Pre-match blues: Another night with an imbalanced England midfield

As we ready ourselves for another evening of England, I wanted to look at some of the aspects of our current midfield and how it's affecting the style of play and tempo at which we're approaching international fixtures.

I'll keep it short and sweet but i'll follow it up with some analysis following the game and before the equally crucial match against Poland.

It's likely that Roy will play 4-3-3 again tonight and if he's consistent with recent matches, he'll pick Wilshere-Lampard-Gerrard as his midfield axis

I've got real issues with that trio for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it's the arrogance. Not one of the three is suited to playing the anchor role with any nous or conviction and without somebody to sit and protect the back four, you do fear that we're open on the counter. It's a struggle to name an elite team in Europe (domestically or on the international stage) who doesn't play with a holding midfielder and yet Roy feels that we don't need one. I just can't buy the argument that we don't need somebody to play that role at home against Montenegro. It's disrespectful to solid opposition and it stinks of the exact type of arrogance which has plagued our national side for decades.

Secondly, it's the balance, or rather I should say lack of balance. Roy is selecting three guys who love time on the ball (they often dictate play when playing at club level) so the manager is essentially asking each of them to reduce the amount of possession and touches that they're all used to by a third. Who of the three would you mark out as the player who monopolises possession for England? Could you confidently answer? I can't and it often appears as if there is a battle between the three of them to get on the ball and stamp their authority on the way in which we're trying to play.

Finally, they just won't go beyond the ball. We're picking three midfielders who aren't exactly renowned for their movement off the ball and it's strangling our options when we're in possession. Lampard used to be excellent at breaking late into the opposition's penalty area but he's not got the same legs as he once had and he's more suited to taking up a deep lying role. And what's more, you can copy and paste that statement for Gerrard, leaving Jack who isn't a natural goal-scorer and is also much more comfortable with the ball than without it.

Whilst Roy continues to select them on the basis of them being the three best midfielders in the country, England won't have a chance of moving forward as a national side. They might well be the best of the current midfield crop but they're all of a similar type and picked together they make up an inefficient and lacklustre midfield without any zip, panache or flair.

Now let's hope they go out tonight, make me look like a prize fool and put on a show.

Off the Ball: Stephane Sessegnon - Manchester United (a)

This is the first of a weekly feature that I'm going to write following every weekend's games and goals in the Premier League.

The aim is to bring some attention to those who rarely receive it. To the players who make a contribution to a goal being scored without being credited with an assist or the goal itself. The focus of these articles are on those players who don't win you any points in your fantasy football team or find their photo alongside a match report. This feature is about work off-the-ball and it's about creating space for others by dragging defenders out of position and opening up space for a fellow team-mate.

The first in this series highlights the role of Stephane Sessegnon in creating the wonderful goal scored by Morgan Amalfitano this weekend at Old Trafford. Sessegnon, offloaded by the now ex-Sunderland manager Paulo Di-Canio this summer, is not somebody noted for his work-rate but on this occasion he excelled himself on a number of levels.

As Amlfitano carried the ball into United's half, he was chased hopelessly by Januzaj and faced with the opposition centre-backs, Evans and Rio Ferdinand.

In this situation you would have expected one of the defensive pairing to go out and meet him, but the run of Sessegnon left both in no man's land.

Coming from behind Rio, the WBA attacker darted between the two centre-backs, dragging Ferdinand's attention away from the oncoming Amalfitano.

Sessegnon carried on his run to the right touchline, forcing Evans to hesitate and leave Amalfitano to drive towards goal.

Sessegnon's movement stopped Evans from confronting the ball and pulled him completely out of the action.



Amalfitano was left one-on-one with Rio who found himself with completely the wrong body shape to make a decisive challenge.

A quick nutmeg and a classy finish later and West Brom were one up at Old Trafford.

You can view the goal by following the link below...

▶ The goal... - YouTube

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Per Mertesacker - defying the 'laws' of the Premier League

A quick search of Per Mertesacker's name on Twitter and you'll quickly get a feel for the general public's perception of Arsenal's enormous German international.

'Slow'

That seems to be the word most commonly associated with Per. The word that consistently appears against his name, week after week, game after game. It's there every time Arsenal concede a goal and it's there every time the Gunners lose (although that hasn't happened very often recently).

Mertesacker's speed is highlighted by opposition coaches (Chelsea coach Christophe Lollichon expected Marseilles to exploit Arsenal by targeting Per in their recent Champions League fixture) and it's routinely picked on by pundits as a weakness in Arsenal's defence.

And yet, for all his athletic deficiencies, Per is continually selected for Arsenal and remains the mainstay of Germany's defence. It just doesn't add up.

Is it that the likes of Wenger, Low and Klinsmann have been blind to this for all these years? Do they not read the results of Per's sprint tests?

Or is it that Mertesacker, now capped 93 times for Germany, makes up for a lack of speed by being one of the most intelligent centre-backs to have graced our league in the last ten years?

I suspect the latter.

With or without Per

Whichever way you want to look at it, Arsenal are on a mighty fine run.

Since a 2-1 defeat to Spurs in March last season, they've lost just once on the opening day of this year to Aston Villa and beaten the likes of Bayern Munich, Marseilles and their North London rivals (in a more recent fixture) along the way. You don't need to be a detective to see that their run of form coincides with a consistent partnership between Koscielny and Mertesacker and the stats speak for themselves.

In the last 18 matches, they've averaged a clean sheet every other game and effectively blunted the likes of Soldado, Michu, Berbatov and Lukaku on separate occasions. They've only drawn twice since the defeat in March and only against Villa have the pair conceded more than once in a Premier League match.

