Last night at a bit of a loose end I found myself sitting down to watch a game of Spanish football. This was quite a strange thing to do as whilst I enjoy watching football, it is not if I'm honest my favourite sport and I have no real affiliation with any team outside of England.
The game was "El Clasico" between the two giants of Spanish football, Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are also quite possibly the two best football teams in Europe and not just their homeland. What has inspired me to write about this game (instead of the England Ashes fightback in Brisbane, the Rugby Union Autumn Internationals etc.) was because I was mesmerised by the performance of Barcelona. If I'm honest, I have probably never seen a team play football so beautifully.
Barcelona won the game 5 - 0 and in the second half of the game in particular, I don't recall Real Madrid keeping possession for more than 10 seconds at a time. The Catalan team's ability to retain possession through their passing and movement, finding of space and using the whole of the pitch until an attacking opportunity presented itself, were something I have never witnessed in a game of football. What it made it all the more special though was this was against their greatest rivals in a very competitive league and not a friendly or demonstration game, but that was what it looked like. For the few seconds at a time Barcelona did not have the ball they pressed their opponents where ever they were on the pitch to immediately win the ball back - all I can think is this is what is meant by "total football", a phrase I remember being used to describe the Dutch team of the 1970s led by Johann Cruyff.
Of course it is no coincidence that the great Dutchman has been integral to the development of Barcelona in the last 30 years but for a team to embrace and develop his mantra so positively is almost unbelievable. What it showed was that for a style to develop it needs to be coached and practised from a young age so that it can flourish and the fact that during most of the game 8 or 9 of the Barcelona team had graduated from the academy demonstrates the success of the approach.
For much of the second half the only time the pass and move stopped was when a frustrated Madrid player kicked the legs away from his opposition and there was quite an accumulation of yellow cards because of these tactics - that only one red card was issued and that in injury time after the fifth goal was more than surprising. Jose Mourinho may have found a way to stifle Barcelona last year with his Inter Milan team on their way to win the Champions League but last night neither he nor his charges had any clue in how to defend against such skill.
To conclude, all I want to say is that if you like football and have never watched Barcelona, or not recently, then take the opportunity (I found out through watching the game they won their previous match in La Liga 8 - 0)! Other football managers will say that they can devise systems to counter the Barcelona way of play but I imagine their will be a heavy reliance on the dark side of the game and not the beautiful way in which Barcelona played last night.
For all of Manchester City's money, Alex Ferguson's inspirational abilities they are not the future of football - the future is here and is on show now in the Camp Nou! I for one am a convert.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
Last Round of Autumn Internationals and More
Last week was another poor one from a prediction point of view but my own personal disappointment was sated by Spurs' win at Arsenal and the Welsh rugby team only drawing with the Fijians!
From my ten forecasts only four were correct and this led to a loss of £3 on the week and resulting in the profits having halved in the last month to only £18!
The small successes were the All Blacks' big win over Ireland in what appeared to be a closer game than the scoreline suggested, Blackpool and Manchester United triumphing in the Barclays Premier League and finally a success in American Football with the correct prediction of Green Bay to win at Minnesota.
For many the biggest sporting event of the weekend is already underway in Brisbane where the Ashes cricket started a couple of days ago. As I said on this blog a couple of days ago this series was never going to be easy for England and this has been borne out so far with Australia having the upper hand, though not by too much. As the game has already started I won't be making any predictions for this game but you can be assured I will be keeping track of developments!
The tennis season is drawing to a close in London this weekend and we already know that Roger Federer and our own Andy Murray have made the semi-finals. It is likely world number on, Rafael Nadal, will join them and my prediction to win the tournament is Federer.
It is the final set of rugby union autumn internationals and there are some fascinating encounters in prospect. For me the highlight will be the game at Twickenham between a resurgent England and the wounded Springboks. If England can win (and that is my prediction) they will be seen as a team likely to provide a real threat in next year's World Cup, if they lose it will seriously dampen down that expectation. Meanwhile Scotland take on Samoa which will be close but I think will result in a home team win, France face Australia in what promises to be the most exciting of the games and again I'm predicting a home win, and Ireland host Argentina where again I think the tourists will fail.
There is no prediction for the Wales game against the All Blacks, mainly because I agree with the bookies that it will be a win for the New Zealanders and the odds don't make a prediction worthwhile.
Elsewhere in England the premier league football season continues. In what for years most people regarded as being fairly predictable, this league seems to have taken on an unpredictability almost beyond belief in the last few weeks with no outstanding team and a number of "unfancied" teams punching above their supposed weight. My predictions this weekend are for Aston Villa to draw with an Arsenal team deprived of Fabregas, a similar result between Fulham and Birmingham, Chelsea to win at Newcastle, both teams being models of inconsistency lately and finally for Spurs to build on their recent wins by defeating Liverpool but I suspect there may be some goals in that game!
With a success in an American Football prediction last weekend I'm having another shot this weekend and forecasting that the Vikings with their new coach beating the Redskins.
