Community Shield epic becomes bench mark for the season

Sunday's enthralling Community Shield game between Manchester United and Manchester City is the perfect benchmark for the new Premier League season.

That tussle at Wembley on Sunday is a clear preview of what we are in for this season at the top of the table. I personally believe that this seasons title will be between both Manchester clubs, ending in the same dramatic way in which it did on Sunday, with United breaking City hearts at the death.

There has never been a build up to a season quite like this one, although, we seem to say it every year! There is no longer a Premier League 'Big Four' which included Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Now it is the 'Big Six' with the original top four being joined by Manchester City and Tottenham. I very much expect the top six to finish with those six teams in it, but the order in which they come is any ones guess.

The title is likely to be between Man United, Man City and Chelsea, however Arsenal and Liverpool are likely to have a say in that. The fourth place spot, if the top three are to be who I've mentioned, will be fought out between Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs. However, expect teams such as Aston Villa and Everton to have their say, however with the lack of funds at both clubs compared to the rest, you can't see their squads going the distance.

As for the relegation battle, the three teams who have come up will always be the favourites to go straight back down again. Swansea, Norwich and QPR haven't strengthened their squads considerably. Looking at Newcastle United and West Brom, who were newly promoted this time last year, they both invested considerably in their squads, resulting in both sides avoiding relegation with apparent ease. All three new clubs do play an attractive and attacking brand of football, which, if the defencive side of the team remains strong, can be very rewarding in the big league.

Teams who will be looking over their shoulders this season include, Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan.Wovles look to be the stronger of that bunch of teams and are starting to establish themselves as a Premier League team with 2 consecutive seasons in the league after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day last year. Wigan are set for their seventh consecutive season which is quite remarkable for a club who were in fourth tier of English football in 1995. However, over the last couple of years they have flirted dangerously with the drop zone, escaping relegation last season after a dramatic last couple of wins against West Ham and Stoke.

I very much expect the rest of the teams to fill up the safety of mid table in the league this season. The club who could break for a European spot are Newcastle United, however with current uncertainty at the club, that could have a detrimental effect on their performances at the start of the season. With the club capable of snatching a European spot, it is equally capable of imploding and facing a relegation dog fight this season. The Geordie's could be in for another rollercoaster ride. Stoke City and Sunderland seem to have had a successful pre-season, as both now are established sides in the Premier League, who have spent money in order to progress this season, particularly Sunderland with eight new signings, including Man United veterans Wes Brown and John O'Shea. The Black Cats could be in for an exciting season. West Brom will this year be aiming to rid the tag of being a 'yo-yo' club, yo-yoing between the Premier League and the Championship in recent times by further progressing this season. With Roy Hodgson in charge, relegation shouldn't be a concern.


Fulham and Bolton remain the sides that never seem to progress or challenge for Europe or major trophies. Although in fairness, Fulham were runners-up to Athletico Madrid in the 2010 Europa League final. I expect both sides to once again settle for mid-table comforts this season with the strength of the top teams in the league.

All in all, we can expect one of the most competitive seasons ever witnessed in the Premier League's 20th season. It's impossible to call who will be playing Championship football in 12 months time, or who will be defending their title come next August.

Five players to watch out for in the new season

With the new Premier League season just a week away, I will look at players who won't be considered as top players, who might shine in the new season.

PHIL JONES

The ex-Blackburn ace is one that is considered to be the next England captain by many. His move to Manchester United could be the perfect move for the young center-back. Playing under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson certainly can't be a bad thing for any player, especially if you already have the talent that Jones seems to possess.
He has been compared to the likes of John Terry, which can be no bad thing in terms of on the field ability and leadership. If he can manage to break though the obvious regulars, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, then it could be a significant season for Jones in the red of Man United.

DANIEL STURRIDGE

After his move from Manchester City to Chelsea a few years ago, it looked as if Sturridge would struggle to develop at Stamford Bridge, however a loan move to Bolton Wanderers in the second half of last season seemed to be extremely beneficial for the young striker as he scored eight Premier League goals in twelve outings for the Trotters. There has been talk with another loan move to several Premier League clubs this summer but as yet nothing has materialised.
England Under 21 honours have since followed as he was one of the stand out performers in the overall disappointing Under 21 European Championships earlier in the summer. One to watch if he can manage to get ahead of the likes of Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. A loan move might be ideal for him this season.

AARON RAMSEY

The young Wales and Arsenal starlet had his career take a step back after his horrific leg break at Stoke back in early 2010. Before that he was considered to be one of the hottest young prospects in Britain, with his passing and movement particularly eye-catching.
It has been a long rehabilitation since the break from which he recovered from in October 2010. He was sent out on load twice last season to Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City, playing eleven times overall, scoring once.

He ended the season with a flourish for Arsenal scoring in the win against Manchester United in May, along with claiming the Man of the Match award. He managed seven first team appearances for the Gunners last season, proving he has recovered fully from the injury.
With Cesc Fabregas seemingly on his way out of Arsenal, Ramsey could be lighting up the Premier League next season.

FABIAN DELPH

Since his move to Aston Villa from Leeds United in 2009, Delph has only featured 15 times for the first team, mainly due to the fact that he damaged his cruciate ligaments in his knee in April 2010. This has hampered his Villa career up until now, however he is still highly regarded at Villa Park as one for the future. He has been capped at England U19 and U21 level, and will be looking to break into the Villa first team next season.
Although he hasn't proved himself at this level, this could be the season which Delph establishes himself as a Premier League player.

