Tuesday 24 February 2009

Stanford scandal harms cricket

When Sir Allen Stanford rolled into town with his offer of an eye-boggling $20 million prize fund for a 20/20 tournament the alarm bells at Lords should have been ringing. The essence of cricket is not, and should never be, just about money. Stanford's offer proved irresistible to the cricket authorities who grabbed the opportunity and the shame now surrounding Stanford's financial dealings reflect badly on the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The Ashes is arguably the greatest prize in the game as the oldest rivals, England and Australia, battle it out for supremacy. The series captures the imagination of not only the protagonists but also of the whole cricketing world, but ask a cricket fan how much prize money is up for grabs and the vast majority will not have a clue. Nor should they, as this is a sporting contest based on over 100 years of test cricket and not a "get rich quick" scheme.

When the Stanford tournament started, the main focus was the cash on offer to the winning team rather than the quality of the cricket. Indeed in the run-up to the match, the money was paraded around in a box for all to see which was as flagrant and tawdry a PR stunt as anything witnessed in a sporting arena. Never mind the sport, just drool over the money was the clear message.

The ECB have now cut all ties with Stanford following the announcement of the SEC investment fraud charges on 17 February. But, irrespective of the undue haste and enthusiasm with which the ECB joined in, they cannot now wash their hands of the whole affair and must carry some element of blame into the sordid nature of these events. Stanford has been vocal about wanting to bring an end to Test Match cricket, and in a way the ECB may have helped undermine the game in its pursuit of the Texan's tainted fortune.

Thursday 19 February 2009

Can Hiddink rescue Chelsea's season

During the negotiations between Guus Hiddink and Chelsea prior to his temporary appointment at Stamford Bridge there is bound to have been discussion of what would be considered a success during his tenure. Progress in the Champions League would have been a prerequisite and a semi final appearance demanded. The FA Cup may have been targeted as the most realistic chance of silverware this season.

The Holy Grail of the Premiership may have been glinting in the near distance but can Man United really be halted as they surge towards consecutive titles. Ferguson’s team appear to have built up such an irresistible momentum and opened up a large enough gap in the process to have made any chase seem a forlorn and fruitless task.

With 13 games remaining for Man Utd, they can expect a minimum points tally of another 26 points, so 85 in total. For Chelsea to reach 85 they can afford to drop only 2 points over 13 games. So 2 draws or one loss and the game is up, and with away games at Arsenal and Villa coming up, chances are that the title will be heading back to Old Trafford.

The other major factor in Hiddink’s rescue mission is whether he can truly balance the joint roles of managing both Chelsea and Russia. Some will point to his success at combining club with country previously but his current task is much more onerous than keeping Australia on course for 2006 World Cup and maintaining PSV’s stranglehold on Erevidise. Also if he is in charge for only a few months, that will mean there have been 5 managerial changes in less than 2 years which hardly smacks of the stability and consistency that is required to win the league.

Chelsea have shown signs of inconsistency recently with too many home draws against weaker opposition, such as the goalless draw with Hull, which signalled the end of Scolari’s reign. No amount of Hiddink magic can possibly turn things around quickly enough to re-ignite a season that has lost its sparkle and one wonders whether this short term, expedient move will help the club in the long term.

So the best they can hope for is a runners-up slot and maybe the chance of some FA Cup glory. But one wonders whether that’s enough for the rapacious owners who may have sacrificed the future of the club for a quick fix.

Friday 13 February 2009

It's just not test cricket

Dear, oh dear. Listening to Sir Vivian Richards’ reaction to the abandoned test in Antigua was both painful and deeply sad. His anger was barely held in check when he was describing the people responsible for the shoddy preparation of the pitch, these “armchair generals have failed again.” Once the game started, it was immediately apparent that the ground, named after the greatest Antiguan cricketer, was unfit for the match and Richards’ anger was matched only by his embarrassment.

