Watching England in a World Cup Final is Never Easy

Wow. Oh wow. What a day of sport! Whatever you were watching, whether it be the Men's Singles Final at Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix, England against Samoa in the netball or the ICC One Day International World Cup Final, it was an absolute treat.

Roger Federer got to Championship Point, only to get pegged back by a resurgent Novak Djokovic. An incredibly tactical match from Djokovic, full in the knowledge that he couldn't break Federer's serve early on, deciding to race through the second and fourth sets after early breaks for Federer. Winning the fifth set in the first example of the final set tie break to take place in the Wimbledon Final. In marked contrast to the Women's Final yesterday, this match lasted nearly five hours and both players looked absolutely knackered by the end. Unfortunately for Federer, who miscued a number of shots throughout the afternoon, it was this tendency that resulted in his final shot heading into the sky and Djokovic winning the final set tie break.

Slightly less stressful was the British Grand Prix, with Hamilton taking the lead from Mercedes teammate Valteri Bottas early on and retaining to take his record sixth Silverstone win. Typically, for this season, the action wasn't at the front with Vettel plowing into the back of Max Verstappen in the braking zone with maybe a hint that the Dutchman dabbed his brakes a tad early but the stewards thought otherwise, giving the Ferrari a time penalty for causing a collision. Elsewhere, it was a great day for Charles Leclerc who, while unable to prevent a Mercedes one-two, made it to the podium after an incredible race, especially against Verstappen in the early stages.

With another England team playing in a World Cup Final, England's netball team had to take a backseat as their thrashing of Samoa to top their World Cup group stage going completely unnoticed by major news outlets. What will be a concern for the Roses will be Layla Guscoth's snapping of her Achilles tendon that has ended her tournament. Thankfully, Tracey Neville was able to blood in some of the more inexperienced members of her squad in the match today so the eleven remaining players will all have had enough game time come the knockouts.

Which brings me onto why I'm writing this. Without a visual, it will be difficult to describe how close this afternoon's match against New Zealand became. However, I'm going to try. In my opinion, it came down to three balls. Two are from England's innings and the last is the final ball of the match. New Zealand achieved 241-8 in their innings and made

Ball 1: Eng 220-7 Overs 48.4 England need 22 runs from nine balls

Neesham bowls to Stokes. Stokes tonks it and Trent Boult manages to get himself between the ball and the ground and he takes the catch! Except, as he steadies himself after the take, he steps back onto the boundary rope, gifting England the six runs they so desperately needed.

Ball 2: Eng 233-8 Overs 49.4 England need nine runs from three balls

Possibly one of the most insane moments in high level sport history. Akin to an equaliser from a goalkeeper in the dying moments of a Football World Cup Final, or a 70-yard drop goal from a Prop in the Rugby equivalent. Boult to Stokes, who gives it a smack to mid-wicket and runs for a single. With England simply needing runs, he comes back for a second. As he's diving over the line, the ball comes in from the field, hits his bat and runs away for four runs! Giving England six runs that they sorely needed. Lady luck was smiling on this team after that.

Ball 3: New Zealand Super Over chasing 15 needing two runs off one ball

After Jofra Archer threw a wide ealry on in the over, everyone thought it would be over, however, New Zealand didn't get the runs quite right and they needed two off the final ball to win. Guptill flicks Archer to deep mid-wicket but, as he's coming back for that winning second run, the ball comes flying in from Jason Roy, caught by Jos Buttler and mashed against the wicket. Guptill fails to get the winning second run and England win the World Cup simply by virtue of making more boundaries during the regular match.

It's never easy watching England play, but it's especially difficult in a Final. Congratulations to the team and to New Zealand who contributed to the drama of the day. Very proud of our England. Cricket's Come Home!

After #TheMatch, What Is The Future Of Golf?

I tuned in on Friday night to watch The Match, a winner-takes-all match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson in a matchplay event for $9 million that finished under the floodlights in Shadow Creek, Las Vegas. The idea was that two of golf's icons would face-off in an epic challenge for the first time and draw in a crowd via pay-per-view that would help to apy for the winner's purse. To add to the spectacle, each player would be able to bet against each other with the winnings going to a charity of their choice.

Considering that the players are 10 years out of their prime, there were no real spectators, short of a 'select few' and corporate sponsors, the ppv fees were extortionate for those in the States (Sky Sports Golf got the rights late on Thursday so I was able to watch it without paying extra) and taht the Ryder Cup was demonstrably more enjoyable, this Match turned out to be nothing but a daft, self-serving and self-congratulating affair that contrived to entertain only the sponsors who showed that they are still able to make people dance when they throw money at them. In my opinion, it was a sad showing so late in such illustrious men's careers. Congratulations to Phil Mickleson for winning it at the 22nd hole.

So, if that's not the future of golf, then what is? There are no two men who have had more of an impact on the sport than Tiger and Mickleson, surely? I would agree, and there are many who took up the sport between 1998 and 2008 that would have done so because of these two. However, we're ten years on from then and the sport has moved on too.

Consider the success of the Ryder Cup, then consider its format - a matchplay even that combines team play on the first two days with singles play on the last. It's more aggressive and more fascinating as the pendulum swings one way on day one and then the other on day two. These players play for pride, not for money.

So. why not a tournament that is for money? A tournament with format similar to the Ryder Cup but with teams of golfers that are contracted to play for that team and can be traded individually, like in other sports. In the three years between Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup matches, the teams would compete in a league structure to determine the winner. In the meantime, the strokeplay majors and masters can still be competed in and the team matchplay would wrap itself around the current calendar.

It allows players to chose between being involved in both or one individually. Ten teams of twelve 'squad-members' would play three matches a year over three years which is unlikely to stretch the calendar. If more teams want to join, then you can structure a two-tier league system with relegation and promotion.

The format is tried and tested with audiences, it's not taxing on the calendar and it'll draw in crowds at a time when golf is ready to try new approaches.

I've Spent Too Much Time Defending Cricket - Steve Smith Proves That

I love sport in general, as you may have gathered. Top level sport is a dream to get to watch live. I really enjoy a day at the Test, but so many people say to me, "that's really boring, why would you want to do that?" And I point them in the direction of Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, England in Centurion, earlier, in 2009 and several more. Both excellent matches with high level cricket played out over five days. England v SA in Centurion was a real snatch-a-draw-from-the-jaws-of-defeat game. Its exciting, dynamic, unpredictable and that's without even mentioning the days long drinking marathon you can achieve if you go to the ground.

I do the same with Golf - Miracle at Medinah. And with tennis - Federer-Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final and Isner-Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.

But this is it for me. I fell so incredibly let down by Australia captain Steve Smith that I feel there's no point defending a sport against its 'boring' tag if, to make it more exciting, people are cheating. And wilfully, knowingly cheating at that.

The reason I picked the two tests that I did was because I know that various amounts of unsporting play went on. In the Pakistan test match at Lord's, two bowlers and the captain were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal to bowl no balls in specific overs.

In SA, the England team were accused of ball-tampering but the complaint went no further.

In both situations, those present either admitted responsibility and were rightly prosecuted and sentenced or the complaint wasn't taken further so no wrongdoing was found.

In the case of Steve Smith, this is different. He knew that his bowler had planned on cheating to gain an advantage with a degrading ball. He knew they were planning on cheating and did nothing. Not only did he do nothing, but he initially suggested that he wouldn't step down from his role as Australian Captain (initially, because as I've been writing this a notification has come up telling me that he has stepped down. But for me the damage is done).

Yes, you've won the Ashes. Yes, you've been pivotal in an Aussie cricket revival that one can compare to the rugby revival in the same country. There will always be a place in cricketing history for Steve Smith - as a cheat and a liar.

There's no excuse. What makes it worse was that he seemed to suggest that he could carry on as captain after admitting cheating.

I'm looking forward to going to Edgbaston in August. I might go to Lord's later on in the year. I hope that I see no unsportsmanlike play, it just wouldn't be cricket.

Nasri Ban Makes Mockery Of Anti-Doping Regulations

OK, so there are things that I care more about than Samir Nasri and his IV-administered electrolytes. Things like what Hillary Benn had for lunch or whether or not my neighbour likes carrots. However, the procedure is not what's caught my eye. The fact that he had it in 2016 and the anti-doping agencies are only now suspending him - that's what's got my goat.

In fact, it's not even the anti-doping agencies that have suspended him, it's UEFA. What have they been doing all this time? Each other?

Now, there are strict rules in place to ensure that no clean athlete gets (for the lack of a better word) convicted, but surely it doesn't take 18 months to prove it one way or the other.

