First of all apologizes due to my lack of posts for the last month and a half, I'll try to make up the number of posts over the next few weeks.
As the football league season comes to an end with fans all over the country embroiled in title challenges, European qualification, promotion, play-offs, relegation... or like me you can sit back, relax knowing that a topsy-turvy season leaves you in mid-table with nothing really to play for. Today saw the cultimation of the Championship and once again it has proven to be unpredictable, exciting and at times frustrating. So here's what I make of the efforts made by the members of the 2nd tier. Please note, maybe certain amount of bias here.
Promotion Winners
At the start of the season I was fully expecting Newcastle United to roll over, continue to feel sorry for themselves and have a similar first season to Leeds when they finished mid-table. Step forward Chris Hughton without a doubt manager of the season. He's made a totally selfish squad play as a team and although at times they had many a lucky 1-0 win they deserve the title. For example, how many times have Man United won titles based on those scrappy 1-0 wins away at the likes of Bolton.
Throughout this season I've been wholly impressed with West Brom. Moving to university has meant I haven't been able to sit in a stadium much this season but I got to go to WBA v Sheffield United in January. Let's not beat about the bush, they trounced us, 3-1 result with a performance of pure class. A group of players always dangerous on the attack who play good, entertaining football. I hope they can stay up next season although I will be sad about the lack of 'away' trip for the Blades in the West Midlands.
Play Off contenders
To be honest, I can't say I want to see any of this year's 4 play off teams in the Premier League next season. Forest have a big rivalry with United, Cardiff don't have the best following off the field in terms of behaviour, Leicester have had a great season but could 'beat' Derby's worst points tally and Blackpool are particularly my favourite side due to my soft spot for Preston North End.
Nottingham Forest would probably be the side I would most like to see in the top flight simply because they've been very impressive this season and I am a traditionalist at heart who likes to see the classic clubs have some success. They will of course fear the curse of 3rd place, not many a side have finished 3rd and gone on to win the play offs and Forest are a side who have suffered a lot in the play offs in both the Championship and during their time in League One. Forest and Cardiff played out on of my matches of the season, covered by the BBC it ended in a 1-1 draw. It was end to end stuff and Forest scored in the 91st minute to secure a point. Forest's spirit was something I was impressed with but they will need to muster it again to ensure they win that 3rd promotion spot.
Cardiff had to do well having spent so much money and their new ground has been possibly the toughest place to visit apart from Newcastle. But I am not the only one who would rather see the Bluebirds stay in the Championship. With a poor record of fan trouble I don't think many Sunderland supporters will fancy potentially being held in the Cardiff away end for the best part of an hour, to give an example. Cardiff are probably the most desperate to gain promotion so they could have a bit of that TV money, their efforts could be boom or bust, especially having had Peter Risdale in charge.
Leicester and Blackpool have for me had similar fortunes based on great team spirit, the same way as Burnley achieved promotion last season. Leicester impressed me from the off when they refused to roll over to the sides expected to beat them and hit the ground running, they kept in there and probably have the best goal celebration tune in the league, anyone for a bit of 'I'm on Fiiiiiire'. Ian Holloway has led a side tipped for relegation to the play offs in a very similar manner to Owen Coyle's Burnley side from last year. Instead of having my nerves torn to shreads I decided that I'd watch their final game with my Bristol City supporting friend Matt today who were the Lancashire sides opponents today. City took the lead against the run of play and Blackpool could easily have got the wobbles and caved in, but it only seemed to spur them on. They dominated with a solid display with great awareness all over the field and some talent that sadly may go a-wandering if they fall short over the next few weeks.
My play off prediction is that Forest will meet Leicester at Wembley, I don't really mind who succeeds but my head, sort of, tells me Leicester will be back in Premier League come August.
Rest of the top 10
Starting with Swansea, a lack of goals has let them down. It's a real shame as the rest of the eleven could all probably slot into the sides in the 6 places above them, but they haven't replaced Jason Scotland which of course they will look to do in the summer, perhaps getting him back as he hasn't particularly been as big a success at Wigan Athletic.
Now onto my own side, Sheffield United. Having lost the play off final last season and then brought in big players like Ched Evans and experience in the likes of Glen Little, our hopes were high but of course 8th place wasn't what we wanted. Being a Sheffield United supporter though has taught me a lot about hindsight. We have to be the unluckiest side in the league with two injury-crisis ridden periods also contributing to poor runs in form, namely the runs from the Bramall Lane win at Wednesday (19 Sept) to a win against Peterborough (21 Nov) with no wins, cue symbolic beardage to make sure my sister changed my United calendar from September to November, those in the know all know that her lack of competence of turning a page was the real reason for all those frustrating results which put us on the back foot for the rest of the season. As I look back on the season I think I can be pleased. 8th place for a side which had to make 17 loan signings over the season, had to sell 3 quarters of the defence from the play offs and had loan signings Kyle Walker and Mark Bunn cruelly recalled before games by their Premier League owners. At times I did feel Kevin Blackwell's time was up but the effort of the cobbled together side towards the end of the season, plus the return of Paddy Kenny after his ludicrous 9 month ban for the same offence commited by Fabio Cannavaro gives me hope for the future. Warnock built our promotion squad was built on free transfers and they will be needed as not many players are on the books for next season, hopefully KB can do more signings like Richard Cresswell who has been a revalation. Until then I will be care free in the knowledge that once again Sheffield United are Yorkshire's top side. Here's to 2010-2011.
Anyway back to normality and Reading who I reckon could be back up there for next year. They continued the poor form from the back end of 08-09 and were in deep trouble for while. Yet their form has seen them finish 9th, it's a new era for them from now on. The Coppell days may have gone but under Brian McDermott they will be tipped as contenders next season. Haven't seen much of them in full games this season, although I was quite shocked how much of a shadow of their former selves they were when the Blades visited them early in the season. A potentially dangerous transitional season has been tamed and they are rising again.
Bristol City have been added to my soft spot list along with Preston, Hull, Everton and Tottenham. It has been interesting to follow them this season as their season has mirrored Sheffield United's is several ways. Play Off Final losers with a manager under threat for great parts of the season and a limited number of players at the disposal of the coaching staff. The big difference was that Gary Johnson eventually lost his job unlike Kevin Blackwell. Nicky Maynard has been the most terrifying prospect for defenders not wearing a black and white shirt sponsored by a bank. His goal today against Blackpool wasn't the first strike that made my eyes go wide and the word BOOM come out of my mouth. He will possibly attract attention but with Steve Coppell now appointed as Gary Johnson's successor I think he will stay, Matt was telling me today that City has been linked with many of the squad that Coppell had great success with at Reading. With a chairman who knows what he's doing and the best World Cup bids outside
the Premier League clubs they will spend in the summer, not large and outlandish, but cleverly and I share the optimism of the Robins, they will be a good shout for play offs next season.
Part Two coming in the next few days, I promise
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
F1 2010 Preview Part Two
Continued from Part One
Toro Rosso
STR head into 2010 with a fresh challenge of having to design their own charger, no more help from Adrian Newey and big brothers Red Bull with the rules on customer cars clarified after Prodrive's faliure to enter using a McLaren B car. That saying though, the new car looks a bit too like this year's Red Bull but it will most likely be a topic swept under the carpet. Buemi and Alguersari remain although the latter will need to deliver and at least match his Swiss team-mate. Alguersari can't use the excuse of being thrown in at the deep end like last year, with plenty of testing miles under his belt before turning a wheel in anger in 2010. I think Toro Rosso may struggle a bit this year but may have just enough speed to score the odd points finish. Expect a driver change in mid-season is all I will say on them really.