In summary and with betting odds the predictions are:
ATP Tennis Finals in London
Federer to win at 11/8
International Rugby Union
England to beat South Africa at 1/2
Scotland to beat Samoa at 2/5
France to beat Australia at 10/11
Ireland to beat Argentina at 2/5
Barclays Premier League Football
Aston Villa to draw with Arsenal at 12/5
Fulham to draw with Birmingham at 12/5
Chelsea to win at Newcastle at 3/4
Spurs to beat Liverpool at 11/10
NFL American Football
Vikings to win at the Redskins at Evens
From my ten forecasts only four were correct and this led to a loss of £3 on the week and resulting in the profits having halved in the last month to only £18!
The small successes were the All Blacks' big win over Ireland in what appeared to be a closer game than the scoreline suggested, Blackpool and Manchester United triumphing in the Barclays Premier League and finally a success in American Football with the correct prediction of Green Bay to win at Minnesota.
For many the biggest sporting event of the weekend is already underway in Brisbane where the Ashes cricket started a couple of days ago. As I said on this blog a couple of days ago this series was never going to be easy for England and this has been borne out so far with Australia having the upper hand, though not by too much. As the game has already started I won't be making any predictions for this game but you can be assured I will be keeping track of developments!
The tennis season is drawing to a close in London this weekend and we already know that Roger Federer and our own Andy Murray have made the semi-finals. It is likely world number on, Rafael Nadal, will join them and my prediction to win the tournament is Federer.
It is the final set of rugby union autumn internationals and there are some fascinating encounters in prospect. For me the highlight will be the game at Twickenham between a resurgent England and the wounded Springboks. If England can win (and that is my prediction) they will be seen as a team likely to provide a real threat in next year's World Cup, if they lose it will seriously dampen down that expectation. Meanwhile Scotland take on Samoa which will be close but I think will result in a home team win, France face Australia in what promises to be the most exciting of the games and again I'm predicting a home win, and Ireland host Argentina where again I think the tourists will fail.
There is no prediction for the Wales game against the All Blacks, mainly because I agree with the bookies that it will be a win for the New Zealanders and the odds don't make a prediction worthwhile.
Elsewhere in England the premier league football season continues. In what for years most people regarded as being fairly predictable, this league seems to have taken on an unpredictability almost beyond belief in the last few weeks with no outstanding team and a number of "unfancied" teams punching above their supposed weight. My predictions this weekend are for Aston Villa to draw with an Arsenal team deprived of Fabregas, a similar result between Fulham and Birmingham, Chelsea to win at Newcastle, both teams being models of inconsistency lately and finally for Spurs to build on their recent wins by defeating Liverpool but I suspect there may be some goals in that game!
With a success in an American Football prediction last weekend I'm having another shot this weekend and forecasting that the Vikings with their new coach beating the Redskins.
In summary and with betting odds the predictions are:
ATP Tennis Finals in London
Federer to win at 11/8
International Rugby Union
England to beat South Africa at 1/2
Scotland to beat Samoa at 2/5
France to beat Australia at 10/11
Ireland to beat Argentina at 2/5
Barclays Premier League Football
Aston Villa to draw with Arsenal at 12/5
Fulham to draw with Birmingham at 12/5
Chelsea to win at Newcastle at 3/4
Spurs to beat Liverpool at 11/10
NFL American Football
Vikings to win at the Redskins at Evens
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Ashes Gets Underway
In a few hours one of the greatest sporting events gets underway in Brisbane, Australia and for the first time in my adult life there is a genuine belief that England can triumph against their antipodean foes on Australian soil.
There are numerous reasons for this sense of optimism, not least that England have been achieving success in all forms of cricket over the last couple of years whilst Australia appear to be a team in transition, after the retirement in recent years of many of their so called "Golden Generation".
On this basis, the sense of optimism appears justified but it fails to take into account two important factors. Firstly, the series is taking place on the Australians home soil, meaning the majority of support will be for them and secondly many of the Australian players have an uncanny knack of raising their game against the old enemy, not least the captain Ricky Ponting who if Australia do lose the series will be the first Aussie captain in more than a century to lose three Ashes series.
Trying to take an unbiased view on the teams (which is difficult) my view is that the English bowlers should have the edge but they have the disadvantage of being inexperienced in Australian conditions and with the Kookaburra ball. Whilst the English batsmen are undoubtedly talented I think the Aussie batsmen are better are building big scores and so may just have the edge in that department, particularly if Ponting and Hussey find some form.
One of the big talking points in the media has been about England approaching the series with a team containing only four specialist bowlers. Personally, I imagine the England management agree, this is a red herring as these guys are professional sportsman who should be capable of bowling 60 or 70 overs each during a five day test, whatever the weather. It should also be noted that support can be provided by other players in the team such as Collingwood and Pietersen who will be able to bowl a few overs if required. The final point on this subject and another reason why I think it is the English bowlers who have an edge, is because they all know one end of the bat from another which hasn't always been the case with English bowlers. This resource should not be overlooked as an extra 50 runs at the end of an innings can make a big difference to getting a positive result.
