Hi,
If you're finished with exams, I hope they went well, if you've still got some left, good luck, keep plugging away.
The transfer window is now shut, and, thankfully there are now whisperings about it being scrapped altogether, which, for my part, I think is a good idea. Now, admittedly, with Sky Sports News superb 24 hour news coverage, transfer deadline day is very exciting. But I maintain that stopping lesser teams buying players when they want to is wrong, and can probably lead to hurting the clubs long term. It also can't be great for players' futures. The transfer window has led to dozens more players signing on loans as opposed to permanent deals, leaving things up in the air.
However, for now the transfer window will open again in July and so we had better get going reviewing the biggest moves in January:
Jan 1 - Lassana Diarra (Portmsmouth to Real Madrid) £20m. A great move for Diarra (or Lass as he has on the back of his shirt nowadays) but an inevitable one for Pompey. A club in free fall is always going to lose its best players. Still, £20m is a lot of money for someone untried at the highest level.
Jan 2 - Zoran Tosic (Partizan Belgrade to Man U) Undisclosed. It is my wont to make outlandish and unfounded predictions, and one of those is that I predict Tosic will be brilliant. I have no basis for this, he's a little, nippy left winger but that's about all I know about him. Already got a few minutes off the bench. I hope I'm proved right.
Jan 3 - Wayne Bridge (Chelsea to Man City) £12m. I think £12m is a bit much for a solid premier league performer, number two for club and country. It shows how much money City have to splash that they can shell out so much for Bridge. I'm not sure that left back was the first place I'd have looked to strengthen at Eastlands. I think centre back is a position that seriously needs looking at if they are to get themselves up the table.
Jan 9 - Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth to Spurs) £15m. Another inevitable transfer. Pompey were always going to lose him, with the form he was in, and Spurs were always going to be the team he went to. As far as it goes, I think it's a good move for Defoe (though he is injured now obviously) I do rate him, though not at the international level. I also think, albeit with a huge amount of bias, that Darren Bent is probably at the same level, but Redknapp doesn't seem to have that faith in him.
Jan 19 - Craig Bellamy (West Ham to Man City) £14m. Wow, Craig Bellamy eh? City fans must be pig-sick having seen the prospect of Kaka drift by and being left with Bellamy. The Welshman seems to cause problems wherever he goes, and out grow a club after a while (a la Nicolas Anelka albeit without the skill). I'm not sure Bellamy will be the answer to City's problems, it's interesting to see £19m Jo go to Everton, when he's not been given half a season to bed in. Will Bellamy be the quick fix he's been signed to be? I doubt it.
Jan 21 - Nigel de Jong (Hamburg to Man City) £14m. Brilliant on Football Manager back in the day but £14m is a bit much bearing in mind he had a £1.8m clause for purchase in the summer. City should've waited till then and got him on the cheap. Maybe their hand was forced. Still, not Kaka is he?
Jan 23 - Jimmy Bullard (Fulham to Hull) £5m. A wonderful signing for Hull should he stay fit. I was very surprised to hear that he'd moved to the KC Stadium of all places, but they have obviously given him the security he couldn't get at The Cottage. I doubt it will enhance his England hopes, but I think he'll keep Hull out of relegation worry.
Emile Heskey (Wigan to Aston Villa) £3.5m. Signing of the window as far as I'm concerned. A snip at £3.5m especially when you look at Bellamy's fee. Scored on his debut, though that's not what he's there for. Should keep him in the England squad for the forseeable future. I'm chuffed as I've been a fan of Heskey for years, despite the widespread criticism he received.
Jan 26 - Carlo Cudicini (Chelsea to Spurs) Free. I feel gutted for Heurelho Gomes that he's been dropped. I also find it strange that Cudicini would accept this offer after all the others he must have received over the years. However, a quality signing and should help to sure up the leaky Spurs defense.
Unlike
Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland to Spurs) £2.5m. I can't believe it! Chimbonda, who had one good season at Wigan and got a move to Spurs the first time around and has lived on this for a while. It also means that Spurs have three right backs (Chimbonda, Hutton and Corluka) which I think is a bit bizarre. He also said that if Lyon wanted him that he would walk there, I wonder if he walked to White Hart Lane.
Jan 30 - Kevin Nolan (Bolton to Newcastle) £4m. A good move for Nolan in terms of moving to a bigger club, but he's also walked into a very real relegation battle. I'm not sure he's the man to take the magpies clear of the drop-zone. They are in desperate need of a striker.
El Hadji Diouf (Sunderland to Blackburn) Undisclosed. The move that paved the way for Roque Santa Cruz to Man City (though that never happened). A good player when he's bothered, which isn't that often.
