Rugby League’s ‘Magic Weekend’ 2013: Back With A Bang

             Rugby League’s ‘Magic Weekend’, hosted at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, sees all 14 rugby league giants in action on the same pitch over two days of bone-crunching action. Huge credit must go to the ground staff of the Manchester stadium, as I remember our school rugby pitches after a PE lesson, as it was never a pretty sight! So to have men twice the size, hitting each other twice as hard, for twice as long, must be a gruelling 48 hours without sleep! Once again, the ‘Magic Weekend’ threw up some extraordinary ties, and some fantastically competitive matches, ending with a bang on each days with truly show-stopping games. On Saturday, we had St. Helens vs Warrington Wolves, and to end the weekend, the champions Leeds Rhinos vs the league leaders Wigan Warriors. How can you top that?

 

                The weekend started in fantastic form, with Catalan Dragons beating the London Broncos in the opening fixture. Though the 46-18 final scoreline suggests a thrashing, it was far from it in the first half. Whilst Catalan started strongly, with two quick tries, London quickly regrouped to level the scores just before the break. The second half was a different story, with Catalan half-back Scott Dureau coming back from eye surgery to inspire his team to a resounding second half victory, keeping them in the hunt for the playoffs. A quick turnaround, and the Etihad was ready to grace its second game, Castleford Tigers vs Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. The first derby to be staged at the grand stadium, and the pre-cursor to the Hull derby, Castleford came out of the blocks quickly to establish a 20 point lead by half time, leading 32-12. Their dominance continued into the second period, where, despite an early scare, they finished as comfortable 49-24 victors, handing new boss Daryl Powell his first win.

 

                Next came the Hull derby. In a fiercely competitive match, Hull FC started the brighter, scoring the opening try through Richard Whiting. Hull KR hit back quickly, with two quick scores to lead 10-6 at the break. A second half penalty and an Alex Brown try looked to have settled the game, as KR led by 10 points with only 8 minutes left on the clock. Hull FC fought back, with late tries from Tom Lineham and Kirk Yeaman levelling the scores. Then came the controversy. Hull FC prop Chris Green ran the ball in after KR misjudged the bounce of the ball in the last minute to win the game for FC, despite replays showing he was clearly in an offside decision. The RFL quickly acted, suspending the video referee and stating that a full enquiry would be held into the event. Nevertheless, the game provided us with just the tension and drama we needed going into Saturday’s headliner.

 

                St Helens vs Warrington Wolves, another derby in its own right, started at breakneck speed, with Warrington’s Chris Riley going over in the first minute. Wire soon doubled their advantage, as Ryan Atkins collected a chip to score, but Saints hit back quickly with two tries to move within two points of the Wolves. However, three rapid Warrington tries before half time knocked the stuffing out of St Helens, and gave the Wolves a comfortable cushion going into the break. Early second half tries from Jordan Turner and Lance Hohaia gave Saints hope, but three more tries late into the game from Warrington settled a pulsating tie, and ended an invigorating opening day.

 

                12 hours or so for the ground staff to go to work, before the opening game of today was on: Salford City Reds vs Widnes Vikings. Another intriguing and close encounter, which began with a scoreless first half hour, before Salford’s Lee Gaskell broke the deadlock with a 90 metre try. A quick second soon followed, with Jordan James going over. Widnes responded with two quick tries either side of the break, with Joe Mellor bursting through the Salford line on both occasions. In a game which ebbed and flowed throughout, Salford once again re-established control, through Martin Gleeson’s try. Once again, this would be short-lived, as Mellor claimed his hat-trick of tries to leave the contest tied at 16-16 with 12 minutes to go. With tries being exchanged regularly, Salford’s Theo Fages thought he had won the game for his side, before Kevin Brown cancelled out his try with only 5 minutes remaining. But in the final minute, up popped Jordan James once more, to clinch a thrilling contest in the Reds’ favour.

 

                Huddersfield Giants vs Bradford Bulls followed this encounter, and in a bit of a mismatch, the Giants comfortably saw off a disappointing Bradford side by 42 points to 6. Three tries in the first half ensured that the Giants held a comfortable lead by half time. A lead that was only extended after the break, as Dale Ferguson, Shaun Lunt, Brett Ferres and Anthony Mullaly all went over in the second half, boosting Huddersfield’s title charge. Next was the big one: champions Leeds vs rampant league leaders Wigan. Leeds, prior to the game, boasted a 100% record at ‘Magic Weekends’, whilst Wigan were looking for their 11^th consecutive Super League win. Something had to give.

 

It was Wigan who started the brighter, with last year’s Man Of Steel Sam Tomkins going over to hand the Warriors an early lead. A vicious shoulder charge by Wigan’s Michael McIlorum gave Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield the chance to reduce the arrears with a penalty, which he duly took. This signalled a change in momentum, as the Rhinos took the lead soon after, as Sinfield touched down after work from Zak Hardaker. Unfortunately for Leeds, their lead only lasted a matter of moments, as journeyman Pat Richards went over in the corner to regain the lead. Whilst Kallum Watkins responded for the Rhinos, a late first half Charnley try left Leeds with some work to do in the second period, trailing 20-12. But it was the Warriors who started the brighter, nearly adding to their lead. Leeds did eventually awaken, with Joe Vickery going over to reduce the deficit. A breathless end to the contest ensued, with the pitch still looking in mint condition, allowing for free-flowing and fast rugby league. Danny McGuire thought he had won it for the champions, but he saw his late try chalked off, leaving the Rhinos too short on time to respond.

 

            A fantastic end to a thrilling weekend of rugby league action. Much has been said about the merits and pitfalls of the ‘Magic Weekend’, but I think it is a fantastic advertisement for the game. To play in a nigh-on 50,000 seater stadium is not a chance many of these rugby league players will have all too often, and as the pitch does not make for a worse game, I see no reason why these weekends should not continue. The drama, controversy and passion are all part of the modern game, and taking that into larger stadiums will only attract more people, which can only be good for the game.

IPL 2013 Team of the Year

In the second, and final part of my IPL series, I will be setting out who would make my perfect IPL Fantasy XI based on their performances in this season. For my first post, click here.

 

                As I discussed in my earlier post, there have been many memorable performances and moments in this season’s IPL. Many batsmen have thrilled us with their power and ability to hit maximums out of nothing, and many bowlers have excited us by uprooting middle stumps galore. My team of the year is made entirely of people I think deserve accolades, but I did come to wishing that there were 15 or so men in a cricket team! I will order this in terms of batting line-up, and who would occupy each position:

 

Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The obvious pick for opener, the West Indian’s performances leave me in no doubt. Whilst it is a shame the RCB failed to make the playoffs, and thus deprived us of at least another game of Gayle magic, his massive hitting has been a joy to watch. With his contract soon to end, I envisage a titanic scrap for his signature next year.

Michael Hussey (Chennai Super Kings): The Orange Cap holder also practically picks himself for opener. I put him at number two simply because I feel that had RCB made the playoffs, then Gayle would be the man with orange on his head, and not Hussey. Nevertheless, the experienced Aussie has been fantastic for the Super Kings this season, and consistent in all bar the final.

Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The perfect partner for Chris Gayle, and chipping in with plenty of runs on the way, Kohli makes my XI. This one was very much between Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but with Kohli forming valuable partnerships and having fewer high profile failures, I felt he was the better choice for number three, illustrating the strength of the RCB’s batting.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings): My wicket keeper, and captain, Dhoni has been exceptional once again this IPL. A born leader and a talisman when batting, Dhoni has the ability to piece together seemingly broken innings. The final is a key example of this, taking the CSK from 39-6 to 125-9 almost single-handedly.