There is no doubting that Koscielny has been crucial to Arsenal's change in fortunes but he's not often singled out for criticism. Per, on the other hand, has been targeted ever since joining Arsenal and yet his performances suggest that much of the criticism has been unfair.

The German's stats are up there with the best when it comes to interceptions and aerial battles won, and whilst he's not somebody who wins lots of tackles, he makes up for that by giving so few fouls away. Oh and to top it off, he's even managed to chip in with three goals, the most recent against Stoke last weekend.

Those first five yards...

Playing centre-half for Arsenal is no easy gig.

Wenger's style permits his full backs to involve themselves in the play whenever his side have got the ball and the likes of Gibbs and Sagna are deemed essential when Arsenal attack. It makes the Gunners a potent attacking force but it also leaves them vulnerable if they give the ball away.

The pitch below shows the space left for opposition teams to exploit when counter-attacking Arsenal. With the full-backs out of position, Mertesacker and Koscielny are left to cover vast swathes of the pitch.

So, the question is: How could somebody like Mertesacker, deemed lethargic, cope with these situations and still remain effective?

With Per, it's all about those 'first five yards' being played out in his head. The German clearly has an outstanding football brain that allows him to anticipate danger and cut out threatening attacks decisively. His positional sense is unmatched across the league and it enables him to deal with attacking players whose speed he can't match. Where other defenders rely on their athleticism to get them out of trouble, covering up mistakes, Per consistently gets himself in the right place, at the right time, and deals with the problem before it becomes catastrophic.




The best is yet to come

Mertesacker has been prodigious at the heart of Arsenal's defence and Wenger is reaping the reward for showing faith in the towering defender. His leadership qualities are gradually coming to the fore, he's got the respect of his teammates and slowly but surely, he's starting to win round the doubters.

The obsession with athleticism and in particular, speed over the ground, has driven people to assume that a lanky and ungainly athlete like Mertesacker would never make it in the English top flight. And yet, if we were to look at the central defenders who've stood out in the Premier League era, they'd all have one thing in common; a footballing intelligence that surpasses their more athletically gifted peers.

Per fits nicely into this category.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Fresh start and a new direction

Where to begin?

It's been a few years since I last wrote anything related to sport and although the odd person has encouraged me to start up again, I've not felt compelled....until now.

For those of you that know me, I'm seeing this as an opportunity to take some of my typical weekend pub-talk and turn it into something worth reading. I'm challenging myself to create something from all the opinion and all of those predictions which fill up too much of your lives on a weekly basis.

A cousin of mine planted this idea a year or so ago after one of those 'chats'. The sort of 'chat' which typically sees me talking sport at either a family member or friend for a considerable period of time.

If i re-call correctly, I was defending a number of Arsenal players,who at the time were unpopular among both mainstream media and the majority of fans. Becoming increasingly frustrated with my point of view, James (my cousin) asked for something more substantial to support my argument and suggested I do something worthwhile with my unconventional opinions.

I didn't listen but I think it's a pretty good idea and so here I am writing now.

Ultimately this blog is about the following:

• It's designed to show people, who base all of their opinions on the five minute clip edited by the team at MOTD, that there is another way to look at things.

• It's intended to show up pundits who watch highlights for a living and provide lazy soundbites to be gobbled by the masses and regurgitated in every public house across the country.

• It's aimed at all the naysayers and all the 'one bad performance in a televised game and he's useless' types.

• It'll be statistical, it'll be tactical and obviously it'll be controversial.

First up, the BFG...G (Big Friendly German Giant if you're wondering) - Per Mertesacker.

Thanks for taking the time to read

A round of applause for the ineptitude of the ICC

Every sport wants to expand its horizons. Football held its last World Cup in Africa, the NBA and NFL are playing matches in London and just last month two English Clubs played out a Rugby Union fixture in Abu Dhabi. They all want to find new markets, seek out new opportunities and most of all want to spread their game as far and wide as possible.

All seems rather logical, doesn't it?

And yet, the ICC continues to defy logic. Their decision to cut the 50-over World Cup from 14 teams to 10 for 2015 - excluding the associate nations from the competition - is not only short-sighted but detrimental to the game world-wide. They claim their decision is based on a desire to maintain competitive standards in the competition and instead want associate nations to develop through exposure to the T20 World Cup each year.

But they really are missing a trick. Of course we want a competitive World Cup played out over a reasonable period of time - nobody in Cricket would argue otherwise - but that doesn't mean that we want to discourage developing nations in the process. How do the ICC propose Ireland, Kenya Canada and the Netherlands incentivise their players when they only have one competition to strive for each year? How does the Irish Cricket Board keep people like George Dockrell and the O 'Brien brothers from looking towards representing England in the future, if they are only able to play T20 on the World Stage?

Ironically, some of the associate nations are giving the 'heavyweight' nations more competitive Cricket then there fellow top-tier relatives have done in recent weeks, leaving egg on the faces of the governing body. But, it's not just this recent World Cup that has seen upsets and matches belying the form book. As recent as 2003, Kenya shocked the World and reached the semi-final of the competition and in 2007 Ireland were able to reach the knockout stages in the Caribbean. Does that not represent competition and progress?

Undoubtedly, the continued participation of smaller nations in the T20 World Cup is encouraging for the cricketing community and there is value to the argument that the shorter form of the game will allow the associates to be more competitive on a regular basis. But that doesn't make up for or mask the enormity of the decision to take away 50-over Cricket from developing sides.

