Bitesize Rants #2: Five England Players That Should Never Have Made The Plane

As an England fan, I’m well aware of the fact that we don’t generate many quality players. And even when we do, we still conspire to make stupid selection decisions instead! In this rant, I wanted to outline my top five England players that should never have been taken to a World Cup or European Championship.

1. Theo Walcott – World Cup 2006 (Germany)

In a team seen as the ‘Golden Generation’ of English football, we had a shot at World Cup glory a decade ago. However, for some reason, Sven Goran Eriksson chose to take a risk on 17 year-old Theo Walcott. After five straight games on the bench, I think it’s safe to say it didn’t really work.

2. Emile Heskey – World Cup 2010 (Brazil)

It’s Emile Heskey – need I say more? What is perhaps more worrying than the fact Fabio Capello took the English version of Shrek’s best friend is that he played him, including in the crunch last 16 match against Germany! And you wonder why we lost 4-1?

3. Ledley King – World Cup 2010 (Brazil)

It’s little surprise that England didn’t progress very far in 2010 when you look at some of the bizarre decisions made by Capello. Famed for his glass knees, it was well known that Ledley King couldn’t train more than a couple of times a week without breaking down. So it came as little surprise that after just 45 minutes of the first game, he was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a leg injury.

4. Stuart Downing – Euro 2012 (Poland/Ukraine)

Sorry for getting patronising, but playing as an attacking midfielder, you are judged on your ability to either set up or score goals. After a big money move to Liverpool in the summer of 2011, the England made 36 league appearances, assisting and scoring a sum total of 0 goals. That’s the form that gets you a call-up to a major tournament.

5. Marcus Rashford – Euro 2016 (France)?

Much like the Theo Walcott selection, this is far too much too soon, and my instant reaction was – would he have been considered if he had the same record playing for Watford? No. He is a potential future star, but he is taking the place of someone who deserves it more at the minute – for example, what does Jermain Defoe have to do to get a call up?!

Bitesize Rants #1: The Respect Campaign and Football Hooliganism

In my day job (I know, can you believe that being a keyboard warrior on inconsequential topics isn't a full-time role?!), I was recently given the task of being more succinct. As some of you may have noticed, I have a tendency to use 10 words when one will do. So, I thought I'd challenge myself in a new segment I've called 'Bitesize Rants'. The premise is simple - the same level of anger and outrage, neatly fit into just 400 words.

The attack made on Manchester United’s team bus before their crucial must win game against West Ham highlights something that we’ve known for some time – football hooliganism is far from dead.

This is not my forum for attacking West Ham fans, as I want to focus on the clearly dramatic impact that the much discussed Respect campaign has had.

As a child watching football, I was all too familiar with the sight of players surrounding and berating the referee, with Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira sticking in my memory as the worst examples. As a teenager, I experienced this first-hand from parents of under-11s games, with some of the abuse received frankly shocking. To combat this, and the continual threat of off-field violence, the FA introduced the Respect campaign, an umbrella for anti-racism and pro-fairness in football. This was also designed to paint football to kids as a friendly and respectful sport, and give them role models they can look up to.

Has it made a difference? Clearly not as much as they’d hope, if Tuesday’s events are anything to go by. It’s certainly true that referees are not as bombarded by people after every decision, but the abuse from both the players and the fans continues to be prevalent at every level. Just read Wayne Rooney’s lips when the camera pans to him, and you’ll learn some new vocabulary you didn’t want! It also sets a worrying double standard, as some offences are punished and others simply aren’t!

It certainly doesn’t help that footballers don’t paint themselves in a good and respectful light as role models for kids. For every Vincent Kompany there is a Joey Barton, and every Claudio Ranieri has a Neil Warnock. The very fact that proven racists Jamie Vardy, Luis Suarez and John Terry are so revered among sections of football fans is alarming, and highlights the scale of the problem remaining.

So while West Ham have reacted quickly to the whole bus incident, the events should act as a warning shot across the bows of the FA. The Respect campaign is not hard-hitting enough, and for the sake of thousands of Sunday League referees across the country, football’s governing body needs to have a rethink. Try coming down hard on every type of disrespect, and not set a loophole for poor role models by letting some players get away with it.

Stranger Than Fiction? Ten Life Lessons From This Season

As followers of my blog will have noticed, I have been more than a little absent over the last 12 to 18 months. There are a number of reasons for this, but during this time, I have learnt a lot about myself, the world and some of the people in it. As a result, I thought I'd share some of my revelations over the past year or so. However, as I don't run a lifestyle blog, the only way I could make it relevant is by applying principles I have seen in this season's Premier League.

So, here are my 10 (loosely related) life lessons from this season:

1. Things don't always turn out as you expect

If this isn't backed up by goings on in this season's Premier League, I don't know what is. Ahead of the start of the the season, it was expected to be business as usual for the Premier League. Chelsea, such dominant champions just a few short months ago, were odds on favourites to retain their title with the seemingly unflappable and unbeatable Jose Mourinho at the helm. Similarly, Manchester City were looking resurgent, with nearly £200m spent in the summer window on the likes of De Bruyne and Sterling.

However, nine months on, and it is neither of these giants, nor Arsenal, Tottenham or Manchester United proudly atop the Premier League, but little old Leicester City. The fact that this was 5,000 to 1 at the start of the season (higher odds than the Loch Ness Monster being discovered!) demonstrates the point above, creating a fairytale story for the men from the Midlands.

2. It can be easy to get caught in a negative spiral

If you're anything like me, you'll identify with this one. It doesn't matter how well things seem to be going, you're always able to conspire to ruin it. As I outlined in a recent post on my motivation for my London Marathon run, I've done this to significant cost in my personal life, and has led me to a situation I never thought I'd find myself in.

