Munich - 5 days to go

It’s only Monday, another 120-plus hours until kick-off in European football’s greatest club match and I’m already a nervous wreck. From grinning excitedly, to goosebumps, to rocking in the corner of the room, I’m certainly on that ever-clichéd emotional rollercoaster and it’ll only get worse as Saturday approaches.

Since the nerve-wracking wait to find out if I’d even get a ticket (as it turns out it was a lot more comfortable than my paranoia would have me believe!), I’ve been flipping between certainty that this has to be our year and blind panic that we’re missing not only our captain, but two of our three contenders for Player of the Year as well (and thankfully Raul Meireles).

But we will do it. We have to do it. I was one of the tens of thousands who witnessed the heartbreak in the Moscow rain. After an epic game, a superb Chelsea performance, it came down to penalties. The worst way to go. As Terry stepped up for a title-winning spot-kick, I was shaking with tears in my eyes. I thought that would be the moment, we all did. And who better and more fitting to clinch Chelsea history. But it wasn’t to be on that night four years ago. But all the best sides bounce back.

Since then we’ve reached another semi-final and now have a second shot. There’s no doubting Chelsea are the underdogs. But at what stage of the season's competition, since going 3-1 down away at Napoli, have we ever been favourites?

3-1 down in Naples, nearly blowing our lead at home to Benfica and then being drawn against football’s golden boys. Yet under the guidance of Robbie Di Matteo, we’ve made it to the promised land, on enemy territory and without three key figures.

For the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, this could be their last hurrah. Their last chance to lift Ol’ Big Ears. And boy do they deserve it. What careers those three have had, not to mention suspended skipper John Terry. No doubt Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, Ramires et al will have many a big night to come, hopefully in Chelsea blue. But for the oft maligned ‘Old Guard’, those who have guided us to European football’s biggest stage, they deserve to go out on the highest of highs.

For Lampard, with 150 goals in 11 years of floorless service at Stamford Bridge, for Drogba with 100 goals in eight years and Ashley Cole who, against all the odds following his arrival from Arsenal six years ago, has become a Chelsea legend, with one Premier League title, four FA Cups and twice Player’s Player of the Year. These players deserve to make history.

Whatever the result on Saturday night, every one of the squad are heroes in my eyes. To get this far, with all this season’s ups and downs, when all looked lost at Camp Nou and to fight back, they’ve done their bit. One final push would just be the icing on the Chelsea bun... But I'll be bloody gutted if we don't!

Come on boys.  Do it for JT, Brana, Rambo & Meireles. Do it for the Moscow heartbreak. Do it for Robbie. Do it for Ossie, Matthew Harding & all those we've lost. Do it for the fans. But most of all do it for yourselves. Be the ones to make history. It may be the last chance for some, don't let it slip away. Walk onto the Allianz Arena pitch as players, walk off it as legends.

Come on you Blues!!!!

Di Matteo outwits Guardiola to put Chelsea in pole position

Well. What a night at Stamford Bridge. What a bloody night!! We really seem to have a knack of pulling out massive European nights at the Bridge. Barca in 2005, Liverpool in 2009 and Napoli, Benfica and now Barca 2012, to name just a few.

It wasn’t pretty, no-one can deny that, but if any coach of any team in the world wants to show their players how to defend, the dvd of last night’s game would be a very worthwhile investment.

There have been many reports of Barcelona being the ‘better team’, but I find it hard to agree with that. What defines the ‘better team’? The one who has most possession? The one who has most passes or attempts on goal? Or the one who gets their tactics spot on, plays with control, dedication and discipline for 90 minutes, takes the chances presented to them and defends for their lives? It’s a funny old game - of which defence is as much a part as attack and of which tactics are as much a part as class.

Don’t get me wrong, Chelsea’s performance wasn’t perfect. Although it had the desired effect in breaking up play and frustrating Barca, few Blues fans would’ve enjoyed Didier Drogba’s theatrics. And John Obi Mikel and Raul Miereles once again failed to shower themselves in glory on a footballing front, repeatedly playing themselves into trouble and relinquishing what little possession the Blues enjoyed.

And yes, Chelsea rode their luck at times, with Barca hitting the bar after just eight minutes. But other moments and alleged ‘sitters’ for the visitors were missed not due to their own poor finishing or even complacency, but due to Chelsea’s back line and the excellent Petr Cech, at the peak of his game. Ashley Cole, who had a fantastic night – arguably one of his best in a blue shirt – cleared one off the line in the first half due to reading the game and good positional play and forced Fabregas to shoot wide in the second half with his last-ditch attempt at a challenge enough to put the Spaniard off. And that’s not to mention the vital touches both Branislav Ivanovic and Cole got on the last minute effort that came off the post, only for Busquets to fire over. You make your own luck.

But Roberto Di Matteo must also been given enormous credit for masterminding an outstanding defensive display well worthy of the clean sheet. Playing Ramires out of position on the left wing was a sensational move. His attacking threat, pace and ability to run all day long kept Alves largely pinned back in his own half, negating a lot of Barca’s attacking springboard. Even without the run and pass for Drogba’s winner, the Brazilian was nothing short of outstanding.

One Chelsea player who really made a name for himself on the biggest domestic stage was January signing (and bargain) Gary Cahill. The centre-back put in challenge after challenge, block after block and worked tirelessly with John Terry to keep Messi and co. at bay. This time last year, he was losing 5-0 at Wembley against Stoke City. How times change.

And once again John Terry lead by example, at one point chasing Alves all the way to Barcelona’s own corner flag from the half-way line. The sliding challenge at the death epitomised everything that not only the Chelsea captain, but the whole team, were about last night. Rightly or wrongly, Andre Villas-Boas would never have got that performance out of that group of players.