HARIS VUCKIC

Although Vuckic is relatively unknown to the football world, he is highly regarded at Newcastle United. After moving from his native Slovenia in 2009 to Tyneside, his development was stunted in 2010 when he suffered a serious knee injury playing for Newcastle reserves. This came at the wrong time for Vuckic who had just made his league debut for the Magpies in the 1-0 win over Leicester City at St James' Park in September 2010.

He returned for the start of the 2010/11 campaign, first catching the footballing worlds eye in Newcastle's 4-3 Carling Cup win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The attacking midfielder didn't feature much for the first team last season, with the odd bench warming job during the season.
His performances for Newcastle in pre-season friendlies this summer have again shown his undoubted talent, scoring against Columbus Crew and Leeds United in the last few weeks. The goal against Columbus being particularly impressive. With Newcastle having a relatively small squad, Vuckic could yet force his way into the first team at St James' Park.

The Joey Barton Twitter saga triggers Newcastle United 'crisis' (not again..!)

The Joey Barton twitter saga has once again alerted the loyal Newcastle fans of the seemingly poor way in which the club is being run.

Once news had broke that Newcastle were willing to let Barton leave for free this summer, even though he still has a year left on his contract, sparked mass unrest within the Toon Army.

Barton was an integral part of Newcastle's successful return to the top flight last season as he chipped in with four goals and nine assists. That season seemed to be the turning point in his career, as he had won over the fans who had stuck by him.

However, this summer has yet again knocked Barton back to being ridiculed by the media. Firstly, the club and Barton couldn't agree on a new contract, so the club said, leaving Barton unsure over his future. The club then revealed they would not be offering him a new contract and that he would play out his final year at the club, although the club offering a new contract in the future wasn't ruled out completely.

This was the stage that Barton seemed to turn on the club’s board, issuing comments on his Twitter page criticising the clubs transfer policy, which in all fairness, he may have a point.

Suddenly, if things weren't bad enough for Barton, with his long term future undecided, Newcastle and in particular owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias, looked to have given up on Barton, issuing a statement saying that Barton would be transfer listed and available for no price.

All of a sudden, Newcastle United again seemed in crisis. This isn't something that is said once in a blue moon, this is a very regular occurrence for this unique club, especially since the takeover of Mike Ashley. Since the relegation of the club in 2009, there seems to be a 'crisis' every 6 months. Firstly, of course, the relegation was a crisis in its self, as there was no manager, the owner wanted to sell up, players wanted to leave and the financial state of the club looked in jeopardy.

Ashley wisely appointed a manager from within the club, namely, Chris Hughton, on an interim basis to try and steady the ship and to take care of footballing matters while the financial situation was dealt with. A lot of players left the club that summer, but certain individuals such as Barton himself, Kevin Nolan, Fabricio Coloccini, Jonas Gutierrez, Jose Enrique and Steve Harper, all stayed at the club to try and get the club promoted at the first time of asking.

Hughton was given the job full time in October 2009, and things were starting to look good once again as the Magpies stormed though the Championship, winning the title with a huge 102 points.

Suddenly things were looking up, a return to the Premier League, where the club undoubtedly belongs, was achieved.

Newcastle were in 11th place at the end of 2010 and the form of Andy Carroll and club captain Kevin Nolan had made the possibility of Newcastle achieving their goal of staying up, very likely.

Then, all of a sudden, Mike Ashley decided to once again, do his best to upset fans and players with his outrageous decision making. Firstly the sacking of now, hero, Chris Hughton, who had taken the club from despair to Premier League mid-table within 18 months, started a mini crisis at the club in December 2010. That crisis continued after the surprising appointment of Alan Pardew, there was growing rumours that striker Andy Carroll was going to be sold in the January transfer window. Over and over, Pardew rebuffed those claims saying that Carroll would not be sold, whatever the price. Whether that was Mike Ashley telling Pardew to say those words in order to keep the fans happy whilst maybe encouraging teams to up their price for the striker, no one knows. But what we do know is, is that Carroll was sold, to Liverpool, on the final day of the transfer window, for a staggering £35 million.

Fair enough that is an awful lot of money for someone so young and unproven, however the fans did not see it that way and that is understandable. Newcastle United should not be a 'selling club' and judging by that sale, it looks as if it might become one.

Somehow, Mike Ashley and his board managed to divert the criticism off themselves and onto Andy Carroll, saying it was him that wanted to leave the club and that they had no choice but to accept Liverpool's offer. However, this summer has maybe shown that Carroll was in fact forced out of the club. Kevin Nolan's sale to West Ham United was the first sign of this as a few weeks after his sale he came out and said he had no choice but to leave as he had lost trust in the owners claiming that there had been 'broken promises'. Further proving that the running of the club was jeopardising the progression of it on the pitch for next season.

The last nail in the coffin for Newcastle fans this year is the treatment of midfielder Joey Barton. Yes, he may have openly criticised the club and its board, however, the way he has been treated and being the personality he is, he wasn't going to soak it in and forget about it.

There are protests apparently being organised for the friendly against Fiorentina this weekend and for the first game of the season at home to Arsenal a week on Saturday, as the Toon Army look to try and force Mike Ashley out of their club.