By cutting the size of the World Cup, the ICC are not only taking the 'World' (so aptly put by Mr Swann) out of their premier ODI competition, but they're also showing their true colours on how committed they are to expanding the game. Bullied by the corporate aims of the superpowers and predictably lured by increased television revenues, the governing body are seemingly crushing the progress made in the associate nations over the past ten years.

Good to know the game is in safe hands.

Ready, Steady...Panic

If we're in the middle of a recession then somebody failed to mention it to the Premier League Football clubs willing to pay extortionate fees this January. First we had Edin Dzeko move to Manchester City for 27 million pounds, then Aston Villa parted with 18 million (subject to rise to 24) to bring Darren Bent to the midlands. If that wasn't enough, deadline day saw an incredible splurge of activity as Liverpool brought in the Uruguyan Luiz Suarez for over £22 million as well as splashing £35 million pounds on Newcastle's Andy Carroll. Leaving Anfield was the talismanic Fernando Torres who moved to the capital to join Chelsea for £50 million and the champions weren't finished there; also adding the Benfica centre half David Luiz for in excess of £20 million. A window full of activity and money spent aplenty.

Each club will argue that the money spent represents the quality they are buying and in some cases that remains true but if anybody thought that Carroll was worth £35 million prior to the 31st of January 2011 then they were certainly keeping quiet about it.

It's clear that the man, who until recently wanted to be a 'Geordie legend', has considerable talent and you won't get many doubting that he has the attributes to succeed at the highest level. Carroll is tall, athletic, strong, powerful in the air and has an element of skill not necessarily associated with your stereotypical 'targetman'. He's taken to the Premier League, like a duck to water, and his record over the first half of the season would suggest that he's destined to achieve not only in the top flight but on the international stage as well.

So why the furore over his transfer?

Liverpool have taken a punt and a ridiculous one at that. To spend £35 million pounds on a 22 year old, who has played only half a season of Premier League football, is excessive to say the least and reflects the sort of gamble that a club would only take on deadline day. Forget the potential of the lad, forget how Newcastle valued him and forget the amount of money brought into the club by the sale of Torres. Liverpool have splashed this money out of sheer panic and will rue their decision to blow this much on a player of Carroll's calibre. £35 million should be reserved for a world class player and not for an individual who looks like he may be able to, one day, grow into a top class striker in the Premier League. You might argue that it's the market inflating prices but the deal smacks of desperation from a Liverpool board looking to cover for the loss of Torres and Newcastle have done an incredible piece of business.

Remember this; Michael Ricketts had a good season once....

'One step forward...'

The Autumn Internationals saw an England side progressing towards the World Cup with such promise that you could be forgiven for thinking they had an outside chance of contending for the ultimate prize. Okay so they were out-classed by the All Blacks and beaten up by a monster South African pack, but some valuable lessons were learned and the quite brilliant manner in which they dispatched Australia gave hope to the nation that this group of fresh faced individuals might just have a successful future on the International stage.

Fast forward a couple of months and that optimistic outlook has been shelved again. Injuries to key players and question marks over some of the important selections has put paid to that and a feeling of uncertainty has crept in. England aren't ready and this World Cup was always going to come too soon, but all of a sudden challenging France for the Six Nations crown looks a little less feasible and there is a fear that the developments ongoing under Johnson could stagnate.

It's not so much the injuries to Lawes, Croft and Moody, because they can't be helped, but who they are to be replaced by. England's improvement has resulted from the selection of a different breed of forward and by reverting to able and try-hard plodders they risk undermining the style they've developed in the last year. With all due respect to Louis Deacon and Joe Worsley, who have been and still are outstanding professionals, they don't offer the same impact, threat or skills set to the men they are replacing and more importantly they don't offer the same dynamism.

International Rugby has moved on. Gone are the days of the Lock who got by on his setpiece and rucking alone. All of a sudden a Second Row is expected to be able to pass and carry the ball, tackle in the tight but now in the loose also and generally act as an extra backrower. In Lawes, England have produced a new breed but in selecting Deacon they revert to the plodding option who isn't going to throw the pass that sends Chris Ashton the length of the field. The same goes for Worsley. Make no mistake about it, the brute from Wasps tackles and boy he tackles hard but it's more of a case of what he doesn't do than what he does. Joe doesn't offer a lineout option, he doesn't carry well in the loose and he certainly isn't going to 'corner-flag' like Croft does.

Perhaps there isn't the pool of players available to Johnson to continue the style they've developed? Maybe Worsley and Deacon will perform admirably in this upcoming Six Nations? Only time will tell. Let's just hope that we don't hear that dreadful phrase from every microphone of every pundit this February when referring to England; 'One step forward...'.

Where there's a Wilshere, there's a Way

So England went to the World Cup and got embarrased. The media went into a frenzy, the public went home disappointed and the phrase 'I told you so' was so overused in every pub in the country that it's now safely been put away under lock and key until the next International tournament of any note. Not particularly groundbreaking stuff is it?

By the time the new season came around, Englands exit was a distant memory as fans engrossed themselves once more in the vibrant multicultural world that is; Premier League football. The national teams issues had been shelved once again, under the assertion that we'll probably qualify for the Euro's with relative ease, and nobody really made a song and dance about it.

In fact the whole process felt a bit cyclical, like we'd been here before too regularly. And yet, despite the depressing manner in which we were catapulted out of Africa, this season has brought hope and more importantly it's brought us an opportunity. An opportunity to start fresh, to leave our old stagnant ideas, characterised by fear and failure, by the wayside and instead put faith in the new batch; the untouched batch.

Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs at Arsenal, Andy Carroll at Newcastle, Martin Kelly at Liverpool and Jordan Henderson at Sunderland head a list of talented young players that need to be catapulted into the England squad and exposed properly to the vigours of International Football in the early years of their career. Forget inexperience and forget whether they are good enough to win the World Cup now. They are the future and the sooner they become regulars, in not just the England squad but in the starting team, the sooner we can properly build for the World Cup in 2014.

In Wilshere, England have an artist. Somebody in the Xavi/Iniesta mould who is constantly probing defences, with instinctive one touch passing and glorious through balls. For so long now we've had the Gerrard-Lampard question and now we have an alternative, a different style of footballer, who should be given precendence over both.

Andy Carroll is equally an interesting proposition. For too long we've berated our target men for not having either the necessary touch or composure, in the case of Heskey, or for lacking the physical presence, like Crouch. Carroll has both and will provide an excellent partner for Rooney.

Gibbs and Kelly are full backs (Kelly can also play center back) with exciting potential and although Gibbs shouldn't dispossess Cole of his shirt just yet, he has undoubtedly shown that he is the future once the Chelsea left-back comes to the end of his career.

Add Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott to the four mentioned and you've already got the basis of a fresher looking, dynamic England team ready to cause a stir at the Euro's and build towards the ultimate prize; the World Cup.

So suddenly things don't look so depressing. Maybe there are some answers? Let's just hope Fabio puts in faith in the new batch and gives it a real go.

Inside the boardroom at Ewood Park....

Inside the boardroom at Ewood Park....

Anuradha Desai: Welcome to Ewood Park Ronald. Do you mind if I call you Ronald?
Ronaldinho: (Nods)
AD: Excellent. So we want you to come and join Blackburn Rovers, we're an ambitious group of chicken fa...I mean... owners and we envisage Champions League Football in the next couple of years.
R: Well that sounds promising. Who exactly is the manager?
AD: I think his name is...hang on I'll just check my notes...that's right! His name is Steve Kean and he truly is a World Class operator.
R: I see. Are there any players of note at the club?
AD: Why yes Ronald. We have Chris Samba...oh no wait it says here in my notes that he wants to leave...hmmm oh yes that's right! We've got David Dunn, you must have heard of him?
R: (Sniggers) Do you mean the same David Dunn who is widely known for that piece of trickery in a Birmingham shirt?
AD: David played for Birmingham? Hmm interesting. You'll have to forgive me, my knowledge of Football spans only from the World Cup this summer. Yes I'd assume that very same one.
R: (Raises eyebrows) Wow yes he really is a good player... What sort of area would I be living in?
AD: Ronald! You will love the North West! Blackburn is a beautiful town, it truly is. It used to have cotton mills but they've gone now and it isn't grey at all...honest.
R: Ah yes! The weather - what am i to expect?
AD: Well it's mixed. Since we've been here it's rained but in different quantities and at different times of the day. You never know what you are going to get. Some days it rains in the morning, some days in the afternoon. Sometimes it actually rains all day. Quite a sight I'm sure you'll agree.
R: So you are telling me it just rains here?
AD: Well it has snowed. That's always fun. Colder but more fun. But who needs the Sun?
R: You do realise I'm Brazilian?
AD: (Checks notes). Oh are you? Oh right. Well it is sunny in the Summer I hear.
R: (Leaves to walk out). I'm not sure Blackburn is going to be the place for me.
AD: No wait! Ronald! I haven't even told you about your bonuses for goalscoring and appearances. We were going to give you a chicken for every goal....

Dig a little deeper

Oh how we've loved this Ashes series down under. Twenty-four long years we've waited for England to succeed, for them to finally bring home the urn and let there be no doubt about it; the feeling is sweet. Over and over England fans have been subjected to thrashings from Australian sides filled with brutally brilliant world class cricketers and finally the tables have turned.

For years we've loved to hate the likes of Warne, McGrath, Langer and Hayden but finally they retired and our attention turned. We had a new hate figure, a new individual to resent and deplore and his name was Ricky Ponting. And oh how we hated him, how we booed him to the crease, how we jeered when he failed and laughed when he moaned. But this series something strange has happened, something very strange. A feeling for Ponting, and an unusual one at that, has swept the nation; sympathy. To see a brilliant cricketer embarrased in such a cruel manner is not pleasant to witness, regardless of your nationality.

See Ricky hasn't just been a world class cricketer, for that title doesn't really do him justice. Make no mistake about it, Ponting has been and still is one of the great Test batsman. Second only to Tendulkar in the highest number of Test runs scored, the Tasmanian has scored an incredible 39 Test Hundreds and averaged 53.51 in 152 matches. He's scored runs on every continent against every bowling attack put in front of him and he's been the opposition's prize wicket ever since Steve Waugh retired and will remain so until he finally calls it a day.

Watching Ponting stride out to bat is like watching a warrior go to war and his innings at Old Trafford in the 2005 Ashes series sticks out as the perfect example. Australia, in dire straits, called on their captain to perform and he didn't disappoint. Ponting strode out to bat like a man on a mission; to bat all day and save the game. As his partners fell around him Ponting battled on putting the England attack to the sword, edging his side nearer to a draw that would keep the series alive. Completely focused on the task in hand Ricky occupied the crease for nearly 6 hours and faced 275 balls for his mammoth 156. Not a soul in the ground could believe it when he was finally dismissed; the immovable had been moved. But he had succeeded, through sheer bloody-mindedness and a will unsurpassed by any modern cricketer, Ricky had achieved his goal and Australia survived.

