History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

SANCHEZ: HEALY IS THE NORTHERN IRISH DAVID BECKHAM

David Healy has been monikered the "David Beckham of Northern Ireland" by his
Fulham manager, Lawrie Sanchez, and at Old Trafford on Monday the forward
hopes to have the opportunity to show his old club what they are missing after
Manchester United allowed the then-trainee to leave six years ago.

The 28-year-old signed for United back in August 1999, four days shy of his
20th birthday, but he featured only once for Sir Alex Ferguson's team - as a
substitute in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa.

Ferguson allowed Healy to join Preston in January 2001, and having scored 43
goals for the club Healy was transferred to Leeds United, before Sanchez spent
£1.5m on securing his services in the summer.

Despite registering four goals for Fulham already, it is on the international
scene that the Killyleagh-born striker has truly shone. Last month (NOV) he
surpassed Davor Suker's scoring record in the European Championship Qualifiers,
which had stood for a dozen years, and now has 33 goals in 66 games for his
country.

Sanchez, who masterminded Northern Ireland's memorable 1-0 victory over
Sven-Goran Eriksson's England in 2005, in which Healy scored the winner, said:
"David Healy is the David Beckham of Northern Ireland.

"When he plays for the national team, percentage wise he's a better striker
than Michael Owen or Alan Shearer, which for a small nation is phenomenal.

"To score 13 goals in a qualifying group that includes Fernando Torres, David
Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is something special.

"You think of the quality of those forwards and David has outscored them
against the same defences and with a lesser team."

Sanchez, whose side face a relegation battle as they have won only two of their
opeining 14 Premier League games, added: "He is a class striker, he's proven
that internationally and he's proven that in the Premier League.

"David's stepped up and he's scored the goals. The Premier League is a tough
league to play in and you can name numerous forwards that have failed.

"He's already scored four, which is a good strike rate. I expect him to get ten
goals this season without a doubt. There aren't too many finishers of his
quality in the league."

Labels: David Healy, football, Fulham, Lawrie Sanchez, Manchester United, Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

DAVIS RELISHING UNITED CHALLENGE

Steven Davis will relish the opportunity to challenge himself against the best when Fulham play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday - and hopes to learn from the experience.

The 22-year-old central midfielder has played against United before, for his former club Aston Villa, but he has never won a point against Sir Alex Fergerson's side.

As a child the Northern Irish international, who manager Lawrie Sanchez thinks could develop into "another Frank Lampard", always dreamed of playing at Old Trafford, against the best in the game.

He said: "Growing up as a boy you want to play at stadiums like Old Trafford and against the best players.

"They have world class players, so we know it will be a tough game. United are going to be challenging for the title, but hopefully we will take something from it.

"It's good to come up against players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and challenge yourself.

"You can only learn from these experiences and improve your own game."

The £4m summer-signing continued: "With Villa I never got a good result against United, so it would be good to put that right.

"We are not just going to turn up. I don't see why we can't get a result because we have done well against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea so far this season.

"We haven't got the points we have wanted, but we have definitely been in those games, and we'll go to Old Trafford with a game plan."

Labels: football, Fulham, Lawrie Sanchez, Manchester United, Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson, Steven Davis

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:17 pm | Permalink | Comments

MOURINHO SHOULD BE NEXT ENGLAND BOSS SAYS LEADING SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST

Jose Mourinho ticks all the boxes to be England manager and could transform the team from losers into winners, according to leading sports psychologist Dr George Sik.

The Portuguese coach walked out of Stamford Bridge in September as Chelsea's most successful-ever manager after winning six trophies in three glorious years.

Dr Sik believes there is a dearth of talented, available English coaches able to handle and motivate the national side. But Mourinho could be the answer.

"Mourinho is a superb man-manager and motivator," said Dr Sik. "He has tremendous optimism and belief, to the point of arrogance.

"Optimism is one of the most stable aspects of the human condition and he is also very good at gelling a team.

"It is certainly difficult to think very highly of yourself if you don't have the deepest respect of the entire team. Mourinho would achieve that more than anyone else.

"He would be the people's choice and he ticks all the boxes as far as any individual can in terms of having all of the qualities that are associated with winning."