The other thing that bugs me is that he now has a six month suspension. Are you aware he has been without a club for the last three weeks? More to the point, he continued to play for Sevilla (on loan from Man City) long after he got caught.

Look at other athletes that went through the same thing, they ended up getting immediately suspended and then the investigation happened. What was different this time?

It's pathetic. All of it. The system is broken. And if the system is broken, then anyone could slip through the net. Nasri only got caught because the clinic where he received his chronic lack of performance enhancing drugs tweeted about it!

Is Gatland Still The Best Man For The Lions?

Well, I would not be writing this if I thought he was, but let's at least ask the question.

Last time around, in 2013, the Brisith and Irish Lions toured Australia under Warren Gatland. Six months previously, Wales had humiliated England in a 30-3 defeat that destroyed England's hopes of a Grand Slam and saw Wales climb above their defeated foe to claim the Six Nations trophy on points difference. This saw Gatland pick 14 Welshmen over 12 Englishmen over the course of the series . This makes sense, the Welsh played well and, whilst the English had a decent tournament, they were eventually undone. Although I still believe that Chris Robshaw was left our unfairly that summer as he had had a fantastic tournament individually but did go missing a bit in the final Wales match. Gatland's choices came off, the Lions won the series 2-1 and came home heroes, as the first winning Lions tour since 1997 in South Africa. A strong showing all-round really.

Which brings us on to this year, this summer, this tour. Up against possibly the greatest team to have graced a rugby pitch (although, statistically, the current England team are just as good) in New Zealand, the Lions really need to be at the very peak of their game. So, why pick so many playes from Wales? Even Scotland had a better Six Nations Championship than Wales. In fact, Wales had their worst Six Nations for six years. England had an impressive Championship. Not only that, but the squad that Eddie Jones had assembled equalled the longest test-winning streak in history and incorporated a Grand Slam and a further Six Nations into that streak. So why, oh why are there more Welsh players in the Lions than there are English? To a man, England have been the better performers over the last two years since the World Cup.

The team sheets are missing, in my opinion, George Ford, Mike Brown, Dylan Hartley, Alex Dunbar and Huw Jones. They are swelled by the presence of Kristian Dacey (4 caps), Corey Hill (6 caps) and Gareth Davis. All of whom could have easily had an Englishman called up as cover instead.

I do think that I'm being harsh, but it echoes Sir Clive's unforgivable mistake of calling up 20 English players in 2005, with only ten coming from Grand Slam-winning Wales. Look what happened there, in New Zealand. It was a whitewash and the Lions were humiliated. Gatland, do not let that happen again!

The Test For Russia

The summer before a World Cup is incredibly important for those players who are on the cusp of their international team. Choosing whether to stay at their current club or potentially move to a lesser club in the hope of more playing time to get into the World Cup squad is a very difficult decision. What happens if the team you're currently at plays well without you? What if the team you move to performs badly even though you played well? What if everyone else in similar situations have absolute blinders of a season and yet you could still be picked because, overall, the club you have bled for over the previous ten months came out on the top of the pile?

It's a huge dilemma, and one that I'm happy to not ba a part of. I wouldn't know which way to go. However, one thing I know for certain is that I will not be going to Russia next summer. I'd actually love to go at some point but it will certainly be much too expensive for someone on my budget to go for a World Cup.

Which brings us round to this summer and the Confederations Cup. It's become a sort of dress rehearsal for the World Cup in that it's held in the same country and tests the infrastructure for the upcoming showpiece on a lower scale. The premise is that the holders of the each of the six FIFA Confederation regional championships along with the host nation and the current World Champions totalling eight teams. This year, we get to see Portugal (UEFA), Australia (AFC), Chile (CONMEBOL), Mexico (CONCACAF), New Zealand (OFC), Cameroon (CAF), Germany (World Champions) and Russia (Host Nations) battle it out in the single most pointless contest in international football.

Apart from being a yard stick, against which the success of the following year's World Cup can be based, the competition serves no real purpose for the teams taking part. I stress that this is my opinion and that no team (except, perhaps, England if we were to win it because we love celebrating mediocrity) would openly celebrate winning the Confederations Cup. It's more likely that the team would celebrate the win for the tournament that got them there in the first place.

No, what makes this year's important, and, therefore, why I have decided to write about it, is because it's taking place in Russia. This really is a stern test for the host nation. Not least because of all the problems that their 'fans' caused in France last year. I have to say, the incidents last summer seemed a lot more publicised than they had been at other events. I don't know whether that was down to the rise of social media reporting or the availability of cameras to document events or simply because there were more incidents, but it seemed that nearly every group match involved an incident with Russian football thugs. I use the word thug because hooligans implies drunk and disorderly. They're not that at all.

That's not the only part about the thugs that could be the issue. Russia is the largest country to have hosted the World Cup (not that it's ever going to be beaten as it's the largest country in the world. This means that the infrastructure in place for teams, coaches and fans need to be near-perfect. The Confederations Cup will test that infrastructure. However, the 1,500 mile trip from Kaliningrad to Yekaterinburg next summer is less than the 2,300 mile journey enjoyed by teams travelling from Detroit to Los Angeles and San Francisco in 1994. I suppose we should be thankful that there are no matches being played near the Bering Strait. Although, at least that would mean a short journey home for the US when they get knocked out (assuming they qualify).

So, who's likely to win the 2017 Confederations Cup? Well, can I be honest with you? I don't really care, just like in 2005, 2009 and 2013. I'm more interested in what goes on next year, and who gets on that plane to Russia. England will qualify and I believe we have a team that can play well together and succeed at a major tournament but will it be the team that goes?

Arsenal - The Wenger Dilemma

So, as you can probably guess from my previous entries, I am an Arsenal fan. Partisan as I try to be with other clubs while writing, I will almost always end up with one foot firmly stuck in the Arsenal camp. This does mean that some of my articles can have a certain bias towards Arsenal but I try not to get too bogged down in it (especially when I'm writing about Formula One).

The fanbase for Arsenal is split right now, more than ever. Those who believe Wenger should leave on his own terms and those who believe that he should leave now. I find it very hard to identify with either camp for the simple reason that they both make good points. On the one hand, Wenger has had enough time at the club, precious little over the last thirteen years to show for it and he should step aside and let a new person take over the reins and on the other, he's the most successful post-war manager Arsenal has ever had and should be treated with respect as such and his time will come when he says it has.

If you were to say to a Tottenham fan, or a Liverpool fan, or even a Man Utd fan right now that we coule offer them eternal Champions League group stage football, reasonable shots at the title, the odd cup run and a sustainable financial base, they would jump at it. So why are Arsenal supporters asking for Wenger Out? It seems almost inconceivable that consistency is reviled rather than revered.

The answer is simple really, because we're so consistent, we know when the bad spells are going to hit and when our season does down the proverbial toilet. This is end of February/early March. It's so incredible predictable that it's painful. Year on year Arsenal crash out of the Champions League, then have a poor run of form in the Premier League that ends their title race followed by a tame cup exit (although 2014 and 2015 were exceptions). It's so incredibly difficult to run against that that it's easy to lose hope by November, when Arsenal are top of the league.

And therin lies the Wenger Dilemma. Would you rather have the security of knowing that your team will always make the top four and be financially secure, or would you rather have a new manager who might not bring the consistency but at least might be able to motivate the players through March and into April in a higher league position? Moyes and van Gaal failed to emulate Ferguson, what's to say that Arsenal won't suffer the same fate?

In truth, right now Arsenal are in sixth after an abhorrent run of form and are unlikely to hit the top four. But then we said that back in 2012 when, at one point during a North London Derby, Tottenham were thirteen points ahead. Then we went on a winning streak (that started with a 5-2 victory in said derby) that meant Arsenal finished above Tottenham. Consistently frustrating.

Nico Rosberg - Racer, Gentleman, Champion

2016 Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg's decision to retire is a surprise, there's no doubt about it. However, it's almost certainly the right one. So why was it made?

Lewis Hamilton

Nico won nine races to Lewis' ten this season. Lewis' engine failure in Malaysia could easily be pointed to as the reason Nico won the Championship. As a result, this season will always have a whiff of 'what if?' Nico will always know that he is a great racing driver and World Champion, but his race to race ability is not quite at the level Hamilton runs at. To try and beat Lewis again would probably be a fool's errand, especially with the rule changes next year that will most likely favour a man who's sole purpose is speed. Lewis will always have the edge and I'm sure that Nico does not want to go through next year with the added pressure of retaining his Championship as well as beating his teammate.