For the second time in recent history a Test Match in the West Indies has been abandoned within the first hour of the game. This spells disaster for test cricket as the game struggles to retain its popularity amongst the Caribbean youth and could be the final nail in the coffin for a game, which has been in terminal decline since the 1970s. The whole debacle left the players, commentators and especially the spectators forlorn, frustrated and flabbergasted. The shame is that the optimism that had been generated by the overwhelming victory in the First Test, is now masked by the sheer amateurism of the cricket authorities.

Many observers, after first sight, felt the pitch, which had been sanded far too heavily to compensate for the dampness, was going to be problematic. But nobody anticipated how disastrously under-prepared it was. After only 10 balls the game was up as the opening bowlers struggled to keep their footing. It is pathetic that there had not even been a trial run over the last few days and ridicule will now quite rightly be heaped upon the West Indies cricket board. Sheer incompetence is too kind a phrase to describe this fiasco. If the whole situation were not so disastrous it would be hilarious. West Indian cricket may never recover from this ignominy and in a way maybe the authorities do not deserve any better. Bring on the Beach Cricket World Cup, at least it would be better organised.

Thursday 12 February 2009

Capello's Spanish lessons

Fabio Capello has vowed to learn from the 2-0 defeat to Spain. We are not sure how Capello’s mastery of the English language is progressing, but after England’s performance in Seville he might have to expand his vocabulary somewhat with insipid and pallid becoming useful additions. The second half, in particular, was more like a return to the bad old days of McClaren with aimless balls heading in the general direction of Crouch who looked out of his depth as he always does against good international defenders.

England started the game confidently enough with Heskey proving his value as a focal point and there was some neat but hardly threatening passages of play. Agbonlahor busied himself in the wake of his senior partner but never looked like breaking free from his Spanish markers who had an increasingly comfortable evening.

Unfortunately after their impressive performances against Germany, both Wright-Phillips and Downing were disappointing and neither offered much down the flanks. It is essential when playing possession football to have some invention and thrust down the wings, but apart from one jinking run by Wright-Phillips there was little on offer.

It has to be acknowledged that Spain are a pretty formidable outfit, now on a 29 match unbeaten run and buoyed by their Euro 2008 success they are self-assured and fluid throughout the team. From rampaging full backs through the artistry and control of midfield to the razor sharp strikers, there are very few flaws. Although inevitably much of the attention was centred on Beckham’s 108th cap we would do well to focus on the Spaniard who knits their play together so adeptly.

If you were ever perplexed why Fabregas, one of the best Premier League players, fails to make the starting line-up just observe the wonderful Iniesta for a few minutes. He has a quick mind and delightful touch which elevate him to a higher plain, exemplified by a sublime disguised pass inside Glen Johnson in the first which left the Portsmouth player very much dazed and confused.

As it was a friendly, there was the usual rash of second half substitutes but none had much impact on the tide which had been turning since Villa slipped the ball past James as Spain upped the tempo towards the end of the first half. Beckham showed he is still officially an LA Galaxy player by spraying too many “Hollywood Balls”, as Ron Atkinson used to describe those long passes, which look great but often achieve little. Lampard looked like he was pining over the loss of Big Phil and was so off key that he hardly passed to a teammate for 15 minutes.

After the encouraging signs of the last handful of matches, Capello now needs to accelerate the rate of improvement. He is the right man for this role and he will learn from the experience but he needs to be realistic about the task ahead of him. He has very little time in which to cement the advances he has brought about so far and then try to narrow the gap between genuine World Cup contenders, such as Spain, and potential also-rans like England.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Was England's Jamaican capitulation a surprise?

So should we be surprised by the dismal performance of England’s cricketers in the first test at Sabina Park? The warning signs were there a few months ago when I heard Hugh Morris, the recently appointed Team Managing Director for ECB, speaking during the Indian tour on radio and all he came out with were corporate platitudes and management babble. Although he was interviewed for a couple of minutes there was hardly any mention of cricketing matters, it was all about structure and targets. This man had clearly spent too long burying his head in MBA handbooks rather than Wisden.