Labels: Dr George Sik, England, football, Jose Mourinho, Steve McClaren

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:13 pm | Permalink | Comments

VICTORIOUS AUSSIES LEFT THINKING "WHAT A DICK"

Dick Advocaat was not present at Craven Cottage to witness Australia’s one nil victory over Berti Vogts’ Nigeria today. He was, up until kick-off, expected to attend. But having turned down the opportunity to manage the Socceroos only hours before, the Dutchman may have deemed it inappropriate to sit among the swathes of gold and green scarves.

Had he been appointed, and had he watched, Advocaat would have been encouraged, as an Australian team shorn of a number of their Premier League stars shone on a grey day in Fulham.

Nigeria, currently 19th in Fifa’s world rankings – 33 places above Australia – are in preparation mode ahead of their African Cup adventure which starts on January 20. But they never warmed to the occasion, and have much to do before their flight to Ghana. Without Premier League forwards John Utaka, Yakubu Ayebeni, Victor Anichebe and Nwankwo Kanu, Vogts’ team was always going to look toothless up front.

Australia, unable to call upon Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Manchester City target Mark Bresciano, looked bright from the off. It took only three minutes before the Australians, led in attack by Harry Kewell, created their first chance, with left-winger David Carney nodding wide right of Dele Aiyenuga’s post. The Nigerian ‘keeper was kept much warmer than his team mates.

With scant possession the Nigerians created little to bother Mark Schwarzer’s gloves in the opposing goal. Captain Obafemi Martins tried his best up front, but produced only one noteworthy effort, in the 28th minute. Winger Osaze Odemwingie crossed from the right, the ball fell to the Newcastle United forward and his shot cannoned off Danny Shittu, causing Schwarzer to tip the ball onto and over the bar.

Kewell linked well with Carney on the left and Nick Carle in midfield, but it took until seven minutes after the interval before Australia broke the deadlock. Shittu could only clear Luke Wilkshire’s cross as far Carney, 30 yards out, in the left-hand channel.

The Sheffield United midfielder steadied himself and laced his shot in the top-left hand corner, just out of reach from Aiyenuga’s groping hand. When the goal – the 23-year-old’s first for his country – was scored, the team rushed over to the bench to celebrate with caretaker manager Rob Baan, in a blatant show of solidarity.

There were a handful of other chances for Baan’s side, but the Dutchman – whose official role is technical director – was more concerned that a replacement for
Graham Arnold, sacked after July’s disappointing show in the Asian Cup, will be named soon.

As Football Federation Australia held crisis talks after Advocaat’s jilt, the prospect of a heavyweight legal battle with his Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg, loomed on the horizon. After winning the Russian league with them last weekend Advocaat surprised the FFA by signing a contract extension worth a reported $3.6m a year.

FFA believe they are in their rights to sue, as they have not interviewed any other managers for the position currently held by Baan, who has categorically dismissed his interest in the job.

With Australia starting their World Cup qualifying in two months, Baan was obviously frustrated that good friend Advocaat had spurned Australia.

He said: “We were so sure that he would come in January, because we signed him already a couple of months ago. And of course you stop looking. So now we have to look for another replacement at this time in the middle of competitions.

“If you sign a contract and you suddenly don’t accept the consequences it is very disappointing. In the meantime we have to prepare for January 6 when we play our first qualification match. We want a quality coach as I think we have a quality team. We showed that today.

“The players are all keen to know who will take over the job now. The list is not great at the moment because all the quality coaches are already signed. So you have to look at (Jürgen) Klinsmann, who is available. His is the only person on the quality level we are looking for who is available at the moment.”

Whoever takes the job will be in charge of a squad whose talent, and more importantly, spirit is evident. But, as Middlesbrough’s Schwazer said: “The sooner we get a coach installed, get a bit of stability and start playing the way he wants us to, the better it will be for everyone.”