Many pundits appear to be predicting a fairly easy English win (at least the English ones) in the region of 3 - 1. Personally, I'd be happy with a win by one game scoring the winning run or taking the last wicket in the last couple of overs of the last game!! If I am honest I'd probably be fairly happy with a 2 - 2 draw but I am going to predict a 2 - 1 win to England.
Let play commence.
There are numerous reasons for this sense of optimism, not least that England have been achieving success in all forms of cricket over the last couple of years whilst Australia appear to be a team in transition, after the retirement in recent years of many of their so called "Golden Generation".
On this basis, the sense of optimism appears justified but it fails to take into account two important factors. Firstly, the series is taking place on the Australians home soil, meaning the majority of support will be for them and secondly many of the Australian players have an uncanny knack of raising their game against the old enemy, not least the captain Ricky Ponting who if Australia do lose the series will be the first Aussie captain in more than a century to lose three Ashes series.
Trying to take an unbiased view on the teams (which is difficult) my view is that the English bowlers should have the edge but they have the disadvantage of being inexperienced in Australian conditions and with the Kookaburra ball. Whilst the English batsmen are undoubtedly talented I think the Aussie batsmen are better are building big scores and so may just have the edge in that department, particularly if Ponting and Hussey find some form.
One of the big talking points in the media has been about England approaching the series with a team containing only four specialist bowlers. Personally, I imagine the England management agree, this is a red herring as these guys are professional sportsman who should be capable of bowling 60 or 70 overs each during a five day test, whatever the weather. It should also be noted that support can be provided by other players in the team such as Collingwood and Pietersen who will be able to bowl a few overs if required. The final point on this subject and another reason why I think it is the English bowlers who have an edge, is because they all know one end of the bat from another which hasn't always been the case with English bowlers. This resource should not be overlooked as an extra 50 runs at the end of an innings can make a big difference to getting a positive result.
Many pundits appear to be predicting a fairly easy English win (at least the English ones) in the region of 3 - 1. Personally, I'd be happy with a win by one game scoring the winning run or taking the last wicket in the last couple of overs of the last game!! If I am honest I'd probably be fairly happy with a 2 - 2 draw but I am going to predict a 2 - 1 win to England.
Let play commence.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Rugby, Football and Some US Sports
A second poor week on the trot again with last week's predictions! Only three correct leading to a loss of £4.50 and taking the blog's profits down to £21 since it began.
The isolated successes were led by England's rugby triumph over Australia in what was one of the best performances seen at Twickenham by England in a few years. The only other correct predictions were the predictable success of David Haye retaining his world boxing title against Audley Harrison and Spurs finding some league form in the Barclays Premiership to defeat Blackburn.
This week the Autumn rugby internationals continue, premier league football has a full schedule and to round of my predictions I am once again dipping into a couple of US sports - NASCAR and American Football.
Starting with the rugby there are some fairly poor odds available on outright results and so I am going for some spreads on the wins. Firstly, Wales take on Fiji at the Millennium stadium this evening and my prediction is a home win by more than 13 points. At Twickenham, a relatively unchanged and unscathed side after last weeks heroics see England host Samoa and I'm going for the English by between 21 and 30 points to win. In Dublin the Irish host the All Blacks who were imperious in their defeat of the Scots at Murrayfield last weekend and I can't see beyond them winning all of their matches against the home nations and am therefore predicting a win for the New Zealanders by more than 13 points.
The Barclays Premiership is now a third of the way complete and whilst most of the top teams are where would be expected there has been no stand-out team this season. Chelsea sit on top of the league and after their blistering start they have stumbled to a number of losses recently, Manchester United may be unbeaten but they have become draw specialists, particularly away from home, Arsenal look genuine title contenders one week and then lose at home the next, Manchester City neither look like a team nor confident in their ability to be an attacking force, Spurs can't keep a clean sheet and Liverpool's mini-renaissance was ended last weekend and now they have to perform without captain Gerrard for a few weeks.
Therefore making predictions has become more guesswork based than ever but it won't stop me. The big match is the North London derby at the Emirates and whilst my head says an Arsenal win and heart a Spurs triumph I am going to settle on a draw. Blackpool have surprised many this season with their attacking brand of football and whilst they haven't been great at home I'm predicting them to beat Wolves, Manchester United should beat Wigan at Old Trafford and in perhaps the most intriguing match Manchester City travel to their former managers new charges at Fulham, a game I think has draw written all over it and more pressure building on Mancini.
In the US it is the final race of the NASCAR season with three drivers in with a shout of the title. Having followed most of the season when possible (shame Sky no longer have live coverage), it is tough to call but in the last few races Denny Hamlin seems to have got the measure of Jimmie Johnson and I am going for Hamlin to win the title (if not the race).