Jan 31 - Julian Faubert (West Ham to Real Madrid) Loan. The strangest move of the window, not sure how he made it happen, his agent must be a miracle worker. I'm reliably informed that he was no star at Bordeaux, so if you can't do it in Ligue 1, I don't know how you can expect him to light up La Liga.
Giles Barnes (Derby to Fulham) Loan. Great signing, good player with a big future if he can stay fit.
Feb 1 - Shay Given (Newcastle to Man City) £6m. Quality signing, arguably City's best of the window. He is, in my opinion, the best 'keeper in the league. Though, it's harsh on young Joe Hart.
Feb 2 - Ryan Taylor & Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan to Newcastle) Swap. Obviously, Wigan have got the best deal out of this. Joe Kinnear's gaffe on the TV the other day was reprehensible, and "Charlie" is well shot of him. Taylor can hit a free kick though, so good luck to him, he's good enough to slot into the Newcastle team straightaway.
Ricardo Quaresma (Inter to Chelsea) Loan. He is exactly what Chelsea need, a bit of quality on the wings. He is a bit hit and miss though, so whether he'll succeed is another thing.
Robbie Keane (Liverpool to Spurs) £12m. I've heard Harry Redknapp is trying to get Martin Jol in to coach the side. How about Paul Robinson? Or Dimitar Berbatov? Or Steed Malbranque? Seriously, Spurs have got a top player plus £8m. It's debatable if Rafa Benitez wanted him in the first place, but it's a terrible bit of business for Liverpool. What happens if Torres gets injured?
Jo (Man City to Everton) Loan. I hope this works out for Jo, people forget that he's a young lad, still learning the game in a new country. If anyone can get the best from him, it's David Moyes.
Feb 3 - Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal) Undisclosed. A strange one, for me. Obviously it was a stupid process, at one point he was only still in the country because of the weather. I'm not sure his was a position that needed filling. What will happen when Fabregas, Eduardo et al are back to fitness? Still, his quality isn't up for debate, let's hope he can replicate some of his summer form. He will need to if Arsenal are to make the Champions League.
Now I've left a few out, which is a good thing because this blog is massive! For the record, I'm chuffed that Kaka turned Man City down, it's a good thing for football, though City may find it tough bringing in big players now that Kaka has said "no".
Congratulations to Rafa Nadal, who won a pulsating Aussie Open final on Sunday. It's not the end of Roger Federer though, he's my pick for Wimbledon this year.
Congratulations also go to Pittsburgh who won the Superbowl for a record-breaking sixth time at the weekend. What a game it was too! The Cardinals will be back.
Good luck if you're in sporting action this week. As always, comments, sport stories, ideas to online.sport@forgetoday.com
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Friday, 23 January 2009
Is American Football the best sport in the world?
I'm sure for many the answer to that question would be no. I admit, that would have been my reaction but six months ago. But slowly, since my brother moved back to England from the States engulfed with an insane love for the game, I've become a devotee as well. The problem with American Football for lots of British people is the stop-start nature of the game. While I admit that it annoys me somewhat, you watch enough and you get used to it. Another reason why the game hasn't taken off in this country is that the common sports fan only watches the Superbowl. This just isn't enough time to grow to understand and appreciate such a complex sport. It also doesn't help that American Football is not played by many in this country, so it can only be accessed by a few.
I went to watch New Orleans v San Diego at Wembley last October and was hooked. Like many, I watch the Superbowl every year, but watching a game live is just something else. The breaks in play become irrelevant (they're pretty speedy changes anyway) and watching a superstar like LaDainian Tomlinson break a few tackles and motor away to get a touchdown is a sight to behold.
This week has been a huge one for any British NFL fan. It started with the Conference finals (effectively the Superbowl semi finals) and finished with tickets going on sale for this year's Wembley game, between the biggest team in the game the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I got my tickets, can't wait.