Lotus
First of the new team and probably the most impressive heading into Bahrain. With their highly experienced line-up of race winners Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen their first aim is to finish and then make sure they at least beat Virgin Racing. The link to the Team Lotus of old may be tenuous but Mike Gascoyne's design team definitely have a lot of spirit and determination having only been confirmed of their entry in September with next to no time to design a car for the new season. An achievement realised much better than across the pond at USF1, more on their faliure later. Being a few seconds of the pace, all the new teams will struggle to get out of Qualifying one but no becomes winners overnight. It took Brawn in their many forms (from B.A.R to Honda to Brawn) 10 years to get it right, so good luck to Norfolk team.
Virgin Racing (formerly Manor)
Second of the new teams and closest to my heart being based in South Yorkshire, John Booth's Manor Motorsport outfit have been backed by Richard Branson's megabucks and are already in a private battle with Lotus and their owner, fellow man with big planes, Tony Fernandes. Manor have been highly successful in the lower formulae, even taking care of Lewis Hamilton in his Formula Renault days. They were 5 seconds off his McLaren pace though at the final test so once again a race finish is a target to achieve. Reliability has been a bit wobbly so far with hydraulics being a main issue as well as a slightly embarrasing front wing faliure in the first test, to put it blunty, the thing fell off giving ex-Toyota driver Timo Glock quite a shock. German Glock is joined by Lucas di Grassi, another GP2 star over the last two seasons. Come on Virgin, you have the best livery in F1, make me proud.... please.
BMW Sauber Ferrari... what
And the award for biggest FIA fail of the off-season goes to? Whoever thought not allowing Peter Sauber drop the 'BMW' from the official title of the team name, even though they have no connection to BMW anymore and even have Ferrari engines. Former owner Peter Sauber has reacquired the Hinwii based squad from BMW and got them to the grid, a great achievement and things don't look to bad if you see past the lack of sponsors on the bodywork. The car has been quick in testing in the hands of old-hand Pedro De La Rosa and starlet of Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Kamui Kobayashi. Bridgestone say the car is kind on its tyres, an important feature with the heavier fuel loads. Points are an aim in the fly-away races, a must if they want sponsorship to bring in the money when F1 returns to Europe for the Spanish GP.
Hispania Racing Team (formerly Campos Meta1)
For me Hispania being on the grid is a surprise as I thought they wouldn't be able to scrape funds together but they have done it and Ayrton's nephew Bruno Senna and pay-driver Karun Chandhok line up in a car not tested before Bahrain so expect them to be straight out of the pit lane at 7am GMT when free practice begins. Hopes are low and personally I'm not sure they will last the season. I really want to see Bruno Senna do well, he was unlucky not to win GP2 in 2008 when he finished runner-up to Giorgio Pantano. Blighted by incidents like hitting a stray dog on the track in Turkey hindered his chance to join Rosberg, Hamilton and Glock on the list of GP2 champions. He has speed and talent, maybe not as much as he great uncle but a few good performances and a move to a better team is a possibility (Toro Rosso?).
USF1/Stefan GP
Two other teams were making preparations for 2010 but won't appear. Stefan GP had acquire the designs to Toyota's 2010 car after they pulled out of the sport and looked like they could make the grid when USF1 started making weird PR statements but the FIA in the end said their entry wasn't strong enough which was probably a good thing when it was heard Jacques Villeneuve was in line to drive the car. Onto the comedy of errors that is/was USF1. The first of the new teams first said they would test their car on American road circuits, this never happened. They then said they wouldn't be at Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China. Then said they needed Youtube's owner to give them more money, he didn't. And finally it was announced they would not be taking to the grid in 2010 with no car built, no sponsors and no money. 85 people have lost their jobs due to the shambolic management who blamed the mid-season FOTA/FIA arguement as the main reason they weren't ready. In my opinion this is the biggest load of horsedung a team owner has made in a long time. Oh hang on, Flavio Briatore, anyway the shear ignorance of Ken Anderson to use this excuse was if anything offensive to the efforts of Mike Gascoyne and Lotus who had less than a quarter of the time as USF1 to prepare a car for this weekend at least. Good riddance I say, F1 didn't need USF1, its toasters, its fridge (see comical cartoon on YouTube) and someone who would have been F1's worst driver since Yuji Ide, Juan Maria Lopez.
New rules
The big rule change for 2010 is the banning of refuelling. Cars now have to start the race with a full tank of fuel and wear of tyres and brakes will be a bigger concern. The cars have longer wheelbases this year to accomodate the larger fuel tanks changing the look of them to the eagle eyed. It will be interesting to see how the racing changes, drivers perhaps will take more risks in overtaking knowing they probably won't have as much time in the pits. No refuelling also means that precious tenths of a second can be won in the pits by the tyre changers. Apparently the Red Bull boys have got their tyre changes down to 1.8 seconds, impressive stuff. Their are a few other minor changes with narrower front tyres, amended engine rules, top 10 qualifiers having to use the same tyres in Q3 and the first phase of the race and the banning of wheel fairings. A new points system has been introduced which will see the top 10 score points and the winner get 25 points instead of 10, more akin to MotoGP. Some purists have complained saying it will spoil the records for point scores saying it won't be a measure of who is history's best driver. Oooo crumbs, bite me, get a grip I say. The current list is already biased to more recent drivers with more races on the calendar compared to say the 50's where they only raced 7 or 8 times a year and up to the 1980's only the best 75% of a driver's results counted to your final score. The prime example is Juan Manuel Fangio, a 5 time champion back in the old days. Let's have a look where he is in the apparently unflappable all-time points table, 23rd. Behind Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard and Juan Pablo Montoya to name a few. Good drivers yes but world championships between them, 0. The points system needed to change so leave it to polls in F1 Racing and Autosport to truly decide who is the best of all-time.
New track - Korean GP
F1 sees another Hermann Tilke designed track in Asia join the calendar. Korea should host its first F1 race in October and will look to put on a spectacular show for the F1 circus, competing against the likes of Bahrain, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Whether the track will encourage good racing is yet to be seen. Tilke hasn't got it right yet, Abu Dhabi I was left deflated by with only a couple of end of season battles to tingle the taste buds, the whole track reminded me a bit of something of Crash Team Racing on the Playstation One. The new track in Yongam looks distinctly to be in two parts, two long straights at one end and then a very twisty other half.
My tip for the championship
Lewis Hamilton, the McLaren will be strong and he'll have the edge over Jenson.
If I were a betting man
Felipe Massa, in the shadow of pre-season favourite Fernando Alonso, odds longer but still has a very good shot
Toro Rosso
STR head into 2010 with a fresh challenge of having to design their own charger, no more help from Adrian Newey and big brothers Red Bull with the rules on customer cars clarified after Prodrive's faliure to enter using a McLaren B car. That saying though, the new car looks a bit too like this year's Red Bull but it will most likely be a topic swept under the carpet. Buemi and Alguersari remain although the latter will need to deliver and at least match his Swiss team-mate. Alguersari can't use the excuse of being thrown in at the deep end like last year, with plenty of testing miles under his belt before turning a wheel in anger in 2010. I think Toro Rosso may struggle a bit this year but may have just enough speed to score the odd points finish. Expect a driver change in mid-season is all I will say on them really.
Lotus
First of the new team and probably the most impressive heading into Bahrain. With their highly experienced line-up of race winners Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen their first aim is to finish and then make sure they at least beat Virgin Racing. The link to the Team Lotus of old may be tenuous but Mike Gascoyne's design team definitely have a lot of spirit and determination having only been confirmed of their entry in September with next to no time to design a car for the new season. An achievement realised much better than across the pond at USF1, more on their faliure later. Being a few seconds of the pace, all the new teams will struggle to get out of Qualifying one but no becomes winners overnight. It took Brawn in their many forms (from B.A.R to Honda to Brawn) 10 years to get it right, so good luck to Norfolk team.
