Jermain Defoe has suffered a suspected broken foot and could be out for at least six weeks and even the rest of the season.
The blow casts Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign into fresh turmoil. The £15 million striker will miss the Barclays Premier League match away to Bolton Wanderers today and the North London derby with Arsenal next Sunday, as well as the Carling Cup final against Manchester United on March 1.
He will also be ruled out of consideration for England’s World Cup qualifying matches at home to Slovakia on Saturday, March 28 and Ukraine on Wednesday, April 1.
Defoe has been back at Tottenham for only five matches and the metatarsal injury could result in the club launching a fresh bid for Robbie Keane.
Defoe, who rejoined Spurs from Portsmouth three weeks ago, had scored three goals since returning to White Hart Lane to help to lead the club out of the relegation zone. But they sit only three points above the bottom three and Harry Redknapp, the manager, is certain to put pressure on the board to provide funds for a replacement.
Redknapp remained hopeful that tests last night would reveal that Defoe’s injury was not severe. If the manager’s worst fears are realised, though, Tottenham will be left with only Roman Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell as available fit strikers, with Darren Bent’s future in limbo.
Defoe is understood to have suffered the fracture in training on Thursday morning and was not involved in yesterday’s session.
The injury completes a topsy-turvy time for the player, who was welcomed back to White Hart Lane only this month as a homecoming hero. It also comes at a bad time for him with Fabio Capello, the England manager, due to name his first international squad of the season next week for the friendly against Spain in Seville a week on Wednesday.
Keane, out of favour at Liverpool, is high on Redknapp’s list of possible replacements after falling out with Rafael Benítez, but Spurs have only until 5pm on Monday, when the transfer window closes, to find a new forward. While Redknapp has been working hard to bring players in this month, one who could be departing is Giovani dos Santos. Portsmouth were in talks about a £7 million bid for the Mexico midfield player who joined Spurs from Barcelona for £4.7 million only last summer.
source:the times
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I'm tempted to stay at AC Milan, says David Beckham
David Beckham has admitted for the first time that he is considering leaving LA Galaxy to make his move to AC Milan permanent.
The England midfielder's loan deal at the Serie A club ends in March when he is due to return to California, but his impressive performances have prompted Milan to look at the possibility of keeping him.
Beckham scored his first goal for Milan in their 4-1 victory away to Bologna on Sunday which prompted Leandro Cantamessa, the club lawyer, to add his support to the mounting campaign to keep the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player at the San Siro and the growing support has obviously turned Beckham's head. "To play here is the dream of any player," Beckham said. "But deciding is not easy, it´s a situation that requires time.
"I am under contract [with LA Galaxy] and I have a lot of respect for them. But the possibility to play at Milan is something special. I knew I would have fun but I didn't expect to have so much fun. In any case, I am a very respectful person.
"The truth is that the Americans are doing everything to improve the level and reputation of their football. The league in the USA is young. I think ten years have to go by to achieve results."
Beckham knew the level of competition in America would be poorer than that in Europe but he does not regret making the move. "I have to admit that, having played in Europe, at times it has been frustrating to take part in certain games [in the MLS]," he said. "But once in a while, going from state to state, I have also had fun."
The 33-year-old, whose wife Victoria and three children have stayed in the United States during his loan perios, first joined Milan to improve his chances of playing for England again, but his stay in Italy has also made him feel nostalgia for past glories. "I feel Milan is very similar to Manchester United," he said. "It has that kind of tradition that only great clubs have.
"Milan, just like at United, you breathe a particular atmosphere, whether it's in the training ground or the stadium. And then Milan has that trophy room - this makes you feel special.
"The first day in Milan's changing room I was very nervous, like the first day in school. But the first true emotion, I felt it when I arrived in December to Milan's training ground, when I put on the Milan jersey. My wife was sitting in front of me and when I put the jersey on and it had the Milan logo, I was in ecstasy."
Fabio Capello, the England coach, will be at tonight's game against Genoa to monitor Beckham's fitness ahead of next month's friendly with Spain.
source:the london times
The England midfielder's loan deal at the Serie A club ends in March when he is due to return to California, but his impressive performances have prompted Milan to look at the possibility of keeping him.
Beckham scored his first goal for Milan in their 4-1 victory away to Bologna on Sunday which prompted Leandro Cantamessa, the club lawyer, to add his support to the mounting campaign to keep the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player at the San Siro and the growing support has obviously turned Beckham's head. "To play here is the dream of any player," Beckham said. "But deciding is not easy, it´s a situation that requires time.
"I am under contract [with LA Galaxy] and I have a lot of respect for them. But the possibility to play at Milan is something special. I knew I would have fun but I didn't expect to have so much fun. In any case, I am a very respectful person.
"The truth is that the Americans are doing everything to improve the level and reputation of their football. The league in the USA is young. I think ten years have to go by to achieve results."
Beckham knew the level of competition in America would be poorer than that in Europe but he does not regret making the move. "I have to admit that, having played in Europe, at times it has been frustrating to take part in certain games [in the MLS]," he said. "But once in a while, going from state to state, I have also had fun."
The 33-year-old, whose wife Victoria and three children have stayed in the United States during his loan perios, first joined Milan to improve his chances of playing for England again, but his stay in Italy has also made him feel nostalgia for past glories. "I feel Milan is very similar to Manchester United," he said. "It has that kind of tradition that only great clubs have.
"Milan, just like at United, you breathe a particular atmosphere, whether it's in the training ground or the stadium. And then Milan has that trophy room - this makes you feel special.
"The first day in Milan's changing room I was very nervous, like the first day in school. But the first true emotion, I felt it when I arrived in December to Milan's training ground, when I put on the Milan jersey. My wife was sitting in front of me and when I put the jersey on and it had the Milan logo, I was in ecstasy."
Fabio Capello, the England coach, will be at tonight's game against Genoa to monitor Beckham's fitness ahead of next month's friendly with Spain.
source:the london times
Colin Montgomerie named as Europe's Ryder Cup captain
Colin Montgomerie has been appointed captain of the European team for the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.
The Scot, so often an inspiration on the course at previous Ryder Cups, will switch to a leadership role after fending off competition from the likes of Jose Maria Olazabal and Sandy Lyle for the job.
"This is one of the proudest moments I can think of," Montgomerie said. "I am very proud and honoured to be selected by the committee to be the 2010 Ryder Cup captain. It's not just an honour but a huge responsibility as well. t is important we do everything we can to claim back the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010."
Montgomerie, who confirmed Olazabal would help him out in Wales, admitted it was support from European players which convinced him to go for the job. Until this month there seemed no prospect of him making himself available for the post, however he admitted players, including Thomas Bjorn, the tournament committee chairman, had influenced his thinking. "I've been listening and taking heed of what they've been saying," Montgomerie said. "It just seems the time is right for me to take the helm here and be captain."
Montgomerie ruled out any prospect of being a playing captain next year. "All the points I earn as a player for the Ryder Cup will be nullified," he said. "I will not in any way, shape or form come close to qualifying for the team. I am captain and very proud and honoured.
"I don't believe I cannot compete in 2012. That is now my aim. But we're concentrating today on 2010 and that's where we are."
Today's news, which was announced in Dubai, may mean 45-year-old Montgomerie has played in his last Ryder Cup.
The five-time Ryder Cup winner only emerged as a frontrunner two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi after previously indicating he wanted to return to the team next year to win a ninth cap and wait until Gleneagles in 2014 to take up the captaincy.
Lyle and former skipper Ian Woosnam had also been touted as potential leaders of the European team, however they appeared to drop out of contention earlier this month, leaving the European Tour's tournament committee with what appeared to be a choice between Montgomerie and Olazabal.
Bernard Gallacher and Sam Torrance had both backed Montgomerie, five times a major championship runner-up but never a winner, to take charge for next year's match in Wales.
Montgomerie has won 23.5 points in Ryder Cup player, just 1.5 points behind the record held by Nick Faldo who was last year's captain when Europe were resoundingly beaten by the United States at Valhalla.
In December, Corey Pavin was appointed as captain of the United States for the 2010 match, succeeding Paul Azinger.
source: the london times
The Scot, so often an inspiration on the course at previous Ryder Cups, will switch to a leadership role after fending off competition from the likes of Jose Maria Olazabal and Sandy Lyle for the job.
"This is one of the proudest moments I can think of," Montgomerie said. "I am very proud and honoured to be selected by the committee to be the 2010 Ryder Cup captain. It's not just an honour but a huge responsibility as well. t is important we do everything we can to claim back the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010."
Montgomerie, who confirmed Olazabal would help him out in Wales, admitted it was support from European players which convinced him to go for the job. Until this month there seemed no prospect of him making himself available for the post, however he admitted players, including Thomas Bjorn, the tournament committee chairman, had influenced his thinking. "I've been listening and taking heed of what they've been saying," Montgomerie said. "It just seems the time is right for me to take the helm here and be captain."
Montgomerie ruled out any prospect of being a playing captain next year. "All the points I earn as a player for the Ryder Cup will be nullified," he said. "I will not in any way, shape or form come close to qualifying for the team. I am captain and very proud and honoured.
"I don't believe I cannot compete in 2012. That is now my aim. But we're concentrating today on 2010 and that's where we are."
Today's news, which was announced in Dubai, may mean 45-year-old Montgomerie has played in his last Ryder Cup.
The five-time Ryder Cup winner only emerged as a frontrunner two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi after previously indicating he wanted to return to the team next year to win a ninth cap and wait until Gleneagles in 2014 to take up the captaincy.
Lyle and former skipper Ian Woosnam had also been touted as potential leaders of the European team, however they appeared to drop out of contention earlier this month, leaving the European Tour's tournament committee with what appeared to be a choice between Montgomerie and Olazabal.
Bernard Gallacher and Sam Torrance had both backed Montgomerie, five times a major championship runner-up but never a winner, to take charge for next year's match in Wales.
Montgomerie has won 23.5 points in Ryder Cup player, just 1.5 points behind the record held by Nick Faldo who was last year's captain when Europe were resoundingly beaten by the United States at Valhalla.
In December, Corey Pavin was appointed as captain of the United States for the 2010 match, succeeding Paul Azinger.
source: the london times
Rafael Nadal eases into Australian Open semi-final
Rafael Nadal is through to the Australian Open semi-finals after defeating Gilles Simon in straight sets. The No 1 seed beat the French sixth seed 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 to set up a match against Fernando Verdasco, his fellow Spaniard, on Friday.
Nadal broke Simon's serve three times in the first set and survived a set point to reach the last four for the second successive year. Last year he was beaten at that stage by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Verdasco earlier today.
"For us it's an incredible feat to have two Spanish players in the semi-final. One is going to be in the final so we have to be very happy with that," Nadal said.
"Verdasco is playing very well since he won the Davis Cup. He was in the final in Brisbane and he beat [Andy] Murray so I know it's going to be a very tough match."
Nadal, 22, broke in the first game and again at 3-1 before Simon took a break of serve of his own. But he manoeuvred his opponent expertly around the court for the third break and served the set out with an ace.
Simon double-faulted to go a break down early in the second set but hung in and broke back thanks to a stunning winner at the end of a 30-shot rally.
Momentum was shifting but Nadal regained it as he survived a set point at 4-5 then brilliantly broke in the next game, helped by a full-stretch running forehand that curled down the line.
Simon secured the first break of the third set with an overhead smash but Nadal broke back and again for 6-5 after another lengthy rally. He then calmly served out to win.
"At the decisive moments he was far better than me," Simon said. "He saved so many break points. Every time I had a chance he played better than me and hit a winner.
"He was just too good. I had a set point but I had no chance, because he played a good serve, and then he hit that forehand. There was nothing I could do."
Roger Federer, the No 2 seed, plays Andy Roddick on Thursday in the other semi-final. The final is on Sunday.
source: the london times
Nadal broke Simon's serve three times in the first set and survived a set point to reach the last four for the second successive year. Last year he was beaten at that stage by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Verdasco earlier today.
"For us it's an incredible feat to have two Spanish players in the semi-final. One is going to be in the final so we have to be very happy with that," Nadal said.
"Verdasco is playing very well since he won the Davis Cup. He was in the final in Brisbane and he beat [Andy] Murray so I know it's going to be a very tough match."
Nadal, 22, broke in the first game and again at 3-1 before Simon took a break of serve of his own. But he manoeuvred his opponent expertly around the court for the third break and served the set out with an ace.
Simon double-faulted to go a break down early in the second set but hung in and broke back thanks to a stunning winner at the end of a 30-shot rally.
Momentum was shifting but Nadal regained it as he survived a set point at 4-5 then brilliantly broke in the next game, helped by a full-stretch running forehand that curled down the line.
Simon secured the first break of the third set with an overhead smash but Nadal broke back and again for 6-5 after another lengthy rally. He then calmly served out to win.
"At the decisive moments he was far better than me," Simon said. "He saved so many break points. Every time I had a chance he played better than me and hit a winner.
"He was just too good. I had a set point but I had no chance, because he played a good serve, and then he hit that forehand. There was nothing I could do."
Roger Federer, the No 2 seed, plays Andy Roddick on Thursday in the other semi-final. The final is on Sunday.
source: the london times
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Renault and Williams look for lift after testing new cars in Portugal
Renault and Williams became the latest teams to unveil their new Formula One cars yesterday. The Britain-based teams carried out low-key launches at the Algarve Motor Park in southern Portugal, where the first official test of the 2009 season began in wet conditions. Among the other teams putting new cars through their paces at the circuit at Portimão were McLaren Mercedes and Toyota.
While Renault and their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, are aiming to contest the podium positions this year, the Williams team were a little more cautious about predicting a jump from their lowly eighth-place finish last season to the top of the field, despite switching their development effort to the new FW31 car earlier than normal.
“It will be a very interesting year,” Sir Frank Williams, the team principal, said. “The new aerodynamic rules mean a different approach to the cars in a number of areas. However, by the time we get to Melbourne [for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March], I would expect the usual suspects to still be dominating the top two positions.
“More importantly, I hope Williams will have made a significantly large step forward with the FW31.”
Ferrari have chosen not to attend the test at Portimão and, instead, ran their new F60 car at the Mugello circuit in similarly wet conditions in Tuscany, Italy, with Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, at the wheel. The car completed 54 laps with no technical setbacks.
source: the london times
While Renault and their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, are aiming to contest the podium positions this year, the Williams team were a little more cautious about predicting a jump from their lowly eighth-place finish last season to the top of the field, despite switching their development effort to the new FW31 car earlier than normal.
“It will be a very interesting year,” Sir Frank Williams, the team principal, said. “The new aerodynamic rules mean a different approach to the cars in a number of areas. However, by the time we get to Melbourne [for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March], I would expect the usual suspects to still be dominating the top two positions.
“More importantly, I hope Williams will have made a significantly large step forward with the FW31.”
Ferrari have chosen not to attend the test at Portimão and, instead, ran their new F60 car at the Mugello circuit in similarly wet conditions in Tuscany, Italy, with Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, at the wheel. The car completed 54 laps with no technical setbacks.
source: the london times
Roger Federer survives Tomas Berdych scare at the Australian Open
Roger Federer was forced to battle back from two sets down to see off Tomas Berdych and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Federer, who had won every one of their previous seven meetings since losing to Berdych at the 2004 Olympics, took three hours 29 minutes to get past the 20th seed and set up a quarter-final with Juan Martin Del Potro.
At once stage Federer looked in danger of failing to reach the quarters at a grand slam for the first time since Roland Garros in 2004, but used all his experience to progress with a 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win.
The world No 2 got off to a poor start, dropping his serve in the opening game. He was broken again in the fifth when Berdych got back from 40-15 down to nail a cross-court forehand winner to take a 4-1 lead. But Berdych immediately dropped his own service game before Federer held for 4-3.
The next two games went with serve leaving Berdych to serve out the set which he did. The second set was much tighter but this time Federer got the early advantage, holding his serve to love then breaking his opponent in the next for a 2-0 lead.
But again Berdych rallied, breaking the Federer serve for the third time in the match and holding his own to level things 2-2. The remainder of the set went with serve, forcing the tie-break.
Berdych jumped out to a 3-1 lead but errors on the following two points allowed the Swiss back in and another backhand into the net squared it up 4-4. But Berdych made the breakthrough on the Federer serve and a simple volleyed winner on the next point put him two sets up.
Breaks of service littered the start of the third set but Federer made a vital breakthrough at 3-3 when Berdych, on serve, sent a backhand slice wide then smashed an easy volley into the net to give his opponent a 4-3 lead. It was all the three-time Australian Open champion needed and at 5-4 up he served for the set, clinching it with an ace.
The start of the fourth set produced yet another break of serve, this time Federer getting the early advantage. Berdych held his next service game comfortably and a couple of aces from Federer, who served well throughout the match, helped him to a 3-1 lead.
A superb drop-shot from Berdych helped him on his way to holding the fifth game before another ace and a cross-court winner kept Federer in front. Berdych had a medical time out for work on his left hamstring then pushed Federer hard in the next game before a winner to the corner and an ace had the second seed 5-3 up.
Berdych held his serve again and had three break points in the next game but couldn't capitalise as Federer clinched the set at the second opportunity. The world No 2 raced out to a 5-2 lead in the decider as Berdych started to falter.
Federer made a meal of serving for the match, wasting two match points, but he eventually sealed the win with two aces - his 19th and 20th of the match.
source:the london times.
Federer, who had won every one of their previous seven meetings since losing to Berdych at the 2004 Olympics, took three hours 29 minutes to get past the 20th seed and set up a quarter-final with Juan Martin Del Potro.
At once stage Federer looked in danger of failing to reach the quarters at a grand slam for the first time since Roland Garros in 2004, but used all his experience to progress with a 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win.
The world No 2 got off to a poor start, dropping his serve in the opening game. He was broken again in the fifth when Berdych got back from 40-15 down to nail a cross-court forehand winner to take a 4-1 lead. But Berdych immediately dropped his own service game before Federer held for 4-3.
The next two games went with serve leaving Berdych to serve out the set which he did. The second set was much tighter but this time Federer got the early advantage, holding his serve to love then breaking his opponent in the next for a 2-0 lead.
But again Berdych rallied, breaking the Federer serve for the third time in the match and holding his own to level things 2-2. The remainder of the set went with serve, forcing the tie-break.