Finally, even though my American Football predictions have been pretty rubbish in the past I will make up the numbers with a couple more this week. Firstly I am predicting the Packers to triumph at the Vikings and secondly going for the 49ers to defeat the visiting Buccaneers.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
Wales to defeat Fiji by more than 13 points at 4/9
England to beat Samoa by between 21 and 30 points at 9/4
All Blacks to triumph over Ireland by more than 13 points at 8/13
Barclays Premiership Football
Arsenal to draw with Spurs at 16/5
Blackpool to beat Wolves at 8/5
Manchester United to defeat Wigan at 1/4
Fulham to draw with Manchester City at 23/10
NASCAR
Denny Hamlin to win championship at 8/13
American Football
Packers to win at the Vikings at 10/17
49ers to defeat the Buccaneers at 6/11
The isolated successes were led by England's rugby triumph over Australia in what was one of the best performances seen at Twickenham by England in a few years. The only other correct predictions were the predictable success of David Haye retaining his world boxing title against Audley Harrison and Spurs finding some league form in the Barclays Premiership to defeat Blackburn.
This week the Autumn rugby internationals continue, premier league football has a full schedule and to round of my predictions I am once again dipping into a couple of US sports - NASCAR and American Football.
Starting with the rugby there are some fairly poor odds available on outright results and so I am going for some spreads on the wins. Firstly, Wales take on Fiji at the Millennium stadium this evening and my prediction is a home win by more than 13 points. At Twickenham, a relatively unchanged and unscathed side after last weeks heroics see England host Samoa and I'm going for the English by between 21 and 30 points to win. In Dublin the Irish host the All Blacks who were imperious in their defeat of the Scots at Murrayfield last weekend and I can't see beyond them winning all of their matches against the home nations and am therefore predicting a win for the New Zealanders by more than 13 points.
The Barclays Premiership is now a third of the way complete and whilst most of the top teams are where would be expected there has been no stand-out team this season. Chelsea sit on top of the league and after their blistering start they have stumbled to a number of losses recently, Manchester United may be unbeaten but they have become draw specialists, particularly away from home, Arsenal look genuine title contenders one week and then lose at home the next, Manchester City neither look like a team nor confident in their ability to be an attacking force, Spurs can't keep a clean sheet and Liverpool's mini-renaissance was ended last weekend and now they have to perform without captain Gerrard for a few weeks.
Therefore making predictions has become more guesswork based than ever but it won't stop me. The big match is the North London derby at the Emirates and whilst my head says an Arsenal win and heart a Spurs triumph I am going to settle on a draw. Blackpool have surprised many this season with their attacking brand of football and whilst they haven't been great at home I'm predicting them to beat Wolves, Manchester United should beat Wigan at Old Trafford and in perhaps the most intriguing match Manchester City travel to their former managers new charges at Fulham, a game I think has draw written all over it and more pressure building on Mancini.
In the US it is the final race of the NASCAR season with three drivers in with a shout of the title. Having followed most of the season when possible (shame Sky no longer have live coverage), it is tough to call but in the last few races Denny Hamlin seems to have got the measure of Jimmie Johnson and I am going for Hamlin to win the title (if not the race).
Finally, even though my American Football predictions have been pretty rubbish in the past I will make up the numbers with a couple more this week. Firstly I am predicting the Packers to triumph at the Vikings and secondly going for the 49ers to defeat the visiting Buccaneers.
In summary the predictions are as follows:
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
Wales to defeat Fiji by more than 13 points at 4/9
England to beat Samoa by between 21 and 30 points at 9/4
All Blacks to triumph over Ireland by more than 13 points at 8/13
Barclays Premiership Football
Arsenal to draw with Spurs at 16/5
Blackpool to beat Wolves at 8/5
Manchester United to defeat Wigan at 1/4
Fulham to draw with Manchester City at 23/10
NASCAR
Denny Hamlin to win championship at 8/13
American Football
Packers to win at the Vikings at 10/17
49ers to defeat the Buccaneers at 6/11
Monday, 15 November 2010
The Greatest Season Ever?
Back in March, and then last week I suggested that Fernando Alonso or Mark Webber would win the Formula 1 World Championship, and if I'm honest before the red lights went out to signal the start of the final race in Abu Dhabi yesterday, I was still of that opinion as I suspect were many other viewers, pundits and those involved in the sport.
Yet again though the world of sport showed just how tough it is to predict a result and 90 minutes after the red lights went out the young German Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag and as he was going round his warm down lap to the pits it was confirmed that he was the youngest World Champion to grace the sport and his team Red Bull had completed in the space of 8 days a double of Constructors and Drivers Championships.
I have to admit to not being a huge Sebastian Vettel fan, and I don't really know why as in three full seasons in F1 has seen him display his talent at just about every race in which he has competed, from winning a race in the unfancied Toro Rosso team in 2008, becoming Jenson Button's main challenger throughout the 2009 season and then demonstrating he was clearly the fastest driver in 2010 with his clutch of 10 pole positions, 5 face wins and no doubt more fastest laps than any of his rivals this season. The only thing I can think of, is that because he had not led the championship in either of the last 2 seasons that he didn't have what it took to become the champion even though he was always in the mix.
Behind closed doors at Ferrari there will be an inquest into the strategy decision that led to Alonso being bottled up in the midfield for much of the race, but then like me they regarded Webber and not Vettel as the main threat for the championship. As I commented on Friday, I thought Alonso was due a bad race but I had no idea that it would be the Renault of Vitaly Petrov who would be the thorn in his side as I imagined it would be the McLarens who may prove to be his undoing.