Virgin Racing (formerly Manor)
Second of the new teams and closest to my heart being based in South Yorkshire, John Booth's Manor Motorsport outfit have been backed by Richard Branson's megabucks and are already in a private battle with Lotus and their owner, fellow man with big planes, Tony Fernandes. Manor have been highly successful in the lower formulae, even taking care of Lewis Hamilton in his Formula Renault days. They were 5 seconds off his McLaren pace though at the final test so once again a race finish is a target to achieve. Reliability has been a bit wobbly so far with hydraulics being a main issue as well as a slightly embarrasing front wing faliure in the first test, to put it blunty, the thing fell off giving ex-Toyota driver Timo Glock quite a shock. German Glock is joined by Lucas di Grassi, another GP2 star over the last two seasons. Come on Virgin, you have the best livery in F1, make me proud.... please.
BMW Sauber Ferrari... what
And the award for biggest FIA fail of the off-season goes to? Whoever thought not allowing Peter Sauber drop the 'BMW' from the official title of the team name, even though they have no connection to BMW anymore and even have Ferrari engines. Former owner Peter Sauber has reacquired the Hinwii based squad from BMW and got them to the grid, a great achievement and things don't look to bad if you see past the lack of sponsors on the bodywork. The car has been quick in testing in the hands of old-hand Pedro De La Rosa and starlet of Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Kamui Kobayashi. Bridgestone say the car is kind on its tyres, an important feature with the heavier fuel loads. Points are an aim in the fly-away races, a must if they want sponsorship to bring in the money when F1 returns to Europe for the Spanish GP.
Hispania Racing Team (formerly Campos Meta1)
For me Hispania being on the grid is a surprise as I thought they wouldn't be able to scrape funds together but they have done it and Ayrton's nephew Bruno Senna and pay-driver Karun Chandhok line up in a car not tested before Bahrain so expect them to be straight out of the pit lane at 7am GMT when free practice begins. Hopes are low and personally I'm not sure they will last the season. I really want to see Bruno Senna do well, he was unlucky not to win GP2 in 2008 when he finished runner-up to Giorgio Pantano. Blighted by incidents like hitting a stray dog on the track in Turkey hindered his chance to join Rosberg, Hamilton and Glock on the list of GP2 champions. He has speed and talent, maybe not as much as he great uncle but a few good performances and a move to a better team is a possibility (Toro Rosso?).
USF1/Stefan GP
Two other teams were making preparations for 2010 but won't appear. Stefan GP had acquire the designs to Toyota's 2010 car after they pulled out of the sport and looked like they could make the grid when USF1 started making weird PR statements but the FIA in the end said their entry wasn't strong enough which was probably a good thing when it was heard Jacques Villeneuve was in line to drive the car. Onto the comedy of errors that is/was USF1. The first of the new teams first said they would test their car on American road circuits, this never happened. They then said they wouldn't be at Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China. Then said they needed Youtube's owner to give them more money, he didn't. And finally it was announced they would not be taking to the grid in 2010 with no car built, no sponsors and no money. 85 people have lost their jobs due to the shambolic management who blamed the mid-season FOTA/FIA arguement as the main reason they weren't ready. In my opinion this is the biggest load of horsedung a team owner has made in a long time. Oh hang on, Flavio Briatore, anyway the shear ignorance of Ken Anderson to use this excuse was if anything offensive to the efforts of Mike Gascoyne and Lotus who had less than a quarter of the time as USF1 to prepare a car for this weekend at least. Good riddance I say, F1 didn't need USF1, its toasters, its fridge (see comical cartoon on YouTube) and someone who would have been F1's worst driver since Yuji Ide, Juan Maria Lopez.
New rules
The big rule change for 2010 is the banning of refuelling. Cars now have to start the race with a full tank of fuel and wear of tyres and brakes will be a bigger concern. The cars have longer wheelbases this year to accomodate the larger fuel tanks changing the look of them to the eagle eyed. It will be interesting to see how the racing changes, drivers perhaps will take more risks in overtaking knowing they probably won't have as much time in the pits. No refuelling also means that precious tenths of a second can be won in the pits by the tyre changers. Apparently the Red Bull boys have got their tyre changes down to 1.8 seconds, impressive stuff. Their are a few other minor changes with narrower front tyres, amended engine rules, top 10 qualifiers having to use the same tyres in Q3 and the first phase of the race and the banning of wheel fairings. A new points system has been introduced which will see the top 10 score points and the winner get 25 points instead of 10, more akin to MotoGP. Some purists have complained saying it will spoil the records for point scores saying it won't be a measure of who is history's best driver. Oooo crumbs, bite me, get a grip I say. The current list is already biased to more recent drivers with more races on the calendar compared to say the 50's where they only raced 7 or 8 times a year and up to the 1980's only the best 75% of a driver's results counted to your final score. The prime example is Juan Manuel Fangio, a 5 time champion back in the old days. Let's have a look where he is in the apparently unflappable all-time points table, 23rd. Behind Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard and Juan Pablo Montoya to name a few. Good drivers yes but world championships between them, 0. The points system needed to change so leave it to polls in F1 Racing and Autosport to truly decide who is the best of all-time.
New track - Korean GP
F1 sees another Hermann Tilke designed track in Asia join the calendar. Korea should host its first F1 race in October and will look to put on a spectacular show for the F1 circus, competing against the likes of Bahrain, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. Whether the track will encourage good racing is yet to be seen. Tilke hasn't got it right yet, Abu Dhabi I was left deflated by with only a couple of end of season battles to tingle the taste buds, the whole track reminded me a bit of something of Crash Team Racing on the Playstation One. The new track in Yongam looks distinctly to be in two parts, two long straights at one end and then a very twisty other half.
My tip for the championship
Lewis Hamilton, the McLaren will be strong and he'll have the edge over Jenson.
If I were a betting man
Felipe Massa, in the shadow of pre-season favourite Fernando Alonso, odds longer but still has a very good shot
Monday, 8 March 2010
F1 2010 Preview Part One
The last two season in Formula One have seen two of the most epic title battles in the last decade and this new season is once again looking like it could be even better than last year. New teams, new drivers, new rules and a new track to the calendar as well. Here are my thoughts ahead of the curtain raiser in Bahrain.
McLaren
The Woking squad head in 2010 with much more hope than 2009 with the last two world champions in the MP4-25. The car has been quicker in the latest tests with a raft of aerodynamic updates including a slitted rear wing, new diffuser and engine cover to gain the best part of a second over a lap. Their main rivals will be the new/old/slightly changed Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn). The battle between Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton is the most anticipated inter-team line up since Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya. The difference here though is that I think the two Brits will get along and could potentially be McLaren's most successful line-up since Hakkinen and Coulthard. Lewis should edge Jenson on raw pace but the gap won't be as big as last year with Heikki Kovalainen. Plus Jenson has his old helmet back, silly Monster sponsorship gone and luck probably back.
Mercedes (formerly Brawn)
Among many others the news of Michael Schumacher's cancelled return to F1 was probably the most disappointing part of '09. So the return of the 7 time champion with a team other than Ferrari is by far the best story of this close season. With Nico Rosberg alongside him they probably have the most to prove as a line-up but are without doubt very strong with wins for both very possible. The Brackley squad may lag behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull but with Ross Brawn still at the helm anything is possibly, another championship is a push but I reckon three race wins is a strong and achieveable target, almost like McLaren in 1997.