But as the old cliché goes, it’s only half-time and Chelsea have a massive job to do at Camp Nou on Tuesday. An early away goal would make a huge difference to the outlook of the tie, requiring Barca to score at least three to reach Munich.

For what it’s worth, my tactics would be to go for it in the first 20 minutes. Barca wouldn’t expect the kitchen sink thrown at them and certainly not so early. It would allow Chelsea to catch them unawares and hopefully snatch that all-important away goal and they could then retreat into their defensive shell.

But I’m sure Robbie will have something up his sleeve.

C’mon the Chels!

Adidas launch revolutionary new Chelsea kit

After reading the 'techincal' description of Chelsea's kit for the 2012/13 season, released last week, it appeared the marketing team at Adidas have a pretty fun job making up an absolute load os rubbish, so I thought I'd give it a bash myself.

This is what was posted in an article on the official Chelsea site, regarding the new kit:

Technology
The 2012/13 shirt again features the adidas Techfit™
technology in the playing shirt which is proven to enhance
performance.
TechFit™ - The players' kit will incorporate adidas' cutting
edge TechFit™ technology to help improve speed, increased endurance capabilities
and enhanced awareness. This works by stabilising and focusing the muscles'
energy to generate explosive acceleration and deliver maximum power
output.
Climacool™ -The shirts also feature adidas ClimaCool™ technology, a
mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D
fabrics which improve air flow to the skin in the key heat zones.

And here's what other nonsense they could've come up with:

SuperSpeed™ - The kit features a hidden SuperSpeed™ button which, when deployed by the player, accelerates their legs at three times the usual speed. Adidas have designed this feature specifically for Didier Drogba who will benefit greatly from the enhanced speed and may even be in danger of breaking into a sweat, where Adidas’s unique ClimaCool™ system will come into its own.

BodyArmour™ - Also new for the 2012/13 season, Adidas have developed a weightless BodyArmour™ system incorporated within the shirt. This unique technology will allow players to receive countless blows to the body and remain completely unaffected – particularly useful for John Terry.

BrowBuster™ - The shirt also features Adidas’s state of the art BrowBuster™ technology, designed specifically with Jose Bosingwa in mind. The technology, unique to Bosingwa’s shirt, enables a hands-free eyebrow trim at the touch of a button, enabling Bosingwa to keep his unibrow in check for the entire 90 minutes. Adidas’s BrowBuster™ development team are certain their high-tech design will improve Bosingwa’s game, giving him unobstructed vision for the duration of a match, enabling him to pass to other Chelsea players, tackle opponents and locate the orthodox right-back position with ease.

UltimateAlert™ - Perfect for Ashley Cole, Adidas’s revolutionary UltimateAlert™ technology enables players to receive regular injections of Red Bull throughout the 90 minutes, keeping them alert and at peak concentration levels all through the game.

Gary Neville - What A Tosser

I’ve not written a blog in a while but Gary Neville’s comments on Sky Sports this week have riled me so much I’ve actually been enticed to put pen on paper (so to speak...).

On the subject of Ashley Young’s second theatrical dive to win a penalty for Manchester United in as many games, the former ‘United’ defender seemed to deem the act of diving as fair play.

After showing several examples of players, including Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard throwing themselves to ground in order to con the referee, he said, “I don’t think these players are cheats.”

Now they may not be serial cheats in the manner of Suarez, Drogba, Ronaldo and the like, but in the examples shown by Neville, they were undoubtedly involved in the act of cheating. There’s no two ways about it. If you fabricate or enhance the extent to which an opposition player has made contact with you, you are cheating, end of story.

And it’s attitudes like Neville’s which are ruining the game. The acceptance and even encouragement of cheating should be refuted not revered. Yes, it is part of the game. No, this does not make it ok, it does not mean the authorities should accept it and it does not mean self-respecting players or coaches should encourage it.

Of course, the situation is not helped by referees, whose actions seem to make players feel they have to exaggerate contact to be awarded the decision which they should have got anyway. And it’s helped even less by the likes of the FA, UEFA and FIFA who have taken little or no action against diving or ‘simulation’ as the footballing version of the PC brigade will describe it.

When then Arsenal player Eduardo dived in a 2009 Champions League qualifier against Celtic, Arsenal appealed against the two-match suspension he received – and won. From some angles, it looked like a clear-cut dive, from others a stone-wall penalty. But UEFA backing down opened the door for more and more players to realise they could get away with it, on the basis that at the speed top-level football is played at, it’s very difficult to ‘prove’ what everyone knows was cheating.

If the authorities took a firm stance and started banning players, whether through straight red cards during games or as retrospective suspensions, it would cut so much vile cheating out of the game. Even if it took a few players being harshly banned, more would try their utmost to stay on their feet and coaches would stop training players in the ‘art of diving’.

But His Royal Highness Neville had something to say on that too. Apparently, if you start banning players for three games there would be “total anarchy in football”. Sorry Gary, I fail to see the problem with that. If it cleanses the game and cuts down on cheating, surely a few managers throwing their toys out of the pram wouldn’t be a bad compromise?

Call my cynical, but I can’t help but think if it had been a Liverpool player diving to win a last-minute, match-winning penalty against Manchester United, he may have a slightly different outlook.

Betfair: Can the return of Tevez boost City's title chase?

Carlos Tevez has finally got down off his high-horse and apologised to Roberto Mancini for refusing to warm-up against Bayern Munich earlier in the season.

Now, in my humble opinion, he should've been booted out of the club on the spot - it's hardly like Manchester City need the transfer money. But now he's back in the picture, can Mancini make the most of the situation and use it to City's title-challenging advantage?

Read more on my Betfair column.

Latest Betfair Column - John's doing a Ruddy good job.