Berdych jumped out to a 3-1 lead but errors on the following two points allowed the Swiss back in and another backhand into the net squared it up 4-4. But Berdych made the breakthrough on the Federer serve and a simple volleyed winner on the next point put him two sets up.
Breaks of service littered the start of the third set but Federer made a vital breakthrough at 3-3 when Berdych, on serve, sent a backhand slice wide then smashed an easy volley into the net to give his opponent a 4-3 lead. It was all the three-time Australian Open champion needed and at 5-4 up he served for the set, clinching it with an ace.
The start of the fourth set produced yet another break of serve, this time Federer getting the early advantage. Berdych held his next service game comfortably and a couple of aces from Federer, who served well throughout the match, helped him to a 3-1 lead.
A superb drop-shot from Berdych helped him on his way to holding the fifth game before another ace and a cross-court winner kept Federer in front. Berdych had a medical time out for work on his left hamstring then pushed Federer hard in the next game before a winner to the corner and an ace had the second seed 5-3 up.
Berdych held his serve again and had three break points in the next game but couldn't capitalise as Federer clinched the set at the second opportunity. The world No 2 raced out to a 5-2 lead in the decider as Berdych started to falter.
Federer made a meal of serving for the match, wasting two match points, but he eventually sealed the win with two aces - his 19th and 20th of the match.
source:the london times.
Manchester United's Silva lining
THIS tie was settled on the day, granting Sir Alex Ferguson his wish, but replays are still required. Footage from the match is something Manchester United fans will want to watch over and over again. Old Trafford is used to seeing stars being born but always cherishes the experience, and Ferguson finds nothing more sustaining than springing a new player on the game.
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.
Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
source:the london times
At 18, via his unexpected performances at right-back this season, Rafael Da Silva is already a sensation. Yesterday it was the turn of Fabio, his twin, to announce himself as a talent of substance.
Fabio, playing at left-back, was the outstanding performer of a vivid opening act that decided a game that petered out disappointingly. Tottenham led early but were forced on the defensive, never their most convincing state, and buckled in a two-minute period when goals were conceded to Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. The rest was routine and Harry Redknapp had to defend tactics and a performance that appeared unambitious. “You have to have the ball to put them under pressure. You have to open up, and when you open up you get smashed by four or five,” the manager said. “To say we weren’t trying is rubbish. We got beat 2-1, not 6-1.”
The Da Silva twins are identical, sharing the same wide-eyed, curly-haired boyishness, youthful builds and coltish gaits. Injuries meant Fabio had to wait for yesterday’s debut. Spectators mused that he could not be as good as his brother and soon knew their instincts were right: he looks better. From kick-off until he was forced off early in the second half with a calf knock, Fabio tore up and down his flank, overshadowing the teammate he kept surging beyond on the overlap, Cristiano Ronaldo, World Footballer of the Year but United’s second best left-sided player yesterday.
“His injury’s disappointing because he’s done really well,” said Ferguson, who did not rule out the Brazilian recovering for Tuesday’s league game against West Bromwich Albion.
Danny Welbeck, who hurt an ankle, is definitely out and Ronaldo was revealed to be suffering from a bug. United now have 13 senior players injured and Gary Neville was at centre-back, where he has played rarely in recent years. It took 10 minutes for the makeshift defence to settle, by which time Tottenham were 1-0 up. Tom Huddlestone wafted an expert chip deep into the box and Roman Pavlyuchenko arrived ahead of Nemanja Vidic to glance a diving header past Ben Foster. With Redknapp resting Jermain Defoe, however, further moments of penetration from Spurs were few.
Ben Alnwick, their keeper, assuaged concerns raised by his midweek display at Burnley by executing a fine stop on Carlos Tevez’s volley after Fabio had flitted past two opponents and Berbatov teed up Tevez. The Argentinian also hit the bar and Welbeck was poised to score one of the goals of the season — having tricked his way into a shooting position with fine close control — when Chris Gunter dived valiantly to block.
The arrival of the equaliser was no surprise, though Spurs’ laxity was shocking. Michael Carrick rolled a corner to Scholes, whose shot hit Huddlestone and ricocheted past the unsighted Alnwick. “A lucky goal,” Scholes said with a shrug. Almost immediately it was 2-1 as Carrick speared a beautiful pass between Tottenham’s centre-backs and Berbatov controlled the ball before rifling a volley in off Alnwick’s far post from 20 yards.
Giovanni was Redknapp’s half-time replacement for Luka Modric, who was signed to be Tottenham’s heartbeat but is too often no more vital to their anatomy than a little toe. David Bentley was also replaced — to boos — though not before skimming the post with a drive.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto went close with five minutes remaining and Spurs pressed hard in stoppage time but, these scares aside, United closed out the game in comfort.
Ferguson was pleased, except for the jeering of Berbatov by a section of Tottenham fans. “It’s a social disease. I think we’re the only club who do not barrack former players,” he said.
MANCHESTER UTD: Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Neville 6, Vidic 6, F Da Silva 8 (Eckersley 53min, 6), Welbeck 7 (Fletcher 86min), Carrick 7, Scholes 6, Ronaldo 5 (Tosic 72min), Berbatov 7, Tevez 6
TOTTENHAM: Alnwick 7, Gunter 5, Corluka 6, Dawson 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Bentley 5 (Defoe 72min), Huddlestone 6, Zokora 5, Bale 5 (Taarabt 67min), Modric 4 (Giovanni h-t, 7), Pavlyuchenko 7
SCHOLES’S CHOICE
Paul Scholes has shown his independent streak by leaving Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and Cristiano Ronaldo out of his all-time XI of Manchester United stars he has played with. Cantona does not even make the bench. ‘Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be happy to hear it but he’s a substitute,’ said Scholes, whose team is: Schmeichel, G Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Robson, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham
source:the london times
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Andrew Strauss must find England road to recovery
There was a gathering on Monday in Leicestershire at Stapleford Park, one of those grand country houses with a croquet lawn and giant outdoor chess board, the kind of place Hercule Poirot might have enjoyed poking around. You know the sort — “secluded”, the brochure says; inconvenient, everyone else says. Still, we travelled in aid of a good cause: Test cricket, which the ECB fears is in decline and in need of a fillip. There was an awful lot of what West Indians would call “gaffing”. A lot of chat.
Most of the arrows were well aimed: the need to “rebrand” Test cricket so that each match becomes special rather than humdrum; the marketing potential offered by the sport’s superstars, two of whom happen to wear the crown and three lions; the need to get the stronger nations playing against each other more often in a competition that gives every game some context — a world championship of Test cricket, in other words.
The ECB will look at playing neutral Tests in England, too, as it positions itself as the “home of Test cricket”. As the rest of the game pays lip service to the idea of the primacy of Test cricket — all the while undermining it — the ECB leads the way in trying to protect the sport’s greatest asset.
That is the good news as we enter 2009. The bad news is that England are not very good at this game we hold dear. As England’s cricketers embark tomorrow on their first match of the new year in Basseterre, St Kitts, they do so as statistically the fifth-best Test team on earth, which sounds all very well until you realise that, discounting Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, there are only eight to choose from. Not impressive for a nation with resources second only to India and ambition to match. By any empirical measurement, England start the year in modest shape, bereft of confidence, too, after a calamitous and wholly avoidable sequence of events that resulted in them losing captain and head coach on the same day. It is typically English to begin a year that includes Test series home and away against West Indies, the World Twenty20, the Ashes, a Test series in South Africa, possibly a Champions Trophy and various Stanford irrelevancies in the kind of state that a boxer might end his fifteenth round rather than begin his first. It is now Andrew Strauss who must apply the balm and the magic sponge as captain, and many of the clues to the strength of England’s midsummer Ashes challenge will be discovered over the next six weeks when, against a side who have not won a Test series against significant opposition for six years, England will be expected to rediscover and hone their competitive instinct and put the troubles of the past month behind them.
Ultimately, England ought to be too strong, but West Indies should not be taken lightly. They have probably started to climb out of the trough and in Shivnarine Chanderpaul they have the next best batsman in the series to Kevin Pietersen, in Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle they have two other high-class batsmen and the quickest, if not the most consistent, bowling attack around. Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor will get England’s batsmen hopping about with the new ball, although their low trajectories should mean scoring opportunities with the old. Dale Richards, 32, the Barbados opening batsman, was the only face in a 14-man West Indies squad named yesterday that England may not know.
In sport, it is the moment of triumph that is remembered. Invariably, though, the snapshot of success is preceded by the kind of toil that is quickly forgotten. When Michael Vaughan held the Ashes trophy aloft at the Brit Oval in 2005, it was an image two years in the making. Strauss has only six months until England next face Australia, but nevertheless much can be achieved over the next two series against West Indies.
The first thing to do is start winning. Much of the apparent dressing-room discord has been overplayed — the England team are like any other group of diverse, driven professionals for whom success has been elusive and any professional sportsman will acknowledge the essential truth behind the aphorism of Steve Archibald, the former Scotland forward, that team spirit is something glimpsed only in the aftermath of success.
Having said that, harmony among the senior players and how they relate to the management team is important — which Peter Moores found to his cost. To that end, Strauss will no doubt spend much time trying to get the key pieces of his jigsaw in the right order, coaxing Stephen Harmison back to his best, using Andrew Flintoff wisely, watching Pietersen carefully before rehabilitating him slowly back into the decision-making process when the one-day matches come around and making sure the competition (envy?) between the last two works to his team’s advantage. They are a talented triumvirate, but the first two are water to Pietersen’s oil.
It would help the players if they had a clear sense of where accountability and responsibility among the management lies. At Stapleford Park, all England’s chiefs were there — Hugh Morris, Geoff Miller, Andy Flower and Strauss — as they will be at some stage in the Caribbean, but it was not clear whose voice carried most weight.
Work to do, then, but much to play for in 2009. There should be plenty of high-class Test cricket, the pinnacle of which will be the most prestigious battle of all. And, as everyone knows, a decent tilt at the Ashes will do far more to boost Test cricket’s flagging fortunes than a lot of hot air in a remote country hotel.
source:the london times
Most of the arrows were well aimed: the need to “rebrand” Test cricket so that each match becomes special rather than humdrum; the marketing potential offered by the sport’s superstars, two of whom happen to wear the crown and three lions; the need to get the stronger nations playing against each other more often in a competition that gives every game some context — a world championship of Test cricket, in other words.
The ECB will look at playing neutral Tests in England, too, as it positions itself as the “home of Test cricket”. As the rest of the game pays lip service to the idea of the primacy of Test cricket — all the while undermining it — the ECB leads the way in trying to protect the sport’s greatest asset.
That is the good news as we enter 2009. The bad news is that England are not very good at this game we hold dear. As England’s cricketers embark tomorrow on their first match of the new year in Basseterre, St Kitts, they do so as statistically the fifth-best Test team on earth, which sounds all very well until you realise that, discounting Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, there are only eight to choose from. Not impressive for a nation with resources second only to India and ambition to match. By any empirical measurement, England start the year in modest shape, bereft of confidence, too, after a calamitous and wholly avoidable sequence of events that resulted in them losing captain and head coach on the same day. It is typically English to begin a year that includes Test series home and away against West Indies, the World Twenty20, the Ashes, a Test series in South Africa, possibly a Champions Trophy and various Stanford irrelevancies in the kind of state that a boxer might end his fifteenth round rather than begin his first. It is now Andrew Strauss who must apply the balm and the magic sponge as captain, and many of the clues to the strength of England’s midsummer Ashes challenge will be discovered over the next six weeks when, against a side who have not won a Test series against significant opposition for six years, England will be expected to rediscover and hone their competitive instinct and put the troubles of the past month behind them.
Ultimately, England ought to be too strong, but West Indies should not be taken lightly. They have probably started to climb out of the trough and in Shivnarine Chanderpaul they have the next best batsman in the series to Kevin Pietersen, in Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle they have two other high-class batsmen and the quickest, if not the most consistent, bowling attack around. Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor will get England’s batsmen hopping about with the new ball, although their low trajectories should mean scoring opportunities with the old. Dale Richards, 32, the Barbados opening batsman, was the only face in a 14-man West Indies squad named yesterday that England may not know.
In sport, it is the moment of triumph that is remembered. Invariably, though, the snapshot of success is preceded by the kind of toil that is quickly forgotten. When Michael Vaughan held the Ashes trophy aloft at the Brit Oval in 2005, it was an image two years in the making. Strauss has only six months until England next face Australia, but nevertheless much can be achieved over the next two series against West Indies.
The first thing to do is start winning. Much of the apparent dressing-room discord has been overplayed — the England team are like any other group of diverse, driven professionals for whom success has been elusive and any professional sportsman will acknowledge the essential truth behind the aphorism of Steve Archibald, the former Scotland forward, that team spirit is something glimpsed only in the aftermath of success.
Having said that, harmony among the senior players and how they relate to the management team is important — which Peter Moores found to his cost. To that end, Strauss will no doubt spend much time trying to get the key pieces of his jigsaw in the right order, coaxing Stephen Harmison back to his best, using Andrew Flintoff wisely, watching Pietersen carefully before rehabilitating him slowly back into the decision-making process when the one-day matches come around and making sure the competition (envy?) between the last two works to his team’s advantage. They are a talented triumvirate, but the first two are water to Pietersen’s oil.
It would help the players if they had a clear sense of where accountability and responsibility among the management lies. At Stapleford Park, all England’s chiefs were there — Hugh Morris, Geoff Miller, Andy Flower and Strauss — as they will be at some stage in the Caribbean, but it was not clear whose voice carried most weight.
Work to do, then, but much to play for in 2009. There should be plenty of high-class Test cricket, the pinnacle of which will be the most prestigious battle of all. And, as everyone knows, a decent tilt at the Ashes will do far more to boost Test cricket’s flagging fortunes than a lot of hot air in a remote country hotel.
source:the london times
Alvaro Quiros powers his way into Qatar contention
The eagerly awaited debuts of Boo Weekley and Brandt Snedeker, the high-profile Americans, on the European Tour ended prematurely in Doha yesterday, when they failed to make the cut in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters.
As they prepared for their long flights home to Florida and Nashville respectively, they could have taken with them two messages for any of their countrymen eyeing up the riches to be won on the new $20 million (about £14.4 million) Race to Dubai.
First, that there are no easy pickings to be swept up on a tour that the Americans have for so long regarded as secondary to their own and that, possibly next month and certainly in March, they will come up against a big-hitting phenomenon to match or even outstrike their own J. B. Holmes.
Lying fourth going into today’s third round is Álvaro Quirós, from Spain, who, if he should win his third tour title tomorrow, will climb into the top 64 in the world rankings. That means he will qualify for the Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain in Arizona, in three weeks’ time. The willowy 26-year-old cannot wait to broaden his horizons, having secured his first appearance in the United States, at the Bridgestone Invitational this August, on the back of the strength of the field when he won the Portuguese Masters last autumn.“The way the courses in the States are set up should suit me,” Quirós said yesterday after he defied the wind and rain to record a five-under-par round of 67 to move to within four strokes of Louis Oosthuizen, the leader from South Africa, who had a 65 to reach 12 under par. “You would think the way I hit the ball that the Match Play might suit me better, but there I use my brain.
“If my opponent goes off the fairway, I use a two-iron off the tee, but at Bridgestone I will have fun with my driver,” Quirós said with the broad smile that, along with his wide-brimmed straw hats, are his trademarks.
The extent of Quirós’s power is best explained by a conversation that he had with Raphaël Jacquelin after his round. On the practice range, he asked the Frenchman what club he had used playing his second shot into the wind at the 474-yard, par-four 11th hole. And where Jacquelin had taken a three-wood, Quirós had required only a seven-iron.
Weekley, after recording a second round of 73 yesterday, missed the halfway cut by three strokes and Snedeker was only two strokes better. Also flying out of Qatar early last night after missing the cut was Colin Montgomerie.
The Scot was looking forward to a quiet weekend in Dubai away from further media questioning about the Ryder Cup captaincy announcement, which is due to be made early next week.
“I am not saying anything significant to anyone,” Montgomerie said. “I will see you next week and I am looking forward to it.”
source: the london times
As they prepared for their long flights home to Florida and Nashville respectively, they could have taken with them two messages for any of their countrymen eyeing up the riches to be won on the new $20 million (about £14.4 million) Race to Dubai.
First, that there are no easy pickings to be swept up on a tour that the Americans have for so long regarded as secondary to their own and that, possibly next month and certainly in March, they will come up against a big-hitting phenomenon to match or even outstrike their own J. B. Holmes.
Lying fourth going into today’s third round is Álvaro Quirós, from Spain, who, if he should win his third tour title tomorrow, will climb into the top 64 in the world rankings. That means he will qualify for the Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain in Arizona, in three weeks’ time. The willowy 26-year-old cannot wait to broaden his horizons, having secured his first appearance in the United States, at the Bridgestone Invitational this August, on the back of the strength of the field when he won the Portuguese Masters last autumn.“The way the courses in the States are set up should suit me,” Quirós said yesterday after he defied the wind and rain to record a five-under-par round of 67 to move to within four strokes of Louis Oosthuizen, the leader from South Africa, who had a 65 to reach 12 under par. “You would think the way I hit the ball that the Match Play might suit me better, but there I use my brain.
“If my opponent goes off the fairway, I use a two-iron off the tee, but at Bridgestone I will have fun with my driver,” Quirós said with the broad smile that, along with his wide-brimmed straw hats, are his trademarks.
The extent of Quirós’s power is best explained by a conversation that he had with Raphaël Jacquelin after his round. On the practice range, he asked the Frenchman what club he had used playing his second shot into the wind at the 474-yard, par-four 11th hole. And where Jacquelin had taken a three-wood, Quirós had required only a seven-iron.
Weekley, after recording a second round of 73 yesterday, missed the halfway cut by three strokes and Snedeker was only two strokes better. Also flying out of Qatar early last night after missing the cut was Colin Montgomerie.
The Scot was looking forward to a quiet weekend in Dubai away from further media questioning about the Ryder Cup captaincy announcement, which is due to be made early next week.
“I am not saying anything significant to anyone,” Montgomerie said. “I will see you next week and I am looking forward to it.”
source: the london times
Liverpool want to get back to business
There are certain ways to prepare for an FA Cup fourth-round tie against your local rivals. As the captain spent the morning in court answering an assault charge while the manager pondered how his unedifying contract dispute might be affected if a family of Kuwaiti billionaires succeeds in buying the club from their warring American owners, it was tempting to wonder yesterday whether there could be anything worse than the Liverpool way.