Shane Watson (Rajasthan Royals): A breakthrough season for the fiery Aussie, who ended as the Pepsi Atom MVP, an award which gave points based on wickets, sixes, catches and dot balls. The best all-rounder in the competition this season, Watson has turned many innings with both bat and ball. His knock against the Kings XI best illustrates my point, leaving David Hussey to state the the ‘Watson factor’ was a game-changer.

Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians): Another superb season for the big West Indian, once against smashing balls to all four corners of the cricket ground, and picking up valuable wickets  for his side. His performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad shows this, where he single-handedly turned the run chase on its head, allowing the Mumbai Indians to claw their way into the playoffs. He has also produced one of the catches of the season, one handed on the boundary against the Kings XI.

Darren Bravo (Chennai Super Kings): The Purple Cap holder must also make my list. His record breaking season of 30 wickets shows Dwayne Bravo’s potential, a potential he had failed to fully realise until that point. One of the best death over bowlers in the competition, and the leader of CSK’s attack.

Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders): The ‘mystery spin’ bowler, having competed with Harbhajan Singh, is in too. Whilst Narine may not have been as effective as he was last year, where his unplayable deliveries handed the KKR the IPL title, he still managed to be the highest wicket-taking spin bowler, making his place in my XI assured.

Dale Steyn (Sunrisers Hyderabad): The Sunrisers were never favoured to reach the playoffs, and one of the key reasons they did lies in Dale Steyn. The South African fast bowler plays with his heart on his sleeve, and tends to take important wickets at opportune moments, a very impressive attribute for a bowler.

Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai Indians): A toss up here between Johnson and Malinga, but Johnson gets my vote for being the more consistent of the two. Particularly at the start of the season, Johnson was on fire, taking wickets almost a will, and producing some fantastic figures. Whilst others began to take over towards the latter stage, Johnson still pitched in with two valuable wickets in the final.

James Faulkner (Rajasthan Royals): A bit of an unknown quantity before this season, Faulkner found his wings in this season’s IPL. Involved in a game of leapfrog with Dwayne Bravo for the Purple Cap for the majority of the season, Faulkner illustrated his talents with two five-for’s against the same team, the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

 

                This team certainly looks daunting on paper, and I am certain that no other Twenty 20 side worldwide would want to face them. All have produced outstanding performances, and all have maintained their high standards throughout the season. Next year may produce new names, better performances, bigger hits and higher scores. But it will take some doing to better some the achievements of the men on this list.

IPL 2013 Final: Who Chokes Best?

In a two part series on the IPL, I will be looking back at my highlights from this season, as well as providing my Team of the Year. In this post, I cover my personal highlights, and a brief review of the grand finale today in Kolkata.

 

                The Indian Premier League: a competition where it is considered fashionable to wear two baseball caps. Whilst this is only one of my many memories from the 6^th incarnation of the Sub-Saharan Twenty 20 Cricket tournament, it is one that sticks in my memory. The Indian Premier League is perfect for the cricket fan who watches the Test highlights on Channel 5, and doesn’t want to sit through dot ball after dot ball. It is arguably also the same place where you would see Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson all in the same team. Another intriguing few months of top quality cricket came to an end today at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, but before I go into the final itself, I will firstly go through a few more of my personal highlights.

 

                Firstly, this list could not be complete without a big West Indian having his say. Fortunately, in this list we have two. The first to make this list is Royal Challengers Bangalore opening batsman Chris Gayle. His innings against the Pune Warriors was nothing short of spectacular, leaving pundits and commentators to declare that ‘you will never see a better Twenty 20 innings’. Batting through the entire 20 overs, a feat in itself, the big West Indian smacked the ball to all corners, including the longest 6 of the tournament (119 metres), bringing up the fastest 100 in Twenty 20 (and I suspect all forms of) cricket history. Just 33 balls were taken to reach this milestone, putting his strike rate at 333.333, or 3.33 runs a ball to the layman. A simply phenomenal effort. And he didn’t stop there. In his next 33 deliveries, he continued knocking the ball about, reaching an incredible 175 off the 66 balls he faced. 175! Whole teams struggle to make that score from 120 balls, never mind half that! This innings was typical of the big man’s performance, and one that will go down in the annuls of history.

 

                The second West Indian to make my list happens to be another big man. Mumbai Indians’ Kieron Pollard’s performance in the crucial game against the Sunrisers Hydrabad deserves to be in here, as with every ball he faced I found myself getting more and more excited. In a spot of trouble mid-innings, and having lost a few wickets in their chase, Mumbai called on Pollard to get them out of their hole. And how the big man responded! A quick-fire 66 from 27 balls almost single-handedly turned the game on its head, taking the required run rate from 15 to 9.5 a over. Smashing Thisana Pereira for 29 in one over set the tone for the all-rounder, hitting 6 maximums in a sequence of 7 balls. Certainly you will see no better example of a single-handed turnaround in this IPL season. Pollard also has the benefit of being a tremendous fielder. Memorable catches against Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings also propelled Pollard into our attention this spring. A valuable player to have in your side, especially as you get into the later overs.

 

                My third memory is a rather more nostalgic one. Adam Gilchrist, on his final performance for the Kings XI Punjab, was given the final over to bowl. With his team already having won the match against the Mumbai Indians, Gilly, normally a wicket-keeper, was able to bowl his very first over in Twenty 20 cricket. Using what can only be described as ‘weird spin’, I fully expected Harbhajan Singh to smash the Aussie out of the ground multiple times. The last thing I expected was for the off-spinner to mishit the ball out to long-on and lose his wicket! As the Mumbai Indians were something for 9 at the time, the game was obviously ended, and Gilchrist ended with figures of 0.1 overs bowled, 1 for 0 runs, and a 100% strike rate! His celebrations after the wicket was taken were superb, and illustrated the passion and flair that the sport will miss with his retirement.

 

                Despite the loss of Gilchrist, celebrations are not something this competition will be without next year. Four contenders for celebration of the season, with very different dancing styles. Firstly, Dwayne Bravo’s hip-swinging when taking either a wicket or catch caught the eye. Secondly, Darren Sammy’s wicket celebration, putting a dummy in his mouth and ‘rocking the cradle’, signifying the birth of his baby daughter. Unfortunately for Sammy, this came back to bite him, when Brad Hodge hit the winning runs off Sammy’s bowling in the Eliminator, he did the same cradle rocking moves we had become accustomed to from the West Indian. Next, seeing a big man do the Gangnam Style is always funny, and Chris Gayle is no exception. Even funnier, though, is seeing Harbhajan Singh’s take on it. Rebranded the ‘Pangnam Style’, Bhaji’s moves were certainly interesting, and I look forward to seeing more creations from the players next year.

 

                 As for the final, in a match between the top two teams in the regular season table, labelled as ‘Batting vs Bowling’, as Chennai’s batting and Mumbai’s bowling attacks are considered to be the best, round 1 went to the Super Kings. In the Qualifier, they comprehensively outplayed the Mumbai side, winning by a massive 48 runs. This seemed to imply that Batting is more important than bowling in Twenty 20 cricket. However, after overcoming the Rajasthan Royals in the 2^nd Qualifier, Mumbai had the chance to get their own back on the grandest stage of them all. Chennai, on the other hand, would want to avoid defeat in the final for the second year running, having been beaten by Kolkata in last year’s showpiece.