If you fancy watching the Superbowl this year, let me fill you in on my "journey to Tampa (where the match is being played)" as the media is dubbing it. I managed to get to a TV with Sky Sports on it for the last games of the regular season. I'm a Patriots fan, my brother a Dallas Cowboys fan. We settle down for the Patriots game, knowing they have to win to have a hope of making the playoffs. They do win, thrashing Arizona in the snow. The Patriots have been up and down this year after a raft of injuries to key players, not least quarterback Tom Brady who has been out nearly the entire season. However, the team New England need to lose to go through win, leaving the Pats with one of the best records of a team to not make the playoffs in NFL history - i'm gutted. The Dallas match is next, against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys are rubbish, truly terrible. Tony Romo (another big name in the sport, and, incidentally, boyfriend of Jessica Simpson, her off MTV's Newlyweds) throws a few interceptions, furthering his reputation as someone who can't "get it done" once the season hits December. So, my brother and I face the playoffs without a team. I take Indianapolis (a quality side with the best quarterback there is, Peyton Manning and also the winners of the first superbowl I watched) and my brother reverts to New York Giants, the team that ruined NE's perfect season last year by winning the Superbowl. My brother maintains he was a Giants fan all along. In the first round of the playoffs, both our newly found teams lose, so I go for third choice Philadelphia Eagles, who I saw play so well against Dallas, and who have pace, strength, and crucially for my particular enjoyment, a great passing game in the huge Donovan McNabb. Philly are superb, and make it through to the Conference finals last Saturday against Arizona, who have been on fire. My third choice team go down in "the desert" in one of the games of the season, despite a brilliant fight back that sees them five minutes away from the Superbowl despite being 18 points adrift at half time. And so it is that I will be cheering on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday week. They're up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who my brother adopted after NY went out (he conveniently has friends in Pottsburgh). There are three reasons I will be cheering on the Cardinals. 1) They've never made a Superbowl before. 2) In Larry Fitzgerald they have one of the best receivers around. 3) Cuba Gooding Jr's character in Jerry Maguire played for the Cardinals.
This year's Superbowl is another David and Goliath matchup, just like last year when David won out. Pittsburgh have a big history, they've won the Superbowl five times, the last in 2006 and have a formidable defense. It's the fact that teams like Arizona can even make the biggest day in their sport's season that makes American Football so compelling, let's hope they don't get trounced by Goliath.
Check out these highlights of the top 10 plays from the conference semis. Just in case you think football is a sport for wusses, watch number 2.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/american_football/7830434.stm
And if that wasn't enough, check out the top 10 plays of the regular season. Number's 3 and 4 sum up why I love the game.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/american_football/7818874.stm
Good luck to you if you've got exams, a note to to remind you to get in touch and give your feedback to online.sport@forgetoday.com. Next week I'll have a Transfer Window special. I will spend the next seven days trying to work out why Jimmy Bullard has gone to Hull. In two weeks we'll have an Australian Open tennis special, in time for the final weekend. Let's hope Andy Murray is still there.
Take care
Ben
I went to watch New Orleans v San Diego at Wembley last October and was hooked. Like many, I watch the Superbowl every year, but watching a game live is just something else. The breaks in play become irrelevant (they're pretty speedy changes anyway) and watching a superstar like LaDainian Tomlinson break a few tackles and motor away to get a touchdown is a sight to behold.
This week has been a huge one for any British NFL fan. It started with the Conference finals (effectively the Superbowl semi finals) and finished with tickets going on sale for this year's Wembley game, between the biggest team in the game the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I got my tickets, can't wait.
If you fancy watching the Superbowl this year, let me fill you in on my "journey to Tampa (where the match is being played)" as the media is dubbing it. I managed to get to a TV with Sky Sports on it for the last games of the regular season. I'm a Patriots fan, my brother a Dallas Cowboys fan. We settle down for the Patriots game, knowing they have to win to have a hope of making the playoffs. They do win, thrashing Arizona in the snow. The Patriots have been up and down this year after a raft of injuries to key players, not least quarterback Tom Brady who has been out nearly the entire season. However, the team New England need to lose to go through win, leaving the Pats with one of the best records of a team to not make the playoffs in NFL history - i'm gutted. The Dallas match is next, against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys are rubbish, truly terrible. Tony Romo (another big name in the sport, and, incidentally, boyfriend of Jessica Simpson, her off MTV's Newlyweds) throws a few interceptions, furthering his reputation as someone who can't "get it done" once the season hits December. So, my brother and I face the playoffs without a team. I take Indianapolis (a quality side with the best quarterback there is, Peyton Manning and also the winners of the first superbowl I watched) and my brother reverts to New York Giants, the team that ruined NE's perfect season last year by winning the Superbowl. My brother maintains he was a Giants fan all along. In the first round of the playoffs, both our newly found teams lose, so I go for third choice Philadelphia Eagles, who I saw play so well against Dallas, and who have pace, strength, and crucially for my particular enjoyment, a great passing game in the huge Donovan McNabb. Philly are superb, and make it through to the Conference finals last Saturday against Arizona, who have been on fire. My third choice team go down in "the desert" in one of the games of the season, despite a brilliant fight back that sees them five minutes away from the Superbowl despite being 18 points adrift at half time. And so it is that I will be cheering on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday week. They're up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who my brother adopted after NY went out (he conveniently has friends in Pottsburgh). There are three reasons I will be cheering on the Cardinals. 1) They've never made a Superbowl before. 2) In Larry Fitzgerald they have one of the best receivers around. 3) Cuba Gooding Jr's character in Jerry Maguire played for the Cardinals.