The second sign of something going amiss was the clumsy and inept removal of both Pietersen and Moores at one fell swoop. To lose your captain suddenly is disturbing, but to also lose the coach at the same time creates turmoil and disruption. Morris and his men must have missed out on reading the chapter in their management tomes on making succession a smooth and almost organic process. They decided, in their infinite wisdom, to go down the fractious and unsettling route. The whole furore over the loss of both captain and coach centred on who told tales and alongside stories of cliques in the team, it all began to resemble a pathetic playground squabble.

Through the whole squalid episode English cricket lost dignity, leadership and respect and that is not a basis for the “high performance culture” so enamoured by the new guard at the ECB. If this had been the bungling of the old style stuffed shirts we would have all nodded and wryly observed that’s what you get when you have traditionalists in charge. But we are in the modern era and there is really no excuse for such amateur incompetence.

Focus is another word/ concept that is so beloved of the new management and is often seen as the panacea to any sporting sides’ problems. Unfortunately, focus has been lost amid the squabbling and rancour of the weeks running up to the tour of the West Indies. Hazarding a guess at what occupied the players’ minds the first few would revolve around how would KP react to losing the captaincy after such a brief reign, who is going to be the new temporary coach, who is going to be the new permanent coach and when will they be appointed, how will Andrew Strauss get on as captain, how much will x be worth in IPL auction. Another major question was how would this affect chances in this summer’s Ashes.

Whilst these are understandable considerations in the circumstances, there was one oversight, which undermined the team and probably led to the debacle of the second innings in Jamaica. There was hardly room to give any thought to the opposition and such thoughtlessness is bound to leave a team exposed to underperformance. This lack of preparation was borne out of the combination of internecine strife and an arrogance that the West Indies were merely there as cannon fodder in the build-up to Australia at home. So scrambling to a total of 51 and losing by an innings should not have been a surprise to most, but one feels that those in charge are scratching their heads as they check their spreadsheets one more time.

Thursday 5 February 2009

ITV OG

One wonders why Michael Grade, executive chairman of ITV, was so embarrassed and apologetic about his network’s coverage of Everton vs Liverpool 4th Round replay on 4th February. Of course to lose transmission of a live match at any time is shoddy, but when it coincides with the critical moment of the whole 120 minutes it borders on the criminal. However, I felt the unscheduled diversion added an extra dimension to the viewing experience and this is surely what most broadcasters are aiming for when they pitch for sports rights.

For what was not the most gripping of Merseyside derbies, the majority of viewers were readying themselves for the artificial denouement of the penalty shoot-out. Indeed ITV seemed to have given up the ghost on a goal being scored after nearly 2 hours of football. When match commentator, Clive Tyldesley, starts discussing Liverpool’s impressive history in shoot-outs, having won 10 out of 11, it is a sure sign that the graphics guys are preparing the respective grids to illustrate successes and failures.

So settling down for the first ever penalty shoot-out between the two rivals, another Everton attack was meandering to its futile conclusion, and with a few minutes remaining the countdown was well and truly on to a dramatic finale. Little did we know how dramatic it was to become, nothing prepared us for what happened next.

From the ensuing action the picture suddenly switched to the FA Cup sponsors’ slightly amateurish vignette of a family watching a game on the sofa briefly before segueing into an ad one of those surreal ads, which you watch open-mouthed and then feel the need to check that the wife hasn’t slipped a Mickey Finn into your beer. It involved a golfer hitting a ball into a greenside bunker, which was populated by either very large sperm or the unheralded return of the Smurfs, who then headed the ball into the hole. Wow.

Next we were watching a man being punched in the face, which one had to assume was the Production Director getting his comeuppance from Mr. Grade. Whatever it was, those 30 seconds contained more action than the previous 118 minutes from Goodison Park.

Just as I considered how this really was more entertaining than the match, then we were transported back to the charmingly named, Dan Gosling being mobbed by his teammates. We were not sure what the young Devonian had done to merit such approbation but it kept the televisual rollercoaster ride going for a few more seconds.

The conspiracy theorists might argue that some bright spark at ITV had decided to pep up the coverage with a mixture of fun and frolics whilst slipping in a few ads to bolster the sparse coffers. So maybe Grade should not conduct the much-anticipated witch hunt but identify the hero of the night.