On the question of strategy, Red Bull were fully vindicated in their decision in Brazil to leave Webber in second place behind Vettel and have to be congratulated on that, as they do in rising to the top of the tree in the six years they have been in the sport. Of course, now that they are at the top it will be interesting to see if they can maintain that performance and I for one hope they can.
2010 has to go down as one of the most fascinating and enthralling championships of all time and I hope has led to it attracting a whole new fan base. Next year offers as much if not even more potential with the likelihood of five former World Champions on the starting grid and another three of four drivers to add to this list and at least be in the running for race wins.
Yet again there will be a number of changes to the rules for 2011 with the banning of double diffusers and F-Ducts, as well as the return of KERS. However, the biggest variable could be a new tyre manufacturer (Pirelli) entering the fray to replace Bridgestone. Though this will be the same for all teams, with less than 120 days before the start of the next season there is not much time for the car designers to develop their cars that best suit the new tyre's characteristics. With the likelihood that Pirelli will be developing their tyres throughout the season as they receive feedback this change will be a very significant joker in the pack for 2011.
I for one can't wait to the start of the next season and hope it provides the same level of excitement and anticipation as has been generated in the last nine months. My early prediction is for Hamilton to be World Champion but this is more based on hope than through any genuine reasoning. Bring it on!
Yet again though the world of sport showed just how tough it is to predict a result and 90 minutes after the red lights went out the young German Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag and as he was going round his warm down lap to the pits it was confirmed that he was the youngest World Champion to grace the sport and his team Red Bull had completed in the space of 8 days a double of Constructors and Drivers Championships.
I have to admit to not being a huge Sebastian Vettel fan, and I don't really know why as in three full seasons in F1 has seen him display his talent at just about every race in which he has competed, from winning a race in the unfancied Toro Rosso team in 2008, becoming Jenson Button's main challenger throughout the 2009 season and then demonstrating he was clearly the fastest driver in 2010 with his clutch of 10 pole positions, 5 face wins and no doubt more fastest laps than any of his rivals this season. The only thing I can think of, is that because he had not led the championship in either of the last 2 seasons that he didn't have what it took to become the champion even though he was always in the mix.
Behind closed doors at Ferrari there will be an inquest into the strategy decision that led to Alonso being bottled up in the midfield for much of the race, but then like me they regarded Webber and not Vettel as the main threat for the championship. As I commented on Friday, I thought Alonso was due a bad race but I had no idea that it would be the Renault of Vitaly Petrov who would be the thorn in his side as I imagined it would be the McLarens who may prove to be his undoing.
On the question of strategy, Red Bull were fully vindicated in their decision in Brazil to leave Webber in second place behind Vettel and have to be congratulated on that, as they do in rising to the top of the tree in the six years they have been in the sport. Of course, now that they are at the top it will be interesting to see if they can maintain that performance and I for one hope they can.
2010 has to go down as one of the most fascinating and enthralling championships of all time and I hope has led to it attracting a whole new fan base. Next year offers as much if not even more potential with the likelihood of five former World Champions on the starting grid and another three of four drivers to add to this list and at least be in the running for race wins.
Yet again there will be a number of changes to the rules for 2011 with the banning of double diffusers and F-Ducts, as well as the return of KERS. However, the biggest variable could be a new tyre manufacturer (Pirelli) entering the fray to replace Bridgestone. Though this will be the same for all teams, with less than 120 days before the start of the next season there is not much time for the car designers to develop their cars that best suit the new tyre's characteristics. With the likelihood that Pirelli will be developing their tyres throughout the season as they receive feedback this change will be a very significant joker in the pack for 2011.
I for one can't wait to the start of the next season and hope it provides the same level of excitement and anticipation as has been generated in the last nine months. My early prediction is for Hamilton to be World Champion but this is more based on hope than through any genuine reasoning. Bring it on!
Saturday, 13 November 2010
More Rugby and the F1 Final Showdown for 2010
The worst week of predictions last week with only a 20% success resulting in a loss of £7.50 and reducing profits to £25.50.
A similar range of sports predictions this weekend with the on-going Rugby Autumn Internationals, the Haye v Harrison Boxing, Premier League football and of course the final installment of the F1 season in Abu Dhabi.
Rugby Union
England to beat Australia at 6/4
Wales to beat South Africa at 12/5
Italy to beat Argentina at 11/8
World Championship Boxing
Haye to beat Harrison at 4/25
Barclays Premier League Football
Manchester United to win at Aston Villa at 11/13
Spurs to beat Blackburn at 8/13
Stoke to draw with Liverpool at 5/2
Everton to draw with Arsenal at 12/5
F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi
Hamilton to win at 11/2
Webber to podium at 4/9
A similar range of sports predictions this weekend with the on-going Rugby Autumn Internationals, the Haye v Harrison Boxing, Premier League football and of course the final installment of the F1 season in Abu Dhabi.