Australia
Schwarzer; Emerton, Neill, Beauchamp, Chipperfield (Burns h/t); Wilkshire, Valeri, Carle, Carney; Kewell, McDonald
Unused substitutes: Coe, Federici, Sterjovski, Wesolowski, Kennedy and Thwaite

Nigeria
Aiyenuga; Eromoigbe, Shittu, Afolabi (Nwanerri h/t), Emeghara; Odemwingie (Ikechukwu 63), Ayinia, Okonkwo (Taiwo 68), Etuhu; Makinwa (Manaseh h/t), Martins
Unused substitutes: Obiefule, Ejide and Obi
Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Labels: Australia, Berti Vogts, Craven Cottage, Dick Advocaat, football, Fulham, Harr Kewell, Nigeria, Obafemi Martins, Premier League, Rob Baan

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:07 pm | Permalink | Comments

VOGTS CROSSES FINGERS FOR SCOTLAND

Berti Vogts has taunted England by insisting his old Scotland team are better than Steve McClaren's side - but is backing both to make it to Euro2008.

Scotland will qualify if they beat world champions Italy at Hamden Park tomorrow and Vogts believes they can cause an upset.

Vogts, who is now in charge of Nigeria, said: "I am keeping my fingers crossed for Scotland and hope that they qualify and they make progress.

"I was with Scotland for two-and-a-half years, so it makes me very proud to see them doing so well.

"They have a good team – they are better than England at the moment, but I think England will still qualify."

Vogts took control of Scotland in 2002 but a series of poor results followed including a 2-2 draw with the Faroe Islands, and while many chose to point the finger at him, he claims there were few established players for him to select from.

"When I took over Scotland James McFadden, Darren Fletcher, Andy Webster and Craig Gordon were all about 18 or 19-years-old," Vogts added.

"They were too young for international football, and I knew that. The Scottish FA knew that too.

"Now they have come through and the team are organised and have a very good team spirit – that’s very important.

"All the compliments must go to Alex McLeish and the young boys. They can beat Italy, and I’m sure they will qualify. Alex has done a great job in bringing the boys another step forward."

Labels: Berti Vogts, football, Italy, Nigeria, Scotland

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:41 pm | Permalink | Comments

COHEN: ENGLAND WILL NEVER WIN WORLD CUP ON FOREIGN SOIL

World Cup winner George Cohen believes England will never be good enough to win
the finals on foreign soil.

The 1966 winner, a severe critic of Steve McClaren, claims England's only chance of winning the Jules Rimet trophy for a second time will be in 2018, if FIFA select them to host the tournament.

The former Fulham full-back said: "As it stands England will never be able to win a World Cup on foreign soil. The players are just not good enough.

"The English players are awful, and Steve McClaren should have gone long ago. Even Alf Ramsey was sacked, and he won a World Cup!

"They might get a chance if the World Cup comes to us in 2018. But Fifa are trying to stuff that up, so I'm not sure England will win another tournament for a while."

Labels: England, Euro 2008, football, Fulham, George Cohen, Steve McClaren

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:39 pm | Permalink | Comments

WILSON: SCOTLAND CAN BEAT THE WORLD CHAMPIONS

Goalkeeping legend Bob Wilson is positive Scotland can achieve the result they need to gain qualification to Euro 2008 from Group B against Italy at Hampden Park tomorrow. After 11 games in the tough group the Scots are placed second, only one point behind the world champions, but with Arsenal target Craig Gordon between the sticks, the Scots have has enough talent to keep out the tactically-defensive world champions, thinks Wilson.

The 65-year-old, who made over 300 appearances for Arsenal in the sixties and seventies, and won a couple of caps for Scotland, is enthused by the way his countrymen beat world cup finalists France both home and away.

He said: “Scotland have done fantastically well. I think that they might do it against Italy.

“You saw the way Italy won played to win the World Cup – they were ultra defensive.

“And they were good in Germany, but if they play like that against Scotland – defensively – then we stand every chance of getting a result.

Wilson, Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach for 28 years, helped the careers of Pat Jennings and David Seaman, and admitted that Arsène Wenger has been an admirer of Gordon for a number of years.

“The Scottish defence has been superb in this qualifying campaign. And Craig Gordon has been fantastic.

“When I was still goalkeeping coach at Arsenal, a couple of years ago, we were looking at Craig. He is a big lad and he has great goalkeeping qualities.

“Arsène was very interested in Craig, but I just hope he does the job on Saturday. Whatever happens, Scotland have had a great qualifying tournament.”