Family

In his statement, Nico mentioned how much pressure he had put on his young family this year. He has a small child and he had, effectively, asked his wife to look after their daughter for the entire year as he chased down what seemed to be an impossible dream. He has extra incentive to step back now. He knows that he has made more than enough money to live a comfortable life without Formula One and now he has the chance to concentrate on his wife and daughter, to be a husband and father. As classy as he always has been, he views that as a higher calling than anything else could be. He has asked so much of his family he is now in a position to give it back and then some.

World Champion

"Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one." Words immortalised by John Candy in Cool Runnings. Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton. The World Champions who have never looked like they're enough with just the one (or two/four/three respectively). You can argue that it adds to the hunger of the racing driver but you can also argue that it's a bit pathetic. Rosberg now has one Championship. He was complete beforehand so he has hit the pinnacle of all he has ever know. To retire and leave may look like giving up the fight but he will leave knowing that he was the best racing driver on the planet at the point he called time on his career.

Nico Rosberg will be sorely missed in the paddock, mainly by his own engineers who regularly praise how technically brilliant he is and how excellent his feedback can be. The sport will be poorer for losing Jenson Button, Felipe Massa and Rosberg in one year but with new, young, fresh racing drivers like Max Verstappen stepping into the gaps, next season will be one to watch!

Re-Signings - For Or Against?

So there we go, the summer transfer window for 2016 is now officially shut and what have we learned? That managers at the Etihad Stadium are wasteful, that Jose Mourinho has more money than sense and that, despite a record of £90m spent over the summer, Arsenal fans are completely unsatisfied with Arsene Wenger. Confusing isn't it?

Two transfers have caught my eye. One that had been in the works for a while and one that picked up momentum during transfer deadline day and was officially announced moments before the window callously shut. Those of Paul Pogba and David Luiz. I am determined to make an argument for and against both of these signings, let me know what you think.

Pogba - For

One of the best midfielders in Europe last season and instrumental in France reaching the Euro 2016 Final on home soil. He embodies everything you want in a midfielder. Happy to sit back and challenge for the ball when your team doesn't have it and will be the marauding attacker when you do. At only 23 he has already played in both a Champion's League Final and a European Championship Final. He has won Serie A four times, in the team of the year twice and made it to the FIFPro World XI in 2015. The calibre of Paul Pogba is undoubted. He is a quality signing for Manchester United and will go on to greater wonders with one of the most famous clubs in the world. And at 23, he can only improve.

Pogba - Against

Eighty-nine million pounds. Let's just sit with that for a second. For a player who has won nothing at European or international level. Yes, he made it to the CL and Euro 2016 finals but he didn't win them. He's no Patrick Vieira. He's not a figurehead that people can rally around. He is, at best, a very good squad player. He can't hold a candle to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Gareth Bale. In July, a Liverpool fan with far too much time on his (or her) hands showed the statistical similarities between Pogba and the most wildly average player to ever pull on an England shirt James Milner. The link is at the bottom of the page and it's hilarious. I'll admit, this is my opinion, but Man U have so chronically overpaid for Pogba, they really are going to struggle to justify it after a couple of barren months.

Luiz - For

Since David Luiz has left Chelsea, he has won Ligue 1 twice, played in a home World Cup Semi-Final and has been named in the Ligue 1 Team Of The Year twice. He is generally acknowledged as one of the best defenders in Europe. Chelsea sold him to Paris Saint Germain for £50m and has re-signed him now for £34m, making a £16m profit, No-one has made that much of a profit since Tottenham sold Robbie Keane to Liverpool in 2008. It's a shrewd move, Luiz has the Premier League experience now tempered with a couple of seasons with a team in Europe and Antonio Conte is no fool. He would have done his calculations and checked the statistics before agreeing to re-sign David Luiz.

Luiz - Against

Any monkey with money can win Ligue 1. No, seriously. Even Radamel Falcao flourished in France. Put him in a proper league (like, say, two seasons in the Premier League) and he is found out quicker than an elephant playing hide and seek in the desert. Sure, David Luiz has won a few leagues here and there and even a Champion's League at Chelsea but he could not be more past it. Look at his performance in the World Cup Semi against Germany. They lost 7-1. And Luiz could not have played worse! The mediocre performances of the strikers in France only flattered his ability as a defender. He's slow, struggles to read the game and can't step up in the big games. Why Chelsea re-signed him is beyond me. He will have only gone soft in France and he will be brutally exposed by even the most Bendtner of strikers now he's back in the Premier League.

What do you think of your team's transfer dealings over the summer? Let me know in the comments.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/top-stories/see-james-milners-liverpool-stats-stack-man-united-target-paul-pogba/

Brexit - A Premier League Story

Since the dawn of time, great international players have come to play in the English Premier League. George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Luis Suarez, Pre-Chelsea Fernando Torres. England is known for having the best league in the world and the reason I believe Ronaldo to be better than Messi. Ronaldo has proven he can do it on a rainy Tuesday in Stoke, I think. So, with such a wealth of international, and in particular European, talent on display, what would a post-Brexit Premier League look like?

The answer is that it would probably not look that much different. At least not for the next couple of years. However, seeing as both sides of the campaign like to use the 'worst case scenario scare the shit out of everyone' tactic, I will do the same. Why? Because it's fun.

The main battlefield for the campaigns has been immigration so that's where I'll start. In England, if a Premier League club wishes to by an overseas player, they can buy one of two types of player. European or non-European. The distinction is simple, European players do not require a work permit but non-European players do (we'll use E and nE from now on). If we leave the EU and restrict all immigration as far as the eye can see, as the Leave campaign say is possible, then every E will need a work permit, just like nE. This is incredibly problematic because the requirements for a work permit in football are very strict. The player needs to be "internationally established at the highest level" and someone "whose employment will make a significant contribution to their sport at the highest level." On this basis, no young nE will ever be able to join a Premier League team. But that's not so bad, there are plenty of young E's knocking around right?

But, if we leave, those young E's will have to get work permits to join a Premier League club. Suddenly not so rosy. Young players with the calibre of Cristiano Ronaldo and pre-Chelsea Cesc Fabregas who were not 'internationally established' when they signed for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively could never have joined in the first place. We'd be handing that quality of talent straight to other European nations.

Premier League teams would have to start fielding young players from their own academies, which would mean more James Milner's and more Jordan Henderson's prancing around and losing the ball in every team. No one wants to see that. You could argue that it helps to develop home-grown talent. It doesn't. Anyone who's good gets to play, whether you're British, E or nE. If the player is not good, he doesn't play. It's as simple as that.

However, even if the immigration was waived for footballers as they provide entertainment and are economically beneficial, how do we know we'll be able to afford them in a post-Brexit world? If, as Remain claim, our economy would tank if we left the EU then surely the value of the pound will go with it. In that scenario, we would be unable to pay the top players the wages they demand. Prices across the country would go up thanks to inflation and Adnan Januzaj would be available for a steal at £45m. Suddenly, the British transfer record would be smashed by consecutive purchases over the course of one transfer window and the overall spending by Premier League teams would crash past the £2bn mark well before the August deadline. Mainly spent on mediocre but necessary signings like Andros Townsend, Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott. In a worst case scenario, the £100m mark is broken for the first time with Manchester United willing to 'splash out' on Dele Alli because of one good season, making a mockery of the transfer record because Real Madrid had offered Tottenham just €95m, which, because of the new exchange rate, is roughly the same.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's the most watched sport on the world, nothing tangible will change, it'll just mean more paperwork for the clubs, that's all. Comment about your opinions of how the Premier League will look post-Brexit.

Euro 2016 - Prologue

So, here we go again! The European Championships are back. This time in France. The hosts kick off their campaign against Romania on Friday so I thought I'd do my daily tournament blog again and start it all here, the day it all starts. I'm not going to go through the teams one by one but I will go through the groups. Starting with A.

Group A (Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland)

France, as hosts, start the tournament on Friday evening with a match against Romania. I have actually seen both of these nations play each other before. It was at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and they were playing rugby but I'm sure the experience will be broadly similar. I'm picking France as my team to win this summer. If you're confident enough to not bother taking a player like Karim Benzema then you know you have an incredibly strong squad. There's not a dud name on that squad list. Romania are looking in good shape, having qualified from a group that included 2004 winners Greece and group winners Northern Ireland. Austria (ranked 10th in the world thanks to FIFA's insane coefficient system, one place above England), qualified top of a group that included heavy-hitters Russia and Sweden so they've got a good chance at progressing past the group stage. Finally, neighbours Switzerland round off the group. Switzerland could only come runners up in their qualifying group after England's 100% record. The Swiss are in a tough group but should progress.