 

                With Mumbai in to bat first, Chennai had the early chance to test the theory of Mumbai as ‘chokers’. And choke they certainly seemed to, with an early batting collapse, leaving them at 16-3. With Karthik and Rayudu at the crease, the inning stabilised for a while. When Karthik went in the 10^th over, Mumbai looked in serious trouble. Kieron Pollard was the next man in, and he kept his head, and kept Mumbai on the path to posting a competitive score. Whilst wickets tumbled around him in the closing overs, he smashed two huge sixes off the last 2 balls to ensure that Mumbai had a reasonable 148 total, leaving Chennai chasing a eminently gettable 149. However, Chennai’s innings got off to the worst possible start, with both the Orange cap-holding, usually dependable, Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina out in the first Malinga over. 2-2. Badrinath fell in the next to Johnson. 3-3. At this point it looked more like Chennai were the chokers. And the wickets kept falling. After a short reposte, Bravo went to Dhawan. 35-4. Jadeja then fell off the bowling of Pollard, playing a ridiculous sweep stroke. 36-5. In came Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the talisman and the glue of this Chennai side, and it was he that started the recovery.

 

                But all too soon, he began to run out of partners. Vijay went next over to Johnson, at 39-6. Albie Morkel, after a brief cameo, was clean bowled by Ojha. All the Mumbai bowlers were getting in on the act. Morris was next to go, caught off Harbhajan. With Chennai languishing at 58-8, surely that was game over. But still there was Dhoni, smashing maximums as though his life depended on it. And try as they might, the Mumbai bowlers simply could not get him out. However, after all of Dhoni’s fighting, Ravi Ashwin was caught playing a foolish shot off Pollard at 99-9. After this, there was no going back. Dhoni again tried valiantly to score runs, but time and balls ran out, leaving Chennai needing 42 off the last over. They ended up losing the match by 23 runs, which given their predicament speaks volumes for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but it handed Mumbai their first IPL victory in 6 attempts.

 

                  A brilliant season, culminating in a final that twisted and turned, producing pure drama, and a shock as the favourites were beaten. As we have seen in other sports, rarely does the favourites tag mean anything at all. Mumbai have shown this once again, and will return to defend their title next year, when hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar will be fit once more. Though viewing figures in the UK may have declined, I will most certainly be tuning in next campaign.

F1 Monaco Grand Prix: Mercedes Finally Manage The Tyres?

The Monaco Grand Prix, the most historic and glamorous F1 race on the calendar, is always set on the backdrop of vast wealth, with yachts and diamonds as far as the eye can see. Underneath all the materialism, a serious Formula 1 race takes place on the streets of Monte Carlo. Historically, McLaren are the most successful team around this famous circuit, but come to Monaco with a vastly inferior car than the team are used to. Red Bull and Ferrari have shared the majority of the race victories so far this season, with Kimi Raikkonen the only other man to win a Grand Prix outside these two constructors. Mercedes have promised much in qualifying, but have too often failed to deliver when the lights go out. In Monaco, where qualifying is of utmost importance, Mercedes had another chance to rectify this problem. However, even before the event started, the team was embroiled in controversy.

 

Mercedes, on the Saturday, were the subject of a Ferrari and Red Bull protest, accusing them of doing illegal testing. Pirelli, the F1 tyre supplier, used the Mercedes team to a tyre test between the Spanish and Monaco grand prix. As in-season testing is illegal in F1, the other top teams are now accusing the German constructors of attempting to gain an unfair advantage with the tyres. In defence of Mercedes, Pirelli made a statement, suggesting that they had a contract with the FIA, which allows the Italian suppliers to ‘limited testing’. This debate overshadowed the events of the race, as the dispute was to be determined after the event.

 

In practice session 3 (P3), the first real drama of the weekend on track unfolded, with carnage being the best adjective. Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean and Adrian Sutil all had significant impacts with the vicious Monaco barriers, with the Brazilian needing all four corners of his car replacing. This meant that he was unable to complete a qualifying lap, meaning that he would start from the very back of the grid. For a grand prix track like Monaco, this is a virtual death sentence in terms of points. With overtaking so difficult, any mistakes can prove pivotal for the whole weekend. Such mistakes got even more likely in qualifying.

 

Saturday morning broke with drizzle and rain hanging overhead, making track conditions even more perilous, and room for driver error even lower. Q1 saw havoc, as the changeable weather conditions saw all of the drivers out early to set banker laps, with the genuine possibility that any of the top runners could fall. The ever improving track conditions meant that the times tumbled towards the end of the session, leaving Paul di Resta the big name casualty in Q1. Caterham’s Guido van der Garde, on the other hand, was the primary beneficiary, progressing from Q1 for the first time in his career. Q2, on a drying track proved just as difficult for the drivers, as the switch to slick tyres seemed imminent but a wrong decision could cost you a place in the top 10. Despite the confusion, the only big name casualty from Q2 was Lotus driver Romain Grosjean. Fernando Alonso had looked like he was in trouble, but a good decision on tyres got him out of danger, and comfortably into Q3. Q3 was undertaken with the track practically bone dry, and the super soft tyres made their first proper appearance. This left Mercedes, and Nico Rosberg, to take their 4^th and 3^rd consecutive pole positions respectively. Even more importantly for the German constructors, Lewis Hamilton managed to put his car alongside Rosberg’s, giving Mercedes a first row lockout. A priceless achievement, with overtaking so difficult in Monaco, it allowed Mercedes to control the race pace.

 

The start of the race was typically chaotic, with cars attempting to go three abreast through what would ordinarily be a single file corner. Sebastian Vettel, knowing the importance of splitting the Mercedes drivers, started pressurising Hamilton intensely, giving the Brit a mirror full of Red Bull. However, he found it difficult to pass, allowing Rosberg to begin scampering away at the front. Further down the field, collisions between Pastor Maldonado and Guido van der Garde wrecked the pair’s race, and gave an indication of what was to come. The two McLaren drivers, after a dressing down post-Bahrain, continued to squabble, with Jenson Button’s ire all too evident over the radio. After the initial jostling for position, it became ever more obvious that this was to be a strategic race, meaning that whoever managed the tyres best would win, with the Mercedes being traditionally poor at this.

 

Felipe Massa’s weekend then went from bad to worse on lap 31, with the Brazilian involved in a carbon copy of his P3 crash, putting him out of the race, and into the hospital for checks. This brought the safety car out, eliminating Nico Rosberg’s lead, and allowing the Red Bulls to jump Lewis Hamilton in the stops, giving them the perfect opportunity to attack the race leader. However, after a long safety car period, it looked like the Mercedes’ tyres were in better shape than their Austrian counterparts, enabling Nico Rosberg to escape once more, and put Hamilton on the rear wing of Webber. Once again, due to the largely ineffectual DRS zone into St Devote, positions were maintained, meaning that up to half distance, Hamilton had to look at the rear wing of the Aussie’s Red Bull. Then, in a very crash-heavy Grand Prix, Marussia’s Max Chilton and Pastor Maldonado collided, skewing the Venezuelan into the barriers. Gilles Bianchi, the next man on the scene, careered into the already displaced barrier, bringing out the red flag.

 

This stop benefitted the Red Bull drivers, allowing them to change their badly worn tyres on the newly-formed grid. After a coming-together with Sergio Perez, championship-chasing Fernando Alonso was told to give the place back to the Mexican after the restart. This had disastrous consequences for the Ferrari man, with him falling back behind both Sutil and Button before the end of the race. Red Bull’s tyre changes also had relatively little effect, as once again Rosberg was able to scurry clear, and put Hamilton all over the back of Webber. Whilst little changed at the front, a final safety car period was still to come. Under pressure Lotus driver Romain Grosjean mistimed his braking point and careered into the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. This will have done little to enamour himself to the Lotus bosses, and will also have annoyed Rosberg, as once again his hard-earned lead was eradicated. Nevertheless, despite these setbacks, the Mercedes driver held on to claim his first Monaco success, and become part of the first father-son pairing to win the historic grand prix, with father Keke having won the 1973 Monaco GP. Sebastien Vettel’s 2^nd place also represented a significant success, as his title rivals Alonso (7^th) and Raikkonen (10^th) both finished way down the field, extending the German’s overall lead. Despite his disappointing 10^th place finish, Kimi Raikkonen will still have cause to smile, as he extended his scoring run to 24 races, now just two behind Michael Schumacher’s record. Knowing the Finn though, he will not be smiling!