This year's Superbowl is another David and Goliath matchup, just like last year when David won out. Pittsburgh have a big history, they've won the Superbowl five times, the last in 2006 and have a formidable defense. It's the fact that teams like Arizona can even make the biggest day in their sport's season that makes American Football so compelling, let's hope they don't get trounced by Goliath.
Check out these highlights of the top 10 plays from the conference semis. Just in case you think football is a sport for wusses, watch number 2.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/american_football/7830434.stm
And if that wasn't enough, check out the top 10 plays of the regular season. Number's 3 and 4 sum up why I love the game.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/american_football/7818874.stm
Good luck to you if you've got exams, a note to to remind you to get in touch and give your feedback to online.sport@forgetoday.com. Next week I'll have a Transfer Window special. I will spend the next seven days trying to work out why Jimmy Bullard has gone to Hull. In two weeks we'll have an Australian Open tennis special, in time for the final weekend. Let's hope Andy Murray is still there.
Take care
Ben
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Why Blackburn will stay up....
On last night's Sportsdesk on Forge Radio (www.forgeradio.com) I said I thought Blackburn Rovers would get relegated, 2nd from bottom, on 13 points, 5 points off safety and with a manager out of his depth.
Well I will now officially change my mind. This afternoon Paul Ince was sacked as "guv'nor" at Ewood Park (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/7784967.stm). Quite right I say. The pressure in the Premier League is such that if you don't get results you will lose your job. Those in charge at West Brom must be happy with the good football being played at The Hawthorns, because, if they were bothered about results, Tony Mowbray would have been sacked a couple of weeks ago.
The fact is that Ince has taken a squad that finished 7th (albeit without David Bentley) and turned them into relegation fodder. We've seen how Harry Redknapp has turned round the fortunes of Pompey and then Spurs (though it didn't work with Southampton). A change of manager works. Sunderland lost Roy Keane after he had lost the changing room and they go on and romp to a 4-0 win over West Brom. It seems that nowadays it is a change of manager more than a big signing that will change the fortunes of a club. Of course, it has always been the case that a team plays better under a new boss because they're trying to impress and keep their place in the side. But reputation works wonders for the most part nowadays. Redknapp, Keane when he took over at Sunderland, and to a much lesser extent Gianfranco Zola have all used their "stock" in the game to influence their squads. If you were a West Ham player, who would you rather play for - Alan Curbishley? Or Former player of the year Zola? I know which I would choose.
On the other hand reputation can quickly turn on you. Tony Adams is finding life hard at Portsmouth, despite him being a former England captain and a hero to many across the country. His short-lived dalliance at Wycombe a few years ago may have over taken his achievements as a player in the eyes of his squad, or maybe it's just the lack of the "Harry factor." I can see Adams being in deep pressure as the season goes on, so too Mark Hughes, whose Man City sit out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Admittedly Hughes should be able to spend big to get out of trouble next month, but, will anything less than a UEFA Cup spot be enough for the sheiks at Eastlands?
Blackburn find themselves in a difficult position now. They have to compete with Sunderland for a manager, with The Black Cats being arguably a more attractive proposition. Allardyce, Curbishley, Souness will all be names bandied around for both jobs, it will be interesting to see who gets who. It needs to be done soon though. The month long transfer window now means that mid-December becomes silly season for managerial casualties as boards aim to get a new man in before the window opens. I predict more sackings as the month goes on, maybe not in the Premier League but certainly in the Championship, where Jim Magilton, Glenn Roeder and Jan Poortvielt must all be close to the chop.
If you tuned in yesterday you will have heard my predictions for relegation and european qualification in the top tier, as well as promotion and relegation in the championship. Well I'm happy to stand by my 2nd tier predictions as we're half way through the season, but I will hold fire until I publish my thoughts on the Premier League in this blog. For the record, my Championship predictions look like this:
1. Birmingham
2. Wolves
3. Reading
4. Sheffield United
5. Crystal Palace
6. Cardiff City
22. Norwich City
23. Nottingham Forest
24. Doncaster Rovers
Let me know what you think, and if you want to make any predictions for the top tier, then let me know as well. As always you can comment on this blog or email online.sport@forgetoday.com. Good luck if you're in sporting action this week and have a happy christmas.
Ben
Well I will now officially change my mind. This afternoon Paul Ince was sacked as "guv'nor" at Ewood Park (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/7784967.stm). Quite right I say. The pressure in the Premier League is such that if you don't get results you will lose your job. Those in charge at West Brom must be happy with the good football being played at The Hawthorns, because, if they were bothered about results, Tony Mowbray would have been sacked a couple of weeks ago.