To qualify: France and Switzerland

Group B (England, Russia, Wales, Slovakia)

This is a tough group, make no mistake. England qualified for the tournament with a 100% record. Impressive when you consider there was a strong Swiss team in their group. Less impressive when you see that the remaining teams were Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino. Hardly European powerhouses. Nonetheless, they became only the sixth nation to achieve that feat. The main problem facing England are themselves. Although many of the squad play Champions League football, none of them play for a non-Premier League team. They lack experience of other leagues that makes other teams so potent. Russia are always dangerous, their squad is pretty strong but the same problem occurs with them as with England, only one of their squad plies his trade outside of Russia. Wales have had an outstanding qualifying run. They deserve to be at this tournament. Only time will tell how much of an impact Gareth Bale will have on proceedings. He is the best weapon in their arsenal (lol), but he is not the only one. They are in France because of an impressive collective team effort. Slovakia should be commended too, they came runners up in a qualifying group that included Spain and Ukraine. They deserve this opportunity as much as Wales do.

To qualify: England and Wales

Group C (Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Northern Ireland)

The world champions have something to prove. For too long, Spain had been the kings of Europe, then the world, then Europe again. Now it's Germany's turn to shine. Unfortunately, the team got off to a rocky start in 2016 by losing to England, beating Italy, losing to Slovakia and finally beating Hungary a few days ago. A mixed bag that does not set them up well for the Championships. They should still qualify from an incredibly simple group. Ukraine are here by virtue of a playoff win against Slovenia, Poland came second in the same qualifying group as Germany and Northern Ireland qualified from a group with only one top-20 FIFA ranked team in it, Hungary. Poland do have the qualifiers' top scorer in their ranks in Levandowski so they do have considerable attacking firepower up front so expect them to be dangerous going forward but porous at the back.

To qualify: Germany and Poland

Group D (Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey)

Impressive list of holiday destinations aside, this is a tough group. Spain should qualify, but the way they were torn apart in their opening match against The Netherlands in 2014 asks questions of the current crop of Spain players. Ironically, I think their main attacking threat comes from Hector Bellerin (but then I would say that, wouldn't I?). His pace makes him both potent going forward and dangerous for pacy attacking players in defense. Croatia are always a danger, qualifying from the same group as Italy. The Czech Republic topped their qualifying group with Turkey as runners up so they know each other pretty well. It will be an interesting match up with difficulty predicting the outcome of the group as there are some strong teams with none having to get here by way of a playoff berth.

To qualify: Spain and Czech Republic

Group E (Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden)

Why Belgium are ranked second in the world is beyond me. It's a real struggle to understand the FIFA coefficient system. Quarter-finalists in Brazil, couldn't beat Wales in qualifying and a mixed bag in the friendlies leading up to the Championships and they're ranked second? Nah, that doesn't sit well with me. Anyway, it's a tough group to qualify from. Ireland will give it everything, with memories of their 2002 heroics in Japan and South Korea still very much in people's minds with Roy Keane as assistant manager of the current side. Italy are Italy and should qualify and do well. Although they have lost a lot of the shine that made them World Champions in 2006. Sweden have Zlatan. Need I say more? Yes, they won't qualify.

To qualify: Italy and Belgium

Group F (Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal)

Not really a tough group. Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, should prove victorious. Austria qualified top of a group that included Russia and Sweden so I wouldn't write them off. Especially when you consider that they didn't lose on their way to qualifying. Iceland also qualified from a tough group, beating World Cup semi-finalists The Netherlands twice en-route to a runners-up finish. Hungary had to settle for a playoff berth but beat Norway to book their place at France 2016.

To qualify: Portugal and Austria

It'll be a tough call to predict, but I think France will come out on top. I believe that the team and the country need the win after the last few years. I read an article recently that commented on how France was divided before the World Cup in 1998 right down religious, political and societal lines and I can't help but see that those issues have reared their ugly head again. Nobody likes the French. They're an arrogant and self-serving group of xenophobes who spend most of their Tuesday to Wednesday, 9-4 with a two hour break for lunch, working lives on strike but the country is hurting. Extremist groups are there in the foreground everywhere you look. I'll be cheering on England (because Greece didn't qualify) but I hope that France do well. It won't heal the pain of the last few years, but it will help.

What A Finale!

This Premier League season has been nothing short of extraordinary. 5000-1 outsiders Leicester claimed their first ever league title with three games to spare. You have got to hand it to them, they did a marvellous job. Everyone thought they would peter out well before the end but they held their own and completed one of the best footballing stories for a generation. I think that most football fans wanted them to win in the end.

Actually, there wasn't a huge amount to play for on the last day of the season, Leicester were crowned winners, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Norwich knew they would spend 2016/17 in the second tier which left just the final Champions League spot up for grabs, and a lot of North London pride.

Tottenham and Arsenal began today two points apart in second and third, respectively. Both had Champions League berths assured earlier on in the week so, realistically, they had nothing to play for. Except the record that Tottenham haven't finished higher than Arsenal in the league for 21 years. Twenty-one years! My brother wasn't even born when Tottenham last finished above Arsenal. That's a record that doesn't sit well with the white part of North London and this was their chance, their opportunity to get one over on their bigger, more talented and more successful neighbours. Ten years after Lasagna-gate and here we are again, except this was purely for pride.

For Arsenal to leapfrog Tottenham into the runners up spot, Arsenal had to beat an already-relegated Aston Villa side and Tottenham had to lose to an already-relegated Newcastle side. Tottenham only needed a point from the match because of superior goal difference.

I was at the Emirates today. I am going to tell you what it was like from my perspective. This incredible, sunny day that was full of so much tension. It's days like these that are one of the many reasons I love football.

2.45pm In the ground. Phone buzzes (I get updates from various Sport Apps). Parts of Old Trafford evacuated. Ah, that's not good at all.

2.55pm More news coming in that the rest of Old Trafford is getting evacuated. Arsenal and Aston Villa players gather in the tunnel before coming on to the pitch.

3pm Kick off around the country, except at Old Trafford. Constantly looking at my phone to see if there's any more news. Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.

3.04pm Goal! The relief around the ground is plain to see. We've got an early goal! Surely that has to put pressure on Spurs up North? Arsenal settle into a rhythm. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.

3.08pm Match abandoned at Old Trafford - suspect package. Five words start going round in my head: that could have been us. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.

3.18pm Goal! But not a the Emirates. It's the one we'd all been hoping for and the stadium erupts as the news is passed around - Newcastle have scored! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham.

3.39pm Goal! Again, not at the Emirates but up at St James's Park! Newcastle have another! Someone is standing on his seat towards the back of The North Bank holding up his hand and displaying two fingers. The Emirates erupts with cheers again. Someone recommends that no-one tell the Arsenal players. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

3.41pm Someone told the Arsenal players. They now look like they're just playing to get to half time. Come on guys! We need another goal! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

3.45pm Half time. If Arsenal come out in the second half and play like they did in the last 10 minutes of the first then we will struggle. We might even concede. At least Tottenham are still losing up North... Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

3.56pm Bomb disposal experts arrive at Old Trafford. Kelly Smith and Pedro Martinez Losa parade the Women's FA Cup in front of a very appreciative, if a little tense, Emirates crowd. Seriously, well done to the Arsenal Ladies, that was a phenomenal achievement. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

4pm Back under way. Remember, Arsenal need to win and Tottenham need to lose. It's a very anxious crowd in the sun-drenched Emirates Stadium. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

4.09pm The players must have had the highlights reel from St James's Park on in the changing room. The lazy passing and 'walk the ball into the back of the net' mentality is still there from the end of the first half. Are they not aware that only a win will do? Since we scored, we've gone forty-five minutes without even going close. Nerves are beginning to fray. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.

4.18pm Goal! It's not what we wanted. Tottenham have sneaked a way back into the match. The thoughts on a Tottenham fightback start to make the crowd very edgy, especially when the payers seem to not care that much. Newcastle are still in the lead but they are already relegated, playing for nothing. It doesn't look good. On the pitch, Aston Villa win a couple of corners and the excellent Villa supporters cheer for them as if they'd scored. What a great group of fans! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham.

4.24pm Oh no! Suddenly, the future looks incredibly bleak. Newcastle have a man sent off. Now, it's a relegated side reduced to 10 men against a resurgent Tottenham side intent on getting the better of their noisy neighbours. Arsenal supports begin to resign themselves to third place. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham.