 

       The Monaco Grand Prix has often been criticised for a lack of overtaking, and this one did little to rectify that tag. It did, however, show fantastic driving skill to keep their cars out of the barriers at such speed, and entertainment when they failed to. The pre-race rhetoric was all about who could manage the tyres best. Mercedes clearly could, as they kept outrunning the Red Bulls after successive safety car stints. However, with the recent controversy, the question has to be asked whether they have managed to master the tyres through illegal means? I am certain that this row will rumble on for a while, and I hope it does not detract from future races.

2013 French Open: Can Nadal Be Stopped on Clay?

This weekend represents the start of this year’s second grand slam of the tennis season, as the great names of the modern game make their way to Roland Garros. This tournament signals the start of a busy summer for tennis, with two majors in the space of a month and a half. Whilst English fans often simply see Roland Garros as a pre-cursor to the ‘greatest major’ in Wimbledon, we must not forget that the Parisian competition offers the same amount of world ranking points. It is therefore only home bias, and to a certain extent, a feeling of inevitability over the winner of the men’s tournament, that forces that viewpoint.

 

In terms of British interest, we were dealt a serious, and potentially fatal, blow when British number 1 and world number 2 Andy Murray announced he would be withdrawing from the French Open, having suffered a recurrence of the back injury that had plagued him for the last couple of years. British fans will be looking anxiously at his progress, hoping that he will be fit to compete on the grass at Wimbledon. This leaves us mostly looking at the women’s draw for British hopes, with both Heather Watson and Laura Robson having significant successes in recent tournaments. Whilst winning the tournament outright may be too much to ask for these young prodigies, getting to the second week will certainly be the primary aim.

 

The winner of the men’s tournament has been practically pre-determined for the last 8 years, with clay specialist Rafael Nadal winning the tournament a record 7 out of the last 8 contests, and is the winner of the last 3. The Spaniard, ranked world number 4, will undoubtedly start this tournament as favourite, especially with Murray’s withdrawal. However, he has not had the most consistent season, suffering from injury, and we have also seen him exit big tournaments in shocks in the past. A five set defeat in that classic match against Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon last year gives us some element of doubt about simply handing him the trophy now.

 

The other prospective winners are fairly obvious. Roger Federer will once again be there or there about come the end of the tournament. The Swiss master has a never-say-die attitude that has allowed him to adapt his game to best suit his advancing age. You can never write off a man that has reached the final of every Grand Slam at least 5 times. Novak Djokovic is the other obvious choice for winner, but the Serbian has often found Roland Garros a tough nut to crack. It is the only Grand Slam he requires to complete his Career Grand Slam, and as a result will undoubtedly be driven, especially after his final defeat to Nadal last year. However, that final appearance was his first in Paris, and he does not have a particularly good record in the French capital. Outside of the top two, David Ferrer has always been considered to be good on clay, as Andy Murray has experienced to his cost in the past. Although the Spaniard has never reached a final at Roland Garros, a couple of fortunate results is all it would take to see the world number 5 to his inaugural Grand Slam final. Similarly, French hopes will largely be pinned on the likeable Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whose signature victory dance has endeared many of the fans to him. He has extinguished Roger Federer’s hopes on numerous occasions, making his case to be a viable contender for this title. The home fans will also be pushing the world number 8 on, which has an inevitable positive effect on the performance of the home players. No-one outside these players has a predictable chance of winning the French Open, but as we have seen, anything can happen over the next two weeks.

 

As far as the women’s tournament goes, the winner is slightly less predictable. Though Serena Williams has been made strong favourite for the title, there is less of a one-person domination than in the men’s game. Also, the fact that Serena herself was shocked with a round 1 defeat at Roland Garros last year means that she is not infallible at the Parisian tournament. A 54 minute 6-0, 6-1 victory in the first round this year, however, suggests she is back to her very best form. Last year’s winner, Maria Sharapova, should also be considered to be in with a chance of winning it. Though her recent form has not been fantastic, she often produces her best on the big occasions, and therefore cannot be written off. Other prospective winners include: the noisy Victoria Azarenka, winner of two Australian Open titles, Agnieska Radwanska, winner of last year’s Wimbledon, clay specialist Li Na, 2011 French Open champion and the feisty Aussie Samantha Stosur, amongst others. The women’s game is far more open than the men’s and promises to be a very entertaining contest.

 

The return of Grand Slam tennis to Europe truly signifies the start of summer. A fascinating (and sometimes noisy) few months will follow, with two of the greatest tournaments in modern tennis. Hopefully we will see very little rain, and therefore no need for the dreaded covers. The French Open promises to be a very intriguing contest in both fields, and one I will be glued to.

2013 Champions League Final: Who Needs Guardiola?

            London was invaded by Germany tonight, with an estimated 150,000 making their way from the continent. Their intention: to watch arguably the most prestigious game in European football, the Champions League final. Hosted at Wembley for the 2^nd time in three seasons, Europe’s most valuable tournament has once again provided twists, turns and plenty of shocks on the way to the finale. After a gruelling 9 months of European competition, only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were left standing, giving the first ever all German Champions League final. My earlier blog post ‘Germany 11-3 Spain’ asks whether this indicates a significant shift away from the traditionally dominant Spaniards, as this season more than many others has seen German clubs coming to the fore. In the German league, Munich romped away to claim the title in early April, ending a full 25 points clear of their nearest rivals, Dortmund. This gave them the tag of comfortable favourites going into this final, though as we have seen in recent Wembley and Champions League finals, that tag ultimately means nothing.

 

                As far as each of their Champions League campaigns are concerned, both have had to do it the hard way. Borussia Dortmund in particular, as they were involved in what had been labelled the ‘Group of Death’, with the league champions from each of Spain, England and Holland as their opponents. Dortmund performed above all expectations in the group stages, finishing as group winners. A tricky tie against Shakhtar Donetsk followed, with a nervy 2-2 draw in Ukraine being followed up by an emphatic 3-0 home win to see the Germans through. The pivotal moment in the whole of Dortmund’s campaign came in the Quarter Final against Malaga. After a dull 0-0 draw in Spain, the Germans fell behind twice in the return leg, only for Dortmund to stage an injury time comeback, reminiscent of Manchester United’s famous 1999 final success over Bayern Munich, to win 3-2. A 4-1 home demolition of the great Real Madrid in the Semi Final first leg made the world sit up and take notice, and whilst the Germans had to withstand an anxious last ten minutes, they held firm to qualify for their first Champions League final since 1996.

 

                Bayern Munich, in comparison, had arguably a far easier group. Nevertheless, they still had to win it, which they did (albeit on results between themselves and Valencia), setting up a Last 16 game against Arsenal. A brilliant 3-1 win at the Emirates set themselves up nicely, only to nearly collapse in the return leg, being lucky to progress on away goals after a 0-2 defeat. A more comfortable victory in the Quarter Final followed, with the Bavarians winning both legs 2-0 to set up a semi final with Catalan giants Barcelona. An astonishing home leg scoreline, as the Germans blew the favourites for the title away, winning 4-0. Even more astonishing was the result the following week, as Munich went to the Nou Camp and thoroughly outplayed the Spaniards, winning 3-0 to cap a resounding 7-0 aggregate victory and taking them into their second consecutive Champions League final. Jupp Heynckes, the Munich manager, having already led his side to resounding victory in the league, can justifiably feel hard done by, having been given his notice in January to make way for Pep Guardiola from the start of this season. The prospective treble seemed like the perfect leading present, and the best way to show the Munich board that they may have made the wrong decision in replacing him.