By tomorrow evening, Liverpool could be celebrating an FA Cup victory over Everton, looking forward to an encounter with Real Madrid in the Champions League first knockout round and gearing up for a memorable tussle with Manchester United as they look to bring the league title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990.
However, the club are not defined at the moment by exciting prospects on the pitch but by serious issues off it. Whether it is the takeover saga, the dispute over Rafael Benítez’s contract or Steven Gerrard’s court case, a club who were once synonymous with quiet achievement find themselves with more on their plate than is palatable. Benítez has at times been only too eager to thrust himself into the political minefield that is the Anfield boardroom but, as the Al-Kharafi family continue their negotiations to buy the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, with rival interest being shown by an American investor, the manager was playing it all low key yesterday. “I was surprised by what I read this morning,” he said. “I have just been focusing on getting my team prepared.”
In particular, he was concentrating on Gerrard. Benítez is not a touchy-feely kind of manager, more tactical than tactile, but he went out of his way to speak to his captain when the latter arrived at the club’s Melwood training ground yesterday morning. Gerrard had come straight from North Sefton Magistrates’ Court, where he denied charges of assault and affray in relation to an incident in a bar in Southport in the early hours of December 29. The case has been adjourned until March 20, but Benítez was eager yesterday to check that there were no signs that Gerrard, a more introspective individual than many may imagine, was feeling the strain of the case.
“Steven is training really well,” Benítez said shortly after yesterday’s lunchtime training session. “I was watching him play in the five-a-sides today and he scored two or three very good goals. I don’t think he has been affected by other things at all. I asked him about it and I asked how he was and he said he was OK. Steven has shown that he is a very good professional. He showed that the other night [in the 1-1 draw against Everton in the Barclays Premier League], when he scored a fantastic goal and he was playing really well. I think he will do the same again on Sunday.”
The concern for Benítez is that Gerrard’s state of mind might become a regular subject of discussion in the coming weeks, with his next court date coming on the back of an intense four-week period that will include the two legs of the Champions League tie with Real and a series of important Premier League matches, including the trip to Old Trafford to face United on March 14. Benítez, though, said that he was unconcerned. “It won’t be a problem if he stays focused on football,” the manager said. “We just have to help him by keeping him fit and by playing well.”
Gerrard will be entrusted tomorrow to lead out a Liverpool team who are likely to include Diego Cavalieri, the reserve goalkeeper, as Benítez looks to rest José Manuel Reina. Other fringe players, such as Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel, hope to be involved.
But, even with a Premier League trip to Wigan Athletic on Wednesday, Benítez cannot contemplate wholesale changes at a time when his regime is under scrutiny, after he went public on his decision to reject the club’s offer of a new contract because he wants more control over transfer policy.
While he hopes that a solution can be found, with Hicks travelling to Merseyside next week to meet him, Benítez is known to be increasingly fearful of his prospects of staying at Anfield beyond his existing contract, which expires at the end of next season, so he may find himself welcoming the prospect of a change of ownership.
Hicks and, in particular, Gillett appear to be encouraging offers and, while it has emerged that interest is being shown by other American investors, the strongest interest is coming from the Al-Kharafi family.
They are likely to be watching from afar tomorrow as Gerrard and his team-mates look to register a victory that would offer the perfect antidote to the off-the-field issues.
They peaked before the beak
Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate stood trial in 2001 for an attack on a student. While the case hung over them, Bowyer produced the best performances of his career but Woodgate’s form suffered. Woodgate was found guilty of affray and given community service and Bowyer cleared of all charges.
John Terry was charged with assault after a brawl in a nightclub in January 2002. He was cleared that August. He scored the winning goal in an FA Cup semi-final while facing court proceedings, but they cost him a place in the World Cup finals.
Robin van Persie was arrested on suspicion of rape and spent two weeks in prison in the Netherlands in June 2005. It was not until late February 2006 that charges were dropped. In between, he found impressive goalscoring form.
Words by Tom Dart
David Moyes, the Everton manager, expects a very different encounter with Liverpool from Monday’s 1-1 draw in the Barclays Premier League. Tim Cahill’s late equaliser dented Liverpool’s title hopes, but Moyes expects that to be forgotten tomorrow. “I don’t think it [Monday's result] gives us any advantage,” he said. “It is a different game for both of us. We think we can play better than we did in midweek. We are concentrating on getting through in the Cup. We are going to go there to see if we can try to make it happen.”
source: the london times
By tomorrow evening, Liverpool could be celebrating an FA Cup victory over Everton, looking forward to an encounter with Real Madrid in the Champions League first knockout round and gearing up for a memorable tussle with Manchester United as they look to bring the league title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990.
However, the club are not defined at the moment by exciting prospects on the pitch but by serious issues off it. Whether it is the takeover saga, the dispute over Rafael Benítez’s contract or Steven Gerrard’s court case, a club who were once synonymous with quiet achievement find themselves with more on their plate than is palatable. Benítez has at times been only too eager to thrust himself into the political minefield that is the Anfield boardroom but, as the Al-Kharafi family continue their negotiations to buy the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, with rival interest being shown by an American investor, the manager was playing it all low key yesterday. “I was surprised by what I read this morning,” he said. “I have just been focusing on getting my team prepared.”
In particular, he was concentrating on Gerrard. Benítez is not a touchy-feely kind of manager, more tactical than tactile, but he went out of his way to speak to his captain when the latter arrived at the club’s Melwood training ground yesterday morning. Gerrard had come straight from North Sefton Magistrates’ Court, where he denied charges of assault and affray in relation to an incident in a bar in Southport in the early hours of December 29. The case has been adjourned until March 20, but Benítez was eager yesterday to check that there were no signs that Gerrard, a more introspective individual than many may imagine, was feeling the strain of the case.
“Steven is training really well,” Benítez said shortly after yesterday’s lunchtime training session. “I was watching him play in the five-a-sides today and he scored two or three very good goals. I don’t think he has been affected by other things at all. I asked him about it and I asked how he was and he said he was OK. Steven has shown that he is a very good professional. He showed that the other night [in the 1-1 draw against Everton in the Barclays Premier League], when he scored a fantastic goal and he was playing really well. I think he will do the same again on Sunday.”
The concern for Benítez is that Gerrard’s state of mind might become a regular subject of discussion in the coming weeks, with his next court date coming on the back of an intense four-week period that will include the two legs of the Champions League tie with Real and a series of important Premier League matches, including the trip to Old Trafford to face United on March 14. Benítez, though, said that he was unconcerned. “It won’t be a problem if he stays focused on football,” the manager said. “We just have to help him by keeping him fit and by playing well.”
Gerrard will be entrusted tomorrow to lead out a Liverpool team who are likely to include Diego Cavalieri, the reserve goalkeeper, as Benítez looks to rest José Manuel Reina. Other fringe players, such as Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel, hope to be involved.
But, even with a Premier League trip to Wigan Athletic on Wednesday, Benítez cannot contemplate wholesale changes at a time when his regime is under scrutiny, after he went public on his decision to reject the club’s offer of a new contract because he wants more control over transfer policy.
While he hopes that a solution can be found, with Hicks travelling to Merseyside next week to meet him, Benítez is known to be increasingly fearful of his prospects of staying at Anfield beyond his existing contract, which expires at the end of next season, so he may find himself welcoming the prospect of a change of ownership.
Hicks and, in particular, Gillett appear to be encouraging offers and, while it has emerged that interest is being shown by other American investors, the strongest interest is coming from the Al-Kharafi family.
They are likely to be watching from afar tomorrow as Gerrard and his team-mates look to register a victory that would offer the perfect antidote to the off-the-field issues.
They peaked before the beak
Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate stood trial in 2001 for an attack on a student. While the case hung over them, Bowyer produced the best performances of his career but Woodgate’s form suffered. Woodgate was found guilty of affray and given community service and Bowyer cleared of all charges.
John Terry was charged with assault after a brawl in a nightclub in January 2002. He was cleared that August. He scored the winning goal in an FA Cup semi-final while facing court proceedings, but they cost him a place in the World Cup finals.
Robin van Persie was arrested on suspicion of rape and spent two weeks in prison in the Netherlands in June 2005. It was not until late February 2006 that charges were dropped. In between, he found impressive goalscoring form.
Words by Tom Dart
David Moyes, the Everton manager, expects a very different encounter with Liverpool from Monday’s 1-1 draw in the Barclays Premier League. Tim Cahill’s late equaliser dented Liverpool’s title hopes, but Moyes expects that to be forgotten tomorrow. “I don’t think it [Monday's result] gives us any advantage,” he said. “It is a different game for both of us. We think we can play better than we did in midweek. We are concentrating on getting through in the Cup. We are going to go there to see if we can try to make it happen.”
source: the london times
Soccer club mourns legend, then realizes he's alive
LONDON (AP) - An English amateur soccer team mourning the death of one of its greatest players discovered an important error in the tributes by the club and local press to the 86-year-old man — he's still alive.
Tommy Farrer had the rare distinction of reading his own obituary as a former "legend" with northern amateur side Bishop Auckland FC.
The mistake came to light when an official of the club, which held a solemn minute of silence before a match last week, called Farrer's wife to offer condolences.
A surprised Gladys Farrer said her husband had indeed departed — but only for a few minutes to buy a newspaper and would be back soon if the official wanted to talk to him.
Farrer, a former England amateur who played in three Wembley finals, said in Friday editions of the Northern Echo: "We are not upset, but we did think it was a bit of a joke at first."
Farrer said he wants to play down the mistake, saying it was time to "let it die."
source:fox sports
Tommy Farrer had the rare distinction of reading his own obituary as a former "legend" with northern amateur side Bishop Auckland FC.
The mistake came to light when an official of the club, which held a solemn minute of silence before a match last week, called Farrer's wife to offer condolences.
A surprised Gladys Farrer said her husband had indeed departed — but only for a few minutes to buy a newspaper and would be back soon if the official wanted to talk to him.
Farrer, a former England amateur who played in three Wembley finals, said in Friday editions of the Northern Echo: "We are not upset, but we did think it was a bit of a joke at first."
Farrer said he wants to play down the mistake, saying it was time to "let it die."
source:fox sports
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Renault and Williams look for lift after testing new cars in Portugal
Renault and Williams became the latest teams to unveil their new Formula One cars yesterday. The Britain-based teams carried out low-key launches at the Algarve Motor Park in southern Portugal, where the first official test of the 2009 season began in wet conditions. Among the other teams putting new cars through their paces at the circuit at Portimão were McLaren Mercedes and Toyota.
While Renault and their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, are aiming to contest the podium positions this year, the Williams team were a little more cautious about predicting a jump from their lowly eighth-place finish last season to the top of the field, despite switching their development effort to the new FW31 car earlier than normal.
“It will be a very interesting year,” Sir Frank Williams, the team principal, said. “The new aerodynamic rules mean a different approach to the cars in a number of areas. However, by the time we get to Melbourne [for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March], I would expect the usual suspects to still be dominating the top two positions.
“More importantly, I hope Williams will have made a significantly large step forward with the FW31.”
Ferrari have chosen not to attend the test at Portimão and, instead, ran their new F60 car at the Mugello circuit in similarly wet conditions in Tuscany, Italy, with Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, at the wheel. The car completed 54 laps with no technical setbacks.
source:the london times.
While Renault and their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, are aiming to contest the podium positions this year, the Williams team were a little more cautious about predicting a jump from their lowly eighth-place finish last season to the top of the field, despite switching their development effort to the new FW31 car earlier than normal.
“It will be a very interesting year,” Sir Frank Williams, the team principal, said. “The new aerodynamic rules mean a different approach to the cars in a number of areas. However, by the time we get to Melbourne [for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March], I would expect the usual suspects to still be dominating the top two positions.
“More importantly, I hope Williams will have made a significantly large step forward with the FW31.”
Ferrari have chosen not to attend the test at Portimão and, instead, ran their new F60 car at the Mugello circuit in similarly wet conditions in Tuscany, Italy, with Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, at the wheel. The car completed 54 laps with no technical setbacks.
source:the london times.
Manchester United brush aside Derby to earn Carling Cup final place
There could be no better illustration of Manchester United’s strength in depth than the sight of what was essentially a reserve team reaching the Carling Cup final, but the concern for Sir Alex Ferguson last night, as his dressing-room began to resemble a casualty ward, was that his vast squad will be tested to the limit if they are to continue their quest for success on all fronts over the coming weeks.
It was a night of six goals — three of them coming in the final ten minutes, when Giles Barnes, with a penalty and a free kick, restored a little pride and hope for Derby County — but, alarmingly for Ferguson, there were seven United players who required treatment at the final whistle. Most were trivial cases, with Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nani and Carlos Tévez all expected to be fit to face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, but Anderson, the Brazil midfield player, will have an X-ray on an injured ankle this morning, while Rafael Da Silva and Jonny Evans, the two youngsters who have made such encouraging progress this season, face short layoffs after suffering hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.
It is to be hoped that players such as Rafael and Evans are fit enough to play in the final — where Burnley or, in all probability, Tottenham will provide the opposition — having used this competition as a launch pad for their leap into Ferguson’s first-team plans this season. But the final at Wembley on March 1 falls between the two legs of United’s Champions League first knockout-round tie against Inter Milan, which will give Ferguson cause to be pragmatic over his team selection. Such are the concerns for a manager chasing success on four fronts to add to the Community Shield and the Club World Cup, which have already been sent to the Old Trafford trophy room this season.
A place in the Carling Cup final always seemed likely for United after they had emerged from a torrid first leg with only a one-goal deficit. Ferguson admitted in his programme notes last night that his team “could easily have been beaten by three or four goals” at Pride Park and that they were “just plain lucky to get off so lightly”, but he also expressed confidence that they would punish Derby for their profligacy a fortnight ago.
With three goals in the opening 34 minutes, thanks to Nani, John O’Shea and Tévez, United blew Derby away, but Barnes, with a goal either side of Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, at least gave Nigel Clough, the Midlands club’s new manager, some cause for hope before a keenly awaited FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Nottingham Forest on Friday.
For now, Clough wears a slightly bemused expression, but, if the kind of defending he saw in the 2-0 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday and again last night is to be the norm, he is in trouble. The opening goal from Nani, in the seventeenth minute, was stunning in its execution. The Portugal winger cut in from the left and hit a right-foot shot past Roy Carroll and into the top corner, but the resistance he faced was non-existent, with Gary Teale appearing almost to wave him on his way.
The same applied for O’Shea’s goal six minutes later, with the defender inexplicably played onside by Teale as he took his time to score from Danny Welbeck’s perceptive pass. As for Tévez’s thumping header, which made the scoreline 3-0, it goes without saying that the forward was unmarked, this time from a cross by Rafael.
At that stage Derby were facing embarrassment, so much so that Robbie Savage, the former Old Trafford reserve, was brought on at half-time in the interests of damage-limitation. Less easy to fathom was Ferguson’s decision to send on Ronaldo for the final half-hour, given that the tie already seemed to be won. Perhaps it was a treat for the first-time visitors in a remarkably healthy crowd or perhaps it was in the hope of giving him the opportunity to get back on the scoresheet after scoring only once in his previous 13 appearances. Either way, his goal came in the 89th minute after Carroll, the former United goalkeeper, brought down Tévez, leaving Ronaldo to convert the penalty with his customary composure.
The final word, though, was to go to Barnes, a young player of great promise whose career has been on hold since he suffered a serious knee injury last season. The midfield player had relished the opportunity to reduce Derby’s arrears with a penalty with ten minutes remaining, after Evans, by now a passenger, brought down Kris Commons, and then, after Ronaldo’s penalty had ended the contest, Barnes surfaced again in stoppage time to score with a well placed free kick.
That was the cue for a roar from the 12,000 travelling Derby supporters, who implored their team forward for the goal that would have forced an improbable period of extra time, but, under the circumstances, they will settle for the surge in confidence that Barnes’s late brace brought in advance of that neighbourly spat with Forest.
Manchester United (4-4-2): B Foster — Rafael Da Silva (sub: D Fletcher, 43min), G Neville (sub: J Chester, 67), J Evans, J O’Shea — R Giggs (sub: C Ronaldo, 58), D Gibson, Anderson, Nani — D Welbeck, C Tévez. Substitutes not used: T Kuszczak, P Scholes, R Possebon, Z Tosic. Booked: Rafael, Fletcher.
Derby County (4-4-1-1): R Carroll — P Connolly, M Albrechtsen, A Todd (sub: N Barazite, 62), J Stewart — G Teale, P Green, M Addison, S Davies (sub: R Savage, 46) — K Commons (sub: G Barnes, 68) — R Hulse. Substitutes not used: S Bywater, L Nyatanga, S Hines, E Villa. Booked: Addison, Green, Carroll.
source:the london times
It was a night of six goals — three of them coming in the final ten minutes, when Giles Barnes, with a penalty and a free kick, restored a little pride and hope for Derby County — but, alarmingly for Ferguson, there were seven United players who required treatment at the final whistle. Most were trivial cases, with Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nani and Carlos Tévez all expected to be fit to face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, but Anderson, the Brazil midfield player, will have an X-ray on an injured ankle this morning, while Rafael Da Silva and Jonny Evans, the two youngsters who have made such encouraging progress this season, face short layoffs after suffering hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.
It is to be hoped that players such as Rafael and Evans are fit enough to play in the final — where Burnley or, in all probability, Tottenham will provide the opposition — having used this competition as a launch pad for their leap into Ferguson’s first-team plans this season. But the final at Wembley on March 1 falls between the two legs of United’s Champions League first knockout-round tie against Inter Milan, which will give Ferguson cause to be pragmatic over his team selection. Such are the concerns for a manager chasing success on four fronts to add to the Community Shield and the Club World Cup, which have already been sent to the Old Trafford trophy room this season.
A place in the Carling Cup final always seemed likely for United after they had emerged from a torrid first leg with only a one-goal deficit. Ferguson admitted in his programme notes last night that his team “could easily have been beaten by three or four goals” at Pride Park and that they were “just plain lucky to get off so lightly”, but he also expressed confidence that they would punish Derby for their profligacy a fortnight ago.
With three goals in the opening 34 minutes, thanks to Nani, John O’Shea and Tévez, United blew Derby away, but Barnes, with a goal either side of Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, at least gave Nigel Clough, the Midlands club’s new manager, some cause for hope before a keenly awaited FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Nottingham Forest on Friday.