4.31pm Goal! Stress? What stress? 10 man Newcastle win a dubious penalty and convert it. Was it a penalty or not? I'll tell you one thing, there wasn't a supporter in the Emirates that cared. Tottenham now had to score another two. Down on the pitch, Arsenal were trying there best to eke out a 1-1 draw without making it look like that was what they were aiming to do. Do they not realise that we still need to win?! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.

4.35pm Goal! And the relief starts to set in around the ground. Olivier Giroud gets his second of the match and the Emirates goes wild. Surely that wraps things up? Villa can't come back from this and Newcastle must be sailing up North. Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.

4.37pm Goal! That's it. Game over. Hat-trick hero Giroud knows it as much as the supporters do as he bounds over to celebrate by the corner flag. Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.

4.42pm Goal! What? Really? The news filters round the stadium that Newcastle have added a fourth and the overriding sound of laughter is heard. Everyone relaxes and starts chanting again. You could have heard a pin drop not twenty minutes previously! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 4-1 Tottenham.

4.43pm Goal! No sooner had we started laughing at Tottenham's expense than news filters through that they have conceded again! Newcastle, down to ten men and with nothing to play for have just torn apart a team that were at one point challenging for the Premier League title! If you're going to go down, you might as well make it a good show. The Arsenal fans whistle their approval and a few start chanting Rafa Benitez's name. It's becoming a party atmosphere. The tension and anxiety now replaced by relief and mirth. Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.

4.49pm Goal! And what a way to end your Arsenal career! Mikel Arteta pings the ball from outside the box. The goalkeeper gets a finger to it and pushes it onto the bar but the ball drops straight down, off the 'keeper's back and into the goal. Cruel for Mark Bunn, delight for Arteta. What a rock he has been. A standing ovation for the club captain as you can see the pleasure written all over his face. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.

4.51pm Full time up North. That's it! Unless we concede four goals in ninety seconds, Arsenal finish second in the Premier League! Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.

4.52pm Full time! Happy St Totteringham's Day to everyone! Suddenly, all those supporters and fans take their phones out, video the reaction and the chanting and immediately send them to Tottenham-supporting friends of theirs. I left a voicemail, which I do slightly regret. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.

I don't think my heart will ever be the same again after the rollercoaster of the day. it was properly epic. Just looking back, I don't know why we were so nervous. After Newcastle scored their fist, we were in second and we stayed there. But the combination of the red card, Tottenham's goal and the lack of intent from the Arsenal players for large swathes of the match just made it difficult to believe we were going to do it. Up until the last ten minutes of course.

I want to say thank you. Thank you to Leicester for giving us a fairytale story we can all get behind. Thank you to Arsenal and the fans for just being there, ever present, this season. Thank you to the Aston Villa fans. You were relegated but made the most out of a bad situation by making us laugh. Cheering corners and cheering our first goal was extremely classy of you. I hope to see you back here next August! Finally, thank you to the Greater Manchester Police Department. It was a tough call on such an important day but you reminded everyone that safety is a priority. Again, very classy.

Euro 2016 up next. Any thoughts?

Tennis - the Next Big Scandal

So, football has been trashed by Sepp Blatter (YouTube Hugh Dennis on the pronounciation), Athletics by Lamine Diack and Cycling by Lance Armstrong Who'd have ever though that tennis would get involved in this doping scandal?

Well, me. Yes, technically, football doesn't have a doping scandal (yet), but that's not my point. If you look back over the last 10 years, there's been a marked increase in the technology used to catch people using performance enhancing techniques (I have to use that and not drugs because of blood doping) to cheat in the sport they're competing in. I doubt there's a single sport out there that isn't about to be exposed for widespread doping.

Now, I'm not about to say that the top level of tennis competitors like the likeable Roger Federer, the tough Novak Djokovic and the robot Andy Murray are doping. Because they're probably not. What I am going to say is that there will be a meteoric rise from someone lower down which can only be attributed to out and out cheating.

You might be wondering where I'm heading with this, but bear with me. It leads to Sharapova. All roads lead to Maria Sharapova. She has admitted that she tested positive for a banned substance. This substance has been banned since January but Sharapova has been taking it for at least 10 years, going back to her first Grand Slam win.

Two questions arise because of this. First, why has this substance only just been added to the exhaustive list of banned products? And should Maria be subject to the highest penalty available and be stripped of her titles like Armstrong was?

I wholeheartedly disagree with the latter. Predominantly because she has admitted her faults, both as an athlete and as a human. She has been honest and forthcoming and I do believe that it was an honest mistake. She is a shining example of someone who has owned up to her failings and we should all move one from it.

The former is for the legal and science teams at the ITF. Should it have been added sooner? Probably not. Sooner or later the nanny dope-free state that will exist within high level athletics will ban coffee, because it contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Or beers, because it contains alcohol, which dulls pain.

I'm going to be candid here and say that we should be throwing our support behind Maria Sharapova from every angle, especially today. She's an inspiration to all female athletes and the way she has conducted herself should be revered and not vilified.

Pellegrini Out - Pep In

Ok, so I'm a little surprised that Guardiola has decided to go to Manchester City. I think a lot of people were. Considering the clubs he has managed in the past come with heritage, prestige, charisma and City come with lots of money I am a little worried that the most coveted coach in the world turns out to not have any principles at all.

But City do have money, which they are not afraid to throw around. They have not shied away from signing the big name players when they have wanted to. Suddenly, the choice of which corner of Manchester to fight for isn't so Red and Blue anymore. In the past it was a choice between history and money. Now it's a choice between playing for one of the best coaches in the world right now or one of the worst. Ok, van Gaal is doing a much better job than I would do but he's still crap.

The choice for Guardiola was, in the end, a very simple one as well. He wouldn't want to go to a team where he was constantly getting compared to a previous manager. He would want to forge his own path and be judged against his own merits. Hence why he decided not to join either Man Utd or Arsenal (even though the latter would have been a stretch to imagine). In the end it would have come down to which of the moneybags teams in City or Chelsea offered him the best potential.

Guardiola is itching to write himself into the Premier League history books in the same way he has done in Spain and Germany. How do you do that? Well, United have already completed the Treble (shut up Liverpool fans, any treble including the League Cup is worthless), Arsenal have already gone a season unbeaten and Chelsea have already become the first London club to win the Champion's League. However, in the North-West, there is a club who have not won the Champion's League. The owners of this club could not be more desperate to win it. In fact, it's taken them three managers (not including Guardiola), £853,000,000 and the lost respect of the rest of the footballing world to get to within seven matches of the Champion's League crown.

It seems like they've now got their man. Fighting on four fronts, a squad depth the envy of the Premier League and only a few points of the summit, Manuel Pellegrini has taken Manchester City to within touching distance of that trophy the owners crave. Sad thing is, he won't be the one to lift it. The owners are taking the club in a new direction. A more European direction. I'm delighted to see Pep Guardiola strut his stuff in the Premier League, but I'm extremely disappointed that it comes at the expense of a man that I admire as a coach and tactician and who has always held his head high even when results weren't going his way.

If the Champion's League can be bought using money made from oil, is it any wonder that the World Cup being handed to Qatar is under investigation? Good luck Pep, and good luck Manuel too.

How Long Will Louis van Gaal Last?

Watching Louis van Gaal in the dugout and at press conferences is like watching someone digging their own grave. It's thoroughly depressing. A bit like watching his team play. Everyone knows that Mourinho wants to be in his seat and so does van Gaal. The likelihood is that he won't be, Guardiola will be. Either way, Louis van Gaal is a dead man walking.

Some of the Man Utd fans who stood behind Moyes are now taking the view that van Gaal is an improvement. Statistically, they'd be wrong. In fact, thanks to van Gaal's Abramovich-esque attitude towards spending money, United have spent £261.7m on players under him. This equates to a little over £2.5m per Premier League point attained by Man Utd since the summer of 2014. Compare that with the surprisingly miserly £64.6m spent by Moyes which adds up to only £1.1m per PL point accrued and it seems that van Gaal is putting in more effort for the same result. van Gaal has won exactly half of his matches in charge, whereas Moyes won nearly 53%. Not much of a difference, but again look at the money spent by both and the time available to both.

Many United fans aren't happy in general though. They aren't playing attractive football nor are they winning trophies. Two details that the fans got used to under Ferguson. van Gaal hasn't endeared himself to the media either. He says that it's all the media's fault that he is under pressure. He blames the media for rumours regarding his job. Ok, I'll admit, there has been rather a lot of artistic license used by the media in relation to goings on at Old Trafford, but he is still, effectively, blaming the media for United's poor performances on the pitch.