In footballing terms, there is no doubt that this applies perfectly to Crystal Palace this season. Having started so well, with the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Bakary Sako in strong goalscoring form, they looked on course to challenge for at least their best Premier League finish ever. However, after a second half of the season to forget, they found themselves scrambling against relegation in the last few weeks of the season. Getting out of that cycle is difficult, and can often seem impossible at times.

3. Money doesn't always solve the problem

I've discovered this one more recently - I've never had much spare money, so I can't honestly say that this has been an issue for me in the past. However, over the last 18 months, I'm not ashamed to say that I've attempted (unsuccessfully) to make certain things in my life better using money. Safe to say, I've learnt that money can't buy you happiness - finding that seems far more difficult!

This is certainly something that has parallels in Premier League football. In particular, Manchester City's defensive issues were something that they have increasingly thrown money at in recent years, with over £100m spent since 2010 on a succession of centre backs - Joleon Lescott, Kolo Toure, Jerome Boating, Stefan Savic, Matija Nastasic, Martin Demichelis, Eliaquim Mangala and most recently Nicolas Otamendi. Has their defensive record got any better? Not if this season is anything to go by!

4. People can surprise you (and not always in a good way!)

From a personal perspective, there is nothing unusual about this point. My last couple of years have been filled with examples of people that have surprised me with their understanding or interest. However, even those you feel you know well can surprise you - and sometimes you end up on the wrong side. I've also found myself in situations where I didn't know which way was up, with certainly no idea about where I stood.

Again, in a season full of shocks, there have been individuals that have stood out from the crowd, and I'm going to be a bit more controversial here. For me, the epitome of a positive surprise from a player has been the performances of either N'Golo Kante or Riyad Mahrez, both who have consistently shone, either through hard work or moments of magic.

However, despite all the plaudits received, I'd argue that a player that has surprised both in a good and bad way is Jamie Vardy. For all of his goalscoring heroics, for every bit of industry and every yard won for his side, just one event comes to my mind. As I said to my family on the day that he broke the consecutive goals record earlier in the season - 'it's amazing how scoring in 11 straight matches will make people forget you're a racist.' Great message for the kids, that. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you say in casinos or whether you act like a first class chav, as long as you can kick a ball, it's all ok.

5. Hope can be the worst human emotion

During the last year or so, one phrase has stuck with me. I can't remember who it was that said it, in case anyone thinks I'm trying to plagiarise, but it certainly appears apt to me. It is, quite simply, 'without hope, there can be no true despair'. No matter how painful the initial event is, it is made that much worse by hoping unsuccessfully for something better, or for things to be fixed, particularly if you are given continued hope that this may be possible.

Now, as well as this applies to my personal life over the last 12 months, it also applies just as well to the history of my club, Manchester City. Though admittedly less so recently, I grew up in a time when City flattered to deceive, and would always snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I have therefore become accustomed to hoping for much and receiving little, and to be perfectly honest, I'm confident that it's made me the realist I am today! In fact, I'm still waiting for them to screw the current situation up - I'm convinced it's just an extremely long con!

6. Don't just let yourself get battered

My belief that is order to be truly happy, you have to let yourself be vulnerable and open. However, this does leave you open to being hurt - and badly. Take a boxing match, for example. You put a guard up and let someone tee off on you. Hurts, doesn't it? However, lower your guard and do the same thing. Tell me how you feel when you wake up attached to an IV. In that situation, it is all too easy to allow yourself to become the victim, and be battered and bruised. And I'm no expert in this, but somehow, you need to keep picking yourself up off the canvas and moving forward until someone physically stops you.

In footballing terms, that best applies to Aston Villa this season - and by that I mean they have dropped their hands and been smashed repeatedly. Their seeming disregard for both the shirt and their fans has led to one of the worst seasons in Premier League history, and run-ins for the likes of Joleon Lescott and Gabby Agbonlahor with the club hierarchy and fans. Such has been the disintigration of the once great club, that the board members that were brought in to restructure it and make it prepared for life in the Championship gave it up. Not exactly a promising sign is it?

7. Rebuilding things takes time, and you need to be patient

Now this is a difficult one, especially if you're like me. I'm extremely impatient when it comes to wanting results, which is why my love-hate relationship with the gym is a little more hate than it is for most normal people. Whether you've suffered a set-back, had your confidence destroyed or your world rocked, it's perfectly normal for things to take a long time to heal and get better. The trick is to give yourself that time - easier said than done, I admit.

Message to all Liverpool (and to a lesser extent cockneys, I mean, Man United fans) this footballing metaphor applies to you! As much as you go on about history, it really means nothing when it comes to the current day, and time to face facts, your teams aren't as good as they once were. Stop treating managers by frankly unrealistic standards, and support your team. Instead of complaining about Brendan Rodgers or Louis van Gaal, you need to accept that you're going through a difficult transition period, and things will take time. Be patient.

8. Sometimes you have to rely on others (results)

Ok, so the grammar isn't great, but you get what I'm saying! This kind of links to number five, but this is a bit harder. Where others can surprise you, having the ability to talk to and rely on others is a whole new level of trust, and one that I can certainly admit to some trouble with.

As the headline suggests, this one was custom made to fit to the footballing metaphor. With a week of football left in the season, we saw a rollercoaster ride for the final Champions League spot between the two Manchester clubs. After City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal on the Sunday, United had all the momentum, just two points behind City with a game in hand. However, a 3-2 defeat by West Ham in the Hammers final game at the Boleyn Ground saw the ball put back into City's court for the final day. Despite a bit of drama at Old Trafford, with a suspect package discovered at the Stretford End, City did their usual trick (the minimum required!) to finish with a spot in the Champions League for next season.