 

                In the weeks leading up to the final, bad blood erupted between the two clubs, as Bayern announced the signing of Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze for the start of the following season. This led to a slanging match in the press over the course of several days, with insults being thrown from both camps. This was exacerbated by a league game between the pair, where Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp had a major disagreement with the Bayern bench, almost coming to blows on the touchline. Further Munich pursuits of Dortmund talisman Robert Lewandowski further stoked the atmosphere before the Wembley final, where Munich would be desperate to avoid the heartbreak dished out, at the Allianz, against Chelsea in last season’s final.

 

                 The game began at a ferocious pace, with Dortmund pressurising the ball at every opportunity. Thanks to this, Dortmund looked the more dangerous of the two sides in the opening half hour, with firstly Lewandowski, and then Marko Reus testing Manuel Neuer. Sven Bender also found himself in space in the Munich area, but the defensive midfielder failed to connect properly, allowing Neuer to collect comfortably. After this, Munich found their feet, with Mario Mandzukic’s header being brilliantly kept out by Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller. After this, the two best chances of the first half fell to Arjen Robben. The first came to him rather fortuitously, with a deflected pass putting the Dutchman in. Unfortunately for the Bavarians, Robben could only hit the big Dortmund keeper. A similar outcome just a few minutes later, with a slip by Mats Hummels letting in the usually predatory Robben, but once again, the face of Weidenfeller prevented the winger from breaking the deadlock. Robert Lewandowski’s late chance showed that Dortmund were by no means out of the contest, but the first half ended goalless.

 

                The second half began in vastly the same way as the first, with Dortmund pressurising Munich’s every move. However, unlike the previous half, they failed to create any decent openings, leaving Mario Mandzukic to tap Munich into the leader after some good work from Arjen Robben. The goal shocked Dortmund into action, and just 8 minutes later, they had a chance to respond. A clumsy Dante challenge on Marko Reus gave Ilkay Gundogan the chance to level matters from the spot. The German, replacing Lewandowski as penalty taker after the Pole’s miss in the league game against Neuer a few weeks ago, made no mistake, sending the Bayern keeper the wrong way. After this, the game became increasingly stretched, with chances arriving thick and fast at both ends. A brilliant Neven Subotic goalline clearance prevented Bayern’s Thomas Muller from putting the Bavarians back into the lead, before Robert Lewandowski had a stunning 30 yard strike correctly disallowed for handball. However, as the game entered the final ten minutes, Dortmund were under increasing pressure from the German champions. Eventually, the pressure told, as Robben got on the end of a clever Ribery through ball to slide the ball past Weidenfeller and send the crowd behind the Dortmund goal wild. With only two minutes to go, Dortmund had no time for a response, meaning that Bayern collected their fifth European Cup.

 

                 Having successfully exorcised their demons from last year’s final, Bayern Munich ran out deserving winners at Wembley tonight. Over the course of the season, they can certainly make a claim to being Europe’s best club, a claim that is only strengthened with the addition of this silverware. A fantastic way for Jupp Heynckes to sign off as Munich manager, and with a domestic cup final still to come, the prospect of an historic treble looms large. Certainly a herculean task for Pep Guardiola to reproduce, and a decision that Bayern bosses will now be wondering about.

Wigan Athletic: The Brighter Side Of Relegation

2012/2013 Season Review:

                After the inevitable ‘Great Escape’ we have come to expect from Roberto Martinez’s Wigan last season, he once again strengthened to attempt to ensure that Wigan avoid the last weeks’ scramble for points. Signing Arouna Kone, to provide some pace and clinical finishing, along with Ivan Ramis, James McCarthy and James McArthur (providing commentators with a nightmare few months working out which was which!), he watched his Wigan side start with a 0-2 home defeat against Chelsea. More promising, and perhaps representative, was the 2-0 away win the following game at St. Mary’s. September proved a more testing month in the league, with the Latics collecting only one point, and slipping into the relegation places by the end. Two thumping 4-1 victories in the Capital One Cup gave them something to save, and this saw their form eventually improve.

                October began in a much better fashion, with a home draw against Everton, before picking up their first win in 7 league games at home to West Ham. However, a poor defeat on penalties to League 2 side Bradford ended Wigan’s Capital One Cup good results. This type of form is comparable to early season forms of previous seasons, where they have needed their traditional ‘Great Escape’ when we get into spring. November also mirrored this form, with the Latics taking only three points out of their five league games in the month. Relegation form in anyone’s book, and one that Wigan would need to improve if they wanted to avoid the drop. This season, more so than many before it, seemed to have an air of inevitability about Wigan’s relegation, and there was widespread belief that Wigan’s upturn in form would come too late.

                December, the busiest month of the season, is essential to a successful season. Without a consistent string of results, a side will invariably fall short of their objectives for the season. Wigan, unfortunately for them, failed to significantly improve their recent form, picking up only four points during the month. Particularly disappointing was that the games were mostly against sides around them in the table, making it even more imperative they achieve results. However, the month, and year, did end on a positive note, with a convincing 3-0 away victory at Aston Villa, giving them hope for better fortune in 2013.

                January started with a 0-4 home demolition by Manchester United, sweeping away all momentum. The start of the FA Cup then signalled a chance to escape their weak league form, and start again on an even keel.  Unconvincing 3^rd and 4^th Round successes against Bournemouth and Macclesfield did little to quash the nerves around the side, and no league win in the month further exacerbated an already hopeless looking situation. After the two busy months, Wigan seemed to re-find themselves. February saw Wigan really find their cup form, dominating Huddersfield on their own patch, winning 4-1, and following that up with a 3-0 success at Reading in the league. This led pundits to conclude that the club’s cup form could be the key to the preservation of their league status in the coming months.

                March, if we ignore the 0-4 hammering at home to Liverpool, was an exceptionally successful month. A shock win at Goodison Park in the FA Cup 6^th Round, meaning a trip to Wembley, started things off well, with three goals in four first half minutes to put the home side on the ropes. Successive wins against both Newcastle and Norwich then gave the Latics genuine hope of another ‘Great Escape’. Including these games, Wigan went on a five game unbeaten run, including a victory against Millwall in the FA Cup Semi. Whilst the game was unfortunately marred by violence in the Millwall end, Wigan thoroughly outplayed their Championship opponents, winning the game 2-0. Two successive league defeats followed the euphoria of achieving an FA Cup final, which severely dented their survival hopes, but a draw at home to Tottenham, followed by an away win at West Brom once again reignited the Wigan fans’ hope of survival, leaving them just three points adrift. However, a 2-3 defeat at home to Swansea left their Premier League status hanging by a thread, and it was not the best preparation for arguably their biggest game in their short history.

                The FA Cup Final against Manchester City, in which Wigan were the 9/1 long shots, started with City on the front foot, forcing Wigan keeper Joel into a number of good saves. However, as the game went on, it became more and more obvious that Roberto Martinez had got his tactics spot-on, with Callum McManaman in particular standing out. The second half continued in the same vein, with the Latics dominating both possession and chances, and once Pablo Zabaleta had been sent off for City, the inevitable occurred. Ben Watson’s 91^st minute header sent the Wigan end into delirium and left many rubbing their eyes in disbelief. The final whistle sparked scenes of jubilation on the touchline and in the stands. A first major trophy in their history, and a thoroughly deserved win.