Which, blatantly, isn't the case. The reason for the poor performances on the pitch is rooted in the style of play that van Gaal is determined to impose on the Man Utd squad. This style is the Tony Pulis lump-the-ball-up-to-Fellaini-and-hope-he-does-something kind of drivel that has no place in the League system of England. Leave that to the Conference please. Last night, Untied played against Newcastle United. A game, considering how badly Newcastle are doing right now, that the Red Devils should have won with ease. Indeed, van Gaal said afterwards that his side could have scored six goals. Maybe if you had been playing normal tactics, Louis. As it was, they could only score three. Interestingly, so could Newcastle. So even a defensive, boring set of tactics still leaked three goals and with them three points turned into one.

How someone who has been in football for so long, and clearly has passion for the game, can stifle creative and intelligent players like Juan Mata and Angel di Maria and shackle them into route one football is difficult to comprehend. Ultimately, di Maria walked away after just one season. I can understand why he does it. It's his philosophy. He has won trophies nearly everywhere he has managed and comes with a reputation for being tough on underperforming players (Robin van Persie comes to mind). He also has a reputation of playing the kind of football that doesn't sit well with the Old Trafford faithful, especially when he's not actually winning trophies.

The impending arrival of Pep Guardiola into the Premier League has left many managers (particularly in Manchester) wondering just how safe their job is. As an Arsenal fan, I would love to see Wenger win one final Premier League title in May, move to his director's position and Guardiola come in to replace him. Unlikely, but that would be heaven for me. I think that Guardiola is likely to head towards the North of England to rekindle his rivalry with Jurgen Klopp at one of the Manchester clubs. I doubt either van Gaal or Manuel Pellegrini will be staying in England much beyond this summer with Mourinho taking over at Old Trafford, three years later than he intended to.

The Start Of The Eddie Jones Era

It is now four weeks until England start their RBS Six Nations campaign against Scotland at Hampden Park. I know what the prevailing thoughts are - we should win this and set up a strong tournament. Except that we really ought to be extremely wary of Scotland. This is a team who came within a referee's decision of knocking eventual finalists Australia out of the World Cup at the quarter final stage. More importantly, the last time Eddie Jones faced them they destroyed a Japanese team that were on a high from their narrow victory over South Africa. So, Scotland are not to be taken lightly.


To understand my trepidations about the upcoming Six Nations Championship, I must first give a quick review of England's performance at the World Cup. Everyone knows that it was very poor. So poor, in fact, that Rugby Union lost someone who could've been one of the best centres in the game in Sam Burgess. But you can read about that elsewhere. England failed to qualify from their group. That was a very difficult group to qualify from though. Wales and Australia were always going to provide stiff opposition. In order to prove that, I'd like to point out that since 2003 (when England won the World Cup), Wales have won three Grand Slams and four Six Nations Championships overall. England have only the one Championship (2011). Twelve months before, Australia couldn't buy a win. They were the epitome of poor and so Ewen McKenzie quit with a 50% win ratio. Enter Michael Cheika who turned a team that struggled at the best of times into Rugby Championship winners (although it was a shortened championship due to the World Cup).


So, England struggled and failed to qualify from their group. This may not have been a bad thing. I had a lot of time for Stuart Lancaster, but I thought we had a squad that could compete at the World Cup, it just wasn't the one he took with him. So he left and the RFC appointed Eddie Jones as head coach. He comes with an already impressive CV. World Cup finalist with Australia in 2003 only a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal away from winning the Webb Ellis Cup, a strong technical analyst throughout South Africa's victorious campaign in the 2007 World Cup and taking Japan to within two points of making their first ever knockout round last October. So how will he do now he has the biggest job in world rugby?


I hope he does alright. He seems to be a really likeable guy from the interviews and he has coached at the highest levels of the game before his appointment to England. He has also had a large amount of success at the top levels. He was the obvious choice (mainly because he was the only one available, but his CV stands out). Having said that, Michael Cheika had never coached at international level before taking over and reviving the Wallabies.


What's different about Jones compared to the last four coaches since Sir Clive is that he has an extremely good understanding of English rugby. Having watched them play up close and in a slightly more detached capacity at both the 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals, he has had the best seats in the house to watch England play. I'll leave you with his quote which proves my thoughts. From BBC Radio 4's Today Programme last October, "If you look at English sport there's some general things that England sides are pretty good at in rugby... normally they have that bulldog spirit, they have strong set piece, strong defence and then you build the game around that. I think that's probably what's been missing from the England sides for the last 12 years really, since 2003."

Back To Work Blues - The January Transfer Window

So I thought I'd write a little something to perk you up after your first days back at work. I know it's a testing time but just remember, we are now halfway through the Premier League season. The board is set, the die is cast and so on and so forth. Here's a quick run-down of the teams, their current positions and what they need to do to strengthen over the next few weeks.

AFC Bournemouth (Position: 16th)

Bournemouth are having a very good time in the Premier League so far. They're four points clear of the relegation zone and are looking good for a second spell in the top flight come September. They also dipped their hand into the January pool of talent early by snapping up Juan Iturbe on loan from Roma. This is a player that £17m was splashed on only 18 months ago. Either Roma don't feel he's worth the cash or Bournemouth have got a great deal there. He will be a game-changer for them and they are in short supply right now.

Areas to strengthen: Of the teams not in the relegation zone, Bournemouth have conceded the highest number of goals (34). A little defensive solidity might not go amiss in their fight to stay in the Premier League. This time a year ago, I would've recommended a Rio Ferdinand or similar. A seasoned player who can just get the job done is what is needed at the back for Bournemouth.

Arsenal (1st)

Arsenal fans know, they've been here before. First in the New Year and, seemingly, on a role to their first Premiership since 2004. The only question is, when will it end? Will it end with the title at the Emirates for the first time? Or, more likely, will there be a complete capitulation and loss of confidence shortly after Barcelona knock them out of the Champions League? The season so far should give Gunners a sense of optimism. It's been a unpredictable season and yet still Arsenal seem to be the most consistent (a slip-up away to Southampton on Boxing Day notwithstanding). The injury list as well seems to get longer by the minute yet Arsenal are still grounding out results.

Areas to strengthen: It looks like FC Basel's Mohamed Elneny is going to join Arsenal in the near future. A player who can both play in defence, like Francis Coquelin, or attack, like Santi Cazorla. Both of those players are sat on that aforementioned injury list so a player that could replace both would be perfect. Only signing necessary as Arsenal's squad depth is strong enough to continue their push towards the title.

Aston Villa (20th)

From one end of the table to the other. Villa have had an abysmal season. Did you know that they are one of only a handful of clubs to have played every season of the Premier League? I can't see that record staying past March. Few clubs have had such a spectacular fall from grace. Lowest goals scored, second highest goals conceded. It's like watching a whole squad implode. Tim Sherwood got sacked and I doubt Remi Garde will last the season sadly.

Areas to strengthen: The whole squad. First of all, they need to get rid of N'Zogbia. I've written before about his work ethic, or lack thereof, and he's a drain on their resources. Why anyone would sign him after some poor spells at Newcastle, Wigan and now Villa, I have no idea, but Villa shelled out nearly £10m for his signature five years ago and he's been inconsistent ever since. Loic Remy on loan from Chelsea should bring some goals back to the squad but I can't see them getting the requisite talent in this window to stay up.

Chelsea (14th)

What can I say about Chelsea that hasn't already been said? It's not been the best season from them and they looked likely to flirt with relegation soon after Jose Mourinho had been sacked. Guus Hiddink has stabilised a sinking ship but his belief that they can still make top four is living in LaLa Land. Utter rubbish. Mourinho's signing of Falcao over the summer is proof that he had lost his marbles long before the Eva Carneiro saga. He had a dreadful time at Old Trafford and hasn't done anything since moving to Stamford Bridge. Never rated him as a player. He scored all the goals at Atletico Madrid and Porto purely because he was the only one capable of scoring in those teams. They relied on him.

Areas to strengthen: Send Falcao back to Monaco. Job done. Then concentrate on fixing a title-winning squad. These players won the Premier League last year and won it in style. You don't need to bring anyone new in when the players who are capable of pulling Chelsea out of the sticky muck they're in are already at the club. They are playing badly. No more, no less.

Crystal Palace (7th)

Who would've thought this time last year that Palace would be fighting for a spot in the Europa League? Not I for sure. However, that's where they are and they'll be there or thereabouts in May. Alan Pardew has really got the best out of the squad and all credit to him. However, they have only picked up two points from their last three games and probably need some fresh legs in the squad to keep them on the European hunt.