Labels: Arsenal, Bob Wilson, Craig Gordon, football, Italy, Scotland

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:29 am | Permalink | Comments

START OF A GOLDEN AGE FOR ENGLISH RUGBY

Rugby chiefs have finally agreed on a deal that will put an end to the club versus country debate, and pave the way for a new “golden era” where English rugby will flourish both on and off the field.

Representatives of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) were relieved to announce the new eight-year deal – which will commence from July 1 next year – at Twickenham yesterday.

The PRL had been at odds with the RFU for over a decade after losing important players due to international duties at key stages in the season without any financial compensation.

Despite this squabbling, England have reached the last two world cup finals, and Premiership teams have won six of the last 11 Heineken Cups and six of the last seven Challenge Cups. With both clubs and country pulling in the same direction, England fans can expect even more success.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with PRL,” opened Martyn Thomas, Chairman of the RFU Management Board. “It has taken a long time to put together. We believe that we have got an agreement that is positive it will work if both parties of the agreement pull together.

“It will take England through two rugby world cups, and we hope that the stability and certainty that the agreement will provide will be vital to the development of the game, both at club and country level.”

RFU Chief Executive Francis Baron said: “Our objective is simply to make England number one and our club competitions number one. The RFU will be providing around £110m to the Guinness Premiership clubs over the course of the agreement.

“The key to implementing the agreement will be the establishment of the Professional Game Board, who will be responsible for overseeing the professional game.”

The exhaustive 150 page document – “Nobody has ever produced such a detailed document in professional rugby; we have tried to deal with every issue and deal with it comprehensively,” continued Baron – sets out plans for seasons to be played in series of ‘blocks’.

The idea is to allow players to represent their club and country as much as possible. The block system is structured to include commitments to the Premiership, European competitions as well as International games.

Though, for fear of ‘burnout’, players will only be able to play a maximum of 33 games in any one season (including a maximum of 11 for England).

Three elite player squads (EPS) – Senior, Saxons and Under-20, each of 32 players – will allow players to prepare better for upcoming internationals. Clubs will also be financially encouraged to nurture English talent, and special coaching schemes are to be introduced to develop English coaching talent.

“It is very exciting,” added Elite Rugby Director Rob Andrew. “It is an English solution for the English game – that’s the most important thing. For once and for all I hope we have put the club versus country debate behind us, and we can now really seriously talk about club and country.”

Labels: Francis Baron, Heineken Cup, Rob Andrew, Rugby Football Union, rugby union, Rugby World Cup

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

VAUGHAN UPBEAT BEFORE SRI LANKA SERIES

England Captain Michael Vaughan was refreshed and confident ahead of his flight to Columbo this evening, despite the fact that Sri Lanka is one of the toughest countries to tour.

Vaughan thinks his time away from the international scene coupled with some new players, fresh from their victorious One-Day series in the sub-continent, will be a recipe for success.

“History will suggest that it is one of the hardest away trips that you can possibly go on,” he said. “It is also one of the most exciting. There are many factors to contend with – the heat, the humidity.

“It is a tough trip, but as the guys in the One-Day side showed if you get your plans right players stick their hands up at important times you can certainly be successful.

“I have been to Sri Lanka twice – I won the first time, and lost 1-0 in the second, but we have always had some really good games of cricket.”

Vaughan continued: “It is certainly a country if you can get your players playing in the right fashion, playing towards a plan and all playing for each other – that’s exactly what we are hoping to do in the next six weeks.

“It is an exciting time as there are a lot of new faces in the squad. They are full of energy and youthfulness, and a bit of cheekiness.

“Hopefully we can take all that onto the trip to Sri Lanka. I am delighted to have so many of the members who were successful in the One-Day party – that is very important that they have had success on the shores of Sri Lanka.

“They have a real confidence factor about them and that’s great for the team. We are just looking forward to it – it is a newish team.

“I feel incredibly refreshed and very hungry to go out and try and be successful," added Vaughan. "I have really enjoyed my time away from the international game over the last three months.

“If we have got a great attitude, work really hard and get a plan together and stick to it then we can be successful as a team.”