For now, Clough wears a slightly bemused expression, but, if the kind of defending he saw in the 2-0 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday and again last night is to be the norm, he is in trouble. The opening goal from Nani, in the seventeenth minute, was stunning in its execution. The Portugal winger cut in from the left and hit a right-foot shot past Roy Carroll and into the top corner, but the resistance he faced was non-existent, with Gary Teale appearing almost to wave him on his way.
The same applied for O’Shea’s goal six minutes later, with the defender inexplicably played onside by Teale as he took his time to score from Danny Welbeck’s perceptive pass. As for Tévez’s thumping header, which made the scoreline 3-0, it goes without saying that the forward was unmarked, this time from a cross by Rafael.
At that stage Derby were facing embarrassment, so much so that Robbie Savage, the former Old Trafford reserve, was brought on at half-time in the interests of damage-limitation. Less easy to fathom was Ferguson’s decision to send on Ronaldo for the final half-hour, given that the tie already seemed to be won. Perhaps it was a treat for the first-time visitors in a remarkably healthy crowd or perhaps it was in the hope of giving him the opportunity to get back on the scoresheet after scoring only once in his previous 13 appearances. Either way, his goal came in the 89th minute after Carroll, the former United goalkeeper, brought down Tévez, leaving Ronaldo to convert the penalty with his customary composure.
The final word, though, was to go to Barnes, a young player of great promise whose career has been on hold since he suffered a serious knee injury last season. The midfield player had relished the opportunity to reduce Derby’s arrears with a penalty with ten minutes remaining, after Evans, by now a passenger, brought down Kris Commons, and then, after Ronaldo’s penalty had ended the contest, Barnes surfaced again in stoppage time to score with a well placed free kick.
That was the cue for a roar from the 12,000 travelling Derby supporters, who implored their team forward for the goal that would have forced an improbable period of extra time, but, under the circumstances, they will settle for the surge in confidence that Barnes’s late brace brought in advance of that neighbourly spat with Forest.
Manchester United (4-4-2): B Foster — Rafael Da Silva (sub: D Fletcher, 43min), G Neville (sub: J Chester, 67), J Evans, J O’Shea — R Giggs (sub: C Ronaldo, 58), D Gibson, Anderson, Nani — D Welbeck, C Tévez. Substitutes not used: T Kuszczak, P Scholes, R Possebon, Z Tosic. Booked: Rafael, Fletcher.
Derby County (4-4-1-1): R Carroll — P Connolly, M Albrechtsen, A Todd (sub: N Barazite, 62), J Stewart — G Teale, P Green, M Addison, S Davies (sub: R Savage, 46) — K Commons (sub: G Barnes, 68) — R Hulse. Substitutes not used: S Bywater, L Nyatanga, S Hines, E Villa. Booked: Addison, Green, Carroll.
source:the london times
Wilson Palacios agrees £14m to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have agreed terms with Wigan Athletic over the transfer of Wilson Palacios. The move, believed to be worth around £14million, is subject to the Honduras international receiving a work permit.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, feels Palacios will bring a new dynamic to his Tottenham squad.
"We need to improve the squad and that is why I was interested in Palacios," Redknapp said. "He will come in here and get after it and play aggressively. He will work and close and run. I feel that we need a bit of that around the place.
"Palacios is a player I have liked since I first saw him, and he has the ability to go on to become a top, top player. I just like the way he plays. He is an all-round modern midfielder - he gets after it, he is box-to-box. I speak to people who have played against him, like Frank Lampard, and no-one has had an easy game against him. He is after you all the time."
Redknapp missed out on West Ham striker Craig Bellamy after the Wales international instead opted to join the Manchester City revolution.
Steve Bruce, helped by a recommendation from Arsene Wenger, has overseen Palacios' progress after taking the player on loan to Birmingham from Deportivo Olimpo before signing him permanently when he moved to the JJB Stadium.
Bruce maintains Wigan did all they could to persuade the Central American to stay.
"The club record transfer fee will be smashed if the deal goes through, but that was never mine or the club's motivation here," Bruce said. "The club is not in the business of trying to make a profit on players. I want to build a winning team here and keep my best players together.
"We did everything we could as a club to keep Wilson. We sat down with him last week and offered him a very good new deal, and tried to convince him his interests were best served by staying here at Wigan Athletic.
"However, I am a big believer in not standing in the way of players' careers, as long as the terms are right for our club, and I wish him all the best. He has served the club well in his short time with us and has been a credit to both himself and the club.
"It is no wonder we have some big clubs enquiring about our players because they have done very well this season."
source:the london times
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, feels Palacios will bring a new dynamic to his Tottenham squad.
"We need to improve the squad and that is why I was interested in Palacios," Redknapp said. "He will come in here and get after it and play aggressively. He will work and close and run. I feel that we need a bit of that around the place.
"Palacios is a player I have liked since I first saw him, and he has the ability to go on to become a top, top player. I just like the way he plays. He is an all-round modern midfielder - he gets after it, he is box-to-box. I speak to people who have played against him, like Frank Lampard, and no-one has had an easy game against him. He is after you all the time."
Redknapp missed out on West Ham striker Craig Bellamy after the Wales international instead opted to join the Manchester City revolution.
Steve Bruce, helped by a recommendation from Arsene Wenger, has overseen Palacios' progress after taking the player on loan to Birmingham from Deportivo Olimpo before signing him permanently when he moved to the JJB Stadium.
Bruce maintains Wigan did all they could to persuade the Central American to stay.
"The club record transfer fee will be smashed if the deal goes through, but that was never mine or the club's motivation here," Bruce said. "The club is not in the business of trying to make a profit on players. I want to build a winning team here and keep my best players together.
"We did everything we could as a club to keep Wilson. We sat down with him last week and offered him a very good new deal, and tried to convince him his interests were best served by staying here at Wigan Athletic.
"However, I am a big believer in not standing in the way of players' careers, as long as the terms are right for our club, and I wish him all the best. He has served the club well in his short time with us and has been a credit to both himself and the club.
"It is no wonder we have some big clubs enquiring about our players because they have done very well this season."
source:the london times
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Lord Marland emerges as challenger to Giles Clarke
On the day that nominations close for the chairmanship of the ECB, Giles Clarke's opponents have put forward in Lord Marland of Odstock, the former Treasurer of the Conservative Party, a serious candidate to challenge him.
Marland's candidature has been forwarded by Lancashire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire and four other clubs have pledged their support. It leaves him short of a majority, but is enough to encourage him that Clarke's re-election is not the formality previously supposed and that a proper debate about the future direction of English cricket should take place.
Last Friday, there were reports that Clarke's opponents had failed to find a challenger, although Marland had told confidants that he was standing only the evening before. The declaration of his candidature has been carefully orchestrated since then, culminating with this morning's announcement, which it is hoped will cause Clarke maximum discomfort since it coincides with the ECB brainstorming session at Stapleford Park in Leicestershire that will involve many of the game's decision-makers.
Marland is an ardent cricket supporter, having travelled to India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the past few years to watch England play. He made his fortune as a founding director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson, the insurance company, although he is better known because of his links with the Conservative Party. He was Treasurer under Michael Howard, helped to run Boris Johnson's campaign for London Mayor, and was ennobled by David Cameron. Marland's supporters hope that his combination of enthusiasm for cricket, successful business background and strong links to a party at present favourites to return to government at the next election will be a vote-winner.
Speaking of his decision to run for the chairmanship, Marland told The Times: “As a cricket fan I am utterly frustrated by the underachievement of English cricket since the great Ashes victory in 2005, culminating in the shambles of both captain and coach effectively being sacked on the same day two weeks ago. I've been contacted by a lot of cricket supporters and several county chairmen who have encouraged me to put my name forward.
“I believe that the running of the ECB needs a thorough review and that will be one of my first priorities. It is quite clear from the conversations I have had with a number of senior figures within the game that the counties are divided about the current leadership and these fences need mending. It is time to focus everyone's attention and energies on the need to make England a successful team again, along with a vibrant grassroots structure.”
This is not the first time that Marland has involved himself with the politics of sport. He was almost persuaded to run for the chairmanship of the Football Association two years ago and he chairs a non-profit-making organisation called the Sports Nexus that describes itself as “an independent voice which challenges the structures, practice and accountability of British sporting institutions”.
Marland's supporters are Leicestershire, Hampshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Surrey, Yorkshire and MCC. Neil Davidson, the chairman of Leicestershire, and Rod Bransgrove, the chairman of Hampshire, have been outspoken critics of Clarke and have been involved in persuading Marland to run. Clarke's opponents point to the Stanford controversies, the Moores and Pietersen fiasco, and the failure to build relationships as evidence of a time for change. They believe that his bullying approach has resulted in a culture of confrontation within the English game that is unhealthy.
Clarke is not without his supporters, though, and is the favourite to win a second term. His followers say that few chairmen have had to cope with so many complex issues at a time when cricket has been undergoing fundamental changes. Clarke has made the job of chairman almost full-time, with a direct, hands-on approach that has endeared him to some county chairmen. The biggest feather in his cap (as far as the counties are concerned) was renegotiating a deal with Sky, worth £300million over five years, before the credit crunch struck.
Marland now has two weeks to make his case to those chairmen in favour of the status quo. Big cheese that he is, he will find Clarke a tough opponent to beat.
source:the londontimes
Marland's candidature has been forwarded by Lancashire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire and four other clubs have pledged their support. It leaves him short of a majority, but is enough to encourage him that Clarke's re-election is not the formality previously supposed and that a proper debate about the future direction of English cricket should take place.
Last Friday, there were reports that Clarke's opponents had failed to find a challenger, although Marland had told confidants that he was standing only the evening before. The declaration of his candidature has been carefully orchestrated since then, culminating with this morning's announcement, which it is hoped will cause Clarke maximum discomfort since it coincides with the ECB brainstorming session at Stapleford Park in Leicestershire that will involve many of the game's decision-makers.
Marland is an ardent cricket supporter, having travelled to India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the past few years to watch England play. He made his fortune as a founding director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson, the insurance company, although he is better known because of his links with the Conservative Party. He was Treasurer under Michael Howard, helped to run Boris Johnson's campaign for London Mayor, and was ennobled by David Cameron. Marland's supporters hope that his combination of enthusiasm for cricket, successful business background and strong links to a party at present favourites to return to government at the next election will be a vote-winner.
Speaking of his decision to run for the chairmanship, Marland told The Times: “As a cricket fan I am utterly frustrated by the underachievement of English cricket since the great Ashes victory in 2005, culminating in the shambles of both captain and coach effectively being sacked on the same day two weeks ago. I've been contacted by a lot of cricket supporters and several county chairmen who have encouraged me to put my name forward.
“I believe that the running of the ECB needs a thorough review and that will be one of my first priorities. It is quite clear from the conversations I have had with a number of senior figures within the game that the counties are divided about the current leadership and these fences need mending. It is time to focus everyone's attention and energies on the need to make England a successful team again, along with a vibrant grassroots structure.”
This is not the first time that Marland has involved himself with the politics of sport. He was almost persuaded to run for the chairmanship of the Football Association two years ago and he chairs a non-profit-making organisation called the Sports Nexus that describes itself as “an independent voice which challenges the structures, practice and accountability of British sporting institutions”.
Marland's supporters are Leicestershire, Hampshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Surrey, Yorkshire and MCC. Neil Davidson, the chairman of Leicestershire, and Rod Bransgrove, the chairman of Hampshire, have been outspoken critics of Clarke and have been involved in persuading Marland to run. Clarke's opponents point to the Stanford controversies, the Moores and Pietersen fiasco, and the failure to build relationships as evidence of a time for change. They believe that his bullying approach has resulted in a culture of confrontation within the English game that is unhealthy.
Clarke is not without his supporters, though, and is the favourite to win a second term. His followers say that few chairmen have had to cope with so many complex issues at a time when cricket has been undergoing fundamental changes. Clarke has made the job of chairman almost full-time, with a direct, hands-on approach that has endeared him to some county chairmen. The biggest feather in his cap (as far as the counties are concerned) was renegotiating a deal with Sky, worth £300million over five years, before the credit crunch struck.
Marland now has two weeks to make his case to those chairmen in favour of the status quo. Big cheese that he is, he will find Clarke a tough opponent to beat.
source:the londontimes
Andy Murray's Australian Open quest begins with short but sweet victory
There were only 45 minutes on the courtside clock when Andy Murray was shaking hands at the net and his Australian Open quest was off to a blissfully brief and successful start. The circumstances of it were not beneficial for tennis, as Andrei Pavel's ravaged back gave out and supporters were short changed but Murray, though sympathetic with his stricken opponent, was hiding his true feelings. This was a bonus he could not have expected.
After last year's horrendous start to the championship on the same Rod Laver Arena against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, a helping hand into the second round of the 2009 event was not to be refused. Pavel, the 34-year-old Romanian, had not played for 11 months, indeed his doctors first told him he would be mad to play again with his back in such a degenerative state. He chose to give it a go but clearly he could not hit the ball properly and, in retrospect, it would have been better had he not tried at all.
Murray won't mind that, especially on a day that was so warm that an unusual number of seagulls chose to spend their morning dozing in the shade on the banks of the River Yarra alongside which Melbourne Park was built. This was not an occasion for unnecessary flying around. It is a sensational with which Murray would concur and a 6-2, 3-1 victory was, thus, gratefully accepted.
These first round matches are to be won, and won with as little fuss as possible. Even if you come into the tournament with eight victories in ten days under your belt, beating Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick in the process, a grand slam tournament is a different ball game altogether. Murray may not have been that thrilled to be scheduled to play first, an 11 oclock start with the sun directly over the courts, making the ball toss on the serve especially difficult. And the British No.1 has made a conscious decision these days to dispense with the peaked cap - he even used to go to bed in one - and yesterday some additional protection might have come in very useful. Two of his double faults, when facing into the sun, were comically bad.
As one would have anticipated, it took a while for the match to groove. The crowd had their hands full, with fans, water bottles, sunglasses and sunblock, and so applause at the odd good shot was muted, which lent the occasion an ambience more like LTA County Cup than a grand slam tournament. Murray did not want to over exert himself, he probably hit only half a dozen shots that could be described as top-class, he did all that he had to in the circumstances. Once Pavel was broken successively at 3-2 and 5-2, he was already feeling the small of his back.
The trainer was called for a rigorous massage at the start of the second set and though he held his first service game to love - as did Murray - when the Romanian was broken to love in the third and Murray held without concern, Pavel's next backhand into the net was his last contribution to proceedings.
Murray will next face Marcel Granollers, of Spain, in the second round. The Scot and the Spaniard, ranked 51, have never played against each other before.
source: the london times
After last year's horrendous start to the championship on the same Rod Laver Arena against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, a helping hand into the second round of the 2009 event was not to be refused. Pavel, the 34-year-old Romanian, had not played for 11 months, indeed his doctors first told him he would be mad to play again with his back in such a degenerative state. He chose to give it a go but clearly he could not hit the ball properly and, in retrospect, it would have been better had he not tried at all.
Murray won't mind that, especially on a day that was so warm that an unusual number of seagulls chose to spend their morning dozing in the shade on the banks of the River Yarra alongside which Melbourne Park was built. This was not an occasion for unnecessary flying around. It is a sensational with which Murray would concur and a 6-2, 3-1 victory was, thus, gratefully accepted.
These first round matches are to be won, and won with as little fuss as possible. Even if you come into the tournament with eight victories in ten days under your belt, beating Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick in the process, a grand slam tournament is a different ball game altogether. Murray may not have been that thrilled to be scheduled to play first, an 11 oclock start with the sun directly over the courts, making the ball toss on the serve especially difficult. And the British No.1 has made a conscious decision these days to dispense with the peaked cap - he even used to go to bed in one - and yesterday some additional protection might have come in very useful. Two of his double faults, when facing into the sun, were comically bad.
As one would have anticipated, it took a while for the match to groove. The crowd had their hands full, with fans, water bottles, sunglasses and sunblock, and so applause at the odd good shot was muted, which lent the occasion an ambience more like LTA County Cup than a grand slam tournament. Murray did not want to over exert himself, he probably hit only half a dozen shots that could be described as top-class, he did all that he had to in the circumstances. Once Pavel was broken successively at 3-2 and 5-2, he was already feeling the small of his back.
The trainer was called for a rigorous massage at the start of the second set and though he held his first service game to love - as did Murray - when the Romanian was broken to love in the third and Murray held without concern, Pavel's next backhand into the net was his last contribution to proceedings.
Murray will next face Marcel Granollers, of Spain, in the second round. The Scot and the Spaniard, ranked 51, have never played against each other before.
source: the london times
Blow for England as Matt Stevens admits drug use
Matt Stevens, the Bath prop, has been withdrawn from the England squad after admitting in a television interview yesterday that he has failed a drugs test. The player, struggling to keep his emotions in check, said that what had started as a night out with friends had become a habit for which he needed counselling.
But he added that he had taken no performance-enhancing drug and if he can prove that to the satisfaction of any judicial hearing, he could escape a lengthy suspension. The best that Stevens, 26, can hope for is a severe reprimand but no ban; the worst is a two-year ban and a huge slur on his character. Were he to have taken a performance-enhancing drug, the maximum penalty would be a life ban.
The test was made after the Heineken Cup game between Bath and Glasgow Warriors at the Recreation Ground on December 7, in line with the random procedure to which all players in the competition submit. “I was tested for a prohibited substance but it’s not performance-enhancing so you can take what you want from that,” Stevens said, inferring that a “social” drug such as marijuana could be involved. “It’s pretty distressing talking about this. When you think about how much time people have put into my career and I have thrown it away.”
The problem began after what Stevens described as a “big night out” with friends. “It wasn’t a big deal but that’s the problem with drugs, it so quickly became a big deal,” he said. “I owe it to everyone to admit that and that’s what I want to do. I truly am very sorry.” Stevens took counselling but did not take initial advice seriously. He has placed at risk his career with both club and country, and potentially a second tour with the Lions to South Africa this summer. “I want to change my life and hopefully, one day, get the faith back that people had in me,” he said.