England show India who are the top dogs

Andrew Strauss' England team look set to become the new world number one test nation after taking a 2-0 lead in the four match series with India.

Before the test series began, England knew that a win by two clear tests would be enough to send them to the top of the world rankings.

The resurgence of Stuart Broad in the last two test matches has lead to England being in the position where the number one rating is within touch.

Before the test series started, it was Broad who's test place was at risk due to poor form in all forms of cricket over the past few months. Tim Bresnan was likely to replace Broad for the 1st Test Match at Lords however the England selectors stuck by Broad and what a decision that has turned out to be.

At Lords Broad took seven wickets overall and scored a vital 74 not out as England went on to secure a 196 run victory. In the second test at Trent Bridge, Broad took another eight Indian wickets, including a hat-trick in India's first innings at a vital time leaving him with figures of 6-46 and match figures of 8-76. His batting at Trent Bridge also proved vital for England as he top scored in the first innings to rescue England with 64. In the second innings he again produced with the bat with a majestic 44.

Thanks to Broad, England went on to crush India at Trent Bridge by 318 runs. With two tests left to play at Edgbaston and The Kia Oval, odds on England becoming the new test number one have been slashed.

The form of Alistair Cook looks to have dipped slightly as he hasn't made double figures in the series as yet. However he can be forgiven for a dip in form due to his outstanding form over the last seven or eight months. Kevin Pietersen looks to have returned to form with a fantastic 202 not out in the first test at Lords, helping England to a comanding 474 for 8 declared. The other batsmen who have shon are Matt Prior and Ian Bell, with Prior scoring a vital 71 in the first innings at Lords and 103 not out in the second innings.
Ian Bell's 159 in  the second innings at Trent Bridge, albeit controversial with the run out which was later withdrawn by India, proved to give England the spring board for victory.



All of a sudden, the apparent rule of India in all forms of cricket looks to be vunerable. Even if England don't manage to win the series by two clear tests, it cannot be denied that they are playing the best cricket and despite the rankings, England are the best test side in the world.

Bale injury hits Wales hard ahead of England clash

Wales today announced that Gareth Bale will not take part in this Saturday's vital Euro 2012 qualifier against England at the Millennium Stadium with a hamstring injury.



Bale's injury is a huge blow for Wales



Bale had been carrying a slight hamstring problem into Tottenham's last game against West Ham at the weekend, which had put doubts over his fitness for the England came. It has not become clear that playing for Spurs at the weekend has aggravated the injury enough to put him out of this weekends game.

There has been rumours of a fall out between Wales and Spurs over the injury but Wales boss Gary Speed was quick to dis spell such rumours.

This is huge blow for the Welsh in the build up to this one, as with Bale's form this season, the Welsh fans were in high hopes of a victory over their neighbours. However, this injury will do nothing to help those hopes. This injury will give England a boost as they would have been weary of the threat the Bale possesses after out playing world class full-backs such as Maicon in this seasons Champions League.

England were favorites before the Bale injury, but will be even more so now with this announcement, however, Wales still carry a threat within their team. Players such as Craig Bellamy and Aaron Ramsey have the ability to make a game of it on Saturday and England will have to be weary of that.



England prepare ahead of big qualifying clash



England go into the game with no injury issues from the original squad that was announced. Andy Carroll is expected to partner Wayne Rooney in attack for England. Wolves midfielder Matt Jarvis will be hoping to make his debut, but that is likely to come from the bench. James Milner, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Young, Scott Parker and Stewart Downing are all fighting for a place in the midfield along side the likely midfield two of Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry.

Re-instated skipper John Terry is likely to have a new partner in the centre of defence with ex-skipper Rio Ferdinand and Matt Upson out injured. Spurs' Michael Dawson is the most likely replacement, however, he is battling for that place with Bolton's Gary Cahill, Man City's Joleon Lescott and Everton's Phil Jagielka.

Saturday's promises to be an enthralling encounter as Wales have been waiting a long time for revenge after England beat Wales at the Millennium Stadium the last time the teams met, in a World Cup qualifier as Joe Cole gave England a 1-0 win that afternoon in the summer of 2005.

Why is the England captaincy such a big issue?

Yesterday, Fabio Capello reinstated John Terry as England captain at the expense of Rio Ferdinand. This has outraged many in football, but at the end of the day, does it really matter who wears the armband?



Terry is looking to repay the England faithful

 Once again John Terry is in the headlines and again they concern the England captaincy. England boss Capello removed Terry as captain after off the field problems that Terry suffered before the World Cup last year. Capello then appointed Rio Ferdinand as permanent captain, which too many seemed the logical choice. Sadly, Ferdinand was injured before the World Cup and missed out on captaining his country in the tournament which left Vice-captain Steven Gerrard the job of captaining the side through the dismal campaign. 

It was assumed that Ferdinand would continue to be England captain, despite his current injury problems and that Terry's days as captain were long gone. However, Capello has taken a massive u-turn and re-appointed Terry as the permanent captain after believing he had taken his punishment after a year of not being the captain.  

Although, there are now concerns over this sudden re-appointment, as the rift between Terry and ex Chelsea team mate Wayne Bridge caused massive splits between team mates in the England squad and in club sides. John Terry's profile has been hugely tarnished because of his personal issues and a lot has been exposed about his personality. This does have the potential to upset harmony within the England camp before the huge Euro 2012 qualifying clash against Wales this Saturday.