Red Bull
Adrian Newey's design was the quickest car at the end of 2009 but unreliability let them down throughout the season. Aerodynamically the Red Bull was the best on the grid as shown by the fact that many of the team have copied the '09 design, especially at the front. The '10 car looks very similar, just with a longer wheelbase to fit in the larger fuel tank. Vettel and Webber remain and of course are both proven as race-winners. Vettel has more raw pace and will want to prove himself against Schuey whilst Webber will be full of confidence after a great 2009 with 2 wins. I found new respect for Webber last year with his great racecraft (Abu Dhabi v Button, what a two laps) and could be one of the biggest entertainers of the year.
Ferrari
At Ferrari we have the only battle where I truly get off the fence and nail my colours to the mast. I don't care who wins the championship this year, as long as Felipe 'Baby' Massa beats Fernando 'Eyebrow Man' Alonso. Massa of course returns after his horrific injury suffered mid-season in '09, refreshed and stronger than ever. There probably isn't a better time for him to take on Alonso who for me needs to prove himself. In '09 he was invisible, OK the Renault was bad but for me he showed no fight, something for example Robert Kubica showed in a similarly tardy BMW last year. The Ferrari looks devastatingly quick and probably arrive in Bahrain as the favourites, but just. The dominant start of season gap they used to have when Messers Todt, Brawn and Byrne were in charge still won't be there. Italy expects, probably more than ever.
Williams
Williams were highly underrated last year for me. They easily matched the works Toyota team over the course of the season and could have scored even more points with a decent 2nd driver instead of Kazuki Nakajima alongside Rosberg. With Barrichello and new boy Hulkenberg on board they have one of their strongest lineups since Mark Webber was at the team. Rubens showed both with his wins and also he rants (Nurburgring an example) that he still has the fight at 37 and won't want to be showed up by reigning GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg, potentially the best of the GP2 champions after Hamilton and a hell of a lot better than his fellow GP2 and A1GP champion Nelson Piquet Jr. Wins on raw pace are too far for Williams but if the top teams falter, podiums are possible and they already have a hand on the Cosworth-powered championship.... if there was one.
Renault
Hold the phone, we have a winner for best livery of the year and my word.... RENAULT. The team that came out with the worst livery since B.A.R zip up the middle 1999 effort in 2009. A combination of white and a regurgated Spanish flag made many feel ill, even more so when it was constantly going in circles in the hands of Piquet/Grosjean. But now with no sponsors the team under new management have gone back to their old 70s/80s look with a yellow and black combo which Eddie Jordan will obviously love and I do to. As for the drivers Kubica is once again a dark horse and although Vitaly Petrov may be a pay driver but he was strong in GP2 last year and doesn't have a three time world champion father breathing down the management's neck. I reckon he could do well. Renault's aim will be to stabalise and score points regularly, they must beat Force India.
Force India
The dark horses heading into 2010, the Silverstone squad have set some good times in testings in the hands of Adrian Sutil. As Martin Brundle says, Sutil needs to stop hittings things and he could score regular points. Liuzzi needs to up his game and revive the form he had at Monza last year otherwise Scot Paul di Resta will be breathing down his neck. My big concern is that they have lost several key technical members of their team to their rivals which could de-stablise them later in the season.
McLaren
The Woking squad head in 2010 with much more hope than 2009 with the last two world champions in the MP4-25. The car has been quicker in the latest tests with a raft of aerodynamic updates including a slitted rear wing, new diffuser and engine cover to gain the best part of a second over a lap. Their main rivals will be the new/old/slightly changed Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn). The battle between Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton is the most anticipated inter-team line up since Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya. The difference here though is that I think the two Brits will get along and could potentially be McLaren's most successful line-up since Hakkinen and Coulthard. Lewis should edge Jenson on raw pace but the gap won't be as big as last year with Heikki Kovalainen. Plus Jenson has his old helmet back, silly Monster sponsorship gone and luck probably back.
Mercedes (formerly Brawn)
Among many others the news of Michael Schumacher's cancelled return to F1 was probably the most disappointing part of '09. So the return of the 7 time champion with a team other than Ferrari is by far the best story of this close season. With Nico Rosberg alongside him they probably have the most to prove as a line-up but are without doubt very strong with wins for both very possible. The Brackley squad may lag behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull but with Ross Brawn still at the helm anything is possibly, another championship is a push but I reckon three race wins is a strong and achieveable target, almost like McLaren in 1997.
Red Bull
Adrian Newey's design was the quickest car at the end of 2009 but unreliability let them down throughout the season. Aerodynamically the Red Bull was the best on the grid as shown by the fact that many of the team have copied the '09 design, especially at the front. The '10 car looks very similar, just with a longer wheelbase to fit in the larger fuel tank. Vettel and Webber remain and of course are both proven as race-winners. Vettel has more raw pace and will want to prove himself against Schuey whilst Webber will be full of confidence after a great 2009 with 2 wins. I found new respect for Webber last year with his great racecraft (Abu Dhabi v Button, what a two laps) and could be one of the biggest entertainers of the year.
Ferrari
At Ferrari we have the only battle where I truly get off the fence and nail my colours to the mast. I don't care who wins the championship this year, as long as Felipe 'Baby' Massa beats Fernando 'Eyebrow Man' Alonso. Massa of course returns after his horrific injury suffered mid-season in '09, refreshed and stronger than ever. There probably isn't a better time for him to take on Alonso who for me needs to prove himself. In '09 he was invisible, OK the Renault was bad but for me he showed no fight, something for example Robert Kubica showed in a similarly tardy BMW last year. The Ferrari looks devastatingly quick and probably arrive in Bahrain as the favourites, but just. The dominant start of season gap they used to have when Messers Todt, Brawn and Byrne were in charge still won't be there. Italy expects, probably more than ever.
Williams
Williams were highly underrated last year for me. They easily matched the works Toyota team over the course of the season and could have scored even more points with a decent 2nd driver instead of Kazuki Nakajima alongside Rosberg. With Barrichello and new boy Hulkenberg on board they have one of their strongest lineups since Mark Webber was at the team. Rubens showed both with his wins and also he rants (Nurburgring an example) that he still has the fight at 37 and won't want to be showed up by reigning GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg, potentially the best of the GP2 champions after Hamilton and a hell of a lot better than his fellow GP2 and A1GP champion Nelson Piquet Jr. Wins on raw pace are too far for Williams but if the top teams falter, podiums are possible and they already have a hand on the Cosworth-powered championship.... if there was one.
Renault
Hold the phone, we have a winner for best livery of the year and my word.... RENAULT. The team that came out with the worst livery since B.A.R zip up the middle 1999 effort in 2009. A combination of white and a regurgated Spanish flag made many feel ill, even more so when it was constantly going in circles in the hands of Piquet/Grosjean. But now with no sponsors the team under new management have gone back to their old 70s/80s look with a yellow and black combo which Eddie Jordan will obviously love and I do to. As for the drivers Kubica is once again a dark horse and although Vitaly Petrov may be a pay driver but he was strong in GP2 last year and doesn't have a three time world champion father breathing down the management's neck. I reckon he could do well. Renault's aim will be to stabalise and score points regularly, they must beat Force India.
Force India
The dark horses heading into 2010, the Silverstone squad have set some good times in testings in the hands of Adrian Sutil. As Martin Brundle says, Sutil needs to stop hittings things and he could score regular points. Liuzzi needs to up his game and revive the form he had at Monza last year otherwise Scot Paul di Resta will be breathing down his neck. My big concern is that they have lost several key technical members of their team to their rivals which could de-stablise them later in the season.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Play Off idea is a stroke of genius.