Premier League Betting: John's doing a Ruddy good job

Here's a link to my latest column on Betfair. Can Norwich City 'keeper John Ruddy stake a late claim for a place in England's Euro 2012 squad?

Will Drogba's return mean Torres is back to the bench?

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Will Drogba's return mean Torres is back to the bench?

Can AVB survive the Stamford Bridge storm?

I’ve been pondering this article or at least one of a similar ilk for some time now, but have always managed to hold off, not wanting to jump on the ‘Andre Villas-Boas is a useless twonk’ bandwagon. But like the hoards of Chelsea fans at Goodison Park on Saturday who burst into a rousing chorus of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’, my patience has been worn a bit too thin. It’s time to get it out of my system - *vaguely constructive rant warning*.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one for calling for managers’ heads every five minutes and demanding a plethora of shiny new trophies season after season. I am of the opinion that certain managers need to be given time...where would Manchester United be now had they not stuck out the difficult teething period when Alex Ferguson took the reins?

But that’s not to say clubs and fans should blindly support managers either, just for the sake of ‘giving them time’, when things clearly aren’t right in the camp.

Villas-Boas’s arrival at Stamford Bridge in the summer came as a surprise to many Blues fans, with strong rumours linking former interim boss Guus Hiddink with the job. And being a close friend of owner Roman Abramovich, popular with the Stamford Bridge faithful and players alike, it seemed the obvious move.

But Abramovich instead pulled a move out of left-field, appointing FC Porto manager and former Chelsea employee, Villas-Boas.

Despite the surprising appointment, Chelsea fans by and large seemed excited by the prospect of a young, up-and-coming manager who could potentially take the hot-seat for years to come – our very own Sir Alex. But despite Chelsea players crowing over how great and 21st Century pre-season training was (presumably with a gun to their heads...) and being the first side to knock Manchester ‘webuyanyplayer.com’ City off their perch this season, things have started to turn sour.

Draw has followed defeat has followed draw has followed defeat at regular intervals, across all competitions. Chelsea scraped through the Champions League knock-out stages, somehow topping the group, but look increasingly likely to accomplish the unacceptable at Stamford Bridge and miss out on qualification for Europe’s biggest club tournament next season.

One can only be left to wonder how the Great Rebuild of 2012 will go when the Blues fail to attract top youngsters or experienced heads with no offer of Champions League football.

And it’s not as if AVB has the right ideas but just doesn’t have the personnel to carry them out. His team selections are a mystery, his substitutions are nothing short of baffling and his infatuation with Jose Bosingwa...simply mind-boggling.

Take this week’s debacle against Everton for example. His back four were Bosingwa, Luiz, Ivanovic and Cole. Last weekend against Manchester United (the capitulation to end all capitulations), Branislav Ivanovic was a contender for Chelsea’s Man of the Match...at right back...the position he’s mostly occupied since his arrival in January 2008. He was nothing short of outstanding, dodgy penalty aside. Gary Cahill, who was finally awarded his Chelsea debut, was also on the better side of solid and was even unlucky not to clinch an undeserved three points right at the death, with a stinging shot tipped over by De Gea.

So this week, naturally, it was all change. Cahill was back getting splinters and Ivanovic was back in the centre babysitting David Luiz, to varying degrees of success. There’s a complete lack of consistency to enable the defence to gel and there’s even less appreciation for playing the best players in their best positions. That means Ivanovic at right back and Jose Bosingwa on the next plane back to Portugal, Andre.

Villas-Boas also seems to lack any tactical nous. He makes substitutions for the sake of it and the team often loses its shape and balance as a result. Up until Christmas, Chelsea were the only team in the Premier League to have used all three substitutions in every game. That doesn’t exactly point to level-headed tactical genius.

The game against Fulham at the Bridge on Boxing Day was a classic example. AVB hooks Frank Lampard, fairly enough as Lamps was having a Weston (Super-Mare!), and replaces him with Florent Malouda. Now my feelings towards Mr Malouda are best saved for a future blog for fear of this one turning into War and Peace with very ripe language, but that aside, replacing a centre midfielder with a wide player meant the middle of the park lost all shape, with none of the players seeming to know who was meant to be where. This also happened against Manchester City, when for reasons only known to AVB, we found ourselves with both Mikel and Romeu on the pitch at the same time. Two holding midfielders, four defenders, complete chaos.

That’s not to say AVB has been all-bad. The signing of Juan Mata was inspired and he’s an incredibly exciting prospect for the future. That’s not to mention...no, actually, that’s the only good point I can muster.

It seems that after 25 league games, seven draws and six defeats, maybe it’s time Abramovich cuts his losses and admits he appointed the wrong man. And with his ever-increasing training ground visits, maybe it’s just a matter of time until Chelsea call a press conference.

Sam Hutchinson - A Tale of Inspiration

Amidst the diving, players refusing to play and obscene levels of money, rarely does football - especially at the top level - offer heart-warming and uplifting stories. But the tale of one Chelsea youngster is a rare shining light shimmering in a game increasingly shrouded in darkness.

During Jose Mourinho’s reign at Stamford Bridge and several years after Roman Abramovich’s gargantuan investment in the plush new Cobham training facilities and academy set-up, small buds of young, English talent were just starting to blossom in the heart of Surrey.

All the talk now surrounds the potential of the likes of Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand, but at four years their senior and with a tale of persistence, determination and courage already under his belt, maybe the player Chelsea fans should really start buzzing about is Sam Hutchinson.

The 22-year-old defender hung up his boots just 16 months ago, believing his short-lived playing career to be over after a succession of knee problems. But Chelsea offered him a route back into the game with a coaching contract and it was through that he realised he may be able to keep the dream alive.

