began.

Cox becomes Roberto Di Matteo’s first signing as Albion boss costing the club £1.5 million plus £400,000 with add-ons.

Cox’s revelation for Swindon Town last season was astounding and a move up the division was not only likely but inevitable.

It was West Brom that made the first move and he duly signed. West Brom are a huge club and has real credentials for an immediate return to the top flight after finishing rock bottom in the Premier League.

Swindon, last season, narrowly avoided the drop and if it wasn’t for Cox’s goals they would facing a prospect of a very difficult season in League Two.

He finished the season joint top goal scorer with Bristol Rovers’ Rickie Lambert – both scoring 29 goals. The Reading born hitman will be relishing playing in the Championship as he found games at his first club Reading hard to come by.

Loans at Northampton and Brentford soon followed but after performing superbly on loan at Swindon he moved permanently for a fraction of what West Brom are paying.
The Baggies were short of goals in the top flight and they look to avoid similar struggles this term.

Cox will get goals plenty of them too. West Brom must be looking for at least a play off place as this will be one of the most competitive Championship seasons to date.
He may show what Reading are missing and reject letting him go so cheaply.

Championship Team of the Year...

2009-06-24T12:17:00.002+01:00

So here it is – the Championship Team of the Year voted by you.

Goalkeeper: Kelvin Davis (Southampton)

Right Back: Graeme Alexander (Burnley)

Left Back: Kyle Walker (Sheffield United)

Centre Back: Clarke Carlisle (Burnley)

Centre Back: Richard Stearman (Wolves)

Right Midfield: Jordi Gomez (Swansea City)

Left Midfield: Robbie Blake (Burnley)

Centre Midfield: Karl Henry (Wolves)

Centre Midfield: Chris Cohen (Nottingham Forest)

Striker: Jason Scotland (Swansea City)

Striker: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolves)

Many surprising inclusions and a far cry from the PFA Team of the Year.

Please leave your thoughts and feelings.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Championship Strikers of the Year..

2009-06-22T12:19:00.000+01:00

Champ Corner's Steven Woodgate concludes his investigation into the Championship team of the year, by focusing on the strikers.

You always need goals and these players certainly been in amongst them, some of them better than others but goals nevertheless.

Jason Scotland

This man can't stop performing. His goal scoring exploits for Swansea City have had many Premier League teams taking note. After scoring the goals to get the Welsh club promoted from League One, and the step to the Championship has not been a problem for the Trinidad and Tobago striker.

Scotland's goal ratio in the English League is over one goal in every two games and that can't be ignored.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

Finished top scorer of the Championship as his goals played a huge role in Wolves' return to the top flight. After making his name as Plymouth Argyle, he moved to Wolves and provided them with a flurry of goals.

Goals are not only his major asset; he links play brilliantly and brings many midfielders in to the action.

Kevin Doyle

The Irishman hitman was on excellent form in the first half of the season; his goals contributed so much to Reading's fortunes. Although the goals did dry up in the second half of the season, his all round team play was impressive.

Premier League suitors couldn't do much worse than Doyle, as he has shown that he is able to score goals in the top flight as well. His future will be much talked about this summer.

Marcus Tudgay

The Sheffield Wednesday hit man may not have been as prolific as some players may but his impact and play can't be undermined. The striker has played in almost every position this term but is happy to help the team.

He won the PFA Fans Championship Player of the Year award, as well as his clubs honour as well. His goal against fierce rivals Sheffield United must be the highpoint in his season.

Ross McCormack

Although many of goals came from the penalty spot, his goals helped Cardiff propel up the league. He joined on a free at the beginning of the season and joined because of the presence of his boyhood hero Robbie Fowler.

He finished the season scoring 23 goals in all competitions despite missing some of the season through injury. He's now in talks with Cardiff about a new contract although a move up a league maybe on the cards.

Kevin Phillips

This man just performs wherever he goes. Phillips joined Birmingham on two-year contract after rejecting a one-year stay at West Brom. Alex McLeish must be pleased that Phillips agreed to them, his goals have done wonders and his impact was sorely missed.

When Phillips was injured, Birmingham found it difficult to score and his return saw him score a goal at Reading to give his side Promotion.

Championship Centre Midfielder of the Year...

2009-06-22T12:18:00.000+01:00

Champ Corner's Steven Woodgate continues his investigation into the Championship team of the year, by focusing on the centre midfield area.

The midfield general, the anchor, arguably the most influential position on a football pitch. They can change a game, one single pass, one superb tackle, or one inspiring turn can make the biggest of impacts. These players have certainly done that for their sides.

Joe Ledley

A general naturally gifted player and he is already known as one of the most gifted players in the championship. The Cardiff City playmaker has performed well as his side missed a play off place, his performances have impressed Wales boss John Toshack, as he has become pinnacle in their step up.

The Welsh youngster has built up a huge reputation, and a £6 million pound offer was rejected at the beginning of the season and he rewarded Cardiff with his loyalty, and proudly captained the side.

Lee Carsley

Carsley brought a wealth of experience to a Birmingham City side that was looking to bounce straight back to the Premier League. He rejected an offer of a contract extension from Everton to join his home-town club and what an inspiration he has been.

Club captain Damien Johnson was expected to miss much of the season through injury, therefore Carsley was given the captaincy to lead the team to promotion. He won Player's player of the season and rightfully too.

Karl Henry

What a season for this man. Henry led Wolves to the Premier League, he took over the captain's armband in the absence of the experienced Joey Craddock. His gritty displays gave him credit for doing the dirty work in the centre of midfield; he has established a wonderful partnership with David Jones as the pair has dominated most midfields they have come up against.

Henry lifted the trophy with Craddock as the captain of Wolves after the 1-0 win against Doncaster Rovers.

Chris Cohen

The Nottingham Forest work horse has been subject to much praise from many admirers in the Championship and he has been rewarded with a new contract at the City Ground. His consistent displays for Forest won him player of the year from his fans.

Cohen was a product of the West Ham United Youth system and he will be an important player for the club next season.

Championship Right Midfielder of the Year

2009-06-22T12:16:00.001+01:00

Champ Corner's Steven Woodgate continues his investigation into the Championship team of the year by focusing on the right wing spot.

These players have performed very well for their teams this season, and their influence has been essential for the team's outcome. Without these players, their clubs would be lost.

Tommy Smith

Smith probably had one of his best seasons this term as he finished the 2008.09 season with 17 league goals and made nine assists. Statistically he was named the Championship's top midfielder and was voted the clubs player of the season for the second year running.

Now 29 years old, he would be a perfect right midfielder for any club but this man has a deep lying love for Watford and it would be very difficult for him ever to leave.

Jordi Gomez

This Spaniard joined the revolution down at Swansea and been extremely impressive. Now departed manager Roberto Martinez was keen to extend the midfielder's stay at Swansea however, after the season he had he is destined on bigger things. A move to Scottish giants Celtic is on the cards.

He was a product of FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol's youth ranks and has bags of ability. Gomez's winning goal against fierce rivals Cardiff City will always be memorable for the fans.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce

This midfielder certainly has its followers, as there was a rumour that now departed Reading manager Steve Coppell was going to make a move on the speedy winger. He wrote his name into Barnsley folklore with a simply stunning goal at Hillsborough to sink Sheffield Wednesday; he also scored the winner in a 2-1 win over Plymouth that kept his side in the Championship.

The Jamaican international may be looking up the division and any team with promotion credentials should take a gamble on Jamal.

Wade Elliott

The man's goal ensured that Burnley would be playing Premier League football next term after a stunning curled shot goal in the playoff final was enough to beat Sheffield United.

He has been one of the constant performers for Burnley this term and hi has slotted brilliantly into a team that consists of Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles. Often Elliott's performance has kept Eagles on the bench; he will do well in the top flight.

Championship Left Midfielder of the Year..

2009-06-17T16:06:00.000+01:00

The classic number 11 position is here, and many decent left footed players are hard to come by but these four certainly have had a huge impact on their teams.

Stephen Hunt

This man could have been playing his trade in the Premier League but opted to get Reading promoted at the first time of asking. It was evident that Reading's form dipped as soon as Hunt's did. Statistically, Hunt created the most chances of anyone in the league and no wonder why Kevin Doyle loves playing with his compatriot.

Now a move to the Premier League is a dead cert, there are many takers - Everton, Fulham and Wigan are all rumoured to fight for his signature.

Robbie Blake

What a year he has had for Burnley, he's been taken out of his ordinary strikers role and been placed in midfield to be effective in play. This tactic from Owen Coyle has done wonders as he's probably had his best ever season after guiding Burnley to promotion.

The playmaker has performed well; his experience to help the younger players of the squad can't be ignored.

Kris Commons

Hated in Nottingham but loved in Derby, the midfielder is not one to hide form controversy. His free transfer move created much hatred but Derby has benefit wholly from his talents. After his terrific exploits against Manchester United in the Carling Cup, he was linked with moves to Newcastle United and Wigan for £3 million.

Ross Wallace

Wallace initially turned down the chance to join Preston at the beginning of the season but after being told by then manager Roy Keane at Sunderland that e was further down the pecking than he thought, he jumped at the chance to join the Championship club.

Wallace last minute free kick winner against Birmingham gave Preston a glimmer of hope of reaching the playoffs, and that playoff place was secured at the expense of Cardiff. Wallace's excellent crossing made him a fans' favourite and soon he signed permanently.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Championship Centre Back of the Year..

2009-06-17T16:04:00.000+01:00

The rock of any team, the centre back position is vital to any team and sometimes they can make or break a good team. A long list to choose from but here is six players that had very good seasons.

Richard Stearman

Stearman has certainly come on leaps and bounds recently and his potential has be showcased. The former Leicester City man performances this term has made him a certain first choice and looks that the step up to the Premier League won't be that big.

On May 3rd, he scored an injury time winner against Doncaster Rovers, which was his first for the club as he finished the season on a high note. He will be lofting his Championship winners medal proudly.

Roger Johnson

His constant decent performances this term impressed the Cardiff City faithful so much they made him the club's player of the year. After missing out on promotion this term, Cardiff may find it hard to keep the defender as he won many admirers from many top division clubs.

His defensive partnership with Glenn Loovens has proved the real force as Cardiff missed out on the playoffs.

Matthew Kilgallon

Kilgallon joined Sheffield United on a huge fee from Leeds back in 2007 and at present he looks worth every penny. He has played 42 games this term and built a very good understanding with partner Chris Morgan as they are the Blades' rock at the back.

After Sheffield's failure to get out of the Championship, a move to the Premier League beckons and on this seasons' form it would be hard to argue otherwise.

Clarke Carlisle

Reached the playoff final fighting tooth and nail for the club, and duly took the man of the match award for Burnley in the final. The game finished 1-0 and that clean sheet was down to the tough tackling of Carlisle.

His fight back from numerous injuries and an alcohol problem makes Carlisle raise to the top even more inspiring. He will be playing more Premier League football next term.

Matthew Mills

Arguably, Doncaster City has been the surprise package of the championship and Mills' involvement must be credited. A tall, athletic and composed centre back was Doncaster's record signing and proved good value.

Previously at Manchester City, he's adapted to the Championship quickly and effectively as he looks a good prospect for the future.

Championship Left Back of the Year...

2009-06-17T16:01:00.001+01:00

Left backs are often a good outlet for attacks and defending, getting up and down the pitch is not easy but these four candidates have been the pick of a good bunch and all have had excellent seasons, for one reason or another.

Chris Armstrong

Somehow Armstrong's first team opportunities were rather limited at Sheffield United, so Steve Coppell spent £500,000 for the left back's signature. Originally, he had a tough task in replacing Nicky Shorey but he easily rose to the challenge and was named fans' player of the season.

He was consistently Reading's best player and has been very dependable, even chipping in with a stunning goal against Watford.

Daniel Fox

The Coventry City youngster has been banging on the door of the England Under 21 squad after a very impressive season. Impressive enough that Newcastle United, when in the Premier League, made firm interest in Fox to sort out their defensive woes.

Mature head on young shoulders, Fox has committed himself to the Sky Blues as he wants first team football.

Frank Queudrue

The Birmingham City defender used all of his know how and experience to guide his side back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. He was voted the fans' player and Birmingham Mail's player of the season after a string of good performances.

He was one manager Alex McLeish turned too in inspiring his team. Queudrue attitude was always known and a certain blonde streak in his hair helped fans identify his differences of attitude compared to the other players.

Kyle Walker

The Sheffield United youngster still may be a bit of a novice when it comes to playing in the Championship, but his performances are anything like the ones in the playoffs this season he will certainly by one to catch the eye next term.

He was on loan at Northampton Town earlier in the season but impressive games from January onwards shows how good this youngster is.

Championship Right Back of the Year...

2009-06-11T00:23:00.003+01:00

The right back position can be vital for any team; it could start an attack or break up an opposition threat. It’s often a position that is underrated but for some Championship sides this term, their right back have been vital in their success.
The nominations for the Championship Right Back of the Year are:

Graham Alexander

The Scot found himself playing anchor in midfield towards the end of the season, but the right back berth is often his natural position. The Burnley captain led his troops to an unprecedented amount of games and he hasn’t disappointed.

He played in every single game for the Clarets and was influential with everything they did. His penalty taking exploits also helped with the nine goals he contributed he certainly helped Owen Coyle’s side reach the Premier League. Alexander’s penalty against Reading in the Playoff Semi finals practically sealed their place in the final.

Kyle Naughton

After a loan spell at Scottish side Gretna, Kyle came back to Sheffield United determined to make that right back position his own, duly he did. He cemented his place in the side with a string of impressive performances that made Stuart Pearce to take note and a call up to the England U21 soon followed.

The Blades’ revival towards the end of the season helped Naughton, his pace, discipline, positioning helped him become recognised, and it allows him to offer more than the ordinary right back.

Kevin McNaughton

The Cardiff City ace has always been consistent this year and passed his 100th appearance for the Bluebirds against Watford in October. He’s always been reliable under the Dave Jones’ reign, he’s tied up the right side tightly and never puts a foot wrong.

Many words fling to mind when speaking of McNaughton – consistent, high work-rate, determination and impressive all feature heavily and he once again proves that he provides Cardiff with adequate service. The Scot will be pinnacle for Cardiff’s promotion challenge next term.

Angel Rangel

The Spanish star helped Swansea City almost close in on a playoff place. This season especially he’s become popular with the Swansea faithful with a string of many brilliant performances, particularly in going forward.

Rumours circulate that he will be on the move to Wigan Athletic or Manchester City for a substantial sum this summer. No doubt, one of the better right backs in the Championship.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Championship Goalkeeper of the Year...

2009-06-08T22:03:00.002+01:00

So, it comes to this – a summer without a ball being kicked and now I want us to look back at the Championship season that’s just past and vote for the best eleven, one occupying every position to find the team of the season.

No doubt there will be tough decisions to be made, so we are leaving it to you the readership to vote for your best. Please come back regularly and vote for each position and find out what the team of the year will be – there may be some surprises.

The 2008/09 Championship Goalkeeper of the Year

The Nominations are:

Wayne Hennessey

The Wolves stopper is only 22 years old and he has managed to establish himself as his clubs and his countries Number 1. His massive six and a half foot frame would be an asset to any team; he has been a vital part of Wolves’ success this term and will not be out of place in the Premier League.

His record-breaking spell at Stockport County showed us what he is capable off and Hennessey was at his best, making many crucial saves in the game against QPR, which culminated in a 1-0 victory taking Wolves back into the Premier League.
Kieren Westwood

Where would Coventry City be without this man? He is arguably their best player and their greatest asset, after his release from Manchester City, he has made his name at Carlisle as they propelled through the leagues. Coventry made a smart purchase, and he has shown why he is worth every penny of the £500,000 they paid for him.

Despite Coventry having a somewhat indifferent season, Westwood has been in good form and he will be a big part player next term if a move to the Premier League don’t materialise.

Brian Jensen

Burnley’s season has been a thrilling one and Jenson deserves many plaudits for his efforts this term. The club reached the Premier League, and his value can’t be underestimated. He performed superbly against Premier League clubs in the Carling and FA Cups as well as being solid throughout the playoffs. He will be busier in the top flight next season. Notably, Jensen saved two Chelsea penalties to claim victory in the Carling Cup.

The Dane has been loyal to the Clarets, playing over 200 games for the club, and that loyalty certain paid off. He managed to oust first choice Gabo Kiraly and keep the number 1 spot from January for the remainder of the season.

Kelvin Davis

He has become somewhat of a cult figure at St. Marys. After a season to forget for Southampton, Davis was one of the bright spots – he led a team of youngsters as they made a brave fight to survive from relegation before being condemned to League One by the Football League. It will be a sad day when he leaves the club he loves but he is one of the better goalkeepers in the Championship.

Saints fans voted the goalkeeper their player of the season and his wholehearted efforts deserve praise. The defence in front of him is far from adequate in this Championship and he singlehandedly kept many score lines modest.

Lessons Learnt for Lewis

2009-05-23T16:36:00.001+01:00

This day was going to be the day that everything went right for Lewis Hamilton, sweep the lies and the poor performances under the carpet and prove he is prevailing King here at Monaco.

Unfortunately for Lewis it did not quite happen. When you are tipped to succeed, it often tips in the other direction. This weekend there was no lies or poor performance but a man obsessed. He can walk away slightly more grown up and thankfully for what he does have.

He wanted to do well, he needed to do well but his egotistical self once again out did him. No one to blame but himself and with that he needs to refine what he wants and what he needs. He wrote off his chances soon into qualifying as he lost his car’s back end on the entrance to Mirabeau’s hairpin and smashed into the tyre wall, breaking his rear suspension.

McLaren worked hard for Lewis and the car looked like it’s going to compete and it would have probably competed.

But he has dropped out and will be starting down in 16th on Race Day, he is far better than that and he does know it.

It was good to see Lewis be aggressive and he contributed many quick lap times. His hero Aryton Senna had a formidable record here and if Lewis is going to emulate him, he needs to understand how to concentrate his aggression and where to direct it.

Lewis still has time on his hands but he demands perfection and it’s a great quality to have. He should not always point his finger to the direction of his team when something goes wrong but take responsibility. His lying to Stewards in Australia lost him many fans, but he walks away from this weekend grown up and as he has accepted his mistakes.

“I don't know what I was thinking, I made a mistake," he told BBC Sport. "I apologise to the team for wasting their time.

"It's been tough but you learn from these mistakes. They are bound to happen, but it's just a shame it happened in the first qualifying session.

"My race weekend for a win is for sure over."

For once his weekend was not ruined by his team, trust issues need to be readdressed quickly before the rest get too far ahead. But Hamilton show signs that

Last season’s triumph is still fresh in my memory, and Lewis looked a man to beat rather than a man to win as opposed to this term.

I am still convinced he will do well hear and if any unexpected showers were to fall, I’m sure Lewis would find himself somewhere near the front.

(theformula2009.blogspot.com)

The £60 million Game

2009-05-23T15:55:00.003+01:00

So it comes to this, a one off £60 million pound decider. Sheffield United and
Burnley go head to head for a place in the Premier League.

There is no separating the two, both have done so well and both fully deserve their place in the Final.

Sheffield United has had a remarkable season, especially with losing their star striker James Beattie in January; they finished third, ending the season on a
formidable form.

Many players have contributed to their season but under the guidance of Kevin Blackwell, they haven’t done too much wrong. He has built and assembled a very good bunch of players that all are eager to play top-flight football. Many see it as justice is being done after harshly being relegated despite West Ham fielding illegal players.

They may be without Darius Henderson, Jamie Ward and John-Joe O’Toole as they are all out injured but Blackwell with give them until the last possible minute to recover just in case they can have any influence.

Despite having lost only once in the last 14 league games, goals have been coming all over the park as no one apart from Beattie has scored more than 7 goals in the league and they may need to rely on strikers if they are going to score at Wembley.

Burnley, on the other hand, are completely taking the Championship by storm. They have had a long long season with so many games being played but they look like the team with momentum. Captain Graham Alexander has been vital to his team success; he has been the influence and rock in the team, playing every game, he must be relishing a summer’s break knowing that top-flight football awaits him.