Now prepare yourselves, this is quite a rare occasion. A praise for the FA from myself. In the past few years I haven't been particularly happy with the FA mainly due to their lack of vision in improving the English game on and off the pitch. The list of things they have done or failed to have done could fill a blog post in itself so I won't go into detail. But the FA and the Premier League suggestion of a play-off system is in my opinion the best idea they have had in the domestic game for a long time, dare I say since the invention of the Premier League itself.
This season has been one of the most competitive in the Premier League as Everton's win at home to Manchester United showed as an example. If any of the big four have a bad day they are very liable to lose points and this made me think of what happens when Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal have played badly in Europe. For me they can play badly in a group stage game against a lesser team and probably still win and begs the question, could the chasing pack of teams from 4th to 8th cut it in the Champions League. I very much think they can, for instance, take the Scottish powers of Celtic and Rangers, one of them often reach the group stage of Europe's primary competition and with good form stand a chance of getting into the knockouts although this is less likely these days. The introduction of the Old Firm to the English league is another idea that has been muted for many years and one of the question has always been, 'where will they finish in the table?'. I reckon with their current squads they would do well to finish 12th or higher, yet their route to the Champions League is a lot easier than Tottenham, Everton and free-spending Manchester City.
Michel Platini's tweaking of the Champions League has meant that many more league champions from different countries are now reaching the group stage which is probably right in the spirit of the competition as one for domestic champions of Europe. But apart from the larger leagues of which am I including Spain, Italy, Germany, France and to a lesser extent Holland, there aren't many champions who could cut it against that many top half Premier League teams.
Of course there is the m-word, money and especially Manchester City's big bucks. Having a four team play-off would bring in a load of money for clubs and the game as a whole which needs it at the moment, through ticket receipts and TV revenue. Speaking to some supporters of the top four clubs, a common response is that they would rather things stay as they are. My feeling though is that this is a feeling of fear, sure over the course of 38 games the top four should stay as they are, even this season if Liverpool pull their finger out. But over three games, anything could happen and this is where we now look at the Football League, which has had a promotion play-off for years, especially in the Championship/Division One (old name) the team finishing highest in the league has found it hard to actually win the play-off competition. This normally is due to the pyschological pressure of the competition, the 3rd place team is often the side that has come excruciatingly close to automatic promotion and it takes a lot to pick yourself up and win the play-off, as my club Sheffield United has experienced twice in the time I've supported them.
I went to Wembley last year and yes it was very disappointing to lose the final having come so close to 2nd place in the league, one Kevin Phillips goal for Birmingham against us on the first day of the season ended up being the difference. But the experience and atmosphere of the play-offs both at Bramall Lane and Wembley was brilliant and still a great experience. Another thing to consider as to why the play-offs work so well is that no-one seems to moan or cry if they finish 3rd in the league and don't get promotion in the end because that's the nature of the game. The other teams have as much of a chance on the day because the competition in the lower leagues is that much closer, or it was. A play-off a few years ago wouldn't have worked, your 4th place team whether it be Arsenal or Liverpool would knuckle down and win. But not now, they would have to play very well to ensure their Europe place.
As a neutral that is fascinating and I will probably get a response from certain people but the English domestic game isn't all about the big four and their domination is by far the most boring aspect of the league and needs tweaking and a play-off is the perfect idea. So don't knock it till you've tried it, yes fans of the big four will be worried but think about this, how would an Arsenal win over Spurs to get into the Champions League feel, how would a Liverpool win over Everton feel. Pretty damn fantastic is what I think. The one concern I have is that the final would be played at Wembley which I think would take something special away from the Championship play-off final. In addition, a two-legged play off would be in keeping with the normal progression in the qualifying and knockout rounds of European competition.
The Premier League needs 14 clubs to agree so the changes can be pushed through to be implemented when the TV contract needs renewing in three years time, I can see it happening and really hopes it does, come on FA, for once pull yourselves together and restore some faith from the clubs who previously wouldn't have a chance of getting into the Champions League.
This season has been one of the most competitive in the Premier League as Everton's win at home to Manchester United showed as an example. If any of the big four have a bad day they are very liable to lose points and this made me think of what happens when Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal have played badly in Europe. For me they can play badly in a group stage game against a lesser team and probably still win and begs the question, could the chasing pack of teams from 4th to 8th cut it in the Champions League. I very much think they can, for instance, take the Scottish powers of Celtic and Rangers, one of them often reach the group stage of Europe's primary competition and with good form stand a chance of getting into the knockouts although this is less likely these days. The introduction of the Old Firm to the English league is another idea that has been muted for many years and one of the question has always been, 'where will they finish in the table?'. I reckon with their current squads they would do well to finish 12th or higher, yet their route to the Champions League is a lot easier than Tottenham, Everton and free-spending Manchester City.
Michel Platini's tweaking of the Champions League has meant that many more league champions from different countries are now reaching the group stage which is probably right in the spirit of the competition as one for domestic champions of Europe. But apart from the larger leagues of which am I including Spain, Italy, Germany, France and to a lesser extent Holland, there aren't many champions who could cut it against that many top half Premier League teams.
Of course there is the m-word, money and especially Manchester City's big bucks. Having a four team play-off would bring in a load of money for clubs and the game as a whole which needs it at the moment, through ticket receipts and TV revenue. Speaking to some supporters of the top four clubs, a common response is that they would rather things stay as they are. My feeling though is that this is a feeling of fear, sure over the course of 38 games the top four should stay as they are, even this season if Liverpool pull their finger out. But over three games, anything could happen and this is where we now look at the Football League, which has had a promotion play-off for years, especially in the Championship/Division One (old name) the team finishing highest in the league has found it hard to actually win the play-off competition. This normally is due to the pyschological pressure of the competition, the 3rd place team is often the side that has come excruciatingly close to automatic promotion and it takes a lot to pick yourself up and win the play-off, as my club Sheffield United has experienced twice in the time I've supported them.
I went to Wembley last year and yes it was very disappointing to lose the final having come so close to 2nd place in the league, one Kevin Phillips goal for Birmingham against us on the first day of the season ended up being the difference. But the experience and atmosphere of the play-offs both at Bramall Lane and Wembley was brilliant and still a great experience. Another thing to consider as to why the play-offs work so well is that no-one seems to moan or cry if they finish 3rd in the league and don't get promotion in the end because that's the nature of the game. The other teams have as much of a chance on the day because the competition in the lower leagues is that much closer, or it was. A play-off a few years ago wouldn't have worked, your 4th place team whether it be Arsenal or Liverpool would knuckle down and win. But not now, they would have to play very well to ensure their Europe place.
As a neutral that is fascinating and I will probably get a response from certain people but the English domestic game isn't all about the big four and their domination is by far the most boring aspect of the league and needs tweaking and a play-off is the perfect idea. So don't knock it till you've tried it, yes fans of the big four will be worried but think about this, how would an Arsenal win over Spurs to get into the Champions League feel, how would a Liverpool win over Everton feel. Pretty damn fantastic is what I think. The one concern I have is that the final would be played at Wembley which I think would take something special away from the Championship play-off final. In addition, a two-legged play off would be in keeping with the normal progression in the qualifying and knockout rounds of European competition.
The Premier League needs 14 clubs to agree so the changes can be pushed through to be implemented when the TV contract needs renewing in three years time, I can see it happening and really hopes it does, come on FA, for once pull yourselves together and restore some faith from the clubs who previously wouldn't have a chance of getting into the Champions League.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Why I admire the Winter Olympics.