Rugby Union
England to beat Australia at 6/4
Wales to beat South Africa at 12/5
Italy to beat Argentina at 11/8
World Championship Boxing
Haye to beat Harrison at 4/25
Barclays Premier League Football
Manchester United to win at Aston Villa at 11/13
Spurs to beat Blackburn at 8/13
Stoke to draw with Liverpool at 5/2
Everton to draw with Arsenal at 12/5
F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi
Hamilton to win at 11/2
Webber to podium at 4/9
Friday, 12 November 2010
F1 Season Reaches Climax!
What has been one of the most enthralling F1 championships for many years draws to a conclusion this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Unbelievably, going into this final race of 19 there are still 4 potential World Champions - Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. The favourite has to be Alonso in his Ferrari as he enters the race with an 8 point cushion over Webber and has been the form driver of the second half of the season. However, after the first two practice sessions the McLarens are looking competitive for the first time in a few races and because Alonso and his car have been so competitive since mid-summer I'm thinking he is due a poor result which would open the championship wide open.
Of course, Red Bull could have made things easier for their driver Webber last weekend by allowing him to pass Vettel and take the win and leave only one point between him and Alonso, but it does not appear to be their way and means whilst they secured the constructors championship in Brazil they have made it more difficult for one of their drivers to secure their version of the championship.
Personally I believe, whilst Red Bull will continue to be competitive for many years to come in F1 this may be their best chance to secure the driver's championship for a few years and that in the last couple of races they should have supported Webber's attempt to do this, but because there has been a bias towards his younger German colleague from the team ownership this has not happened. This is a shame because like Jenson Button last season this is the first time in a long career that started at the back of the grid that Webber has been in a car that could take him to the title. Secondly, he would be a great ambassador for both F1 and Red Bull as World Champion and it is this latter point that I think is the problem for the Red Bull marketing machine - a laid back Aussie in his mid 30s is not what they envisage as the face of the brand. This I find strange as he is one of the gutsiest drivers on the grid and has a penchant for the spectacular (accident that is)! Finally, and this is a purely selfish view, as a bit of statto there have only been three Australian drivers to win Grand Prix and the other two went on to become World Champions - Jack Brabham and Alan Jones - and I'd like to see that symettery continued by Webber, especially as I like the guy which isn't something I can say about every Australian sportsman!
I mentioned earlier that this might be Red Bull's best chance of winning the drivers championship for some time and the reason I say this is because whilst undoubtedly the have one of the best, if not the best technical director and F1 car designer on the grid, because of their quest to be succesful this year they may struggle next year and who knows how long Adrian Newey will stay on the team. In addition to McLaren and Ferrari who are bound to be at the front of the grid again next year it wouldn't surprise me to see Mercedes there, especially as they took a decision mid-season to concentrate on next year's car rather like Honda / Brawn did two years ago and it is just possible lightning may strike twice. It also wouldn't surprise me to see both Renault and Williams kicking on next season.
As most of the season there have been five drivers battling for the championship it has been forgotten that there are 19 others in each race and three of them deserve special mention. Firstly is Rosberg who in an uncompetitive Mercedes has picked up a significant points haul, consistently out driven his illustrious teammate Michael Schumacher and next year deserves to be in a car in which he can win his first race. Secondly, Kubica has confirmed his reputation at Renault this season and is another who deserves to be in a race winning car which if Renault can't provide then I expect to see him at Ferrari or McLaren in the next year. Finally, Kamui Kobyashi of Sauber only made his F1 debut towards the end of last season and looked exciting but this season has gone from strength to strength and I imagine has probably made more overtakes for position than any other driver on the grid and when he does overtake you don't want to miss it! All this in a distinctly average car just goes to prove his talent (reminds me of a young Ayrton Senna in a Toleman), and I think he could go on to be the first Asian to win a Grand Prix and possibly a championship if provided with the right machinery.
Anyway, the real issue is who will become World Champion on Sunday evening. At the beginning of the season I said Alonso and now after eighteen races that is still my thinking, though I'd like to see Webber do it. Having said that it will be an interesting race that I think will be won by Lewis Hamilton and Webber will be on of those on the podium with him.
Unbelievably, going into this final race of 19 there are still 4 potential World Champions - Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. The favourite has to be Alonso in his Ferrari as he enters the race with an 8 point cushion over Webber and has been the form driver of the second half of the season. However, after the first two practice sessions the McLarens are looking competitive for the first time in a few races and because Alonso and his car have been so competitive since mid-summer I'm thinking he is due a poor result which would open the championship wide open.
Of course, Red Bull could have made things easier for their driver Webber last weekend by allowing him to pass Vettel and take the win and leave only one point between him and Alonso, but it does not appear to be their way and means whilst they secured the constructors championship in Brazil they have made it more difficult for one of their drivers to secure their version of the championship.