Owen Coyle must take his fair share of credit, on a small budget he has taken Burnley to the six round of the FA Cup, Semi Finals in the Carling Cup and guided them to fifth place in the Championship there is not a lot he has done wrong.

Burnley have played 60 games this term, second only to Manchester United in the league and they have used only 23 players during the whole campaign suggesting that a small knitted squad can do wonders. Coyle has managed them well.

Martin Paterson has been in great form for the Clarets and his stunner against Reading just shows how good he actually is, his 13 league goals show that as well.

Robbie Blake has been in the form of his life, Coyle’s given time and movement to express himself and it’s worked. The players play in harmony with their manager and there style reflects Coyle’s attitude.

It is so difficult in deciding what team will win, but I think Burnley will scrape it, as they know how to win these big games and momentum is possibly with them after crushing Reading’s dreams.

(Champ Corner, Football Fancast, 2009)

Gunn Bangs any Norwich Hopes

2009-05-17T15:56:00.001+01:00

Norwich’s fall from grace maybe unpleasant for fans but I believe that the Canneries won’t be flying high in League One either with the permanent appointment of Bryan Gunn as manager.

Ian Butterworth and Ian Crook will try to help Gunn to master their return to the Championship but for a club of the stature of Norwich I feel this appointment is rather weak. They took over from Glenn Roeder in January 2009 and failed to save the club even though being in a fairly good position to do so.

And losing 4-2 to bottom of the table Charlton on the last day of the season gives no indication that this squad is even good enough for League One. This was a game they desperately had to win and they ultimately failed. It showed no heart or desire.

Now he has spoken of his intentions of using younger players and not relying on the loan system. It is clever thinking but those young players weren’t there last term, he must have some gems that he is going to introduce. But if he manages to pull it off he will be doing very well, he knows there is no a great deal of money to use, if any, so he will have all his hopes on these youngsters. He will need to demand full authority in that dressing room, which I don’t think he will have. A new man would demand instant respect, and the players that are left would need to prove something.

Many influential players are out of contract and will move on to pastures new; goalkeeper David Marshall and Lee Croft will be leaving so they will be difficult to replace. Youngsters will not be able to step into these huge shoes.

On Gunn’s side, he will know all about how Norwich operates; he was at Norwich when they ventured into Europe in the early 1990s and he remembers the good time but I think the board just decided to cut costs and make the cheap appointment instead of gambling on an experienced manager, one more equipped for the role.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Steve Coppell, You Will Be Missed

2009-05-17T15:08:00.004+01:00

Some things are simply too hard to bare, Steve Coppell has left Reading after six years, giving us the best stint of our history. It was on the back of bad form and bad results that what was hard to take. I always thought he would call his time with
Reading on a good note so he can ride off into the sunset and look back knowing he has done well.

Instead, he looks back now at a squad that will be obliterated; it will not be his legacy no more.

Premier League has been and gone and it is Championship football again for another season at least. Ten years ago, even five, I would have bitten Sir John’s hand off for a fourth place finish in the second tier, now to many fans that is not deemed good enough and what fair-weather fans they are. Remember the 6-0 home loss to Bristol Rovers – we could have still been there.

End of an era indeed and an era that, in the future, my grandchildren will get quickly bored of the stories about Stephen’s Hunt winner against Everton, James Harper scarpering through against Liverpool, Glen Little’s chip at Plymouth, I easily go on all day. Coppell was the messiah and the composer of all what was good about Reading, he deserves all the praise he gets, if not more.

What Bill Shankley was to Liverpool, Coppell was to Reading. What Bill Nicholson was to Spurs, Coppell was to Reading. What Sir Matt Busby was to Manchester United, Steve Coppell was to Reading.

Coppell will not be able to boost the trophies the three great men have but his impact was very similar.

He may have only added a Championship Title to our embarrassingly small trophy cabinet but that small token means so much. It speaks volumes. It put us on the map. It made Chelsea hate us. It made Oliver Holt hate us even more. We won plaudits, and more importantly, we proved Mark Lawrenson wrong (insult added to injury, we salute you Robin Friday).

There should be a statue erected outside the stadium, at least; it would give us some much needed football culture, it gave us a history. The Coppell Stadium may be a bit too much. Renaming a stand? Possibly but his work should never be underestimated or forgotten.

I will be forever Coppell and no new man will ever be able to fill his shoes in the slightest. He would be the man that made my dreams come true, made old friends see top flight football for the very first time. Whoever this new man will be, he will have an incredibly hard act to follow.

And good luck to him. Just don’t spoil what has been done.

Urzzzz

Bikey - What was you thinking?

2009-05-10T16:01:00.003+01:00

I wondered if you looked for the definition of the word ‘Twat’ in the dictionary it may come out with Andre Bikey.

Well that is what Bikey symbolises – a man who is a stupid, incompetent fool.

He gave away a needless penalty where he tugged an opponent’s shirt when the ball was not even close to him.

He then started to perform some strange S Club 7 dance routine after he was sent off for embarrassingly stamping on Robbie Blake.

He may have been throwing his shirt around ‘like he just don’t care’ but he was making a laughing stock out of himself and his club, Reading.

Bikey’s girly tantrum coincides with Chelsea’s Didier Drogba rant last week. There is no element of accepting a decision and moving on instead some player just cry about what has happened and refuse to be rational or gracious.

Steve Coppell found it hard to defend Bikey, so he didn’t. And good on him for doing that.

He said, “There is no space for that in football. He got it 100% what he deserves – I have no reservations about that.

“His reaction was just a hugely emotional one, given the five minutes he’d had. He was fouled first which frustrated him, but there is no excuse for is behaviour.

“We just don’t accept that at our club.”

Throwing his shirt to the ground after being dismissed was disrespectful and to the neutral, it probably appeared outrageously entertaining but for Reading fans it probably the confounding end to their promotion push.

The Cameroonian also refused to settle down when American Marcus Hahnemann came over to try to make peace. But his efforts just feel duly on death ears. He took an age to leave the pitch as his all round attitude and performance was a thorough let down.

Bikey has always been one to make headlines, he was sent off on a preseason tour whilst he was on trial at the Berkshire Club. And that was in a friendly in Sweden for a headbutt that Mike Tyson would have been proud off.

He moved from Lokomotiv Moscow, where he did not shy from controversy as he alleged racial abuse from fans of rival teams. This was his excuse for not settling.

Everyone would famously remember his sending off for Cameroon at last year’s African Cup of Nations. A bizarre incident to say the least, he pushed over a stretcher-bearer, with much force, who was helping his teammate Rigobert Song after he was injured.

It was as if that this was written for a comedy gaff DVD.

Bikey will be known for all the wrong reasons.

Saints have Fallen in Need

2009-04-26T17:24:00.005+01:00

There are some appeals grab you, realising how good and caring a community can be.

I went Press to St. Marys to see the last home game of the season for Southampton who were playing playoff-chasing Burnley.

The score in the end was 2-2 and it was a pulsating match, although disappointment reigned that the Saints have fallen into League 1, even without the 10 point deduction that the Football League have imposed on them.

Manager Mark Wotte spoke how this game was a ’16 pointer’ and the players should do all they can to ensure that Southampton do not start on minus 10 next season.

The sheer fact that Saints are now relegation is possibly the time they can rebuild from the League 1 upwards.

A sense and prevailing concept of community is popular in the South Coast as one particular Chip Shop owner is doing his bit. He’s donating a day’s worth of sales to help the financially stricken club comes to terms with their finances.

A particular heart warming moment of the day was when ex-manager Lawrie McMenamy came on to pitch to highlight Southampton’s worries and begging for help. His spoke about how fans and players alike need to stick together and he’s sure that they can get out of this - there is rumoured to be two potential takeover – but he was realistic as he knows if a buyer is not found there may be a possibility that Southampton won’t be kicking off at all next season.

This club is in some trouble but most, if not all, would be pleased that the devil, Rupert Lowe, has left, even though he has left a hellish mess behind.

A group of ex-players have put their oar in to try to raise funds as good old’
Lawrie presented those players before the start to show how many people are committed to the cause.

Mark Wotte spoke in the press conference after saying that ‘the league is punishing fans and it was the work of the people, who has left the club that destroyed the club.’

He continued in saying that ‘I would find it interesting to hear what is spoken about behind the scenes at Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich.’ As Wotte presumes, their owners had a substantial say in the clubs fall from grace.

Nevertheless, the club is relegated and they deserve to be on footballing grounds.
The 10 point deduction or not, they are 23rd in the league and the league don’t lie.

Southampton are a good club with a good following, despite the fans who foolishly ran on to the pitch after the final whistle went.

It’s a rather idiotic thing to do in the first place but the fact it’s for nothing they can celebrate is beyond me.

Wotte wanted to show his thanks to the fans that have served him well all season in the most difficult of circumstances. The players, well the ones who cared, would have showed their thanks with a lap of honour.

Especially when the players like David McGoldrick, Andrew Surman and Player of the season Kelvin Davies are all unlikely to be there next season. Who knows who will still be there?

The Saints excellent academy will serve them well next season and hopefully we will see a return in the near future.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Ipswich Keane on Next Season

2009-04-23T21:33:00.003+01:00

It can only be a good thing that Roy Keane is back in football.

Ipswich Town has made a shrewd appointment and Keane joins the new current management team that looks to carry Ipswich forward.

Jim Magliton didn’t do as well as anticipated and unfortunately paid the price, a playoff place was always in sight but never reachable and new Keane insists that promotion is a very realistic ambition.

He was appointed almost instantly, as the board knew whom they wanted in charge.

Club owner Marcus Evans plans matches Keane’s as they look to get back to the top flight.

Both have bold ambitions and fans must be hugely excited at the prospect of what next season may bring.

The owner has chosen Simon Clegg to transmit his vision and his vast experience with Team GB will help Ipswich to expand as a business.

Clegg’s appointment could be just as crucial as Keane’s, Evans must feel that Clegg is a man who has the experience with dealing with the media, big egos and has a long glowing list of sporting success.

The only problem is Clegg has never been much of a football man, while Keane lives and dies for the game.

Sir Clive Woodward’s appointment at Southampton wasn’t exactly a gleaming success.

The partnership between Keane and Clegg will determine how good Ipswich will fend next season. Keane must be under the understanding that he is solely in charge of football matters, and Clegg is there to deal with the business aspects.

Ipswich has football’s most colourful and controversial figure at the helm; it could be absolute carnage in Suffolk.

Evans, unlike Niall Quinn at Sunderland, is publicity shy and rarely speaks out against anything and for sure, Keane will have some highly controversial moments that would probably need explaining.

For all its boldness, it’s a rather risky appointment too.

Keane’s mood varies uncontrollably. Throughout his playing days, he had always been a winner, a trait that he has dragged into management and it was his primary downfall in the Premier League.

He struggled at Sunderland when they were at the wrong end of the Premier League. He wasn’t necessarily used to scrapping it out at the bottom, winning is what he knows.

He always seemed to be a sore loser.

A fine example of his winning mentality was how easily he took Sunderland from bottom to top of the Championship in a matter of months.

Keane poured his mentality and drive into the players and all of them wanted to play in the Premier League, he will be doing this again at Ipswich.

In the top flight, he spent big and was out of his comfort zone. Now he’s back to what he knows and will do well.

Now he has the rest of the season to access his squad and see what players have the heart and desire to push for promotion next term. He will bring players in the summer that will be winners.

Don’t be surprised if Suffolk will be celebrating promotion next May.

Journeyman Shoots off to US

2009-04-21T11:41:00.002+01:00

We have seen the back off the one journeyman that cost in transfer funds is an equivalent to a small fortune.

Ade Akinbiyi has waved good bye to English football to embark on the land of opportunities. And to be fair it was time to go.

He’s completed his transfer to Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo in a venture that will see him reap huge financial rewards in the winter of his career. I just hope Houston isn’t looking for a succession of spectacular goals.

The Londoner leaves Burnley, having only appeared in 15 games this season, in a good position with real ambitions for Promotion and they’ve done it all pretty much without him.

His only goal this season came in the Carling Cup against Chelsea and with his advancing age, he was surplus for requirements at Turf Moor.

Akinbiyi has played for a string of clubs and has always been highly thought off.

His debut in football was against German Giants Bayern Munich for Norwich City before being shipped out on loan to Hereford United and Brighton.

First came of his big money moves as he moved to Gillingham, where he had the most prolific spell of his career before moving on to Bristol City for £1.2 million.

Wolves paid 3.5 million pounds for his services before leaving a mere 10 months later to join Leicester City in £5.5 million pound move. He moved to Crystal Palace with high expectations to come and cost a cool £2.2 million.

Then it was on to Stoke City, then Sheffield United before settling down with Burnley. An astonishing 11 clubs and transfer fees totalling passed £16 million.

Akinbiyi has moved on to his US adventure and leaves the Championship. His name is fondly remembered, if it was how bad he was or that his name was mentioned just too many times in transfer deadline day.

But I will always remember Leicester fans labelling him ‘Ade Akinbadbuyi’ or the Sun coining him ‘The League’s Worst Striker’.

(Champ Corner, Football FanCast, 2009)

Hampshire Optimistic for Domestic Season

2009-04-12T19:18:00.003+01:00

The pre-season lunch was a compelling success as corporate staff were treated to drinks, fine cuisine and a question and answer session with Team Manager Giles White, bowler Billy Taylor and Director of Cricket Tim Tremlett.

White commented on various issues including the advice and guidance given to him by Duncan Fletcher in the recent preseason tour to South Africa. He said, “Fletcher’s appointment is fantastic, he adds a lot to the table. He has spoken about many things; one of them was the use of reverse swing and how to use it effectively.

“Duncan also spoke how Nic (Pothas) and I should interact with each other as he says that the relationship between the coach and captain is vital especially with Nic being our captain until (Dimi) Mascarenhas returns from international duty later on in the season. Fletcher will also be back in July to help us out for the last part of the season.”

Questioned whether his team have enough quality to be successful in all forms of the game, White replied, “We have a strong squad that can be successful in all formats. I want to win something this year and we are very capable of doing that in any of the formats. We have a slight advantage in the LVCC County Championship as Imran Tahir will be able to bowl as many overs as he possibly can rather than being restricted in the Pro40 and Twenty20 competitions.”

White also singled out Nottinghamshire and Durham as two counties that will really challenge Hampshire. He said, “Notts and Durham are two strong teams this year but I feel injuries and international call-ups will play a huge part this season’s outcome.”

But Hampshire will be in the thick of the action as White is adamant that his side can continue the good form that served them well at the end of last season. He said, “There is a buzz in the place and everyone is extremely excited for the season to begin. We have a good squad and we will do well, especially if we can continue our form from the second half of last season.”

Like White, Tim Tremlett was in optimistic mood for the upcoming season as he is convinced this will be a good one for Hampshire Cricket. He said, “We have a realistic chance of winning something this year. We have a few players back that were absent last year, John Crawley missed the last part of the season due to injury and he will be back to do well. The major downfall would be that Dimi (Mascarenhas) will be missing as he will on duty for England for the forthcoming Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.”

He is also happy with how the preseason has gone, “We have had good preparation for the season, we went unbeaten in South Africa, and we have won one and lost one against Glamorgan in the friendlies.”

Billy Taylor also reiterated what his coach had said, “We want to win something this year. The team is in good spirit and we are in a very good shape physically. We are all ultra competitive going into the new season.”

One Season Down and Non the Wiser

2009-04-12T19:14:00.005+01:00

Sometimes after watching a strenuous Kevin Costner film, you suddenly think to yourself - ‘What a waste of three hours!’

Well Queens Park Rangers must be thinking similar circles, as they must be thinking - ‘What a waste of a season!’

Looking back at the beginning of the season, QPR promised so much. As the season progressed they never kicked on, Premier League football in the next two seasons was the promise.

Now they are one season down and none the wiser.

Iain Dowie has been and gone, Paulo Sousa only lasted 26 games. Now Gareth Ainsworth will see out the season. Not quite preparations for next season’s onslaught as they head bosses had have hoped.

Continuity is always important and the mega rich owners have patience as thin as Kate Moss. They demand instant success.

Success needs to be a product worked on and the players added to the current QPR squad are good enough to push promotion but they need more time adjust and play with each other to make them a very competitive team.

They have every foundation and credentials to make it but now their next managerial appointment needs to know he has some time to turn outsiders for the playoffs into promotion contenders.

Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson is touted as the next man to accept the post but this may not be the best way to go.

No doubt, he is an upcoming manager that is destined for great things but working at Peterborough for another season or so will help him develop and become a better manager. The Posh’s run may be a flash in a pan but if he can have three somewhat successful seasons he would be in a better position to do well.

Paul Ince’s decline showed a man who was not ready in an environment that was unknown to him, especially with so little experience. Gareth Southgate, for example, knows Middlesbrough and that is why he has done well.

They may be better to go for someone who has a ‘been there and done it’ T-shirt. The chairman and co-owner Flavio Briatore has now had four managers and two caretakers in a year-and-a-half, hardly ideal preparations to mount a promotion charge.

QPR now have one season to fulfil their Premier League promise but it would take one special managerial appointment, a skill obviously lacking from the Formula 1 maestro.

(Champ Corner, Football Fancast, 2009)

Heavens not looking kindly on Saints

2009-04-02T22:51:00.002+01:00

One of the most loved clubs in the south is about to go bust and what a crime for football it will be if they do.

Southampton Football Club have been placed in administration to see whether the bankers can save their existence. The future looks rather bleak at present.

It happened when Southampton’s parent company was placed in administration that dragged the club down with them.

Trading in Southampton’s Leisure Holding plc’s shares was suspended on Wednesday after the company admitted they needed extra money to have a future, affecting its major asset the club.

The holding company had huge debts of £27.5 million to fight with, and that had a paralysing knock on effects.

However, with the parent company going to administration instead of the club, it may prevent the possibility of a 10-point deduction. So, the relegation dogfight is still on, hope is there.

One positive they can take from this is that Rupert Lowe has resigned after months of protesting from the fans. The manner of his resignation was not what the fans ideally expected though.

The Saints faithful were expecting major financial to an extent, this season has seen all the clubs assets and big earners loaned or sold. Players who would have secured the clubs safety were fished out, players like Stern John and Marek Saganowski who would have guaranteed goals. But it was not to be.

The club solely relied the youth set up and it promised some reasonable results despite the position the Saints find themselves in. The finance simply was not there but the team have done the fans proud.

I do hope they stay up and earn another season in the Championship.

Relegated and Watch it all over again!

2009-03-31T21:49:00.001+01:00

Imagine the scenario; your team is rooted solely to the bottom of the Championship with hells chance of escaping relegation. Would you part with a substantial amount of money for a DVD that highlighted that very season?

I’m probably thinking you wouldn’t.
Charlton Athletic are asking fans whether they would like a deluxe extended DVD packed of highlights of their worst season in many years.

I’m sure not many diehards will be screaming for a copy as they should be trying to put this season firmly behind them. Relegation DVD’s are not, surprisingly, the best sellers.

They didn’t release one last season, the first time since 1987, and many fans were left disappointed but Charlton had realistic hopes of playoffs and playing some good football. This season is quite the opposite.

The six wins this term may have to be the constant highlight through the DVD or the sacking of Alan Pardew that made many fans pleased. Perhaps the supposed buyout for this foreign consortium that never was. The first win under Phil Parkinson – it took a while.

It has been a poor season for the Addicks and their loyal fans, and they won’t be flooding to the clubs shop for a copy.

It’s a shame that a good club like Charlton has fallen like this, many good players have come and gone and they probably have to hope for a really good youth set up to sustain themselves.

No doubt in League One they would have a much more exciting DVD release at the end of next season.

Cort of Injury

2009-03-29T19:51:00.002+01:00

The man can’t get a break, well apart from a break in his body that is.

Carl Cort has been through it all. Can you believe he is actually 31 years old?
He currently plays, well sort off, for Norwich City after coming back from a brief spell playing in Spain.

Now he has been ruled out for the rest of the season after having an operation on his foot. And ‘being ruled out for the season’ is far too common phrase for Cort as his, once, promising career has never shot off in the manner it should have.