In planning to write this blog earlier in the week I was fully ready to wax lyrical about how I love the Winter Olympics due to its madness and spectacle but events in the hours before the Opening Ceremony put that all in perspective. As I'm sure you will be aware there was tragedy in the luge during the practice runs when Georgia's 21 year old luger Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed and sadly passed away due to his injuries. The incident has for me as well as many others put everything in perspective not only in the Olympic world but in sport as a whole. Talking about the madness and sometimes comical side of winter sports doesn't feel appropriate. The aspirations of the Georgian have made me think of the deep down reason as to why the Winter Olympics is so great. It's not those who take the glory or see it snatch from their hands but it's those competitors who are there to live a dream, the dream of being a Winter Olympian and the bravery they have to perform in these super human events such as ski-jumping, skeleton and biathlon to name a few.
The British team embodies this sentiment and anyone watching the short track speed skating last night might have seen the reaction of a first time Olympian from Nottingham. 18 year old Jack Whelbourne scored a third place finish in his heat albeit with some luck after a fellow competitor fell on the last corner but his push to 4th at that time and the happiness that Whelbourne showed as he crossed the line made me smile. Hopefully Team GB will take a few medals in the next two weeks but the reality is that many of our athletes are under funded compared to other Olympic sporting stars that will get their chance on an Olympic stage in London. That doesn't many that the Winter Olympians are any less worthy of a hero's welcome back home at the end of the Games, sadly that won't get it. To finish I hope the next two weeks is full of similar stories of bravery both at the top and the bottom from teams across the world, starting with the men's downhill which will hopefully be held tomorrow.
The British team embodies this sentiment and anyone watching the short track speed skating last night might have seen the reaction of a first time Olympian from Nottingham. 18 year old Jack Whelbourne scored a third place finish in his heat albeit with some luck after a fellow competitor fell on the last corner but his push to 4th at that time and the happiness that Whelbourne showed as he crossed the line made me smile. Hopefully Team GB will take a few medals in the next two weeks but the reality is that many of our athletes are under funded compared to other Olympic sporting stars that will get their chance on an Olympic stage in London. That doesn't many that the Winter Olympians are any less worthy of a hero's welcome back home at the end of the Games, sadly that won't get it. To finish I hope the next two weeks is full of similar stories of bravery both at the top and the bottom from teams across the world, starting with the men's downhill which will hopefully be held tomorrow.
Monday, 8 February 2010
A bit of everything
Another great week of sport has passed. First up, 6 Nations rugby and what a strong start it was on Saturday with Ireland and England taking their first wins of the championship. I was buoyed to see England in control for most of the game and I really feel they have one of the strongest chances to at least take the championship come mid-March. But obviously certain things have to happen for Martin Johnson's side. First of all, good wins at home, the first half of that against Wales has been done and a similar sort of result against the Irish on the 27th would be a great boost to any chance England have. Secondly something out of their own hands, France failing to beat Wales, as I think it will go down to a showdown in the north of Paris to see who takes the trophy and even though England played well, they'll have to play even better to take the French on in the Stade de France. Next weekend's game between Wales and Scotland could be a cracker, Wales will have felt avenged on Saturday as their performance wasn't too bad at Twickenham whilst the Scots never really got going at home on Sunday. Neither side wants to finish 5th and given how the first weekend of results this could be a 4th place game that will be eagerly constested.
As the title suggests it wasn't all about rugby union this weekend. Last night I stayed to watch SuperBowl XLIV, played out between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The Americans really know how to put on a sporting display and once again I fully enjoyed the spectacle of a full length game of American Football, I really do regret losing touch with the season dismally quickly after watching quite a bit of pre-season action when on holiday in Florida. What a shame I have to wait until the summer for it all to start again. The key play was obviously at the start of the 2nd half where the Saints pulled a cheeky on-side kick that surprised the up-to-then leading Colts, retained the ball of the kick off and scored a touchdown in the consequent play. The Saints never looked back and you have to admire the tactical nouse of head coach Sean Payton. Another great American sporting tradition takes place next weekend with the running of the Daytona 500, the first grand race of the NASCAR season. If you've never seen NASCAR before or think that it's boring because it literally is cars going in circles then please give it a chance. I mean come on, guys pushing each other and truly pushing each other, at 200mph, in packs of 20 cars plus, and the frequent pile-up, how is that boring?
Carrying on with a motorsport theme I'll quickly mention last week's F1 tests. Ferrari do look in ominous form but of course we won't really know where everyone is off the back of one test. Instinct tells me that Sauber where running low fuel to grab some headlines to gain some sponsorship but people said that about Brawn and Jenson Button last year so once again, watch this space. We see the true performance of a car from one of the new teams this week as Virgin Racing/Manor Motorsport join the established ranks at Jerez for test two. Whatever the pace though I already love Virgin Racing, good drivers, cool livery and it's got a Yorkshire rose on it, what more could you want. Red Bull launch their car this week to and their pace will be a large talking point, can they carry on good form from the 2nd half of '09 into '10. Let's wait and see...
PS. Next week, Winter Olympics, come on people on teatrays!
As the title suggests it wasn't all about rugby union this weekend. Last night I stayed to watch SuperBowl XLIV, played out between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. The Americans really know how to put on a sporting display and once again I fully enjoyed the spectacle of a full length game of American Football, I really do regret losing touch with the season dismally quickly after watching quite a bit of pre-season action when on holiday in Florida. What a shame I have to wait until the summer for it all to start again. The key play was obviously at the start of the 2nd half where the Saints pulled a cheeky on-side kick that surprised the up-to-then leading Colts, retained the ball of the kick off and scored a touchdown in the consequent play. The Saints never looked back and you have to admire the tactical nouse of head coach Sean Payton. Another great American sporting tradition takes place next weekend with the running of the Daytona 500, the first grand race of the NASCAR season. If you've never seen NASCAR before or think that it's boring because it literally is cars going in circles then please give it a chance. I mean come on, guys pushing each other and truly pushing each other, at 200mph, in packs of 20 cars plus, and the frequent pile-up, how is that boring?
Carrying on with a motorsport theme I'll quickly mention last week's F1 tests. Ferrari do look in ominous form but of course we won't really know where everyone is off the back of one test. Instinct tells me that Sauber where running low fuel to grab some headlines to gain some sponsorship but people said that about Brawn and Jenson Button last year so once again, watch this space. We see the true performance of a car from one of the new teams this week as Virgin Racing/Manor Motorsport join the established ranks at Jerez for test two. Whatever the pace though I already love Virgin Racing, good drivers, cool livery and it's got a Yorkshire rose on it, what more could you want. Red Bull launch their car this week to and their pace will be a large talking point, can they carry on good form from the 2nd half of '09 into '10. Let's wait and see...
PS. Next week, Winter Olympics, come on people on teatrays!
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Changing of the Guard in Manchester?
What a sporting week it has been. We've seen the conclusion of the African Cup of Nations, Andy Murray have a great Aussie Open and grabbing all the headlines, a brilliant night at Old Trafford as a pulsating Carling Cup Semi Final Second Leg was played out between the two halves of Manchester. Watching as a neutral, mostly, it was thoroughly entertaining and the 2nd half on Wednesday night was on the best halves this season. Going into the game the question was how close to United on the pitch are City and would a win for the blue half allow them to claim they are the top side in that part of the North West.