After noticing he could coach without knee pains, Hutchinson began the process of resurrecting his playing career bit by bit. He was training three days on, one day off and he’s now progressed to four days on, one day off and playing regular 90 minutes for Chelsea’s reserves, of whom captained before the injuries took their toll.

These are promising signs for player, club and fans. Hutchinson was starting to edge his way into first-team contention under Mourinho after making his debut in May 2007 and became a regular face on the Chelsea bench, with four very exciting appearances for the Blues. He’s a young, versatile defender, able to switch between full-back and centre-back with ease, with an eye for a foraging run forwards – a more controlled version of David Luiz and with more controlled hair too!

And while player and club are rightly approaching his rehabilitation as a ‘one step at a time’ process, there are certainly bright signs for the future. Although Hutchinson may not be the immediate solution to Chelsea’s defensive woes, in the long-term he certainly has the potential to be John Terry’s successor, not just at centre-back but with the captain’s armband too.

Having made his comeback for the reserves in July in a friendly against Crawley Town, Hutchinson has taken another step towards securing his future on the pitch, as this week he signed a new 18-month deal with the Blues.

But it’s going to be a long road for the youngster, requiring patience from himself and common sense from the Chelsea medical staff. Though having seen the attitude with which he’s already approached his return to football and the maturity with which he’s rebounded from set-back after set-back, Chelsea fans should have no concerns about Sam Hutchinson’s desire and attitude. And should he recover the promise he showed under Jose Mourinho, it could be a very exciting future for the young defender.

Low-scoring affair when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium : Premier League : UK & Ireland Football

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Low-scoring affair when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium : Premier League : UK & Ireland Football

Carling Cup Odds: Kuyt can break his duck in this competition : Carling Cup : UK & Ireland Football

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Carling Cup Odds: Kuyt can break his duck in this competition : Carling Cup : UK & Ireland Football

A Busy 24 Hours for Dorking Ladies on Transfer Deadline Day

Despite several approaches for players, Dorking Ladies had a quiet transfer deadline day yesterday.

The Chicks brought in forwards Sharna Rutley-Stent and Daisy ‘Torres’ on free transfers earlier in the summer, while creative midfielder Andreia Veiga departed Meadowbank in a groundbreaking deal worth 49p and a packet of Quavers – much to the delight of Jess Pickett who is now using the crisps as a new training aid.

Veiga’s new club have yet to unveil their new protégée, but we understand she was snapped up by Andre Villas-Boas when Daniel Levy put the brakes on Luka Modric’s move to Stamford Bridge.

Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has yet to dabble in the transfer market, with Alan ‘Ali G’ Gardener keeping an ever watchful eye on the purse-strings, although it is believed that the club are still interested in signing former player Amy Fazackerley as back-up for ‘keeper Mikki Hough.

Hynes instead has been spending deadline day fending off approaches for members of her current squad. It is understood that midfielder Gemma Wilson has been the subject of an enquiry from Harry Redknapp, who is looking to fill the gap left by the injured and stroppy Rafael Van der Vaart. But ‘Arry was put-off completing a deal when he learned of Wilson’s volatile attitude towards match officials, meaning she would be unavailable for the majority of Spurs’ matches through suspension.

Arsene Wenger is believed to have spent best part of the day sending increasingly desperate emails to Dorking Chairman Mick Muggeridge, asking to sign anyone with a pair of boots. After being rebuffed on several occasions by Muggeridge, the Arsenal boss was spotted camping in his front garden in a desperate bid to boost his depleted squad. If Wenger held out until 9.30pm, sources close to the Surrey club say Muggeridge may have been willing to discuss a deal which would have seen defender Steph Thorbes move to the Emirates on a season-long loan. But Wenger is believed to want a centre-half who heads the ball. He is happy, however, to see Thorbes’ dog Alfie become the Gunners’ new mascot.

It is also rumoured that Manchester United made a shock bid for Dorking striker Shellie Villette, with boss Sir Alex Ferguson telling the press: “We have made an approach for Villette to bring something different to our very young side. ‘Maturity’ and ‘experience’ are the words commonly touted about in these situations.” Villette turned 30 midway through last season.

Newly promoted QPR, meanwhile, dropped their interest in midfielder/centre forward Laura Browning, despite her impressive showing last campaign. It is rumoured that Neil Warnock did not think having Browning and new signing Joey Barton in the same team would be a good idea. Although, Warnock upped his interest in left-back Fliss Burns saying, “We understand Burns has a lot of work commitments in her role as a police officer, but she would be a great addition to the squad. Although we’ve yet to complete the signing, we’ve already reserved her place in the changing room alongside Joey Barton.”

Barton’s former employers, Newcastle United, swooped for Dorking’s Lauren ‘decibel’ Sutton as a direct replacement for the loud and aggressive midfielder. Alan Pardew does not believe any further comments on the situation are required at this stage.

Left-back Kelsey Hutchinson was contacted by rugby League side Leeds Rhinos, believing they could utilise her ‘direct’ style of play.

Meanwhile, the strangest request of the day came from Finland head coach Mixu Paatelainen, who wanted to make enquiries into whether mother-daughter duo Emma and Sharna Rutley-Stent had any Finnish heritage. The nation are looking to put themselves firmly back on the footballing map by outdoing rivals Iceland, who once historically substituted Arnor Gudjohnsen for son Eidur.

Dorking boss Vicky Hynes has confirmed the Chicks will be making an official complaint to the FA regarding the number of her players who were disrupted by transfer rumours on deadline day. The club are thought to be especially unhappy by illegal approaches for centre-half Shaney Bolton and midfielder Lauren Hutchinson, who they say have been illegally 'tapped-up' for several weeks. Hynes did not wish to name the club in question, however Arsene Wenger volunteered to say he "didn't see it."