9. Momentum can be powerful, and take things one step at a time

Once you turn a corner, you can rely on a powerful force: momentum. When you've proven that you can do something, it makes it that much easier to continue to do it. Even in the darkest moments, the little things become important, and gives you a platform to continue onwards. In these moments, I have learnt it is incredibly important to try and isolate individual tasks and defeat them as they arise. Again, as I mentioned earlier, my lack of patience holds me back here, and there have been more than a few times where I have wanted to give up (and have come pretty close) in the past 18 months, but a combination of things have kept me going, of which momentum is certainly one.

Here, Leicester again play a key role. For every doubter and every nay-sayer, it only required the group of player and their manager to come out and say 'we're not thinking about the title, we've only got eyes for [insert team name here] next week.' And lo and behold, that following week all too often resulted in a favourable scoreline for the Foxes. While this explanation may undermine some of the exceptional individual performances throughout the season, there can be no doubt that momentum inevitably plays a considerable role in any championship season, none more so than the one seen by Leicester this week.

10. You can achieve more than you thought possible if you push yourself

This has been the biggest thing I have discovered over the past 12 months, without a shadow of a doubt. It doesn't matter how badly you're hurt, or how strong the urge is to give up, you can still surprise yourself. After a tough two years, I'm still not OK, or anything close, but I have a few things I can point to that I can be proud of. Take just a few weeks ago as a prime example - after six months of training, and a lot of willpower, I ran the 2016 London Marathon in 4hr 34 minutes. Something I'd never have been capable of or willing to do at any other time in my life, but I set myself a goal and achieved it.

As with so many of these points, Leicester's approach to the disbelief of the world highlights this from a Premier League perspective, and demonstrates the strength of each of the players involved. However, where their goal can be firmly set on retaining their hard-fought title, I am now looking for my next challenge, safe in the knowledge that more is possible than I imagined.

So if you've had a hard time recently, or are looking to set yourself a few targets, I guess what I'm saying is watch the football - there are enough lessons to be learnt about yourself to keep you going for a while!

London Marathon 2016: My Weekend

And so, after six months of training, and more than a year of anticipation, it's finally over. Blood, sweat and tears have been shed over this monumental effort - for more on my reasons, take a look at my previous post, which provides an insight into my damaged mind.

Now, having only run one of these things in my life, I am in no position to hand out advice and information to anyone, however, there are a few observations I made that may be of use to future runners. Firstly, if you're fortunate enough not to live in central London, make sure you get a hotel close to the start line. The tube is mental at the best of times, but on the days around the marathon, it gets even more congested. Hotels aren't cheap either, as evidenced by the fact that I managed to get two nights in the Canary Wharf Hilton for less than the local Travelodge!

I went down on the Saturday before the race, giving me little time to register at the ExCel centre. And, as expected, the Saturday was extremely busy. Tubes were once again packed, making getting to the point a real pain. At the centre, you queue to get your race number and electronic tag to measure your race time, before entering the free for all of the exhibition.

My race number

Once inside, there are a couple of pieces of advice I can give. The first, and most important, is it will take longer than you thought, so make sure you have something to eat before you arrive. There is nothing worse for preparation that failing to keep your carbohydrate levels up the day before! In addition, while there is a lot of cool stuff on sale, don't make stupid panic purchases. I bought what Lucozade called their 'marathon pack' for £10, which consisted of two energy drinks, four packs of jelly beans and two energy gels. Now, given that they were handing out both the gels and the drinks like sweets on the day, that perhaps was not the best investment I've ever made.

Race Day
So, it's arrived. And inevitably, the first thing I thought was 'why the hell did I ask to do this?' This feeling doesn't abate until you arrive at Greenwich Park, and see people in a lot worse state that you. For instance, before reaching the start line, I had already seen a man dressed in a giant dinosaur costume and someone with a rocket on his back!

Before you're kettled to the start line, make sure you leave plenty of time to get that last drink in, as well as stretch out properly. As I lay here with muscles aching, I can safely say that despite the strong and often nauseating smell, I wish I had taken some form of warming muscle rub with me and applied before the start - it just makes the opening couple of miles that little bit easier.

So having finally started, 25 minutes after the race officially began, I completely ignored every piece of advice I had received pre-event. Having spent the first two miles jostling for position with the rest of the crowd, I looked at my watch to find I was way behind the time I had initially expected. In this position, the sensible thing to do would be to not worry about it and continue at your own pace. What I did was speed up to try and get back on track. Worst. Decision. Ever.

By 10 miles I was back at my normal time, but in order to do so, I had drained a lot of energy from the tank. As a result, by half distance, I was knackered, and my stomach started to feel empty. Before the race, everyone talked to me about the 'wall' that I would hit, and I had imagined that it would be upon me by mile 20 or so. What I realised on that day is we all have our own personal walls, and just be prepared to hit it and go through it regardless of what time it arrives. In my case, between miles 13 and 19, I struggled painfully. Every mile marker seemed to take forever to come by, and there were more than a few occasions where I simply felt like this wasn't possible (a key one being when I was overtaken by a man dressed as a rhinoceros!).

However, I, as so many others out there, was rescued by one thing: the crowd. It is absolutely true that during the race, every member of the crowd becomes a lifelong friend, cheering your name and encouraging you on. You also have no qualms about taking random bits of food from these people, be it Haribo, oranges or the one guy handing out pasta salad (a bit late, mate!). The crowd can keep you going beyond what you thought was possible, either from the support, or just creating moments that are unforgettable.

A few instantly spring to my mind. Firstly, some of the banners that are held up during the race are genius. There were a few occasions throughout the course where people held out signs with things like 'Power Boost: Touch Here' on them, while one man even went as far to attach a horn and hand out 'free honks' to the runners as we went past.

As I was running for a charity, I was also aware of a number of points that Mind had for cheering on its competitors. However, what I completely underestimated was the sheer number of people that would be at each one, and the effect that about 100 people chanting your name in unison would have as you went past. For both the 13.5 and 25 mile markers, I received a welcome boost, and I want to thank each and every person that turned out to support the team - it was an amazing effort!