Sir Bobby Robson saw enough to splash £7 million pound on the man, a ruthless streak in the England U21’s did not evolve too much. His record of 8 goals in 12 games didn’t do enough to get the nod into the senior set up as his career nosedived from then.

It’s remarkable that a player that promised so much never materialised to his potential especially after all the money that was spent on him. Cort is a very tall striker that could hold the ball up and finish when called upon; Glenn Roeder noticed these traits and obviously thought he could have been some use for his struggling side.

Now Roeder has gone, and so has faith for Cort.

Norwich City’s league position don’t lie and a single goal from Cort has not really made the impact everyone was hoping. Norwich are struggling and signing a player of the calibre of Cort was certainly bold and interesting but it ultimately failed.

Cort is once again out of contract in the summer and he will be looking to improve his fitness and try to stay off the treatment table for at least a week.

But this may have been his last serious shot for Championship football as not many teams have the funds to finance an injury prone player that will only play an handful of games.

de la Cruz - Your not that far?

2009-03-24T17:45:00.001Z

The love affair with football is often one that can be unpredictable at times. Imagine being born out in a village in the middle of nowhere and having the ability to be a pretty decent footballer. What would be the chance that you will be scouted, or even be able to play in a proper game.
In an era where most footballers come from richly enhanced surroundings, Ulises de la Cruz is very different and it is welcomed that his love story with the game continues.
He does not go out spending his top-pound wages on fast cars and big house, but on rebuilding an entire community where he grew up.
He is back in English football after his release from Reading, playing for Birmingham City and is on a mission to raise funds for his personal charity Fundecruz.
He is a cult figure back in his native Ecuador where his charity helps the village he was grew up in. He has kindly donate around 15 per cent of each wage packet he received, for it to be sent home to fund several projects in one of the country’s poorest regions where many ramshackle homes are obvious.
But his primary quest is education. He has supplied the village school with books, a playground and a brand new roof. And each day the 100 primary children receive breakfast and lunch courtesy of de la Cruz.
He is building a sports centre to get more children to have the opportunities that he didn’t have, however disappointingly the footballers that come through the ranks are seen as assets by the governments, so their careers may not have the chance to flourish.
Now he is urging the Birmingham fans alike to help his cause.
At Reading, they agreed a day worth of collecting for the charity and a few thousand pounds was raised.
He may be known at an International player that has played in almost 100 games for his country but to the people of Ecuador, he is so much more than that.

Is Alexander that Marathon Man?

2009-03-22T22:47:00.001Z

Would you believe it if I tell that, the man that has played the most amount of games this season is a 37 year old Scotsman.
Burnley’s Graham Alexander has played no fewer than 51 games and has played in every single minute of those games. In this run, the right back has also played in an unprecedented three lots of extra time as well. This is equivalent to 4,680 minutes and countless amounts of injury time for the promotion chasers.
He has been coined the marathon man as he shows no signs of slowing down. As Manchester United are the next team on the list with 49 games, it shows how good Burnley have done this season. Nemanja Vidic has made the most appearances for the Red Devils this season and that is only 40 games(three as substitute), compared to Alexander’s 51.
To make Alexander’s record even more astonishing is that he has managed to squeeze in four games for his native Scotland as well. The marathon man indeed.
The former Scunthorpe United, Luton Town and Preston North End player is still loving every minute and has enjoyed cup ties against some of the country’s best. Ties against Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Brom have added to Burnley’s hectic schedule and the list of Alexander’s conquests.
If Burnley were to reach the playoff final there is a prospect of another 10 games before their season is possibly over making Alexander’s games pass the 60 mark.
Burnley have got a good chance to take their chance in the playoffs and if they were promoted, it would be the first time in the Premier League since relegation at the end of the 1975-76 campaign.
If Burnley’s manager Owen Coyle got anything to do by Alexander still could be playing professional football well into his 40s. and good luck to him.

To Refer or Not to Refer?

2009-03-20T11:30:00.002Z

To refer or not to refer? That is one question that is causing much debating in the Cricket circuit and on recent evidence there do not seem a point.

When you throw your mind back, umpires used to the best judges and the standard of umpiring has been diminishing since the inclusion of TV replays and this referral nonsense.

Before TV replays umpires had to make the difficult choice, their own eyes and initiative where there only point of protocol and on a whole, decisions were better assessed if though may have not been the correct one. Players respected the decision and there was not point in disputing the decision.

The decision was solely on them, they had to make the hard decision, as there was no other way. It was down to them, now with the influx of technology they don’t have to make that difficult decision. Technology should be embraced nevertheless but it needs a clear and defined system in place that works and that can be implemented in all forms of professional cricket.

The inclusion of TV replays has certainly helped to make more right decisions, even though it causes minor disruptions and delays. The third umpire is only there just to make sure that the decision was fully correct or if the umpire missed a close decision.

But this referral fiasco has hindered the flow of cricket and has caused more talking points than anything.

The referral system works particularly well in Tennis, as there is a key indication that the ball is either in or out, there is no two ways about it. Cricket has too many factors for it to be as clear as that.

On reflexion on the West Indies test it is something that the game really could do without. Fortunately for all cricket lovers, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is to assess the controversial new system in May but who knows what that will bring.

Big names in cricket including South African Captain Graeme Smith and Australia Captain Ricky Pointing have both declared their dismay for the system as both would like to see the idea of eradicating really bad decisions but the current system in place leaves a lot to be desired.

The current system of two challenges per innings are allowed as the TV official can use pictures and some of the available Hawkeye Technology.

There was a half-hearted attempt to use the referral system in the Friends Provident Trophy and it was frankly embarrassing. In the end, the captains agreed not to make referrals, and the umpires alike shook hands to protect their fraternity.

No doubt it will be back in county cricket sooner or later, and as much as the cricket purists wishes the system will not be going away.

International Test cricket is pinnacle of cricket and the exposure of the system should have not been highlighted in such an awkward way. It should have went through extensive tests in county cricket before it was inflicted on the main arena but the eagerness of the ICC to make cricket more fashionable prevented common sense as teething problems will always be apparent.

This evidently will be a vital part of the future in cricket but at the moment the future looks a little hazy.

McIlroy's some talent

2009-03-17T12:10:00.001Z

Teenage sensation Rory McIlroy has certainly taken a lot praise and plaudits in recent months and who could seemingly blame them.
The sheer fact that the Northern Ireland youngster is already ranked 16 in the world and recently won his first title at the Dubai Desert Classic symbolises the essence of the next big thing in golf.
Tiger Woods has even added himself to that list of plaudits as he claims the McIlroy “has all the components to be the best player in the world.”
This praise is no mean feat indeed, Woods tends to be anything par jealous. Its rather disappointment that when McIlroy heads towards his prime, Tiger will be looking at retirement. It would be an intriguing clash that would elude many golf addicts.
Expectation can be a cruel and tainted subject, so McIlroy will need time to become a better all round player. He hits the ball well and his putting is up there with the best and if he can work tirelessly on the other attributes he will soon become one of the world’s best.
Colin Montgomerie must be excited to have him at his disposal for the next round of Ryder Cup action.
The modest and determination of the youngster is evident as he even declined an offer that most golfers would jump at. When Tiger gives you a personal invite participate in his Target World Challenge, few would decline. McIlroy did. He wanted to work on his card and the European Open, in his eyes, was too crucial to miss.
The future looks bright for this young man.

Blades need to focus on Job in hand

2009-03-17T11:36:00.001Z

The debacle of the West Ham/ Sheffield United situation has been going on for far too long. After the Blades agreed a very generous settlement with the Hammers, former manager Neil Warnock has stuck his oar in again demanding compensation for himself.
Come on, the better team obviously stayed up, even though it was the illegal signature of Carlos Tevez to do so. But West Ham has been punished enough and surely, the Premier League should take more responsibility regarding the whole prolonged fiasco.
Warnock is currently considering legal advice to see any possible solutions and outcomes regarding West Ham and he says he is not alone.
His time would be better spent concentrating on Crystal Palace’s fortunes and as he still claims, “I should still be a Premier League Manager.” Palace currently sit 10 points off the playoffs and surely, he should have all focus on all that to become a Premier League once again. Simon Jordan must be pleased with these distractions.
Well in all honesty, Sheffield United would not have lasted much longer even if they had stayed up in the place of West Ham, as the tables do not lie.
Its more sour grapes as Sheffield United failed to beat Wigan Athletic and it is for that reason they were relegated. West Ham ended up finishing the season 15th in a tightly contested relegation battle. A win for United would have sent Wigan down and would they have sued, I would like to think they would have gone down with some dignity.
It is also known that players from the Sheffield United team are to pursue their own compensation claim, they didn’t play good enough and that is why they went down.
Tevez, on paper, gained six points for West Ham as his striker against Manchester United gaining two points, one for a draw and three for a win. He first the first in a 2-1 win over Blackburn which was a penalty gained another two points and a brace against Bolton in a 3-1. Bobby Zamora in fact earned more points that season.
Sheffield United sit in a healthy spot in the Championship, they are banging firmly on the door of the top three. Automatic promotion is still in sight and if they do go up I am certainly looking forward to a) Tevez playing at Sheffield United and b) the grudge match against West Ham.
Therefore, this fiasco is going to continue for a while yet.

No Bright spot in Norfolk

2009-03-15T21:15:00.001Z

While their bitter rivals Ipswich Town can boast that they have an ex-Barcelona player in their ranks in a surge for playoffs, Norwich can seemingly boast that there third win from four games have taken them out of the relegation zone.
The Old Farm pairing rivalry is intense and in recent years they have matched each other in most areas, both spent forgettable spells in the Premier League, well Ipswich’s quest in European Football was something unordinary, and have been many managers come and go.
Nowadays, both clubs have fallen quicker than Delia Smith’s popularity as they are stuck in melancholy of the Championship and it looks unlikely that there will be a return to the top flight in the near future.
Ipswich are vying better of the two at the moment as their latest win over promotion chasing Reading shows a lot of character as there is living proof that they have the foundations of a decent team. Many fans were calling for the head of manager Jim Magilton earlier in the season but he has resurrected the dying team and are back in a late dash for the playoffs.
Having the audacity to bring Samba star Giovanni Dos Santos was something remarkable and he can certainly add flair and creativity to the Town’s attack. He may need a few games to settle but he would clearly be player too good for the division.
If players like Jon Stead, Tommy Miller, and David Norris can adapt to Dos Santos’s quick feet they can be a force to be reckoned with but this move may have been a few months to late to make a real impression on the playoff mix up.
Two wins on the bounce against Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle have given the Canaries a huge boost heading into the pinnacle part of the season. They have moved up to the dizzy height of 20th as these wins have gave them a real chance of staying up.
Seeing that the armband was rebranded and given back to its rightful owner Gary Doherty was a smart step. And It came as no surprise that this reappointment coincides with Norwich’s recent good form after previous captain Mark Fotheringham was ruthlessly stripped of the title.
They have no ‘Dos Santos’ to speak off but they have their very own on loan gem to speak off - the arrival of Reading striker David Mooney. Since joining, he has looked a real threat up front, as two goals in as many games have rekindled Norwich’s fortunes.
Both will stay in this division as Ipswich will end up missing out of the playoff and Norwich will have enough to stay up. In all, nothing much to drink too in Norfolk or Suffolk.

The End for Trundle

2009-03-12T22:44:00.000Z

He had the essence to be the star footballer, he had the skill, the looks, even the luxury of a decent looking WAG but he has failed to live up to any of his promise. It was meant to be the move that defined him, make him the better player but striker Lee Trundle left the homely feel of Swansea City and he has not ventured on to much more.
He seemingly moved across the river to Bristol City for a bemusing £1 million pound and failed to find any form, as the goals dried up quickly. He initially joined in 2007 has only 7 goals to his name in the red of City and the fact he could not master the step up from League One remains disappointing to say the least for him and his huge following.
He was certainly flamboyant and a joy to watch when playing for Swansea, scoring 78 goals in 146 games in quite an amicable record as Swansea fans will remember him in high regard. Trundle was a player full of skill and style, so much so that he was a known regular on TV show Soccer AM broadcast his host of tricks and flicks, it was this confidence and cockiness that drove him on to be the player he wanted to be.
He was very much the big fish in a small pond in the lower leagues, and as soon as he took the step up, he was swallowed completely. The Championship is not for the light hearted, Trundle simply just got out done and a better class of defender took no nonsense as there was no time for his tricks. This is an omen for any lower league player out there; don’t follow greed and money as it may look like Trundle will have to take two steps back before he can enhance his career once again.
He went out on loan to Leeds United where he was pretty much mediocre and unless he gets a good pre-season under his belt he will fall without a trace. He’ll maybe stuck watching reruns of his Soccer AM exploits more fondly than he possibly anticipated.

Duo Return

2009-03-10T23:49:00.002Z

The return of favourites Glen Little and Dave Kitson may give Reading that last extra boost to clinch promotion in stunning fashion.
The pair have been ruthlessly pulled as Reading form has stumbled recently. Manager Steve Coppell never really want to get rid of the pair in the first place as they both ventured for extended Premier League adventures. Their return is not a massive surprise as leaving Reading doesn’t mean your career is necessarily going to prosper (Ask Nicky Shorey or Ibrahima Sonko about that), the return of the duo symbolises that it was at Reading they played their best football.
After he joined Potsmouth, Little found himself drifting in and out the team endlessly and even an impressive 45 minutes against Italian giants AC Milan couldn’t make him a regular under Paul Hart or Tony Adams.
He left Reading last summer after his contract ran out, even though the club offered him a new one he rejected the terms to join Pompey, obviously the lure of the FA Cup and European football was too difficult to turn down and rightly so. But as Portsmouth fight for pretty much nothing in every department, Little was eager to get some football and there would be no one better than joining the club he already knows and if he does well there maybe another Premier League for him.
Kitson on the other hand couldn’t score a goal to save his life at Stoke City as his 10 starts haven’t warranted too much. The ex-shelf packer was sensational at Reading where his scored a very respectable 54 goals in 104 games and manager Steve Coppell would hope he could repeat feat that for the rest of the season. Since the arrival of James Beattie, Kitson has been overlooked on many occasions and it feels like Tony Pulis has lost of faith in him.
These two can only be to Reading’s benefit, Little and Kitson can be those players to fire Reading to promotion again. These last ten games are the most difficult part to the rest of the season and Reading have got two quality signings. They were two of the vital members of their famous 2005 record-breaking season where Reading went up as champions and they have no reason why they can’t do it again this season.

Fire Burnley-ed out?

2009-03-08T22:20:00.003Z

Burnley may have played just a few games too many as their season could be dwindling in front of their very own devious eyes.
Being only seventh spot is not a massive concern but if the tenuous extra rounds of Carling Cup and FA Cup football weren’t played, Burnley may have cemented there place in the anxious play offs a lot sooner. Games against a string of the best clubs in the country would be pleasing on any eager fan’s eyes – Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Fulham have all played and been outwitted by The Clarets at some stage and that’s a true testament to manager Owen Coyle’s desire to the cause that they not only matched their opponents but beat them conveniently. Nevertheless, it would take noticeable bearing on Burnley’s rather small, depleted squad. The lack of players will mean that some will play up to or surpassing 60 games, and for any professional footballer that would be painstakingly difficult.
In hindsight, the success in the Carling Cup and FA Cup could be all in vain if the club were not to reach the play offs.
The most recent highlighted game against Arsenal finished in a 3-0 reserve to the Premier League side as Burnley were knocked out of the FA Cup and now it is smash, bang back to reality of the doldrums of Championship football. Just Championship football.
Burnley haven’t always been able to adjust to the football that is played in England’s second division after playing such prestigious teams. The stunning 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur (Even though it prevented them from a Carling Cup Final) was followed by an impressive FA Cup tie draw against fellow Premier League side West Brom before a crushing defeat lowly Watford in the bread and butter of the Championship.
As we enter the pinnacle moment of a lasting season, freshness is often the deciding factor between many tight encounters. Clubs around Burnley have much bigger squads to choose and that may be the difference.
Burnley have 10 games to make this season a cert to remember. Not every team have the luxury beating so many Premier League teams in one season but evidently it could be all for sweet FA.
Coyle and his staff have their work cut out to find a decent training regime to keep Burnley’s small squad fresh and be ready for the next vital games. The Play-off picture looks a firm possibility and we will have to wait in anticipation whether the player’s legs can hold the last few steps and extend their season to a few more games.

Ngog for All!

2009-03-04T14:46:00.001Z

Oh my Ngog? Liverpool may not be in a worse off position than they were last season after all.
If Fernando Torres was injured the Reds could always turn to Peter Crouch to play up front, now he leads the line at Portsmouth so they slashed big in the summer on a world-class striker. They brought in exuberant striker Robbie Keane to enhance their title credentials and we all know what happened next.
The premature departure of Robbie Keane back to Tottenham Hotspur in January was baffling to say the least and Liverpool were looking in worse state than their forth-placed finish last term.
David Ngog first Premier League goal maybe give the belief that Rafael Benitez is not a barmy as first expected and the sale of Keane may not have been as bad as first expected.
Before the Sunderland game he looked nothing more than a hopeless Ryan Babel, and Babel is quite hopeless. However, his starting berth gave the young striker a fantastic showcase to show his worth and he duly delivered.
He was majestic and played light years ahead of his own age to supply Liverpool with a real option up front.
He conjured up some superb flicks and brought many of the midfielders into play. Even Javier Mascherano looked an attacking threat from his unfavoured right back position, as he was able to make use of Ngog’s ability to create space to blast a few shots wide (Well you weren’t expecting much else).
Ngog’s side-footed goal lifted a great deal of expectation and anxiety off Liverpool’s batted shoulders and they were in fear of falling away from this title race without a trace. More importantly, it gave breathing room between them and party smashers Aston Villa to make sue they secure those desperate Champions League places.
Ngog has always been prolific in youth football and has taken the first steps of becoming a real star on Merseyside.
Keane’s departure may look less ridiculous now. Benitez might have known what he was doing all along? I still doubt that very much.

'Bent' Birmingham

2009-02-26T18:55:00.002Z

You would feel that if a manager had the striking talent of Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome, James McFadden and Marcus Bent to his disposal he would not be complaining about the lack of goals. Unfortunately, for Alex McLeish that is the case.
At recent, goals have come too far and few between as leading goal scorer Phillips is out injured. Phillips’ replacements have not be reproducing the heroics he supplies as all of them have had their fair share of criticism. McLeish have had Jerome, Bent and new signing Carlos Costly in constant rotation and it has not brought any desired response. Goals are still rare and it doesn’t look like it will get any better.
Birmingham have lost momentum in the deciding part of the season as they could be easily be over taken by Reading and Cardiff if they win all their games in hand as all of the Blues strikers have admitted that they have missed absolute sitters, especially in games of late. The defeat by 10 men Coventry was rather embarrassing regarding their promotions credentials. It may be a sign of sheer frustration kicking in.
The Blues have such a good squad and McLeish have been duly adding to that, Premiership quality is evident throughout the team and an immediate return to the Promised land must be likely if they can start scoring goals again.
Across the midfield, there is so much quality that could provide much to a fluttering attack. Seb Larsson is the best midfielder in the Championship and added to that are the likes of on-loan signing Lee Bowyer and Lee Carsley; they have a very talented team.
Everything is to play for in the last third of the season and if Birmingham are going to maintain that second spot – they have to be anything par ‘Bent’.

Birmingham's Second Hand Carr

2009-02-23T16:56:00.003Z

Birmingham City have plucked a real stunning capture as they have coax Stephen Carr out of retirement to sign an initial one month deal after being on trial.
The right back had been without a club since his release from Newcastle but will now look to resurrect his career in the Championship.
Carr made 44 appearances for the Republic of Ireland and is still at a relatively young age of 32 to make a real difference.
It is surprising that no club gambled on Carr as he has plenty to offer. A wealth of Premier League experience and a winning League Cup medal as well as playing alongside many big names surely he would have been an asset to any team.
Birmingham have added a determined right back to their ranks, one that can offer good defensive cover as well as attacking options.
He is known for his long-range efforts; most notably the screamer he scored passed Manchester United will come to the mind of many.
Carr went through the ranks at Tottenham before joining Newcastle for £2 million back in 2004 signing for then, boss Sir Bobby Robson.
Kevin Keegan decided against renewing his contract at the end of last season as injuries, like many other professionals, have been Carr’s downfall but if he can get match fit and playing regularly, he would be one of the better right backs in the Championships.
Birmingham have themselves a potential gem of a player.