The fact is that Ince has taken a squad that finished 7th (albeit without David Bentley) and turned them into relegation fodder. We've seen how Harry Redknapp has turned round the fortunes of Pompey and then Spurs (though it didn't work with Southampton). A change of manager works. Sunderland lost Roy Keane after he had lost the changing room and they go on and romp to a 4-0 win over West Brom. It seems that nowadays it is a change of manager more than a big signing that will change the fortunes of a club. Of course, it has always been the case that a team plays better under a new boss because they're trying to impress and keep their place in the side. But reputation works wonders for the most part nowadays. Redknapp, Keane when he took over at Sunderland, and to a much lesser extent Gianfranco Zola have all used their "stock" in the game to influence their squads. If you were a West Ham player, who would you rather play for - Alan Curbishley? Or Former player of the year Zola? I know which I would choose.
On the other hand reputation can quickly turn on you. Tony Adams is finding life hard at Portsmouth, despite him being a former England captain and a hero to many across the country. His short-lived dalliance at Wycombe a few years ago may have over taken his achievements as a player in the eyes of his squad, or maybe it's just the lack of the "Harry factor." I can see Adams being in deep pressure as the season goes on, so too Mark Hughes, whose Man City sit out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Admittedly Hughes should be able to spend big to get out of trouble next month, but, will anything less than a UEFA Cup spot be enough for the sheiks at Eastlands?
Blackburn find themselves in a difficult position now. They have to compete with Sunderland for a manager, with The Black Cats being arguably a more attractive proposition. Allardyce, Curbishley, Souness will all be names bandied around for both jobs, it will be interesting to see who gets who. It needs to be done soon though. The month long transfer window now means that mid-December becomes silly season for managerial casualties as boards aim to get a new man in before the window opens. I predict more sackings as the month goes on, maybe not in the Premier League but certainly in the Championship, where Jim Magilton, Glenn Roeder and Jan Poortvielt must all be close to the chop.
If you tuned in yesterday you will have heard my predictions for relegation and european qualification in the top tier, as well as promotion and relegation in the championship. Well I'm happy to stand by my 2nd tier predictions as we're half way through the season, but I will hold fire until I publish my thoughts on the Premier League in this blog. For the record, my Championship predictions look like this:
1. Birmingham
2. Wolves
3. Reading
4. Sheffield United
5. Crystal Palace
6. Cardiff City
22. Norwich City
23. Nottingham Forest
24. Doncaster Rovers
Let me know what you think, and if you want to make any predictions for the top tier, then let me know as well. As always you can comment on this blog or email online.sport@forgetoday.com. Good luck if you're in sporting action this week and have a happy christmas.
Ben
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Uni v Hallam, Rangers v Celtic, Newcastle v Sunderland, Arsenal v Tottenham, Ipswich v Norwich......??
Hi,
I hope the weather is treating you well, the snow seems to be settling everywhere in the country apart from in Crookesmoor.
This weekend is the big derby match. No, Varsity hasn't come round early, it's not time for the Old Firm...rather the Old Farm.
When you mention derby matches in sport, the names Ipswich Town and Norwich City don't spring to mind for most people outside of the little corner of East Anglia where the two County Towns of Suffolk and Norfolk reside. But, this fixture is anticipated as eagerly and fought as fiercely as Yorkshire v Lancashire, Arsenal v Tottenham or Newcastle and Sunderland.
If you're having a small snigger at this, I don't blame you, were it not for my witnessing of this event myself I probably wouldn't believe me either. And yes, you're right, Norwich and Ipswich are hardly neighbours, there's in fact around 40 miles between them, but, as The Ashes shows, it's not proximity that makes a rivalry fierce, in fact it can be the little moments in time. There's still a reasonable rivalry between Ipswich and Sheffield United fans after a particularly brutal playoff semi final match, where Mauricio Taricco ended in tears, poor lamb.
The Old Farm, as it has increasingly become known has had its fair share of drama. A last minute winner for Ipswich at Norwich a few years ago came from the hand of youngster Danny Haynes. Kevin Lisbie (on loan at Norwich at the time, now among the Ipswich ranks) managed to get Spaniard Sito sent off a couple of years ago in another fractious affair at Portman Road.
This year's match sees two under-fire managers go head to head. Glenn Roeder's first match in charge at Carrow Road was against Ipswich, his side coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2. He needs a win this Sunday, or it could be curtains for the former Newcastle boss. Norwich find themselves just three points and one position off the drop zone in the Championship table, it's unthinkable that The Canaries could go down. But, and here's the thing - Roeder let Darren Huckerby (Canaries talisman) go this summer, promising young and exciting players coming through to improve fortunes on the pitch. That decision caused an outcry. I was working on a radio station in Norwich when the decision was announced, the public reaction was phenomenal.