There will, however, be one moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life. During one of my most difficult periods, I stumbled upon a man dressed as Jesus, carrying a crucifix along with him. Now, that is impressive enough as it is, but the fact that he was doing it barefoot led me to question his mental health. Nevertheless, the reaction he got from the crowd was justifiably amazing, and for me jogging behind him, to hear thousands of people scream 'Come on Jesus!', in that moment, there was literally nothing funnier. During the event, I also heard 'Come on Elvis', 'Come on Rhino' and 'Come on Postbox', but without a doubt the Messiah made my day.

Also, just a couple of quick points before I get to the end. Firstly, though there are a lot of iconic landmarks around London, and people make the point that the London Marathon is 'a great way to do the touristy bits' - it isn't. I can honestly say I don't remember going past many of the key landmarks - it all blurs into one. I can remember the following, and that is it.

• Cutty Sark
• Tower Bridge
• Canary Wharf
• Big Ben

Also, for those of you watching runners, prepare for your own personal hell. I was told that they closed Tube stations due to the high demand, making it almost impossible to get around the city centre (because that is what all of us up North have been paying for!).

However, after 26 miles of arduous, painstaking effort, enjoy the mall. The run in for me was one of my favourite bits, as I had got myself past the mental challenge and was cruising to the finish. I even managed to sprint the final 200-400 metres! The feeling of that medal around your neck is one of the best you will have, so enjoy it, and be proud of your achievements.

However, as I can tell you from the comfort of my bed, be prepared to cancel any plans you had for the next week, as you will lose the function of your leg muscles!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey, as it has been a difficult, and at times, emotional, rollercoaster over the last year or so. I have achieved what I set out to - I am now a marathon runner - and I couldn't have done it without you.

Before...

And after!

The prize!

London Marathon 2016: My Motivation

It's safe to say last weekend wasn't my average weekend. Whilst I've made a point of being more active and doing more things with my free time more recently, it's safe to say that running 26.2 miles around the streets of our capital wasn't initially what I had in mind!

Before I go into a bit more detail about the weekend itself in another post, I wanted to revisit where this mad idea came from. I briefly touched upon the topic when I wrote my first blog post about the London Marathon back in November, when the idea of running it seemed a good one, but I wanted to provide some further background.

From as young as I can remember, I have always struggled to control my brain. Things that other kids seemed to take in their stride, be it sleepovers, evenings out or simply going to school were at times a struggle for me. You see, I overthink things (as any AS-level psychology student could have told me if they've ever read my blog posts), reading far too much into any situation and seeing only the negatives. During my childhood, I was never diagnosed with any condition, with doctors often explaining it away as 'homesickness'. It is certainly true that my worst times were at particularly stressful moments - upcoming exams and my parents' divorce are two such examples, one considerably more stressful than the other, I do admit!

Over the years, I've found coping mechanisms and ways to alleviate some of my symptoms, but I've never been able to lead what many describe as a 'normal' life (though I am cynical enough to suggest that such a thing doesn't exist). As a result of this, I have often found it far too easy to isolate myself, with genuine friendships seemingly more difficult to build during my school (and particularly, university) years.

Apologies for the short insight into my clearly screwed-up psychology, but it is pertinent to my motivation for the London Marathon for two reasons. The first is simple; if there was any part of me that would have backed out of the challenge, it evaporated when I found out that Mind had places to run. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have had family and close friends heavily affected by mental illness, and with my own personal connection, I felt this was an opportunity I couldn't miss.

For those of you that don't know, Mind offers support and guidance to any of the one in four people in the UK that suffer from a mental health problem, ranging from anxiety and depression to severe schizophrenia. In 2015 alone, the charity directly contacted 375,000 people through its local services, with thousands more either phoning its helplines or visiting one of its 150 sites across the country. Without doubt, the charity has saved countless lives, and while there may not be specific statistics that we can point to like survival rates for diseases, that is what makes the health problems Mind deals with all the more dangerous.

For those affected or interested to find out more, visit their website at http://mind.org.uk/. In addition, if you'd like to make a donation, visit my JustGiving page at http://justgiving.com/ANDREW-HAYWOOD3.

The second reason was much more personal. As I mentioned earlier, I have always dealt with stressful situations in my personal life quite badly, overthinking every eventuality and tending to opt for the 'plan for the worst' option, rather than just enjoying the now. This thought process, coupled with some confidence issues, led to the break-up of my only proper relationship. Lasting five and a half years, I had always thought this would be it. And like an idiot, I spent a long time planning the future (buying a house and all the normal stuff that follows) and thinking about things that could go wrong, and neglected what really mattered. Suffice it to say, the end affected me significantly, and nearly two years on, continues to do so every day.

Over the last eighteen months, I have had lower days than I ever thought possible, and have been fortunate enough to rely on my family for support. This has formed the foundation of my change in mentality, taking more chances and spending more time focusing on things to do now and less on the future. While this hasn't been enough to get me back what I lost, I hope it will make me happy in the long run, and has enabled me to do things I never thought possible.

Hence the London Marathon. I wanted to set myself a challenge that I could work towards, and a focus that would take my mindset away from overthinking in a negative way and channel it into something positive. The training was an enormous challenge, and getting out of the house for 8:30am on a Sunday morning for an 18 mile run was certainly among one the toughest moments, but knowing there was a bigger challenge to work towards was the key motivation, and really kept me going through the tough times, either during training or other areas of my life.

I'm sorry to those reading this post, getting to the end and thinking 'what was the point of that?' This has certainly been a cathartic experience for me, and has given me a platform to really describe, maybe even to myself, exactly why I took this on. I guess my point is simply this: it doesn't matter who you are or how bad you feel, there is always someone there to help you. And on a secondary note, that even when you feel at the bottom of a dark pit, you can still achieve more than you thought possible.