No Pleasure at Blackpool Beaches

2009-02-22T14:51:00.002Z

Blackpool sit elegantly on the profoundly known ‘pleasure beach’, but down the road at Bloomfield Road the football team is anything but pleasurable. Inconsistency is a virtue and frankly, Blackpool have none.
A poor February has caused the Seasiders to freefall into a relegation scrap and they face the prospect of playing some very difficult teams soon.
Caretaker boss Tony Parkes can’t be happy with the current state of affairs as he tries to rebuild the team’s spirit and confidence in what will be a very difficult last third of the season.
The surprise departure of previous manager Simon Grayson to Leeds United caused results to be akin to the rollercoaster on the town’s pleasure beach.
The ups and downs of results include two wins, three draws and five defeats in their last ten games leaves a lot to the imagination. More worryingly for Blackpool, it has been three defeats in the last three games - the latter coming at home to Watford, who sits agonisingly below them.
This season results have varied from a comfortable and reinsuring 2-0 win over promotion chasing Birmingham City to a measly 1-0 defeat to Torquay United in the FA cup. Huge dips and dives.
Goals have been hard to come by as Ben Burgess have topped scored with six and the only other notable goal scorers have come in the form of Alan Gow and Gareth Taylor-Fletcher with five apiece. Hardly thrilling stuff.
The board don’t seem to be much bothered in recruiting a new manager as they have looked like they have gave Parkes the burden of keeping Blackpool in the Championship.
It must be essential to recruit a manager sooner rather than later as Parkes is hardly considered as a long-term fixture.
Obviously Blackpool are a team with limited funds and have a stadium capacity of only 9,650 (expansion and construction is pending) so it’s hardly appealing for many who are unemployed out there.
Big-time managers wouldn’t look favourably on accepting a job of this calibre, Mickey Adams and Glenn Roeder are currently unattached and would possibly be interested.
Simon Grayson did wonders and proved to be a very good young manager, perhaps Blackpool are looking for the next young spark to relight the ‘pleasure’ at Bloomfield Road.

Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man after Midnight

2009-02-12T21:10:00.001Z

On the night of the transfer window Arsene Wenger must have been all wrapped up from the snow listening to his beloved Abba records. Then suddenly he heard a song that changed his mind set, his train of thought as he realised he had to sign a player to get rid of those potential shadows that have been following him in Aston Villa shirts.
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Wenger signed Arshavin a long way past midnight in his quest for fourth spot and their objective for the rest of the season must be just to win enough games to get that ever-challenging Champions League position.
Wenger’s persistence must be running thin, when will he realise that signing the players of the calibre of Arshavin will not symbolise success or guarantee European football.
The Arsenal manager must be hoping this season finishing pretty quickly to get ready to prepare for next season, the break of the day.
It has been plainly obvious that this season debacle was caused by not replacing Mathieu Flamini. The Arshavin purchase only replaces the void left by Alexander Hleb. Wasn’t that void replaced when Arsenal signed Samir Nasri?
The Russian has an extraordinary wealth of talent and fits the mould of player that Wenger and Arsenal fans love. He’s mobile, skilful and very good technically but the underlying problem is that protection of the back four.
Claude Makelele was brought in to Chelsea to support the wealth of attacking presence at the clubs disposal and they subsequently won trophies. Javier Mascherano has given Liverpool that protection in front of that back four to give them a realistic title challenge. Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves, alike, were brought in at Manchester United. Even Aston Villa have the talented Gareth Barry protecting their defence.
Wenger should have looked for a more commanding midfield player as his previous teams were built around such individuals. The Gilberto Silva’s, the Patrick Vieira’s, the Emmanuel Petit’s were the cornerstone of Arsenal’s success and now they are left wanting.
Arshavin was brought in to please those newly found Arsenal fans that demand success every season. Once again, Arsenal are in transition and this signing would be a welcomed success in a season that will not bring any trophies.
Arshavin maybe that player to get fourth but that won’t keep the shadows at bay for next season. A no nonsense midfielder is a must.

Coppell looking for Number Three

2009-02-08T20:29:00.002Z

In a time that all current trigger-happy chairmen are stuck in a persistent routine of dismissing Managers at their peril, it remains a remarkable, even astonishing, that Steve Coppell remains the only man that has a realistic opportunity of achieving a hat trick of promotions to the Premier League.
Normally with relegation the manager, more often or not, receive their P45. It’s a testament for Reading to keep utter faith in Coppell; well the Royals would have been foolish to get rid of their most successful manager in history.
While with Crystal Palace, Coppell won promotion in 1997 steering the Eagles through the playoffs for his first promotion. He then masterminded the historic Reading record-breaking season in 2005 to give the club their first taste of top-flight football for his second. Now he has the opportunity to make history once again with his current Reading team for his third.
Obviously, being constantly in the top flight would be the much greater reward but having the audacity to rebuild and supply a team that can obtain promotion time after time is a talent in itself. Losing key players then having the knowledge to replace those players with better ones is not a task for the lighthearted.
At present, Coppell is in a select group of managers that have achieved two Premier League Promotions but unfortunately, some of these managers’ potential and reward have never materialised. Some of these men find it difficult to warrant a job and find it harder getting one, Reading kept faith in Coppell and that has paid dividends this term but for other clubs this has not been the case.
Bryan Robson won promotion twice with Middlesbrough in 94/95 and 97/98 where the directors kept much deserving faith in the ex-Manchester United Captain. Ironically, he wouldn’t have to win back promotion in 97/98 if Middlesbrough had not suffered that three-point deduction for cancelling a fixture at late notice but he suffered the fate of relegation.
But as Middlesbrough have kept their top flight status, Robson hasn’t. He could have achieved a third promotion with West Brom, but he wrecked their chances with bad buy’s and bad form, he soon left by ‘mutual consent’ after just eight games of which three he won. Robson’s ill-fate spell with Sheffield United did nothing to help his cause. He has been since chucked into managerial wilderness.
Kevin Keegan had the habit of taking big clubs back to the top and he duly delivered this with Newcastle United and Manchester City in 92/93 and 01/02 respectively as they both saw a return of top flight football. He could have easily made it a third if it was not for the public demand of the England job. He succeeded Glenn Hoddle back in 1999 and Fulham, whom he managed and built the foundations of, were promoted two seasons later under the guidance of Jean Tigana.
Peter Reid won promotion twice with his beloved Black Cats. Sunderland reached the top flight in 95/96 and 98/99 and Reid was so close to making it three in the 97/98 season for only Michael Gray’s saved penalty resulting in Charlton Athletic to win the penalty shootout to win promotion but Reid and Sunderland bounced back to win the division with a, then, record of 105 points. He was soon sacked and spells at Leeds United and Coventry City never promised much.
Alan Curbishley twice steered Charlton Athletic to the Premier League, one with that famous penalty shootout win against Reid’s Sunderland and one in 99/00. Curbishley will have to look for a Championship club if you were to make it three after leaving West Ham United as finding a job in the top division has been difficult. Surely, there are making takers in the Championship.
Gary Megson took West Brom back to the top league on more than one occasion; his first full season saw a defeat in the Semi-final stage of the playoffs to the hands off Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers but Megson bounced back and won promotion in 01/02.
After being relegated the following season, Megson and West Brom soon returned to the Premier League for the 04/05 season with the help of newly installed Jeremy Peace’s financial prudence. Megson is currently doing a good job at Bolton, after ill spell times at Nottingham Forest and Leicester City but doesn’t look like adding to his two promotions at any time soon.
Steve Bruce took Birmingham City up twice in 01/02 and 06/07. Birmingham beat his old club Norwich City on penalties in the playoff final to win promotion in 2002 and lasted until their relegation in 2006. Bruce soon took his team back up in sluggish fashion as they finished second place to Sunderland after Derby County’s defeat at Crystal Palace in 2007.
Paul Jewell remains the last body of this list. He famously won promotion with Bradford City back in 1999 before leading Wigan Athletic to the top flight for the ever first time in their history in 2005. His third attempt with Derby County did not go quite to plan as the team struggled immensely throughout this season, Jewell was eventually replaced by Nigel Clough to postpone his search of a ‘hat-trick’ of promotions.
This season Mick McCarthy (Wolves), Dave Jones (Cardiff) and Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), all look to join this select group of men that have achieved promotion twice.
Nevertheless, it leaves Steve Coppell to become the first manager who can claim a third promotion to the Promised Land. No mean feat indeed.

Accommodating Keane

2009-02-02T00:44:00.001Z

Robbie Keane exclusion from the Liverpool Squad seems bemusing for many fans and critics alike. Against Chelsea, his presence wasn’t necessarily needed and it seems that he would have taken up a valuable place on the bench.
Many fanatics, me included, thought Keane was brought in to support Fernando Torres up top but as time wore on, it became obviously recognisable that he could not fit into the Liverpool ‘offensive structure’.
Well Torres was always going to have that starting berth up-front ahead of Keane. Torres is practically irreplaceable. Keane was brought in not to replace him but to support him as one of the attacking three midfielders as he finds it difficult to lead the line. He doesn’t have the discipline or the tolerance to wait for the ball to come to him; he needs to be involved in play. He is endlessly dropping back deep to receive the ball, virtually becoming a part of the midfield. That is not necessarily a criticism, his youthful exuberance is a joy to watch but his style does not suit the lone role up-front where Torres excels.
If Steven Gerrard were to be injured, it would be expected that Keane would slot into his position as both players use similar areas to receive the ball and create space. Keane is not the player Gerrard is by any means but it seems that Keane was brought in as an overpriced spare man to play in the absence of his captain. In a 4-4-2, formation with Gerrard on the right side of midfield might ideally work for Keane but that is not getting the most out of Liverpool’s prodigal son.
Where else could Keane play?
The hard crafting Dirk Kuyt has made the right attacking midfield position his own though his sheer hard work. He is one of Rafa Benitez’s favourites and the stunning performances of newcomer Albert Riera certainly adds character to that left side, a position that was troublesome last year. Therefore, these positions are a no go.
Understandably, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun are ahead of Keane on the subs bench for the left and right midfield positions. Benitez is more likely to substitute Kuyt or Riera so that is why Babel and Benayoun would be on the bench ahead of Keane.
The highly talented David Ngog has been given the substitute striker position on the bench where the manager believes that the young Frenchman can play the lone striker role better than Keane. It doesn’t justify Liverpool paying £20.3 million in the first place.
Keane realistically cannot play to his full capacity out on the wings and it would be difficult, almost damn near impossible to surpass Gerrard in that central role. Yes, he did replace the captain at the game at Wigan but that is very much a rarity. Benitez probably thought Liverpool would win the game early and give Gerrard a much-needed rest.
Keane will play regularly if Gerrard is ruled out for injury or suspension but no fan nor football supporter alike would like that (well expect Manchester United fans). Keane was not dropped from the squad on bad form; Benitez simply didn’t include him as it made sense. Gerrard was needed for the whole game against Chelsea and Everton, simple as that.

Reputation Harmed-ison

2009-01-31T19:03:00.001Z

West Indies will forever be ecstasy for Steve Harmison, the Promised Land, it is the spiritual home for any fast bowler.
And it was five years ago, that Harmison was at his peak on the hardest and fastest pitches in the Caribbean, collecting 23 wickets in four tests at 14 runs apiece. In that series, there was the ruthless spell of 7-12 as the West Indies were all out for 47 at Sabina Park.
Frustratingly, he has never recaptured that form.
After that tour in 2004, Harmison had everything going for him – ranked number one fast bowler in the world - and he even had the ludicrous premature comparisons to West Indies legend Curtly Ambrose but it was all in blind faith.
Now he has been through the motion. Inconsistent to say the least, too often or not he has been found wandering, as he is the most frustrating English bowler to observe.
He could be on the grasp of greatest with one delivery and with the next one - he could be on the brink of suicide.
Many speak about how devastating Harmison can be; a fit and happy Harmison is one of the world’s best according to his teammates.
Well if that’s the case, he should be exploding with happy pills and covered head to toe in bubble wrap.
If Jamaica was the benchmark, he has fallen dramatically. Brisbane 2006 was his low point as the opening ball in the Ashes went straight to good mate Andrew Flintoff at second slip.
Other times have been a constraint of injuries, homesickness and Newcastle United. Three things that can’t be good for anyone.
A notable 2005 Ashes performance and figures of 6-19 and 5-67 in one test against Pakistan in 2006 was other glimpses of his potential that has failed to flourish.
His has credentials to bowl 90mph consistently and it’s bemusing why we have not seen that Harmison for a long time. His return to the test team last year was for what he could do rather than what he has been doing. Matthew Hoggard probably wishes the selectors were just as forgiving.
His inclusion in the One-day Internationals came about after good friend Kevin Pietersen asked to come out retirement but he has not done anything off worth. With Andrew Strauss at the realm, will he commandingly have a spot in the starting eleven?
It is anything part from a love story with Harmison.
Hopeful the up and coming tour of West Indies, where he performed wonders, will spark the Durham man back into life and reignite his desire for England’s main attack bowler to reclaim former glories.

Montyful

2009-01-31T16:41:00.004Z

Thankfully, Colin Montgomerie has been handed the captaincy to lead Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup.
A crushing defeat by the Americans in last year’s Ryder Cup was only inevitable in a competition that has been dominated by Europe. Montgomerie can head to Celtic Manor in a fantastic position to defeat the new breed of US talent with his own initiative.
Nick Faldo was appointed captain and he tried his best; he had an extremely difficult task to follow Iain Woosnam, Bernhard Langer and Sam Torrance in regaining the trophy, ultimately he failed. His long-term rivalry with Paul Azinger was his downfall as his persistence and his alter egoism prevented him overturning the Americans.
A new regime was needed, Faldo was a player always in the spotlight, and it was always about him. Monty, on the other hand, tries to live the quiet life and his appointment would refuel some much-needed optimism in European golf. He is loved by all golf fans and he will get them concentrating on the golf rather than the ordeals off the course. The star of the show will be golf.
Monty has already said that he will put a good back room staff in place to assist him. Faldo relied solely on Jose Maria Olazabal when Paul McGinley opted to compete for a place in the team rather than work under Faldo. It was a fatal mistake.
Olazabal would have been the 2010 captain if his health could have been trusted as Monty looked to the Ryder Cup being held in Scotland before being appointed, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were brought back to be a vice captain once again.
Darren Clarke would be another that could be installed as a vice captain, he would add more sentiment to the team. Sandy Lyle wouldn’t come in to work under Monty; he’s rather disappointed that he was overlooked this time around. It does seem that his time has passed to captain the team.
Europe needed Monty as his record speaks volumes on how much he loves the competition. His record of 20-9-7 where he has accumulated 23.5 points is fantastic; he sits only 1.5 points behind the all time record held by Faldo.
It was one legend replaced by another as Monty duly swept in and took the role with no complaints. His attention to detail and preparation is amongst the best in the golfing circle. Hence, Montgomerie’s demand for more captain picks to make the players he has at his disposal. He wants only the players there who want to be there and he will make sure they are playing their best golf.
Monty will be able to pick the team he wants, craft a group that will be united rather than the Valhalla fiasco, where the team didn’t reach the unity of 2006.
In Kentucky, there was no conviction that there was unity, Faldo choose individuals he wanted rather than emerging a team. Ian Poulter played brilliantly, way above expectations, but he relied on a captain pick when he pulled out of the Johnnie Walker Championship and the chance to earn an automatic place in the Ryder Cup team. Monty wouldn’t have this, commitment, loyalty, and teamwork will be the main theme of his reign.
Montgomerie is a theorist, sparking his ideas and philosophy into action and backing them up with stats and evidence. Every one of his golfers Monty would know inside and out, their strengths, weaknesses, and Monty would know what to expect. He would have a plan to defeat each one of those Americans in the opposite colours the next time around.
The Scotsman is a known fan of Torrance leadership in 2002, and when Torrance provided a memorable patriotic and inspiring speech before the 2002 event, he put Europe one up mentality before a ball being struck. Monty will want to do this and without doubt, he will revert to his fellow Scot at some time for some insight and inspiration.
Corey Pavin will be the US captain and will be eager to carry on Azinger good work. For one thing, the US team will be there asking questions about the temperament of Monty. Pavin can always revert to his solitary US Open win and remind Monty where was his Major win?

Is Bolton looking to the Future?

2009-01-26T23:00:00.001Z

Most teams are throwing away countless amounts of money on stopgaps to make sure on Premier League survival, Bolton Wanderers, on the other hand, are looking towards the future.
Their recent acquisition of talented youngster Mark Davies shows intent of moving the club forward in years to come whether that is in the Premier League or the Championship.
The highly rated midfielder moves from top topping Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee and is tipped for big things.
He broke into the Wolves first team at the tender age of 17 shows how determined Davies is and he would not be phrased by moving into the Premier League.
Recently he has been playing for League One side Leicester City in order to regain full match fitness and has been ever impressive, even scoring a few goals on the way.
Davies has been with his injuries; he suffered cartilage troubles that caused him to miss almost two years of professional football. Sometimes with these injuries at such a young age can put a huge element of doubt in a player’s mentality, Davies, at the moment, proves otherwise.
Gary Megson must have done his research and have full faith in his ability in carrying out important duties for his side.
Davies has already captained the England under 17 team and is a proud product of the ever improving Wolves youth academy. The man who brought him through at Wolves, Chris Evans, is now on the coaching staff at Bolton and must have mentioned his deep inner thoughts on Davies.
Bolton currently sit in 14th position and is only two points from the relegation places but is the youngster Davies be enough to secure survival?
It doesn’t seem a signing that will make noticeable impact; it won’t influence the team a great deal this season especially. Other players are needed if Bolton are looking to escape from a torrid relegation battle.

Bullard What a Bargain!

2009-01-23T23:13:00.002Z

What would be the most shocking revelation this transfer window bring?
Jermaine Defoe to Tottenham Hotspur, a mesmerizing return.
Kaka to Manchester City, the ridiculous over the top transfer. Unfortunately, it never happened.
Nigel de Jong to Manchester City, an expensive acquisition to say the least.
Craig Bellamy to Manchester City, the village bike of the Premier League.
Emile Heskey to Aston Villa, a romantic story for England’s main target man.
Mido to Wigan, Why?
But none have surprised like Jimmy Bullard heading for the KC Stadium.
He has left Fulham for Hull City; the logic has completely gone out of the window.
Fulham are flying (well for Fulham), playing in midfield with Danny Murphy has been good for Bullard’s game. The call-up to the England squad was no accident, he is a class player, and a team in the top ten must have wanted him.
Middlesbrough’s, Wigan’s and West Ham’s of this world are bidding for players like Ben Watson, while Bullard was available for a very modest £5 million. Compared to the transfers above this is a real bargain.
Arsenal need centre midfielders, would he not have fitted the bill. Eligible for Europe and a craft eye for the pass, he would have fitted in perfectly. A real engine in their team, bring back the passion and the hunger to fight for that top four spot.
Although being 30 years old shows he is not spring chicken, he still has the energy to dominate a midfield and perform heroics on the field. His career has had its gaps though persistent crucial injuries, he has never been able to flourish in the manner he could.
When he signed for Wigan, he played brilliant in securing promotions through all the divisions, never once looked out of his depth.
Hull City have got themselves a pin up, an icon and a fantastic addition to their squad. A four –and-a-half contract decided Bullard’s fate in the end. He will do wonders, where finances and transfer fees are spiralling out of control; it’s absurd that a player of Bullard’s ability was snapped up so modestly.