You can only feel for Ferdinand who has hardly had the chance to captain his country properly with injuries hampering his oppotunity to succeed and before he had the chance to, the title has been stripped from him for no apparent reason.



Ferdinand is left wondering what he did wrong

With all that said, does it really matter who wears the armband? No it really shouldn't, although, the English press has a tendency to make the England captaincy more of a drama than it ought to be. An armband and a title should not mean that they are any different to the other players on the pitch. Other leaders such as Ferdinand and Gerrard can still have their say on the pitch as their opinion is just as valid as their 'captain's'.  

It is about time that the England captaincy stops being a soap opera and becomes something that is cherished by the person who holds it, as it does carry a certain amount of responsibility, with young kids constantly looking up to their heroes and modelling themselves and aspiring to be the next England captain.

England scrape into last eight after heroic victory over the West Indies

England managed to scrape into the last eight of the ICC Cricket World Cup after their epic 18 run win over the West Indies in Chennai on Thursday. South Africa managed to beat Bangladesh on Friday which secured England's passage through into the quarter-finals.

England came into the game knowing that anything less than a win would mean elimination from the tournament at the group stage, which was unthinkable. The team was again forced to be changed by captain Andrew Strauss with the injury to Ajmal Shahzad for the rest of the tournament leaving England with only two front line seamers in Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan. Luke Wright was included in the side for the first time in the tournament as England needed more bowling options. Off-spinner James Tredwell was preferred to Michael Yardy as the second spinner along side Graeme Swann. The batting line up remained the same with Strauss and Prior opening followed by Trott, Bell, Morgan, Bopara and Wright.



Prior is bowled after bright start


Strauss won the toss and decided to bat first and with Prior, they got England off to a flyer with England nearly going at ten runs per over for the first 6 or 7 overs before Prior was bowled by Andre Russell for a run a ball 21 with the score on 48. Skipper Strauss soon followed for 31 off 39 including one six leaving England 79-2 off 11.2 overs as Trott and Bell took over in the middle. England looked to be crusing on 121-2 before Trott was leg spinner Devendra Bishoo's first international wicket as he chipped the ball to Chris Gale at mid-wicket for a well played 47. This sparked a collapse for England, yet again. Ian Bell was bowled brilliantly by Kemar Roach for a frustrating 27, Eoin Morgan was caught behind needlessly off Bishoo for 7 and Ravi Bopara fell cheaply also as he chopped on to his own stumps after a delievery from Roach. England were now left reeling on 151-6 with Luke Wright and James Tredwell left at the crease. Wright, after his supprise inclusion, suddenly became the key man. Both men managed to put on 41 together before a mix up saw Tredwell run out for 9. Tim Bresnan joined Wright in the middle with the score on 192-7. Wright turned out to be the the lift England needed as he came out of his shell to smash England towards a respectable total, before he was bowled for a very well played 44 off 57 balls. Tim Bresnan also contributed with 20 off 27 as England were bowled out for a decent 243 off 48.4 overs. 

Wright scored a vital 44 to
rescue England



The West Indies, although they let England get up to a good score with some poor bowling and fielding in the last few overs, would still fancy their chances with some powerful hitters in the side such as Chris Gale, Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Darren Sammy. England would have to produce the kind of performance that saw them beat South Africa a few weeks ago.

Typically, Chris Gale started the innings in an explosive style, smashing England's opening bowlers, Tremlett and Bresnan for 36 runs in the first two overs as the West Indies were well on the way on 50-0 off 5 overs. England needed something to turn the tide, and Strauss provided that something, buy bringing on the off-spinners Swann and Tredwell. However, it wasn't the lead man Swann who provided the breakthrough, it was the unlikely lad Tredwell who got the prize wicket of Gale, LBW for 43 off 21 balls. Tredwell then dismissed Devon Smith, the other opening batsman, stumped by Prior for 10 and England were back in the game as the West Indies stuttered on 67-2.



Gale took the attack to England
from the start



Darren Sammy took the attack to England as he started to smash the England bowlers around the park. Tredwell, however, continued to take wickets as he dismissed Darren Bravo for 5 after an excellent catch by Strauss at first slip. Ravi Bopara then provided the vital wicket of Sammy as he played onto his own stumps for 41 off 29 including 3 sixes. Pollard produced a brief camio as he looked to put his side back into the accendancy but Graeme Swann provided England with that huge wicket as he was caught LBW for 24. Wickets continued to tumble as Swann, Tredwell and Bopara reeked havock as the Windies fell away. However, Andre Russell gave his side hope as he smashed 49, however, it was going to be England's night as they tore through the rest of the West Indian batting line up to complete a fantastic 18 run victory and bowl the West Indies out for 225 as Jonathon Trott ran out Suliman Benn to spark off wild England celebrations.



Tredwell's 4-48 was crucial
to England's win



After the victory, England confiremed that young Surrey fast bowler Jade Dernbach is to be called up to the squad to replace the injured Ajmal Shahzad. Dernbach's call up is a supprise to many, but his reletively unknown ability might prove a positive for England as teams won't be aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

England are likely to face Sri Lanka in Colombo in the quater finals, and are only three victories away from becoming World Champions. But lets not get carried away.. yet.

England lose KP but Morgan might be the perfect man

After beating South Africa, the England squad was on a high, until star man Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup with a hernia problem. However, the previously injured Eoin Morgan has been called up to replace Pietersen, which may not be a bad thing at all. Is this a blessing in disguise for England?