London Marathon 2016: Training Update #1

I recently realised that it's been nearly three months since my blog post outlining my plan to run the 2016 London Marathon on behalf of the mental health charity, Mind. Well, I thought that with just under three months to go until the big day, I'd outline the progress I've made.

I can basically boil my thoughts on this into three things. Firstly, a change in diet. Towards the back end of last year, I bemused my work colleagues with a consistent high protein diet, in order to prove to myself that I had the motivation to do it. I won't bore you with the details, but some personal highlights of my weird and wonderful 8 week programme were a daily sweet potato fondant, which is essentially a poncy way of saying yoghurt, sweet potato and cinnamon layered, and a bland lunch of turkey mince, brown rice and broccoli. However, the favourite from my office has to be the piece of fish I would have at 4 o'clock every day, which would need to be microwaved and often left a distinct smell!

It certainly worked, as coupled with the gym, I lost weight and got more fit. I quickly decided that for the benefit of my office, I'd adapt the diet for the run, focusing more on a blend of protein and carbs to supplement the increased energy I was going to be using. Though it's meant giving up days of my weekends to cook (which I actually don't mind), and continued willpower, I've kept up a more healthy and balanced diet than I've ever had, and it definitely makes you feel better about everything!

Coupled with this, I've had a dramatic change in my mindset over the last few months. Those who know me will know I'm not exactly a glass half-full kind of guy - I tend to plan (and all too often expect) the worst to happen. I'd argue that in general, I'm not wrong to do so, but as I've found to my cost, getting too focused on the negative affects more than just yourself. However, when you're looking to push your body beyond the point it can comfortably function, or even when you're forcing yourself to go for an hour-long run in the rain (remember, this is Manchester), you can't allow yourself to fall into this habit.

So, I've tried to be more positive, particularly in relation to my training. So when either my mind (or my body) is screaming out at me to stop, stay in bed, or just go home, I've forced myself into the gym or to keep running. I've also used the running as a stress relief after a busy week at work, or time for reflection whenever I'm feeling down, alone or frustrated, so it's been beneficial for me on a number of levels. In particular, the running has been therapeutic in a number of ways, and the dedication that I've had to show to it has kept my mind occupied and taken a large amount of time.

Applying these things has had considerable results in terms of the distances I've been able to achieve. For each of the last four weeks, I've run over the 26 mile distance that I'll face on 24th April, including a couple of half-marathon distances. In total, I've far surpassed 200 miles in the last three months, and that's making allowances for the time I took off to enjoy Christmas!

However, while I'm more than on track in terms of training, the focus I've put into that has left me a little behind in terms of the fundraising. A huge target of mine is to raise £2,000 for the mental health charity, Mind, who help people suffering from any number of mental health problems. Over one in three individuals in the UK will be directly affected by mental health issues, and with many of these conditions still considered taboos in the modern (certainly working) world, changing the mindset of the population is still a critical issue. Mind is a fantastic charity, which I know helps millions of people across the UK either suffering with mental health problems, or have family members that are, and though less visibly than providing food to Africa, they do save lives by saving people from themselves.

In order to help me in this, I've set up a Virgin JustGiving page, which can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/ANDREW-HAYWOOD3/. Any donations you can make would be greatly appreciated and gratefully received.

Jamie Vardy: How Does Fantastic Mr Fox Rank?

As someone who frequently places bets on the weekend's action, I shudder to think the odds that last weekend's achievement would have drawn at the start of the season. To score in three straight games is a run of good form for any striker, but to do it in 10 is nothing short of extraordinary.

And if that wasn't enough, Jamie Vardy has done it in a side hardly recognised as world-beaters. Ok, the fact that Leicester currently sit proudly atop the Premier League seems to undermine that argument somewhat. However, speaking of odds, I wonder what bookies would have laid on the Foxes topping the table after 12 games? My point is, few would have ever expected that the side that struggled to escape relegation last term would have found within their midst a true Premier League predator capable of this feat.

However, ever the cynic, I feel the need to dampen the enthusiasm of Leicester fans who will undoubtedly proclaim Jamie Vardy's goalscoring run the 'greatest of all time' - let's just hope they can do it in a more intelligent way than the current chant of 'Jamie Vardy's having a party'. Lyrical genius... And we wonder why the music industry is dumbing down!

Let's start by looking at the man whose record he could usurp if he nets against Manchester United next weekend: ironically enough, United hitman Ruud van Nistelrooy. Now, in order to gauge the achievements of the pair, and accurately compare them, we have to understand the circumstances under which they were done. I have already mentioned the fact that Vardy has completed this nine game run in a side hardly recognised as a league leader, while van Nistelrooy was part of the United side that bulldozed its way through everyone in the early 2000's. So, on the face of it, 1-0 Vardy, right?

Well, I wanted to delve a little deeper than that. It is also worthwhile considering the opponents that these goals came against. To score nine games in a row is impressive regardless, but scoring against eight of the top ten in the league is certainly more so than knocking in goals against the lesser sides.

When looking at van Nistelrooy's run, we see he scored 15 goals in his 10 games, with hat tricks against Fulham and Charlton, and a brace at home to Liverpool. In those games, he scored against the sides in 14th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, 6th, 10th, 12th, 7th, 8th and 5th. If we were to average this out, it equates to 7th place - a pretty impressive feat for anyone. If we compare this with Jamie Vardy's recent form, we see quite a different story. His ten games have him scoring 12 goals, with braces against Arsenal and Southampton - ironically the two most difficult sides the Foxes have faced during this run. The teams he has scored against currently sit in 19th, 20th, 11th, 4th, 16th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 17th, giving Vardy an average of 13th place. I think this is emphatically 1-1.

