Autumn Internationals - Big Tests Await England

England v Fiji. That's that match that is going to kick start the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham Stadium on the 18th September next year. So, with a little over 11 months to go until that day, I thought I'd take a look at England's prospects against the Southern Hemisphere heavyweights in a few weeks' time.

Let's start with the big question on everyone's minds: Danny Cipriani, will he be picked? After seeing some of his club performances, I think it would be remiss of Stuart Lancaster not to pick him. He has been outstanding so far since his return to English club rugby. I could write a full history and bore you all with it, but suffice it to say that both Cipriani and Bath's George Ford both attack flatter and quicker than current first choice outside half Owen Farrell. Although I believe Farrell is a more complete player in his ability to allow the centres to stretch themselves, the wingers to operate with freedom on the flanks, his intelligence at first receiver and his strength as first defender, the speed that Cipriani brings to both attack and a rushing, blitz defence can't be discounted, especially against the pacey in-hands movement of the NZ backline.

All-round there is a serious improvement in England and their in-hands play. This was highly evident in their recent tour of New Zealand. Even though they lost all three tests, they ran the hosts very close in the first two encounters. Considering these matches were played away from the comfort and security of Twickenham, I wouldn't put it past England to thrash them come November. A big call seeing as this is a record-breaking NZ team.

Moving on to the issue of Steffon Armitage, I can't see why the RFU won't allow Stuart Lancaster to pick Armitage as an 'exceptional circumstance' player, with the exceptional circumstance being that he has played incredibly well since moving to Toulon and deserves his place in the England setup. His potential omission must be a bit of a relief for Chris Robshaw as it means there isn't someone who could challenge him for his openside role within the England team. Whilst I believe a solid challenger to his position might bring out the best in Robshaw, handing him the captaincy and telling him to get on with it has already achieved that aim. He is, by far and away, the most hardworking of all the England players. His leadership has inspired this team. I know I've leapt to his defence before, but I can't see another stand-out individual in this squad. No disrespect to any other members of the England squad intended.

The Six Nations will be competed in by broadly the same squad of players that play this Autumn, but I'll talk about that closer to the time.

Drones - What Are They Good For?

Used to fight ISIS and other Islamic insurgents based in the Kashmir region, touted to be used as couriers by Amazon and also assisting Top Gear in locating a waterfall in East Africa, drones have received rather mixed reviews globally for their usefulness. However, in a display worthy of the Red Arrows, an Albanian national somehow managed to fly a drone into a stadium during a European Championship qualifier carrying a nationalist Albanian flag. Obviously, this was going to provoke an international incident. Which it did.

Having already been forced into stopping the match to supervise a flare being extinguished, English referee Martin Atkinson was again called upon to cease play when a firework narrowly missed its intended victim. Several Serbian players soon engulfed the referee, who seemed to think initially that they were having a go at him about the stoppage. Instead, they were trying to point out the impending arrival of the flag to the pitch.

Stefan Mitrovic, in a display of great athleticism and bravery (or stupidity), grabbed hold of the flag and brought it down to pitch level. Almost immediately after, two Albanian players, Andi Lila and Taulant Xhaka, confronted Mitrovic and tried to grab the flag from him. The situation escalated to the point that the staff of both teams were on the pitch getting involved in the fight. At this moment, supporters broke through the, rather pathetic, riot police to invade the pitch. These included a man who had been sent to prison for inciting the violence that led to the abandonment of a Euro 2012 qualifier in Italy. How is he still allowed into football stadia?

Don't get me wrong, this is a deplorable act and one that deserves jail time for those responsible, however, if this was done in the context of a club level game, say the Manchester derby, Man Utd v Liverpool, or even the North London Derby, it would be hilarious. As a staunch Arsenal supporter, I would still find it hilarious if Tottenham fans launched a drone into the Emirates with a flag bearing their logo on it, not that they could afford it of course.

This is the next best way to troll football fans. Take it out of the context of genocide and extreme racial prejudices and hatred and it becomes one of the greatest practical jokes of all time. Please don't misread this and think that I'm condoning what happened, I just think that if whoever thought of it was a little more light-hearted and decided against using the tactic amidst the already fiery atmosphere that was the Partizan Stadium, he (or she) would have been hailed as one of the best football trolls we've seen since Wojciech Szczesny chipped Lionel Messi.

Unfreeze On Engine Development Unlikely Even Amid Backlash Of Mercedes Dominance

Mercedes won the Constructor's World Championship on Sunday with three races of the season remaining. Whilst extremely impressive, it's hardly surprising as their engine has been so dominant over the year and the works team's chassis has been able to make the most of some highly sophisticated engineering within it to drive (see what I did there?) Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton to the upper echelons of the Driver's Championship. What Mercedes have been able to create is very complicated and difficult to explain by someone without any real technical expertise in the area (if you're interested then there is a fantastic article on BBC Sport), but it has set the F1 world alight with some great racing. I heard someone say that it was yet another year where one car has been all over the opposition and it was clear from the start who was going to win, which made it boring. I disagree, 2014 has been excellent and the racing throughout the pack has been top notch.

What I can't disagree with is the complete dominance of Mercedes-powered cars and, whilst Fernando Alonso did his best to compete, this has made it a little boring. Making the fastest cars is what F1 is all about. It's about introducing new technologies into motor racing that will eventually make it into the cars we mere mortals get to drive. Think ABS, traction control, flappy-paddle gearboxes and even direct fuel injection. Ultimately, the hybrid engines we see in the F1 cars will make their way, in some form or another, to regular cars. They already are, sort of, with the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and Ferrari LaFerrari. So if these cars are already making waves throughout the world with their ingenuity and hybrid power units, why restrict the development in Formula 1?

All the teams, except Mercedes, would like the, rather draconian, rules regarding engine development relaxed to enable them to develop the engines in the best way. Look at KERS for an example. In 2007, when it was first touted for use in Formula 1, it weighed 107kg and had an energy efficiency of 39%. When it was introduced in 2009, albeit only taken up by a few teams at that point, it weighed 25.3kg and achieved an efficiency of 70%. In its final incarnation, the KERS unit weighed in at under 24kg and ran at 80% efficiency. This would not have been achieved unless the engineers involved had continuously striven for improvement.

Apply the same figures to the current engines and the results are staggering. Admittedly, it's a fantasy to believe that any form of internal combustion engine will achieve a thermal efficiency of 80%, but with the current crop of F1 hybrids running at roughly 40% efficiency, that's about roughly the same as the KERS unit was in 2007. Imagine an elongated timeline and there's an argument to say that the engines will be hugely more thermally efficient, and therefore more fuel efficient, within a timeframe of 10 years.

This is all theoretical of course, given that Mercedes are likely to veto any changes on the engine freeze rule. It's a strange situation to be in, but Mercedes have had the edge this season in terms of power output and it plays into their hands to restrict the engine development and keep the performance difference in hand over their rivals. However, this is one of the most forward-thinking car manufacturers in the world. If you want to see what is likely to be standard on the cars of tomorrow, look at what is standard on the Mercedes S-Class today. Advances like seat belts, air conditioning and the road-going ABS system have all been first seen on our roads in the S-Class through the ages. 

It makes no sense in the long term for Mercedes to restrict the engine development in order for their F1 team to gain short term success. Of course it will increase brand recognition for the AMG Petronas team to win more races, but will it gain more admirers globally as a result? Would you rather be a team which encourages future planning to bring the F1 team more in line with their production car arm, or a team that wins races but lacks respect because the only way they were able to do it is because they disallowed other engineers to build on an already fantastic formula?

Toto Wolff, I implore you to reconsider your views on this subject. Do not let a single Constructor's World Championship cloud the judgement that has seen reach impeccable levels of performance. Please allow the future to be shaped by rapid advancements in technology that have come from Formula One. Don't be scared by the prospect of other engine manufacturers catching up in terms of performance. Instead see it as a challenge. You've won this year, and the Driver's title looks to be going your way as well, so see next year as the next step. Strive for better performance from both the chassis and the engine. Let everyone else do the same, because if there's no development, there's no future for Formula One.

Watching England Is Like Pulling Teeth

Well, it is. I dare anyone to prove me wrong. As I'm writing this, England are in Tallinn, Estonia. Currently battling to a 1-0 victory. It's boring, tedious and just what you'd expect from Sunday afternoon trash telly. There's no creativity in the passing and the decisions, there's no depth in the squad and we're still playing Jordan Henderson. I really struggle to comprehend the sheer lack of ability our academies must have if he's the 'go to' midfielder England have. It's a sad day for English football.

So what can we do to halt this desperate slide and increase the interest in our national side? Well, for one, we can sack ITV as the broadcaster. The coverage is incessantly dull and uninteresting. The only highlights are the adverts, which I also hate. Other than that I'm out. Barring Henderson, this is probably the best team I would pick from the selection we have. Maybe Gibbs rather than Baines and possibly start Sterling but those are like for like changes, there's not much in them really. Whilst that sort of competition would normally result in the best from each player, they know they're going to get game time so they don't bother. It's no longer the pinnacle of the sport because they're getting paid so much by their respective clubs.

They don't care, which means neither do the fans. Wembley said be packed out, every match. Except it isn't. It's in the back end of nowhere in North West London and there are no good pubs anywhere near it. It's a commercial disaster and the poor quality of the England team only compounds the view that the FA are a crap organisation who only care about the money.