Labels: cricket, England, Michael Vaughan, Sri Lanka

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:55 pm | Permalink | Comments

BROAD SHOULD REMAIN IN ENGLAND SAYS NOTTS CHAIRMAN

Stuart Broad would be better off staying in England and developing his skills in the County Championship rather than travelling to Sri Lanka - according to his County chairman, Mick Newell.

The 21-year-old fast-bowler flies out to Columbo with the England team this evening (THURS), and is due to make his Test debut after impressing in One-Day Internationals this summer.

But Nottinghamshire chairman Newell, who in August was delighted to have signed "the best young prospect in England" from Leicestershire CCC, will now not see his new acquisition until January.

And even then Broad could well be selected for the tour to New Zealand, meaning he will be unavailable for county duties until the last week in March. But Newell thinks that Broad could be surplus to requirements for Peter Moores' side.

"England are strong in the bowling area with Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and James Anderson, with Chris Tremlett as a make-shift bowler," he said.

"It will be a competitive area for Stuart internationally. I happen to think that some more county cricket over the next two or three years would help him much more. That's how I thought it would develop, but I didn't envisage he would be on this tour."

Broad has followed his father - eighties Test match opening batsman Chris - to Trent Bridge, and Newell believes that his batting skills will help the youngster gain a starting spot in Sri Lanka, perhaps ahead of time.

He continued: "Stuart started off as a batsmen who bowled a bit and I think that if he does play in the Test side he is very likely to find himself batting in the number eight spot. Indeed the fact that he can bat at eight might help him get in the team."

So far Broad has attended a handful of nets at Nottinghamshire, and his chairman is frustrated by the prospect of his precocious talent being used solely by England.

He said: "Obviously we have an interest in having Stuart play as much as possible for Nottinghamshire. But his elevation to the Test team has been quicker than people thought, and that obviously restricts his performances for us.

"Stuart has been to some of our training sessions that we have started over the last couple of weeks," he added. "Hopefully he will get more involved after Christmas for us, if he is not selected for the New Zealand trip."

The New Zealand tour finishes on March 23, and lengthy series against the Kiwis and then South Africa will mean that Broad, if selected, will not feature regularly for his county until September.

Labels: cricket, England, Nottinghamshire, Sri Lanka, Stuart Broad

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:42 pm | Permalink | Comments

KING OF THE CHATEAU

Alex King’s left boot kicked Wasps to three consecutive Guinness Premierships and two Heineken cups – the last one being the magnificent 25-9 victory over Leicester in May, when he scored 15 points. But the 32-year-old former England fly-half, who swapped London for Clermont-Ferrand in the summer, is hoping he can repeat the feat at the expense of his old team.

After the dust had settled on the Twickenham final King announced that he would be moving to Clermont Auvergne, where he was offered a one-year rolling contract. After 11 years at Wasps he thought it was right to leave on a high.

Though his new team have never reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup, they have started well this campaign, and managed to thump Llanelli Scarlets 42-21 on Sunday, in the competition’s ‘group of death’.

Aside from the Scarlets, King’s team have to play his former side Wasps in December, and winners of two years ago: Munster.

He said: "It was a good result and a great performance by the boys against the Scarlets. It's handy to get a win early on in this very difficult group.

“Wasps are number one seeds and they have been drawn with the second best team in France last year – Clermont - the 2006 champions and Llanelli Scarlets, who are always there or thereabouts in the knockout stages.

“It’s a tough group, but whoever qualifies will be confident of winning the tournament.”

King is enjoying his time at the club, and thinks that the multicultural make-up of the side will reap rewards come the end of the season.

“We are really well managed by coach Vern Cotter,” he continued. “In the three months that I have been here I have seen the impressive team ethos and work culture.

“There is a fantastic blend of rugby cultures from all over the world. We have two Georgians (Goderzi Schvelidze and Davit Zirakashvili – both props) who are brilliant characters; two Argentineans in Martin Scelzo and Mario Ledesma who are fantastic in the front row.

“There are three Fijians and three South Africans. World cup winner John Smit is a really top man. He is going to bring a huge amount to the team.”

King added: “Then you have the staple French guys, the likes of Pierre Vigouroux, Aurélien Rougerie and Julien Bonnaire who hit the highs with France at the World Cup. It is a really good mix and the ambition there from everyone is easy to see.