Similarly Jim Magilton is under a bit of pressure at Portman Road. An unbeaten streak had silenced critics somewhat but then defeats to Doncaster and Birmingham as well as a home draw against Sheffield United have brought back murmurings of unrest, not only in the terraces, but in the squad. Lose on Sunday, and Magilton will be feeling the pressure. He's spent a lot of money, on quality players, but the decision to sign Ivan Campo on what must be quite a big contract (money-wise) and then not to play the Champions League winner has bewildered some fans.
So get down to Bar One on Sunday, or to a pub, your front room, and watch a proper local derby, without Robinho and Ronaldo on show, but rather Counago and Lita, on Sky Sports. I guarantee goals, fouls, and lots of action, I can't guarantee that the football will be brilliant, but hey, it's not the Premier League. For the record, I fancy a Norwich win, 2-1. Leroy Lita will destroy Ipswich if he gets the chance. That'll mean Ipswich will romp to a 3-0 victory then...
Good luck to you if you're in sporting action this week. Emails can be sent to online.sport@forgetoday.com if you've got any comments.
Cheers
Ben Drury
I hope the weather is treating you well, the snow seems to be settling everywhere in the country apart from in Crookesmoor.
This weekend is the big derby match. No, Varsity hasn't come round early, it's not time for the Old Firm...rather the Old Farm.
When you mention derby matches in sport, the names Ipswich Town and Norwich City don't spring to mind for most people outside of the little corner of East Anglia where the two County Towns of Suffolk and Norfolk reside. But, this fixture is anticipated as eagerly and fought as fiercely as Yorkshire v Lancashire, Arsenal v Tottenham or Newcastle and Sunderland.
If you're having a small snigger at this, I don't blame you, were it not for my witnessing of this event myself I probably wouldn't believe me either. And yes, you're right, Norwich and Ipswich are hardly neighbours, there's in fact around 40 miles between them, but, as The Ashes shows, it's not proximity that makes a rivalry fierce, in fact it can be the little moments in time. There's still a reasonable rivalry between Ipswich and Sheffield United fans after a particularly brutal playoff semi final match, where Mauricio Taricco ended in tears, poor lamb.
The Old Farm, as it has increasingly become known has had its fair share of drama. A last minute winner for Ipswich at Norwich a few years ago came from the hand of youngster Danny Haynes. Kevin Lisbie (on loan at Norwich at the time, now among the Ipswich ranks) managed to get Spaniard Sito sent off a couple of years ago in another fractious affair at Portman Road.
This year's match sees two under-fire managers go head to head. Glenn Roeder's first match in charge at Carrow Road was against Ipswich, his side coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2. He needs a win this Sunday, or it could be curtains for the former Newcastle boss. Norwich find themselves just three points and one position off the drop zone in the Championship table, it's unthinkable that The Canaries could go down. But, and here's the thing - Roeder let Darren Huckerby (Canaries talisman) go this summer, promising young and exciting players coming through to improve fortunes on the pitch. That decision caused an outcry. I was working on a radio station in Norwich when the decision was announced, the public reaction was phenomenal.
Similarly Jim Magilton is under a bit of pressure at Portman Road. An unbeaten streak had silenced critics somewhat but then defeats to Doncaster and Birmingham as well as a home draw against Sheffield United have brought back murmurings of unrest, not only in the terraces, but in the squad. Lose on Sunday, and Magilton will be feeling the pressure. He's spent a lot of money, on quality players, but the decision to sign Ivan Campo on what must be quite a big contract (money-wise) and then not to play the Champions League winner has bewildered some fans.
So get down to Bar One on Sunday, or to a pub, your front room, and watch a proper local derby, without Robinho and Ronaldo on show, but rather Counago and Lita, on Sky Sports. I guarantee goals, fouls, and lots of action, I can't guarantee that the football will be brilliant, but hey, it's not the Premier League. For the record, I fancy a Norwich win, 2-1. Leroy Lita will destroy Ipswich if he gets the chance. That'll mean Ipswich will romp to a 3-0 victory then...
Good luck to you if you're in sporting action this week. Emails can be sent to online.sport@forgetoday.com if you've got any comments.
Cheers
Ben Drury
Thursday, 20 November 2008
How do you solve a problem like English One Day Cricket?