Areas to strengthen: Defensively, they have been quality. Only Man Utd, Arsenal and Tottenham have conceded fewer goals. On the flip side, they haven't scored as many as they need to. In the top half of the table, only Stoke and Liverpool have scored fewer goals than Palace. They need a top quality centre forward to secure them European football next season. If I were Pardew, I'd look at Joel Campbell on loan or possibly even Loic Remy from Chelsea, again on loan. Both can get in amongst the goals if necessary.

Everton (11th)

I seem to be repeating myself - not the best Everton season ever. Scoring goals freely but shipping them like they're going out of fashion. They need to plug that leak before the goals at the other end dry up. Which they might just do. It doesn't help that Jagielka is out injured, but John Stones was a Chelsea target long before we kicked a ball this season so he ought be pulling his weight defensively. The main issue with Everton is that they can't pick up points from 50/50 matches because they concede too easily.

Areas to strengthen: At the back, need I say more. More defensive cover for Jagielka and potentially a new goalkeeper. Tim Howard is now 36 and probably coming to the twilight of his career. Joel Robles is a month younger than me and needs more experience on loan before he can be trusted to actually wear the No. 1 shirt in anger. A quick foray into the transfer market will find a very unhappy Victor Valdes waiting. I think he'd jump at the chance for some first team football.

Leicester City (2nd)

I do wonder how Claudio Ranieri is feeling. After being dumped very unceremoniously at Chelsea to make way for Jose Mourinho at the beginning of the Abramovich era, his return to English football has been nothing short of spectacular. Aided by a record-breaking Jamie Vardy and in-form Riyad Mahrez, his Leicester side have spent more time at the top of the Premier League than they ever had. Can they maintain the pace? I don't think so, but I do believe that they will usurp Manchester United in the top four, which would be amazing in itself.

Areas to strengthen: A bit of squad depth wouldn't go amiss. Especially if Vardy stays out for longer than the two weeks he's currently signed off for. A second-string striker and a defensive-minded midfield engine to come on and see out a match would be the two I'd plump for this month. Potentially Jordan Ibe on loan from Liverpool as a forward replacement if it looks like his first-team opportunities might be lacking under Jurgen Klopp. *Since beginning this article, Leicester have signed Dermerai Gray from Birmingham City for £3.7m*

Liverpool (8th)

Talking of Jurgen Klopp, onto Liverpool. A mixed bag this season. If van Gaal had been working at Liverpool, he'd have been sacked already. Rodgers was never up to the task of actually winning the Premiership, despite only being a Steven Gerrard slip away from victory. Klopp isn't either. Dortmund was a powerhouse that he crumbled in his final season in charge (although, I do concede that he built the powerhouse). Ferguson would never have allowed that capitulation to happen.

Areas to strengthen: Wait until the summer, offload Sturridge to a lower team and let them worry about his injuries and bring in another top quality striker. That's what Liverpool do best, buy strikers. I mean look at Torres, Suarez and, err, umm, Carroll? No need to spend money straight away, I think they'll stay where they are in the table. But they need a striker over the summer to help them push for a top four spot.

Manchester City (3rd)

Chronic inconsistency. Two words that perfectly sum up City's season so far. If they were more consistent, they'd be wop by a fair few points. As it is, they aren't. Chelsea's fall from grace gave City the opportunity to step into the gaping hole left behind. As it is, they're not quite there yet. But how do you strengthen a squad already thought of as the strongest and deepest there is?

Areas to strengthen: They need a replacement for Vincent Kompany. The useless Eliaquim Mangala has not been worth a penny since his £32m move from Porto. He needs to leave and they need to sign someone like John Stones to replace him. The question is, will they do that in this transfer window? Maybe, but they need to build a run of victories if they have any chance of beating Arsenal to the title and a defensive signing would go some way to helping them.

Manchester United (5th)

Have the United faithful lost faith in their manager? van Gaal is not good for them. That is my opinion, but he's statistically no better than Moyes was and David Gill sacked Moyes well before he deserved it. van Gaal has a very talented squad at his disposal and it's so depressing to see that all be wasted. Look at di Maria. He came as the British record signing and predicted, along with Falcao, to banish the memories of the Moyes era. What happened? Both left after twelve months citing the inability to play in van Gaal's formations as reason.

Areas to strengthen: The tactics. Man Utd don't need any more players, what they need is those players to be playing in the positions they are designed to play in. Not in some cack-handed 5-3-2 which has proven to be totally ineffective against every class of opposition in the Premier League that plays with a standard four across the back. Have United 'done the double' over any opponent since van Gaal joined? (Yes, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and QPR. Hardly tough opposition).

Newcastle United (18th)

Another appalling season from a team that should be doing better. Relegation candidates. I actually can't see any of the bottom three getting out any time soon. They have been losing games that maybe they should be getting points from. Arsenal at the Emirates, for example. A poor match that Arsenal won thanks to a goal from a defender (to his credit, Koscielny only ever seems to score against Newcastle, he is their nemesis).

Areas to strengthen: The defence, but it won't make a blind bit of difference. In the old days, Shay Given would be there as the rock behind the shaky back four but they don't build goalkeepers like that anymore. Get in a couple of decent defenders on loan would make a huge difference to the squad.

Norwich City (15th)

Well, it looks like we're in for yet another season of trekking up the A11 to Carrow Road. Not that I feel bad for the players who have to do it, they are paid enough after all, I feel sorry for the fans. It's a mission to get to Norwich at the best of times, but imagine a few thousand fans trying to get over. Norwich have been doing alright this season without setting the world alight.

Areas to strengthen: They might not be relegation candidates but it might be wise to get in a defender and a midfielder permanently and then spend the summer building squad depth on top of those signings. Norwich have a good team and a couple of great signings will move them from the bottom half of the table to the top half.

Southampton (13th)

For a club that has lost half its squad during the last two summer transfer windows (and a manager), you'd expect them to be doing much worse than they are. But they're not and, like a bad smell, they're just hanging around. I'm joking of course (still smarting from Arsenal's 4-0 defeat at St Mary's on Boxing Day). They have a good team and a good manager and I expect them to not be worrying during this transfer window.

Areas to strengthen: I don't think they need to go out and spend this transfer window. All that's out there for teams like Southampton are overpriced, unwanted players that couldn't quite cut it at bigger teams. Why, when you're in no danger of relegation, would you spend twice as much on a player now than you would in the summer? No need to strengthen until July.

Stoke City (10th)

Well, that's been a change of fortunes for Stoke. Since Mark Hughes took charge, he has changed them from a rugby team into one that can actually play football. Signings like Bojan and Xherdan Shaqiri are ones you would expect Liverpool or Tottenham to make, not Stoke. They might be playing more attractive football but it needs to end with a European berth, or those very same players who make the football fun to watch will leave for the Liverpools and the Tottenhams of this world.

Areas to strengthen: Stoke aren't fighting for Europe, they're not in a relegation battle so what should they do? Wait for the summer (again). I know I sound like a broken record but if they sign anyone this month they'd be spending unnecessary money that they could put to better use in the Summer.

Sunderland (19th)

Another year, another relegation battle for Sunderland. They're going down, again. They'll be back up again in a season. I might as well go out and put a bet on Sunderland for the next four seasons. Gotta love 'em. No team has conceded more than Sunderland this term. So, any guesses where they should strengthen?

Areas to strengthen: Defence. Always defence in a relegation battle. They should go on a scouting trip to Italy and find some of the better defenders who play at Fiorentina or Sampdoria or Palermo. Those kind of players will create a stronger defence and a better Sunderland.

Swansea City (17th)

Only two points separate Swansea and the drop. Sacking Garry Monk was always going to be a tough call but it was the right one. They only just lost to Man Utd recently and they seem to be going in the right direction. Whether they can get the results against other teams that will prevent them from going down is another thing. Although, I do feel that they teams below them are worse and deserve to be relegated as a result.

Areas to strengthen: Swansea never really replaced Michu and that's a player that they sorely miss. Another striker in the same vein, but without the huge drop in form, would be perfect right now to get the attack firing again. Again, my head goes to Joel Campbell and Jordan Ibe as loan possibilities until the end of the season. They don't need a permanent singing in January because they might not be able to pay their wages come July.