Vettel To Ferrari - Hmm...

More to the point, he is replacing Alonso. For a four-time World Champion, it must be extremely goring to be sat on the grid with two other drivers the media classify as better then you. I've heard Lewis Hamilton described as 'the fastest driver on the grid' and Fernando Alonso as 'the best all round driver in F1.' Now those are some bold claims when ignoring Sebastian Vettel, a man who has continued to break records ever since his maiden victory for Toro Rosso all those years ago.

There is no doubt that he is a phenomenal driver, the story speaks for itself. Four back-to-back World Championships puts you into the stratosphere with F1's greatest drivers. However, something that Alonso said last year has stuck with me, "Time will tell us, but I think when he will have a car like the others, if he wins he will have a great recognition and he will be one of the legends of Formula One." In essence, put him on a level playing field and see if he does as well as everyone else. Well, ask and you shall receive. This season's Red Bull car has not been a world-beater, partially due to the Renault engine and partly because Adrian Newey is going to be moving on from the F1 side of things. However, neither has this season's Ferrari. Vettel must know something we don't. Either that they will have a competitive car or that the car will be so uncompetitive that he can blame the lack of success on that. I'm inclined to believe the latter, but suspect that it's the former.

Simply put, he can see how much Raikonnen is struggling in that Ferrari this season and believes that he can do better than that. But can he do better than Alonso? I doubt it. Alonso is a great driver and, although it seems stupid to suggest this, a third World Championship will prove that.

So who's going to provide the car for him to win that important third? Mercedes? If so, they will have to get rid of either Rosberg or Hamilton. Difficult choice as Rosberg has been with the team since it returned four years ago and Hamilton is likely to win the Driver's Championship this season. Alonso and Hamilton also had a rather acrimonious relationship while they were both at McLaren. That was seven years ago. So is that seven years enough for the Ron Dennis and Alonso relationship to have warmed up again? Are McLaren likely to be the team that he goes to? There's no seat for him at Red Bull and the next most competitive team he can go to is Williams who spend more time going up and down the F1 ladder than a yoyo.

I believe Alonso will end up at McLaren, which is a bit of a shame because whilst I think having him back in the team will do it no end of good, it will mean saying goodbye to either one of a pair of drivers that I thoroughly enjoy watching. Magnussen has been epic this season, there's no way you can fault his driving. And Button? He and Ricciardo fight it out for the nicest guy in Formula One. He's faultless and he's a lovely man to boot.

It looks like we won't be treated with the usual merry-go-round that we're used to in the close season so I'll finish off with this: whatever happens, it will be a sad day if Alonso is forced out of the sport rather than given the opportunity to retire with the grace he so deserves.

Is Van Gaal Delusional?

Probably, yes. Apparently a 4-0 drubbing of a team that's likely to be fighting against relegation to the Conference is grounds to say that his side is the team to be feared this season, that the addition of Falcao is a shrewd piece of business, not designed to cover up the blindingly obvious flaws in defence. I'm starting to get fed up with this Dutch prick and his prophecies. If I wanted prophecies, I'd get my mate Steve high again because he comes up with similar rubbish that this Man Utd manager, if he can really call himself that and not mystic, spouts forth from his facial orifice.

On a more positive note, he appears to have ditched his atrocious 3-5-2 formation that brought them precisely fuck all earlier on in the season. Many say that the new diamond shape suits the new players more. Congratulations Captain Fucking Obvious. It allows an extremely formidable foursome of Di Maria, van Persie, Rooney and Falcao to work their magic. Which they did with venom against QPR. Well done, big round of applause, now let's see you repeat the feat against a team that's not managed by someone who looks more and more like his own waxwork by the day.

At least they don't have the distraction of European competition this season to allow them to win the League Cup. Oh, wait...

Champions League Round-Up

Well now we know the lay of the land after the first round of group games, shall we see how our much-loved Premier League teams fared? I'm not pulling any punches on this one, so it might be a better read if you're a neutral.

Abysmal Arsenal Pay Depth Price
Fellow Arsenal supporters must be cursing the hierarchy for not replacing Vermaelen. What a costly decision that may yet prove to be. So you sell a world class defender and bring in a striker. Don't get me wrong, Arsenal certainly needed a striker and the more I think about it, the more I love the idea that Danny Welbeck is now a part of this Arsenal team, but it's a joke that there hasn't been more money spent on another defender. Even an idiot knows that you need at least six fit defenders in a squad that can play across the back at any one time. Wenger needs to realise that Arsenal players get injured. A lot. I don't know whether that's down to poor physios and doctors, but the phrase 'injury crisis' is usually applied in the context of the Arsenal squad.

Arsenal played dreadfully, by far and away the worst performance I've seen this season. A depleted Dortmund team could, and probably should, have scored so many more goals. I went to Signal Iduna Park last season and the experience was epic, the match incredible and Arsenal were so good under those circumstances that I ran out of superlatives. Appalling is about right for the Arsenal players this time around. For a man who turns up for only one game in three, Jack Wilshere seems to be getting a long run in the team. His performance against City notwithstanding, he is not the player to take this team forward. I believe that he cannot play alongside Ramsay, they don't complement each other enough. On the days when they click, they are incredible, but do you want that to happen once a season? No, there has to be some consistency. Arsenal will qualify, but second again and get knocked out in the next round yet again.

Bulgaria. Really?
I was at the unfortunate end of a conversation yesterday with two deluded Liverpool fans who were convinced that, because their team managed to win thanks to an injury time penalty, they were definitely going to win the CL. Are you fucking kidding me? What is it with Liverpool supporters and this competition? As soon as you've won one match, you've miraculously won the whole competition. Get real. The return of the Champion's League to Anfield was nothing less of a reminder of how much of an accident it was last season to make the top four.

Matched, at every level, by a nothing team from Bulgaria, Brendan Rodgers proved to everyone just how out of depth he is on this stage. It took sheer luck for them to take three points from the tie. A last gasp penalty and the Kop went wild. Well done, you are aware you have Real Madrid in your group right? Last season's winners, the most expensively assembled in history and Cristiano Ronaldo. Liverpool will end up getting walked over if they continue to play like that. Sorry guys, I just can't see them qualifying, let alone getting to the final.

City Ruined
So it took a last minute goal to settle this match as well. In fact, Man City is the only team out of the four who I'm not going to slate. A decent performance undone by a moment they'd rather forget. Bayern Munich are a tough team. Jerome Boateng is an incredible talent. Simply put, City had a good game against some hard competition and deserved a point from the encounter. I hate to say it, but I think they've got a shot at a quarter final place and I believe they'll get the furthest out of the English teams. It's a good squad but, come March, they'll be right in the thick of a Premiership battle and I don't think they'll let that slip. The fact they don't get a second paragraph is the highest praise I can give them at this moment in time.

Drogba Proves Me Right
This is why Chelsea signed Didier Drogba right? Not just to spend the season as a backup to the, quite frankly, incredible Diego Costa but to turn up on the biggest stage of them all and put in a performance that Chelsea fans will remember as vividly as they do his winning penalty all those years ago at the end of his second spell. I'll admit, I was wrong about Costa, he looks like a bargain now! However, Drogba now looks like a £100,000 a week mistake. He looked so out of his depth and really uncomfortable up against Schalke, a team Chelsea met last season as well.

This team looks like the finished article without him. Fabregas showing again what the Premier League has been missing all these years by pulling the strings in midfield, making Lampard look like a real has-been. Costa, though I questioned his abilities before the beginning of the season, a top quality striker with seven goals in his first four games. Terry and Cahill at the back giving the old fashioned English centre back a place in football once more. Chelsea looked at sea against mediocre German opposition and they paid the price. I'm not pinning the team performance on Drogba, but it's difficult for the players on the pitch knowing there's someone who's been hero worshipped on the bench who is no longer at his best and it's tricky for him to justify the amazing praise thrust upon him because he's crap now.

Only one man ever came back and made the difference. Henry, Chance, Goal.

Summary
No English team will win the Champion's League this season.

Bargain Brendan Rolls The Dice With Balotelli

Wow! Two blog posts in a day! I haven't had this much to write about since the World Cup. Which I failed to complete. Never mind, let's move on to other events in the North West of England and the arrival of Mario Balotelli to Liverpool FC.

I have to admit, it seems like a strange choice. Swapping one player who makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons for another who rarely makes them for the right reason is rather odd, and rather Liverpool. Whilst Suarez was lying, cheating, diving, biting scum, he was voted as PFA player of the year last season, and scored a couple of goals on the way to a very respectable second place for Brendan Rodgers' team.

He never made the headlines off the pitch, and that's where Balotelli weighs in. Named after an Italian plumber who gets high on acid and jumps on turtles whilst trying to save a beautiful Princess from the clutches of an evil turtle-like sorcerer, he was always going to be a difficult character. Setting off fireworks in your own bathroom is one special level of stupid.

So in the end, would you swap a highly talented but controversial striker for an arguably less talented yet equally controversial one? Well, when there's a price differential of £59m, you're damn right I would!

"Hi, I'm Louis Van Gaal. Welcome to Jackass"

So, many of us were predicting a resurgence at Manchester United this season. The arrival of Louis Van Gaal heralded a new era. One where we can forget about David Moyes and his excuses and maybe, just maybe, leave behind the ghost of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Dutchman was to breathe new life into this ailing old stallion and make the fans, and the football community in general, proud to see the Red Devils back amongst the greats once again.