There are a few more important factors to take into account. Firstly, it's worth noting that van Nistelrooy's run did come over two different seasons, with the last two games the start of the 2003/2004 season. I'm not sure if that removes a little of the gloss off his achievement or adds to it. On the one hand, it could have taken pressure off the Dutchman towards the end of the run, as he may not have remembered his strong form at the start of the new year. However, it could also be the case that it made it more difficult, as momentum and form plays a huge part in the continuing success, and any break in time could have an adverse effect on the mindset of the striker involved.

However, if this was going to be a negative, we should certainly bear in mind the fact that, including all competitions, Ruud van Nistelrooy actually went on a 12 game scoring streak in 2003. This was the previously mentioned eight Premier League games, in addition to Champions League goals, both home and away, against Real Madrid, and goals for Holland against the Czech Republic and Moldova. He therefore completed both a long term run based on momentum, and a run over the course of two seasons.

In comparison, if other competitions were included in Jamie Vardy's current run, the striker would only actually have managed a four game scoring streak, as Premier League games were punctuated by goalless appearances in the Capital One Cup and the England team. Is that really so impressive?

It certainly isn't when we compare it to the all-time greats, and longest scoring streaks. Josef Bican's incredible 19-game run for Slavia Prague has been going strong since 1939, only matched by Lionel Messi (who else) in 2013. Some argue that as Messi was then injured and never got the chance to continue the record, we will never know how far he could have gone, and some even count the two goals he scored immediately after his return as part of the record, but I don't buy it.

To put it in perspective, should we even be that overawed by the achievement of scoring in 10 straight? Below is the list of the 10 longest goal streaks in history, all of whom have gone significantly beyond the feat achieved in the Premier League:

Longest goalscoring runs in history:
19: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona 2012–13)
19: Josef Bican (SK Slavia Praha 1939–40)
16: Gerd Müller (FC Bayern München 1969–70)
16: Teodor Peterek (Ruch Chorzów 1937–38)
15: Filip Johansson (IFK Göteborg 1924–25)
15: Tor Henning Hamre (FC Flora Tallinn 2003)
15: Fin Døssing (Dundee United FC 1964–65)
14: Fernando Gomes (FC Porto 1984–85)
13: Serge Masnaghetti (Valenciennes FC 1962–63)
13: Peter Dubovský (ŠK Slovan Bratislava 1991–92)
13: Tom Phillipson (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1926–27)

With this in mind, Jamie Vardy's run is the best moment of his career so far, and certainly warrants congratulations, but as with so many things, we have a tendency to get carried away by feats, particularly when completed by an Englishman. However, Vardy needs to go some to match the greatest ever, and I'd argue that he needs to consistently score against better opposition to be considered alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy as a top striker. Hang on, I'm sure I came to a similar conclusion about another overrated English striker...

In any case, while I hope I'm proven wrong, I do fully expect this run to come to an end against Manchester United this weekend. United have proven their ability to mark better players than Vardy out of the game, and I suspect the Foxes will find it much harder to score. He may still finish as top scorer this season, but at some point in the season, he will have a lean spell and it is always the mark of a good striker to see how he recovers from that.

London Marathon 2016: My Personal Challenge

Though this is a sporting post, and therefore in-keeping with the theme of my blog, it is significantly different from anything I've ever written about before. I found out this week that I will be part of the Mind team running the 2016 London Marathon on 24 April.

To provide you with a bit of background - I've never been one to take on outlandish challenges, preferring instead to make my life as consistent as possible. However, over the last 12 months, I have been presented with many challenging changes that were beyond my control, a number of which I am still struggling with. With this in mind, I felt like I needed to provide myself with a challenge of my choice, that I could manage and control.

Having always been sporty, playing a combination of football and tennis as a child, I know I am fairly good when it comes to running. However, I have never entered any formal running event, with the furthest I had run until recently a 10k at my local park. This therefore provides me with a decent base, while giving me the potential to challenge myself in a more controlled environment.

I do, however, have a tendency to get carried away, which perhaps explains my decision to skip a few steps and go straight for the most gruelling, exhausting type of race in the world. Most people would probably build up with some 10k's and then a few halves - would certainly have made the prospect easier!

Other than my own tendencies, there was another reason to jump straight into the marathon. Having found out that Mind, the mental health charity, had places to run and raise money, I wanted to get involved. Mental health remains one of the largest social taboos, despite the best attempts of both the government and charities. I have had family members and friends who have suffered from mental conditions, and have seen the difficulties that come from being unable to talk about it. Raising money to attempt to research and cure any conditions would obviously be the ideal, but my objective is simply to raise awareness of these conditions.

My target to raise is £2,000, so I've started a JustGiving page - see link below. If you've had any experience with mental illness, or understand how painful it is to run a marathon, or even if you've just enjoyed my blog posts, please give what you can.

https://www.justgiving.com/ANDREW-HAYWOOD3/

Thanks,
Andy

Chelsea: How The Mighty Have Fallen

The worst title defence in the history of the Premier League. After yesterday's defeat at home to Liverpool, Chelsea have registered an embarrassing return of just 11 points after eleven first team matches, with just three wins, six defeats and 22 goals conceded. To put it in perspective, this is almost identical to the disastrous defence of Blackburn Rovers following their one and only title in 1995, and is six points worse than the ill-fated attempt by David Moyes after the Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United.

What makes this current title defence most surprising is that this has not come after a shock title win or change in management. In fact, next to nothing has changed. The side that claimed the league just a few short months ago is now floundering just above the relegation zone, and it's not like they can blame injuries either. Though they have missed Thibaut Courtois for the majority of the season so far, the eleven that were so successful in the last season remain largely ever-present.

What it simply comes down to is the fact that many of the top players from last year have struggled to hit the heights that they achieved in that title winning side. If we take the lynchpins of that side, namely John Terry, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, we can clearly see in each case, the statistics are no longer in their favour when compared to many of their rivals.