And that is the sort of innings that Ponting should be remembered for. It wouldn't be right for his story to be recounted as one of failure, as one of an Australia captain who was the first in the modern era to lose three (most likely!) Ashes series. Ricky should, instead, be remembered for all the things we used to loathe him for. For his incredible ability, both at the crease and in the field, for his die-hard attitude and for his competitive nature. He still bears the scar given to him by Steve Harmison on that opening morning in 2005, and that typifies his character best. That scar represents the fight in Ricky Ponting, it represents his never-say-die approach and most of all it represents his desire to achieve and succeed. Ricky Ponting is a winner, don't forget it.

Lets hope this isn't the end. Lets hope that he finishes with a performance that would be fitting for his truly special career.

Inheriting the Impossible: 'In Roy we Trust'

Anfield was like a library tonight. Not often are the Kop quietened but the enormity of the situation has dawned on them; Liverpool really are in trouble. It's not so much the position they are in, after all they aren't in a relegation battle (yet!), but the performances that they are putting in. Passionless, un-interested and without a fight don't even do tonights performance justice. In fact, each Liverpool player needs a 'look-in-the-mirror' session to judge where they are and what and who are they playing for.

When the final whistle blew then Anfield finally stirred. Boo's rang out around the ground demanding better, demanding application, demanding fight and heart but most of all demanding change.

On Hodgson the pressure mounts. There are growing calls from pundits, ex-players and fans for the owners to act; to replace Roy and move on from the saga. But it wouldn't be just and it certainly wouldn't be fair. Hodgson inherited a serious mess at the start of this season and to axe him before he's really put his stamp on the team would be a travesty.

Benitez really set him up. He left when Liverpool were on a downward slide, filled with mediocrity and characterised by lacklustre performances. He'd built a very average squad with considerable funds and only a few players of any real quality. Only Torres, Gerrard and Reina stood out when the ex-Fulham boss took over and he immediately identified the need to shift the deadwood and bring in quality. But Roy had a problem. He was given no real funds, no real backing from the board to create a new era and as a result could only make limited changes.

So Liverpool struggled. It wasn't absurd or out of the blue. After all the team at the end of Benitez's reign was carried by the brilliance of Gerrard and Torres. The luck had to run out and boy it did. Hodgson quickly found out that injuries to either of his two stars left him so shorn of quality that he was scrambling to put together a side that could compete in the league, let alone on the European stage.

And so here we are. Six months in and pressure mounting on Roy. How long will he last? How long before the board snap? Will he get to spend his kitty in January? Will he get to stamp his mark on the team? Lets hope he does. Lets hope his American owners have the sense to see that changing the manager rarely works and that building Football teams takes time. Liverpool fans should be turning to the man next to them and saying....'In Roy we Trust'.

5 Reasons why Arsenal can win the League

Arsenal's convincing 3-1 home win over Chelsea on Monday night has confirmed it; they are serious contenders for the title. So why have they got a shot this year?

1) The back four

The acquisition of Koscielny and Squillaci has not only strengthened the side but given Wenger's side depth. Arsenal have been without Vermaelen for long stretches of the season now but the two new signings along with the developing Johan Djourou has meant that they've been able to cope. Add to that the emergence of Kieran Gibbs, who provides admirable cover for Gael Clichy, and Arsenal seem to have sorted out their defensive frailties.

2) Alex Song

The progression of Song as a defensive midfielder has been one of the most important reasons behind Arsenal's success. Not only is he an athlete but he is also turning into an intelligent footballer with considerable ability. Song is not quite in the same league as Viera but he is aware of his role in the side and is providing the sort of cover to the back four that they've been crying out for.

3) Mixing it up

The signing of Chamakh and the continued development of Theo Walcott has given the manager extra dimensions in attack. Chamakh is lethal in the air and has provided a much needed target to the wingers and full backs looking to cross the ball. Walcotts pace allows Arsenal to get in behind defences and really stretch ageing centre backs. Away from home it has been and will be vital as Arsenal soak up pressure and then ruthlessly counter attack. Nasri and Arshavin's trickery act as alternatives to Walcotts pace ,with the former being in outstanding form this year.

4) Squad Depth

In all areas the squad has got deeper in both quantity and quality. As previously mentioned Wenger has a group of defenders to choose from now and is not as disrupted by the odd injury to one of his centre backs. Jack Wilshere has shown that he is ready to start on a regular basis, with Denilson and a fit again Abou Diaby to provide cover for both him and Fabregas. In the wide areas Arshavin, Nasri and Walcott have all shown something different, whilst Emmanual Eboue has filled a gap when necessary. Finally the addition of Chamakh has given Wenger other options and the longer that Robin Van Persie stays fit, the longer Arsenal will stay in the hunt. Add Bendtner and Vela into that mix and you have a very impressive squad capable of winning the title.

5) Away form

What was once the achilles heel, are now the matches Arsenal are most successful in. In previous seasons Arsenal have struggled to get points and win away from home, especially at clubs further north. This season is another matter entirely. Wins at Aston Villa, Everton, Wolves, Manchester City and Blackburn on their travels show the steely resolve that Wenger has instilled in this group of players.

Victory is Ours!

Now here are three reasons why...

1) We played Test Cricket as it's meant to be played.