Well, what a load of bollocks that's turned out to be. A singular, lonely point from the first two Premier League games leaves Utd urgently needing spare parts to plug the gaping holes in their squad. The rust is coming through and the paint that coated it last season in the form of Juan Mata cannot prevent it from bubbling up.

Another coat is on the way, however, in the form of Angel di Maria from Real Madrid. This is a stupid, pointless and expensive exercise. The problem is not towards the front of the team, it's a combination of a dreadful backline and shocking tactics. Why would you buy di Maria when you already have Mata, Rooney, Young, van Persie, Januzaj and Kagawa?

United should spend their money sensibly, having wasted an awful lot on the inconsistent Fellaini last summer. They should spend the reported £70m on some decent centre halves. Or, at the very least, Jerome Boateng, a man who can play anywhere across the backline in Van Gaal's ridiculous 3-5-2 formation. I'll come back to that. Alternatively, Elaquim Mangala would have been an excellent purchase, but City got there first. Maybe Vermaelen from Arsenal, but again that one has slipped through their fingers. They have to spend serious money, but not on some La Liga reject, on a defence that's at the top of their game and know how to handle the big occasions. Don't be stupid Woodward (MU chief exec), get a decent defence.

Van Gaal is also to blame for their sorry start to the season. In a league where the priority is to score goals, he plays some of the most negative tactics I have ever seen. There's no width in midfield, despite five players there, because they're all getting pinned back in their own half by the opposition wingers. There's a lack of creativity in the centre of the park, which is worrying when you consider the possible wealth of talent they could accrue were they to spend money. Teams also expose the weaknesses at the back by playing two up front with a marauding number 8 behind them that draws the defence forward before the through ball tears them to pieces.

Dreadful team, dreadful manager, dreadful tactics. I rescind my prediction and install Chelsea as potential champions, I still don't think Arsenal can win it, sadly.

New Season Build-Up

So here we are, on the eve of the new Premier League season. Anybody else excited? I certainly am. I think I'll go through each team in detail and pick out the highs and lows of pre-season and my prediction for the next 10 months.

Arsenal

Pre-Season - Arsenal have had something of a stuttering pre-season. It's been encouraging with the 5-1 crushing of Benfica and disappointing with the 1-0 loss to Monaco, both in the Emirates Cup. I can't help but feel that Arsenal will have lost out not playing over in the US during the course of the summer. When you consider what Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool have done over there and the competitiveness of those fixture I feel that Arsenal will not be as prepared for the start of the season as they will.
Signings - Unlike previous summers, Arsene Wenger's foray in the transfer market has been early. Finally, Arsenal fans can see the club flex its financial muscles. Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Calum Chambers have all been brought in for the loss of Nicklas Bendtner and Bacary Sagna. Now I don't know about you, but that's pretty impressive. Along with Mesut Ozil signed last summer, this shows a serious shift in transfer policy from the Gunners.
Predictions - When you look at this team, you feel that they can push for the title. They spent most of last season at the top but threw it away. With the increase in the size of the squad and the strength in depth that provides, especially with the likes of Calum Chambers, they should be there fighting come May. 2nd.

Aston Villa

Pre-Season - Well, Aston Villa have not had the best pre-season in their history. Far from it actually. Their tour of the States, for some reason a big draw for Premier League teams this summer, was successful in their victories over Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas before returning back to the UK to beat Mansfield. They then played away to Chesterfield and a young side was brushed aside by the League Two champions. In their final match of the summer before the season gets underway, they again fell to a defeat to FC Groningen. Not the best preparation for Paul Lambert and his men.
Signings - The additions of Keiran Richardson and Aly Cissokho show a real lack of ambition on the part of Villa and their manager. When you consider that no fewer than seven players have left on a variety of loan and permanent deals the squad has hardly been bolstered by their new signings. Richardson is a player used to relegation scraps but lost out at Fulham last season as they were relegated along with their talentless manager. Cissokho spent last season on loan at Liverpool so already has Premier League experience, which helps.
Predictions - I can't see Villa breaking in to the top ten this season. I really hope they prove me wrong as I have nothing against Villa, but they have in Paul Lambert a manager who has no concept of loyalty and the further up the Premier League table he goes as a manager, the more obvious it is that players won't play well for a man who could leave at the next big opportunity that comes along. 16th.

Burnley

Pre-Season - A surprisingly productive one actually. Burnley's new signings have clearly bedded nicely in the squad and they look like a real team ahead of their return to the Premier League. With wins over struggling Blackpool and Accrington Stanley under their belt and a good draw at Celta Vigo their preparation for the top flight seems nearly perfect. I think their summer has given them a good base from which to work from.
Signings - Burnley have been very busy in the transfer market with no fewer than six players being added to their squad. The pick of these has to be Lukas Jutkiewicz from Middlesbrough, a striker who joined in July and marked his arrival with two goals against Celta Vigo. I expect the new signings to make a big difference to the outcome this season.
Predictions - The problem I always see with newly promoted sides is that they tend to accidentally have a good cup run while their in a relegation battle. I can see that happening to Burnley. Apparently the manager has made 500 phone calls this summer to strengthen their squad. I want them to stay up but I think a cup run will hurt their league form and they'll ultimately go down as a result. 18th.

Chelsea

Pre-Season - A mediocre summer for the Blues. Their victory over Vitesse Arnhem tempered by the fact that a near full-strength team failed to score at they were comprehensively beaten by Werder Bremen. Thy also failed to beat RZ Pellets earlier in July. The loss to Werder Bremen actually showcased how brilliantly put together last season's Atletico Madrid was with a toothless Costa hardly getting the support he needed and Courtois in goal let down by defensive lapses.
Signings - Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and La Liga top scorer Diego Costa have joined from Barcelona and Atletico respectively. They have also re-signed Didier Drogba on a free transfer. The question on all the fans around the world at this was why? I mean, Chelsea already boast a reasonably prolific attack and the addition of Costa can only add to that. Drogba is an unnecessary waste of wages in an age of Financial Fair Play. He's clearly no longer the player he was during his first stint and his showings at the World Cup did nothing to add to his number of admirers. The signing was more to feed Mourinho's ego than anything. Fabregas and Costa, on the other hand, are big name signings and will help propel Chelsea to a strong campaign.
Predictions - I can see a great cup campaign tempered with a strong but fruitless league run. They'll be at the top come the end of season, I don't doubt it, but they won't top the table. It's a very strong side but I can see Mourinho throwing his toys out of the pram come January when results start going against him and he can't add to his squad thanks to the 100k a week he's paying Drogba. 3rd.

Crystal Palace

Pre-Season - Unbeaten on their tour of the States, Palace have been playing decent football and are stacking up to have a good campaign. They still have one more match to play this summer before they face the unenviable trip to the Emirates Stadium to start their season. A solid win against Richmond Kickers in the US rounded off a successful pre-season tour across the pond, a favoured destination this summer.
Signings - I have to admit that the transfer market for Palace this summer hasn't been so much about the players that they've gained but about the players they've kept a hold of rather than selling. Chamakh and Speroni have both signed new deals that will keep them at the club for a few years to come. Incoming for the new season are former United striker Frazier Campbell from Cardiff and Chris Kettings from Blackpool as back-up keeper. Campbell will add teeth to a rather stunted attack. Neither signings are particularly imaginative and typical Tony Pulis players.
Predictions - After last year's heroics, Pulis will be looking to build on that base. My view is that the manager switch last season was the main reason behind their survival rather than Pulis. Holloway plays an open and fluid style of football whilst Pulis prefers a closed, negative and, quite frankly, boring style which is built around the whole team sitting in their penalty area for 90 minutes. Most teams forgot this when they played against Palace and so were surprised (see Liverpool last season). Teams will be more wise to this in the coming campaign so I expect a more difficult season for them. 15th.
Side Note - Since I originally wrote this, Tony Pulis has left the club by mutual consent. The club, I believe, will sorely miss him and I urge Steve Parish to sign up Maulky Mackay as his replacement as soon as possible. Palace will be a better team for it.