Lowe Point for Southampton

2009-01-23T22:21:00.004Z

Hurry, Hurry, everything must go. The players, the coaches, the board, the chefs, the stewards, the car park attendants, the grounds men, the sweepers, the kids, the balls, the kits, the training ground, the reverses, the specialist academy, must go.
Southampton Football Club are in dire straits and the recent resignation of Head Coach Jan Poortvleit has certainly helped their cause for playing League One football.
Stability is everything and continuity is pinnacle. The Dutchman’s departure came as no surprise in this trigger-happy age but that fact he walked is bemusing. It’s properly a matter of jumping before initially being pushed.
He took over from Nigel Pearson in the summer, and was introduced by idiotic chairman Rupert Lowe, as a new wave of continental coaching that would use the excellent academy that Southampton can boost, too fast track these youngsters to the first team.
To an extent Poortvliet did that, no big fancy or experienced loan players were brought in, he used the youth and still managed some notable performances. Two particular games against high flying Reading were the high points where the Royals were completely outplayed. However, the solitary win at home, a 2-0 win over Norwich City, is the only highlight at St Mary’s this season.
The club lie second from bottom and will have a difficult task on their hands. Financially, they make the British economy look secure, administration is a certainty and they are at the point of no return.
Any decent player will be sold instantly in an attempt to balance books, the likes of Andrew Surman, Adam Lullana and David McGoldrick will be flying out the door without a choice. Hurry, Hurry, everything must go.
Michael Wilde and Lowe will have their work cut out; they will feel the full brunt of Saints fans as the protest is proposed to be before the next home game against Swansea City. These fans have every right to be disgruntled and the incompetent running can only infuriate the club.
In a silly step, they have installed Poortlviet assistant Mark Wotte as the man to save them for the doldrums of League One.
Fair enough, cut costing measures are in place but they need a proper manager, with a proper know how to save them from this mess.

Taylor to the Rescue Once Again

2009-01-23T21:28:00.001Z

In another life, Graham Taylor may have been a yellow coloured Yo-yo constantly heading back towards the hand of Watford. His immediate return to Watford hasn’t come as a big surprise; he has flung back in aid of his beloved club.
The 64 year old has been appointed as a non-executive director on the club’s new-look board as Watford look to escape from the dangers of a relegation battle.
Taylor’s return will be one for the purist, a typically justified old head that will give the Hornets a wealth of footballing experience in taking the club forward.
He was brought in, not be involved with Brendan Rodgers but, for his depth of knowledge regarding Watford as a club that will support Chairman Andy Wilson to get to grips with the state that the last regime left the club in. Graham Simpson angered Honorary Life President Sir Elton John so much, so that he quit his post; Simpson incidentally left the club after he appointed Rodgers.
Taylor joins fellow veteran Frank Lampard Senior (Football Consultant) in attempting to restore structure and stability at Vicarage Road.
Graham Taylor is and always will be remembered fondly and has the upmost of respect at the club, fans idolised him and it is a return of a legend. He finds himself in a different capacity that what he is used too but he will let the new management get on with the job in hand.
Brendan Rodgers would not be intimidated by Taylor’s presence he will welcome his advice. No doubt, Taylor will voice his thoughts and worries and Rodgers will take that aboard, he is still a student of the game with much to learn. This will help Rodgers develop as a manager and a coach as well.
Watford find themselves in a very delicate situation, Championship football next season must be the priority. After a terrible start and the departure of Aidy Boothroyd, Watford started to look steady to say the least.
Boothroyd was not popular with the Watford faithful and they blame him for the current crop of players at Rodgers disposal. The new manager is always pursuing his own players and his own squad, this will take time as money resources are not currently available. Watford fans will support Rodgers and having Taylor back on hand will reaffirm their support.

Reading calling the Tabb

2009-01-19T20:45:00.001Z

The Irish contingent continues at Reading with Jay Tabb joining Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Stephen Hunt and Noel Hunt at the Madejski Stadium.
Tabb joins on an undisclosed fee from Coventry City and he will add more flair and balance to the flourishing Reading side. Coventry will miss the midfielder as their side are urgently losing much creativity; he was the Sky Blues player of the year last season.
Tabb had played for Steve Coppell before, giving him a chance at a youthful 17 years of age. However, he made more of an impression when Wally Downes was at the helm at Brentford becoming a huge cult figure a Griffin Park.
Being a modest 5’7” in height will not give him the powerhouse affect but he has the craft and cunning ability to find that through pass. He has already played at the Madejski this term and was on the end of 3-1 defeat.
He will find it difficult to break into the first team at Reading as the midfield is brimming with talent. Tabb will have to get through the competition of Hunt, James Harper, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Marek Matejovsky, Kalifa Ciise, Jem Karacan, Bobby Convey, and Jimmy Kebe. Being a versatile midfielder will obviously aid his cause. However, the signing of a midfielder where the competition is fierce signals a departure.
Coppell must have a big offer coming in for one of his players, Hunt has been linked with a host of clubs and Harper has been touted by Middlesbrough.
Despite the defeat at Swansea City, Reading look on course to an immediate return to the Premier League and adding a player of Tabb’s ability will only be an asset to the squad.

Kieren Westwood aiming High

2009-01-19T20:04:00.001Z

Keiren Westwood never gets the praise and the credit he deserves. He is, at present, the best goalkeeper playing in the Championship.
This is a league with some very good goalkeepers -Marcus Hahnemann, Kelvin Davis, Adriano Basso, to name a few but Westwood is sensational and is the next up and coming goalkeeper. He will be the next name on the list of transfer targets for Premier League teams that need a decent goalkeeper.
He has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad recently and on current form Ireland looks like they have found their replacement for Shay Given when he finally hangs up his gloves. A worthy replacement when the inevitable happens.
However, Weswood’s first inclusion caused much controversy with some Irish fans as many thought he was not a worthy choice. He even foolishly claimed, “I’m not Irish as such, but I’m a Catholic boy.” Lessons have been learnt.
For his club side, Westwood is proving to be a key player at Coventry City, after his £450,000 move in the summer from Carlisle, he has been pinnacle to their mid table ‘success’. For Carlisle he was he stand out player and was easily voted the League One’s Goalkeeper of the year with a string of brilliant performances to propel the northern club into the play off places.
He has great reflexes, very dominant in the air and is one of the most agile in the game. The Irishman will have to make the step up to continue his development, he will not become the best at Coventry City but fortunately, for the Sky Blues, he has plenty of time on his side. Being 23 years old seems a long way until a goalkeeper reaches his peak. If he progresses as quickly has he had done, he will be playing with the elite in no time.

Goodbye Glenn Roeder, and that could be it!

2009-01-14T18:28:00.000Z

A long time ago there was this skilful technique called the “Roeder Shuffle” that was ultimately a smart step over and was used to extricate from numerous tight spots. Well Glenn Roeder may have been its creator but he has not performed that perfection for a while now.
His sacking as the Norwich City Manager came as no surprise, these trigger happy chairmen and executives demand perfection instantly. Roeder couldn’t get out that tight spot.
He paid the ultimate price as he watched his depleted side being knocked out of the FA Cup by Charlton Athletic, and it was their first win in 20 games, quite a sad state of play.
In the league, they have not fended much better either, with only goal difference separating them from the relegation zone, as they have not won in five.
A massive lack of depth in the squad as well as quality key areas cost are the reason they are playing poorly. When Reading striker Leroy Lita came in on loan, the team looked a threat offensively but still remained vulnerable defensively.
Roeder didn’t find the right players in the summer and had to rely on the loan market, he has done a bad job, and he had to go. He lost a massive sledge of his popularity when he decided to release fans favourite Darren Huckerby and it went spiralling down from there.
The football he tried to produce was not pretty and he always spoke of the 5-2 win over Wolves, where Lita scored a hat trick, as a reason to look hopeful. Sorry but you simply can’t rest on your laurels. Even a 2-0 win over Ipswich in the ‘Old Farm’ derby could not restore respect.
Roeder did an average job at West Ham United and did a reasonably good job at Newcastle United before his initial move to Norwich. It’s just a shame his reputation has been tarnished and dragged through the mud as this failure may have just put him in managerial wilderness.

No Way Back for Charlton!

2009-01-12T19:03:00.002Z

Let’s face it, being five points adrift at the bottom of the Championship is not the most ideal position to start giving up hope especially with so much riding on it. Newly installed Charlton Athletic manager Phil Parkinson gives his somewhat subdued rally cry to his players and fans, “Once we get that first win we’ll go on to get several very quickly.”
I’ve heard more sense coming out of Gordon Brown. It’s quite the ordeal.
Charlton are rooted to the bottom, scoring 28 goals so far this season, as their defence has more holes than a colander shipping an awful 47 goals. It’s a cause without hope.
Parkinson has dug deep and somehow managed to conquer the loan signing of Reading’s captain Graeme Murty, in all honesty it was probably not for his defensive ability but more for his bottle and character; A leader, something that Charlton have desperately missed.
It’s a matter of too little too late.
There latest defeat to another relegation candidate Nottingham Forest left nothing to the imagination, Charlton are stuck in a rut.
They have passed the point of no return and as ex-Premier League clubs shown previously, Charlton should be preparing for a massive clear out and establish themselves once again, even if that is in League One.
Leicester City and Notts Forest are the inspiration to aspire to, but these are two massively supported clubs unlike Charlton. They really are going struggle whatever the outcome at the end of this season.
Leeds United have been struggling to get back. Swindon Town and Bradford City have gone through the whole cycle all the way down to League Two. Southampton are so far in debt their playing their under 14s and still are doing a lot better than the Addicks.
There is a genuine chance of Charlton going out of business (Takeover must be immediate), and a sensible plan should be put in place to guarantee the future of the club rather than rely on Championship football next season. There should be no gung-ho.
Let’s remember this team was a whisker of a play-off last term and were even candidates for European football a couple of years back.
This club have fallen quicker than the government’s popularity and fans must be worried. They must start saving their pennies, especially in the time of recession, to fund the luxurious trips to Carlisle, Brighton and Yeovil.

Hungry like a Wolf

2009-01-11T00:59:00.000Z

Wolverhampton Wanderers missed out on a play off place last season due to a pure lack of firepower, this season they are finding no such problem.
For much of last season goals were as rare as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane sharing pleasantries. As the 53 goals scored in 46 games was, in truth, excessively laughable. Last Christmas was not generous as Wolves only picked up 4 points from a possible 21 over the festive period, despite having a strong finish they fell agonisingly short, in fact a mere two goals was the difference between sixth and seventh spot.
The ‘goals for’ tally was the second worst in the top 16 of The Cola-Cola Championship, even the team known for its pedestrian sideways pass and punt up field - Bristol City - conjured up an extra goal. Rock Bottom Colchester United somehow scored 9 more goals as they were condemned to hell (League one, well Leeds United do reside there).
However, in January 2008, they made a shrewd signing of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and the clubs fortune swiftly changed. The undisclosed fee agreed was well and truly worth it.
The Ex- Manchester United youth player became pinnacle to the Wolves side, scoring 12 goals in 20 games becoming their top goal scorer. Ironically, he remained Plymouth Argyles top goal scorer for the season as well.
This season, McCarthy’s team have taken the Championship by storm, the end of last season form carried on into this one. Ebanks-Blake continued his prolific streak and been fundamental in his team’s success as they have scored 55 goals this term already with 19 games still left to play.
McCarthy kicked out the untainted waste in the summer – the mediocre strikers Freddy Eastwood and Jay Boothroyd, as they could not find water from a boat. The Yorkshire man replaced them with experienced Charlton Athletic forward Chris Iwelumo and Bournemouth’s youngster Sam Vokes to freshen up the attack.
With the new forwards, Wolves embarked on the clubs strongest start since 1949. Ebanks-Blake (16) and Iwelumo (13) have scored 29 goals between them already this season to fire Wolves to top spot.
McCarthy won’t be counting his chickens quite yet, there is still a massive job to do. Ebanks-Blake will need to be fit and on form to fire Wolves a return to the top flight.
As last season proves, goals come at quite a price but Ebanks-Blake looks quite the bargain.

Coppell 'Hunt' Strikers

2008-12-02T20:13:00.001Z

Steve Coppell may be that man who can find the needle in a haystack.

His craft eye in scouring the country and overseas is the sole reason why Reading have so many priced gems.

Premier League clubs may be walloping the door down with bag full’s of money to snatch these players away but Coppell remains that his modest and honest attitude have helped players develop and become some of the finest he has ever witnessed.
Some have gone and some have stayed but all in all Coppell must be considered a master in changing lower league strikers into fine, top rate players.

Coppell was the man responsible for Ian Wright’s spectacular career as he joined Crystal Palace after being touted from non-league Greenwich Borough. The Wright and Bright combination did Palace a world of good as they gained promotion almost 20 years ago.

Now Coppell is re-establishing the same torment with recent addition Noel Hunt and partnering him with Kevin Doyle.

Hunt’s brace against Coventry City is a welcomed reminder that Coppell has a thing for strikers and plucking them from lower divisions to produce them into world-beaters.

Even though Hunt originally was signed from Dundee United where he had a one in three strike rate, Coppell knew his potential when he started out for Shamrock Rovers and when he struggled at Dunfermline

He has now have eight goals in the Championship so far and have no signs of slowing down. He is sparking up a lethal partnership with fellow compatriot Doyle, they are the envy of any Manager in the division.

Under Coppell’s guidance, Hunt has begun his international career with the senior squad, coming on as a substitute against Poland back in November. He has followed in Kevin Doyle’s steps and Coppell is hoping that Hunt can contribute similar to what Doyle had done.

Doyle scored 19 goals in his first season of English football as Reading achieved promotion in stunning fashion. Coppell will be wanting similar benefits.

Dave Kitson came for a modest £150,000, even though Coppell did take massive advantage of Cambridge United’s worsening financial state. What a player he turned out to be. The club made a smooth £6 million pound profit in the meantime as he moved on to Stoke City.
Leroy Lita could be added to that list. Costing £1 million from Bristol City seems money well spent, even after his phone exploits.
David Mooney joined from Cork City as well and may the next rising talent. He was the top goal scorer in Ireland in 2007 and is the next one for Coppell to take credit.
Shane Long is another up and coming talent. He is now an established squad member of the Republic of Ireland squad and been having more impact than he had in previous seasons.
Now Reading have some strike force and if one is to leave, Coppell will have another gem to pick from.

Robins Left Flapping

2008-12-02T15:48:00.001Z

Some may say that lightning never strikes twice. Bristol City maybe finding that out.

After a successful season last year, where they were only denied a place in the Premier League by Hull in the playoff final, they find themselves struggling in the bottom half of the Championship.

Gary Johnson will certainly have his work cut out as he tries to inspire his team. Dean Windass’ only goal in a 1-0 win at Wembley last May knocked the stuffing out of The Robins as their momentum did not carry into this campaign.

Poor individual performances and a lack of unity seem to be pinnacle to their failure.

The Bristol City Manager came out after the recent poor form and told BBC Radio Bristol: “They are an honest bunch. Obviously, we’re all disappointed together. We are together in what we’re trying to do.

“Individuals have got to get their games right and then hopefully the team will get their game right.”

City’s failure to win since their 1-0 victory over Southampton has showed a lack of solidarity and togetherness as their latest 2-0 defeat to the hands of a high flying Preston side did not help matters.

The table may say that they are only a mere two wins away from the playoffs but in retrospect terms it is a much greater divide.

The performers last year have not lived up to their potential this term, as players of the quality of Adriano Basso, Bradley Orr, Lee Trundle and Michael McIndoe have hardly reproduced that glittering form that saw them well last season.

Even the additions of Nicky Maynard and Stern John from Crewe and Southampton respectively have not made the impact for what the club were hoping. Maynard being the clubs top goal scorer with four goals. That is not enough to compete at the top end of the table.

Being beaten in the playoff final has not always been a bad omen. In recent times, only Leeds United have dropped right out of the picture when losing to Watford 3-0 back in 2006. Preston, West Ham United and West Brom have made relatively decent pushes the following term with West Ham and West Brom both being promoted.

Reading FC: 1995 v Current Squad

2008-12-01T13:45:00.000Z

As Reading sit pondering in the play off places I threw my mind back to their classic 1995 play-off defeat to Bolton Wanderers and debate whether which is the better team that 1995 team or the current one.
Reading famously went two up with goals from Lee Nogan and Adie Williams, before Stuart Lovell missed a penalty. That allowed Bolton to score two to take the game into extra time. Bolton eventually ran out 4-3 winners with Jimmy Quinn scoring the third for Reading. That heartbreak is often hard to take, but it was a superb season. Reading finished second behind Middlesbrough and had to go into the playoffs as the Premier League was reduced to 20 clubs from 22. Any other season we would have been playing in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City are currently in the driving seat and with Reading’s inconsistency so far this season, a place in the playoff is on the cards. Of course, I would prefer to see us promoted automatically but a trip to Wembley. How could I turn that down?
I may have been the tender age of eight at the time of the 1995 final, but as an avid Reading fan I have passionately looked back and seen some of the play and been told many stories. The easiest thing I can do is compare every player in every position and debate whether who should take the starting line up spot. I will compare the 1995 play off final side to the current line up.
Shaka Hislop v Marcus Hahnemann
Shaka was one of the finest goalkeepers to wear the jersey for Reading and he led the mass player exodus following ‘that’ defeat to Bolton in 1995 where Newcastle United snapped him up for £1.575 million a British record for a goalkeeper at the time. He became a runner up twice in the top division with Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle.
He was a firm fan favourite and managed to earn the Royals Player of the Year award twice. Hislop was known for his speed and agility in claiming crosses and was a great shot stopper. Hislop’s 20 clean sheets in the 1994/95 season were valuable as Reading took the division by surprise.
Marcus, like Hislop, has always been a fan favourite. Handing his goalkeeper’s shirt to a member of the crowd after every match has given him a cult-like status where kids adore him and everyone else loves him. A fantastic shot stopper and brilliant dispatcher of the ball, he often creates attacks from his big kicks or long throws. Having played in over 280 games for the Royals and was the only one to play in the Premier League. He will be difficult to replace.
Andy Bernal v Liam Rosenior/ Graeme Murty
Bernal may not be remembered solely for his football, as he became a football agent and personal assistant for David Beckham.
His 187 appearances and two goals made him a regular at right back. He signed in 1994 from Ipswich Town. Bernal represented his native Australia 21 times before retiring at the age of 34.
Currently this season, Rosenior has been playing the role of right as Murty has been suffering from injury. Murty will forever be associated as our finest right back ever as he led the club to the Premier League for the first time in their history. Murty and Rosenior play in similar ways, as they both like to attack even though goals came too few and far between.
Dariusz Wdowczyk v Andre Bikey
Wdowczyk was originally the Polish national teams left back before reverting to one of three centre backs for Reading during the 1994/95 season. He was signed from Celtic after Reading supposedly offered him a derisory pay deal. He was able to deliver pinpoint passes and provided the front men with accurate cross balls.
Bikey on the hand is often reckless but with full concentration, he is one of the Championships finest. If he had ten seconds to do something, he will take nine of them and that is often nail biting watching on the terraces. Superb in the tackle and is an often a threat from set pieces.
Adie Williams v Ivar Ingimarsson
Two of the finest centre halves to ever grace Reading football club along with Martin Hicks, and both have been ever influential in the Royals success.
Williams played 398 games and was captain before Coppell ended his love affair with Reading. Since his first appearance in 1991-1992 season, he has played in every position from centre forward to emergency goalkeeper, wearing every shirt number 1-11 in the process. Dominate in the air and an elegant passer of the ball. He was pure genius.
Ingimarsson was Coppell’s first signing and played a crucial since. He formed good partnerships with Williams (in his third spell with the club) and with Ibrahima Sonko, to become the king pin of the side. He took over the captain role from Murty where he has been injured.
Simon Osborn v Chris Armstrong
Osborn is naturally a midfielder but played at left wing back in the final due to the injury of Dylan Kerr. Osborn moved to Premier League club Queens Park Rangers before going into the lower league wilderness but what a fine player he was for Reading.
Armstrong has recently joined the club to replace Nicky Shorey and so far he has not done a great deal wrong as he has slotted nicely in the keeping of the back four.
Jimmy Kebe v Michael Gilkes
A race to the death, these two pace men are probably the fastest two players you will ever see in the hoops. Gilkes played in over 400 games for Reading as his right wing exploits made him a huge fan favourite as he went from the old fourth division to the brink of the top-flight. He was also a part of the 1988 Milk Cup winners squad that defeated Top division side Luton Town 4-1 in the final.
Jimmy Kebe, despite having a poor season in the Premier League, is playing full of confidence and he has made that right wing spot his own after the departure of Glen Little.
Mick Gooding v James Harper
Gooding spent eight years at Reading and was the joint manager for the remainder of the 1994/95 season with Jimmy Quinn as McGhee left controversially for Leicester City. He was a sitting midfielder and linked play very well, bringing in every teammate into the game. He was able to inspire.
Harper covers every blade of grass and certainly makes his presences felt. He joined from Arsenal and was trusted to start in the Walsall play off final ahead of Darren Caskey, since then he was ever present in the teams of Alan Pardew and Steve Coppell.
Keith McPherson v Kalifa Ciise
McPherson also played one the three centre halves and his power and determination has singled him out amongst the rest. He was ever present in the side during the 1990s before his transfer to Brighton.
Ciise plays a defensive position for Reading and he is known to pop up with the occasion goal. Similar in stature with McPherson, and has an uncanny resemblance to the way they both go in for a tackle.
Scott Taylor v Stephen Hunt
Taylor was a flying midfielder and has many attributes that Hunt has. After the playoff defeat, he refused a new contract and swiftly joined Leicester City. He was a trainee at Reading before playing in over 200 games for the Royals and was instrumental in our promotion to the first division in 1994.
Hunt was signed from Brentford on a free in the 2004/05 season, where he was mainly used as a substitute for Bobby Convey in his first season but he soon made that spot his own with an unusual style of flair and hard work. He is loved by Reading and hated by everyone else. Touted by Premier League clubs throughout the summer, he is one of prized assets.
Lee Nogan v Noël Hunt
Nogan came in half way through the 1994/95 season and hit 10 goals in 20 games to make sure Reading secured second spot. He began his career at local rivals Oxford United before moving to Reading via Watford. He scored the first in the playoff defeat.
Noel, Stephen’s brother, have jumped straight into the starting line up and contributed massively to this seasons form. His goals have been constant, as he has sparked up a good partnership with Kevin Doyle. His move from Dundee United came about when Dave Kitson moved on to Premier League side Stoke City.
Stuart Lovell v Kevin Doyle
Lovell was unorthodox striker where he played most of the game trying to create rather than score. ‘Archie’ had a modest goal scoring record for Reading where he scored 58 goals in 227 appearances before moving north of the border to have a relatively successful career in Scotland. Lovell captained Livingstone to an impressive third place in the Scottish Premier League.
What a sensation Kevin has been since his move from Cork City. In his debut season, he scored 19 goals in 51 appearances as we secured promotion, this term it looks like he will be doing better than that. His pace and ability to be at the right place at the right time is one of his finer skills. He works hard for the team as he is often played out of position to accommodate the team.