Tottenham Hotspur (4th)

Built around Delle Alli and Harry Kane, this Tottenham team might not, on paper, seem like the best there has ever been but it has the potential to be the most successful. Spurs underperformed during the Harry Redknapp years with van der Vaart, Berbatov and Defoe. This team, with Kane and Eriksen the only recognisable names, is lighting up the Premier League in a way Tottenham never have. A good tip for fourth place.

Areas to strengthen: I doubt they'll have a crack at the title. They might have a good shot at it next year but this year might have gotten away from them slightly. I doubt they'll bring in reinforcements but they could plump for another striker to complement Kane if they feel like the title is within their grasp. A utility back as well would be extremely useful to plug any gaps that injuries may cause in defence.

Watford (9th)

What right do Watford have to be ninth in the Premier League? Just eleven points off what everyone considers to be the 'safe' number of points to stay up. Fair play to them though, they have got some good results so far this term, a battling draw against Chelsea will live long in the minds of both teams I feel.

Areas to strengthen: Again, I think Watford should wait until the summer to strengthen. Any player they buy now will be too expensive to really consider them as a decent prospect for the future and would be a panic buy. Watford don't need to panic, they're in a good position and they just need to consolidate that position.

West Bromwich Albion (12th)

I really dislike West Bromwich. It's a bleak, desolate area just west of Birmingham full of disused car factories. However, there is a light in this wasteland, and it's The Hawthorns stadium. I've actually had the opportunity to play there in the close season and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. West Brom have always been a bit of a nothing team, content to just sit in the mid-table of the Premier League, consign others to relegation and elevate some to the title.

Areas to strengthen: What with another mid-table finish looming on the horizon, it might just be worth considering replacing players when they retire. West Brom are now a fixture in the Premier League, much like Stoke became after their promotion from the Championship. A little patience before the Summer would be conducive to their continuing stay in the top flight.

West Ham United (6th)

It just goes to show how unpredictable this season has been that West Ham are in sixth position. It's been an impressive run from the Hammers and full credit to Slaven Bilic for having a crack at it. Only a point shy of Man Utd who occupy the Europa League berth at the moment. Their issue has been their defence.

Areas to strengthen: The Hammers haven't had any problems hitting the back of the net - they're the fifth highest scoring team in the division - but they've conceded too many. A new defender on a permanent deal would make the world of difference and propel them into that last European spot. Possible a cut-price deal for Eliaquim Mangala from City, where he is clearly out of his depth, would be worth exploring.



Let me know what you think of my opinions and who you think your team should sign during January. Also, who do you think will win the league?

Sam Burgess - Union's Great Loss

It was never going to work out. The moment Stuart Lancaster announced Sam Burgess' selection for this year's Rugby World Cup, ahead of established players Luther Burrell and Billy Twelvetrees, I knew it wasn't going to work. England had a squad that could have competed at the World Cup, it just wasn't the one they took with them.

There are other problems I had with the squad selection, Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon to name just a couple, but I could not be more disappointed in Lancaster's choice of Burgess. This is a player who could have grown into the best Union centre this fine nation has ever had, given time. To switch codes and go straight into a World Cup squad with less than a year's experience is a lot to ask.

He should not have been selected. That's the end of the matter. The pressure that he was exposed as part of a home nation's World Cup squad to has made him the scapegoat in the eyes of the media and driven him back to Australia. And who could blame him? No-one would have though any less of Stuart Lancaster if he decided not to select Burgess, but it was the worst decision he has ever made. Given another season and a few matches in next year's Six Nations and he would be a different player, more confident in his position and more adept at handling the pressure.

Talking of his position, Bath Rugby had him at Flanker, but England seem to want to play him at Centre. I seem to remember this was the mistake that Brian Ashton made with Andy Farrell. Not taking away Farrell's participation in England's magnificent, and quite frankly unexpected, run to the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final but he never produced the sort of sparkling form in Union as many had been expecting. I believe that this was mainly down to the fact he initially played at Flanker for Saracens and Centre for England. Although he did play most of his Union career at Centre, this was after he had left the England setup. The same criticism can be leveled at those involved in Sam Burgess' Union career.

Therein lies the problem for cross-coders. Unless you're as quick as Jason Robinson or as built from pure manliness as Sonny Bill Williams, it's probably not going to work out at international level. Robinson was a success at Union because he didn't need to change his style when he switched from League. Give him the ball and he'll just run with it and see if anyone was brave enough to try and chase. Williams was a success because he's Sonny Bill Williams. Who else gets bored of League, switches to Union, wins a World Cup, gets bored again, quits Rugby altogether to become the New Zealand heavyweight boxing champion, goes back to League, wins a World Cup then switches again to Union purely to win another World Cup? The man is a pure machine. Oh! Let's not forget the incredible act of generosity he displayed in giving an idolising young boy his WC winner's medal recently.

Sam Burgess is not Jason Robinson, nor is he Sonny Bill Williams. Given the opportunity and the time, he may have grown into being Sam Burgess (if you see what I mean), but he was given neither. Which is pathetic. The RFU should start with him in their investigation because they have lost the best cross-code player this country has seen in a long time because they were stupid and irrational in their decision making and selection.

I Did Say This Would Happen

I've been gathering my thoughts after the past few days since England lost to Wales, reading as much media coverage as I can to get an angle on the defeat and to be as impartial as I can be. It's proven difficult, but here goes.

Well done Wales.

Ok, now that's the impartiality out of the way, let's move on to why England lost, because Wales did not win that match. They were not the better side. The game should have been beyond them after the fist half. What is with this England team and their inability to play the full forty minutes of a half. They seem to get to thirty and then give up, as if they've already won! It happened in the first half with very little consequence but then it happened again, with disastrous results.

Last year, I went to Twickenham and watched England beat Wales in a fairly one sided affair. This is not a 'great'  Welsh side. It's good, but not Grand Slam potential. England, however, are nearly there. In Chris Robshaw they have a captain who has the highest work rate of any player I've seen for a long time and fantastic decision making. I've read a lot of articles explaining why England should have kicked the penalty at the end of the match rather than aim for touch. They're all wrong.

The argument for three points bases itself on the guarantee that Farrell (or Ford who had come on at 12) would have made the kick. Admittedly, I cannot fault Owen Farrell's kicking on Saturday, it was very impressive, but that's a big if from that position far out on the right hand side of the pitch. The decision to go for touch shows Robshaw to be a winner. No matter the outcome, he did not want to take a draw or a defeat. He wanted to push for the victory. This is why he's a good captain.

England were shambolic for twenty minutes on Saturday and it cost them the match. If they can string together eighty minutes of solid rugby rather than take their eye off the proverbial ball against Australia then they just might be in with a chance of a win.

Might

England Laborious In World Cup Opener

This is England. This is the World Cup. This is our time.

That's the rhetoric coming from the English changing room, from the adverts on our telly and from Sir Clive and Johnny in the ITV studio. I love it. International sport is the highest quality you can achieve and can watch. It's amazing, it's brutal and it's emotional. England displayed none of it today.

Disappointing, uninspired and laborious are the best ways to describe England's opening win against Fiji. Many will point to the extra point that comes from scoring four tries over 100 minutes as a good thing. I will point to the awful number of penalties conceded (eleven) and the ridiculous amount of turnovers Fiji made (also eleven).

Let's start from the front. The front row had a good game. But yet again Tom Youngs showed just how poor he is at the line out. The locks were, as usual, faultless. Parling and Lawes were strong in the line out, strong at the breakdown and strong in the scrum. I believe the second row is by far and away our strongest position. Back three had a great game but really struggled when presented with ball in hand. They need to improve in that area, so badly.

Moving back a bit, the half-backs did their job as ever but I still don't think George Ford is the man to lead England to the final. Nor do I believe Owen Farrell has the fizz to own that number 10 shirt that hasn't been properly taken since Johnny. Cipriani would have been better but I'm past making that argument, but it turns out my complaints are falling on deaf ears.

You want to know the areas where England are the most vulnerable? Midfield. Barritt conceded a couple of ridiculously basic penalties at the beginning of the second half and Joseph (barring a comical setup to the second try) did nothing to justify his selection.

The wings also seemed to struggle. May out on the left showed his pace and verve with Watson grabbing some great high balls but found it tricky to make any real ground. They will improve and they will grow as the World Cup goes on and it will be a real test to see if they can go the distance.

Mike Brown. I think everyone knows just how incredible a full back he is. He reminds me of Clement Poitrenaud in his prime. Just amazing. If his name isn't etched into history in the same breath as Josh Lewsey after this six weeks are up, there's no justice.

At the end of the day, it was Fiji running out of steam that gave England the bonus point that they didn't deserve. They need to be better. They will be better. Swing Low!