KP: Gutted after injury cuts his World Cup short



Pietersen has been England's leading man since he was introduced into the side in 2004, but recently has become inconsistent, after starting off his career with high scores on a regular basis. There is no doubting his ability to be able to win matches for his country and a team with Kevin Pietersen in is a stronger one.

Although, it is clear that Pietersen is carrying an injury, which could make him vulnerable as the tournament gets older, which could jeopardise the teams chances. Morgan was not originally in the squad as he was injured when England had to announce their final squad. He has now recovered from injury and is a fantastic replacement for Pietersen. There is no doubt Morgan would have been in the squad if it wasn't for his injury. His injury paved the way for Ravi Bopara to get back into the side, and he certainly took his chance against South Africa.

The reason why this could be a bless in disguise for England is Morgan's magnificent ability to win games for his country. Countless times in his short career, his innings has been the one that has all but ensured England have won One-day internationals. His injury at the start of the tournament was a huge blow, but his is back in the side, sadly at the expense of Pietersen.

You may argue that Pietersen has just as much, if not more ability than Morgan to be able to win a game for England. However, I ask you, how many times has KP done that in the last few years for England? Generally he does like the big occasions, such as the Twenty20 World Cup where he was crucial, but Morgan offers England something that Pietersen sometimes doesn't. Pietersen isn't the type of player who will keep the score board ticking, he's a player who likes to push on and score runs quickly to take games away from sides in the blink of an eye. Morgan has the ability to keep the score board ticking and the ability to accelerate at a vast pace as using his amazing hitting ability and technique.



Morgan: may benefit from Pietersen's misfortune

 With Morgan back in the side, England do have an issue with who opens the innings with Andrew Strauss, as Pietersen had been doing so for the first four games of the tournament. The obvious choice would surely be Matt Prior as he was opening during the dismal One-day series in Australia though January/February. However, I am still not convinced as to whether he can deliver in One-day cricket for England. He is without doubt our best Test Match keeper, but he does struggle in ODI's, but whether or not he is the man for the one-day scene, that is yet to be seen. If Prior is over looked for the openers role, the only other options England have are to open with Jonathan Trott or Ian Bell, who have both opened for England before. However, it would make sense if Prior was to open, due to the fact he did so very recently down under.

The injury to Pietersen has certainly given Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss something to think about, but England have strength in depth and to bring a player in such as Eoin Morgan, you can't afford to complain too much, it may well be the best thing that happened to England.

Liverpool do title chasers a favour as they crush United

Dirk Kuyt scored the easiest but the most memorable hat-trick of his career to give Liverpool a huge win over their bitter rivals at Anfield. Kuyt was in the right place at the right time all afternoon as the Reds ran out 3-1 winners.

Manchester United came into the game on a run of 3 defeats in 5 league games, which is not the Manchester United we have come to know, especially this season. Liverpool, since the arrival of Kenny Dalglish as manager, have risen up the table dramatically with 3 wins in their last 5 with one defeat, one of those wins at Stamford Bridge, which shows their improvement under Dalglish.

Liverpool seemed to run the show from start to finish, with United seemingly contributing to their own downfall. The first goal was all about Luis Suarez, who danced through 3 or 4 United defenders in the box before sliding the ball between Edwin Van Der Sar's legs for Kuyt to tap in on the line.

Kuyt sends the Liverpool fans into raptures on Sunday

The first goal seemed to really liven the game up, with Jamie Carragher lunging in on Nani, which sparked huge protests from the United players, but Carragher luckily stayed on the field. The second goal of the game came in the space of 5 minutes and ironically it was set up by Nani, but at the wrong end. He tried to head clear a cross from the right, but only managed to head back towards his own goal, leaving Kuyt with an easy header from 4 yards out.

Liverpool found themselves 2 to the good at half time, with Man United looking like a side who had run out of ideas. The pressure was on Sir Alex Ferguson as with Chelsea playing tomorrow, the gap between the top 4 was getting ever closer.

Just after the hour mark, the game was settled, as Steven Gerrard's free kick was parried at the near post by Van Der Sar, with Kuyt the only man in the box to react and left himself with the simplest of tap ins to hand him his first hat-trick for Liverpool. The Kop were going crazy as their team were 3 goals to the good over their bitter rivals.

Liverpool's record signing Andy Carroll made his long awaited debut for the Reds as he came on with 15 minutes to go. He received a standing ovation from the Liverpool faithful as he looks to become the next famous Liverpool number 9. However with the scoreline the way it was and the amount of time left in the game, he wasn't able to make an impact.

It's not like Manchester United not to have the last say on the day, as the increasingly impressive Javier Hernandez pulled a goal back in stoppage time with a slick angled header into Pepe Reina's far corner from six yards to give the United fans something to cheer about.

It was Liverpool's day and after a tough season so far, this result will make their fans very optimistic for next season. Their main aim this season would be to try and get into Europe, however, these are worrying times for United, as their recent form isn't that of champions, although, write Sir Alex's men off at your peril.

England show fight to turn heads once again

England's hopes of winning the Cricket World Cup for the first time seemed bleak to say the least after a shocking defeat to Ireland. However, a magnificent show of character put the hopes of the nation and players back on track with a sensational victory over hotly fancied South Africa. 