Stand-in left-back Marie Rogerson is due to be sent on loan until January to gain first-team experience at Oxford. The only member of the Dorking squad who has not yet been the subject of an enquiry is midfielder Hannah Duncan, whose open-goal miss last season has been made public knowledge since appearing on the ‘What Happened Next’ round on A Question of Sport.

World Championships suffer false-start

Now i’m not a raving athletics fan, but watching some of the World Championships in Daegu this week, I really had to feel for some of the British athletes, and others besides.

Jessica Ennis today failed to emulate her Championships of 2009 and scoop gold in the heptathlon. Actually, ‘failed’ is a bit harsh, seeing as she claimed silver which is no mean feat, especially not spread across so many disciplines. But she was undoubtedly and understandably disappointed that she wasn’t able to become the first British athlete to defend a world title. Instead, that opportunity and associated pressure now lies with triple-jumper Phillips Idowu, whose qualification round begins Fridays morning.

Similarly, Mo Farah took silver on Sunday in the 10,000 metres, after being pipped at the post by an Ecuadorian he’d never even heard of! In his efforts to take the world crown, Farah broke away from the pack just a little too soon and ran out of steam, but the unbelievable amount of determination and exertion displayed across his face as he fought tooth and running-spike to hold onto his lead was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately in those situations, as idealistic as it may be to pressure your opponents by creating a gap and (quite literally) running away with it, the easier job may actually lie in chasing the leader. At least you have something to aim for and drive you on, whereas out in front, you’re looking over your shoulder and with no marker set down, it’s sometimes difficult to know how much you need to push yourself to reach the finishing line.

Nevertheless, despite the duos disappointments, better to suffer them now than next summer at the Olympics. It gives them both some extra drive and determination, if they need it, to succeed on the biggest and best stage sport provides.

But it has not just been the Brits suffering in South Africa. Usain Bolt and – ok, more Brits – Christine Ohurugou and Dwaine Chambers (my sympathy is limited where he’s concerned) have each been disqualified from their respective events for false starts. Under new-ish laws, there are no second chances for false-starters. Previously, the first athlete to jump the gun would be allowed to try again, although any second athlete would be automatically disqualified. This was changed because slow-starting runners could purposefully false-start once and hinder their opponents who were quicker out of the blocks.

In an ideal world, each athlete would be given one chance before disqualification, but in this 21st Century world, television rules and the time this could take means it is not an option. In my humble opinion (and apologies to my employers), TV can take a running jump quite frankly. Whilst Lord Coe believes getting away properly is all part of the race, it only takes one twitch, one bit of over-enthusiasm and two or even four years of training and hard-work (and in some cases drug abuse) is in tatters. And that’s only from an athlete’s perspective. What about the thousands of people who have paid through the nose (especially in the case of London 2012) to watch the world’s best competitors and those who haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets but have forked out for Sky/ESPN/Eurosport for the same privilege?

As it transpires, Usain Bolt can consider himself especially unfortunate, as television pictures actually show the eventual winner of the men’s 100 metres on Sunday (and Bolt’s training partner), Yohan Blake, twitched on the blocks before Bolt, well...bolted. Whether this movement triggered Bolt’s premature departure or not we will never know and the ever-gracious Olympic champion is unlikely to say. But in the black and white laws penned by the IAAF, Blake’s movement should have meant disqualification but the sensors failed to pick it up.

No matter what Lord Coe says, one strike and you’re out just isn’t the way forward for athletics. Except in the case of drug abuse, in which case Dwaine Chambers should consider his false-start disqualification the second chance that he blew.

Overall, the World Championships have so far provided many talking points. With five days left to go, let’s hope they continue to do so, but with more positive news for the Brits and athletics as a whole.

It's Time for the Silly Season to Stop Before the Real Season Begins

It’s just over a week to go until football’s transfer window shuts until January. This summer’s window has been dominated by the ‘will he, won’t he’ saga surrounding Carlos Tevez and the ‘just get on with it’ bore-a-thon involving Cesc Fabregas. That’s not forgetting, of course, the confirmation from Manchester ‘webuyanyplayer.com’ City that they will sign Samir Nasri ‘any day now’ on July 8th...July 16th...July 30th...August 11th...August 20th...you get my point.

In short, it’s so far been a transfer window to forget, especially if you’re an Arsenal fan, and if that’s the case you may want to get on with forgetting the rest of the season too.

But does the transfer window go on too long? Should it shut before the season begins?

Every year we see players refusing to honour their contracts and represent their clubs in a bid to move to pastures new (and often richer). Last term, Asmir Begovic of Stoke was hankering after a move to Chelsea and so made himself unavailable to the Potters through fear of sustaining a move-busting injury. This time around, Arsenal want-away Fabregas and Chelsea target Luka Modric have both been struck down with ‘transferitis’ at various points over the summer, deeming them unable to play for their respective sides.

Modric missed last night’s match at Old Trafford, with his boss Harry Redknapp saying the Croatian had a ‘slight injury’, whilst also admitting his head ‘wasn’t in the right place to play’.

This is another factor affecting players who are being chatted-up by new clubs whilst the season is already underway. Knowing their dream move is on the horizon (or one of a multitude of dream moves if you’re Robbie Keane...) then it can become increasingly difficult for players to focus on their jobs for their current clubs. Is this fair on the clubs who own the players and want the best out of them whilst they remain under contract? Hardly.

It’s equally unfair if a player doesn’t want to play through fear of injury or becoming cup-tied, as Samir Nasri would have done had he played for Arsenal against Udinese in the week. On the same point, it’s not fair either for those players who are model professionals and wish to go about their jobs as normal, if their club wants to shift them for a sizeable fee and so won’t select them whilst negotiations are ongoing.