Obviously not the greatest title for a new reality tv show, though we could that girl off the X Factor that performed at Population this week to sing the theme tune. No, this week's post concerns the England cricket team, who are 3-0 down in the seven match series in India after three games. This morning's has been drenched in a bit of controversy after the ridiculous Duckworth-Lewis method was employed to give India a 14-run victory. The controversy comes not from the team's selection, which I'll get to in a minute, but rather the fact that the stadium the match was played in HAS floodlights, yet India won on the DL because of bad light. The floodlights were comically turned on for the post-match interviews, but apparently the ICC had rules that artifiicial lights cannot be used to continue play in a "day match". The rule is absolutely ridiculous. This though isn't really the point. England would've lost anyway, and there are really only two things that can be taken from another consummate Indian performance. 1) England finally pushed Ravi Bopara up the batting lineup. The lad bats no. 3 for Essex, so I'm not sure why he should open for England, but congratulations to Ravi for hitting an impressive 60. 2) England stopped Yuvraj hitting a thirs successive ODI century, though he did bludgen a quickfire 30odd.
Last week, Darren Gough complained about the "Old Boys" mentality in the England side. This was something eluded to by Tom Ibison on this week's "Sportsdesk" on Forge Radio (Every Monday from 8pm by the way, give it a listen). I've been a huge fan of Paul Collingwood for a long time, that double century he hit in Australia a couple of years ago was phenomenal, but his time has come. He's playing with no confidence, little technique and scoring few runs. Matt Prior managed five runs at no. 8 this morning, but he shouldn't be batting at no. 8, nor should Owais Shah be batting at no. 6. If you have to re-jig your batting lineup so much it's probably because you've not got the right personnel. Poor old Graham Napier will be sitting at home wondering what he has to do to get in the England set up. He led the 6 hitting league last year, and regularly bowls over 80 mph, he must get a call up soon. I'm a firm believer in getting the personnel to fit the situation, and County Cricket is there for a reason, to breed new England players, so it should be used as such. If the wicket keeper is to bat at no. 8 in this england side, then James Foster (yes, another Essex player) should be considered. He won The Eagles plenty of games batting in and around no. 8 last year, and his glovework is arguably the best in the country. Let me know who you'd get in the international set up, or whether we should persist with what we have. It must be remembered that this squad beat South Africa quite convincingly in the summer (albeit a tired S.A. who just wanted to go home). Cricket is increasingly turning into a ODI kind of game, and England needs to move with the times.
Congratulations to England's football side last night. If anyone saw my facebook status I was cursing Mr. Capello at 7:30 for leaving Darren Bent and Ashley Young out of the side. I think Bent showed his worth to the side when he came on, and Young was unlucky that Stewart Downing actually played quite well, with a good couple of assists, especially the second for John Terry. I'm definitely part of the Goalkeepers' Union, and while I admit that Scott Carson wasn't blameless for Germany's comedy equaliser last night, John Terry, as England's captain, should have dealt with it straight away. Oh, and if William Gallas says one more thing in the press ever, I may go over to the Emirates myself and drag him out of the stadium, the most annoying professional footballer ever. Gallas - casse-toi, le pire defenseur que j'ai jamais vu a Arsenal.
Email thoughts, views, anything at all in fact to online.sport@forgetoday.com
Ben
Last week, Darren Gough complained about the "Old Boys" mentality in the England side. This was something eluded to by Tom Ibison on this week's "Sportsdesk" on Forge Radio (Every Monday from 8pm by the way, give it a listen). I've been a huge fan of Paul Collingwood for a long time, that double century he hit in Australia a couple of years ago was phenomenal, but his time has come. He's playing with no confidence, little technique and scoring few runs. Matt Prior managed five runs at no. 8 this morning, but he shouldn't be batting at no. 8, nor should Owais Shah be batting at no. 6. If you have to re-jig your batting lineup so much it's probably because you've not got the right personnel. Poor old Graham Napier will be sitting at home wondering what he has to do to get in the England set up. He led the 6 hitting league last year, and regularly bowls over 80 mph, he must get a call up soon. I'm a firm believer in getting the personnel to fit the situation, and County Cricket is there for a reason, to breed new England players, so it should be used as such. If the wicket keeper is to bat at no. 8 in this england side, then James Foster (yes, another Essex player) should be considered. He won The Eagles plenty of games batting in and around no. 8 last year, and his glovework is arguably the best in the country. Let me know who you'd get in the international set up, or whether we should persist with what we have. It must be remembered that this squad beat South Africa quite convincingly in the summer (albeit a tired S.A. who just wanted to go home). Cricket is increasingly turning into a ODI kind of game, and England needs to move with the times.
Congratulations to England's football side last night. If anyone saw my facebook status I was cursing Mr. Capello at 7:30 for leaving Darren Bent and Ashley Young out of the side. I think Bent showed his worth to the side when he came on, and Young was unlucky that Stewart Downing actually played quite well, with a good couple of assists, especially the second for John Terry. I'm definitely part of the Goalkeepers' Union, and while I admit that Scott Carson wasn't blameless for Germany's comedy equaliser last night, John Terry, as England's captain, should have dealt with it straight away. Oh, and if William Gallas says one more thing in the press ever, I may go over to the Emirates myself and drag him out of the stadium, the most annoying professional footballer ever. Gallas - casse-toi, le pire defenseur que j'ai jamais vu a Arsenal.