Everton

Pre-Season - After looking so solid last season, Everton and Martinez have endured a torrid pre-season without a win all summer. Losing to Premier League new boys Leicester City was a particular low for Toffees fans. The team have looked vulnerable at the back whilst also not prolific in attack. Even the re-signing of Romelu Lukaku hasn't made the fans look up.
Signings - Everton completed the signing everyone expected them to just in time for the opening day of the season. Romelu Lukaku returned to Everton after a successful loan spell at the club last term. The fee, thought to be in the region of 28m, is a club record and they will be hoping that the big centre-forward will help them in the push for a coveted top four spot. They've also signed Brendan Galloway from MK Dons who is certainly a talent to look out for in the future.
Predictions - To be blunt, their top four aspirations have been dented by a disjointed and inept pre-season. I can't justify them challenging for a top four place as they did towards the end of last season. I still think they'll be in the running for the Europa League spots though. 6th

Hull

Pre-Season - Hull Tigers have had an excellent summer by their accounts. Strong showings in draws early on against Barnsley and AS Trencin were followed up by victories against their aforementioned Europa League opponents and away at a strong Stuttgart side. Marching on in Europe will give them cause for optimism in the coming season.
Signings - It isn't about who's come in to the side that's got everyone talking this summer, it's about who's left it. Shane Long has moved to the south coast in a 12m move (at last, Southampton are spending some of that money) and I think the move will benefit Hull. Predominantly because 12m for a player you signed in January for 7m gives you a bit more money to spend this summer on a replacement. I fully expect them the do that. Andrew Robertson and Harry Maguire are both young players and they will gain a lot of experience in the Premier League and I expect them to flourish as a result.
Predictions - This is a tricky one for me, I can't really see Hull getting relegated, despite their obvious flaws as a Premier League side. It will be a tough season for them, but Steve Bruce knows how to keep the team up and a run in the Europa League won't hurt them at all. A solid mid-table finish and knockout round in Europe is what I'll say. 12th

Leicester

Pre-Season - When you consider that they're new boys, back in the Premier League for the first time in a decade, Leicester have done extremely well over the course of the summer against teams from as many backgrounds as they could muster. They've beaten Premier League opposition in Everton, League One opponents Walsall and MK Dons, Championship team Rotherham United and even Bundesliga team Werder Bremen . This is no mean feat and they should be proud of their accomplishments of the summer.
Signings - The main talking point of the summer for Leicester has been the 8m signing of Leonardo Ulloa from Brighton. An Argentinian striker who hit the back of the net 16 times for the Seagulls last term. A great signing I believe and one who will light up the Premier League and help Leicester over the season. David Nugent has also signed a new contract and has returned to the Premier League after an unsuccessful spell at Portsmouth damaged his reputation, and the possibility of an England berth. They've also signed Jack Barmby, the son of former England midfielder Nick Barmby, and Louis Rowley, both from Manchester United.
Predictions - A successful pre-season, a strengthened squad, is there anything to stop Leicester from staying in the Premier League? Well, yes actually. Injuries is the biggest factor. The Premier League is grueling in the intensity of the football. It also exposes the lack of depth in many teams throughout the season. Leicester will stay up, but only by the skin of their teeth. 17th

Liverpool

Pre-Season - Lots has been said about Liverpool over the summer, but it has been a mixed bag of results during their pre-season. Like many Premier League teams, they opted to go on a tour of the US and they came across some stiff opposition. Losses to Brondby, early on, followed by Roma and Manchester United will engender concern within the Kop faithful. Although the team did acquit themselves well in matches against Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City, AC Milan, Olympicos and Dortmund. I think it reflects what is going to happen this season.
Signings - Ok, Luis Suarez has gone. Thank God for that, he did nothing for Liverpool's sterling reputation so let's move on. Brendan Rodgers has used the money generated from that sale to buy Southampton by the looks of things. No fewer than three of the Northern Irishman's new signings come from the south coast town, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren will be joined by Alberto Moreno from Sevilla and Javier Manquillo on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Predictions - Sadly, Suarez's goalscoring attributes probably can't be replaced. Lambert and Sturridge can do all they like, everyone knows that Suarez was the reason Liverpool did so well last season. I can see tehm winning the Premier League within the next few years but their return to the Champions League will detractfrom their league position this year and they'll suffer for it. 5th

Manchester City

Pre Season - Again, another mixed bag for the Premier League Champions. Their tour in the US marred by defeats against Liverpool and Olympiacos (admittedly both on penalties) was actually a success, having beaten AC Milan and Kansas City comprehensively earlier on in the summer. Their final match of the summer against Arsenal in the Community Shield ended up as an embarrassing 3-0 defeat. Defensive lapses have been prevalent throughout.
Signings - Their biggest signing of the summer has been Elaquim Mangala from Porto for 32m. 32m?! For a defender?! That shows you how desperate they are for a centre back after the showings of the summer. They've also signed Malaga goalkeeper Will Caballero and Bacary Sagna from Arsenal. The real talking point is that all of their big names are signing five-year contracts. In the last few days, Samir Nasri, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have all signed long term contracts.Pellegrini has turned this team of talented individuals into a family, and it shows.
Predictions - I think they're in for a tough time this season. The won't have it all their own way and I think their away from, notoriously poor last season, will continue to dog them throughout this term. I don't think they'll retain their crown but I can see them winning a cup or two. 4th

Manchester United

Pre-Season - Under Louis van Gaal, United look like a team reborn. It's difficult to replace a winning manager, but it's even more difficult to replace a losing manager and inherit a squad low on morale and confidence. Van Gaal has instilled both in this team and it showed throughout the summer. They have remained undefeated throughout the summer in fixtures against the likes of Roma, LA Galaxy, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Valencia.
Signings - The two biggest signings for United have been Luke Shaw from Southampton and Ander Herrera, both great signings. After losing Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra early on in the summer, it has been necessary for van Gaal to strengthen the back line and I can see Phil Jones being deployed more centrally from now on as he looks to cement his place in this Utd team.
Predictions - There is no doubt  in my mind that last season was a blip in the otherwise exemplary history of Manchester United. Van Gaal s a fantastic manager and I believe that the 'mad genius' will inspire these players to greatness. Champions

Newcastle United

Pre-Season - Despite losing their first fixture of the summer, to Oldham Athletic, Newcastle have been in fine form during pre-season. Only a loss to Malaga and a draw against Huddersfield have left blotches on an otherwise successful summer which have included wins against Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix, Sheffield Wednesday, Schalke 04 and Real Sociedad. Alan Pardew should be happy with the team going into the new season.
Signings - It's been something of a busy summer for Alan Pardew, with seven new faces entering the squad, along with two others that won't be joining until next season. The pick of the bunch has to be Remy Cabella from Montpellier. He has a keen eye for the killer pass and his preferred position, just behind the striker but with license to go beyond, is a position that Newcastle sorely missed after selling Yohan Cabaye to PSG in January. Excellent summer so far for them.
Predictions - Can they improve on last season? Of course they can. Newcastle were safe in January and decided to play as if they were. Had they played the whole season as they had the second half of it, they would have been relegated without so much as a goodbye. I fully expect them to challenge for the Europa League positions. 8th

Queens Park Rangers

Pre-Season - Not much to say really. They played a few middling teams, no team that could really test them ahead of the new season. Leyton Orient and Southend United were the only two English teams they played. Both draws. Uninteresting and pointless is how I'd describe QPR's build-up.
Signings- Managed to keep hold on Loic Remy for the foreseeable future has been a struggle as he clearly wants to go. Redknapp isn't having any of it and it looks as though Remy will stay for one more year. With regards to those coming in, Jordon Mutch from Cardiff and Mauricio Isla from Juventus are two shrewd acquisitions, although I should point out that Isla is a loan move.
Predictions - What goes up must come down. Hope you stay down this time Harry! 20th

Southampton

Pre-Season - Hmm, seeing as the squad has seemingly halved, it must have been difficult for new manager Ronald Koeman to know who his best players are considering they keep getting sold. A similar pre-season to QPR gave them no real opposition to play against except Bayer Leverkusen, who promptly beat them 1-0. Solid wins elsewhere will at least give the depleted squad confidence to stay up over the next 10 months.
Signings - It's hard to see where Southampton could possibly spend the ridiculous amount of money they've gained over the summer through heir sale, but they are finding ways. Fraser Forster will be making the long move south after signing from Celtic as will Shane Long, who has signed from Hull. However, the furthest any of the new signings will have to travel is from Steaua Bucharest where defender Floren Gardos is coming from to replace the Liverpool-bound Dejan Lovren.
Predictions - Sorry Saints fans but Europa League isn't for you. A solid mid-table performance is, however. Good team being assembled and one to watch for the future. 10th.

Stoke

Pre-Season - Apart from Everton, Stoke have had the worst pre-season of them all. They tour of Germany consisted of two defeats and a draw. Returning home to England, they could only register draws against Burton Albion and Blackburn Rovers. A cheeky win against Real Betis has done little to lift the spirits
Signings - Whoever engineered the purchase of Bojan Krkic is a hero. One of Spain's brightest young talents, eclipsing the goalscoring feats of Lionel Messi whilst at La Masia in Barcelona, Bojan is an absolute coup for the northern club. Tie that in with Steve Sidwell (where has he been since he left Reading for Chelsea all those years ago?) and Phil Bardsley and the combination of youth and experience could be exciting to watch.
Predictions - A solid season with safety secured by January combined with a decent cup run and I can see Stoke doing very well next season. 9th

Sunderland

Pre-Season - Gus Poyet should feel delighted with the performance of his charges over the summer. Wins against Darlington, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Recreativo, Real Betis and Udinese are always going to be worth shouting about. Sunderland appear to have got the balance right in their pre-season and thabodes well for the comign campaign. Even a loss to CD Nacional and a draw against Vitoria Setubal shouldn't dissuade them from a terrific warm-up.
Signings - Jack Rodwell, need I say more? The former Everton wonderkid has been brought out of storage and will ply his trade in the North West this season. With a possible move for Fabio Borini in the pipeline, this summer is shaping up to be an excellent one for the Black Cats.
Predictions - A shaky start to the season, but I can see them being there or thereabouts for the Europa League places in March but dropping off at the business end of the season. 11th

Swansea

Pre-Season - Another interesting pre-season as the Swans have a split summer (P7 W3 D1 L3). Wins in the south-west against Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City coupled with a win against Reading have been marred by tepid performances in the losses against Minnesota United, Bournemouth and Villareal.
Signings - Gylfi Sigurdsson is probably the biggest signing of the summer for Garry Monk's side. This isn't taking anything away from World Cup finalist Federico Fernandez, expected to join soon from Napoli, but Sigurdsson had Premier League experience and has previously played at the Liberty Stadium. Another huge signing for the Swans is Lukasz Fabianski from Arsenal. The experienced shot-stopper is more than a capable replacement for Michael Vorm and will serve them well.
Predictions - I can see them having a good season. There's no reason they'll be in a relegation scrap and I expect them to be safe by February. 13th

Tottenham

Pre-Season - Well, Mauricio Pochettino has certainly got his team firing on all cylinders this summer. Even Roberto Soldado looks good. Wins in the US against Toronto (admittedly, that was Canada) and Chicago were followed up by a comprehensive victory over Celtic and a well-fought win against Schalke 04. Only and early draw against Seattle prevents it from being a perfect summer.
Signings - During the World Cup, I said that a Premiership team should sign DeAndre Yedlin. That's exactly what Spurs have done. They've signed the diminutive right-back but loaned him back to Seattle for the time being which means we won't see him this season. Micheal Vorm has made the move from Swansea after impressing in the Premier League. Eric Dier has also joined the Spurs set-up as they rebuild after a dismal year. There has been a lack of money available for the new manager with most of it being spent last summer.
Predictions - Spurs fans will be hoping for an improvement after their poos showing last term. The expensively assembled squad have had a year to gel together and the pain of Gareth Bale's departure will be felt less as time moves on. In Pochettino, the have a manager who can propel them to new heights i nthe season's to come. 7th.