Take the stoic centre half. A Chelsea legend that has taken his side through tough times seemingly single-handedly in the past, and has been a consistent performer and rock for Jose Mourinho in both his spells at the club. Last year was widely considered the Englishman's best season for some time, with the centre back's organisation enabling the team to keep 17 clean sheets, at a ratio of almost one every two games. He also scored five goals from 18 shots - the second best return of his career. In comparison, in the first 11 games of this season, Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet, with Terry yet to open his personal account. He has also come under considerable criticism, being sent off at West Brom and dropped to the bench for the crunch game with Manchester City.

Similarly, Eden Hazard has struggled to make the impact he had last season. Having comprehensively won the Barclays Premier League Player of the Year Award last year, he has been almost anonymous this season. Though his chances created statistics and assists are not bad when compared to last season (29 chances created in 11 games this season/ 99 created in total last year), he does not seem to quote have the same aura around him that saw him glide past players like they weren't even there. His substitution against Liverpool yesterday came as no surprise, as up until that point I don't think I had heard his name uttered by the commentary team.

The difference between statistics for both Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa is even more stark. The power pair last year were a contributing factor to a huge percentage of Chelsea goals last year, with Fabregas hailed as a pass master for his 18 assists and Costa ranked among the top strikers in the world scoring 20 goals. How times have changed. This season, Fabregas has set up just one goal, while Costa is a tenth of the way to last year's goals total, with almost a third of the season gone.

It's certainly no secret that this has had a dramatic impact on the pressure on the shoulders of Jose Mourinho. And we have already seen how he tends to overhype. In a post last year, I looked at Jose's growing vendetta with both the English media and Premier League referees, and suggested that perhaps this was simply another of the Portuguese manager's mind-games. However, having seen the ongoing behaviour and anger of the Chelsea man, I'm not quite so sure he's as in-control as he appeared last year. He is clearly feeling the pressure, and would rather apportion blame everywhere but with himself, and referees are certainly an easy target.

One thing I still can't wrap my brain around is why. How is it that so many of not just Chelsea's top men, but the supporting cast like Matic, Ivanovic, Oscar and Azpilicueta, all of whom were outstanding in the title win, can perform so poorly all at the same time. An off game or two is to be expected, but it's getting on towards the halfway point, and I honestly cannot remember a game where Chelsea have looked like themselves.

The first explanation that I have read is from Fabio Capello. The former England and Real Madrid coach laid the accusation that Jose Mourinho's style of management burns players out, keeping them at optimal levels for a season or 18 months, but then sees performances fall off a cliff. While that would accurately explain the Portuguese's experience on this occasion, in addition to his times at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, it would not cover the initial period spent in London. Successive titles, the second more emphatic than the first, would certainly call the theory into question. Further, the individuals at the heart of that Chelsea title success remained effective for the club for years to come - look at Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

In addition, there have been a lot of talks in the papers recently about rifts in the dressing room. Now, while I'm willing to take such accusations with a pinch of salt, there is normally no smoke without fire, and it does appear during the games like many of the players aren't on the same wavelength. How much of that is just the players trying to force the issue, and how much is a genuine discord is difficult to say, but it is certainly a theory that cannot be ruled out.

My analysis of this adds a rather ironic twist. Jose Mourinho's attitude that the world is against him, blaming referees, the media and even his own doctors for his shortcomings may well have been a mind-game, but has now fostered an environment at Chelsea that is incredibly demoralising. Believing that people are against you can have a dramatic impact on confidence and motivation, and could certainly explain the ongoing issues. Further to this, the treatment of Eva Carneiro will undoubtedly have underlined the dictatorial regime currently in operation at the London club, and will inevitably have players and staff looking nervously over their shoulders. This tends to result in people taking fewer risks, playing it safe and therefore not achieving their potential - sound familiar?

While Jose Mourinho has been given the green light by Roman Abramovic, it is slowly but surely moving to a shade of amber. Based on the last three months, he needs to grow up, accept that bad luck and bad decisions happen, and get on with motivating his players and stop attempting to control the actions of officials. Who does he think he is, Sir Alex Ferguson?

However, Chelsea have more than enough quality to get themselves out of their current predicament, and it was fitting that it was Jurgen Klopp, who experienced the exact same thing with Dortmund last year, who visited Stamford Bridge yesterday. I'm going for a sixth place finish now for Chelsea, but they need to seriously rethink their approach and pull together to achieve even that.

Summer Transfer Window Series: 2015 Window Top 10 Loan and Free Wheeler-Dealers

In my final post of this current series, I wanted to do something a little bit differently. In every transfer window, media attention and general focus lands on the big money moves, or the potential difference makers, as is reflected by my previous blogs.

Very little tends to be made of the movement in the free or loan transfer window, but these are where some of the most impressive deals are done. All of the following have at one time or another moved for nothing: Lewandowski, Pirlo, Law, Khedira, Klinsmann and Raul, and this season has been no different, with a number of good free and loan deals being done, particularly by clubs lower down the Premier League pecking order.

10. Maarten Stekelenburg - Fulham to Southampton (Loan)
It's not every day you get the chance to sign a goalkeeper that has played in a World Cup final, but Southampton did exactly that this year. After an unsuccessful (and no doubt costly) spell at Fulham, which was punctuated by a brief loan spell with AS Monaco, the Dutchman made the move across the South East to Southampton. Though in the long-term Stekelenburg is likely to play second fiddle to the currently injured Fraser Forster, the former Roma man is enjoying his time on the coast, with three successive clean sheets in recent games.

9. Tom Cleverley - Manchester United to Everton (Free)
Although an uninspiring player on the face of it, and certainly not good enough for the likes of Manchester United (or England), but a solid central midfielder. Having been loaned out to Aston Villa last year, and generally impressed, Cleverley has earned a permanent move away from Old Trafford, and to a decent side in Everton. Like Stekelenberg, I don't expect the Englishman to play every game, but at just 26 years old, he still has plenty to offer and will be challenged at Goodison Park. He adds reasonable strength in depth and cover for the more experienced Gareth Barry, and will certainly have an opportunity to prove himself this season.