With a January window in place too, it becomes unavoidable as the New Year hits, but often players are already cup-tied in various competitions and few ‘big moves’ really materialise at this time of year anyway.

But at the start of the season, the transfer window turns football into a farce. It would seem best for both players, clubs and the paying public if the ‘silly season’ were to end before the real season begins. Let's just get on with the football!

Premier League Almost-Preview

So the Premier League season tiptoed it's way into action last weekend. Having had weeks of hype without any 'proper' football to fill the void of the close season (sorry, the new Women's Super League doesn't count) and endless transfer speculation that only the silly season can adequately provide, the Big Kick Off was something of a damp squib really. 5 draws in 9 games didn't really set Match Of The Day alight, but we welcomed it back with a fond cuddle just the same.

Now, having missed the opportunity for a proper Premier League preview last week (obviosuly foreseeing that things wouldn't really get going until the second weekend...), I thought I'd dive in before this week's fixtures commence with the lunchtime Tyne and Wear derby on Saturday.

Here are my thoughts (no benefit of first-week hindsight necessary).

Title race: As a Chelsea fan, it saddens me to say that Andre Villas-Boas' men don't look to have much of a prayer this year. There may be the odd fleeting challenge here and there, the odd tentative knock on the door, but in truth I can't see anyone forcing it down with a battering ram. It's Manchester United's for the taking.

They've lost some key players over the last six months and surely their biggest loss (in more than just surface area) will be Edwin van der Sar and, as yet, replacement David de Gea doesn't look quite up to scratch. But the signings of Phil Jones and Ashley Young are shrewd moves from Ferguson, though it does remain to be seen if Young's quite the standard Old Trafford fans will be looking for.

The only way Chelsea can realistically challenge for honours is if Villas-Boas persuades Roman Abramovich to splash the cash. Not necessarily huge sums, but a winger is vital and a playmaker would be handy as well, to complement Torres' movement and provide him with the service he needs. Having said that, Romelu Lukaku is certainly one to watch. Very much in the mould of Didier Drogba, let's just hope he throws a few less strops.

Manchester City are one club who have certainly not been adverse to a bit of retail therapy this summer, with Sergio Aguero and Gael Clichy both joining the ranks...and they don't look like they're finished yet. Samir Nasri wants out of Arsenal (and who could blame him) and City will be offering lots and lots of crisp notes to tempt him, even though he's far from guaranteed a game (numpty). Yet despite their 4-0 mauling of new boys Swansea on Monday and their perilous strike force, I still can't take them seriously. They are still just a team of mercenaries, unconcerned whether they get a game or not. It's the ultimate case of fantasy football and come Christmas, when it's getting a bit chilly oop norf and Manchester's two decent restaurants have been exhausted, the players will implode.

And I suppose a 'title race' section isn't complete until Arsenal's credentials have been considered. Oh sorry, my mistake...

In all seriousness, the loss of Fabregas and imminent departure of Nasri will hit Wenger's side hard - however much he tries to disguise it. Signings such as Southampton teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Charlton's Carl Jenkinson won't really cut it amongst the likes of Rooney, Terry and Silva. Arsenal already boast a plethora of young talent coming through the ranks, not least Jack Wilshere, so it's experienced heads that are really required. Another year, another wonder-kid, another empty trophy cabinet at the Emirates.


European Challengers: Gone are the days when Aston Villa and Everton would start the season hoping to sneak it to a Champions League place come May, but realistically be expecting UEFA Cup (sorry...Europa League...) football the next season. These two have been left behind by Tottenham and Liverpool, who will be contesting those very positions this campaign and may even jump ahead of Arsenal for Champions League football. It's unlikely anyone else will be involved in the hunt, although if you want a tip for dark horses this year, Owen Coyle's Bolton are your men. Very quiet, very unassuming, but potentially deadly. Keep an eye out!


Avoiding the drop: Blackburn, despite their laugha...i mean...commendable attempts to sign Spanish legend Raul, are my hot favourites for the drop. Steve Kean hasn't been allowed to spend a flapping thing by the club's Poultry firm owners. They were a poor outfit last time out and don't look to be ready to fare any better this time around.

Struggling with Blackburn will be new boys Swansea, who could be masters of their own downfall, due to Brendan Rogers' insistence on playing pretty football. It's good for the spectators and you have to admire the principle, but trying to play the big boys at their own game is unlikely to get them far. We all know what happened to Blackpool last season. In fact, I'm still not truly over it...

My third tip for the drop may surprise one or two of you, and may earn me the wrath of Joey Barton, but I'm going to put Newcastle out there. They've lost key players Andy Carroll, Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan since January and the actions (or Tweets) of Enrique and Barton have advertised the turmoil within St James' Park...as if we needed telling. The money gained from the sales of Carroll and Enrique have helped bring in the formidable forces of Demba Ba and Gabriel Obertan, but despite these ground-breaking acquisitions, the Toon look an unhappy and unstable camp right now. Can Alan Pardew, the man sacked from both West Ham and Charlton for running both clubs into the ground, keep Newcastle's head above water this year? Don't count on it.

Other clubs in and around the drop zone are likely to be newly promoted Norwich and QPR, for lacking the strength in depth much like Blackpool did last season and Wolves and Wigan may spend most of the campaign looking over their shoulders too.


So there you have it, my Premier League Almost-Preview 2011/12. Feel free to come back in May and lambast me for my appalling predictions, but until then, Happy Football Season everyone (Tottenham fans excluded)!

Disgraceful Rooney Deserves Heavy Punishment

It was another weekend of twists and turns for the PRemier League title that no-one seems to want to win.