After remembering the whole squads there were a few I left out. I simply named the 1995 Playoff Final team but added to that –
- Jimmy Quinn came on and scored whilst doing his job as joint manager but was in his autumn of his career.
- Dylan Kerr was out through injury
- Phil Parkinson was beginning to make end rows into the first team.
- Jeff Hopkins came on as a substitute.
- Adi Viveash played a few games that season.
Plus today’s squad I am missing –
- Marek Matejovsky is, par Robin Friday, the most natural gifted player we have had at the club.
- Brynjar Gunnarsson
- Leroy Lita
- Shane Long
- Bobby Convey
- Plus a few others.

My Best Team (Putting both squads together) is:
1: Hislop
2: Murty
3: Kerr
4: Gooding
5: Williams
6: McPherson
7: Gilkes
8: Matejovsky
9: Doyle
10: Lovell
11: Hunt
Subs
12: Ingimarsson
13 Hahnemann
14: Harper
15: Osborn
16: Quinn

Concerning Paines over 2010 World Cup

2008-11-27T12:01:00.001Z

Terry Paine has instigated his worries about the impact of the 2010 World Cup will have for his beloved South Africa in the years following the event.
Paine, the current Southampton all time appearance record holder, feels that the legacy from South Africa World Cup is “questionable.”
He is concerned that the grassroots will suffer and the county will abstract a mammoth debt.
He said, “I do have my worries about the 2010 World Cup. I fear that there would be escalating debts that the country would not be able to handle.
“I fear the legacy may not be as successful as they would have liked.”
Paine was an ambassador for the 2006 and 2010 bid and conceded that the failure to land the 2006 World Cup was “a blessing in disguise.”
The 69 year old said, “Germany winning the bid gave South Africa another four years to get ready. Fortunately, this allowed them to have extra time to upgrade and build better stadiums.
“The authorities and federation had adopted new measures, FIFA have been especially helpful in contributing to finances.
“South Africa even beat England to the 2006 bid because of hotel rooms. England has planned sport events running throughout the summer, so that could not guarantee enough rooms for visitors.
“The extra four years gave South Africa a less of margin for error; however it is questionable whether there will be a legacy left behind.”
The nine new conformed stadiums have helped the country to get more prodigious. Brand new stadiums are under construction at Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth and at Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane. Where Limpopo will be rebuilt, as will King Senzangakhona Stadium in Durban.
Five of the current football stadiums will undergo renovations for 2010 - Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the Royal Bafokeng stadium, and the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Kings Park and Green Point stadium in Cape Town will become completely new multi-sport facilities, Green Point complete with a retractable dome to protect fans and players from the Cape’s unpredictable winter weather.
These stadiums need to be ready and that is the main factor why South Africa will be debt ridden. The world demands the best and the best comes at a price. We will have to wait and see if that price will be justified.
Paine feels with a successful campaign in 2010, the World Cup will return to Africa in the near future.
He said, “There is no reason why the World Cup cannot return to Africa, South Africa will showcase the continent’s intent and perhaps in the none too distance future the event will return.
“It is vital that it runs smoothly. I cannot wait.”
The ex-England international believes a good performance is needed from the South African National Team at the World Cup but is worried about how the team may perform.
He said, “The quality of South African football is not at the highest because any half decent players venture abroad. Out of the national squad, only three play in the Premier League regularly.
“The national team’s target must surely be the second round knockout phase, if the country is going achieve any sense of credibility they need to perform well and make the people proud.”
With successful Rugby and Cricket teams, Paine still claims that football is the biggest sport in South Africa.
He said, “Rugby and Cricket are merely modest compared to the popularity of football. Football is by far the biggest and most participated sport in South Africa. Rugby and Cricket seems only important for the richer parts of the country, where football appeals to the masses.
“I just hope that FIFA do not deprive those local communities of a chance to watch World Cup matches. With the intake of visitors I can see the ticket prices will become unaffordable for the locals.”
Paine’s love affair with South Africa began early on his career. Much of the 1980s were spent in Johannesburg where he went on to coach Wits University Football Club, but he returned briefly in 1988 to work at Coventry City with his ex-Hereford United manager John Sillett.
He soon returned to South Africa and began work as a football presenter on digital satellite TV sports channel Supersport. He often appears alongside former Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey, and normally presents English Premier League and UFEA Champions League matches.

Watford appointed Rookie Brendan Rodgers as Manager

2008-11-25T11:20:00.005Z

Chelsea reserve team coach Brendan Rodgers has been named the new Watford manager.

Rodgers takes over following Aidy Boothroyd’s recent departure, as the Hornets are one spot above the relegation places in the Championship.

Caketaker boss Malky Mackay will stay on as a first team coach as his experience of the club will be vital to Rodgers to turn the clubs fortune around.

There is potential at the club as Mackay led the Hornets to a hugely impressive 3-0 win over promotion contenders Queens Park Rangers at the weekend. The ex-Watford captain looked firm favourite to take over the hot seat of a permanent basis before the appointment of Rodgers.

In an impressive step, the former West Ham United player and assistant manger Frank Lampard Snr has joined as a football consultant to help matters. His experience will be valuable for Rodgers to succeed, as this will be his first time managing at first team level.

Rodgers told Watford’s website: “Frank is someone I have known for a little while now – he has great experience.

“He is a football man, an honest man and a loyal man. When you are a young manager, those are the key qualities you want someone who is your mentor.”

Watford fans will remember Boothroyd taking over in similar circumstances and in a similar position. He, remarkably, led the club into the Premier League after defeating Leeds United 3-0 in the Play Off final back in 2006.

The Vicarage Road outfit may be hoping for parallel success.

Rodgers, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was a successful youth academy director at Reading before Chelsea swooped in. He took up an important role in the development of Chelsea’s youth before being promoted to reserve team coach.

Now, Rodgers has taken another step in his career. It is impressive that he has worked his way up the ladder and has now taken over a big Championship team, who is placed at the wrong end of the table.He will certainly have his work cut out.

Pardew has finally gone

2008-11-22T22:04:00.003Z

For a first time in a long while Alan Pardew will get to eat his Christmas Turkey stress free as he and Charlton Athletic have parted company by ‘mutual consent’.
Following Charlton’s 5-2 defeat by Sheffield United at the Valley, the Addicks had no other choice but to relief Pardew off his duties as they plunged into the relegation zone.
Phil Parkinson looks likely to be in temporary charge for the game against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday as more than 300 fans protested against Pardew’s position.
The ex-West Ham manager took over from Les Reed nearly two years ago but could not help Charlton from avoiding the drop that season.
Now in the Championship, Pardew has struggled to rekindle any of the form that saw them well last term. They narrowly finished in ninth place, on the brink of a play off place.
This current season they have lost 10 games already and it was no surprise that Pardew left and the club would be pleased to see the back of his high wages. The clubs finances have struggled to come to terms without the Premier League money as the position they find themselves in is concerning, relegation would pretty much destroy the infrastructures of the club and send them into further financial trouble.
The major fact to Pardew’s dismissal was the 31 goals leaked in just 18 games, the defence simply were not playing their part.
The 21 goal in return is also not good enough. The whole round team performances have been woeful.
Andy Gray have been the only notable player this term scoring six goals, as his closes rival have been midfielder Nick Bailey whose chipped in with three.
Luke Varney, who Pardew paid an astonishing £2 million for, has not made the impact he should have. The two goals he has scored from the 16 games he has played this season have been pitiful. He was signed from Crewe Alexandra where he was not the most prolific, so it seemed that Pardew spent most of his budget on a player that did not guarantee goals.
That was probably the beginning of his downfall. It got considerably worse after that.
The speculation regarding the foreign ownership of the Addicks was altogether distracting with regards to the clubs financial vulnerability. This did not allow Pardew to improve his much depleted squad.
Charlton received an indicative offer from a Dubai-based diversified investment company but that eventually fell through.
The club is heading into dire straits and Pardew had to go, he had lost the dressing room and new blood is required immediately to save them from going under.
It would seem that there is a ready made replacement out there to save them free falling further down the divisions, fans favourite Alan Curbishley.
A return might be unlikely but a manager that knows the club and can work within a shoe string budget is required.

Swansea star Bodde ruled out for season

2008-11-22T20:43:00.001Z

The Championship, and more importantly, Swansea City will be deprived one of the most creative midfielders in the division as Ferrie Bodde was stretchered off in the 3-2 defeat by Birmingham City and looks likely to be ruled out of the whole season.
Scans revealed that Bodde had suffered anterior cruciate knee ligament damage and torn cartilage in his left knee.
He was incidentally the second player from the club to be ruled out for the entire campaign with the similar injury as defender Marcos Painter suffered the same faint last month.
Swansea’s top goal scorer will sorely be missed as he is pinnacle in everything the Welsh club do.
Manager Roberto Martinez told the BBC: “Ferrie is a big player for us as he is important in the way we do certain things. The way we play, we rely on Ferrie’s distribution.”
Martinez may have no option but to dip into the loan market to try to find someone who is worthy of taking Bodde’s place. No doubt Swansea will have to adjust the way they play and he will be solely missed by his team mates and by the Swans faithful.
The Dutchman was touted for a move to a Premier League club last summer, some even believing his value was worth in the region of £4 million.
Recently, Bodde committed himself to the Liberty Stadium after seeing Derby County having three bids turned down, subsequently Bodde handed in a transfer request before retracting it to show his worth to the club who brought him for a mere £85,000 from ADO Den Haag.
He has had an impressive start so far this season and unfortunately he will not be able to finish what he had started.
Everyone would hope Bodde a speedy recovery as his skill and craft of finding that killer pass will be sorely missed.

Sousa new man at the helm

2008-11-20T12:28:00.001Z

So the funfair continues at Loftus Road as Queens Park Rangers have appointed Paula Sousa as their new first-team coach, taking over from caretaker Gareth Ainsworth.
Flavio Briatore placed player/coach Ainsworth at the helm following the surprise sacking of Iain Dowie. Briatore had a major say in team affairs under Ainsworth and that is why many big-named English managers chose to stay out of the running because of the involvement of the board.
Ainsworth was initial favourite to get the job before QPRs defeat to Burnley last Saturday leaving them a disappointing tenth in the league.
Sousa had a very successful club-playing career where he had spells with Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, Juventus, Inter Milan, Parma, and Borussia Dortmund. He won consecutive Champions League trophies in 1996 and 1997 with Juventus and Dortmund respectively.
The 38 year old was one of the most celebrated and highly regarded Portuguese footballers in the modern game. He was a classic defensive midfielder, hunting down every ball and possessing the ability to provide precision passes for the rest of his teammates to take the glory. He played 51 times for his country without scoring and QPR can hope he can take his organisation qualities and motivation skills into management.
He has very limited experience as a coach with only a small stint as assistant coach of the national side to his name; he will have his work cut out in the Championship.
Briatore decided to act and instantly installed Sousa to carry the club forward. He described Sousa appointment as “very good for this football club.”
Briatore he added: “He has great experience after working with the Portuguese national team and he is part of the new generation of coach.”
Sousa was the assistant coach for the Portuguese national side before accepting the role. He told the QPR’s website: “It is an honour to be part of this project.
“I have always wanted to work for a big club and I am very excited about the opportunity to work for Queens Park Rangers.
“I have great belief in my ideas and my coaching ability and I firmly believe I can achieve the objectives set by the management.
“I believe in playing positive, attacking football and am looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.”
Sousa first started to know Briatore from his time in Italy where they clawed up a close bond. Now Sousa takes over and have already drafted in Bolton Wanderers striker Heidar Helguson on loan to supply another attacking threat.
The QPR faithful will be excited at the thought of flair and attack minded philosophy that has been promised. They may be worried about Sousa’s lack of experience and knowledge of the English game but it is another new start for QPR. Those fans just hope they can see a manager to stay around long enough to imply their ideas upon the club and see some benefits.

Hewitt: Please Come Back

2008-11-20T01:36:00.001Z

I remember when I was a tad younger and a little more naive, I watched, what I thought at the time, a tennis legend being born.
The year was 2002 and I was 15 years old. I have not taken much interest in tennis before, so I began to play it at secondary school and became reasonably average. Our tennis club then went on an annual schedule trip to Wimbledon where I grazed my eyes upon Lleyton Hewitt and became an instant fan.
His aggression, his competitiveness, his willingness to battle for everything was truly remarkable and won me over. I did not even mention his highly skilled footwork. A fresh break from Tim Henman to say the least.
Hewitt is classed as a defensive baseline counterpuncher meaning he holds back and very rarely ventures forward. I saw all that, being a fan of the big hitters it was great seeing a man take on experienced men and succeed. He represented youth and was an Andy Murray of his time.
His ability to return serves is first class and he would always get involved in instant rallies, too much delight of the crowd. He provided much enjoyment, his passion always ran riot and playing havoc with umpires. It was known he was disliked in the pro circuit.
He won Wimbledon in 2002 as I eagerly watched it on the tele with my mum when he epically defeated David Nalbandian in the final. It was a tennis moment that has always stuck with me as Hewitt won easily, a flawless 6-1 6-3 6-2 victory.
Hewitt became the first man since Andre Agassi to win the grass court championship by playing as a baseliner. Traditional serve and volley players normally triumph, well that was the days before tennis became a monopoly with main competitors Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer conquering the last six finals.
He started to turn heads the year before in 2001 when Hewitt beat Pete Sampras in straight sets in the US Open. The new kid on the block.
That is why I took to him and began to follow his career.
Unfortunately, he never reached those height again. Only an appearance in the Australian Open in 2005 has been of note.
He has now dropped to a disappointing ranking of 70. Remember this was the man who became the youngster ever man to become the male No. 1 ranked in the world. His career has spiralled. The emergence of arguably the best two players to have ever graced the game may have had something to do with that.
His 70th position is not warranted though as his fall down the ranks have been solely down to the amount of injuries he has been suffering. A hip injury Hewitt acquired in March 2008 has been put down to his underlying injury problems. Despite his ongoing hip trouble, he was able to make moderate success this season, however after a disappointing Olympics campaign where he furthered damaged his hip he understandably chose to opt out the rest of the season.
Hewitt is a player down on his luck, I am hoping for an epic return of a man who feed my passion and enthusiasm for tennis. Still only 27 years old, he may make that comeback yet.

Will Button ever come good again?

2008-11-19T11:30:00.002Z

Will Jenson Button ever recapture his form? Evitable the answer I see is no.
I remember watching Button complete 96 laps on a testing day at Silverstone earlier this summer and he failed to impress me, I saw the Brit trying to push his Honda as hard as he could and achieved nothing. He completed the most laps of the field but he remained the second slowest.
This season he has not done anything of note, another wasted season. The Brit that promised so much has let down so many. If it were not for the emergence of fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton to take his thunder, the British public would have been left to ponder more disappointment.
Button’s 2008 car had to simply run its course, and then maybe the newly installed Team Principal Ross Brawn will be able to set a flamethrower to it, destroy any remains, and bury them deep into the ground. Concentration on next season must be the key.
Once again, Button saw out another season where he massively faded. His car was ‘complained’ as the reason but you have to start questioning his ability.
His solitary win at Hungary in August 2006 seems a distant memory. It took him 113 races to win just one and it will probably take another 113 for him to come even close again. This season he has not bettered his 15 podiums and that may always be the case.
Button’s 2008 teammate Rubens Barrichello has been achieving the better results, a third place finish at Silverstone was majestic, and it was with the same car. Again, Button remained disappointing.
Question marks are touted for his next contract extension for Honda Racing. His current deal expires at the end of next season. Will another disappointing campaign spark the end of his love affair with Honda?
Nigel Mansell came out to criticise Button especially as the pre-eminent British drive in F1 was taken by newbie Lewis Hamilton. Mansell claimed, “He (Button) had the opportunity and he didn’t take it-there won’t be any more.”
I believe that is the case also. His time in the sun is well and truly over. I am not even convinced that Honda will offer him a drive after next season. His high wages and failure to reach his potential has come under scrutiny.
When Button joined Williams Formula One team in 2000 at age 20, he wowed fans with electrifying driving and scored points all season. Unlike Hamilton, Button did not win a race in his season. However he the youngest man to ever score points in Formula One when he finished sixth at the Brazilian Grand Prix before Sebastian Vettel took that title off him with an eighth placed finished at the United States Grand Prix.
From then on Button spent several seasons in eclipse, before rising briefly to score a few podiums and a race victory. He has now disappeared once again. And who knows when he may rise again?