Peterson ripped though England
early on

Andrew Strauss' men realised before the game that this was a must win after defeat to the Irish, but with South Africa in excellent form going into this one, victory seemed unlikely. England's chances became even more unlikely after the worst possible start with Strauss and Kevin Pietersen falling in the very first over to left-arm spinner Robbie Peterson. Soon after, Ian Bell fell poorly to that man Peterson, leaving England reeling on 15-3. That brought the steady Jonathan Trott and the recently out of favour Ravi Bopara to the crease, with England in need of a big partnership.

Trott was cool as ever

They both started off slowly, with the instinctively attacking Bopara realising the situation and ensuring he didn't do anything stupid. Trott looked composed, and he was vital to England's chances of getting any sort of a score. The partnership started to progress, and both players were beginning to score runs more freely. However, South Africa captain Graeme Smith may be to blame for this. After starting with spin in the form of Peterson, which had England on the racks, he decided to turn to pace, ignoring the fact that England were not coping with the spin on a typically spinning Indian wicket. This may have been the turning point in the innings, as both Trott and Bopara were able to get  themselves in and acclimatise themselves with the situation and start to build a partnership, using the pace bowlers to score runs off.



Bopara proved key for England

 The partnership got to 99 with England recovering excellently on 114-3. However, South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir provided the vital break though with Trott smashing the ball back at Tahir who took an excellent catch off his own bowling to dismiss Trott for 52. This proved to be the catalyst for England's collapse. Matt Prior and then the excellent Ravi Bopara were both dismissed soon after with Prior only making 10 and Bopara a well played 60. England were now back in the mire on 148-5, but 200 still looked realistic, and on a pitch like this, it looked defend able.

Tahir started England's collapse

However, the tail was not able to wag for England and it fell away with out a trace as England were all out for a poor 171. For once in this tournament, England's batting was looking frail, when before it had been their strong point. This time, it was all down to the bowlers, who had been letting the side down in the previous 3 matches in the tournament, but the pitch looked to give the bowlers something, but could England pull of a miraculous victory?

Amla gave SA the perfect start

This did not look possible as South Africa were cruising on 63-0 with captain Smith and Hashim Amla providing the Proteas with the perfect start to their run chase. However, typically it was Graeme Swann who provided England with the belief that they can win this game, as he dismissed Smith, caught behind, for 22. This started a mini collapse with Amla and Kallis falling leaving South Africa 82-3, game on.

England began to make inroads

A recovery was needed for South Africa to put them back in the ascendancy, with the in form AB De Villiers (2 hundreds already in the World Cup) and Francois Du Plessis now at the crease. This seemed to materialise for South Africa with the score now increased to 124-3 and a South African victory looked assured. Although, this is England and nothing is black and white, especially in the World Cup so far and how right that proved to be.

James Anderson, who has been disappointing in the tournament so far, provided the vital break though, as he bowled the key man, De Villiers, for 25, Du Plessis was run out brilliantly by Ian Bell for 17 and JP Duminy bowled again magnificently by Anderson for a duck, the game was tipped on its head with the score now 124-6, England were in the driving seat all of a sudden. Robbie Peterson, the scourge of England at the start of the game, also fell cheaply leaving South Africa 127-7 and England were on a roll.

Morne van Wyk and Dale Steyn now had the huge task of trying to re-build the innings with victory looking unlikely, South Africa only need just over 3 runs an over, but the momentum was now with England.



South Africa contributed to
 their own downfall



Steyn and van Wyk were beginning to sift the momentum with a partnership now worth 33 with the score at 160-7 and only 12 runs to win with plenty of overs to spare. However, it was Tim Bresnan, brought back into the attack, who broke the resistance, bowling van Wyk who played onto his own stumps for a patient 13, 160-8. Dale Steyn was now the key wicket for England as he was now into his 20's and capable of scoring the remanding runs in a short time.

 


Broad was the man of the moment
finishing off the tail dramatically


Stuart Broad, England's key wicket taker in One-day cricket, was the man who provided the moment of magic, with an excellent delivery which rattled into Steyn's pads, directly in front of the stumps and was given out LBW for 20. In came last man Imran Tahir with the score on 164-9 and 8 runs still required. It was that man Broad who didn't waste any time in finishing off South Africa as Morne Morkel went after a wide delivery and edged to Matt Prior and England bowled out South Africa for 165 and won by just 6 runs.



England players celebrate
a fantastic result

England had pulled of one of the most miraculous victories in the World Cup so far. Considering the up and down form of the side and after the incredible defeat to Ireland, to defend 171 against such a talented side deserves huge credit, and Andrew Strauss' side look more like the team we have come accustomed to over the last year or so. Ravi Bopara was rightly named man of the match for his vital 60 which gave England hope of defending their score. England's World Cup chances have taken a turn for the good.

English rugby yet again starts to peak at the right time

As I am not an expert on Rugby, this article may not be as accurate as some of my other articles, however, I do follow the sport and always have a keen eye on it when the Six Nations or the World Cup is involved. To me, certainly in recent years since I have been following, England seem to always come good just before the World Cup... that tends to be a good sign, in Rugby anyway.

In all the other sports England compete in, the World Cup is built up so much and we always expect ourselves to have a good chance to win it, what ever the sport. Football is a classic example, Cricket is another. You could argue is a fair statement as we are up there as one of the best in the World on paper in those sports and should be successful in such tournaments, but in Football and Cricket it seems, we never turn up, that is evident currently in the Cricket World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with England going in as one of the favourites after a fantastic few years on the pitch, but the team is choking, which is all too regular (for what ever reason).