West Bromwich Albion

Pre-Season - A successful beginning to the summer (P6 W4 D2) led to a total capitulation in August as West Brom lost three in a row against Nottingham Forest, Port Vale and FC Porto. It's difficult to take anything positive from pre-season simply because it was so erratic. It shows just how incapable this West Brom team is.
Signings - This summer, West Brom completed a club record signing in Brown Ideye. The Nigerian striker cost the Baggies 10m from Dynamo Kiev and is expected to bring increased firepower to a frontline now without the potent threat of Nicolas Anelka. They've also brought in Andre Wisdom on loan from Liverpool, Jason Davidson from Heracles Almelo and Cristian Gamboa from Rosenborg, the latter to shore up the defences.
Predictions - Sorry Baggies fans, I'm goingfor relegation this season. It's been a good few years but I feel that this season will be the Premier League's toughest ever. It's going to be a real dogfight and there are only going to be three losers. 19th.

West Ham United

Pre-Season - A pretty dreadful pre-season for West Ham to endure. Only a victory against Samporia is cause for optimism. Apart from that, losses to Wellington Phoenix, Sydney FC and Malaga show a real lack of quality within this West Ham side. Draws against Stevenage, Ipswich Town and Schalke 04 have done nothing to change my opinion.
Signings - With striker Diafro Sakho joining from FC Metz and defender Carl Jenkinson arriving on loan from Arsenal, Sam Allardyce has certainly bolstered his squad ahead of the coming season. Another excellent signing has been Enner Valencia, the Ecuadorian striker who scored three times for his country at the World Cup this summer, from Pachucha in Mexico. It looks like Andy Carroll will have his work cut out to get into the first team. Diego Poyet, son of legendary Chelsea player and Sunderland manager Gus, has also joined from Charlton.
Predictions - Do you have any idea how hard it is to predict West Ham? Or, indeed, 19 other teams. But here we are, at the end after hours of research and nail-biting anguish. Allardyce wants a top ten spot? Well, that's not going to happen. The quality of competition in this league is just too great and West Ham will suffer for it. 14th

Well, there it is, my views on the season to come. Feel free to comment or abuse, I don't mind. I am happy to accept that I am probably wrong and that there are things I've missed out, but I think I've got all the key points down.

World Cup Day Twelve: The Beginning Of The End For The Groups

Fourteen goals in four matches today. Who said this was boring? Even if the majority of matches were dead rubbers.

Brazil qualified with a solid victory over Cameroon inspired by Neymar. Unfortunately my prediction of a final with Brazil beating Chile will not be fulfilled as Chile are the team that stands between the illustrious hosts and a berth in the quarter finals. After rather indifferent performances in their prior group matches, Brazil really kicked into gear against Cameroon and took them to pieces. The last sixteen beckons.

As it does for Mexico, who beat Croatia in the only match today that meant anything. If Croatia had won, they would have gone through. It was a tempestuous match with a late red card for Croatia showing their desire to qualify. Mexico, to their credit, showed that they will be formidable opponents when they face the Netherlands in the next round. That will be an interesting match to watch.

Having already qualified, neither Chile nor the Netherlands needed to play their strongest sides against each other in their final group match. The Dutch showed their strength in depth by brushing aside Chile and ensuring they topped the group. They next face Mexico and, with a full strength team, you fancy them to go far in this World Cup. Chile face Brazil and will need everything they possess to progress further. If they beat Brazil, the locals will not be pleased.

Spain have won a match! It was against Australia in a dead rubber of a game, but that won't deter them from saying that they have a great team, which they don't. Australia have looked decent but they came up against an attack that needs no introduction. There was even a goal for Torres too. He must be delighted.

So, we wait on the outcome of the rest of the matches and see how the knockout phase falls into place. There are more goals to come, and more incredible football.

World Cup Day Eleven: Excitement Interspersed With The Banal

More great matches today, but I believe we have a contender for the dullest game of the tournament amongst them. Shall we continue?

Belgium beat Russia with a late goal two minutes from time. This, by no means, shows this match to be end to end stuff with on team pipping the other at the death. It was dull, uninteresting and lifeless for eighty odd minutes. Belgium are dark horses and they have now confirmed their place in the last sixteen, but it was not a vintage display worthy of champions in the making. Russia were not without blame in this game. They rarely threatened and were toothless when they did come forward. Russia now have to beat Algeria in their final group match to progress after their equally lacklustre draw against South Korea.

Portuguese goals bookended their draw against the United States. Again, another fantastic display of attacking football from both teams. However, watching Portugal play makes you wonder what might have happened were Sweden to have qualified in their place. Beaten by Germany in their first match, they needed to prove a point against the US and instead did the complete opposite. Standing on the precipice of qualification for the last sixteen must be a strange place for America, but it comes as no surprise to those of us who have already seen the giant killing teams in this World Cup.

South Korea v Algeria has all the hallmarks of being the last game on Match Of The Day, right before the Football League Show. Any belief that this could have been dull were quickly dispelled by half time as the Algerians raced into a three nil lead at half time. Then when South Korea scored five minutes after the restart the game kicked into life. Korea were in the ascendency and only brought back to earth by an Algerian goal against the run of play which put them back in the safe zone. Korea were undeterred and found time for another goal before the end of he natch but it was too little too late for Korea. I cannot call who will join Belgium in qualifying.

Bring on the last round of matches!

World Cup Day Ten: Titans Shaken

This tournament just keeps getting better. The final match featured today is the only time I've ever seen my dad get excited about a football match. He really got into it. If my dad can get into this World Cup then anyone can.

Let's start with a result that I was somewhat surprised by. Nigeria beat Bosnia Herzegovina. I have to say that it's a shame Bosnia will not be progressing to the next round, they have a wealth of attacking talent which was successfully blunted by a Nigerian defence which just wants to qualify. The goal from Odemwingie was good and worthy of celebration. The last match against Argentina will be interesting.

Talking of Argentina, they needed a moment of individual brilliance by none other than Lionel Messi himself to beat Iran. He wants to cement his place as the best player to have played the game in his generation and he can't do that without a World Cup winners medal. That's a shame, simply because whilst he is deserving of one, the rest of the team aren't. Iran looked great and they took the match to the wire. It definitely wasn't a situation where they parked the bus, in fact it was the complete opposite. Iran consistently pushed forward and put Argentina on the back foot. Argentina are unlikely to make the semis the way they're playing.

Finally, Germany came up against Ghana in a pulsating and totally intoxicating match that seemed destined to be just another match after the first half but exploded after the interval. It was proper end to end football and you really couldn't pick between the two.  A mixture of crosses and long range shots with cheeky through balls, this match had it all. Enough to have my dad jumping at every missed opportunity by both teams. So far, the match of the tournament, and that's saying a lot when you consider how many excellent matches we've seen so far this year.

Let it continue for many more games this year!

World Cup Day Nine: Local Derby Time

There have been loads of goals in this World Cup. Many have been amazing goals, worthy of the top tier of world football. It's definitely the best Cup I've ever watched and it's even got those beautiful upsets that can only happen under these conditions.

One of those surprises have been Costa Rica. Their victory over Italy was everything any football fan ever dreamed of. Tenacious defence coupled with a ferocious attack is something the Italians themselves have been famous for. In the old days of Cannavaro and Matterazzi, Italy didn't mess about in defense and Pirlo and Inzaghi ruled the roost up front. In Joel Campbell, Costa Rica have a serious runner and in intelligent playmaker to boot. In Gamboa, they have a defender who is a proper no nonsense man the like of which England used to produce in swathes. I am so looking forward to seeing them in the next round, it's exciting.

Ecuador managed to do what England couldn't and beat Honduras to tip themselves in favour of qualification for the next round. A somewhat laborious victory after going a goal down, but we'll deserved as they fought hard and managed the two goals needed. Ecuador face France next up, so I doubt they'll go through.