                Unfortunately, they were unable to celebrate their FA Cup victory for long, before being plunged into despair at the Emirates. A 4-1 defeat just four days after their Wembley heroics meant their relegation was confirmed. Some may say it is about three seasons too late, however I genuinely think the Premier League will miss Wigan’s indescribable late season form each season. Pundits have said that Wigan only play well ‘when the clocks go forward’. They cannot afford to do that next year, or they will be finding it very hard to stay in the highly competitive Championship.

                Overall, if you had offered the FA Cup to the Wigan side at the start of the season in exchange for relegation, they probably would have taken it. Promotions occur every year, but a cup final is probably a once in a career opportunity for these Wigan players. As for their manager, they may face a struggle to keep him, as he is too good to ply his trade in the second tier. I fear for Wigan, as the Championship is notoriously competitive, and getting back up is not easy.

 

Player of the Season: Arouna Kone – Based on the FA Cup run, I would say McManaman. However, based on the overall season, I have to go with the big Ivorian. Eleven goals in your first season is a good return, especially when you consider the position of the club. His pace and finishing ability will leave him in demand from other Premier League clubs next season, perhaps the promoted sides.

 

Game of the Season: Manchester City 0-1 Wigan – Perhaps the easiest selection I have had to make. An historic day for the club and the city, and the best illustration that you should never underestimate the underdog. Bringing back shades of Sunderland vs Leeds, and the Crazy Gang’s heroics against Liverpool a decade or so later, Wigan’s success will live long in the memory, and shows us just why the FA Cup is so revered.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Keeping Roberto Martinez, whilst a huge challenge, is their most important aim of this pre-season. I fully expect that this will be a summer of more exits than entrances for Wigan Athletic, with many of the club’s FA Cup heroes in demand. This makes it impossible to judge exactly will be needed, but they need to retain a core from the current squad to build a Championship equivalent around.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

None

Out:

Franco Di Santo (Lazio, Bologna, West Brom, ST), James McCarthy (Newcastle, CM), Maynor Figueroa (West Ham United, CB), Callum McManaman (Everton, RW), Roberto Martinez (Manager, Everton)

West Ham United: Keeping Their Heads Whilst All Around Them Lose Theirs

2012/2013 Season Review:

                In their first season back in the Premier League after the briefest of stays in the Championship, Sam Allardyce’s side were looking to consolidate themselves as a Premier League team once again. In order to do so, the former Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle manager made several signings that he hoped would propel his side up the table. Matt Jarvis was bought from Wolves for a reported £10 million, as well as Mohamed Diame, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Modibo Maiga. The most notable acquisition in the summer was certainly the loan signing of £35 million Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. All of these enabled the Hammers to start the season with a victory, a 1-0 home success over Aston Villa. Though a disappointing first away game resulted in a 3-0 defeat at Swansea, West Ham quickly collected themselves to remain unbeaten in the league throughout September.

                Whilst they suffered a disappointing exit of the Capital One Cup via a hammering at home to Wigan, they were settling in well in the Premier League. 3 wins out of 4 in October extended the Hammers unbeaten run to 6 games, and moved them well clear of the dreaded relegation zone, and into the top 10. Whilst they did eventually slip up in an away defeat at the DW Stadium, I am certain that had you offered the East London side’s fans a top ten place by the end of October, the majority would have bitten your hand off! Further strong form continued through November, though they did suffer consecutive away defeats away at Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea, before a home defeat against Liverpool. None of these should be considered particularly, surprising, but they did have a considerable effect on the Hammers’ momentum.

                December as a month was comfortably their most challenging one so far, collecting only one point, and losing away at Reading at the end of it. As the Premier League was beginning to become ever more competitive and congested, there were fears that continuation of this form could leave West Ham in danger of relegation by the end of the season. A home win on New Year’s Day gave Hammers’ fans some relief, though once again a poor run of results followed. An exit of the FA Cup to Manchester United was followed by two further defeats, including a morale-sapping hammering at the Emirates. February once again started more promisingly, with a victory over Swansea, but as was the story of the mid-season, they lost the remaining two league games.

                That pattern finally ended in March, where the Hammers won two of their three league games, accumulating vital points to solidify their position. May would prove most pivotal in that achievement, with the Hammers going the first four games unbeaten, including draws against Liverpool and Manchester United, and a win against Wigan that all but ensured their survival in the Premier League. Their next target was then to achieve a top ten finish in their first season back in the top flight, an objective completed with the final day 4-2 victory over relegated Reading.

                Overall, an exceptionally successful season, with West Ham (the 3^rd promoted side) being the top finishers of all the three promoted last year. A top ten finish is more than many fans would have dreamt of, and will bring in valuable cash to spend on players that can push them further up the table. Whilst I would issue a word of caution to firstly consolidate before looking any further up the table, I see no reason why West Ham cannot achieve this aim.

 

Player of the Season: Kevin Nolan – The fact that a midfielder is the club’s top scorer tells you one of two things: either the forwards have had a nightmare season, or the midfielder has had a superb one. Fortunately for West Ham, it is the latter. The former Bolton and Newcastle man clearly enjoys working under Sam Allardyce, and has been producing consistently excellent displays throughout this season, including his first Premier League hat-trick. Nolan’s strength, determination and leadership have enabled West Ham to do more than just survive this season, and he will be key to any future success.

 

Game of the Season: West Ham 4-1 Southampton – A difficult one, as unlike many of their counterparts, West Ham were exceptionally consistent in their performances, rather than having several atrocious ones and a few outstanding. So perhaps it is best to select the one with the largest margin of victory, and one where they comprehensively outplayed their opponents. After a fairly weak first half, Allardyce’s words at the break obviously had the desired effect, as the Hammers scored twice in the opening 5 minutes of the second half. Adam Lallana’s reply briefly had West Ham worried, but subsequent goals from Noble and Maiga ensured the three points for West Ham.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Having made their intentions to re-sign Andy Carroll, but this time permanently, and having made the initial signing of Razvan Rat from Shakhtar, perhaps the only area that requires any attention is in the centre of the defence. Other than that, most areas of the squad have been performing to their maximum, and therefore reinforcements are not required. Perhaps Aston Villa’s Matt Lowton could be a potential target this summer.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk, RB, Free), Nikica Jelavic (Everton, ST), Alpaslan Ozturk (Beerschot, CB), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic, CB), Peter Crouch (Stoke City, ST), Nathan Redmond (Birmingham City, RW), Andy Carroll (Liverpool, ST), Lamine Sane (Bordeaux, CM), Wilfried Bony (Vitesse Arnhem, ST)

Out:

Carlton Cole (Released, ST)

West Bromwich Albion: Bye Bye ‘Boing Boing’?

2012/2013 Season Review:

                With Roy Hodgson having left at the end of the previous campaign to manager England at the Euros, Steve Clarke stepped in at the beginning of this season. He moved quickly in the transfer window, bringing in Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea. Other than this, there was little in the wa of action from the Midlands side in the transfer market. Nevertheless, this piece of business would turn into an inspired acquisition for the Baggies. Clarke couldn’t have wished for a better start to his West Brom managerial career, with a 3-0 home victory over Liverpool in the opening day. Their early season form remained strong, as a draw away at Tottenham, and a victory at home to Everton followed, both of these sides expected to be in the top 6 come the end of the season. A 3-0 defeat at Fulham, and a Capital One Cup exit followed after the international break, perhaps indicating that the Baggies could ill-afford to rest on their laurels.