Email thoughts, views, anything at all in fact to online.sport@forgetoday.com
Ben
Saturday, 15 November 2008
David Beckham's England Career is Not Over
At around 1900 GMT this evening Fabio Capello will announce a 23 man squad for England's friendly against Germany. One man almost certain not to be in that squad is David Beckham. The one-time England captain has the chance to equal Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an outfield player if he's called up, but he won't be. Never fear, Becks' chance will come again, even at the age of 33. Fabio Capello has, quite rightly, said that players will only play for the national side if they're playing for their club sides, and Beckham has not played since October 26. However, I expect the midfielder to break Bobby Moore's record and add a few more before he's totally discarded by Capello. He's off on loan to AC Milan in January, which will do him the world of good, and I think, will be the perfect kind of game for him. With Gattuso and Pirlo doing the hard work in the middle of the park, Becks can concentrate on feeding the likes of Shevchenko, Ronaldinho and Pato. There is no one in the current England set up that can cross a ball like Beckham, this talk of David Bentley being his natural successor is nonsense, the Spurs winger is just not good enough at the moment, his delivery is, for the most part, poor. And little Theo Walcott is a totally different player to Beckham. So never fear Beckham fans, (among whom I count myself) Becks will be back in the new year, he may even surprise everyone and get a call up this weekend. Speculation surrounds the fate of David James, and whether he'll make another squad as Capello looks to the future, but, in my opinion, with Ben Foster not being used at Man United (save the Champions League game at Celtic Park) James is the best keeper around at the moment. The tabloids have today said that Wolves youngster Michael Mancienne is going to get a call up, hopefully Capello will be a bit sensible and see that a teenager plying his trade in the Championship is not ready for an international debut - it would certainly say a lot about Premiership defenders! For what it's worth, this would be my 23:
Goalkeepers:
David James (Portsmouth)
Robert Green (West Ham)
Joe Hart (Man City)
Defenders:
Rio Ferdinand (Man United)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham)
David Wheater (Middlesborough)
Gary Neville (Man United)
Micah Richards (Man City)
Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)
Midfielders:
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City)
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Stewart Downing (Middlesborough)
Forwards:
Wayne Rooney (Man United)
Darren Bent (Tottenham)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
Peter Crouch (Portsmouth)
So there you have it, feel free to post your amendments and ask why I've made glaring errors (I'm sure I have) but I feel that Huddlestone and Bent have to get back in the squad on form alone, and Gary Neville, when fit, is the best right back in the country. Peter Crouch is there purely because a big man is needed.
As i've finished writing this, England have lost in the semi finals of the Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand. It's a bizarre tournament where you can get to the semi finals by only winning one game. Andy Murray is in Masters Cup tennis action today, he's the form player in the world right now, I'm confident he can roll Davydenko over, presuming tiredness doesn't get the better of him. England are in rugby union action today against Australia, Steve Borthwick's talk of playing with the backs as much as possible today is, I presume, a bit of gamesmanship. England are so dominant against the Aussies in the scrum that that's got to be how it's played again today. If you're in sporting action this week, good luck. Check back for more comment and some uni sport this coming week.
Thanks
Ben
Goalkeepers:
David James (Portsmouth)
Robert Green (West Ham)
Joe Hart (Man City)
Defenders:
Rio Ferdinand (Man United)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham)
David Wheater (Middlesborough)
Gary Neville (Man United)
Micah Richards (Man City)
Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)
Midfielders:
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City)
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Stewart Downing (Middlesborough)
Forwards:
Wayne Rooney (Man United)
Darren Bent (Tottenham)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
Peter Crouch (Portsmouth)
So there you have it, feel free to post your amendments and ask why I've made glaring errors (I'm sure I have) but I feel that Huddlestone and Bent have to get back in the squad on form alone, and Gary Neville, when fit, is the best right back in the country. Peter Crouch is there purely because a big man is needed.
As i've finished writing this, England have lost in the semi finals of the Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand. It's a bizarre tournament where you can get to the semi finals by only winning one game. Andy Murray is in Masters Cup tennis action today, he's the form player in the world right now, I'm confident he can roll Davydenko over, presuming tiredness doesn't get the better of him. England are in rugby union action today against Australia, Steve Borthwick's talk of playing with the backs as much as possible today is, I presume, a bit of gamesmanship. England are so dominant against the Aussies in the scrum that that's got to be how it's played again today. If you're in sporting action this week, good luck. Check back for more comment and some uni sport this coming week.
Thanks
Ben
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