Switzerland and France faced each other in a rare local derby. France look extremely impressive this year. As I always say, they're due a good World Cup as the last one was dreadful. Goals flew in from every corner of the park. Benzema and Giroud in amongst them. They are looking good value for money this year and there's no reason why they can't progress far. Their victory over Switzerland, even though they conceded twice, was better to watch than the Netherlands against Spain as they picked off a team with professionals under the age of a hundred.

It's an exciting prospect as all the matches open up. Bring on the next round!

World Cup Day Eight: Four More Years Of Hurt

Why do we put ourselves through this? There were sections of the English population who believed that, because there was no pressure on us this time around and we'd had an undefeated qualifying campaign, we could go on and do extremely well this time around. Maybe even win the damned thing. Alas, that was not to be, as we were knocked out by an inspired display by Luis Suarez.

However, before I get around to reviewing our woeful excursion to the tropics, there are two other matches I need to cover (along with an apology, this is somewhat later than anticipated). So let's start with Japan and their attempt to beat man-down Greece in their Group C match. Greece have only won a single World Cup match in eight attempts and Japan have moved past the group stages before but the Euro 2004 champions weren't so easy to break down. Greece had the better of the chances straight after going down to ten men and might have scored were it not for Katsouranis and his misjudged tackling. It's always difficult to play a full half when someone has been sent to the showers early, but ex-Man City striker Georgios Samaras very nearly put them a goal up after the restart. As it was, both Japan and Greece have been left with an opportunity to qualify. However, I believe that the Ivory Coast stand a better chance.

Speaking of the Ivory Coast, they were many's dark horses for this tournament. Now, I'm not saying it's the new psychic octopus, but I was playing Football Manager the other day and it predicted that Brazil would beat Columbia in the final. On the face of it, that seams believable seeing as Columbia are topping their group and saw off the Elephants from West Africa in a nail-biting second half that showed real grit and determination to get through to the next round. Ivory Coast needed a consolation Gervinho goal to give them hope, something Roma know all too well about this season. When you consider their attacking options, it's a surprise to me that Gervinho is the one to get this goal, but then Columbia did prove to be difficult to break down and it was a brilliant piece of individual skill to score. Whatever happens in the last round of games, I wish to pass on my sincere condolences to Kolo and Yaya Toure on the death of their brother, it is an awful tragedy on a family that has really inspired football throughout Africa.

Now onto the fun stuff. Where do I begin with England? Well, let's go with team selection to begin with and let's start at the back. Is there anything that Joe Hart can get right? I've seen some incredible saves in this tournament, some truly amazing goalkeeping and it makes you realize that you are watching the cream of the crop. Watching Joe Hart play is like watching David Seaman getting lobbed by Ronaldinho in 2002, you know there's a great goalkeeper there somewhere but you just can't quite see it. For Seaman, it was one tournament, and he had been good until that point. With Hart, I doubt he can cut it at the highest level, he's been poor this tournament and the last one. He needs to sort out his positioning because he is constantly being caught in no man's land when crosses are being delivered. With the back four, Gary Cahill and Glen Johnson had decent matches. I'm not a big fan of either of them, but I can see that they will be part of the England team for many years and I believe they deserve to be. Leighton Baines had an excellent season for Everton, but showed that he is mere mortal on the international stage up against Italy and against Uruguay. I can see the pace of Costa Rica tearing through his flimsy defence without even trying, and that scares me. Luke Shaw would have been a better bet, but if you're looking for an all-rounder at left-back, then Roy Hodgson should have considered Keiran Gibbs. He may not be as attacking as Baines, but he's a shedload better defensively. I'm biased, obviously, but there are few who could disagree on the merits of the last two matches. Moving on, why, for the love of God, would anyone in their right mind play Jordan Henderson in two consecutive matches at the World Cup? He offers nothing to the team. He's there to make up the numbers. If Hodgson was that desperate to make up the numbers, he had two better midfielders in Lampard and Wilshere that could have made a huge difference going forward. In those two players, there's enough attacking strength to really push the opposition and force them into closing down the midfield, thus tiring them out quicker and ensuring a few late goals. Henderson consistently looked like a deer in headlights when he got the ball. Dreadful. Gerrard also should reconsider his international future. He was a great player, and his new position at Liverpool has transformed his game and molded that team in his image, but the incident against Chelsea towards the end of the season has clearly affected him and now he can chalk up another assist for Suarez to his resumé. With the attackers, Sterling looked very impressive, as did Sturridge and Rooney, but only two goals in two games gives pause for thought about how effective they are together. Welbeck certainly looked out of place and a poor season at Utd is very much to blame for that.

England out, but Costa Rica sail through to the next round. So they should do its a delight to watch. Again, sorry for lack of anything these last few days, but I'm going to catch up this evening and move on.

World Cup Day Seven: Holders Humiliated, Again

Sorry this post is a little late today, I'm still trying to get over the incredible events of yesterday. What an amazing match and the official end of an era.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves and start with another match, Cameroon v Croatia. This was a goalfest, and a glorious one at that. Let's be honest here, bar Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon have no world class players. Yes, they've got players who ply their trade in the upper echelons of European football but none of them a consistently fighting for titles at those clubs. Croatia, on the other hand, have a wealth of experience in title challenges and the difference between the two sides was very much on display throughout this emphatic victory.

Wow, there were a few great teams on display yesterday. Australia may be the lowest ranked team in the tournament but you wouldn't have guessed it after the match yesterday. An incredible end to end game against a team that dismantled the reigning champions only a few days ago. The Dutch, to their credit, contributed to one of the most enjoyable and entertaining matches of this tournament, which is saying something. The winner wasn't especially late which meant there was still over twenty minutes of football to watch. Twenty minutes which didn't lose the tempo of the previous seventy. It's a shame to see Australia out of the World Cup, but the Netherlands are joined by Chile in the last sixteen.

Talking of Chile, they were imperious in their ruthless attack against the reigning champions who are out at the first hurdle. Spain were poor, they've looked poor for a while now. They're old and tired. The tiki taka style of playing hasn't worked for them. They need to get rid of the old guard and bring in fresh blood. Players like Xavi and Iniesta are looking past their best so why would you play them and not Fabregas or Cazorla? Pathetic is the best way to describe them, fully undeserved of qualifying. Chile will enjoy the next match and so they should. I reckon they will get to the semis the way they're playing.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch England play Uruguay. Why would you play Jordan Henderson? He's shit! More tomorrow.

World Cup Day Six: Hosts Held

Well well, I'm still here and still boring you all to death. I've heard Arsenal get the chance to thrash Crystal Palace in the opening match of next season but, as I listen to some pretty horrific Dutch singing, I've got to concentrate on this World Cup in Brazil and that fixture list.

Let's start with Group H and the highly anticipated Russia v South Korea match. Just kidding. It was like drawing blood from a stone. South Korea looked like the better side initially and did seem the more likely to score first. However, they needed some luck, and poor goalkeeping, to squeeze in the opener. After that, Russia were in the ascendency and they were rewarded six minutes later with an equaliser. By that point, Russia had found another gear and the South Korean keeper was called into action a couple more times before the final whistle to hold on for a pretty standard draw. When you consider the other two teams in this group, it could be any combination of teams that goes through.

Belgium are one of those teams and many, including yours truly, have touted them as dark horses this summer. That vision of them was slowly and painfully picked apart by an Algerian side intent on causing as much pain as possible. Sure, Belgium eventually won the game and we should applaud the mindset of those players that came back from a goal down to win, but it showed that they were vulnerable. When you consider the other European heavyweights, like the Netherlands and Germany, in the tournament it becomes quite clear that a 2-1 victory over Algeria is not going to stand them in good stead if the were to come up against one of them. Like I said, I cannot call who is going through. It will be an interesting group to watch though.

Finally onto the hosts. Brazil played Mexico and two teams more full of gentlemen you will not see at this World Cup. For two teams from an area of the world where sportsmanship is not second nature, or even third nature, there was a surprising amount of it on display at Castelão. Yes, it was one of those most tedious of scorelines, nil nil, but it was an exciting match to watch. Proper end to end football. Precisely the kind of match a football fan wants to watch, except without the goals. Brazil will qualify, but who will join them? They don't look invincible like Superman, more like Boris from Goldeneye.

Happy? No? See you tomorrow anyway.

World Cup Day Five: Another Comprehensive Trashing

Well as this World Cup steamrollers its way through the week, there are still surprises in stall. It exploded into life the other day with Spain's unceremonious defrocking at the hands of the Netherlands and has continued in the way it had been billed.

However, amongst this chaos and brilliance in the world of football, we were treated to that insanely boring of all scorelines, the nil nil draw. This snoozefest came at the expense of Iran against Nigeria. I would attempt sarcasm but I feel it would be lost. What a boring match to watch! It wasn't even close to what it could have been. The African Cup Of Nations champions playing a team that hasn't played a competitive international in a year. It should have been a walkover. All respect to Iran for their performance but they should have presented more of a goal threat against a team that didn't really offer much of their own.

Not exactly the riveting spectacle we've come to expect from this World Cup, Ghana v USA proved to be an important victory for the States. With American goals bookending the game, Ghana chipped in with one of their own on the 82nd minute. It's a tough group to qualify from, but then upsets can happen.

Which brings me nicely onto our first hatrick hero of the World Cup, Thomas Muller. What a display from Germany to not only put four goals past Portugal but also to keep a clean sheet against one of the best players this game has ever seen in Ronaldo. Germany were imperious and whoever they face in the next round should be scared. Looking at the rest of their group, I can see them winning the other two matches. Who qualifies alongside them is any guess. USA have just won and Portugal are facing a tough task with a -4 goal difference already.