“We are a very ambitious club, and we want to do something special this year. It is great for me to join a club in France with that kind of ambition.

“To go on a Heineken Cup journey with another team is something that really excites me. It would be a nice Christmas present to beat Wasps, but I’m sure they are thinking the same thing.”

Labels: Alex King, Clermont Auvergne, Heineken Cup, Llanelli Scarlets, rugby union, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:24 pm | Permalink | Comments

INTERNATIONAL BREAK HALTS STINGY SPURS’ MOMENTUM

Juande Ramos’ first Premier League game at White Hart Lane saw Tottenham comprehensibly defeat a feckless Wigan side 4-0 yesterday. But Spurs, who have won three and drawn one in the Spaniard’s first four games, will now have their momentum halted by the two-week international break.

A first half Jemaine Jenas brace, followed by Aaron Lennon’s 39th minute swerving volley, ensured the points. And with under twenty minutes left record signing Darren Bent, off the bench, crowned his 200th league appearance with a well-taken strike.

The £16.5m summer recruit admitted he would have preferred to play 90 minutes, but is confident that the team can advance further up the league when they travel to Upton Park to play West Ham on November 25.

He said: “I was a little disappointed not to start, but it happens - it’s all part and parcel of football. But I was lucky enough to get on the pitch and get a goal.

“It was good to get on the score sheet. We played well and got the result - that was the most important thing.

“It’s good to go into the international break with three points under our belt. We have definitely got the quality of players to get out of the situation we are in, and we can push up the league when we return.”

Ramos was most pleased that his defence achieved a clean sheet - the third Paul Robinson has kept under the former Sevilla manager. Prior to his appointment Spurs had conceded goals in all but two of their 15 matches.

"We are happy with the scoreline but the thing I'm more happy with is three of the four matches since I've been here have been clean sheets," Ramos said.

"Once you get that clean sheet, players play much better and have more confidence.”

Labels: Darren Bent, Jemaine Jenas, Juande Ramos, Tottenham, Wigan

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:27 am | Permalink | Comments

RAMOS EARNS HIS SPURS

Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan began Sunday equal on eight points at the lower end of the Premier League, but after Spurs’ consummate 4-0 victory the teams couldn’t have looked further apart. The north London club are very much in the ascendancy under the guidance of their new manager, Juande Ramos.

It was only Spurs’ second win of the campaign, but under the Spaniard, there will be many more on the way. In Ramos’ first home game in the league, Jermaine Jenas netted a first-half brace, while Aaron Lennon made sure of the result in the 39th minute with a sweet, dipping, inside-out volley. Darren Bent, coming off the bench, crowned his 200th league game with a well-taken strike in the second half.

There could have been many more too, but scoring has not been Spurs’ problem this term - it is their defensive brittleness that has lost them points. Until now, that is. England No1 Paul Robinson, barracked by fans earlier in the season after a number of questionable performances, has conceded only one goal in his last four games.

Considering his team only managed to keep their sheet clean in two of the previous 15 games, this current run will boost Robinson’s confidence - good news for both club and country.

For Wigan, however, things can only get better. Having parted company with manager Chris Hutchings after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, they looked rudderless and posed Robinson’s gloves no problems whatsoever. The north west club continue their dismal run - the worst in the Premier League - of seven straight losses, having leaked 18 goals in that time.

Caretaker manager Frank Barlow looked disinterested, and rose from his dug-out only once in 94 minutes - in the 29th minute, after his team were two goals down. “This is definitely not the job I wanted,” Barlow had admitted in midweek, and it showed.

Starting with Marcus Bent as solitary forward, Wigan looked feckless and disorganised. The only positives for Latics fans at present are Emile Heskey’s immanent return - he is pencilled in for the trip to Arsenal at the end of the month - and news that Paul Jewell is to meet club directors to discuss a possible return tomorrow.

Spurs go into the international break with a spring in their step - Ramos’ four games in charge have brought three wins and a draw. They will go to Upton Park to take on local rivals West Ham United on November 25 hoping to jump even further up the Premier League.