Personally I believe, whilst Red Bull will continue to be competitive for many years to come in F1 this may be their best chance to secure the driver's championship for a few years and that in the last couple of races they should have supported Webber's attempt to do this, but because there has been a bias towards his younger German colleague from the team ownership this has not happened. This is a shame because like Jenson Button last season this is the first time in a long career that started at the back of the grid that Webber has been in a car that could take him to the title. Secondly, he would be a great ambassador for both F1 and Red Bull as World Champion and it is this latter point that I think is the problem for the Red Bull marketing machine - a laid back Aussie in his mid 30s is not what they envisage as the face of the brand. This I find strange as he is one of the gutsiest drivers on the grid and has a penchant for the spectacular (accident that is)! Finally, and this is a purely selfish view, as a bit of statto there have only been three Australian drivers to win Grand Prix and the other two went on to become World Champions - Jack Brabham and Alan Jones - and I'd like to see that symettery continued by Webber, especially as I like the guy which isn't something I can say about every Australian sportsman!
I mentioned earlier that this might be Red Bull's best chance of winning the drivers championship for some time and the reason I say this is because whilst undoubtedly the have one of the best, if not the best technical director and F1 car designer on the grid, because of their quest to be succesful this year they may struggle next year and who knows how long Adrian Newey will stay on the team. In addition to McLaren and Ferrari who are bound to be at the front of the grid again next year it wouldn't surprise me to see Mercedes there, especially as they took a decision mid-season to concentrate on next year's car rather like Honda / Brawn did two years ago and it is just possible lightning may strike twice. It also wouldn't surprise me to see both Renault and Williams kicking on next season.
As most of the season there have been five drivers battling for the championship it has been forgotten that there are 19 others in each race and three of them deserve special mention. Firstly is Rosberg who in an uncompetitive Mercedes has picked up a significant points haul, consistently out driven his illustrious teammate Michael Schumacher and next year deserves to be in a car in which he can win his first race. Secondly, Kubica has confirmed his reputation at Renault this season and is another who deserves to be in a race winning car which if Renault can't provide then I expect to see him at Ferrari or McLaren in the next year. Finally, Kamui Kobyashi of Sauber only made his F1 debut towards the end of last season and looked exciting but this season has gone from strength to strength and I imagine has probably made more overtakes for position than any other driver on the grid and when he does overtake you don't want to miss it! All this in a distinctly average car just goes to prove his talent (reminds me of a young Ayrton Senna in a Toleman), and I think he could go on to be the first Asian to win a Grand Prix and possibly a championship if provided with the right machinery.
Anyway, the real issue is who will become World Champion on Sunday evening. At the beginning of the season I said Alonso and now after eighteen races that is still my thinking, though I'd like to see Webber do it. Having said that it will be an interesting race that I think will be won by Lewis Hamilton and Webber will be on of those on the podium with him.
Friday, 5 November 2010
Autumn Internationals & F1 Reaching Climax
Not a great weekend on the predictions last time out mainly due to my rugby predictions all being wrong in both codes. This led to a £2 loss on the week and reduction in overall profits down to £33.
The highlights of this week's sporting action are the beginning of the Rugby Union autumn internationals and the penultimate race of the F1 season in Brazil. At Twickenham England's new look team host the All Blacks and whilst this is undoubtedly going to be a close game I think England may just sneak a win. At Cardiff Wales host Australia who triumphed over New Zealand in Hong Kong last week and with all the injury problems for the Welsh I can't see anything other than a Wallaby win. The final game is between Ireland and South Africa, two teams that have fallen from the standards they were setting only a couple of years ago, and so therefore I'm going for a home win in what should be another close game.
The F1 season has been gripping from the second race of the season, Bahrain was a bit of a damp squib let's not forget, and even now five drivers still have a chance of winning the championship. Realistically though I think Vettel of Red Bull and both British McLaren drivers are rank outsiders and with Red Bull not throwing their weight behind the Aussie Mark Webber it looks like Alonso of Ferrari could be handed the title enabling him to become champion for the third time. Having said that (and secretly having supported Webber for most of the season), I'm hoping the title isn't decided this weekend and that Webber wins and Hamilton podiums to potentially leave them both in the running for the final race in Abu Dhabi next weekend, so they are my predictions.
The Moto GP chapionship was settled a few weeks ago and they now have the final race of their season in Valencia at the weekend. After 4 championship wins in 7 years Valentino Rossi is leaving Yamaha after this race and takes the ride of another former World Champion, Casey Stoner at Ducatti who is moving to Honda. Both of these great riders will want to sign-off this phase of their careers with a win and as such I'm predicting a Rossi win and Stoner podium.
We are already a quarter of the way through the football season and the table, at least at the top is following a similar pattern to last year, which as a Spurs fan I'm quite happy about. Starting with Spurs who will have to come back down to earth after their superb mid-week win over current European Champions Inter Milan, I am predicting a draw for them at Bolton who were unlucky to lose in the closing minutes to Liverpool last weekend. Fulham appear revitalised over the last couple of weeks and with the lack of strikers available to Aston Villa I am forecasting a home win to the West Londoners. My final prediction sees premiership leaders visit Liverpool who have won their last three games and in what looks like a tight game I'm predicting a draw.