This is shaping up to be a fascinating World Cup and can on get better as we move into these second round of fixtures. See you all tomorrow!

World Cup Day Four: Goal Line Technology Prevails

I must apologise for yesterday's post. I wasn't entirely sober as I was at Lord's watching the test match. Anyway, let's move on to football and the incredible events of the most recent round of fixtures. There are a few to go through so bear with me as I try my best to sound knowledgeable.

Let's kick off with the Switzerland v Ecuador match which, I have to admit, I thought would be one of the dullest matches this World Cup. However, as we have seen more often that not this year, it is anything but dull. A Swiss winner so late into the game was probably not deserved considering how well Ecuador played throughout the match but they were just not clinical enough. Ecuador are unlikely to qualify, but then looking at the Costa Rica score we really can't take anything for granted down in Brazil.

Which brings us nicely onto what you can take for granted, Lionel Messi. He didn't have the greatest of games and his goal was good, but not nearly as incredible as the media are portraying it as. They're trying to make it look like he didn't have a crap game, but he did. However, he scored, and that is certainly a constant. Bosnia and Herzegovina should not have presented as much of a threat as they did. Then this is the place if you want an upset. They'll qualify, I'd be interested in seeing how they progress from there.

Finally to France who faced a team that held England to a no score draw in Honduras. It was a deserved victory for them against a team that has proven hard to break down. With the help of goal line technology of course. It has proven that it has worked. Yes, there was a bit of confusion because it initially said that there was no goal, however, it then moved to the actual goal, which turned out to be an own goal.

France look good, they always do in alternate World Cups. The manner of their victory showed they have the strength to go far in this tournament.

This is stressful on a daily basis. Let's hope you still enjoy reading them.

World Cup Day Three: Rain In Paradise

Well how awesome is this? An incredible day of upsets and brilliance. I have to admit, I found it a real struggle to care about what happened in this World Cup but it has appeared to have come alive in the most recent round of fixtures. Let's run through them.

With four games to run through, I shall try to make this brief. Starting with Colombia v Greece. How did Greece qualify? I'll always have a soft spot for them for family reasons, but seriously?! So Greece lost, but that's not because they were rubbish. Quite the opposite actually, Colombia were incredible. Without the much-loved Radamel Falcao leading the line they were forced into leaving striking duties to Teofilo Gutierrez. What an impact he had on the game. Scoring the second goal and having a hand in the first. Who needs Falcao?

Greece, by contrast, offered very little in the way of attacking prowess. But then, that doesn't matter really, does it? They're not expected to proceed any further in this tournament. They're make weights. Except they're not. It's been 48 years since England last won a major tournament, whereas this summer marks only the 10th anniversary of Greece's victory at the European Championships. They weren't good though really.

Onto Ivory Coast and their match against 2002 hosts Japan. Err, I didn't watch this match. Sorry guys but I can only glean off it what I can from reading various news outlets. Come on, it was 2am over here! Give me a break. Turns out it was a grinding 2-1 win for The Elephants. Well done. It's also lovely to see an Arsenal alumnus score in a major tournament. Congratulations Gervinho.

So can I please move on to a current Arsenal player? I know I'm biased, and I always will be, but how incredible was Joel Campbell? He scored, he assisted, is there anything more you want from a striker? He made the Uruguay v Costa Rica match a joy to behold. Costa Rica were unplayable. Simple football allowed them to come back from 1-0 down. For their part, Uruguay were abysmal. A chronic lack of belief from their strike force, which consisted of Diego Forlan and Edison Cavani, resulted in a rather flaccid display from their entire team. If this is who England are to face on Thursday, bring it on!

Finally, the England v Italy match. The only real comments I have are that England need to learn how to hit the target when they shoot and how to score. On the flip side of my criticism lies a belief that Raheem Sterling is the future for English football. He looked incredible. Always cantering forward, even in the Manaus heat. Rooney, on the other hand, made his mark with an amazing assist that belied the fact that he was atrocious all game. Defensively, we were very solid. Phil Jagielka was, until last night, the man who scored an own goal when playing against Arsenal and I thought I would never forget that. However, last night I saw him make one of the best clearances I've ever seen. You are forgiven.

Italy were strong, undaunting and interesting to watch. I won't feel too aggrieved if England do not qualify from this group simply because it's a really tough one. This will be the best group to watch, I promise you that.

Right, I'm off to watch the cricket, see you again tomorrow!

World Cup Day Two: Well, That Happened

I enjoyed writing yesterday's post so much that I thought I might try and do this on a daily basis. Why not?

On Day Two there were three matches. The remaining match in Group A along with the two from one of the toughest groups in the tournament. I'll kick off from the beginning, with Mexico against Cameroon.

What originally looked, on paper at least, to be an exciting and compelling match to watch, it turned into a rather drab match punctuated by dodgy offside calls and a solitary goal. At least, this time, the questionable decisions by the linesman didn't prevent the right team from winning. Poor old Cameroon, they looked jaded for large swathes of the second half, almost as if they'd already lost the game. They looked spirited to begin with and I still believe that it will be between these two teams as to who will qualify from this group alongside Brazil. 

Mexico too didn't look like they're about to beat Brazil. However, were it not for those two poor offside decisions, they would have ended the night actually above Brazil in the table. What a boost that would have given them so early on in the tournament. I like Croatia, but I doubt they will qualify for the knockout stages from this group.

Moving on to the Chile v Australia match and, when you consider the prestigious company they're in with this group, neither of them are qualifying. However, last night's match was a spectacle. It was what the World Cup is all about. Passion flared and ignited the fever within the ground. Thousands of fans turned up the volume as the World Cup finally hit home in the glorious heat in Brazil.

Chile hit two in early. Then Australia came back at them with a goal before half time to set up a tense second half where you could feel that the next team to score would go on to win. The Aussies battened down the hatches and withstood the Chilean assault, throwing in a few dangerous counterattacks for good measure, up to the second minute of added time when Beausejour pounced on a rebounded shot. It was a proper cup tie. Enjoyable, rationally refereed and captivating.

Now we can move onto the big match. The rerun of 2010's Final. Spain against The Netherlands. A fixture of epic proportions, especially when you consider the bad blood between these two adversaries after Nigel de Jong's ridiculous antics the last time these two teams met in the World Cup.

I'll just come out and say it, Spain were a disgrace. I know that many a column inch will be devoted to analysing the reasons behind their awful display so I'd like to add my own, starting from the back. Casillas showed how far he's fallen since being dropped at Real Madrid. He was at fault for one of the goals and should have come out quicker for Robben's second. Ramos is ageing badly, he's nowhere near the player he used to be and it shows, badly. Pique has not had the best season at Barcelona, neither have Xavi or Iniesta who are both in their thirties. As for Diego Costa, I really believe that Chelsea have bought a real dog there. He's had a fantastic season, don't get me wrong, but he's not a world class player, he's not the man to lead Spain's line. Maybe that's the problem with Spain, they don't really have anyone who can step up to that position except Alvaro Morata, and I don't see his name on the team sheet.

Switching sides for a moment, it's easy to run out of superlatives when describing who good the Dutch were. They had a shaky first half but tore brutally into the Spanish back line in the second half. It all kick started with Robin van Persie and his incredible header before half time. Utterly brilliant. In fact, except for de Vrij and his far post header from a free kick, all the Dutch goals were incredible. Robben, a man I passionately hate, showed real composure to control the ball and bring it onto his weaker foot for his second goal.

In all, it was an exciting second day in Brazil. Now, roll on England!

Lacklustre, Pointless, Overshadowed - Welcome To The World Cup In Brazil

So last night it all kicked off. After 4 years of what seemed like endless qualifying matches (not to mention a European Championship in between) the first match of the 20th World Cup Finals kicked off. It's finally here and, for the first time ever, I couldn't give less of a shit.

Forced to sit through 96 minutes of dull, uninspiring football between two highly technical teams is painful for any football fan. It just doesn't seem right. If you don't want to know the score, you're reading the wrong article. Brazil won their opening fixture 3-1. Croatia, for their part, didn't actually get any of their own players on the scoresheet. Their contribution to the scoreline came courtesy of an extremely dangerous low cross into the Brazilian box, a tiny deflection once in and a rather clumsy attempt at a clearance by Marcelo which ended up in the back of the net. Marcelo, to his credit, would have easily cleared the ball had it not taken that tiniest deflection en route to him. As it stood, he had a shocking game.

It's tricky when Brazil are playing in a World Cup on home soil to accuse any of their players of a lack of motivation. However, if there was ever a blueprint on how not to contribute to the opening match of a World Cup, look no further than Marcelo. A highly successful left back in his own right with La Liga trophies, a Copa del Rey and now a Champion's League winner's medal to add to that, he looked every bit an amateur last night. The attitude he had on the pitch was nothing more than pitiful. It was a sorry sight. After conceding the own goal just 11 minutes into the match, he should have stood up and been counted for the rest of the game. As it was, he left it to his less experienced, but vastly more talented, teammates to cover for him. His contribution was minimal throughout and for someone who has license to roam up and down his flank as part of a now-guaranteed back five, he wasn't nearly as far up the pitch as his mirror, Dani Alves.