                After the first Midlands derby against Aston Villa, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate, West Brom’s form was decidedly patchy throughout October, winning the first but then losing the following two games to put Clarke’s men solidly in mid-table. November, on the other hand, was about as close to perfection as it is possible to achieve, with West Brom picking up 4 wins out of their 5 league games, their only failure being away to in-form Swansea. Most noticeable in the Baggies terrific run was their second consecutive home victory over Chelsea, a defeat which saw the ex-West Brom manager Roberto di Matteo removed from his post at Chelsea. However, this form was only temporary, and a four match streak without a win followed.

                After back to back victories against Norwich and QPR either side of Christmas, Clarke’s side then went another 8 games without a win, including going out of the FA Cup at the hands of struggling QPR, and another draw in the return fixture against Aston Villa. After such a promising start, which had seen the Baggies climb as high as 3^rd, their mid-season form was letting them down somewhat, and leaving them perched just inside the top 10. January also saw the club involved in a transfer controversy, as previous season’s top scorer Peter Odemwingie was linked heavily to relegation threatened QPR, and the West Brom hierarchy had demanded he was not for sale. Not too controversial up to this point. However, having made his feelings about a move perfectly clear to the West Brom officials, Odemwingie decided that the best way to convince the board to let him move was to drive from the Midlands down to London on deadline day. The fact that this was all done without the approval of the board got Odemwingie in hot water with both them, and the fans, who regularly booed his appearances thereafter. To make matters worse, the move never materialised, making the whole trip irrelevant.

                The Baggies’ trip to Anfield was seen as a good way to put the Odemwingie fiasco behind them, and rectify their recent poor run of form. Despite being outplayed by Liverpool, West Brom managed to steal a priceless 2-0 win. The subsequent 2-1 win over Sunderland put the Baggies within touching distance of the Liverpudlians, but once again, inconsistency ensured that by the end of March, they sat comfortably in mid-table. Having been assured of safety for some time, there was certainly the temptation to switch off and not press on for their record points tally. To a certain extent, we can see evidence of this, as the Baggies won only 1 of their remaining 7 league games, putting them in a respectable, but improvable 8^th at the end of the campaign.

                Overall, West Brom should be very happy with their performance this season. Too often used to relegation scraps, being known as the ‘boing boing’ club for their regular bouncing between leagues, they will be glad for the stability. However, there should also be a hint of regret and disappointment for what might have been. With such a positive start to the season, the possibility was there to post a very competitive total of points. Hot seasons come around once in a blue moon for clubs like West Brom. We have all seen what happened to Newcastle after last season’s 5^th place finish. I only hope that West Brom can remain as stable next year.

 

Player of the Season: Romelu Lukaku – The big Belgian has been an inspiration at West Brom this season. Having been loaned out in order to get some match practice, the Chelsea man has shown us all what he is capable of. Fantastic strength and clinical finishing are only two aspects to this youngster’s game, and he has the capacity to substantially improve.

 

Game of the Season: West Brom 5-5 Manchester United – After a rather indifferent turn on form towards the back end of the season, West Brom gave the fans a final day to remember with this classic comeback that I am certain will be on every Premier League Classics DVD. Having trailed 4-1 and 5-2, a Romelu Lukaku hat-trick saw the Baggies deny Sir Alex Ferguson a victory on his 1500^th and last game as Manchester United manager.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Losing Lukaku back to Chelsea will inevitably be a loss, but sources suggest that they will attempt to retain their Belgian wonderkid. In terms of positions, West Brom could do with another central defender, and a more creative attacking midfielder. Players like Scott Sinclair and Ryan Shawcross could well be potential targets.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Diumerci Mbokani (Anderlecht, ST), Franco Di Santo (Wigan Athletic, ST)

Out:

Jonas Olsson (???, CB), Peter Odemwingie (Hull City, ST), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, ST), Gonzalo Jara (Released, CM), Jerome Thomas (Released, RM)

Tottenham Hotspur: Last Day European Heartbreak Once More

2012/2013 Season Review:

                With Harry Redknapp’s departure at the end of the previous season, Tottenham were left in a state of uncertainty, as the Englishman was widely considered to be the best man for the job. The chairman, Daniel Levy, decided to take a risk on Chelsea reject Andre Villas Boas. Considering that Chelsea paid £12 million to get AVB out of his contract at Porto, to get him on a free is a significant saving. AVB quickly got to work in the transfer market, bringing in Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen, Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Lyon’s Hugo Lloris before the start of the campaign. However, these additions failed to get Spurs off to a good start, losing their first league game 2-1 away at Newcastle, and only drawing their opening two home league games against weaker opposition.

                With these poor early performances, AVB secured two further signings, with Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele tasked with creating and scoring more goals. Tottenham’s league form then began to improve, with three consecutive league wins in September, the last of which being their first win at Old Trafford in 23 years. Unfortunately, Tottenham’s European form failed to match their good domestic performances, drawing their opening three games and leaving the Londoners in danger of exiting the competition in the group stages. Their league form then began to dip, as defeats at home to Chelsea and, more alarmingly, Wigan, left Spurs a way behind the league leaders. During the poor run, Tottenham also exited the Capital One Cup, with a Fourth Round defeat away at Norwich. Further controversy over the destination of the goalkeeper’s jersey dominated this period, as Brad Friedel’s early season form was keeping big money summer signing Hugo Lloris out of the side. A poor defeat away at Manchester City and then a horror show at rivals Arsenal seemingly made AVB’s mind up, as Lloris became ever more preferred as the season went on.

                After the disastrous Arsenal result, Tottenham were shaken into life, and their league form gradually began to improve. Three successive league victories, including an important win over Liverpool, followed the derby aberration, and they ensured progression in the Europa League, beating Panathinaikos 3-1 in the final group stage game. During December, Spurs’ flying winger, Gareth Bale, really began to come to the fore, with excellent performances either side of Christmas, and a habit for scoring spectacular goals. By the turn of the year, Tottenham sat just below the Champions League spaces, and with a very good chance of qualifying for the competition automatically. Bales’ fantastic form continued after the New Year, where, apart from a poor performance in the FA Cup against Leeds United, Tottenham remained unbeaten for the whole of January, including a heartening performance against runaway leaders Manchester United.

                As the season ticked into February, it was becoming more and more obvious that the battle for the final two Champions League places would be between Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs, with all hitting good form as the season moved towards its climax. As a result, we saw more and more dramatic results and finishes to games, with none of the three teams able to slip up. February saw a continuation of the good form of the previous month, and ended with a stunning Bale goal away at West Ham to win the game 3-2. Having also claimed a two leg victory over Lyon in the Europa League Last 32, Spurs were drawn against old foes Inter Milan in the Round of 16. Firstly though, they had to negotiate a crunch derby game at home to Arsenal, and one that could have a significant impact on the top 4 places. A tight first half exploded into life with two Spurs goals in the space of three minutes, as firstly Bale and then Aaron Lennon put the Lily Whites in a commanding position. Per Mertesacker headed in from a corner to reduce the arrears for the Gunners, and precipitated a grandstand finish, in which Arsenal poured forward in search of an equaliser. It never came, and Spurs held on to strengthen their grip on 4^th place.

                After a brilliant 3-0 victory over Inter at home, Spurs travelled to Milan knowing that only exceptional circumstances would see them eliminated from the Europa League. Unfortunately, without the injured Gareth Bale, Spurs were poor throughout, ending up being fortunate to make it to extra time. An Emmanuel Adebayor goal gave Spurs a priceless away goal, leaving Inter unable to respond. Nevertheless, a shock for AVB and his side, reminding them that they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas. April turned into a very damaging month for the Lily Whites, going out of the Europa League at the hands of FC Basle, and dropping valuable points in the race for fourth, handing momentum back to Arsenal. Three wins out of their four remaining games was not sufficient to see Spurs into the Champions League, missing out once again on the final day to their great rivals. Reminiscent of the end of the 2006 season, where Spurs were unable to field a full side due to a mysterious intestinal illness, leaving Arsenal clear to take the final Champions League spot.