Sheffield United look to Ex-Premiership to Shine

2008-11-17T18:25:00.003Z

Premiership class in the Championship may be overrated. Many of the players that have made the transition, or ‘step down’ have struggled with keeping up with the pace and power of Championship football.
Whilst the massive players like James Beattie and Kevin Phillips have certainly flourished in the league as many others end up struggling.
Andy Cole was a prime example as he announced his retirement from Nottingham Forest. He found it difficult to adapt and Colin Calderwood simply choose not to select him.
No club has quite recaptured the form of the players just like Sheffield United. They have many ex-Premier League stars turning out for them each week and they have been performing well.
So far this season The Blades have not been doing so bad; sitting a healthy fifth position firmly in the promotion picture.
Kevin Blackwell assembled his squad with the tried and tested notion and it has pinnacle to his success.
The relegation in 2007 hit them hard, huge controversy surrounded the saga. Famously West Ham stayed up through a Carlos Tevez winner at Old Trafford. Last season was a year of transition and it is encouraging to see a good club like Sheffield United looking admirable again.
Last season they finished nineth but never looked the side that achieved promotion with Reading and Watford in 2006.
Ex-Premier League talent came pouring in and soon it became the norm at Bramall Lane, players with huge calibre and reaching the twilight of their careers were putting on the red and white strips. Blackwell made a shrewd move in bringing these players; it may be deemed that they may not be up to the task. However so far this season they have defied that believe.
The most prodigious one must be Beattie. He has been scoring goals for fun since his £4 million move in the summer of 2007. The expensive price tag was justified as he supplied 22 goals last term and 7 so far this term. He came with bags of Premier League and scoring known how. He scored plenty of goals for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, and Everton before deciding to take a step down to rediscover his touch.
Sun Jihai was a regular right back at Manchester City before joining the Blades, par his straight red card against Coventry City he has been performing well.
Gary Naysmith joined from Everton and is still good enough to be playing in a Premier League club. His £1 million pound transfer has been worthwhile has he has really tightened up the left side of defence.
Gary Speed has performed superbly at every club he has represented and it is no surprise that he has been doing the same. He currently holds the esteemed honour of ranking up more Premiership appearances than any other player. After joining in January 2008, Speed has been vital in United’s recent success.
Keith Gillespie was another Premier League startle who was touted for bug things, unfortunately he never really reached those expectations. Neil Warnock signed him in 2005 to add experience and flair to his midfield, but times have been difficult and he often is found fighting for a spot on the bench.
Ugo Ehiogu is another experience Premier League campaigner; he joined from Rangers also in January 2008. He certainly adds experience and much steel to the defence. Once costing £8 million, he has been the hairpin at the back and has formed a good partnership with Chris Morgan.
These players have dropped down to the league and have done a good job, Blackwell must have been trying to preserve these players and prolong their careers. So far, he has been able to do that. Well maybe leave out Lee Hendrie, who is on loan to Blackpool.
With more foreign influences invading the Premier League, the Championship may even the next call of protocol for the next breed of English talent.

Capello once again loses out

2008-11-16T22:57:00.002Z

I do find it ironic that with a mid season England friendly coming up, the so-called big guns of the squad have already pulled out. Liverpool’s captain Steven Gerrard leads the absentees, with Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney also missing out.
Rafael Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson are obviously playing the game. This just shows me the Capello have not overpowered the most dominating managers in the Premier League as of yet. I am sure that Martin O’Neil, Tony Adams, and Mark Hughes would want their most influential players at their club training this upcoming week. A call up to their players would mean more.
Not being a ‘powerhouse’ in the league is a hinder rather than a benefit as it does seem that the big managers do have their own ways.
Gerrard has occurred a mystery torn leg muscle injury that I am sure if was wearing Liverpool’s red he would be playing. I am certain he will be playing for the Reds next weekend.
Ferguson clearly left out Ferdinand and Rooney to protect them further injury and with the England game on Wednesday it was only convenient that they happened to miss the Stoke City game as well. They were not missed as Manchester United hit Stoke for five, but the Red Devils depth of talent was too much for the Potters.
The matter of it is only a ‘friendly’ does come in to the situation.
I am sure if it was a competitive international Fabio Capello would have more urge to force those players to join the squad, to the much annoyance of Ferguson and Benitez.
John Terry is also struggling but you see no signs of him pulling out. You would see Terry playing centre half if he had two broken legs, impaired vision, and severely bruised nipples. He would still perform better than the Arsenal joke of a defence at present.
The person who I feel much sorrow for is Manchester City’s Joe Hart. He was possibly in-line to make an appearance, unfortunately, the former England number one Paul Robinson has taken his place, and I bet Tottenham still wished they had him.
Emile Heskey will not be able to carry on his good run of form for the Three Lions as injury have robbed Capello of his main striker. Even with Rooney and Heskey missing, Capello have overlooked Michael Owen once again.
Owen has only been making cameo appearances for Newcastle United at present, so it is understandable that the lack of match practice and sharpness should be in question.
Chelsea’s Ashley and Joe Cole are going to miss out and Manchester United’s Wes Brown will also be missing.
However, this may be Capello’s chance to oversee his fringe and future players. Not really, a full strength squad to play one of best teams in the future then.
Uncapped Aston Villa’s pair Curtis Davies and Gabriel Agbonlahor may have the chance to shine, as does the surprise inclusion of Michael Mancienne.
The Chelsea youngster has been rewarded for his fine performances in the Under 21s. The defender is currently on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers and performing well.
Without the big players, England versus Germany loses significance. Although it was not Capello’s choice, next years friendlies against Slovakia and Slovenia have been touted so England can play morale boosting games rather than financially spinning ones.
I am sure that these problems of the release of players will still be of effect next year. Capello do need to make some ground and assess these players for himself, especially if it is a competitive fixture.
With new players involved in the squad, it will be interested but I am sure that Capello would prefer his strongest at his disposal.

Robson To The Future

2008-11-16T01:51:00.001Z

As Andy Murray grips the wide spread plaudits that follows him around the world, back home in Britain there is a somewhat unknown talent that could conquer the world.
Laura Robson at a tender age of 14 has won the Wimbledon Girls title this year to propel herself onto the international tennis scene, and since then she has rarely looked back. Embracing tennis with her youthful charms and charisma, this is one ‘Briton’ that the world cannot dislike.
As a fellow Briton, I cannot claim the country that she represents was the birth place of her talents. Robson lived in Australia for the first 18 months of her life before moving to Singapore until she was six.
Well the good old nature versus nurture debate could conclude that her natural talents initially came from her Australian parents. Robson simply became a British Citizen a mere four months before winning the Wimbledon’s girls titles.
It is always useful to see another member of the commonwealth helping their fellow nation out.
Many critics have labelled this as a poor excuse to grab extra earnings in the future. Being the Female British No.1 would be more financially rewarding as opposed to being a small fish in a large pond in comparison in the female Australian tennis circuit.
Before winning at Wimbledon, she has previously won four junior tennis titles as an Australian. Being a patriotic Englishman, I regard Andy Murray as British rather than Scottish (unless he loses) and I regard Robson as British as Only Fools and Horses, Fish and Chips, and the Queen. So before Australians jump on her back, let them remember she is British. Therefore, Britain fortunately have a massive prospect in impede the future of the female’s game.
Her asset is her serve and putting her opponent on the back foot straight from the off. Reaching speeds of 100mph is not rare. Throughout her Wimbledon win, she had served a total of 31 aces in just six matches, although her second serve did not match up as she did suffer 39 double faults in the same space of time. Her aggressive nature gets a sealed approval from the fans as she always aims for match winning strokes. A few times these shots not come off and she does concede quite a few unforced errors.
Being a bit unpredictable and unreliable is common with some so young and so new. It will take a few years for Robson to find herself. Expectations should remain minimal and anything she does achieve should be appreciated. We should not demand too much and not to crowd her with unwanted media attention and escalating amounts of pressure that the British public constantly demands.
Her first appearance of the Women tour inevitably ended in defeat in three sets to Iveta Benesova. It was the case of the number 549th in the world playing the 42nd ranked player in female tennis. A difficult match but Robson never looked out of her debt, which is very encouraging.
Excuse me for the cliché – but every journey begins with a single step. At least, Robson has now started her professional career.

Toro Rosso: Bourdais, Sato or Buemi?

2008-11-15T18:22:00.003Z

On the back of a good year, Toro Rosso has still yet to name their two drivers for next season.
The 2009 line up still remains inconclusive as team bosses ponders between three main rivals consisting of Red Bull tester Sebastien Buemi, former Super Aguri Takuma Sato, and the Italian team’s 2008 driver Sebastien Bourdais.
Competition will be soaring; it will be two from three. Sebastian Vettel will move to Red Bull Racing next season as his fantastic performance and win in Italy proves he is ready for the step up to take over from the retired David Coulthard
As Vettel joins Mark Webber, Buemi, Sato, and Bourdais will head to Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya to battle it out for his seat and the spare one. Toro Rosso will be keen to access the three drivers.
Japanese Sato would bring a vast range of audiences as well as extra supporters if he would join. He is hugely supported, especially with the Asian fans. He has had somewhat of a poor racing career at the top level as he has only provided one podium from 93 races.
His former employers include Jordan, BAR, and Super Aguri, he hopes to secure another chance at Toro Rosso.
At Jordan, he remained very ineffective and gained a name for himself as ‘crasher’. In 2003, he took over from Jacques Villeneuve at BAR for the last race and finished a very respectable sixth. He raced with BAR full time in 2004 and had the most successful season he has ever had.
At the United States of America Grand Prix, he finished third, only behind Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Sat was only the second Japanese person that achieved a podium finished following Aguri Suzuki at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix.
Throughout the remainder of the season, Sato points tally suffered, he did not finish many races. His Honda powered engine often gave up, the rumours started spiralling that it was his driving style and technique that caused the premature end to many races that season. Teammates Jenson Button’s car showed no similar problems, leading to talk questioning Sato’s ability.
He joined Super Arugi and an eighth place at the Spanish Grand Prix recorded his new employers the first ever world championship point. Later at Canada, he finished sixth, where Lewis Hamilton won his first ever grand prix. Super Aguri went bankrupt earlier this year leaving Sato without a drive.
Sato must remain one of the favourites to win a seat for Toro Russo. However, being 31 years of age team bosses may refer to younger and more untested driver to look if they can take the competition by storm.
Buemi, opposed to Sato, is only 20 years old and has been the current test driver.
He has done all of his graduating work through Formula BMW, Formula Three, the A1 Grand Prix and the GP2 Series and achieved limited success. He finished sixth in GP2 with two wins to name.
Buemi is certainly up and coming and fills Toro Rosso vision for the future as young, gifted and something to prove.
As for 2008 driver Bourdais, he underachieved massively compared to Vettel. Again, Bourdais is creeping up to 30 years of age and he has limited time to make impact.
He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car World Series, having won four successive championships from 2004-2007 before his promotion to Formula 1.
On his debut at the 2008 Australian Grand prix in Melbourne, he worked his way up from 17th to an impressive fourth before engine troubles caused Bourdais to retire three laps from the end. He later claimed seventh place after all the accidents involved in the race.
He showed that he struggles to deal with the pressure as a fifth place finish looked on the cards but a chaotic last lap bumped him down to seventh.
Bourdais is experienced on a wide range of motorsports, he regularly drives in his hometown race of Le Mans 24, and his best position was second in 2007.
I do expect Toro Russo to stick with Bourdais and go with Buemi as the drivers to participate in the 2009 season. Sato have had the chance to make an impact in the sport and his age is certainly against him. Toro Russo will want to finish races and acquire credibility; Sato’s driving technique may not be what the team bosses want.
Bourdais did relatively satisfactory on his debut season with only the talent of Vettel overshadowing him. Buemi was the favourite to get one of the seats and I expect that to be the case.
What do you think?

Bodde to reject chance for Premier League

2008-11-14T14:38:00.002Z

It is always good to see some morality in the championship. Swansea’s manager Roberto Martinez is convinced that his star midfielder Ferrie Bodde would reject a move to a Premier League club.

This is a bold statement, the lure of top flight has not been rejected by many.

Bodde’s agent has simply been putting the feeders out to clubs, claiming that his client and the agent have a gentlemen’s agreement regarding a possibly move if a Premier League club came in for him.

This just shows the Dutch midfielder have had a productive time this season as he is currently Swansea’s joint-top goal scorer with six goals, all being in the Championship.

His value has considerably increased. Swansea paid a mere £85,000 for Bodde back in 2007 and in the current climate his value has rocketed to somewhere in the region of £4 million.

Swansea have an agreement that half of the sell-on fee will go to his previous club ADO Den Haag. Therefore, they want to get as much as possible if he would to leave.

His general all round play has been effective as two of his goals has come from 30 plus yards out. He has been ever-present in producing defence-splitting passes, causing havoc against any time he has played. Producing a flurry of interest as clubs touted for his signature.

It seemed he was heading for the exit door in the summer as he handed in a transfer request after initial interest from Derby County.

A change of heart was evident as he rescinded it and agreed a new deal. It was then his agent Sjaron Vink claims the gentlemen’s agreement was reached with chairman Huw Jenkins.

Swansea currently sits in a healthy ninth position after being promoted last season and only a point of the play off places.

Hamilton? Chilton wants his title

2008-11-14T01:09:00.001Z

What is a young age in Formula 1? Lewis Hamilton became the youngest man to win a Drivers Championship this term but there may be a fellow Brit to challenge that title.
Max Chilton became the youngest driver to race in the British Formula 3 Championship in 2007 when he raced at Donnington Park on his 16th Birthday. This was the beginning of his valuable experience to try to pursue his route to the top.
Now only modestly 17 years old, he has added another years worth of experience. The 2007 season was his first racing a single seater and to be in racing in Formula 3 at his age is quite remarkable. Whilst competing for Arena Motorsport, Chilton showed great maturity, as he was able to finish most races, adding to his learning of the sport.
His pace and ability was quickly scouted and was swiftly signed up for the well-known Hitech Racing team, who initially won the 2007 Championship. The 2006 Karting Champions Cup runner-up fills the seat of Estonian Marko Asmer, who won F3 in 2007. He has been signed by the BMW Sauber F1 tem as test and reserve driver to continue his developing career.
He had a somewhat indifferent 2008 campaign but at his age, you can barely argue. Still adjusting to the handling of the car, he knows that his was just another learning curve season for him and he expect from himself to be challenging next year.
In the Touring Car Championship in 2006, he managed an impressive 14 podiums out of 20 races, with seven wins, two seconds, and five thirds. He was only denied the Drivers title by controversial circumstances, as he lost out by 3 points. Running parallels with Hamilton possibly.
He also achieved a memorable victory in the European Kart Race in Portugal, racing away from an experienced field to win comfortably. These series showed great indication that he was ready for the step up.
Chilton is still relatively unknown in the upper echelons of motorsport and despite his modest good looks and appealing name, he remains firmly determined to reach his evitable goal – to become a Formula 1 driver.
He is under no illusion that getting into one of those 22 seats will be difficult. Some who rose up the ranks with Hamilton in junior Karting ranks have not achieved such great success. Wesley Graves and Gary Paffett both were with the McLaren’s Young Driver Programme before Graves faded away through the lack of financial support and Paffett making a name for himself in the German sports car series DTM.
It is a harsh and tragic truth that the majority of drivers will end up disappointed. Formula 1 is the pinnacle point of motorsport and the competition for those seats will always be severely competitive. They are the finest drivers going head to head with the most technologically tuned four wheeled vehicles.
Chilton is certainly heading towards the right direction. Yet being able to legally consume alcohol, he may be light years ahead of his time. Scouts will be searching these feeder series for the next best thing and if Chilton continues his development he will be snapped up and follow the Hamilton’s example to success.
A successful 2009 series will lead him to GP2 before heading into the glitz and glamour that is known as Formula 1.
Watch out for this name.

Derby still not good enough?

2008-11-12T23:49:00.001Z

It seems like Paul Jewell has finally admitted that his squad at present is not good enough for an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Derby County manager is looking to dip his hands into the loan market to see if he can add some fresh blood to his somewhat depleted squad.
He told the local radio show, “I think we need two or three players to try and help the squad along. We’ve made good progress but we just look a bit jaded at the moment.” This came after Derby reached the Carling Cup quarter- finals after their 2-1 defeat over Leeds United.
Jewell tried to buy big in the summer and tried to offload the deadwood that helped relegate Derby last term. There abysmal cameo appearance was obviously down to a lack of talent and it is missing this year too.
Currently sitting thirteenth and only 4 points of the playoff picture does not seem bad going. However, the start of fellow relegated clubs Reading and Birmingham have shown another class as they occupy two of the top three positions in the Championship without spending the money Derby did.
Jewell has some quality within the squad but they are simply not playing well. Confidence is badly damaged and those fans who watch them week in week out must be frustrated. Derby had the best fans in the Premier League, and that was evident when they sold more season tickets this term than they did in when they were in the top flight.
The players brought in have the calibre to be in that top two rather than playing around in mid table. So far, they have all been rather disappointing.
Nathan Ellington (on loan from Watford) has been prolific before but this term his form has dried up.
Rob Hulse was also added to that attack from Sheffield United, has he has been known to score goals, especially in this division.
Defenders Jordan Stewart and Paul Connolly have provided more cover, they joined from Watford and Plymouth respectively.
Other players including: Austrailian Ruben Zadkovich, Paul Green from Doncaster Rovers, Kris Commons from Nottingham Forest, promising forward Steve Davies joined from Tranmere Rovers, , Martin Albrechtsen from West Brom, and youngster Liam Dickinson from Stockport County have been drafted in but have not been playing that well.
Starlets Przemyslaw Kazmierczak and Nacer Barazite have also joined on loan from FC Porto and Arsenal respectively but their impact have been limited.
The season is only 16 games old and there is a matter of 30 games yet to be decided. I hope that for Derby’s sake Jewell can get those ‘two or three’ players in to help gel the squad and getting them to play the football the fans deserve.

Hume-Morgan Legal Action

2008-11-12T10:43:00.002Z

Sheffield United’s Captain Chris Morgan may be in a bit of bother as he his reckless challenge on Iain Hume has left the striker with a fractured skull and internal bleeding.
Barnsley are consulting their lawyers and considering legal action.
Hume, 25, has just recently been moved out of a high dependency unit in hospital after undergoing a very serious operation.
Morgan was only initially booked for the challenge but replays show a clear indication that the Sheffield United defender forcefully used an elbow whilst challenging for a header with Hume. This caused an angry reaction from Barnsley’s manager Simon Davey as he deemed the incident as a straight red card.
Referee Andy D’Urso has been heavily criticised, Davey and assistant Ryan Kidd approached him at half time over Hume’s treatment by the Blades. D’Urso was a Premier League verified referee and this display adds to the poor refereeing currently been had in the Championship.
Stuart Atwell’s performances for the Reading-Watford and the Nottingham Forest- Derby County game were very much questionable.
In the Reading-Watford game, he gave a goal that clearly went a yard wide and gave a poor penalty decision at the end of the Nigel Clough Trophy game.
We can only hope the ex-Leicester City man can make a full speedy recovery to this horrid, unusual injury.
The Blades have sent their sympathy, they are known to be ‘saddened’ and ‘concerned’ regarding Hume being monitored in a high dependency unit. They are clearly disgruntled and the threat of legal action hovering over the club and Morgan is certainly worrying.
United sit in a healthy position of fourth position and if the League hands further punishment to Morgan they would use one of their stronger players. As for Barnsley, they will be missing a vital striker for a significant about of time as they look to race clear of the relegation zone.