Arsenal and Chelsea dropped two points apiece - at home to Blackburn and away to Stoke respectively. But the biggest shock of the weekend looked to be on the cards at Upton Park. With West Ham leading Manchester United 2-0 at the break and with Nemanja Vidic fortunate to be amongst the action, the visitors had a cliched mountain to climb. But climb it they did - with whacking great ice-picks! Oh, and a Wayne Rooney hat-trick.

But unfortunately it wasn't the strikers devastating 14 minute goal rush or the fourth from Hernandez (I refuse to call him 'Chicarito' - it's not your bloody name!)to seal the come-back which Match of the Day pundits or the Sunday rags were talking about, as Rooney once again hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Scoring his third goal of the game from the penalty spot (and it was a somewhat dubious penalty anyway), Rooney celebrated by running towards the television cameras and shouting obscentities. Big man.

It's bad enough that he did it at all, but for a live lunch-time kick-off with millions tuning in, including a large number of youngsters, Rooney surely has to be heavily reprimanded. But then this is the FA we're dealing with...

In 2009, following Chelsea's dramatic Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Barcelona, Didier Drogba launched a tirade of abuse towards the controversial officials. It was an inexcusable act, although understandable in the heated circumstances, and the Chelsea man was hit hard by UEFA, who banned the Ivorian for four matches.

The incident this weekend is surely no different, if anything it's worse. Drogba had the camera shoved in his face when feelings were already running high. On Saturday, Rooney approached the camera after scoring a goal to give his side the lead. He made a conscious decision to carry out his act.

Listening to Radio 5 Live since the incident, presenters and callers alike have repeated the fact that Rooney's had a 'tough year'. What part of his year has been tough enough to warrant such a toughtless and careless display is questionable. Earning £100,000+ a week must be really hard for him and playing for one of the best teams in Europe, as well as representing his country, must just push him over the edge!

Whatever excuses Rooney-sympathisers come out with and whether or not the Manchester United front-man apologised afterwards (ignoring the fact that he was almost certainly advised to), the fact remains that it was a disgraceful act, once again undermining his role-model status.

The FA and Premier League, not to mention Sir Alex Ferguson and his club, have a duty to the sport to come down heavily on Rooney. A fine and slapped wrist just won't cut it. If Drogba was banned for four matches, Rooney needs at least the same treatment.

Players like Rooney cannot keep damaging the reputation of the sport, their clubs and their fellow professionals. The game has given them a hell of a lot in life, it's time they started giving something back...and it's not abuse.

Over Land and Sea

Here's the full version of my feature article 'Over Land and Sea', completed as part of my major multi-media project. The rest of my project can be found here.

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Over Land and Sea (Online version)

Many kids around the world dream of becoming the next Didier Drogba or Cesc Fabregas – but for the lucky few who get their dream move to England, it can come at a higher price than just spending hours on a muddy training pitch and scrubbing changing room urinals.

We all know moving house is one of life’s most stressful events, so how does a teenager cope not just moving from Reading to Rochdale but travelling the thousands of miles from Lagos to London, or Buenos Aires to Birmingham – leaving behind their home, family and friends?

“Since I was young I wanted to come to England to play football because my favourite players play in this country,” says Chelsea’s on-loan Fulham winger Gael Kakuta, whose controversial move from Lens came when he was just 15.

“At the beginning it was a little bit hard because of the language [barrier] – I couldn’t speak with the other players. But after that it was easy – everyone was nice and helped me to find my way in the club.”

The teenager impressed coaches at the Blues’ academy, was fast-tracked into the first team reckoning and is now gaining valuable Premier League experience under Mark Hughes. Kakuta attributes his success to the support offered by his family and friends.

“My mum said ‘you make your decision and I’ll always be there for you’,” smiles the 19-year-old. “I have a sister who’s been living in England for 10 years. My mum comes over sometimes and I stay in touch with my friends in France.”

Wolves defender George Elokobi was also 15 when he moved to England, but for the Cameroonian, football was far from his thoughts at the time.

“I wanted to be reunited with my mother because she was over here studying. I came to England to do a degree. Opportunities back home are a little bit limited, so for me to come to England with all the opportunities here was massive.”

Unlike Kakuta, the Wolves man owes his Premier League career to the traditional British route of working his way to the top, via Dulwich Hamlet and Colchester.

Despite leaving behind family, Elokobi has yet to return home in the 10 years he’s been in England – a sign of how easily he settled in. Of course, it helps that he was able to have his mother here to help him with the transition.

“I got massive help from my mum who supported me financially and to have motherly support was important for me,” says the 25-year-old.

But listening to your mum isn’t the only piece of advice Elokobi has for aspiring youngsters looking to make the move to the Premier League.

“They need to keep their head down and don’t get distracted. It’s important to work hard, learn quickly and be patient. It is not easy playing in England, it’s the best league in the world.”

Elokobi and Kakuta are two of the lucky ones – the bigger the club the better the support network – a factor which Amanda Owens, former head psychologist at Southampton, feels is paramount to players’ success.

“Social support plays a huge role,” she says. “It can affect the players in a negative way if they don’t have the correct social and educational support in place.”

“Cricket’s got a very good structure and football’s still lagging behind a little bit, but the FA are moving things forward and investing a lot of money in welfare, lifestyle support and psychology.

“At Southampton, Gordon [Strachan] brought in a specialist language interpreter for two players which helped enormously, because the language barrier can have a huge effect on the player integrating into the team and their performance on the pitch.”

Agent Tony White is like a footballing equivalent of a modern day Abraham, leading starry-eyed kids from France to the promised land of the Premier League. “England is looked on as the end of the rainbow – everyone wants to come here.