Discipline is the name of the game and England have been the epitome of the word. Bar the minor blip in Adelaide, the top order have been impeccable in their judgement and the contributions of Cook and Trott were vital in setting the platform for the victories thus far. The phrase 'if you leave the ball well, you'll bat well' has never rung more true and the likes of Watson, Hughes, Clarke should take note. Time after time, loose drives and an inability to leave the ball properly has seen Australian innings crumble and England gain the upper hand.

But it hasn't just been the batting.

Throughout the series the bowling attack have hit their lengths consistently, stuck to the meticulous plans set out by Strauss and Flower and remained un-moved from the sort of nagging lines that an opposition wakes up in cold sweats to. In stark contrast Australia have sprayed it; there is no other way around it. Johnson, despite bowling a magnificent spell in the Aussies convincing win, has been all over the place and looks like a cricketer on the verge of a breakdown. Hilfenhaus has been uncharacteristically loose and, through no fault of his own, Pointing has been unable to build any sort of pressure on any of the England batsman.

2) Catches win matches.

Without taking them you aren't taking 20 wickets. England were brilliant in the field and Australia were far from it. It was mentioned before the series started that Strauss and his slip cordon were far superior to their opposition and they didn't disappoint. The captain, Swann and Collingwood were excellent off both seam and spin, whilst Pietersen had an impressive series at Gully. Obviously Collingwoods catch off Pointing is the pick of the bunch and will live long in the memory but it was the way in which the cordon snaffled the regulation chances that was important.

3) Englands replacements have been outstanding

Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan: take a bow. Both made Ashes debuts and both were exceptional. Tremlett, picked after an outstanding year on the Domestic scene, was faultless in the loss in Adelaide (picking up 8 wickets) and continued his form in Melbourne. He caused all manner of problems for the Aussies and out-bowled the man he replaced, Stuart Broad. Bresnan was equally brilliant in Melbourne and answered all his critics (including myself). Evidently more than just a 'county trundler', the Yorkshireman bowled beautifully in both Australias' innings and got just reward for his un-erring accuracy. What was so pleasing was that England weren't affected by the loss of Broad or the fatigue of Finn. We were actually strengthened by the changes and the use of fresh seamers in Australian conditions was a blessing.

Blocking the Path of the Future

Imports. Contentious aren't they?

In this country Football and Rugby League are two sports that attract and play host to foreign sportsmen from around the globe. Critics of the Premier League and Super League have identified the need to reduce the number of overseas imports in the game. But, are they beneficial? Do they raise the standards and improve our youngsters? Or, are our imports blocking the way of domestic talent?

Take the English Premier League. Arguably the greatest Football league in the World, the top flight in England is home to the most talented footballers from every continent and provides fans with a spectacle unrivalled. Players like Tevez, Drogba and Fabregas grace our league with skills and performances that dazzle our fans and media. But, it isn't that brand of footballer that's the problem. Those World Class performers enhance our game, they raise the standard of the football and our young players learn from them, no end. Our problem is the quantity of the foreign players in the league. Is Lucas that much better than Jay Spearing? Will Kieran Gibbs's career stall because of Gael Clichy? Does Javier Hernandez have that much more quality than Danny Welbeck? Just a few examples at the bigger clubs in the Premier League, but the same theme runs across the board.

The same problems exist in British Rugby League, but they are even more pronounced. A typical import to the English game is Australian, in his late 20's/early 30's, over-the-hill and finished in the representative game. There are exceptions, there are some brilliant exceptions, but they are few and far between. It couldn't be more frustrating to watch average imports hold on to places and positions that should be filled by hungry British Rugby players. The national teams problem positions are in the outside backs and yet you'd be hard pressed to name 25 players starting in those positions in the Super League that qualify to play for England. Now there are some other serious problems in the top tier of the British game, namely the standard of coaching, but the number of foreign players is undoubtedly hindering the chances of youth coming to the fore. England Academy recently beat their Australian counterparts in a two match Test series and certain players clearly emerged with the necessary quality to hold their own on at the highest level. But will they get their chance? Will it be too late when they finally are blooded?

How can young players fulfill their potential and develop themselves if they aren't exposed to the highest level? There is only so much that somebody can learn by being the understudy to a more experienced professional. Clearly the classier individuals are worth their place and definitely add to not only the standard but also the development of youngsters. Nobody minds the Didier Drogba's and Brett Finch's of this world. This isn't a complaint about a Cesc Fabregas or Michael Monaghan. They aren't the issue.

But Lucas Leiva? Javier Hernandez? Blake Green? Brett Delaney? These guys aren't world beaters, they aren't going to significantly add to the game. They are hard working professionals who have been offered the opportunity to work in England and earn a good living. They aren't to blame. But they are blocking the path of our future internationals and they are reducing the pool of athletes who could be selected for the national team.

If we want international success then the domestic scene of both these sports needs to be restructured. Domestic cricket has limits on the number of overseas players involved in the game and look at the success of the England cricket team. Why can't Football and Rugby League follow suit? Why can't Arsenal or Chelsea stick to four or five quality overseas players and then make the rest of the side up with homegrown footballers?

The standards might drop for a short period. That is pretty undeniable as clubs tried to adjust to the changes and young players were thrust into the highest level. But the changes would force clubs to invest in youth whilst improving and innovating their coaching standards. England would benefit in the long run, our national sides would be more competitive and fans would get to watch home grown players fight for their side. It makes sense doesn't it?

Defending the defendable

The growing clamour to drop Paul Collingwood is worrying. Once again the Durham all-rounder finds himself under increasing pressure to keep his place in the England team; a position not uncommon for 'Colly'.