Southampton Youth Forced to Jump Ship

2008-11-12T01:32:00.003Z

The QEII set sail for its last voyage on a brisk Southampton evening recently. The most prodigious cruise liner was leaving the docks and travelling the world, before settling down in Dubai to become a floating hotel. Southampton has seen the back of many famous iconic belongings before.
Southampton Football Club, unfortunately, has followed a similar stature.
Those who are born down in the South Coast built the QEII, like many other cruise liners. Generally, they are always sold to the highest bidder after going into retirement. Normally they go to the Far East where the money seems to grow on trees. The powerhouses and money always tend to get what they want.
Southampton Football Club follows in a similar blueprint again.
The relegation in 2005 contributed to the free fall of the fragile club. Promotion was necessary as money quickly dried up. The club has seen Harry Redknapp, George Burley, and Nigel Pearson come and leave, promotion has rarely been insight.
The wrong end of the table is more often or not is where you will see Southampton. Only an amazing survival mission last season, led by Pearson, confirmed their Championship status on the last day.
Now in the latter part of 2008, new coach Jan Poortvliet has only the youth team to, more or less, choose from, it is obvious that any potential gems would be snapped up as the Saints are in desperate need for funds.
Rupert Lowe is trying to sort the finances to make the club self-reliant. Attendances have been spiralling and the ticket prices cannot be reduced because it would not cover the expenditures. Lowe relied on a minimum of 18,000 turning up every game but that figure reads more like 14,000 currently. They are literally scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sending big earners like Stern John, Nathan Dyer, Marek Saganowski, and Grzegorz Rasiak out on loan to cut costs in an essential process.
Young players have to be the ones to rely on, Andrew Surman, Adam Lallana, Oliver Lancashire and David McGoldrick are vital to the team’s success. The fans irritably know that if any of these performers play well enough constantly they will be soon joining the bigger clubs.
Many homemade Saints players leave in a similar way to the QEII. Leaving to the highest bidder and forgetting the sheer foundations they began with. The glorified money from the Premier League and Dubai run hand in hand. The lure seems too much for some. They both seem to want everything and it is the teams like Southampton and their productive youth system that suffer.
Players like Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, and Wayne Bridge have been prime examples of overzealous fat cats digging their claws in the smaller teams.
Bale was casted off to Tottenham Hotspur when he was worth something. He is young, gifted and an uprising pinnacle star for the Welsh nation side, so it was no surprise he attracted the big clubs. He was worth more than the mere £5million they receive for him.
Walcott was keenly sold to Arsenal. His potential was huge and he rightly made a massive profit for his former employers. He sparked plenty of talk and publicity for the club as his worth of £12million remarkably helped fund the team.
Bridge was another left back that appealed to the masses of the Premier League; he left for Chelsea and their Russian Revolution for £7million, after establishing himself as a regular England squad player.
Chris Baird is another well-established international and another one that graduated through the Saints academy ranks before leaving and plying his trade in the Premier League.
Do you remember Alan Shearer scoring a hat trick on his full debut against Arsenal? Looking how his career has unfolded.
However, some gems do stay on board. The famous of which must be Matt Le Tissier. He graced the club with so much prestige and class that he never wanted to leave. The closest he came was when he was on the brink of joining Tottenham Hotspur before he chose his heart over money. Not many players can do that this day and age.
Francis Benali was Southampton through and through. He has spent his complete professional career at the Saints, now he is winding his career down with a few appearances for Eastleigh.
Jason Dodd was a permanent fixture at right back for 16 years; he learnt his trade through the Academy as well. He was good enough to move on and if he did, he could have had England credentials.
Dodd was another shining example of the fine academy Southampton has provided.
Well it seems blatantly obvious that Southampton’s strength is also its downfall. Producing high quality players year in and year out, but having to be under the severe pressure to sell them when they are undervalued and before they reached any sort of peak.

Bent? Darren's on Fire

2008-11-10T19:43:00.002Z

Has Harry Redknapp managed to unearth the Darren Bent we all saw score so frequently at Charlton Athletic?
Five goals in the last two games may have confirmed that.
His stunning hat trick against Dinamo Zagreb in the Uefa Cup was one of pure goal scoring pedigree. He was able to justify himself as a worthy £16.5 million pound man by scoring with three top-notch finishes. Plus, a useful brace against super rich Manchester City, condemning them to a 2-1 defeat, placed a reminder to those critics and pundits who was against him - that Darren Bent is back and firing on all cylinders.
His time at Tottenham Hotspur so far, has been somewhat subdued but under the famous ‘Arry he is lavishing playing decent football once again.
Before Bent was completely overshadowed by fellow strikers Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, and Jermaine Defoe and their moves to Manchester United, Liverpool, and Portsmouth respectively materialised to find him the only one left. Now Bent finds himself pinnacle in the set up and with that his confidence starting to soar.
He stood up and answered what was asked of him. He scored 11 goals so far this season, and from his pre-season exploits this should not come as much surprise.
With Tottenham as a team playing awful and having their worst start ever to a League season, Bent faded. Juande Ramos seemed to pay little faith in him, he often found himself on the bench looking wary.
Redknapp came ruthlessly in, changed the team fortunes, and played Bent up front with Luka Modric supporting. With that, the goals have been pouring in. The ex-Portsmouth manager must have the expertise in dealing with players like Bent. Whether it is putting an arm around his shoulder or a kicking him up the backside, Redknapp must be doing something right.
New Russian signing Roman Paulyuchenko have found himself playing sparingly as Bent has been given the starting berth and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Fabio Capello must be encouraged to see a gifted natural goal scorer finding his feet once again. Whilst Capello feeling his attacking options for England remain rather limited, Bent recent performances have certainly been eye catching and provided the England manager with something to think about.
His goal against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium showed his eye for goal, he pounced on a ball that Manuel Almunia had spilt and finished it superbly. He was on the ball like a flash and he reacted faster than any of the poor Arsenal defence did.
Bent has the ability to frighten any defender; his strength and pace is an asset to any team. Like many other striker’s his form resembles his confidence. When he has it, he looks unerring but without it, he looks like Humpty Dumpty.
Surely, the Redknapp factor cannot play that much of a difference; the then, manger of Charlton Alan Pardew managed to get Bent’s confidence roaring, even though his goals did not managed to keep the Addicks safe.
At Charlton, he did not have the quality players around him like; he does in a Spurs shirt. Players like David Bentley, Luka Modric, Aaron Lennon, and Gareth Bale all supplying him with great opportunities and genuine goal scoring threats.
Bent would be undoubtedly be grateful, as Tottenham’s revival looks very much in action and he will need to continue this scoring streak if he is too fire his team up the table.

One Game: One Event: One Nation: One Team

2008-11-09T23:30:00.002Z

Tory leader David Cameron has foolishly suggested that the football team to represent Britain at the 2012 London Olympics should be decided by a home nation’s tournament.
If Cameron knew anything about sport or patriotism he may understand why this is a bad idea?
I understand that the football governing bodies of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland would want to protect their independence but for the sake of a one-off event, they should look aside.
If worse, comes to worse the Olympic team should be unquestionably English. It is London 2012 and the thought of no English participant in the team frightens me.
People from Scotland are Scottish, from England they are English, etc but for the Olympics and as a government, we are united.
For an event that occurs every four years it should be deemed reasonable we merge to become one and have a team that is not only competitive but to be proud off for the whole of Great Britain. Britain has not had a team in the Olympics since 1960 and it is wrong that the game we gave to the world is not contested by our patriotic state.
Fifa should promise those nations independence and they should respect that they are individual nations in the football world and they should not be punished for wanting to protect their own football identity.
Sir Alex Ferguson has already been touted by Lord Sebastian Coe to manage the Olympics team and it would be good that a break in the normal Premiership season occurs to give Britain every chance to win a gold medal.
Olympic Football is not seen as the pinnacle notion of football as, rightly, the World Cup is seen as the biggest football event. Every footballer out there dreams about playing with or against the world’s best, which happens only at the World Cup. Unfortunately, in the Olympics massive amounts of talent is missing and professional clubs like Barcelona reluctantly allow their players to participate.
If Britain wants a squad full of a talent to compete at the Olympics, surely it is up to Fifa to allow this to happen. Football should be given the respect it deserves and the Olympics are the most respected competition in the world.
There should not be a ‘home nations’ scrap to find which country should play, there should a team that is the best available to the state of Great Britain.
It would not be a joke.
We can finally hear something more sincere about An Englishman, a Scotsman, and An Irishman in a pub. The punch line - Together supporting their united team in a chance to win a gold medal.

Formula 1 heads to New Golden Era

2008-11-09T22:33:00.002Z

Lewis Hamilton won this year’s Drivers Championship in fanatic fashion, passing Timo Glock when he was on the penultimate corner of the last lap to claim the title by a point. Sheer breath-taking stuff but the 2008 season had me excited for one main reason: the fact that Formula 1 is about to embark on a new golden era.
There are so many new decent drivers making a name, and the next ten years of the sport will be the most exciting yet.
The 2007 season showed the sheer competitiveness between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton battling it out for the championship before the squabbling allowed Kimi Raikkonen to take the glory and the Championship.
The 2008 season showed Felipe Massa and Hamilton having to battle it out on the last race at Brazil that provided a thrilling end.
Throughout the season, we had three new winners McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel, and BMW’s Robert Kubica at Hungary, Italy, and Canada respectively.
Alonso reminded everyone that he is not dead in the water as the former champion won at Singapore and Japan ousting the McLaren’s and Ferrari’s to take the chequered flag with a Renault.
He won back-to-back championships with Renault back in 2005 and 2006 before his ill fate season with McLaren and next year Renault will be more competitive as they look to close the gap.
The 27 year old has the determination and the talent to win another title yet.
Kubica had a fantastic start to the season before eventually fading in the final races. His win at Canada was partly down to luck, when Hamilton stupidly crashed into the back of Raikkonen, but that should not prevent any negative credibility.
His second placed finishes at Malaysia, Monaco and Japan and other podium finishes at Bahrain and Valencia showed much dedication and prominent signs of a future world champion.
Vettel joined the sport this year and had an astonishing season in a Toro Rosso where the team was not expected to do well. The win at Italy was a high point and a fourth spot finish in Brazil certainly showed his credentials as he made Hamilton undoubtedly sweat. He had fantastic pace and his ability should not be ignored.
His promotion to the Red Bull team to fill Davis Coulthard’s position has been granted and utterly deserved.
After the first four races where he suffered retirements in each one, he started to look like a competitor. Fifth place finishes in Monaco, Belgium, and Singapore were hugely creditable.
Kovalainen had a relatively poor season compared to the potential he promised after his successful debut season with Renault in 2007.
In 2008, his highlights were his win in Hungry and achieving pole at Silverstone by a mile. He only achieved two other podiums throughout the season with a second spot at Italy and Malaysia.
Next season, where he will play a massive second fiddle to Hamilton, Kovalainen will be under pressure to perform but he needs to, to make sure off his seat in the future.
Massa, 27, and Raikkonen, 29, may not be as young as the others may be, but both will have a huge say for a few years yet.
Jenson Button 28 has the promise of a decent car for next year, it may be competitive, and he could possibly add to his solitary win at Hungry in 2006.
The next ten years will be huge and there are hopes to emulate other keenly contest throughout the years.
Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio during the fifties were huge rivals.
The Jim Clark, Graham Hill, and John Surtees British dominance in the early sixties was fondly remembered as thy contested for the title the best of British.
Perhaps the most famous rivalries came from the Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, and Ayrton Senna era, and with Nigel Mansell supplying more strong rivalry in the latter part, it was the best level of competitiveness yet.
You even had seven-time champion Michael Schumacher trying to oust Damon Hill.
Not until now, you have so many talented drivers ready to battle it out for the championship.
We can only wait in anticipation.

Now We're Keane

2008-11-09T02:05:00.003Z

Welcome to Anfield -Robbie Keane.
He has begun on his road in pursuing to emulate the greats who have graced the prodigious Number Seven Red Shirt.
He is now an integral part of the current Liverpool squad and have the chance to make history for the team and himself.
The Kopites will always remember the legends that have occupied the number seven shirt, the likes of Ian Callaghan, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Peter Beardsley have always been fondly thought off and remembered and cherished.
Now it is up to Keane to cement his place among these prestigious men.
He resembles the ‘typical’ Number seven in many ways and has all the main attributes that Keegan and Dalglish both had. These ‘Number 7s’ have all had quick, intelligent feet and an unerring ability finish at considerable chance. Impeccable movement and the aptitude to change a game.
I am no way comparing the impact Keane is having too Keegan and Dalglish nor sparking any identical similarities.Keegan and Dalglish will always be the best players to have ever played for Liverpool but in recent times the Number 7 has not been up to scratch.
Harry Kewell? Vladmer Smicer? Nigel Clough? Steve McMahon? Steve McManaman? None of them have even came close.
Keane has the chance to turn these fortunes.
Fair enough, he has only scored two goals against a poor West Brom side but it was in the manner he did it in, everyone watching saw what it meant to him. These were his first goals at Anfield and ones that will stick in his mind for the rest of his career.
They were two classic goals as one was from a precise pass from Captain Steven Gerrard and the other one was rounding keeper Scott Carson before slotting home from a tight angle.
The only down point was that neither of these goals were in front of the famous Kop end. It will be only a matter of time before he does score in front of the faithful.
He has been instrumental in Liverpool’s early season form, creating many goals but now that he has found his own goal scoring touch, he may become the player we knew at Tottenham.
Jimmy Case once famously said that ‘you know when you’re a fanatic – you’d do anything and travel anywhere. I’d happily die for those(Liverpool) fans. I know exactly how they feel because they were me – I was them.’
Keane can relate to this. Liverpool are his club, the team he supports and the team he has always been destined to play for. An understanding should soon follow suit between him and the fans. They are known for their unconditional love for those who sport the Number seven shirt, so in retrospect he is already lucky in that sense.
Keane has joined his boyhood club after going through 11 years of plying his trade for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City, Inter Milan, Leeds United, and Tottenham Hotspur. And at 28 years old you can argue that he is currently in his prime and has to supply his best football straight away. Benitez must have wanted a striker with the know-how and Keane seemed to fit that very tight criteria.
Moving from Spurs will always be challenging, as it is a venture into the next level, the demands of Champions League football. A massive step up.
He was vital to Tottenham’s success and was the hairpin in the side but at Liverpool, he will have to prove himself again.
His charisma and enthusiasm will always be well liked and his personality and willingness for the cause is outstanding.
Keane may have thought that this chance would have never materialised and with Benitez spending almost £20 million on a striker that he feels that finishes off his Liverpool ‘title’ team, Keane must feel under pressure to perform.
Hopefully, for Keane these goals will start as a beacon, not only for him but the whole team.

Full Backs Needed

2008-11-07T19:54:00.002Z

It maybe the time that Rafael Benitez delivers.
Geroge Gillett and Tom Hicks may eagerly be ready to hand over a new contract extension just to get them in the good books with the Liverpool faithful.
Perhaps in a time of a credit crunch, the Americans may be reluctant to sell up, as they will not value for money. So they are going to bide their time. What a way to do that by giving the hugely popular Benitez a slap on a back and a new money-spinning contract.
Benitez has been given the funds to pursue his and the clubs title aspirations but when will that be. This season looks the most likely so far in his campaign as he has already gained victory in two six-pointer games against Manchester United and Chelsea.
The signing of Robbie Keane and Albert Riera has certainly made the squad much better. Keane especially maybe the missing jigsaw piece to the Benitez set up. Riera has been impressive, despite not showing any of this form when on loan to Manchester City, and has taken a firm grip of that left midfielder position.
The positions that do not convince me are the full backs. Benitez spent big on Italian left back Andrea Dossena and so far, he does not look convincing. Swiss Philipp Degan has joined but has not been selected. Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio are no better. Looking at the teams around Liverpool, it is a place where they struggle and relativity poor at.
The blank cheque at Chelsea was able to obtain Ashely Cole, Wayne Bridge, Juliano Belletti, Paula Ferreira and Jose Bosingwa as they top the league. They even have Michael Essien to fill in as he did in the Champions league final.
Champions Manchester United have captain Gary Neville, Patrice Evra, Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Rafael Da Silva to rely on.
Arsenal have Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Eboue, or even William Gallas to fill those full back position.
It is obvious that Liverpool certainly are lacking in these position and in the new age of modern football, the full backs are integral in fluent attacking side and this position should not be underestimated.
Roberto Carlos and Cafu showed how important attacking fullbacks could be. For Brazil, they were the fundamental part of any surge forward and the quick relief, or overlap, is any move down the wings.
John Arne Riise was a goal scoring left back but often played in midfield. Steve Finnan’s career slowly began to go of tracks as age is playing nuisance with him.
Jan Kromkamp was a quick export as was Josemi, both can and went within a year.
Aurelio has a good left foot (remember the volley against Bolton Wanderers) and has good passing ability but you will not see him terrorising the opposition.
Arbeloa is a great addition to any squad but remains similar to Aurelio as he do not scare the opposition.
New arrivals Dossena and Degan still have time to make an impact but current form they are not massive assets to the first team as a whole.
This may be the weak point in trying to regain top spot.
In the Benitez reign, Liverpool have acquired a famous Champions League win in his first season and a FA Cup in his second but it remains that Premiership that has eluded him.
That would be the hardest trophy to win for Benitez.
If Manchester United win the title this year, it would leave a disgustingly bitter taste in those supporters grubby mouths. Simply because they would have equalled Liverpool’s all time championship wins of 18.
Records are there to be broken and some records are there to be fought for.
This season is crucial.

Return of the Chop

2008-11-07T11:48:00.002Z

Cardiff City may have made the most sensational recapture of the championship for many years. Sunderland’s Michael Chopra is returning to the club where he made a household name for himself - on loan until at least January.
The 24 year old will be trying desperately to get within the goals again to prove to his current manager Roy Keane that he is a natural goal scorer. There has been premature rumours that the loan deal may end up being permanent one when the transfer window re-opens .
The Bluebird will graciously open their sympathetic arms for the return of Chopra who only spent a mere 13 months at Ninian Park. Whilst there he scored an excellent 22 goals from 42 appearances including a stunning hat-trick to defeat Leicester City 3-2.
Subsequently he moved to Sunderland for £5 million after the Mackems activated a release clause in his contract. After which he managed to score an opening day winner against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light last season.
Having been a former Newcastle starlet, the fans never warmed to him abd found his chances too few and far between. He did manage to score six goals to help contribute to Sunderland’s survival in the Premiership as he did play many of his games from midfield.
This term though, manager Roy Keane has shot Chopra down the pecking order as he focused on his strike force this summer with the captures of El-Hadji Diouf and Djibril Ciise.
He did score a memorable brace against northeast rivals Middlesbrough earlier this season to keep his name in the headlines but his chances were promptly limited.
The chance came about when Cardiff’s front pairing of Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd were both ruled out of action for a lengthy period due to hamstring injuries.
McCormack has been the star of the show this season as his 11 goals so far has helped Cardiff into the play-off places and with Bothroyd, they supplied a lethal partnership as 14 out of the 19 goals has been scored by the pair.
Manager Dave Jones moved shrewdly to prevent his team losing any momentum and with the upcoming game against rivals Queens Park Rangers they need to maintain their good form. And looking to cement their place firmly in the play-off picture.

Lose Flamini Lost thePremiership

2008-11-07T11:46:00.002Z

NIcklas Bendtner may be the only man out there who is confident that Arsenal can still win the Premiership this season.
The Big Dane may deluded as his goals has hardly set the club on fire nor any of his performances so far have crafted much credibility.
Even the most arrogant or optimistic of Arsenal fans may feel that opportunity has been and gone. As lowly Stoke City, Hull City and Fulham have condemned them to three rather largely disappointing (laughable) defeats.
It is again obvious that they are playing for fourth spot once again as it seems that the other ‘three’ have made strides to improve and it does seem Arsenal have halted.
The biggest problem that has destroyed Arsenal this term was the departure of Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan.
He was the hairpin of the side, he held the whole team together and without him, Arsenal looks vulnerable, and dare I say, average. They have became so easy to play against and again fourth spot may still be a worry. If Tottenham did not have such a pathetic start to the season, Arsenal may have been in a worse position.
Cesc Fabregas does not have the same impact he currently had last season and that is because he has to do masses of ‘donkey’ work - covering runners, following markers, and shielding the back four. This is not his best position, nor where he can be the most influential.
Flamini was arguably the best holding midfielder last term and Fabregas flourished under him. Now Fabregas finds himself ten yards further back and not scoring.
Denilson nor Vassiriki Diaby are the answer and it seemed Arsene Wenger sat on his laurels when trying the graft Flamini to sign a new contract.
Unfortunately, for Wenger he did not bide in and knew what he was worth. The club and the manager knew his contract was expiring and they acted far too late. Flamini must have felt his loyalty and decent performances deserved a new lucrative long-term contract.
In hindsight, I guess Wenger regrets his inability to move quickly as it quite obviously apparent that Arsenal are easy to play against.
Flamini was that shield in front of the defence and again without him the current crop of defenders seem to be struggling.
The Frenchman was Arsenals muscle and the key to start fine attacking moves. We all know Arsenal can play the best football in the world but they struggle when they do not have the ball.
There are no tacklers at the club and with club captain William Gallas failing to sort out defensive woes, Flamini would have been an ideal inclusion this term. He won a tackle and gave it simple, he knew he was not the most technically gifted but winning the ball back was his forte.
And that was his influence, not since Patrick Vieira or a younger Gilberto Silva that Arsenal had that.
Now that is the big hole in the Arsenal team, Wenger must reverse that problem in January to make sure they are at least challenging for that fourth spot.