 

Martin Johnson looking to win
the World Cup as a player and a coach



However, although the England Rugby team isn't expected to win the World Cup as much as the national side is in Football and Cricket, that seems to be the reason for why they have been surprisingly successful in recent tournaments (although in 2003 there was huge expectation). The 2007 World Cup however, England went into it as Champions, although, no-one would have predicted after losing their opening game (ironically to South Africa) 36-0, that they would meet South Africa again in the final. They may have lost that final in 2007, which was a poor game, it showed that if a team goes into a competition with less expectation, that can lead to the team playing more freely and with less pressure on their shoulders from back home.That looked to be the case in 2007, and arguably in 2003 with such teams as the All Blacks and Australia around.



Chris Ashton has become integral
to England's hopes

 With England doing so well in the Six Nations this year, peoples hopes are risen again, as after the previous two World Cups, the England team has been largely unsuccessful and not lived up to the expectations and reputation they had worked so hard to achieve.

With such victories against Australia last Autumn, and impressive wins over Wales, Italy and France, they are well on their way to becoming a force to be reckoned with again, but they are by no means favorites for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, which could be a positive once again.

An interesting fact that has caught my attention is that the last time England won the Grand Slam in the Six Nations was in 2003.. surely that isn't a sign!? England, if they can win their last two Six Nations games at home to Scotland and away to Ireland, which will be extremely tough, and win the Grand Slam, then people will start to talk about 2003 once again.





Can England win the World Cup this September.. why not!?

(Oh, and the head coach is Martin Johnson.. remember him?)

Andy Carroll - Future Hero to Local Villain

Nothing in football surprises me most of the time, especially when Newcastle United are involved. However, there was something about Andy Carroll and Newcastle United that seemed in-separable. How wrong can a person be?

It did seem rather too good to be true for Newcastle to find yet another Geordie number 9 who looked to had all the credentials to be a great, so soon after the retirement of Alan Shearer. Sadly for the Toon Army, it seems as if they will have to wait.

On more than on occasion, Andy Carroll said he never wanted to leave Newcastle and that he wanted to spend his career at the club, but only 6 months into his first full Premier League season at the club, he departed in stunning fashion. That final day of the transfer window, until around about 10pm, seemed to confirm the fact that Carroll wouldn't be leaving, which many people had expected after Newcastle rejected offers for £20m, £30m and even £35m, but something happened after that first £35m offer was rejected.

For once it seemed as if Newcastle owner Mike Ashely didn't want the money and rated Carroll more valuable to the club than the money offered to sell him. The Carroll camp accused Ashley of forcing Carroll out, which you often here with players who are sold so dramatically, but this sale had something that not everyone could see, in my opinion.

Gutted to leave? Doesn't look like it.

What it all comes down to in my view, is money. Newcastle could have sold Carroll for £30m, even £20m as at this stage in his career he isn't even worth £10m. He had only played 80 league games for Newcastle, with most of them being played in the Championship last season, with him netting 31 times, again most of them (19) being in the Championship. He had started superbly for Newcastle with 11 goals before the turn of the new year but surely that cannot warrant a £35m price tag.

However, as soon as Carroll was aware of the money been offered to him, it would be fair to assume that his agent had a massive say in his choice. Liverpool supposedly offered 80k a week, which Carroll/agent used to try and persuade Newcastle to offer him a new contract, with, I'm sure, a similar weekly figure. All that considering Newcastle and Carroll had recently agreed a new contract. As soon as Newcastle said they couldn't afford to offer such money, the Carroll camp made a huge U-Turn.



Ashley: Not the culprit this time?
Doesn't look like it.



Carroll had accused Newcastle of forcing him out by accepting the huge offer from Liverpool, which often would make a lot of sense in modern day football, but this isn't any normal transfer. Carroll was not forced out by Mike Ashely, if anything, he was forced out by his agent and the attraction of money. It is a saddening story as it would have been fantastic to see another famous Newcastle number 9 from Newcastle just like Alan Shearer. Although Liverpool is a magnificent club to play for, Carroll may well regret his decision to leave his home town. Geordie fans will surely never forgive him, one of their own, for turning his back on them, he could have been the next local hero.

However, there are positives for both clubs, Liverpool have gained one of the brightest young talents England has at the moment, but Newcastle can think positive as they now have £35m, which they can spend in the summer on (in my opinion) more than one Andy Carroll. That is if the money is used for transfers, which the club has confirmed.. we'll see.

One other reason for such money being paid out for Carroll by Liverpool, is the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50m, as it was clear Torres wasn't happy and Liverpool panicked and splashed out on a player not worth anywhere near the amount they paid.
Newcastle may well have the last laugh in this one.

Are West Ham United Doomed to relegation?

Over the last few seasons, the Premier League seems to be getting tighter and tighter, with more big name clubs being dragged into relegation scraps and falling into the lower echelons of the English game.

Leeds fan's know more than most
about the consequences of
relegation

In the last decade, many big name clubs have fallen through the Premier League trap door and not returned for a long time after. Probably the biggest name to have done so is Leeds United, who, 7 years on after their relegation in the 2003/4 season, are yet to return to England's top division. Other teams such as, Middlesborough, Southampton and Charlton Athletic, to name a few, are teams who find themselves dwelling in the lower leagues, after once being considered established Premier League teams no more than five or six years ago.

