Who'd be a football manager?

Time has not been my friend this week.  I've wanted to blog about so much (Degale vs Groves, the PGA Championship, tennis, darts, I could go on) but sadly, until I get paid for my musings on sport, that's just something that I'm going to have to live with.

One thing I will find time to write about though, is my opinion on the utter ridiculousness that was the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti on the last day of the season.  Who in their right mind would want to manage Chelsea now?  Yes the money is lovely, but you also spend a year of your life (more if you're lucky) walking with a metaphorical gun to your back. Nice.  If Mr Abramovich knows so much, then why doesn't he just cut out the middle man and do the job himself? He may as well.

Cue the Benny Hill music...

And so it ends.  It seems that each season becomes more eventful than the last and 2010-11 has been no exception.  We can now look forward to a summer of transfer rumour madness.  Oh joy.

Truthfully though, whilst I think that the lucrative business of buying players is well beyond farcical, I, like the rest of you, find it perversely entertaining.  Possibly because these Sheiks and Oligarchs may as well be chucking around Monopoly money in their game of 'I own a football club, because I can'.

How anyone (and I include the players and agents when I say this) can see any sustainable good in this, really baffles me.  They probably don't give a monkey's about sustainable good though, so therein lies the answer.

I expect that if not this season, then next, we'll see clubs purchasing quality players, simply to prevent other clubs from doing so.  Worrying.  The FA is trying to bring in legislation capping wages in the Premiership.  Too little too late perhaps?  The cynic in me expects that yes, just like bankers and their bonuses, not much will really change.  Let's see what Man City Allstars look like in 12 weeks, eh?

Have fun, play and see what happens...

I love a bit of ESPN Classic.  In fact I'd wager that when combined with with a cheese toasty and a can of diet coke, it is quite possibly the best hangover cure ever.  Bearing this in mind, it’s no wonder that I couldn't wait for the cinema release of From the Ashes - the documentary recounting the epic 1981 series in which England dramatically defeated Australia.  I was not disappointed.

In truth, I never really fully understood why Beefy is so revered, but I do now.  Put simply, he was pretty bloody awesome.  At the age of 24 he managed to defeat an impressive Australian side in spectacular fashion.  During the pivotal test at Headingley, he said that his aim was to ‘have fun, play and see what happens.’  Which is surely what sport is all about, no?

Legend

My thoughts are with the Ballesteros family at this deeply sad time.

I'm only just learning exactly how profound Seve Ballesteros's influence was in the golfing world. I fully intend to read his autobiography as soon as I can get my hands on one, I'm sure it'll be extraordinary.

I remember being greatly inspired when I heard him talk so humbly about the treatment he had received.  You can just tell that some people are good.  Rest in peace.

Better late than never - Khan touch this!

Dammit, I was in Buenos Aires when Khan fought McCloskey and was too busy guzzling the Malbec to blog about it.  I was particularly looking forward to posting, since in the run up to the fight, I'd thought of the best pun of all time - see above.  I'm disappointed that it wasn't quite the thriller the Maidana fight was, but that's the way things go I guess.

British boxing is in a good place right now, not least with the announcement of the Haye/Klitschko bought, now definitely going ahead on 2nd July.  I cannot wait for this!  The Haye camp must've doubled their efforts to get the fight to materialise particularly in light of the Harrison farce.  This is obviously THE challenge that everyone's been waiting for and I for one look forward to seeing David (we're on first name terms) smash it.

Yesterday was a strange day...

(Written 12/04/11) I can't pretend that this is not a surreal day.  I'm sat outside Eva Peron's Casa Derosa in Buenos Aires, reading Freddie Flintoff's autobiography and drinking juice.  I fully appreciate the complete randomness of this situation.

Earlier today, my good friend Stephen Fry (you can't prove that's a lie) tweeted something which caught my interest.  Apparently, this Spring will see the first ever live streaming of a village cricket match.  Now I think this is brilliant, and not just because I'm from sticksville either.  The money-men have ruined so much of what's good in sport, and I think that embracing local events in this forward thinking way will be nothing but a good thing.  I've got no allegiance to the team of Wray, but I'm keen to see how this goes and if it takes off...

At least one number 9 is scoring!

I'm a bad fan.  I was too busy eating a fat Argentinean steak to watch the whole of the Liverpool vs City match.  Fortunately the beauty of technology meant that I was kept up to speed.  What a lovely result against a 'top 4 club' eh?  It was made all the lovlier by the fact that a certain number 9 is now hitting his stride.  

I know that this is childish, but that number 9 shirt just doesn't work in blue, does it? - http://hastorresscoredforchelsea.com/  

Now, please excuse me, I'm off to do so tango.  Like I say, this is a surreal day...

Dhoni know how to finish with class.

Is it a bird, is it a plane?  
WOW.  What a final.  India vs Sri Lanka was every bit as entertaining as I had hoped.  It was a fine way to end what has been an remarkable and gripping World Cup.  It goes without saying that I jumped about like a loon when India won.  Terrific!  Granted, I'd have like to see Tendulkar get his 100th hundred on such a wonderful occasion, but you can't have everything.  Dhoni's classy finish was most gorgeous and apt in every way.

A few weeks ago, I got sent this picture.  Even though it wasn't the Tendulkar show yesterday, he epitomises Indian cricket, so I thought it only fair to share.

I really feel as if we're entering a new era with cricket – a few legends are leaving the world stage, which inevitably opens many doors for new talent.  This World Cup was the last international tournament in which Sri Lanka's famous 3 M's will play together,  Ponting's captaincy has come to an end (tee hee) and I don't suppose that Super Sachin will be featuring as prominently for too much longer.  I’m keen to see what the future holds and hoping that England start working some miracles...  

The master plan.

There was a college basketball coach in the 60’s and 70’s named John Wooden.  His record at the helm was more than impressive, and for a number of seasons his team went undefeated.  Interestingly, while he was responsible for such success, he NEVER talked about winning.  I heard him say something about sport (and life) that really stuck with me.  He said 'all we can do is have faith that as long as we do what we're supposed to, then things will turn out the way they are supposed to turn out'.

I thought of this yesterday when Roy Hodgson's West Bromwich team served Liverpool up a 2-1 defeat.  I can't help but feel there's sometimes a certain element of fate/karma in the way things unfold in sport.  We couldn't call for Roy's dismissal quick enough could we?  But now look at how he's improving West Brom.  It all points to a quality that's distinctly lacking in the modern game – patience.  

I'm 100% in favour of the effect that Dalglish has had on us this season, so I'm not suggesting that I wish Roy had stayed.  There's just an irony to it which I find interesting.  Even if we did lose.

A Real shame.
Yesterday was also notable for a certain 'Special One'.  An undefeated home record had to end sometime, didn't it?   Poor Jose.  Personally, I'd have been miffed at falling one season short of the decade mark, so I expect that he'll have been irked by this too.  Shoddy I tell you, just shoddy. ;-)

You'd do well to watch this Sir Alex.
If you can make time to watch this clip of John Wooden then I'd advise that you did so.  I doubt Alex Ferguson will be giving a talk like this at the end of his career.  This man is class, pure class.