Averaging only 15 with the bat and sparingly used with the ball, Collingwood's role in this Ashes series has been limited to catching bullets in the slips and acting as an experienced influence to some of the younger tour party members.

Journalists circle round in a vulture-like fashion bombarding England teammates with questions designed for that one slip; that one indication that support in the camp for Paul has switched, that he doesn't bring enough to the 'party' anymore or that he isn't dealing well with the Ashes pressure.

But his teammates stand firm, and with good reason. To drop Collingwood would be grossly unjust and more damaging than helpful to the England team. Here is a man with a proven track record, a cricketer who has fought 'tooth and nail' to play on the grandest stage of them all and achieve. Forget the recent run of form, forget how he resembles a crab when he bats; just remember this...

Paul Collingwood is proven.

Paul Collingwood is a winner.

Paul Collingwood has 10 Test Match hundreds to his name

Paul Collingwood averages over 40 in Test Match Cricket

Paul Collingwood has scored a Test Match double hundred in Australia against a far superior team than the current crop.

That is enough for me.

Add in that he's the world's best fielder and very handy medium pace bowler (useful in the Australian heat). Need I say more.

If he's given the chance to carry on in Melbourne and then Sydney, 'Colly' will let no-one down.

Streets Ahead...

Cast your minds back to this recent series of Rugby Union Autumn Internationals....

Yes I know this post might seem a little irrelevant and a bit late but nonetheless the matches between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres certainly provided us with food for thought.

Only England and Scotland managed to post victories over any of the Tri-Nations and, although Wales and Ireland pushed them close, at times it looked like neither South Africa, Australia or New Zealand got out of second gear.

What really struck me though was the All Blacks.

I know anybody sitting reading this will tell me that they are 'chokers' and that they historically 'peak too early' but I'm going to be bold with my prediction at this early stage. They WILL win the World Cup at home.

Not only are they streets ahead of the rest in terms of player resources, their tactics and skills in the recent International matches were absolutely outstanding. Okay, so it helps if Dan Carter is your fly-half and Richie McCaw is your Captain but if we stop and look at a few other things it becomes clearer to why they were so dominant.

At the breakdown they were brutal and at set-piece they surprised and outscrummaged most but i want to specifically pick up on a couple of points.

1) The Offload

The offload isn't just all about keeping the 'ball alive', that is far too simplistic a description. Where the All Blacks were able to rip teams apart was in their timing of the offload from the ball carrier and the angles that the reciever picked. What troubles an opposition defence is marking other players when their focus is on the man in possession. Take New Zealand's first try against England. When the ball is spun wide off the top of the lineout each England defender can easily pick his man up and Tindall is drawn towards Sonny Bill-Williams. It's then when Sonny is able to get his arms free that the problems are posed. Both the full-back and the winger can recieve the pass from the outside center and have the opportunity to pick an angle from a deeper position. Another defender is drawn to the ball carrier to stop either the offload or a continued carry and that frees up space for the three-quarters.

Now this isn't all about Sonny Bill. He undoubtedly has brought those skills from his Rugby League background, but this was across the board, this was every player on the pitch willing to not only chance the offload but time it.

2) Defence

I'm not just talking about your typical All Black impenetrable 'wall', brutal and all-consuming. I'm talking about their focus on the ball. The growing trend in Rugby Union is to carry the ball in one hand and because players are not protected from having possession stripped they risk having it done to them on a regular basis. Time and time again the howls of British supporters were heard over their teams inability to keep hold of the ball against New Zealand. It's not a coincidence though. After watching each side that the All Blacks faced repeatedly turn over the ball, I started to notice the emphasis that they placed on getting two men in the tackle; one high and one low. Graham Henry and his defence coach have focused on stripping the ball from the opposition and dangerously counter-attacking from the resulting turnover.

Now, you might argue that these are two simple and minor reasons behind their success. That really any team containing Carter, McCaw, Reid, Nonu, Muliaina etc... should be winning every match that they play. But, I'd argue differently. It's this sort of attention to detail, it's this sort of Rugby evolution that differentiates the best from the very good and it's this sort of innovative thinking that will see Richie lift that Web-Ellis trophy in 2011.

Strength in the Face of Adversity

The respective performances of Mitchell Johnson and Chris Tremlett in the Perth Test Match serve as a reminder of the difficulties that professional sportspeople go through to achieve success. The two pace - bowlers have different stories, filled with trials and tribulations, but have one important thing in common; they've both bounced back and they've both done it in style.

The way in which Mitchell Johnson has performed in the Third Test Match of this Ashes series is nothing short of remarkable.

Having been dropped after giving an astonishingly erratic account of himself in Brisbane, journalists, fans, ex - players and pundits all lined up to berate Johnson and it looked as if the Australian public had fallen out of love with the tattooed Queenslander.

His exclusion from the Second Test Match was contentious and he reportedly was furious at his omission from the side. Cricket Australia then refused him the opportunity of playing state cricket during the Adelaide match (instead he carried the drinks and completed twelfth man duties) leaving Johnson dejected and kicking his heels.

So how in such a short space of time has Johnson turned it all around?

A self belief bordering on delusion, a confidence which most would describe as arrogance and an exuberance surpassed by none has seen Mitchell drag himself off the canvas, dust himself down and put in a performance similar to that when he was the World's best in 2009.

Whilst Johnson's recovery has come in a relatively short period of time, Chris Tremlett's return to Test Cricket has been a much longer and drawn out affair.