“The French media publicise the enormous salaries that can be earned in the Premier League and the players are attracted by that. They’re looking for England to solve the financial future of the whole family – they look for football as a way out.”

It’s an escape route which can prove lucrative for the select few but for White, the secret to success is maintaining a stable life off the pitch, as well as on it.

“Most players will make it through if they’ve got outstanding ability but when you’re that young you need family and friends around you. It’s difficult to go to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, or don’t like the food. If you’re happy in your mind, you’re going to perform better.”

White believes so strongly in the welfare of his young charges, he will go the extra mile to support their needs.

“For me that’s part of the role of an agent, being a counsellor and a mentor. I like to work with a club and give them as much information about the player’s likes and dislikes. Sometimes a player will hide things from the club because he hasn’t got enough confidence in the people who work there.”


But even for those who don’t make the grade at the top level, moving to England can leave a real impression. Former Chelsea youngster Nick Hamann, now back in his native Germany, admitted he ‘fell in love’ with England. He said: “I really like the way of life over there.

“I’m playing at home again and I actually feel homesick as I call England home now. Every time I get a couple of days I’m on the next plane to London to see my mates and my 3 godchildren who are the grandchildren of my foster parents I stayed with. It was harder leaving England than moving away from home when I was 15.”

A Day in the Life - Nick Hamann

Former Chelsea youngster Nick Hamann spoke exclusively to Hannah Duncan about what a typical day entails for a foreign player at an English club.

0830: Leave my digs near Harlington to go to training in Cobham. Before I was 17, I had a driver who would pick me up every morning. When we used to train in Harlington, I had a bike I would ride to training and when we moved to Cobham, Chelsea offered to move me over there, but I turned it down because I loved the digs in Harlington.

0900: Breakfast at the training ground. I never really had to eat English food as the chef at Chelsea was Italian!

1030: Training started. We would sometimes have gym sessions, swimming or massages before and after training – going on until about 3:30, but generally training on the pitch would last 90minutes. We would often hang around after because there was everything there, from Playstations to snooker and darts.

1600: For the first two years, I had to study three times a week – including English and nutrition. I’d also do a lot with the lads after training as well, we were a great bunch and I’m still in contact with a lot of them.

1800: Back to digs for dinner there or sometimes I went for dinner with some of the players. Every Sunday my digs had a family roast where I was always there no matter what, with Julia and Franco (my digs parents), their two daughters, two son in-laws, three grandkids and Robert Huth.

2000: There weren’t any rules set by the club about when we had to be in or anything like that, they left that to the digs parents. I think we all knew that as a Chelsea player you had to behave a certain way and represent the club in a good way. So there was never really a need for them to make up any rules.

Sebastian Kneissl & Nick Hamann - Exclusive Q&A

Former Chelsea duo Seb Kneissl and Nick Hamann spoke exclusively to Hannah Duncan about moving from their German homeland as teenagers to join the Blues.

How did your move to Chelsea come about?

SK: One of the Chelsea scouts watched me play for the Under 16 German national team. After the game they invited me to come over for a week to have a look at the club and train with them.

NH: It was the same for me, being approached by Chelsea after a German Under 16 tournament. I had lots of offers from Bundesliga clubs like Cologne, Stuttgart, Bochum and Dortmund, so I was going to move away from home anyway. After the trial, Chelsea offered me a contract and I signed a couple of weeks after that.

How easily did you settle in at Chelsea?

SK: Of course, it is hard to move to another country at that young age but the I adapted really well. I didn´t know anybody at the club although Robert Huth moved to London just 6 weeks later. It was good to have someone you can speak to in your own language.

NH: I settled really easily in England as all the people at Chelsea looked after me really well and they put me in a great digs. I already knew Robert Huth before I joined Chelsea so that made it even easier to settle in.

How did Chelsea as a club help with the transition?

SK: I used to live in digs.The family was great although a bit mental at times! As you are around the training ground most of the time you only have contact to the "Chelsea lot" and noone else. Frank Steer (Frank the tank) was always there for me when I had a couple of questions - so was Gary Staker.

NH: Chelsea sorted everything before I came over so I had only the football to worry about. I cannot name one player or staff member who didn’t make me feel welcome. Especially John Terry looked after us young guys really well. And obviously Robert Huth and Sebastian Kneissl were the 2 players I socialised with the most as they are German.

Did you have an opportunity to continue your education?

SK: I finished my education in Germany so I just wanted to concentrate on football.

NH: As I was pretty young when I moved away from home I wasn’t finished with school so Chelsea put me into the German school in Richmond for one year.

How often did you see your family and friends and what did they think of the move?

SK: My parents came to London quite often. When we had a weekend off training, I was on my way to see my friends and relatives in Germany of course. But it wasnt that often. I visited Germany maybe 3 times a year.

NH: My family came to see me once every 6 weeks. Chelsea paid for everything like flight and hotel. It was obviously very hard for my family because I’m an only child but at the same time they were really happy for me as I made my dream come true.

What was the hardest part of coming to England?

SK: THE FOOD! Having to stand on your own feet was hard for me at the beginning. Not having your family around you when you needed someone was quite hard too.

NH: Being away from my mates was the hardest part. But as a whole I fell in love with England.

Looking back on your experiences, what advice would you give to any young players coming over now?

SK: If it feels right, go for it. Don’t worry what anybody else thinks about it. If you have any doubts, dont do it - you will not get to your target.

NH: I would say to players who come over now that it’s just such a big opportunity for them, especially at big clubs like Chelsea where they get everything done for them. They’ve got to realise that this isn’t the real world of football. The problem is that most players realise it too late when they leave that big club and have got play for lower league teams. You can’t expect to get straight into a Premier League or Championship team even if you come from one of the biggest clubs. I think that this is the biggest challenge to overcome.