Wednesday 4 February 2009

David Moyes' masterstroke

David Moyes will be named Manager of the Decade after his masterstroke of tactical genius, which he revealed to an ecstatic press conference this week.

“For the remainder of the season, Everton players will no longer be allowed to pass the halfway line,” the wiry ginger one explained. As a recognition of the dearth of fit strikers Moyes has finally thrown in the towel and decided to adapt a new system to suit his meagre resources.

The Scot went on to expand on the “No Way over Halfway” formation he plans to institute. “This will create a much tighter space in which Philip Neville can weave his particular brand of dribbling magic. It will also give Tony Hibbert an opportunity to test out his long range shooting skills.”

“Any attempt to increase the number of goals from inside one’s own half has to be applauded and David is going to be recognised for his outstanding contribution to the game,” gushed a Premier League spokesman.

When asked about his achievement, Moyes was wreathed in modesty “ Och, it’s nothing really. I just came up with it whilst I was in the bath. It was a real eureka moment.”

Sunday 1 February 2009

Importance of tackling

The importance of good tackling is often overshadowed by the more aesthetically pleasing skills such as dribbling and shooting but many great teams have been based on the strength of their tackling and without good tacklers no side will succeed over the long term. Solid tackling technique is a fundamental attribute of building a strong team, and this is not something that should be the sole preserve of defenders or defensive midfield players, if forwards can master the art it will benefit the team immeasurably. There are many different situations where tackling is required during a match and there is no room in this article to cover each of these so I will focus on the key principles of good tackling irrespective of the environment.

As the main objective is to stop an opposing player in possession of the ball, the most important aspect of tackling is timing the challenge correctly. Good timing is based on achieving the right balance prior to making the tackle and judging the correct moment at which to commit. Too many players commit themselves much earlier than is necessary and this gives the player in possession a chance to evade the tackle. Good tacklers will wait until they are sure the time is right which is generally when the opponent is slightly off balance and not anticipating a move.

Once the decision is made that this is the best time to execute the tackle, the movement must be swift and positive. Any hesitation or delay can reduce the effectiveness of the tackle radically, so concentration on wresting possession of the ball is the sole aim. With the ball as the focal point the best tackle will sweep the ball away in a controlled and smooth movement. Only after the ball is taken off the opponent should the tackler now think about what to do next.

A common mistake especially in younger players is to go to ground and slide tackle which can be enjoyable but is often the wrong approach. Staying on your feet is an important facet in the majority of cases as this will then give options whether to pass or take possession forward for instance. Whilst there are times when the sliding tackle is required this should be considered as a last resort as ending up on the ground limits the opportunity to use the ball.

In conclusion, the elements of a good tackle are timing, balance, commitment, speed and staying upright afterwards. As mentioned earlier, all players should have the ability to tackle and with these guidelines should improve their technique.

Why golfers are confused after lessons

It has to be accepted that golf is a complicated game and swinging a golf club correctly is not a natural thing to do. The technique behind timing a golf shot has to be taught and has to be practiced many times before a player can build sufficient confidence to regularly strike the ball correctly. Someone learning the game from scratch will have to process a multitude of messages, such as straightening the left arm or keeping the head down, which fill the mind with a great deal of information. This often leads to confusion and ultimately to frustration, which is the arch enemy of the golfer.

At whatever level of experience, taking a golf lesson will often lead to confusion because the golf swing is made up of so many different components and if we concentrate on one particular aspect, this may be to the detriment of another. One could compare the composition of a golf swing to a delicate cellular structure where each individual part has to be in perfect harmony otherwise the whole thing collapses. Taking a lesson usually gives the golfer a chance to focus on a single element of their game, but the key is being able to merge the learning into the rest of their play and here's where confusion ensues.

So, for example after a lesson the player has learned how to improve addressing the ball, and having perfected this he feels his game should now improve but then he momentarily forgets the best way to control the speed of theclub head during the downswing and his game suffers. It is difficult to accept that one has to sometimes take a backward step in terms of short term performance to get better long term.