The RFU were told by European Rugby Cup Ltd, organisers of the Heineken Cup, that Stevens had failed a test after his A sample had been submitted to a Wada-certified laboratory. Once a violation is confirmed, the player is suspended from all competition and the immediate effect is that Bath, who face a critical pool game against Toulouse at the Recreation Ground on Sunday, will be without one of their two current England internationals.
He has also been removed from England’s elite player squad and will not travel to Portugal on Monday for warm-weather training prior to the RBS Six Nations Championship. Martin Johnson, the manager who confirmed the squad only a week ago, will name a replacement shortly — Julian White, the veteran Leicester prop, is a candidate — and the prospects of Stevens being involved in the championship, which begins for England against Italy on February 7, must be remote.
His admission will be a blow to the RFU, the only member of the International Rugby Board to have a full-time doping officer, Gavin Dovey. Drug-taking is not considered a serious problem within the game but the fact that Dovey is employed indicates that the RFU is not hiding its head in the sand; only last month a Manchester prop, Marshall Gadd, was banned for two years for use of a banned steroid.
Statistics for a five-year period from 2003-08 from UK Sport show that rugby union had 62 positive tests, of which 14 were cleared. Of the remainder, 44 players were banned and four received reprimands. Few of the positive findings involved players at the elite end of the game but when an international player is involved, the negative impact on the game as a whole is far greater.
“We are shocked at this news, which is very out of character for Matt,” Damien Hopley, the chief executive of the Professional Rugby Players’ Association, said. “He had built a reputation as a fine ambassador for the game, who does a tremendous amount of voluntary work for a number of charities and good causes. We will be doing everything we can to provide Matt with the support he needs at this very difficult time.”
source:thelondontimes
But he added that he had taken no performance-enhancing drug and if he can prove that to the satisfaction of any judicial hearing, he could escape a lengthy suspension. The best that Stevens, 26, can hope for is a severe reprimand but no ban; the worst is a two-year ban and a huge slur on his character. Were he to have taken a performance-enhancing drug, the maximum penalty would be a life ban.
The test was made after the Heineken Cup game between Bath and Glasgow Warriors at the Recreation Ground on December 7, in line with the random procedure to which all players in the competition submit. “I was tested for a prohibited substance but it’s not performance-enhancing so you can take what you want from that,” Stevens said, inferring that a “social” drug such as marijuana could be involved. “It’s pretty distressing talking about this. When you think about how much time people have put into my career and I have thrown it away.”
The problem began after what Stevens described as a “big night out” with friends. “It wasn’t a big deal but that’s the problem with drugs, it so quickly became a big deal,” he said. “I owe it to everyone to admit that and that’s what I want to do. I truly am very sorry.” Stevens took counselling but did not take initial advice seriously. He has placed at risk his career with both club and country, and potentially a second tour with the Lions to South Africa this summer. “I want to change my life and hopefully, one day, get the faith back that people had in me,” he said.
The RFU were told by European Rugby Cup Ltd, organisers of the Heineken Cup, that Stevens had failed a test after his A sample had been submitted to a Wada-certified laboratory. Once a violation is confirmed, the player is suspended from all competition and the immediate effect is that Bath, who face a critical pool game against Toulouse at the Recreation Ground on Sunday, will be without one of their two current England internationals.
He has also been removed from England’s elite player squad and will not travel to Portugal on Monday for warm-weather training prior to the RBS Six Nations Championship. Martin Johnson, the manager who confirmed the squad only a week ago, will name a replacement shortly — Julian White, the veteran Leicester prop, is a candidate — and the prospects of Stevens being involved in the championship, which begins for England against Italy on February 7, must be remote.
His admission will be a blow to the RFU, the only member of the International Rugby Board to have a full-time doping officer, Gavin Dovey. Drug-taking is not considered a serious problem within the game but the fact that Dovey is employed indicates that the RFU is not hiding its head in the sand; only last month a Manchester prop, Marshall Gadd, was banned for two years for use of a banned steroid.
Statistics for a five-year period from 2003-08 from UK Sport show that rugby union had 62 positive tests, of which 14 were cleared. Of the remainder, 44 players were banned and four received reprimands. Few of the positive findings involved players at the elite end of the game but when an international player is involved, the negative impact on the game as a whole is far greater.
“We are shocked at this news, which is very out of character for Matt,” Damien Hopley, the chief executive of the Professional Rugby Players’ Association, said. “He had built a reputation as a fine ambassador for the game, who does a tremendous amount of voluntary work for a number of charities and good causes. We will be doing everything we can to provide Matt with the support he needs at this very difficult time.”
source:thelondontimes
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Ron Dennis hands over the controls at McLaren
Ron Dennis chose his moment to go carefully: behind him yesterday, a car designed by computer to win yet another world championship and at his side the driver he created, Lewis Hamilton, who was transformed from go-karting novice to Formula One world champion.
Dennis refuses to accept that his decision to step down as McLaren team principal is the end of an era, but his announcement - casually dropped in at the end of the unveiling of the McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 car that will contest the 2009 championship - caused jaws to drop inside the glittering steel-and-glass room at the heart of McLaren's futuristic £250 million headquarters in Woking, Surrey.
Hamilton, the protégé Dennis groomed from the age of 13 to be world champion, had talked through his chances of winning a second consecutive title, while his mentor had discussed how McLaren now designed and tested 95 per cent of their 200mph speed machine using only technology, even before a wheel is turned for the first time this morning at a track in Portugal.
And then Dennis, the most high-profile team leader in Formula One, suddenly revealed that, from March 1, he will no longer be the voice and face of the McLaren Mercedes team. He is passing the mantle he has held for almost three decades to Martin Whitmarsh, his chief executive and right-hand man.
Dennis admitted that he would have gone a year ago but for the debacle of the 2007 season when Hamilton lost the championship in his maiden season by a single point, added to which were the accusations of cheating for which McLaren were fined a record £50million by the FIA, the world governing body.
He could have walked away then and enjoyed a retirement away from the spotlight, spending some of his £200million fortune, flying in his Learjet and sailing on his new yacht.
But Dennis, 61, is the ultimate Formula One street fighter and turned McLaren into a war machine for the 2008 season.
Every waking minute was devoted to expunging the humiliations of the previous year. He succeeded - just - in the final few seconds of one of the most breathless championships in history in Brazil when Hamilton clinched the world title. That signalled the time to go.
“It is a comfortable time to do it,” Dennis said. “There were lots of reasons why it would have been an uncomfortable time a year ago. People would have thought I was doing it under duress, under personal pressure because we had narrowly lost a world championship. Now, people can understand there is no pressure, that I am doing this freely.”
Dennis will be in Australia in March for the first race of the season, but the ignition key to the McLaren race team will be held by Whitmarsh while Dennis attempts to stay in the background as the wise man, ready to be consulted, but not making decisions.
Instead, he will devote his time to the burgeoning McLaren business, which is much more than two racing cars on a grand-prix grid as a world leader in electronics, supplying race series around the world as well as to aviation companies. In the face of the economic downturn, Dennis is committing himself to the rest of the empire he has built from scratch over the past 28 years.
“Let's get it clear - I am not retiring,” he said. “I am going to work harder so that McLaren can power through this recession.” Just as Dennis powered McLaren to the top of Formula One.
source:the london times
Dennis refuses to accept that his decision to step down as McLaren team principal is the end of an era, but his announcement - casually dropped in at the end of the unveiling of the McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 car that will contest the 2009 championship - caused jaws to drop inside the glittering steel-and-glass room at the heart of McLaren's futuristic £250 million headquarters in Woking, Surrey.
Hamilton, the protégé Dennis groomed from the age of 13 to be world champion, had talked through his chances of winning a second consecutive title, while his mentor had discussed how McLaren now designed and tested 95 per cent of their 200mph speed machine using only technology, even before a wheel is turned for the first time this morning at a track in Portugal.
And then Dennis, the most high-profile team leader in Formula One, suddenly revealed that, from March 1, he will no longer be the voice and face of the McLaren Mercedes team. He is passing the mantle he has held for almost three decades to Martin Whitmarsh, his chief executive and right-hand man.
Dennis admitted that he would have gone a year ago but for the debacle of the 2007 season when Hamilton lost the championship in his maiden season by a single point, added to which were the accusations of cheating for which McLaren were fined a record £50million by the FIA, the world governing body.
He could have walked away then and enjoyed a retirement away from the spotlight, spending some of his £200million fortune, flying in his Learjet and sailing on his new yacht.
But Dennis, 61, is the ultimate Formula One street fighter and turned McLaren into a war machine for the 2008 season.
Every waking minute was devoted to expunging the humiliations of the previous year. He succeeded - just - in the final few seconds of one of the most breathless championships in history in Brazil when Hamilton clinched the world title. That signalled the time to go.
“It is a comfortable time to do it,” Dennis said. “There were lots of reasons why it would have been an uncomfortable time a year ago. People would have thought I was doing it under duress, under personal pressure because we had narrowly lost a world championship. Now, people can understand there is no pressure, that I am doing this freely.”
Dennis will be in Australia in March for the first race of the season, but the ignition key to the McLaren race team will be held by Whitmarsh while Dennis attempts to stay in the background as the wise man, ready to be consulted, but not making decisions.
Instead, he will devote his time to the burgeoning McLaren business, which is much more than two racing cars on a grand-prix grid as a world leader in electronics, supplying race series around the world as well as to aviation companies. In the face of the economic downturn, Dennis is committing himself to the rest of the empire he has built from scratch over the past 28 years.
“Let's get it clear - I am not retiring,” he said. “I am going to work harder so that McLaren can power through this recession.” Just as Dennis powered McLaren to the top of Formula One.
source:the london times
Andy Murray: the power and the glory
To win a Grand Slam title requires three distinct elements. You must be hugely talented, with your game as close to the peak of its potential as it is possible to be over a two-week period, and possess the style and technique suited to the conditions. Second, you must undeniably have good fortune on your side. And finally, you must be so impeccably prepared in terms of physical strength and mental resilience that you are durable enough to suffer all the demands that come with playing seven potentially lengthy matches.
Andy Murray definitely seems to have two of those boxes nicely ticked and probably thinks he is able to take his pen to the third. Don’t get me wrong, I am hugely impressed by everything he has shown going into the first major of the year and I’m firmly of the opinion that he will be the next player to be crowned a Grand Slam champion. He is undeniably a special talent who has it in him to win the greatest prizes. I’m just not yet convinced he is strong enough to show the bounce-back ability required.
I hear all the tales of Andy toughening up, putting on the necessary weight and muscle, running repetitions of 400m sprints until his lungs expanded to bursting point and his legs burnt. I see from his matches that this added strength has made his first serve a true weapon and nearly all the other facets of his game are sufficiently top drawer to emulate what Novak Djokovic did this time last year — following up a place in the US Open final by going one step better and winning the Australian title.
The impersonal computer read-out at Melbourne that takes the place of Wimbledon’s traditional velvet bag could not have been more amenable to Britain’s No 1, presenting him with the sort of potential first week that he could hardly have bettered if he tried. Another plus is the way tournament referee Wayne McKewen and his match scheduling team seem more than happy to agree with the requests of foreign television companies. I’d be amazed if Murray started any of his matches in the boiling glare of a sweltering Aussie early afternoon because that is in the middle of the night British time and the BBC would like Murray on court at breakfast time or later, when he can be seen on its interactive service. I’d love to banish such doubts because Murray is such a sensational talent that he deserves to open his Grand Slam account as soon as possible.
However, I think back to three matches last year and wonder. The first was his lacklustre exit from Wimbledon against Rafael Nadal a couple of days after sending the nation’s imagination into overdrive with that sensational fightback to beat Richard Gasquet in five sets. The second was the US Open final in September when, having finally overcome the Spaniard who was the man of the moment, he could not offer any great resistance to the supreme Roger Federer. And the last was the Tennis Masters Cup semi-final in Shanghai a couple of months later when, after beating Federer so magnificently, he was reduced to mush a day later when he faced Nikolay Davydenko.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Murray is now more than capable of beating anybody in the world on any given day. He’s proved that by taking out all the big guys at least once in the weeks since Wimbledon. I’m not totally sure, though, playing over the best-of-five sets, whether he yet has sufficient powers of recovery necessary to go through a potentially demanding climax to the second week when he could quite easily have to overcome first Nadal and then Federer. Abu Dhabi in an exhibition is one thing, the Australian Open is another.
That Murray has been installed as favourite for the title in some quarters won’t affect him in the slightest, though it would be wrong to say that when the balls start flying, top tennis players give no heed to a word that bookmakers say.
I can cast my mind back to 1988 and recall going into this tournament as the man with the shortest odds after winning Wimbledon and not thinking it exerted any added pressure. If memory serves me well, they only boosted my confidence a little more. On that occasion I came up short in the final to Mats Wilander but never once was that because I felt the pressure of expectation. He just handled the day better than I did.
In two weeks, Murray could easily be on the verge of becoming a Grand Slam champion for the first time. He has nothing to fear, the time zones work in his favour and his game is better than ever. Only one thing makes me think somebody else will win: the fact that Federer is a proven exponent at winning major titles.
Sure he’s lost to Murray in both Abu Dhabi and Doha this year but they weren’t tournaments that got Federer truly revved up. One was an exhibition and the other a lucrative season-opener that was nonetheless of modest status. The Aussie Open is one of the Grand Slams and those are events Federer knows how to win. He loves doing it and this year is determined to beat Pete Sampras’s record of 14.
source:the london times
Andy Murray definitely seems to have two of those boxes nicely ticked and probably thinks he is able to take his pen to the third. Don’t get me wrong, I am hugely impressed by everything he has shown going into the first major of the year and I’m firmly of the opinion that he will be the next player to be crowned a Grand Slam champion. He is undeniably a special talent who has it in him to win the greatest prizes. I’m just not yet convinced he is strong enough to show the bounce-back ability required.
I hear all the tales of Andy toughening up, putting on the necessary weight and muscle, running repetitions of 400m sprints until his lungs expanded to bursting point and his legs burnt. I see from his matches that this added strength has made his first serve a true weapon and nearly all the other facets of his game are sufficiently top drawer to emulate what Novak Djokovic did this time last year — following up a place in the US Open final by going one step better and winning the Australian title.
The impersonal computer read-out at Melbourne that takes the place of Wimbledon’s traditional velvet bag could not have been more amenable to Britain’s No 1, presenting him with the sort of potential first week that he could hardly have bettered if he tried. Another plus is the way tournament referee Wayne McKewen and his match scheduling team seem more than happy to agree with the requests of foreign television companies. I’d be amazed if Murray started any of his matches in the boiling glare of a sweltering Aussie early afternoon because that is in the middle of the night British time and the BBC would like Murray on court at breakfast time or later, when he can be seen on its interactive service. I’d love to banish such doubts because Murray is such a sensational talent that he deserves to open his Grand Slam account as soon as possible.
However, I think back to three matches last year and wonder. The first was his lacklustre exit from Wimbledon against Rafael Nadal a couple of days after sending the nation’s imagination into overdrive with that sensational fightback to beat Richard Gasquet in five sets. The second was the US Open final in September when, having finally overcome the Spaniard who was the man of the moment, he could not offer any great resistance to the supreme Roger Federer. And the last was the Tennis Masters Cup semi-final in Shanghai a couple of months later when, after beating Federer so magnificently, he was reduced to mush a day later when he faced Nikolay Davydenko.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Murray is now more than capable of beating anybody in the world on any given day. He’s proved that by taking out all the big guys at least once in the weeks since Wimbledon. I’m not totally sure, though, playing over the best-of-five sets, whether he yet has sufficient powers of recovery necessary to go through a potentially demanding climax to the second week when he could quite easily have to overcome first Nadal and then Federer. Abu Dhabi in an exhibition is one thing, the Australian Open is another.
That Murray has been installed as favourite for the title in some quarters won’t affect him in the slightest, though it would be wrong to say that when the balls start flying, top tennis players give no heed to a word that bookmakers say.
I can cast my mind back to 1988 and recall going into this tournament as the man with the shortest odds after winning Wimbledon and not thinking it exerted any added pressure. If memory serves me well, they only boosted my confidence a little more. On that occasion I came up short in the final to Mats Wilander but never once was that because I felt the pressure of expectation. He just handled the day better than I did.
In two weeks, Murray could easily be on the verge of becoming a Grand Slam champion for the first time. He has nothing to fear, the time zones work in his favour and his game is better than ever. Only one thing makes me think somebody else will win: the fact that Federer is a proven exponent at winning major titles.
Sure he’s lost to Murray in both Abu Dhabi and Doha this year but they weren’t tournaments that got Federer truly revved up. One was an exhibition and the other a lucrative season-opener that was nonetheless of modest status. The Aussie Open is one of the Grand Slams and those are events Federer knows how to win. He loves doing it and this year is determined to beat Pete Sampras’s record of 14.
source:the london times
Administration threat to Great Leighs’ future
The future of Britain’s newest racecourse is in serious doubt after Essex County Showground Ltd, which manages Great Leighs, went into administration last night.
Nine turbulent months after the racecourse opened, administrators were called in when the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rejected an extension to Great Leighs’ licence to race, having been sufficiently concerned by the deteriorating financial position effectively to shut down the Essex venue.
It did so amid persistent complaints from suppliers over lack of payment as creditors mounted, and the increasing failure of the racecourse to meet its financial commitments towards prize-money. Only four months ago, the BHA had made threatening noises over a six-figure debt that Great Leighs had built up with Weatherbys, which distributes prize-money to racehorse owners. The debt was paid, but rumours persisted that building the track had put an intolerable financial burden on its owner, John Holmes.
Only yesterday, Holmes had pledged to return to the BHA’s offices next week to reapply for the licence to race. That process will now fall to the administrators, Carlton Siddle and Nick Edwards, of Deloitte. They plan to run the business as a going concern while exploring the possibility of selling the venue near Chelmsford.Great Leighs, Britain’s first new racecourse since 1927, has been stalked by controversy from the outset. After numerous delays to its start date, the track opened last April with a lauded racing surface, but precious little by way of facilities for the paying public.
At the time, Holmes maintained that facilities would quickly improve, yet few enhancements were forthcoming. One of Britain’s leading trainers, Jeremy Noseda, was so appalled on his inaugural visit that he said: “This is like going back to the Dark Ages. It’s a good track to run horses round, but as a leisure experience, it’s a disgrace.”
Speculation will centre on who could buy Great Leighs at a time when borrowing money has never been more difficult. Ironically, Holmes is understood to have rejected an eight-figure offer from Northern Racing Ltd to buy the site in the months before it opened for business.