For me a City win wouldn't allow that, one result doesn't change the rest of your seasons result, the old league table is the ultimate parameter and so far he says United 2nd, City 6th. What I think did change though was who has the best claim to best derby in the English game. Every major club has that one fixture that they want to win most whether it be in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, North London, Tyne/Wear, Nottingham, Bristol the list goes on. In my opinion there are three of those that can claim to be the best, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, ok maybe I'm a bit biased on the last one which is definatly the most underrated. Before Wednesday I would have said that Liverpool and Everton was England's best derby, there was and still is something about it that put it above others. But not anymore, seeing two sides give 100% to win the game in a competition regarded nowhere as near important as the FA Cup or League was fascinating. The 4-3 Old Trafford league fixture was the first of three classic games we have seen between the two sides this season and every single one has seen 22 plus players giving everything.
It's obvious that Man City's affluence has made this happen. SAF said earlier that he now considers them to worthy rivals on the pitch as opposed to a side looking to establish themselves in the Premier League and end years of going between there and Division One as it was then. The return fixture at Eastlands later this season will once again be a fantastic game and personally it the one club fixture I am looking forward to the most that doesn't involve my own Sheffield United.
One final note sadly leads to something off the pitch and the Terry saga that is of course being embroiled in the papers. Questions are now being raised as to whether he should be England captain or not in the summer. For me the situation in my mind is clear, do I care what this sportsman gets up to in his spare time? No, and do I hold him as a role model which would make me care about him in that way? No, do I want a fully focused John Terry in defence in South Africa? Yes, so media-type, leave the bloke alone but of course they won't. Next week of course is the start of the Six Nations, more on that next week, can't wait.
For me a City win wouldn't allow that, one result doesn't change the rest of your seasons result, the old league table is the ultimate parameter and so far he says United 2nd, City 6th. What I think did change though was who has the best claim to best derby in the English game. Every major club has that one fixture that they want to win most whether it be in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, North London, Tyne/Wear, Nottingham, Bristol the list goes on. In my opinion there are three of those that can claim to be the best, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, ok maybe I'm a bit biased on the last one which is definatly the most underrated. Before Wednesday I would have said that Liverpool and Everton was England's best derby, there was and still is something about it that put it above others. But not anymore, seeing two sides give 100% to win the game in a competition regarded nowhere as near important as the FA Cup or League was fascinating. The 4-3 Old Trafford league fixture was the first of three classic games we have seen between the two sides this season and every single one has seen 22 plus players giving everything.
It's obvious that Man City's affluence has made this happen. SAF said earlier that he now considers them to worthy rivals on the pitch as opposed to a side looking to establish themselves in the Premier League and end years of going between there and Division One as it was then. The return fixture at Eastlands later this season will once again be a fantastic game and personally it the one club fixture I am looking forward to the most that doesn't involve my own Sheffield United.
One final note sadly leads to something off the pitch and the Terry saga that is of course being embroiled in the papers. Questions are now being raised as to whether he should be England captain or not in the summer. For me the situation in my mind is clear, do I care what this sportsman gets up to in his spare time? No, and do I hold him as a role model which would make me care about him in that way? No, do I want a fully focused John Terry in defence in South Africa? Yes, so media-type, leave the bloke alone but of course they won't. Next week of course is the start of the Six Nations, more on that next week, can't wait.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
F1 starts here, well sort of.
So here it is, the first F1 related post on this blog. Although the racing season doesn't start till March the first launches of cars that will be appearing on the grid in 2010 commence this week. Mercedes/Brawn launch their new branding first with their all new German line up of Messers Rosberg and Schumacher, before many other teams follow suit in the next few weeks. For me, 2010 is even less predictable at this stage than it was last year, we can suppose the front-runners will come from 4 teams; McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull. But in what order? Who will win between Jens and Lew, Fernando and Felipe, McLaren and Mercedes? Those are just three scenarios leading into this new season and there's even more down the grid, no-one will be able to ignore Virgin v Lotus, you know you love it. News from last week came when Pedro De La Rosa was announced as Sauber's 2nd driver. I'm delighted to see the Spaniard back in a race seat after several years loyal service to McLaren and hopefully he'll punch above his weight and give Spain someone else to cheer for apart from eyebrow man.
In response to Bernie's 'shortcuts' idea, no, no and no. It's like if in football, 'oh, this game's a bit rubbish, RANDOM PENALTY SHOOT-OUT TIME'. The idea is absurd, and will never get passed. The amending of the points system will do and that is something that everyone agrees is necessary and for those saying it will spoil the points records as a yardstick for who's the best driver of all time, surely even before the change average finishing position is the best comparison right back to 1950. Just something to ponder over. I feel though that KERS would be a good way of spicing up overtaking, but limiting it more, perhaps to a similar system to a series in every other area is rubbish, A1GP. A power boost is used and limited to 4 or 8 uses per race. By using a similar system it would make use of KERS much more tactical and interesting even if every car on the grid had it. It would also be a good idea to have a stock system for all teams instead of the manufacturers spending millions on it, would BMW still be in the sport if they a) hadn't spent so much on KERS and/or b) couldn't use it in 2010 and onwards.
Much more will come out in the next few weeks as only 4 possibly 3 drives remain on the grid and of course testing results will cause much heated discussions but perhaps not as much as last year.
In response to my FA Cup post a few weeks ago, I think we're in line for a cracker of a cup this year. 3 of the big 4 out, a good smattering of teams from the Football League still around and a much needed South Coast derby that will sure bring in some valuble funds for Pompey and the Saints, come on ITV, you can televise that can't you.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Sort it out KP.
Well Week 3 has been for me a busy week (first week back at uni, been a bit crazy) so this week's blog should be short. England's final match of the winter tour to South Africa started today and it is somewhat more puzzling than pleasing that England go into the final test match 1-0 up in the 4 match series when they can play as badly as they did today. To put 180 on the board when you win the toss is unacceptable, bad conditions or not.
Now to make things clear the main man getting attention this week wasn't wholly responsible for today's dismal batting collapse but in my mind only a good bat today would save himself from my wrath so here we go. Kevin Pietersen, what is wrong with you. Here are the stats, out of the 4 tests and 6 innings he has completed he has scored 165 runs, an average 27.5. Not particularly sparkling who has been batting at number 4 and is regarded as one of England best and definitely most adventurous batsmen. The stats get even more worrying when you remove his series best of 81 which came in the first test over a month ago and his average is 16.8, including one innings where England declared just short of 600 yet Pietersen only took 30 runs back to the pavilion with him. For me KP's image as the new poster boy of English cricket after Freddie is giving him too much of a barrier, especially when the English media sent a barrage of abuse to Ian Bell earlier in the tour who has responded brilliantly with scores moving his series average above 50.
Having scored 7 today and a total of 6 in the previous test I think it's time someone whether it be coaches or the media (how ever much I dispise them) give him a clip round the ear and get him to respond by not giving his wicket away so cheaply, this isn't Twenty20, it's still the 5-day game, keep your bat on the ground boy. Remembering back to 2005 and England's glorious triumph in the Ashes, Pietersen started poorly in that series too, got a push from media-types and the result was that century at The Oval that clinched that famous series win. He's the kind of player who clearly responds to criticism, a rare thing for a English sportsman although that's the thing, he's not really English is his. Tomorrow though is another day and hopefully England's bowlers can make the break through, take a few quick wickets early on and keep England in the game. It's what I love about the 5-day game in that although it looks bad now there's still a long way to go and a fully firing Kevin Pietersen in the 2nd innings could be just what Strauss's team need to clinch the series.
Now to make things clear the main man getting attention this week wasn't wholly responsible for today's dismal batting collapse but in my mind only a good bat today would save himself from my wrath so here we go. Kevin Pietersen, what is wrong with you. Here are the stats, out of the 4 tests and 6 innings he has completed he has scored 165 runs, an average 27.5. Not particularly sparkling who has been batting at number 4 and is regarded as one of England best and definitely most adventurous batsmen. The stats get even more worrying when you remove his series best of 81 which came in the first test over a month ago and his average is 16.8, including one innings where England declared just short of 600 yet Pietersen only took 30 runs back to the pavilion with him. For me KP's image as the new poster boy of English cricket after Freddie is giving him too much of a barrier, especially when the English media sent a barrage of abuse to Ian Bell earlier in the tour who has responded brilliantly with scores moving his series average above 50.