In summary my predictions for this week are:
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
England to beat the All Blacks at 11/2
Australia to defeat Wales at 3/10
Ireland to beat South Africa at 8/11
Brazilian F1 Grand Prix
Webber to win at 13/5
Hamilton to podium at 10/11
Valencia MotoGP
Rossi to win at 7/2
Stoner to podium at 2/11
Barclays Premiership Football
Bolton to draw with Spurs at 12/5
Fulham to beat Aston Villa at 5/4
Liverpool to draw with Chelsea at 12/5
The highlights of this week's sporting action are the beginning of the Rugby Union autumn internationals and the penultimate race of the F1 season in Brazil. At Twickenham England's new look team host the All Blacks and whilst this is undoubtedly going to be a close game I think England may just sneak a win. At Cardiff Wales host Australia who triumphed over New Zealand in Hong Kong last week and with all the injury problems for the Welsh I can't see anything other than a Wallaby win. The final game is between Ireland and South Africa, two teams that have fallen from the standards they were setting only a couple of years ago, and so therefore I'm going for a home win in what should be another close game.
The F1 season has been gripping from the second race of the season, Bahrain was a bit of a damp squib let's not forget, and even now five drivers still have a chance of winning the championship. Realistically though I think Vettel of Red Bull and both British McLaren drivers are rank outsiders and with Red Bull not throwing their weight behind the Aussie Mark Webber it looks like Alonso of Ferrari could be handed the title enabling him to become champion for the third time. Having said that (and secretly having supported Webber for most of the season), I'm hoping the title isn't decided this weekend and that Webber wins and Hamilton podiums to potentially leave them both in the running for the final race in Abu Dhabi next weekend, so they are my predictions.
The Moto GP chapionship was settled a few weeks ago and they now have the final race of their season in Valencia at the weekend. After 4 championship wins in 7 years Valentino Rossi is leaving Yamaha after this race and takes the ride of another former World Champion, Casey Stoner at Ducatti who is moving to Honda. Both of these great riders will want to sign-off this phase of their careers with a win and as such I'm predicting a Rossi win and Stoner podium.
We are already a quarter of the way through the football season and the table, at least at the top is following a similar pattern to last year, which as a Spurs fan I'm quite happy about. Starting with Spurs who will have to come back down to earth after their superb mid-week win over current European Champions Inter Milan, I am predicting a draw for them at Bolton who were unlucky to lose in the closing minutes to Liverpool last weekend. Fulham appear revitalised over the last couple of weeks and with the lack of strikers available to Aston Villa I am forecasting a home win to the West Londoners. My final prediction sees premiership leaders visit Liverpool who have won their last three games and in what looks like a tight game I'm predicting a draw.
In summary my predictions for this week are:
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
England to beat the All Blacks at 11/2
Australia to defeat Wales at 3/10
Ireland to beat South Africa at 8/11
Brazilian F1 Grand Prix
Webber to win at 13/5
Hamilton to podium at 10/11
Valencia MotoGP
Rossi to win at 7/2
Stoner to podium at 2/11
Barclays Premiership Football
Bolton to draw with Spurs at 12/5
Fulham to beat Aston Villa at 5/4
Liverpool to draw with Chelsea at 12/5
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Bounce - A book review
This is only the second time that I have attempted to review a book using this blog, but as with the first time, I found the subject matter of the book so riveting that I have to recommend to anyone who reads this.
The book is Bounce by Matthew Syed the former GB Table Tennis player and Times journalist. I bought the book completely by chance as having read the cover description I felt it would be good research material for the book I have been trying to write for the last two years. How right I was!
Bounce explores what it is that makes champions, and in so doing exploded many myths along the way. These include dispelling the belief that talent or race i.e. the genes we are born with, are what will make us successful. In truth and from the excellent research it soon becomes apparent that true path to success is down to hard-work more than any other factor. Of course there are other contributory factors and many of these are addressed in the book such as sports psychology and socio-economic factors.
This is a book that should be read by every parent, sports coach, business manager - pretty much everyone - as it will make you rethink what makes a champion, or a success in any field.
Bounce is published by Fourth Estate, part of Harper Collins and I bought as a paperback.
Enjoy the read which in Iain Dowie parlance is "unputdownable".
The book is Bounce by Matthew Syed the former GB Table Tennis player and Times journalist. I bought the book completely by chance as having read the cover description I felt it would be good research material for the book I have been trying to write for the last two years. How right I was!
Bounce explores what it is that makes champions, and in so doing exploded many myths along the way. These include dispelling the belief that talent or race i.e. the genes we are born with, are what will make us successful. In truth and from the excellent research it soon becomes apparent that true path to success is down to hard-work more than any other factor. Of course there are other contributory factors and many of these are addressed in the book such as sports psychology and socio-economic factors.
This is a book that should be read by every parent, sports coach, business manager - pretty much everyone - as it will make you rethink what makes a champion, or a success in any field.
Bounce is published by Fourth Estate, part of Harper Collins and I bought as a paperback.
Enjoy the read which in Iain Dowie parlance is "unputdownable".
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