Talking of contributions to the match, I feel it is incredibly disappointing to see yet another important game decided by the whistle of the referee. I've always said that football referees do an incredibly difficult job, but that means they need to be the best at what they do. The World Cup refs need to be even better than that. I'm not saying that Croatia were going to win last night, I just have this belief that when a penalty is given, it should be checked and re-checked by a video referee. That shows that the proper checks have been done before giving one team a decisive decision. At the Maracana, that decision was wrong, and Fifa should stand up, say it was a wrong decision to make, apologise and show some backbone in ensuring it doesn't happen again.

That brings me nicely onto Fifa. Oh, the almighty Fifa with its very own dictator, Sepp Blatter presiding over this shambles of a World Cup. There are many times when writing these articles that I think of how much better world football would be without him. The conclusion is always the same, Sepp Blatter should no longer continue as president of Fifa. We shouldn't wait until next year, he ought to have gone years ago. His decisions on football at the highest level are some of the most ridiculous statements it is possible to hear from any statesman. I haven't looked, but I'm sure there's a video of him and all the u-turns he's made while Fifa president. He's been there so long, he drew England's name out of the envelope for the 1966 World Cup!

Blatter has to go. His comments about the allegations of corruption within Fifa being racist were just a smokescreen designed to keep anybody away from an investigation in fear of them being labelled a racist. A very good trick as anyone who goes near it now will be accused of being racist. This plays nicely into Blatter's hands because then they don't start looking into him and his personal life. He had something to do with it, I just can't prove it.

All in all, this just means that I don't give a monkeys about this year's World Cup. I'll support England of course but the whole tournament has been sullied by pointless bureaucracy and overshadowed by a lack of faith in those at the very highest echelons of world football.

And that's without even mentioning the rioting that takes place every day and night in a part of the world where the government gives nothing to their most at-risk citizens. Pathetic.

Football League Final Day Blues

So that's nearly it. The end of the SkyBet Championship season. Leicester securing promotion to the Premiership, followed swiftly by confirming their status as champions. That's all really boring though, isn't it? Similar to Manchester United last season and Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One. No one wants to watch that. Where does the interesting stuff happen? Fighting for the play-offs, and right at the bottom.

Let's start with the Play-offs. Derby, QPR and Wigan were all confirmed to be heading for the Play-offs before kick off today. Only Reading, occupying 6th place as the day began, could drop out. All they needed to do was win and they'd be in with a chance of going to Wembley for the final. The complicated maths involved in possible permutations of scorelines meant that if they lost or drew and Brighton won, Brighton would end up sixth. If they both lost and Blackburn won, with a seven goal swing in their favour, Blackburn would go through.

As it was, there were seven goals in the Blackburn game, but it was all but one-sided. Blackburn beating Wigan by one goal in an epic 4-3 thriller. So Blackburn were out of contention. However, Brighton were still in it. With 32 minutes, plus stoppage time, left on the clock, Reading were locked at 2-2 against Burnley, who had already won promotion. This scoreline wasn't going to change, so it was up to Brighton to seize the initiative. Which they did on the stroke of ninety minutes, Leonardo Ulloa climbing above the defense to head home the goal to ferry Brighton into the Play-offs. Could there have been a more dramatic end to the season?

Turns out, there could. At the other end of the table, Birmingham City were struggling. They went into the day a point behind Doncaster Rovers but with a far superior goal difference. The minimum that needed to happen for them to stay up was a draw and hope that Doncaster lose to champions Leicester. With 15 minutes left, they were 1-0 down to Bolton but a glimmer of hope had been sent their way - Leicester had been awarded a penalty and David Nugent had stepped up and scored it. Then there was the clearly audible moment when thousands of Birmingham City fans' hearts broke. Bolton scored. 2-0. As most commentators would put it 'they now have a mountain to climb.'

At this point, I'd had enough. I left the office and walked to my car. By the time I started the ignition, Birmingham had scored. No way, was the thought that ran through my head. This would be a Harry Houdini moment. I was able to listen to the match all the way up to the 92nd minute, at which point my appointment arrived so I had to turn it off. Had he been late, or even not bothered to turn up, I would have heard Paul Caddis scoring Birmingham City's unlikely equaliser.

Admittedly, Birmingham had outplayed Bolton all game. However, this had been a pattern formed over the previous five games, which they had lost. A lack of cutting edge and incision in the final third coupled with a likelihood of shipping stupid goals.

This is the beauty of the Championship. Eight weeks ago, you would never had suspected that Birmingham would stay up on Goal Difference. You would also not have fancied Brighton to be in the Play-offs. Stranger things have happened, but this season's edition of Championship Review would be worth buying so you can enjoy the drama right from the off.

Special mention at the end for Paul Dickov whose Doncaster Rovers side was relegated to League One today. He's loved by fans up and down the country for his exploits in the sky blue of Manchester City. I'm convince he will make a great manager one day.

Ron Dennis Returns - What Next For McLaren?

This 'hostile takeover' by McLaren's former Team Principle came out of the blue. Insiders will say that it was inevitable but if you look at it from a Formula One neutral's perspective, it's an unwanted surprise.

I have no doubt that McLaren will get back to winning ways, but this coup by Ron Dennis won't assist that happening. He was dominant throughout the previous three decades in F1 and, after a few years running the consumer side of McLaren, he's back.

I really like Martin Whitmarsh, he's very straight when he answers questions. You never get the impression he's hiding something and he always talks about his drivers and the other teams with the utmost respect. Ron Dennis, on the other hand, is a nasty piece of work who was at the very centre of the Spygate scandal that cost McLaren their first Constructor's Championship in nearly a decade.

Dennis doesn't agree with Whitmarsh's way of running the team but I feel he's brought in a few changes that have certainly benefited the team. The central 'island' in between the two drivers' garages for example, this brought the teammates and their respective engineers closer together in the way they shared technical information.

This all having been said, McLaren haven't won a Constructor's Championship in over a decade and a Driver's title since 2008. They've just had their worst season in F1 and they've brought in a rookie driver to replace Perez. Can Ron Dennis bring the team back to its former glory? 

Whatever he does this year, whatever happens, will have been built from Martin Whitmarsh's foundations. The recruitment of Eric Bouillier shows Whitmarsh is on the way out. This season will be very interesting indeed. 

Tactically Sound, Resilient and Top Of The Table - Why Are Pundits Still Writing Arsenal Off?

With an injury list that, for most of the season, included players that would walk into most Premier League sides, you could have forgiven Arsene Wenger if Arsenal were doing their usual and fighting for the fourth Champions League spot. However, they are top of the table and have been up there for a few months now, chased by the hungry pack of Manchester City and Chelsea. They have an unenviable record of clean sheets and a startling attack bolstered by the late arrival of Mesut Ozil to the party.

So why is it that the majority of pundits are as quick to praise Arsenal as they are to write off the club's chance of winning the Premier League? Well, I believe that there are a few arguments that can hold sway but I'm sure that I can provide good enough retorts.

1. Goals. This seems like the number one argument all pundits, writers and bloggers go to in their argument against Arsenal winning the Premier League. They don't score enough goals. However, it's not just about the number of goals scored but also about the number of goals conceded. Arsenal have kept 9 clean sheets so far this season, the most in the PL, and only let in 19 goals, the fewest. Also, with 41 goals so far this campaign, Arsenal place in third for the number of goals scored behind Manchester City and Liverpool. So of the pack nipping at the heels of Arsenal, City have scored more goals and Chelsea have conceded the same number as Arsenal. However, neither have done both. Of the 19 goals Arsenal have conceded, 10 of them come from just two teams, City and Aston Villa. Incredible.

2. Character. When Manchester City play a home game they have a tendency to brush aside their opponents. They dominate their home pitch. There are a lot of people saying that City are showing the character to win the title. Except that what is, undoubtedly, a fierce tiger at the Etihad somehow transforms into the most adorable kitten at any other stadium. Once City leave their fortress, they are a completely different team. One incapable of getting a serious result. True, they are known to kill the game off if the opposition aren't performing but that is only at home. Arsenal may not kill off the game, but they sure have the character to see it out and grab the three points, either home or away. Look at Aston Villa. For many an Arsenal fan, the bogey team for this season after the opening day defeat at home. They scored with 25 minutes left on the clock and the familiar groan of 'Here we go again.' went through the fanbase. Except that this time, Arsenal showed the character and the determination to take the three points back to the Emirates.

3. History. Remember, in February a few seasons ago, when Arsenal topped the table, into the final of the League Cup, next round of the FA cup and were riding high after their 2-1 home win against Barcelona in the Champions League? I do. Then Birmingham went and won in the League Cup final and Arsenal's season imploded. Down the pecking order in the Premier League, run ragged by Fabio and Rafael da Silva against Manchester United in the FA cup and dumped out of the Champions League by a combination of Barca and the referee. This happened and there's no getting away from it. People are saying that whenever Arsenal are in a good position, they are their own worst enemies. However, I also remember the exact opposite happening in both of the last few seasons. What was it that Tottenham supporters were saying? Mind the gap? I bet they regret that now. History doesn't mean anything for this current Arsenal team, they are focused on this season, not on what has happened previously and rightly so.

This Arsenal team can go the distance and they are genuine title contenders. I'm not saying that they are definitely going to with either the PL title or any other trophy, all I'm saying is that you would have to be incredibly foolish to write them off and say that they won't win. Robbie Savage, I'm looking at you.