                Overall, a successful but disappointing season. AVB has clearly continued when Redknapp left off, only narrowly missing out on Champions League competition. Whilst they had a good chance to win the Europa League, their league form has been encouraging, and in Gareth Bale, they have arguably the third best footballer on the planet.

 

Player of the Season: Gareth Bale – The Welshman’s most successful season to date. His pace, dribbling and ability to score truly outstanding goals has made him an incredibly valuable asset to the Spurs side. This season in particular, he has at times carried this side, picking up points almost single-handedly. Having failed to deliver Champions League football, I fear for Tottenham attempting to keep the winger, as there are many that are looking for his signature.

 

Game of the Season: West Ham 2-3 Tottenham – An enthralling game, which swayed first one way, then the other, as Tottenham took an early lead through Bale, before a clumsy Scott Parker challenge gave Andy Carroll the chance to level the scores from the spot. A chance he took, and momentum swung wholly in the Hammers favour when Joe Cole drilled a shot past Lloris to turn the game on its head. A valiant Tottenham fighback ensued, with Gylfi Sigurdsson levelling with quarter of an hour to play. This led to an incredibly open final ten minutes, with both sides going for the victory. With time running out, Gareth Bale received the ball a full 30 yards from goal, and unleashed an unstoppable drive to beat the helpless Jussi Jaaskelainen and keep Spurs in the hunt for the Champions League.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Inevitably, the talk this summer will be all about whether they can keep hold of Bale. If not, I fear that he will be irreplaceable. If they do manage to keep him, only minor changes will be required to push Spurs that couple of points forward next year. A top quality striker and left back may be reasonable transfer targets, with David Villa and Ignazio Abate possible signings.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Leandro Damiao (Internacional, ST), Thomas Ince (Blackpool, RW), Roberto Soldado (Valencia, ST), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid, ST), Heung Min Son (Hamburg, ST), Abdelaziz Barrada (Getafe, LM), Sergi Roberto (Barcelona, LB), Miralem Pjanic (Roma, CM), David Villa (Barcelona, ST), Alberto Botia (Sevilla, LB), Joao Moutinho (Porto, CM)

Out:

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, LM), Danny Rose (Sunderland, RB), Emmanuel Adebayor (AS Monaco, ST), Aaron Lennon (Inter Milan, RW)

Swansea City: A Silver Second Season

2012/2013 Season Review:

                The exit of Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool threaten to derail the Swans’ season before it had even begun. However, Huw Jenkins pulled off what turned out to be a masterstroke, bringing in the Danish superstar Michael Laudrup to run the Welsh club. The former Mallorca manager used his substantial knowledge of the Spanish game, bringing in no fewer than 4 players from the continent. Chico Flores, Michu, Jonathan de Guzman and Pablo Hernandez all left the sunnier climate of Spain for the rather more wet environment of South Wales. Celtic’s Ki Sung Yung was the Dane’s only summer signing not to come from Spain, but all of which would contribute significantly during the season. Michu in particular was an outstanding signing, for only £2.2 million, and his quality was instantly indicated in the Swansea’s opening day 5-0 demolition of QPR. A subsequent 3-0 home win over West Ham took the Swans to the league summit for the first time since their return, but three subsequent league defeats in September put Swansea quite a way behind, leading people to worry about the transition from Rodgers to Laudrup.

                Swansea’s Capital One Cup form remained strong, and eventually began to improve their league results. Progression to the Quarter Final at the end of October could well have been the driving force behind the Swans going the entirety of November unbeaten, culminating in an impressive 2-0 win away at the Emirates at the beginning of December. Swansea then beat Middlesbrough in their Quarter Final to set up an intriguing two-legged semi against the favourites for the competition Chelsea. Another long unbeaten run followed over the New Year, spanning 7 games, including a very impressive 2-0 first leg lead in the Capital One Cup at Stamford Bridge. However, despite a positive performance in one cup competition, the Swans exited the FA Cup at the first opportunity, away at Arsenal.

                A highly-charged second leg at the Liberty against Chelsea followed the FA Cup exit, in which the Swans showed an exemplary rear guard action to deny the Blues a route through. The frustration was all too much for Chelsea winger Eden Hazard, who got into an altercation with a ball boy, in which he appeared to kick the youngster. Whilst both parties later apologised to one another, it still marred what was otherwise an historic night for Swansea City, who would travel to Wembley as overwhelming favourites against League 2 side Bradford City. Swansea’s league form before the cup final took an almost pre-cautionary slump, as players appeared to be more concerned with avoiding injury. With the Swans clearly safe in mid-table, maximum effort was no longer required, and players could look forward to the cup final in good spirits. Nowhere was this mentality better displayed that at Anfield the game before the final, where the Swans capitulated to a 5-0 defeat.

                The slacking off in the previous few games obviously paid off however, as in their main showpiece, Swansea were rampant, thrashing Bradford 5-0 at Wembley to secure their first major trophy in their 101 year history. Braces from Dyer and De Guzman, along with a typical goal from Michu, ensured that Swansea would be getting their hands on silverware, and claiming a place in next season’s Europa League in the process. After the euphoric Wembley victory, Swansea’s league form took a dramatic nosedive, with them only winning 2 of their following 11 games until the end of the season. They were certainly fortunate they had amassed as many points as they did at the beginning of the season, otherwise they could have found themselves in considerable trouble by the end of it.

                Nevertheless, this season can only be seen as an unqualified success for Swansea, and for Welsh football in general, as with Cardiff joining the Premier League next season, Wales will make up 10% of the top flight. A first trophy and a top 10 finish is more than sufficient for their second season back in the Premier League, and with Michael Laudrup’s style of attractive football, I cannot see Swansea finding their Premier League status in trouble any time soon.

 

Player of the Season: Michu – An easy contender for bargain of the season, Michu started as he meant to go on, with an opening day brace. Deadly in front of goal, particularly in the first half of the season, ensured that Swansea occupied a top 10 finish and a trophy by the end of the year. The fact that Michu ended the Premier League campaign in 5^th place in the goalscoring charts, ahead of any Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea player, shows just how successful a first season it has been for the popular Spaniard, who will surely command a much higher price tag as a result.

 

Game of the Season: Bradford City 0-5 Swansea – Easily the best day of Swansea’s season, and arguably one of the best days in the history of the football club. The tag of overwhelming favourites did not phase the Swans one bit, attacking from the off before Nathan Dyer rolled in his first after 16 minutes. The Welsh side kept their foot to the floor, and soon they had a second, with Michu placing a shot past Matt Duke to effectively end the game as a contest. Three more goals and a red card followed, and Swansea were left jubilant, with their first trophy in their 101 year history.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): In terms of signings, Michael Laudrup performed exceptionally well at the beginning of this season, bringing in clearly well scouted and well established players, all of which he knew would adapt quickly to his style of football. Similar nouse will be required this summer, though i suspect there will be significantly fewer signings. Another striker to take the pressure off Michu’s shoulders could be possible, along with another strong central midfielder to break up the play. Celtic’s Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper could both be adequate signings in the summer.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Scott Sinclair (Manchester City, LW), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City, GK), Junior Hoilett (QPR, LW)

Out:

Ashley Williams (Arsenal, Liverpool, CB)