If West Ham are not careful, they could be another team who find themselves in the Championship and not seeing what their future holds. Their owners don't seem to have much control financially, which shows by the transfer signings they are making or the lack of them to try and get the club out of trouble.

Avram Grant finds himself deep in
a relegation dog fight

West Ham however, could also be included alongside the likes of Leeds, Charlton, Southampton and Middleborough as in 2003 they were also relegated and didn't return until the 2005/6 season. Although, over the past few seasons, they have re-established themselves some what and haven't been in this position (bottom of the league after 23 games) since their return in 05.

Aston Villa are another high profile name who find themselves in trouble near the bottom of the league, but the reason why I am not mentioning them under the same breath as the Hammers is the quality of players they have to call on, especially with the recent signing of Darren Bent from Sunderland. West Ham on the other hand, are struggling to score goals, with their leading strikers, Carlton Cole and Frederique Piquionne only having 8 goals in the league between them. When you main two strikers have statistics like that, you have to fear for your league status.

Even the clubs labeled
'too good to go down'
can slip out of the league

The Hammers only have to look at the shock relegation of Newcastle United in 2009. They had players such as Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, Damien Duff, Kevin Nolan and Steven Taylor in their squad. Those players could make most starting XI's in the Premier League, however, they found themselves slipping out of the Premier League. However, if such a disaster was to happen to West Ham, funnily enough, Newcastle would be the ideal team to look at, as they are one of few teams who have bounced straight back to the Premier League after relegation and they did it in style.

But one thing West Ham have is time, there are still 15 games to play and 45 more points to play for, so relegation fears should not be in the forefront of their minds, yet.

Can England deliver once again?

After an already sensational year or so for English cricket, can the current crop of England stars make it two Ashes series win's and two World Cup's in the space of 19 months? It may well be our best ever opportunity to do so.

The 2009 Ashes series win in August 09 was successful enough, but it was then followed up by victory in the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies in May of last year, which was England's first ever World Series win since it was introduced at the same time as One Day Internationals (ODI's). If that wasn't enough for the England fans, the players have delivered again by cruising to a 3-1 Ashes win in Australia in January. However, one competition still stands as one that England have never won, the 50 over World Cup.



Captain Strauss: can become the
first England captain to win
the World Cup

 This year it will be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Traditionally England have never found it easy to play ODI's on the Sub-Continent. This is mainly due to past England teams relying on the ball to move around to be able to take wickets and also past batsman's lack of ability to bat on slow, low surfaces. However, with England's new policy of fear-less batting, introduced by coach Andy Flower, which has lead to all of England's recent success in limited over cricket, may be a huge advantage in the up and coming competition.



Prior: looking to be a
threat at the top
of the order



On the Sub-Continent, the ball doesn't tend to swing as much as it does in other parts of the world, which means that the England batsmen won't be going out to bat with the fear that the ball might do something off the seam that might cause them to get out. This means, with players such as Kevin Pietersen, England can get off to a quick start with the bat, which immediately will put the opposition under pressure, whether England are batting first or second. Captain Andrew Strauss has developed his game and is now a threat at the top of the order and can score quickly, which could hurt many sides. Matt Prior will more than likely open with Strauss after his surprise inclusion in the squad and he has the ability to score runs quickly to put the opposition under pressure from the off. Kevin Pietersen will always be a threat as his ability to either keep the scoreboard ticking or accelerate at a huge pace, gives England a very strong top order.Paul Collingwood is likely to bat at 4 as he can keep the runs ticking over if England are to start poorly or he can score quick runs at the end of an innings. Ian Bell is another player who has adapted his game to one day cricket and now plays with a freedom that will give England's middle order more threat.  Eoin Morgan has become a super star in one day cricket recently and his ability to finish off inning's could be a key feature to England's batting as often there will be situations where England will be chasing a total with limited overs left in the game.

Anderson: key to England's
bowling attack

As well as the batting, the one day bowling attack is now settled and they are all performing at their best. James Anderson has now developed the ability to take wickets on pitches that don't offer much for the bowlers, as seen in Australia this year. Stuart Broad has always had the knack of taking wickets in any conditions, which is a vital piece of armory in any attack. Tim Bresnan has recently shone in the Twenty20 World Cup and also in Australia, with his aggressive style of bowling and accurate lines and lengths. One fast bowling spot will be up for grabs however, with Chris Woakes (impressive in the Twenty20 series in Australia), Chris Tremlett (back on the England scene after huge performances in the 2010/11 Ashes) and Steven Finn who was left out of the last two Ashes tests for Tim Bresnan, but is still a promising young bowler who can cause the worlds best batsmen problems.

Swann: he and Yardy need
to be in form for England's
hopes to become reality

As for the spin attack, this will potentially be crucial for England in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Michael Yardy was a vital part of the Twenty20 winning side and will again be vital with his darty left arm spinners that can bamboozle any batsmen. Finally of course we have Graeme Swann, who has been hugely consistent for England the past few years, and his attacking off-spin will be a massive weapon for England. As well as being able to attack batsmen, he can also keep the run rate down with efficient and accurate bowling.

Therefore, looking briefly at the players England are likely to play throughout the World Cup, it is a distinct possibility that England can mount a challenge to become World Champions in 2011.