8. Nathan Dyer - Swansea City to Leicester City (Loan)
A bit of surprising one, this. Having been one of the staples of the Swansea side of the last few years, particularly in their first season back in the big time in 2011-2012, I felt that the flyer winger would still be a part of Garry Monk's plans. However, the signing and rise in form of Jefferson Montero has seen the opportunities dry up for Dyer, and rather than settle for reduced first-team minutes, the Englishman made the call to go out on loan to Leicester. While I'm not expecting the little winger to set the team alight over the coming months, particularly with the form of Riyhad Mahrez at present, but I do see him playing an important role over the season.

7. Victor Ibarbo - AS Roma to Watford (Loan)
A bolt out of the unknown, this transfer. Having enjoyed a largely successful career in Serie A with both Cagliari and Roma, as well as earning a number of caps for the Colombian national side, Ibarbo made the move to Premier League new boys Watford. A proven goalscorer with prodigious pace, it will be interesting to see how the striker gets on, particularly acclimatising to the physical nature of the Premier League. First of all, however, he needs to get to grips with the English legislation, with Ibarbo noble to take his place in the Watford side at the weekend due to visa problems. Once he has cleared that problem, I am certain he will prove a good signing for the Hornets, and could well prove the difference between survival and relegation come May.

6. Ibrahim Afellay - Barcelona to Stoke City (Free)
Stoke are slowly but surely putting together an impressive team of names that perhaps haven't hit their heights at enormous clubs, with Afellay joining the likes of Bojan and Shaqiri at the Britannia this summer. Once seen as the golden boy of Dutch football, Afellay shone in the Eredivisie, bringing PSV a number of titles and trophies. As a result, Barcelona took notice, and the youngster got the move to the Nou Camp.

However, since then it has been a seemingly never-ending series of disappointment, underperformance and a string of horrendous injuries, which has left Afellay needing to resurrect his career. He certainly possesses an enormous amount of quality, and has the potential to win a game in an instant, with his left foot particularly potent. However, he has also shown that he can be petulant, with his sending off against West Brom this season a prime example. All in all, a strong transfer, but Mark Hughes may have a challenge getting the best out of him.

5. James Milner - Manchester City to Liverpool (Free)
Perhaps not the most exciting transfer that Liverpool made this summer, but arguably one of the more important. The personification of the term 'utility player', Milner is an extremely valuable addition to Liverpool, providing them with cover across a number of positions. Having found his game time at Manchester City reduced year on year since signing for the club in 2010, Milner had made it clear that he would leave at the end of his contract. The only real question then was who would he go to?

With the midfielder unlikely to want to take a significant step down in quality that has been seen by many of this season's free transfers, it became evident that Liverpool were rapidly becoming first choice to secure his services. He has had an unspectacular start to life at Anfield, but then again he is an unspectacular player!

4. Yann M'Vila - Rubin Kazan to Sunderland (Loan)
Given the struggle that Sunderland have had in the last few seasons to retain their Premier League status, it surprised me that they were able to tempt the man who was once thought of extremely highly, and linked with some of Europe's top sides. True, his stock has dipped somewhat after choosing to ignore the top leagues and making the move to Russia, but I would have thought that his name alone would have got him into sides more capable of making an impact on the league. Considering the start that the Black Cats have made to this season, M'Vila has not been particularly poor, showing his talent with an exquisite free kick. Sunderland will need a few more of those to get them out of trouble, however.

3. Alex Song - Barcelona to West Ham United (Loan)
Though perhaps not as shocking as it was last season, I still think this represents an outstanding bit of business for the Hammers. Having proven his worth in England with first Arsenal, and then last season at Upton Park, Alex Song has returned to East London with a strong pedigree. Though his game-time so far this season has been limited, he will add to a rapidly improving West Ham side, and will further aid the remarkable away record with a bit of steel to go with the flair of the likes of Dimitri Payet.

2. Micah Richards - Manchester City to Aston Villa (Free)
Another Manchester City player, and an Englishman at that, to leave on a free this season. But one club's loss is another's gain, and in this case, I feel Villa have got themselves an absolute gem. Though it's easy to forget, given the amount of time Richards has been around, he is relatively young at just 27 years old. Though, like many of the others in this list, he has failed to live up to what was unreasonable hype, and has found himself out of favour with Manuel Pellegrini. Incredibly strong and quick, he fits perfectly into the Premier League, either at centre back or full back, and will add leadership and stability to the Villa defence. He's already shown considerable promise, and has been installed as captain of the Birmingham club.

1. Andre Ayew - Olympique Marseille to Swansea City (Free)
I think this goes without saying. An absolutely outstanding start to life in the Premier League for Andre Ayew, with a remarkable return of two goals and three assists. The Ghanaian has fitted into the quick pass and move-style football currently on display at the Liberty Stadium perfectly, quickly finding a fruitful partnership with striker Bafetimbi Gomis, who has also started the season like a freight train. Though I'm sure that both he and Swansea will go through lean spells during the season, I'm equally sure that he has the quality to make it through them and continue to contribute to the Swans' season. Shame the same can't be said for his brother Jordan at Aston Villa...

It's been a record-breaking transfer window, and with the new multi-billion pound TV deal set to come into operation next season, the spending is only going to get more pronounced. The only difference is that there will be more transfers made by the lower table sides, with the likes of Shaqiri, Cabaye and Wijnaldum just the start. However, clubs will still try to make the most out of their money, and the free transfers may become ever more significant when we look at the true ability of managers and their chief executives to exploit the market.

With such high sums being thrown around, it's set to be an exciting next few years for transfers, and an exciting next few months to see how the newest names cope with the demands at their new clubs.