The proprietor of ten racecourses, Northern is owned by David and Simon Reuben. The brothers, property and investment entrepreneurs, have increased to about 23 per cent their stake in Arena Leisure, which manages Great Leighs and owns five other tracks. Their position has fuelled speculation that Northern and Arena will merge into one company with control of nearly 30 per cent of Britain’s 60 racecourses.
Delayed reactions
Feb 04 Project receives official approval — opening date Dec 2005
May 05 Opening put back to June 06, then Oct 06
Aug 06 Surrenders first six fixtures, new opening date Feb 07
Jan 07 Opening date put back to June 07, then Oct 07, then Feb 08, then Apr 08
Apr 08 Licence to race rejected pending safety improvements
Apr 08 Stages first meeting but without paying customers. Racing surface praised but facilities primitive
May 08 Paying customers admitted
Sep 08 Meetings under threat until debt with Weatherbys cleared
Dec 08 Annual licence application rejected; two-week temporary licence issued
Jan 09 Temporary licence not renewed — track closed
source:the london times
Nine turbulent months after the racecourse opened, administrators were called in when the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rejected an extension to Great Leighs’ licence to race, having been sufficiently concerned by the deteriorating financial position effectively to shut down the Essex venue.
It did so amid persistent complaints from suppliers over lack of payment as creditors mounted, and the increasing failure of the racecourse to meet its financial commitments towards prize-money. Only four months ago, the BHA had made threatening noises over a six-figure debt that Great Leighs had built up with Weatherbys, which distributes prize-money to racehorse owners. The debt was paid, but rumours persisted that building the track had put an intolerable financial burden on its owner, John Holmes.
Only yesterday, Holmes had pledged to return to the BHA’s offices next week to reapply for the licence to race. That process will now fall to the administrators, Carlton Siddle and Nick Edwards, of Deloitte. They plan to run the business as a going concern while exploring the possibility of selling the venue near Chelmsford.Great Leighs, Britain’s first new racecourse since 1927, has been stalked by controversy from the outset. After numerous delays to its start date, the track opened last April with a lauded racing surface, but precious little by way of facilities for the paying public.
At the time, Holmes maintained that facilities would quickly improve, yet few enhancements were forthcoming. One of Britain’s leading trainers, Jeremy Noseda, was so appalled on his inaugural visit that he said: “This is like going back to the Dark Ages. It’s a good track to run horses round, but as a leisure experience, it’s a disgrace.”
Speculation will centre on who could buy Great Leighs at a time when borrowing money has never been more difficult. Ironically, Holmes is understood to have rejected an eight-figure offer from Northern Racing Ltd to buy the site in the months before it opened for business.
The proprietor of ten racecourses, Northern is owned by David and Simon Reuben. The brothers, property and investment entrepreneurs, have increased to about 23 per cent their stake in Arena Leisure, which manages Great Leighs and owns five other tracks. Their position has fuelled speculation that Northern and Arena will merge into one company with control of nearly 30 per cent of Britain’s 60 racecourses.
Delayed reactions
Feb 04 Project receives official approval — opening date Dec 2005
May 05 Opening put back to June 06, then Oct 06
Aug 06 Surrenders first six fixtures, new opening date Feb 07
Jan 07 Opening date put back to June 07, then Oct 07, then Feb 08, then Apr 08
Apr 08 Licence to race rejected pending safety improvements
Apr 08 Stages first meeting but without paying customers. Racing surface praised but facilities primitive
May 08 Paying customers admitted
Sep 08 Meetings under threat until debt with Weatherbys cleared
Dec 08 Annual licence application rejected; two-week temporary licence issued
Jan 09 Temporary licence not renewed — track closed
source:the london times
Dimitar Berbatov steals last-minute win
HE MOVES quietly through most matches, a drifter more than a hustler. The opponent who swaps shirts with him might not even have to wash the garment when he gets home. Like his approach to everything else he does on the pitch, Dimitar Berbatov measures each drop of perspiration before spending it. And of all the players in the game, he is the one you must judge by quality, not quantity.
Yesterday’s contribution was classical Berbatov. He had spent most of the game on the edge of the action but there were enough good touches and perceptive passes to remind us of his worth. And there were enough raised eyebrows and hand signals of irritation to remind his colleagues that he expected more of them. He is more general than foot soldier, and just as the game seemed certain to end scoreless, he turned up in the right place to deliver the 90th-minute winner.
The ball was played towards Carlos Tevez, the danger seemed minimal, but Andy O’Brien and Sebastien Puygrenier got into a tangle and the Argentinian got free. A quick pass would have put Berbatov through, but Tevez took the ball on, eventually saw his teammate and struck a good cross for the Bulgarian to stoop low and guide his header into the net.
United had had chances before this moment, but this was Berbatov’s first opportunity, and the game was decided. Two minutes later, the final whistle sounded and you understood why Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic went to the centre-forward and gave him the kind of hug you reserve for the hero. There is more to United’s climb to the top of the table than important contributions from a talented striker. Goals win games, but it is great defence that makes the team invincible, and United have climbed above Chelsea and Liverpool on the back of their defenders. Do you remember Sami Nasri at the Emirates in November, the last player to score a Premier League goal against United? Yesterday’s was the team’s 10th consecutive clean sheet.
That equalled Chelsea’s record, and just now you wouldn’t bet on any team to score against United. At the Reebok they were without Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, but the Irishmen, Jonny Evans and John O’Shea, were excellent replacements. Evans’s rise has been impressive and it was instructive to hear Sir Alex Ferguson speak of him after the game: “I was delighted to have Jonny Evans fit for the game because there was a doubt. The young boy is maturing quickly. He has been fantastic for us.”
The Northern Ireland international is tall, quick, brave, has good positional sense and is very composed for one with such limited experience. He hardly put a foot wrong yesterday and suffered little by comparison with the outstanding Vidic.
You have to say, too, that Bolton didn’t have the class to trouble United and they sorely missed Johan Elmander, their injured centre- forward. They gave a first start to Portuguese striker Ariza Makukula. Although he won a few headers early on, he didn’t do much else except get tired in the second half.
The game started tamely. Bolton’s poor recent run made them do everything cautiously and United weren’t in the mood to rush things. Then the strangest thing: midway through the half, a man left his seat in the stands and somehow insinuated himself into the game. He just trotted on to the field as a line of orange-coated stewards looked on menacingly. As he walked towards the centre circle, the intruder waved a red-and-white scarf over his head, indicating he might have been of a United persuasion. What prompted him was the mystery. Was he there to ask for more passion? Perhaps to complain about the lack of excitement? It was a strange minute or so. Play stopped and nobody moved. He was burly, and it may have been his size that induced such trepidation. “You tell him to get lost.” “After you,” the players and stewards seemed to be saying. Tevez’s quiet diplomacy didn’t work.
Then Neville, who has been known to rush in where angels fear to tread, went to The Burly One and suggested he leave. As the full-back ushered him away, you should have seen the belated bravery of the orange coats who swarmed on to the pitch and frogmarched the fan to the waiting police. So engaging was this little distraction that it was almost a comedown to return to the sedateness of the game.
Twenty-eight minutes slowly passed before Fabrice Muamba won a little tussle with Anderson and rocketed a left-foot shot that Edwin van der Sar finger-tipped around the post. The shot was a reminder that goals weren’t out of the question, and as the game edged towards the interval United finally shook themselves awake. Was it the prospect of their mid-match chat with Sir Alex that stirred them?
Berbatov and O’Shea linked neatly down the left. When the full-back’s cross was half-cleared, Neville gave Darren Fletcher the chance to cross from the right. It was a finely delivered ball and Cristiano Ronaldo’s firm header drew a good save from Jussi Jaaskelainen, who made further good saves in the second half. His excellence has been a constant theme of the Bolton story in the past few years.
United quickened the tempo a little in the second half. As Bolton’s limbs grew weary, more of the game was played out in their half and it was simply a question of whether United would get that one goal and claim their seventh 1-0 in this campaign. Lapses of concentration by Gretar Steinsson allowed Ronaldo to stampede twice down the left. Instead of going for goal, he sought to pick out a teammate but failed.
Then the game was into its last minute and Ferguson was trying to get Danny Welbeck on for Tevez when the ball came to the Argentinian and he got clear of the defence to make the winner for Berbatov. You could be sentimental and say Bolton deserved better, but on their own ground they had played for a nil-nil draw and apart from that Muamba shot, they didn’t trouble Van der Sar.And, for facing down The Burly One, Neville deserved to be on the side that won.
“Being top is not decisive at this stage, but it is always nice because it is the best place to be,” Ferguson said. “We have been playing catch-up in terms of fixtures for a while. We still have another game in hand against Fulham on February 17. Only after that will we have a good idea of where we stand between Liverpool, Chelsea and ourselves.”
Bolton manager Gary Megson berated his centre-halves, Gary Cahill, O’Brien and Puygrenier, for not dealing more decisively with Tevez in the build-up to Berbatov’s winner. “Our part in that goal was particularly poor,” he said. “I put three centre-halves in there at the end because we were out on our feet. It looked as though we would get something but it hasn’t happened.
“I don’t know if this result was ominous for the rest of the league but if anyone finishes above United, they will win it.”
BOLTON WANDERERS: Jaaskelainen 8, Steinsson 6, Cahill 7, O’Brien 6, Samuel 7, Davies 5, Gardner 6 (Puygrenier 83min), Muamba 7, Basham 7, Taylor 5, Makukula 5 (Obadeyi 64min)
MANCHESTER UNITED: Van der Sar 6, Neville 6, Vidic 7, Evans 7, O’Shea 7, Fletcher 5 (Giggs 69min), Carrick 6, Anderson 7 (Scholes 69min), Ronaldo 6, Tevez 6, Berbatov 7
source:the london times
Yesterday’s contribution was classical Berbatov. He had spent most of the game on the edge of the action but there were enough good touches and perceptive passes to remind us of his worth. And there were enough raised eyebrows and hand signals of irritation to remind his colleagues that he expected more of them. He is more general than foot soldier, and just as the game seemed certain to end scoreless, he turned up in the right place to deliver the 90th-minute winner.
The ball was played towards Carlos Tevez, the danger seemed minimal, but Andy O’Brien and Sebastien Puygrenier got into a tangle and the Argentinian got free. A quick pass would have put Berbatov through, but Tevez took the ball on, eventually saw his teammate and struck a good cross for the Bulgarian to stoop low and guide his header into the net.
United had had chances before this moment, but this was Berbatov’s first opportunity, and the game was decided. Two minutes later, the final whistle sounded and you understood why Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic went to the centre-forward and gave him the kind of hug you reserve for the hero. There is more to United’s climb to the top of the table than important contributions from a talented striker. Goals win games, but it is great defence that makes the team invincible, and United have climbed above Chelsea and Liverpool on the back of their defenders. Do you remember Sami Nasri at the Emirates in November, the last player to score a Premier League goal against United? Yesterday’s was the team’s 10th consecutive clean sheet.
That equalled Chelsea’s record, and just now you wouldn’t bet on any team to score against United. At the Reebok they were without Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, but the Irishmen, Jonny Evans and John O’Shea, were excellent replacements. Evans’s rise has been impressive and it was instructive to hear Sir Alex Ferguson speak of him after the game: “I was delighted to have Jonny Evans fit for the game because there was a doubt. The young boy is maturing quickly. He has been fantastic for us.”
The Northern Ireland international is tall, quick, brave, has good positional sense and is very composed for one with such limited experience. He hardly put a foot wrong yesterday and suffered little by comparison with the outstanding Vidic.
You have to say, too, that Bolton didn’t have the class to trouble United and they sorely missed Johan Elmander, their injured centre- forward. They gave a first start to Portuguese striker Ariza Makukula. Although he won a few headers early on, he didn’t do much else except get tired in the second half.
The game started tamely. Bolton’s poor recent run made them do everything cautiously and United weren’t in the mood to rush things. Then the strangest thing: midway through the half, a man left his seat in the stands and somehow insinuated himself into the game. He just trotted on to the field as a line of orange-coated stewards looked on menacingly. As he walked towards the centre circle, the intruder waved a red-and-white scarf over his head, indicating he might have been of a United persuasion. What prompted him was the mystery. Was he there to ask for more passion? Perhaps to complain about the lack of excitement? It was a strange minute or so. Play stopped and nobody moved. He was burly, and it may have been his size that induced such trepidation. “You tell him to get lost.” “After you,” the players and stewards seemed to be saying. Tevez’s quiet diplomacy didn’t work.
Then Neville, who has been known to rush in where angels fear to tread, went to The Burly One and suggested he leave. As the full-back ushered him away, you should have seen the belated bravery of the orange coats who swarmed on to the pitch and frogmarched the fan to the waiting police. So engaging was this little distraction that it was almost a comedown to return to the sedateness of the game.
Twenty-eight minutes slowly passed before Fabrice Muamba won a little tussle with Anderson and rocketed a left-foot shot that Edwin van der Sar finger-tipped around the post. The shot was a reminder that goals weren’t out of the question, and as the game edged towards the interval United finally shook themselves awake. Was it the prospect of their mid-match chat with Sir Alex that stirred them?
Berbatov and O’Shea linked neatly down the left. When the full-back’s cross was half-cleared, Neville gave Darren Fletcher the chance to cross from the right. It was a finely delivered ball and Cristiano Ronaldo’s firm header drew a good save from Jussi Jaaskelainen, who made further good saves in the second half. His excellence has been a constant theme of the Bolton story in the past few years.
United quickened the tempo a little in the second half. As Bolton’s limbs grew weary, more of the game was played out in their half and it was simply a question of whether United would get that one goal and claim their seventh 1-0 in this campaign. Lapses of concentration by Gretar Steinsson allowed Ronaldo to stampede twice down the left. Instead of going for goal, he sought to pick out a teammate but failed.
Then the game was into its last minute and Ferguson was trying to get Danny Welbeck on for Tevez when the ball came to the Argentinian and he got clear of the defence to make the winner for Berbatov. You could be sentimental and say Bolton deserved better, but on their own ground they had played for a nil-nil draw and apart from that Muamba shot, they didn’t trouble Van der Sar.And, for facing down The Burly One, Neville deserved to be on the side that won.
“Being top is not decisive at this stage, but it is always nice because it is the best place to be,” Ferguson said. “We have been playing catch-up in terms of fixtures for a while. We still have another game in hand against Fulham on February 17. Only after that will we have a good idea of where we stand between Liverpool, Chelsea and ourselves.”
Bolton manager Gary Megson berated his centre-halves, Gary Cahill, O’Brien and Puygrenier, for not dealing more decisively with Tevez in the build-up to Berbatov’s winner. “Our part in that goal was particularly poor,” he said. “I put three centre-halves in there at the end because we were out on our feet. It looked as though we would get something but it hasn’t happened.
“I don’t know if this result was ominous for the rest of the league but if anyone finishes above United, they will win it.”
BOLTON WANDERERS: Jaaskelainen 8, Steinsson 6, Cahill 7, O’Brien 6, Samuel 7, Davies 5, Gardner 6 (Puygrenier 83min), Muamba 7, Basham 7, Taylor 5, Makukula 5 (Obadeyi 64min)
MANCHESTER UNITED: Van der Sar 6, Neville 6, Vidic 7, Evans 7, O’Shea 7, Fletcher 5 (Giggs 69min), Carrick 6, Anderson 7 (Scholes 69min), Ronaldo 6, Tevez 6, Berbatov 7
source:the london times
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Andy Murray keeps his feet on the ground
An unmistakable sound drifted down the Yarra River from Federation Square where, on Friday evenings, the chattering classes gather. From Melbourne Park to the feverish city centre the sound of bagpipes could be heard, resounding as a clarion call for those here for the Australian Open during the next fortnight.
Is this really Andy Murray's time? Are the bookmakers, lured by an incredible level of investment in the 21-year-old British No1 to win a grand-slam championship, spot on with their odds? Is history to be made and are the giants of the game heading for the Rod Laver Arena, including the Rockhampton Rocket himself on the 40th anniversary of his only grand slam in the open era, about to witness something the old country has long dreamed of?
Murray himself remains outwardly untouched by a situation of his making only because he is beating everyone in sight at present. He refuses to act, talk, or demand attention as a favourite might. Roger Federer, a three-times champion here, may find all this blue-eyed boy stuff somewhat disconcerting, but the wonder of it is that Murray is treating the surge of celebrity with mature disdain. “I've heard stuff about me being favourite and in recent events, it's something I've become used to because I have been the favourite in lots of my matches,” the Scot said.
“All I know is that physically, the work I've done in November and December in Miami has made a huge difference, especially with my serve and the balance I have reaching for wide balls and being able to hang in better in the longer matches.
My first-serve percentage is getting better and better, there is more strength in the legs and the upper body and I'm happy with the prospect of keeping that improvement going.”
On the occasion of his extraordinary victory over Andrei Pavel, of Romania - his first-round opponent here - in the opening round of the 2005 US Open, Murray raised a finger to his lips in the style of a footballer who, having been plagued by insults from opposing supporters all afternoon, responds with a sublimely satisfying goal. He had done the same after his final-round qualifying victory over Giovanni Lapentti, of Ecuador.
Those of us sitting courtside bearing notebooks at both matches were in no doubt that his reaction was an unsubtle indication that we should not take what was perceived as a lack of physical strength for granted. Murray was still growing into his body, and at 18 there was much growing to do, but he did not take kindly to being told that he may be found out in the endurance stakes.
The second, and almost as important, recollection was the reaction from Pavel, who lost in five sets after Murray, playing in only his second grand-slam event, had twice thrown up on the court. “I had the feeling all the time I was winning the points, but somehow I was losing them; it was a strange situation,” he said.
Looking at Murray yesterday, the definition in his arms, the strength in his legs, the tightness of his face, it was clear that, whatever else may prevent him winning his first grand-slam tournament over the next two weeks, a lack of physical strength will not be the reason. And, if the event goes the way Britain hopes, there will be more players who will be left gawping in wonder at what Murray has done to their games.
“I have made those sacrifices at the end of last year in Miami because if I had stayed at home in Europe and just practised indoors for three or four weeks it would be too big a shock coming down to Australia,” Murray said.