Significantly, professional golfers probably practice more than any top sportspeople. Even the leading players spend countless hours on the practice ground, even during tournaments, and they are constantly tweaking their game to get close to perfection. Some professionals have had to experience a decline in their game to make improvements, a prime example being Nick Faldo who during his career remodelled his swing, suffered a loss of from but came back stronger in the end. If that can happen to one of the best players in the world then we can begin to understand the consequences for the amateur.

Ultimately, confusion reigns for the vast majority of golfers as they have to accept that the most probable outcome of taking a lesson is a dip in form which is diametrically opposed to the reason for undertaking tuition in the first place.

Why most golfers cannot score under 90

Traditionally 90 has been considered the crucial breakthrough score as, with most golf courses setting a par of 72, it used to equate to being one over par for each hole. So by breaking 90 the player will have achieved a reasonable standard of golf and a consistency over the whole round which would be recognised by all who understand the game. There could be a few bad holes in the round compensated for by some good ones to remain under 90. In the modern era the par score of many courses has been reduced which should mean more people breaking 90 but this has not happened.

The main reason why the majority of golfers do not break 90 is psychological. With a fair amount of practice and tuition, most coordinated people should be able to break 90 but they fail to do so. By being aware of this target, the majority of golfers will start to worry about breaking through and once the mind is troubled by such thoughts there is very little chance that they can keep their game together sufficiently to reach their goal.

Performance at golf is influenced, to a much greater extent than most sports, by the processes of the mind. Technique is one thing and you must have the basics of the game such as a decent swing and good timing to score well. There are many golfers who are very good technically but their mental approach lets them down and means they will never break 90, whilst there are many less gifted players who will succeed because they have the right mentality.

All sports require the right mental approach but golf is a distinctive test which is unparalleled. It is partly down to the nature of the game, as an individual the pressure is more intense and the long gaps between playing shots can have a negative effect on the weak. One bad shot can derail a round that has been going well if the player allows it to gnaw away and everything can fall apart very quickly. The problem is you have too much time in between shots to think about what has gone wrong or could go amiss. Negative thoughts can fester endlessly in the long gaps in action.

Finally, the one area of the game which requires the most mental toughness but is often prone to doubt and hesitation is putting. As the most important aspect of any score, putting can make or break a round. So ask any golfer, at whatever level, the problem they most fear and it's not a slice or a hook, it's the yips, which is a psychological condition.

Probable winners of 2010 World Cup

As the 2010 World Cup will be the first to be hosted on the African continent it is worth considering whether the climate will be a factor in determining who wins the Jules Rimet trophy. The tournament will be held during the South African winter so any concerns over the impact of heat on certain players will be limited. The average temperature during June and July does not rise much beyond the early twenties centigrade and is comparable to a Northern European summer. This should mean that there will be no great disadvantage to countries from the Northern hemisphere as has been the case with some World Cups when they are played in intense heat.

With 500 days to go to the opening match, it should be noted that there is still a long way to go even in the qualifying campaigns, most of which are not even halfway through yet, so we do not know who will be there for certain apart from the hosts. Interestingly, Paraguay currently lead the South American group, six points ahead of second placed Brazil with Argentina even further off the pace.

it is difficult to envision any winners coming from outside the traditional football strongholds of Europe and South America. None of the Asian, Oceanic or North/Central American group can be considered too seriously. The only realistic contenders to upset the duopoly of Europe and South America winners appear to be the stronger African countries such as Ghana and Ivory Coast but history suggests that they will not make it beyond the Quarter final stage, even on their own continent.

So we the likelihood is that the winners will come from the top Europeans, Brazil or Argentina. Neither France nor Germany seem to be rebuilding very effectively, both Netherlands and Portugal have always flattered to deceive at World Cups, and reigning champions Italy do not appear to be going forwards. So of the Europeans, following their Euro 08 success Spain will be full of confidence and England are definitely on the way up under Capello.