Having scored 7 today and a total of 6 in the previous test I think it's time someone whether it be coaches or the media (how ever much I dispise them) give him a clip round the ear and get him to respond by not giving his wicket away so cheaply, this isn't Twenty20, it's still the 5-day game, keep your bat on the ground boy. Remembering back to 2005 and England's glorious triumph in the Ashes, Pietersen started poorly in that series too, got a push from media-types and the result was that century at The Oval that clinched that famous series win. He's the kind of player who clearly responds to criticism, a rare thing for a English sportsman although that's the thing, he's not really English is his. Tomorrow though is another day and hopefully England's bowlers can make the break through, take a few quick wickets early on and keep England in the game. It's what I love about the 5-day game in that although it looks bad now there's still a long way to go and a fully firing Kevin Pietersen in the 2nd innings could be just what Strauss's team need to clinch the series.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Snow and crowds; falling around us
'5,335, seriously'. That was the reaction of many including myself to the shockingly low attendance at the FA Cup Third Round tie between Wigan Athletic and Hull City. On a 3rd round Saturday that lacked the sparkle of any potential upsets this attendance figure was surely one of the most worrying and perplexing stories in this football season. Some said it was a general downturn in the popularity of the FA Cup as a spectacle, especially in the earlier rounds. That is right to some extent, it doesn't help when Premier League sides put out weakened XI's even against reasonable Championship sides but personally I feel it is a club-to-club problem. Taking the whole weekend into account, attendances where lower due to the cold temperatures and the cup being a week earlier this year and nearer to those Boxing Day and New Year sales but that can't be the explanation to the silent DW Stadium. For example, Aston Villa's home tie against Blackburn Rovers, a similarly all-Premiership tie not involving the top 4, brought in 25,433 punters. When you compare those two homes sides, Villa and Wigan, there's one huge difference between them and it's history and this is where the problem for Wigan lies.
Having only been in the Premier League a few seasons and with no major trophy to there name. Wigan as a town has a greater sporting history in rugby league with the Warriors being the most successful British league side. It's just the same situation as my home town of Sheffield but vice versa. Sheffield Eagles will never be able to gain the same reputation and prestige from the locals because the Steel City is a football city. Returning to the 'magic' of the Cup arguement, personally my respect for the FA Cup has come from my dad when the Cup was just as important as the league which united with my opinion on the historic value of a club shows somewhat in the number of people who turned up to the games last weekend.
The question now is how do clubs and the FA combat this and boost the reputation of the greatest cup competition in the world against the brands of the Premier League, Champions League and the stronger European leagues. The clubs have their hands tie behind their backs, reducing ticket prices isn't something they want to be doing at the moment and anything they do will cost money through advertising and other initiatives. For me the buck lies with the FA. First things first, no change of the competition's format is required, if they want to experiment with such things then that's what the League Cup is for. At the moment the FA Cup Winners are given a place in the following season's Europa League/UEFA Cup. But why not give them the fourth Champions League spot. Sadly this probably won't happen, the big four will probably kick up too much of a fuss about it, but if it happened you probably wouldn't see Premier League teams giving fringe players a run out, the pressure would mount for the top four as each of them would need to win the competition to be safe for next season. But with the format the same and every chance that on the day a high spirited League One side could come along and send the house of cards crashing down. As I said before, the big four won't like it, but the last time I looked the Football League had 92 clubs in it, the other 88 would love it.
But the chances of this happening are sadly not exsistent, not whilst we have a board in charge of the FA they make a mockery of any game at Wembley by staying in their posh lounges with their entourages at the beginning of the 2nd half, all to see as ITV broadcast pictures of an empty block of seats behind Messers Capello, Ferguson and Wenger. Yes this is a rant and I could quite easily go into ITV's lack of advertising on its upcoming FA Cup games but I'll hold that for another day.
To conclude, changes are going to have to be made to rejuvenate the FA Cup. They won't be easy and there will be tantrums but it would be for the good of English football and a lack of change will definately leave the FA Cup in peril in the long term, and in turn England's 2018 World Cup bid (another topic for another day). It's the not the competition that's wrong, it's the people running it. The Old Trafford classic on Sunday showed how the FA Cup should be, two sides poles apart in ability scrapping it out and the best team on the day taking the spoils. I admit as a Sheffield United fan I'm not the fondest of the blokes up the M1 but I couldn't help but smile at the passion still at that club that shone through. Good luck to them when they go to Tottenham in Round 4, they're going to need it as I see Spurs being one of the only top sides taking the FA Cup seriously this year and are my tip for Wembley glory. Until next week enjoy the snow!
Having only been in the Premier League a few seasons and with no major trophy to there name. Wigan as a town has a greater sporting history in rugby league with the Warriors being the most successful British league side. It's just the same situation as my home town of Sheffield but vice versa. Sheffield Eagles will never be able to gain the same reputation and prestige from the locals because the Steel City is a football city. Returning to the 'magic' of the Cup arguement, personally my respect for the FA Cup has come from my dad when the Cup was just as important as the league which united with my opinion on the historic value of a club shows somewhat in the number of people who turned up to the games last weekend.
The question now is how do clubs and the FA combat this and boost the reputation of the greatest cup competition in the world against the brands of the Premier League, Champions League and the stronger European leagues. The clubs have their hands tie behind their backs, reducing ticket prices isn't something they want to be doing at the moment and anything they do will cost money through advertising and other initiatives. For me the buck lies with the FA. First things first, no change of the competition's format is required, if they want to experiment with such things then that's what the League Cup is for. At the moment the FA Cup Winners are given a place in the following season's Europa League/UEFA Cup. But why not give them the fourth Champions League spot. Sadly this probably won't happen, the big four will probably kick up too much of a fuss about it, but if it happened you probably wouldn't see Premier League teams giving fringe players a run out, the pressure would mount for the top four as each of them would need to win the competition to be safe for next season. But with the format the same and every chance that on the day a high spirited League One side could come along and send the house of cards crashing down. As I said before, the big four won't like it, but the last time I looked the Football League had 92 clubs in it, the other 88 would love it.
But the chances of this happening are sadly not exsistent, not whilst we have a board in charge of the FA they make a mockery of any game at Wembley by staying in their posh lounges with their entourages at the beginning of the 2nd half, all to see as ITV broadcast pictures of an empty block of seats behind Messers Capello, Ferguson and Wenger. Yes this is a rant and I could quite easily go into ITV's lack of advertising on its upcoming FA Cup games but I'll hold that for another day.
To conclude, changes are going to have to be made to rejuvenate the FA Cup. They won't be easy and there will be tantrums but it would be for the good of English football and a lack of change will definately leave the FA Cup in peril in the long term, and in turn England's 2018 World Cup bid (another topic for another day). It's the not the competition that's wrong, it's the people running it. The Old Trafford classic on Sunday showed how the FA Cup should be, two sides poles apart in ability scrapping it out and the best team on the day taking the spoils. I admit as a Sheffield United fan I'm not the fondest of the blokes up the M1 but I couldn't help but smile at the passion still at that club that shone through. Good luck to them when they go to Tottenham in Round 4, they're going to need it as I see Spurs being one of the only top sides taking the FA Cup seriously this year and are my tip for Wembley glory. Until next week enjoy the snow!
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