Whether he can put it out of his head or not, the Scot is the main talking point as this championship approaches. One day it can be 19C here, the next 38C; it can blow a gale, it can be becalmed; the roof can be opened or closed; the formbook can tell the truth or it can lie. Has there been an Australian Open like it in British hearts since John Lloyd reached the final against Vitas Gerulaitis in 1977? A hush has descended. Except for those bagpipes.
Anne Keothavong, the British No1 female who has reached a career-high 53 in the world rankings, will have to cause an upset if she is to progress beyond the first round after being drawn against Anna Chakvetadze, the No17 seed from Russia. Melanie South, Keothavong's fellow Briton, has also been handed a tough opening encounter against Marion Bartoli, of France, the sixteenth seed.
source:the london times
Is this really Andy Murray's time? Are the bookmakers, lured by an incredible level of investment in the 21-year-old British No1 to win a grand-slam championship, spot on with their odds? Is history to be made and are the giants of the game heading for the Rod Laver Arena, including the Rockhampton Rocket himself on the 40th anniversary of his only grand slam in the open era, about to witness something the old country has long dreamed of?
Murray himself remains outwardly untouched by a situation of his making only because he is beating everyone in sight at present. He refuses to act, talk, or demand attention as a favourite might. Roger Federer, a three-times champion here, may find all this blue-eyed boy stuff somewhat disconcerting, but the wonder of it is that Murray is treating the surge of celebrity with mature disdain. “I've heard stuff about me being favourite and in recent events, it's something I've become used to because I have been the favourite in lots of my matches,” the Scot said.
“All I know is that physically, the work I've done in November and December in Miami has made a huge difference, especially with my serve and the balance I have reaching for wide balls and being able to hang in better in the longer matches.
My first-serve percentage is getting better and better, there is more strength in the legs and the upper body and I'm happy with the prospect of keeping that improvement going.”
On the occasion of his extraordinary victory over Andrei Pavel, of Romania - his first-round opponent here - in the opening round of the 2005 US Open, Murray raised a finger to his lips in the style of a footballer who, having been plagued by insults from opposing supporters all afternoon, responds with a sublimely satisfying goal. He had done the same after his final-round qualifying victory over Giovanni Lapentti, of Ecuador.
Those of us sitting courtside bearing notebooks at both matches were in no doubt that his reaction was an unsubtle indication that we should not take what was perceived as a lack of physical strength for granted. Murray was still growing into his body, and at 18 there was much growing to do, but he did not take kindly to being told that he may be found out in the endurance stakes.
The second, and almost as important, recollection was the reaction from Pavel, who lost in five sets after Murray, playing in only his second grand-slam event, had twice thrown up on the court. “I had the feeling all the time I was winning the points, but somehow I was losing them; it was a strange situation,” he said.
Looking at Murray yesterday, the definition in his arms, the strength in his legs, the tightness of his face, it was clear that, whatever else may prevent him winning his first grand-slam tournament over the next two weeks, a lack of physical strength will not be the reason. And, if the event goes the way Britain hopes, there will be more players who will be left gawping in wonder at what Murray has done to their games.
“I have made those sacrifices at the end of last year in Miami because if I had stayed at home in Europe and just practised indoors for three or four weeks it would be too big a shock coming down to Australia,” Murray said.
Whether he can put it out of his head or not, the Scot is the main talking point as this championship approaches. One day it can be 19C here, the next 38C; it can blow a gale, it can be becalmed; the roof can be opened or closed; the formbook can tell the truth or it can lie. Has there been an Australian Open like it in British hearts since John Lloyd reached the final against Vitas Gerulaitis in 1977? A hush has descended. Except for those bagpipes.
Anne Keothavong, the British No1 female who has reached a career-high 53 in the world rankings, will have to cause an upset if she is to progress beyond the first round after being drawn against Anna Chakvetadze, the No17 seed from Russia. Melanie South, Keothavong's fellow Briton, has also been handed a tough opening encounter against Marion Bartoli, of France, the sixteenth seed.
source:the london times
Colin Montgomerie is Europe’s choice to take Ryder Cup captaincy
The images remain as clear in the mind's eye as if they had happened yesterday. In the Ryder Cups at The Belfry in 2002 and The K Club in 2006, Colin Montgomerie was the player chosen by his team-mates and captain to lead Europe in the singles matches. If the Scot had been given the European flag to carry and told to shout: “Follow me, lads”, the significance could not have been greater.
Montgomerie was considered the man to answer his continent's call by giving a winning example to his 11 team-mates. Both times he not only delivered the point expected of him, but he also seemed at home as he did so. His singles record is remarkable. He has won six and halved two of his eight matches in the biennial competition against the United States.
It is now clear that the love affair between the Scot and the Ryder Cup will be consummated at Celtic Manor in September 2010. European Tour officials, having made a policy decision to select the best available captain for each future Ryder Cup, are doing everything they can to make sure that Europe regain the trophy that was lost at Valhalla last year and will shortly confirm that the Scot will lead the team in Wales.
The first signs that Montgomerie was going to be involved much sooner than the match at Gleneagles in 2014, for which he had hitherto been pencilled in, came on Thursday. Bookmakers in Britain reported heavy betting on the Scot being the first choice as next year's captain if José María Olazábal turned it down to play his way into the team.
Clearly there had been leaks from the meeting of the Tour's tournament committee, held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening, when the names of Montgomerie and Olazábal were mentioned as future captains, but no decision was made. Odds on Montgomerie being involved in the 2010 match dropped from 16-1 to 2-1 within a few hours on Thursday.
Despite these leaks, the tournament committee wanted to delay the announcement until a committee meeting in Dubai scheduled for January 28. That remains the position. “No decision on the Ryder Cup captain has so far been taken,” George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, said yesterday. “The Ryder Cup captain will be decided at that meeting.”
All the signs in the desert yesterday, however, were that the job will be Montgomerie's, particularly after Sergio Gómez, Olazábal's manager, confirmed that his client had not been offered the 2010 captaincy, contrary to previous indications. “Thomas Björn [the chairman of the tournament committee] sounded him out four weeks ago but we have heard nothing since,” Gómez said. Olazábal will not play in Qatar next week because of a recurrence of rheumatism.
There are two other reasons why it will be Montgomerie and not Olazábal. The latest thinking is that, to remain in touch with the players, captains need to be younger than Nick Faldo, who was 51 when he captained Europe at Valhalla last year. Montgomerie will be 47 at Celtic Manor and will have spent most of the season competing against many of those he will want in his team.
A second reason concerns history, which tells us that Montgomerie cannot be captain in the US because of the feeling against him, even though much of it has dissipated. At the 1999 Ryder Cup, for example, James Montgomerie was so upset by the abuse being directed at his son that he walked off the course after seven holes. It would be insensitive and a mistake to consider putting Montgomerie in a position where old feelings against him might be revived.
When, in Dubai in 11 days' time, Montgomerie is named as Europe captain, it will allow Olazábal to take the reins at Medinah, near Chicago, in 2012, when he will be 46. Paul McGinley, who is 42, Darren Clarke, 40, and Lee Westwood, 35, all of whom will probably captain a Ryder Cup team, should be asked to form an orderly queue.
The way that things have changed since Tuesday night might explain Montgomerie's good humour yesterday after he had completed his second round in the Abu Dhabi Championship, a five-under-par 67 that left him six strokes behind Richard Green and Graeme Storm, the joint leaders.
“We are no further forward with that selection process than we were when we left the meeting last Tuesday - I know as much as anyone else,” Montgomerie said, managing to keep a straight face. But, he could not suppress a smile as he walked away, asking cheerily: “Was that diplomatic enough?”
Paul Casey, who has played in winning Seve Trophy teams captained by Montgomerie, has been impressed by his leadership. “He was very attentive.” Casey said. “He asked us what we wanted. We said, 'A ping pong table in the team room.' He showed good attention to detail. He spoke well at meetings. He got the guys nicely motivated. There was lots of consultation with us. We felt very much a team.”
Making Montgomerie and Olazábal the captains for the next two Ryder Cups would significantly enhance Europe's chances in the event. “History shows that the captain is very important,” Padraig Harrington said yesterday. “I think Monty is the right man. He will make a great captain.”
source: the london times
Montgomerie was considered the man to answer his continent's call by giving a winning example to his 11 team-mates. Both times he not only delivered the point expected of him, but he also seemed at home as he did so. His singles record is remarkable. He has won six and halved two of his eight matches in the biennial competition against the United States.
It is now clear that the love affair between the Scot and the Ryder Cup will be consummated at Celtic Manor in September 2010. European Tour officials, having made a policy decision to select the best available captain for each future Ryder Cup, are doing everything they can to make sure that Europe regain the trophy that was lost at Valhalla last year and will shortly confirm that the Scot will lead the team in Wales.
The first signs that Montgomerie was going to be involved much sooner than the match at Gleneagles in 2014, for which he had hitherto been pencilled in, came on Thursday. Bookmakers in Britain reported heavy betting on the Scot being the first choice as next year's captain if José María Olazábal turned it down to play his way into the team.
Clearly there had been leaks from the meeting of the Tour's tournament committee, held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening, when the names of Montgomerie and Olazábal were mentioned as future captains, but no decision was made. Odds on Montgomerie being involved in the 2010 match dropped from 16-1 to 2-1 within a few hours on Thursday.
Despite these leaks, the tournament committee wanted to delay the announcement until a committee meeting in Dubai scheduled for January 28. That remains the position. “No decision on the Ryder Cup captain has so far been taken,” George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, said yesterday. “The Ryder Cup captain will be decided at that meeting.”
All the signs in the desert yesterday, however, were that the job will be Montgomerie's, particularly after Sergio Gómez, Olazábal's manager, confirmed that his client had not been offered the 2010 captaincy, contrary to previous indications. “Thomas Björn [the chairman of the tournament committee] sounded him out four weeks ago but we have heard nothing since,” Gómez said. Olazábal will not play in Qatar next week because of a recurrence of rheumatism.
There are two other reasons why it will be Montgomerie and not Olazábal. The latest thinking is that, to remain in touch with the players, captains need to be younger than Nick Faldo, who was 51 when he captained Europe at Valhalla last year. Montgomerie will be 47 at Celtic Manor and will have spent most of the season competing against many of those he will want in his team.
A second reason concerns history, which tells us that Montgomerie cannot be captain in the US because of the feeling against him, even though much of it has dissipated. At the 1999 Ryder Cup, for example, James Montgomerie was so upset by the abuse being directed at his son that he walked off the course after seven holes. It would be insensitive and a mistake to consider putting Montgomerie in a position where old feelings against him might be revived.
When, in Dubai in 11 days' time, Montgomerie is named as Europe captain, it will allow Olazábal to take the reins at Medinah, near Chicago, in 2012, when he will be 46. Paul McGinley, who is 42, Darren Clarke, 40, and Lee Westwood, 35, all of whom will probably captain a Ryder Cup team, should be asked to form an orderly queue.
The way that things have changed since Tuesday night might explain Montgomerie's good humour yesterday after he had completed his second round in the Abu Dhabi Championship, a five-under-par 67 that left him six strokes behind Richard Green and Graeme Storm, the joint leaders.
“We are no further forward with that selection process than we were when we left the meeting last Tuesday - I know as much as anyone else,” Montgomerie said, managing to keep a straight face. But, he could not suppress a smile as he walked away, asking cheerily: “Was that diplomatic enough?”
Paul Casey, who has played in winning Seve Trophy teams captained by Montgomerie, has been impressed by his leadership. “He was very attentive.” Casey said. “He asked us what we wanted. We said, 'A ping pong table in the team room.' He showed good attention to detail. He spoke well at meetings. He got the guys nicely motivated. There was lots of consultation with us. We felt very much a team.”
Making Montgomerie and Olazábal the captains for the next two Ryder Cups would significantly enhance Europe's chances in the event. “History shows that the captain is very important,” Padraig Harrington said yesterday. “I think Monty is the right man. He will make a great captain.”
source: the london times
Ron Dennis hands over the controls at McLaren
Ron Dennis chose his moment to go carefully: behind him yesterday, a car designed by computer to win yet another world championship and at his side the driver he created, Lewis Hamilton, who was transformed from go-karting novice to Formula One world champion.
Dennis refuses to accept that his decision to step down as McLaren team principal is the end of an era, but his announcement - casually dropped in at the end of the unveiling of the McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 car that will contest the 2009 championship - caused jaws to drop inside the glittering steel-and-glass room at the heart of McLaren's futuristic £250 million headquarters in Woking, Surrey.
Hamilton, the protégé Dennis groomed from the age of 13 to be world champion, had talked through his chances of winning a second consecutive title, while his mentor had discussed how McLaren now designed and tested 95 per cent of their 200mph speed machine using only technology, even before a wheel is turned for the first time this morning at a track in Portugal.
And then Dennis, the most high-profile team leader in Formula One, suddenly revealed that, from March 1, he will no longer be the voice and face of the McLaren Mercedes team. He is passing the mantle he has held for almost three decades to Martin Whitmarsh, his chief executive and right-hand man.
Dennis admitted that he would have gone a year ago but for the debacle of the 2007 season when Hamilton lost the championship in his maiden season by a single point, added to which were the accusations of cheating for which McLaren were fined a record £50million by the FIA, the world governing body.
He could have walked away then and enjoyed a retirement away from the spotlight, spending some of his £200million fortune, flying in his Learjet and sailing on his new yacht.
But Dennis, 61, is the ultimate Formula One street fighter and turned McLaren into a war machine for the 2008 season.
Every waking minute was devoted to expunging the humiliations of the previous year. He succeeded - just - in the final few seconds of one of the most breathless championships in history in Brazil when Hamilton clinched the world title. That signalled the time to go.
“It is a comfortable time to do it,” Dennis said. “There were lots of reasons why it would have been an uncomfortable time a year ago. People would have thought I was doing it under duress, under personal pressure because we had narrowly lost a world championship. Now, people can understand there is no pressure, that I am doing this freely.”
Dennis will be in Australia in March for the first race of the season, but the ignition key to the McLaren race team will be held by Whitmarsh while Dennis attempts to stay in the background as the wise man, ready to be consulted, but not making decisions.
Instead, he will devote his time to the burgeoning McLaren business, which is much more than two racing cars on a grand-prix grid as a world leader in electronics, supplying race series around the world as well as to aviation companies. In the face of the economic downturn, Dennis is committing himself to the rest of the empire he has built from scratch over the past 28 years.
“Let's get it clear - I am not retiring,” he said. “I am going to work harder so that McLaren can power through this recession.” Just as Dennis powered McLaren to the top of Formula One.
source:the london times
Dennis refuses to accept that his decision to step down as McLaren team principal is the end of an era, but his announcement - casually dropped in at the end of the unveiling of the McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 car that will contest the 2009 championship - caused jaws to drop inside the glittering steel-and-glass room at the heart of McLaren's futuristic £250 million headquarters in Woking, Surrey.
Hamilton, the protégé Dennis groomed from the age of 13 to be world champion, had talked through his chances of winning a second consecutive title, while his mentor had discussed how McLaren now designed and tested 95 per cent of their 200mph speed machine using only technology, even before a wheel is turned for the first time this morning at a track in Portugal.
And then Dennis, the most high-profile team leader in Formula One, suddenly revealed that, from March 1, he will no longer be the voice and face of the McLaren Mercedes team. He is passing the mantle he has held for almost three decades to Martin Whitmarsh, his chief executive and right-hand man.
Dennis admitted that he would have gone a year ago but for the debacle of the 2007 season when Hamilton lost the championship in his maiden season by a single point, added to which were the accusations of cheating for which McLaren were fined a record £50million by the FIA, the world governing body.
He could have walked away then and enjoyed a retirement away from the spotlight, spending some of his £200million fortune, flying in his Learjet and sailing on his new yacht.
But Dennis, 61, is the ultimate Formula One street fighter and turned McLaren into a war machine for the 2008 season.
Every waking minute was devoted to expunging the humiliations of the previous year. He succeeded - just - in the final few seconds of one of the most breathless championships in history in Brazil when Hamilton clinched the world title. That signalled the time to go.
“It is a comfortable time to do it,” Dennis said. “There were lots of reasons why it would have been an uncomfortable time a year ago. People would have thought I was doing it under duress, under personal pressure because we had narrowly lost a world championship. Now, people can understand there is no pressure, that I am doing this freely.”
Dennis will be in Australia in March for the first race of the season, but the ignition key to the McLaren race team will be held by Whitmarsh while Dennis attempts to stay in the background as the wise man, ready to be consulted, but not making decisions.
Instead, he will devote his time to the burgeoning McLaren business, which is much more than two racing cars on a grand-prix grid as a world leader in electronics, supplying race series around the world as well as to aviation companies. In the face of the economic downturn, Dennis is committing himself to the rest of the empire he has built from scratch over the past 28 years.
“Let's get it clear - I am not retiring,” he said. “I am going to work harder so that McLaren can power through this recession.” Just as Dennis powered McLaren to the top of Formula One.
source:the london times
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Skiing accident is snow joke as Philip Hobbs injures shoulder
As if he did not have enough to worry about, what with his horsebox diverted by a motorway accident and Newbury shrouded in fog, Philip Hobbs was yesterday masterminding his 120-strong team in Somerset with one good arm. The shoulder weakness that afflicted his riding career had re-emerged in mortifying fashion on the ski slopes of Val d'Isère.
It happened last Friday, just as Hobbs and his good friend, Nigel Twiston-Davies, were congratulating each other for completing a particularly hazardous black run. “I'd done the hard bit and must have been travelling at all of four miles an hour when I tripped over the end of a ski,” he confessed. “Very painful and inconvenient.”
Hobbs spent 24 hours in an Alpine hospital, which was not quite his intention when he escaped the British freeze-up for an impromptu break. He said: “My left shoulder is dislocated and has a minor chipped bone. I must have dislocated the same one five or six times when I was riding but the last time was 25 years ago.”
Confined to barracks, Hobbs saw some Cheltenham hopes encounter mixed fortunes at Newbury. Planet Of Sound won again and is a probable for the Grand Annual Chase but Cockney Trucker was put in his place by the gargantuan Mad Max.
Hobbs is hoping to be back on racecourse duty at Haydock on Saturday, when Snap Tie will bid to enhance his Champion Hurdle credentials if the ground does not deteriorate. Meantime, he is predictably receiving no sympathy from Twiston-Davies, who stayed on the slopes for three more days.