Tremlett first played International Cricket back in 2005, and made his Test Match debut in 2007 against India. He was a cricketer with considerable ability, blessed with height and a frame that most pace bowlers would die for.

What Tremlett lacked was fitness.

Plagued by injury after making his debut for England, the former-Hampshire paceman struggled to gain any sort of consistency in his cricket and his International career was as good as written off until he joined Surrey for the 2010 season.

The move sparked a run of form that saw Tremlett catapulted back into the media eye, complete an injury free season and gain selection for the Ashes tour. All of a sudden the 6"8 giant was being touted as England's number one back up bowler and when Stuart Broad was ruled out for the rest of the tour, Tremlett was first in line to replace him.

His performance in Perth, not only reminded us of his considerable talent, but was the perfect example of somebody grabbing their opportunity and making it count.

These examples illustrate the determination that we find in sportsmen desperate to succeed. They put to shame the people who let their talent go to waste, who under-achieve, who don't have the fight or the desire. Both Tremlett and Johnson are talented beyond belief (nobody questions that) but their stories reflect the kind of people that they have become.

Live and Learn

I've learnt a few things over the last few days.

1) Don't ever write off Australian cricket teams

2) Don't forget that a wounded animal is the most dangerous

3) Don't tempt fate by claiming England are going to regain the Ashes after one victory

4) Don't count on England to adapt to Australian conditions

5) Don't be so naive in future

Thoughts of a typical, and cynical, Englishman

This morning, England wrapped up their inevitable innings defeat of Australia in the second Ashes Test Match at the Adelaide Oval.

The margin of defeat is incredible, the Aussie's have been well and truly smashed and for the first time in 20 years England are hot favourites to retain the Ashes down under.

England were outstanding in all three departments on every day of the Test Match and the gap between the two sides is fast becoming embarrasing for the Australian nation.

Which leaves me to wonder; Is this victory and the remaining series marred by the quality of the Australian team?

Maybe it's a little harsh on England's effort? Maybe we should be revelling in the dominant performances of Andrew Strauss and his men? Maybe I'm being premature?

BUT, I can't help the nagging feeling in the back of my mind, which keeps saying to me 'there is no McGrath, there is no Warne or Langer or Hayden or Gilchrist or...'.

I know Cricket moves on, I know England have improved and I know different sides have dominant era's and then generally fall from grace. It just seems that Australia's has been at an alarming rate.

Warne and McGrath were irreplaceable, Gilchrist was a one in a million cricketer and Langer and Hayden formed one of the most formidable opening partnerships in contemporary Cricket. I'm not denying replacing them was a near impossible task, I'm just looking in an un-biased manner at the players that have come in to fill their shoes and I'm worried that their lack of quality degrades England's victories.

Is Graeme Swann in the same league as Warne? Is Anderson close to McGrath? Prior up against Gilchrist?

Just a few questions I'm asking myself.

Mike Ashley: The most deluded man in Football

Astounded. That is the word that most Football followers would use on a day like today. News of Mike Ashley's incredible decision to sack Chris Hughton from his position as Newcastle manager has left most people shocked and many angry.

Hughton, aged 51, was given the news of his dismissal following his sides 3-1 loss away to West Brom at the weekend. Currently positioned in 11th, Newcastle and Ashley will now begin the search for his replacment to supposedly stop the club from falling back into the Championship.

It seems that the owner has missed some of Hughton's achievements as manager of the club so I will list them here in an factual manner:

2009/2010 Season

Appointed permanent manager of Newcastle United Football Club

Championship Manager of the Month: August, September, November and April

Newcastle complete promotion in April 2010 and finish 1st in the league.

Newcastle unbeaten at home (including cup competitions) for the 2009-2010 season.

Newcastle lose only 4 games out of 46 in the Championship

2010-2011

Newcastle return to the Premier League

Newcastle complete wins over Aston Villa, Arsenal (at the Emirates), West Ham and Everton in the league.

Newcastle beat Sunderland 5-1 in the Tyne-Wear Derby

Newcastle draw with Chelsea in the league.

Newcastle beat Chelsea in the Carling Cup (at Stamford Bridge) before being knocked out by Arsenal

When Hughton is sacked, Newcastle sit 11th in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool.

These are the facts, now I will have my say.

Not only did Chris Hughton return United to the Premier League at the first time of asking, he did it in record time, he did it with the same 'hopeless' group of players that were relegated and he did it in an incredibly short space of time.

Following promotion, Hughton wasn't given outrageous investment (only signing Tiote, Ben Arfa who is injured and Campbell and Gosling on free transfers) and for the most part kept the same squad that were successful in the Championship

To then have Newcastle mid-table in their first season back in the top-flight, along with wins over Arsenal and the thrashing of Sunderland at home, is an outstanding achievement and has been completely overlooked by the short-sighted and deluded Ashley.

Hughton, has been instrumental in resurrecting the careers of Kevin Nolan and Jose Enrique, developing Andy Carroll to a point where he has been selected for England and introducing the talented young Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul.

Hughton hasn't been given a huge transfer kitty, he didn't inherit many 'Premier League' standard footballers and yet he was able to completely turn the side round.

If Newcastle honestly believe that sacking Hughton is a positive step in fighting for survival then they are incredibly mistaken. The irony is that their chances of survival have just dipped quite considerably following Hughton's dismissal.

Unless Mike Ashley has Jose Mourinho or Pepe Guardiola's signature already down on paper, then this represents the strangest and most ridiculous footballing decision from recent memory.