As for the two South American giants, both are blessed with some of the most skilful and attractive ball players in world football but they also possess the steely strength required of World Cup winners. There is very little to choose between the two but Maradona may make the difference as the new coach. Ultimately, I foresee a final pitching Argentina against England with Diego proving yet again to be England's nemesis as Argentina carry off the trophy for the first time since 1986.

Football passing

It is important to realise that passing is the most important skill in soccer. Passing is the "glue" that links the play together and without good passing technique throughout the team there will be very little chance of building a successful unit. Naturally other skills, such as shooting and dribbling, attract greater attention and superficially make a greater impact on a match but the foundation of any team should be built around sound passing. A well-judged pass is often the most effective way of opening up an opposing defence or switching play. The four key components of passing are control, accuracy, pace and vision.

Firstly, before attempting to pass, the player must be able to control the ball. Whether in possession or striking the ball first time, it is imperative that the passer can deliver the ball to the exact spot intended. Such control is best attained by using the instep as this is the area of the foot which gives the player a greater chance of completing the pass. Most passes are made when the player has got possession of the ball, and once comfortable and confident of the target, he or she can determine exactly when to release the ball. The more difficult art of passing with the first touch should only be attempted when conditions are just right and the player is sure of their ability.

In attempting a short or long pass, accuracy must be the main objective. Once a player has picked the recipient for the pass he/she should decide as quickly as possible if the pass will be along the ground, which is preferable as it tends to be easier to achieve accuracy, or needs to be in the air. Then the player should concentrate on sending the ball to its target. For beginners, the best way to do this is to use an arm as a guide by pointing in the right direction then the foot should follow that axis naturally. Another principal consideration when passing is to impart just the right pace or weight on the ball, sometimes a pass needs to be hit quickly and crisply especially over longer distances. At other times a softer, slower approach is more suitable, as in laying the ball into the path of a teammate who is running quickly alongside the player.

Finally, vision is an attribute that players will need to develop with experience. To be able to look around the pitch and pick the right pass is something which often differentiates the ordinary from the extraordinary. This involves assessing very quickly what options are available and where the most effective pass can be played. To aid this assessment the ability to play the game with one's head up is crucial and all young players should be encouraged to do this from an early stage, once they have total faith in having the ball at their feet. The best players do not spend much time looking down at the ball, but are able to look around them, be aware of what is going on at that moment and then use their judgement to make an accurate pass.

Football's enduring popularity

There are many reasons why Association Football (to give the game its proper title) aka soccer is the most popular sport globally, the most important of which is its simplicity. To enjoy either watching or playing the game takes very little time as grasping the basic rules is relatively straightforward compared to many other sports. There is no need for any expensive kit and a ball is all that is needed for a pick up game that can be played anywhere regardless of the limitations of space. From the simple initiation through to the most complex analysis of tactics, there is a multitude of different levels at which the game can be appreciated by all ages.

A further factor in the enduring popularity of the game is the pace at which it is played. Generally a quick game which can switch from one end of the pitch to the other in a matter of a few seconds, and so provides the possibility of a dynamic change in fortunes. However, the "Beautiful Game" can also be played at a more leisurely pace and this can be equally attractive as the ball is passed in pleasing patterns across the pitch before speeding up when there is a prospect of a goal.

Aesthetically, there are few more graceful sights in sport than a ball curling high into the goal. The billowing of the net that follows seems almost to be an appreciation of the beauty of that moment. Some may argue that seeing a player dribble around his mesmerised opponents, in a swirling mixture of balance and athleticism, is as magical as it can get. The truth is that there are countless expressions of grace and power, delicacy and strength, refinement and brutality within the game. With such a vast array of contrasting skills, there is ample room for everybody to indulge themselves.

More countries and people have embraced the game and have made it their national sport than any other. As the main exception to this rule the United States stands out in its reluctance to see it as a mainstream sport. The big four sports of baseball, basketball, ice hockey and American football seem sacred and cannot be shifted from their lofty perch. Soccer is so often regarded as a minority sport that college kids play and accordingly various attempts to establish a domestic league have never really made any impression on the national psyche. Is it because this is a sport that did not originate in the US or is there a deeper reason why Americans do not love the game so beloved by the majority of the world?