For Twiston-Davies, though, the holiday was a fleeting respite from battling whatever ailment has restricted his horses to one winner since late November. Back home last night, he hopes for a lift at Ludlow today, when his elder son Sam takes his first ride under Rules on the hurdler On Spec.
The Dubai Carnival begins today with the first of 11 meetings climaxing in the World Cup on March 28. No expense spared in this land of fantasy, though apparently even the sheikhs occasionally have trouble with building projects.
Last week saw a brief hitch in the starry development of Meydan racecourse, which will replace Nad Al Sheba next year. Deadlines were being missed, so the construction contract - worth a cool £890 million - was summarily cancelled. Doubtless, things are now in new hands and right back on track but, in these straitened times back home, it was just a tad reassuring.
Two years ago, the paparazzi descended on Cheltenham and captured the last public appearance of Prince William and Kate Middleton before their romance temporarily hit the rocks. Last March, the cameras were trained on Zara Phillips and her rugby-playing boyfriend Mike Tindall, who was arrested the following morning on a drink-driving charge that has cost him his licence for three years.
It all helps Cheltenham get into the celeb magazines, of course, but the racecourse executive may be hoping for a Festival free of royal scandal this time - the Queen is expected to attend for the first time in several years.
David Johnson, the champion jumps owner, is blunt about racing's vulnerability to the economy. He says: “A lot of owners are taking the same route as me and cutting back sharply. Plenty I know have gone out of the game completely. Bread-and-butter jumps owners are passionate people but they will struggle. There will be less horses about, less jobs for stable staff - and 2009 will be worse than 2008.”
Such unalloyed words will alarm an already jittery bloodstock industry. The latest distressing indicators came from Ireland this week, where the annual figures showed bloodstock auction sales had dropped 43 per cent, year on year.
It happened last Friday, just as Hobbs and his good friend, Nigel Twiston-Davies, were congratulating each other for completing a particularly hazardous black run. “I'd done the hard bit and must have been travelling at all of four miles an hour when I tripped over the end of a ski,” he confessed. “Very painful and inconvenient.”
Hobbs spent 24 hours in an Alpine hospital, which was not quite his intention when he escaped the British freeze-up for an impromptu break. He said: “My left shoulder is dislocated and has a minor chipped bone. I must have dislocated the same one five or six times when I was riding but the last time was 25 years ago.”
Confined to barracks, Hobbs saw some Cheltenham hopes encounter mixed fortunes at Newbury. Planet Of Sound won again and is a probable for the Grand Annual Chase but Cockney Trucker was put in his place by the gargantuan Mad Max.
Hobbs is hoping to be back on racecourse duty at Haydock on Saturday, when Snap Tie will bid to enhance his Champion Hurdle credentials if the ground does not deteriorate. Meantime, he is predictably receiving no sympathy from Twiston-Davies, who stayed on the slopes for three more days.
For Twiston-Davies, though, the holiday was a fleeting respite from battling whatever ailment has restricted his horses to one winner since late November. Back home last night, he hopes for a lift at Ludlow today, when his elder son Sam takes his first ride under Rules on the hurdler On Spec.
The Dubai Carnival begins today with the first of 11 meetings climaxing in the World Cup on March 28. No expense spared in this land of fantasy, though apparently even the sheikhs occasionally have trouble with building projects.
Last week saw a brief hitch in the starry development of Meydan racecourse, which will replace Nad Al Sheba next year. Deadlines were being missed, so the construction contract - worth a cool £890 million - was summarily cancelled. Doubtless, things are now in new hands and right back on track but, in these straitened times back home, it was just a tad reassuring.
Two years ago, the paparazzi descended on Cheltenham and captured the last public appearance of Prince William and Kate Middleton before their romance temporarily hit the rocks. Last March, the cameras were trained on Zara Phillips and her rugby-playing boyfriend Mike Tindall, who was arrested the following morning on a drink-driving charge that has cost him his licence for three years.
It all helps Cheltenham get into the celeb magazines, of course, but the racecourse executive may be hoping for a Festival free of royal scandal this time - the Queen is expected to attend for the first time in several years.
David Johnson, the champion jumps owner, is blunt about racing's vulnerability to the economy. He says: “A lot of owners are taking the same route as me and cutting back sharply. Plenty I know have gone out of the game completely. Bread-and-butter jumps owners are passionate people but they will struggle. There will be less horses about, less jobs for stable staff - and 2009 will be worse than 2008.”
Such unalloyed words will alarm an already jittery bloodstock industry. The latest distressing indicators came from Ireland this week, where the annual figures showed bloodstock auction sales had dropped 43 per cent, year on year.
Matthew Hayden’s decision to walk presents Andrew Strauss with his opening headache
As Matthew Hayden leaves international cricket to spend more time with his surfboard, England must find another way to unsettle Australia in this summer’s Ashes series. Perverse as it sounds, the retirement of the player described by Ricky Ponting as the greatest opening batsman in his country’s history is bad news for Andrew Strauss and his colleagues.
The argument does not rest entirely with statistics that confirm Hayden’s decline, unflattering though they are. Since he made hundreds in successive Test innings against India 12 months ago, he has scored 383 runs (without a century) at an average of 23.93. If the decision was hard for Hayden, then it spared the selectors an even tougher call.
The likelihood now is that Australia will puff out their chests and enter the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on July 8, with a better option alongside Simon Katich, whose recent progress has been inversely proportional to the decline of his partner. That is the reality left behind once the tributes rightfully pouring in to Hayden are shaped into a bookend for his career.
Eight good, very good or great Australia players who featured on the 2005 Ashes tour have called time on their careers. Shane Warne heads the group, followed by Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, with Hayden and then Justin Langer slightly below. Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn and Stuart MThe climate means that Australia will never be short of batsmen. Phil Jaques, favoured to replace Hayden if he can recover from back surgery, has scored 902 runs in 11 Tests. He also has experience of English conditions, with a combined championship average of 59.31 over five seasons for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Chris Rogers, another contender, averages 53.07 between 2004 and 2008 at Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Hayden was unable to find his best form in his two series in England. His average here of 34.50 (with only two scores over fifty) is his lowest in any country other than New Zealand. By no coincidence, England and New Zealand made a conscious effort to stand up to his strong, some think bullying, presence in the Australia side.
Anybody tracing England’s triumph in 2005 should remember a floodlit one-day international at Edgbaston before the Test matches. Hayden, at that time the leading opener in the world, was rattled on the field when Simon Jones, in his follow-through, took aim at the stumps and struck the batsman on the shoulder instead. As he moved to eyeball Jones, Hayden found himself surrounded by fielders. Message: England would not be intimidated. Hayden was soon dismissed by Jones without adding to his 14 runs.
He was soon rattled off the field, too. Later that evening, a rumour spread that he had sworn at one of the boys in the guard of honour when Australia ran on to the field for England’s innings. Hayden denied the charge vehemently. Warwickshire, the host county, received no complaint and no upset child or angry parent ever came forward. While nobody revealed a source, Hayden suspected a stitch-up by the England team. The matter festered with him through the trip.
Perhaps it was coincidence that he never got going in the subsequent Tests and his influence waned. By the time of the decisive game at the Brit Oval, his form had dipped to the point where some former Australia players were calling for his omission. Four years on, England would have tried to unsettle him as a plank of strategy once again. They need to rethink.
Andrew Flintoff is bound to figure in the Ashes, fitness permitting, and the all-rounder has played down his role in the chain of events that led to the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as captain and sacking of Peter Moores as head coach. “I hoped both could carry on,” he said. “I supported Kevin as captain and also enjoyed working with Peter.”
Recipe for success
- Matthew Hayden made his one-day international debut in 1993 and his Test debut a year later but it took him until 2000 to establish himself in either format.
- He made 8,625 runs in Tests at an average of 50.73. The highest of his 30 hundreds was 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, at that time the world record.
- The left-hander scored more than 1,000 Test runs in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the first man to achieve the feat five times.
- In the 2007 World Cup, he hit three centuries, including one against South Africa that took only 66 balls.
- He is a devout Catholic and has published two cookery books.
source: the london times
The argument does not rest entirely with statistics that confirm Hayden’s decline, unflattering though they are. Since he made hundreds in successive Test innings against India 12 months ago, he has scored 383 runs (without a century) at an average of 23.93. If the decision was hard for Hayden, then it spared the selectors an even tougher call.
The likelihood now is that Australia will puff out their chests and enter the first Test at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on July 8, with a better option alongside Simon Katich, whose recent progress has been inversely proportional to the decline of his partner. That is the reality left behind once the tributes rightfully pouring in to Hayden are shaped into a bookend for his career.
Eight good, very good or great Australia players who featured on the 2005 Ashes tour have called time on their careers. Shane Warne heads the group, followed by Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, with Hayden and then Justin Langer slightly below. Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn and Stuart MThe climate means that Australia will never be short of batsmen. Phil Jaques, favoured to replace Hayden if he can recover from back surgery, has scored 902 runs in 11 Tests. He also has experience of English conditions, with a combined championship average of 59.31 over five seasons for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Chris Rogers, another contender, averages 53.07 between 2004 and 2008 at Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Hayden was unable to find his best form in his two series in England. His average here of 34.50 (with only two scores over fifty) is his lowest in any country other than New Zealand. By no coincidence, England and New Zealand made a conscious effort to stand up to his strong, some think bullying, presence in the Australia side.
Anybody tracing England’s triumph in 2005 should remember a floodlit one-day international at Edgbaston before the Test matches. Hayden, at that time the leading opener in the world, was rattled on the field when Simon Jones, in his follow-through, took aim at the stumps and struck the batsman on the shoulder instead. As he moved to eyeball Jones, Hayden found himself surrounded by fielders. Message: England would not be intimidated. Hayden was soon dismissed by Jones without adding to his 14 runs.
He was soon rattled off the field, too. Later that evening, a rumour spread that he had sworn at one of the boys in the guard of honour when Australia ran on to the field for England’s innings. Hayden denied the charge vehemently. Warwickshire, the host county, received no complaint and no upset child or angry parent ever came forward. While nobody revealed a source, Hayden suspected a stitch-up by the England team. The matter festered with him through the trip.
Perhaps it was coincidence that he never got going in the subsequent Tests and his influence waned. By the time of the decisive game at the Brit Oval, his form had dipped to the point where some former Australia players were calling for his omission. Four years on, England would have tried to unsettle him as a plank of strategy once again. They need to rethink.
Andrew Flintoff is bound to figure in the Ashes, fitness permitting, and the all-rounder has played down his role in the chain of events that led to the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as captain and sacking of Peter Moores as head coach. “I hoped both could carry on,” he said. “I supported Kevin as captain and also enjoyed working with Peter.”
Recipe for success
- Matthew Hayden made his one-day international debut in 1993 and his Test debut a year later but it took him until 2000 to establish himself in either format.
- He made 8,625 runs in Tests at an average of 50.73. The highest of his 30 hundreds was 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, at that time the world record.
- The left-hander scored more than 1,000 Test runs in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the first man to achieve the feat five times.
- In the 2007 World Cup, he hit three centuries, including one against South Africa that took only 66 balls.
- He is a devout Catholic and has published two cookery books.
source: the london times
Manchester United: 08/09 title will be sweetest yet
As United were outplaying, out thinking and totally outclassing a lacklustre Chelsea side yesterday, the United fans at Old Trafford and the 11 on the pitch were making all the right noises – something Rafael Benitez had failed to do on Friday.
Benitez had claimed at his press conference that United’s result against Chelsea would not matter ‘if we (Liverpool) win at Stoke’. Unfortunately for Benitez, Liverpool failed to beat Stoke (17th in the table) for the second time this season and United went on to thrash Chelsea.
United’s fans and players seemed inspired in what was arguably our strongest performance all season. It was as if they had been given the motivation and inspiration to show the rest of the Premiership exactly which team are the Champions. Coincidentally this came after Benitez’s untimely press conference.
For the best part of two months it has seemed like Liverpool fans have been becoming increasingly confident, smug and celebratory as their team has occupied top spot. Despite only being January, the majority of Liverpool fans have been happy to announce how sorry United would be in May and how disappointed Fergie was going to be that he hadn’t equalled Liverpool’s 18 titles. It was after watching Benitez’s press conference in full and having noticed the premature celebratory mood from Liverpool fans that I thought to myself that when United inevitably lift the title in May, this years Premiership title will be the sweetest yet.
Then I got the feeling I wasn’t the only one. In between the ironic cheers for John Terry, Old Trafford roared and asked; ‘Are you watching Merseyside?’
At his press conference Benitez told the waiting press what he thought about Mr Ferguson as he had scrawled a few ‘facts’ on a piece of A4 which he wanted to share. Admittedly, the timing could have been great, Liverpool could have battered Stoke and United could have lost or even drawn.
Upon first seeing the ‘Rafa rant’ I thought aspects of it were quite funny, particularly the suggestion the Fergie should compile the fixtures and send them to other Premier League managers. I am sure even the most ardent supporter would have chuckled at some of his comments. Then, the hilarity of it really began to sink in as Stoke held Liverpool to a goalless draw on Saturday.
The suggestion made by the press that Benitez was having a Kevin Keegan moment is perhaps a little inaccurate - inaccurate because Keegan could be forgiven. He was caught at a highly emotional moment without the opportunity to prepare a detailed response like Benitez did. He exploded in a rash moment of madness. The fact that Benitez went to the effort of finding examples, scenarios and ‘facts’ shows the man has been truly affected by the mind games from the master.
This carefully documented tirade would surely not have come from a man who is confident that his table toppers will continue their excellent form and win the Premier League. The bait laid by Ferguson should have been brushed of with a simple ‘we are top of the league, end of story’. If Benitez would have left the press conference after his first remarks then his credibility would have most definitely remained intact. Claiming Ferguson was nervous that Liverpool are top of the league would have sufficed in gaining an advantage in the mind-games stakes. As it is, Benitez has heaped pressure upon himself and his team by embracing Ferguson so early in the season.
While United have endured a disjointed spluttering start, Liverpool have, the majority of the time, been playing their best football and have built a small advantage at the top. Recently it had been suggested in some quarters that United were scared and worried about Liverpool being top. This was probably true of the majority of United fans, but, after the annihilation of Chelsea and with Benitez seemingly back to his ‘Tinkerman’ best, United fans are now filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Of the 10 Premiership trophies won since Liverpool last claimed the title, there have been a few which have stood out as being sweeter than the rest. Winning it the first time, winning it in the treble year, last years victory and the title which ended Mourinho’s seemingly unstoppable reign were all special. For me though none of these would compare with the delight United fans will have when we beat Liverpool to the title. United and Ferguson seem to be finding some form at just the right time as Benitez and Liverpool are firing blanks. I suggest Liverpool fans and Rafa Benitez make room in the record books as Mr Ferguson is coming to collect United’s 18th title and, like many other United fans, for me this one will be the sweetest……………………………….
Benitez had claimed at his press conference that United’s result against Chelsea would not matter ‘if we (Liverpool) win at Stoke’. Unfortunately for Benitez, Liverpool failed to beat Stoke (17th in the table) for the second time this season and United went on to thrash Chelsea.
United’s fans and players seemed inspired in what was arguably our strongest performance all season. It was as if they had been given the motivation and inspiration to show the rest of the Premiership exactly which team are the Champions. Coincidentally this came after Benitez’s untimely press conference.
For the best part of two months it has seemed like Liverpool fans have been becoming increasingly confident, smug and celebratory as their team has occupied top spot. Despite only being January, the majority of Liverpool fans have been happy to announce how sorry United would be in May and how disappointed Fergie was going to be that he hadn’t equalled Liverpool’s 18 titles. It was after watching Benitez’s press conference in full and having noticed the premature celebratory mood from Liverpool fans that I thought to myself that when United inevitably lift the title in May, this years Premiership title will be the sweetest yet.
Then I got the feeling I wasn’t the only one. In between the ironic cheers for John Terry, Old Trafford roared and asked; ‘Are you watching Merseyside?’
At his press conference Benitez told the waiting press what he thought about Mr Ferguson as he had scrawled a few ‘facts’ on a piece of A4 which he wanted to share. Admittedly, the timing could have been great, Liverpool could have battered Stoke and United could have lost or even drawn.
Upon first seeing the ‘Rafa rant’ I thought aspects of it were quite funny, particularly the suggestion the Fergie should compile the fixtures and send them to other Premier League managers. I am sure even the most ardent supporter would have chuckled at some of his comments. Then, the hilarity of it really began to sink in as Stoke held Liverpool to a goalless draw on Saturday.
The suggestion made by the press that Benitez was having a Kevin Keegan moment is perhaps a little inaccurate - inaccurate because Keegan could be forgiven. He was caught at a highly emotional moment without the opportunity to prepare a detailed response like Benitez did. He exploded in a rash moment of madness. The fact that Benitez went to the effort of finding examples, scenarios and ‘facts’ shows the man has been truly affected by the mind games from the master.
This carefully documented tirade would surely not have come from a man who is confident that his table toppers will continue their excellent form and win the Premier League. The bait laid by Ferguson should have been brushed of with a simple ‘we are top of the league, end of story’. If Benitez would have left the press conference after his first remarks then his credibility would have most definitely remained intact. Claiming Ferguson was nervous that Liverpool are top of the league would have sufficed in gaining an advantage in the mind-games stakes. As it is, Benitez has heaped pressure upon himself and his team by embracing Ferguson so early in the season.
While United have endured a disjointed spluttering start, Liverpool have, the majority of the time, been playing their best football and have built a small advantage at the top. Recently it had been suggested in some quarters that United were scared and worried about Liverpool being top. This was probably true of the majority of United fans, but, after the annihilation of Chelsea and with Benitez seemingly back to his ‘Tinkerman’ best, United fans are now filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Of the 10 Premiership trophies won since Liverpool last claimed the title, there have been a few which have stood out as being sweeter than the rest. Winning it the first time, winning it in the treble year, last years victory and the title which ended Mourinho’s seemingly unstoppable reign were all special. For me though none of these would compare with the delight United fans will have when we beat Liverpool to the title. United and Ferguson seem to be finding some form at just the right time as Benitez and Liverpool are firing blanks. I suggest Liverpool fans and Rafa Benitez make room in the record books as Mr Ferguson is coming to collect United’s 18th title and, like many other United fans, for me this one will be the sweetest……………………………….
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