Labels: Darren Bent, Jemaine Jenas, Juande Ramos, Tottenham, Wigan

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:06 pm | Permalink | Comments

SMITH’S CHALLANGE CONTINUES

While rugby leaguers allow the realisation of Great Britain’s three-match whitewash over New Zealand - their first series win for 14 years - to sink in, Tony Smith’s work remains unfinished.

In a month Smith has taken Leeds Rhinos to Grand Final victory and orchestrated successive wins in his first four matches in full-time charge of Great Britain. With the Australian at the helm, England, following the disbandment of the Lions, have much to look forward to ahead of next October’s World Cup back in his homeland.

Through bold selection and professionalism Smith, 40, has successfully fused together youth with experience in his side. The choice of 18-year-old Sam Burgess - the youngest ever GB prop, and youngest debutant since Andy Farrell in 1993 - was testament to his innovation, but vindicated ultimately.

For Burgess, one of a number of young players blooded by Smith, his try-scoring debut in the opening 20-14 series victory was “the highlight of my career, and great in terms of experience.” Last weekend he helped the Lions seal the series with the 44-0 defeat of New Zealand, and already the improvement in the side was obvious.

“Having had a second week training together we coped better,” said the Bradford youngster, “but I’m sure we can even better that.” Ales were not swilled and the Champagne remained on ice. “There wasn’t much celebrating,” Burgess continued. “We were congratulated on clinching the series but we wanted to win the third Test.

“We’ve got a new coach, new staff and new players. But you’ve got to go out there and win, and we did that as a team. We’ve got a great camaraderie, a great team spirit, and Tony has brought a lot of self-discipline.”

In Saturday's final Test Smith switched a winning team so more players gained vital international experience. In preparation for next year the coach used 23 players in this series.

“I think we put out an equally strong squad,” Smith suggested. “What I’ve done is created a situation where we’ve got more depth. If I’d have had injuries, that could have been the team going into a final game of a deciding match of a series.

“I might have been forced to change the team around, so I’d rather find out how they cope now rather than in the World Cup stages.”

Smith’s foresight and objectivism is clear, however he still views the squad he will take to the World Cup as a work in progress.

He continued: “I’m privileged to be working with such a good group of players and there’s a few that haven’t made this squad that would do as well. There is more depth within the country to choose from - that’s helpful for the future.”

During the series Smith moved the squad from accommodation in Leeds, to Worsley and finally to Manchester, in order to simulate the journey they will have to contend with in Australia next year.

“We purposely moved the guys so they didn’t have a home base,” he said. “They have got to adapt to moving from different hotels and situations, and occupy themselves in a camp scenario at the World Cup. That’s been part of the test, and they have passed with flying colours.”

Though Smith will not see his full squad again until midway through next season’s Super League when England take on France, he plans to regularly visit his charges. The players will now break for six weeks before their pre-seasons start, but their international manager is not so lucky.

“I begin my role as RFL director now, and I will keep things ticking over,” he added. “So far it’s been a tremendous privilege but it’s been easy to get through it because I’m enjoying work and all the people that I work with. I can see the finish line and I’m looking forward to it.”

Labels: Australia, Great Britain, Lions, Rugby league, Rugby League World Cup, Sam Burgess, Tony Smith

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 3:33 pm | Permalink | Comments

WEST HAM TO BRING IN DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL

Alan Curbishley has dismissed rumours that Rafael Benitez’s former assistant at Liverpool, Pako Ayestaran, will be joining him at West Ham United. He did admit, however, that the club would be employing someone in the near future to help develop their training facilities and a new stadium.

When asked about the prospect of Ayestaran, who departed Anfield in early September, becoming director of football, Curbishley said: “That is something I know nothing about.

“All I can say is that we have discussed the situation and we are formulating a job description of what the position entails. No one has been in the frame or talked about.”

West Ham’s owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who bought a 95 per cent share of the club for a cool £108m (including club debts of £23m) 12 months ago, is hopeful that his investment is not wasted, and wants to compete with the top Premier League clubs.

Having spent over £45m on bringing players to the club, the Hammers’ owner is now looking to build a bigger stadium as well as a new training complex.

“What you are seeing now is all the clubs trying to compete on a better playing field,” continued Curbishley. “The main reason we are looking to bring someone in is because we are hoping to push on – new stadium, training grounds et cetera.

“If we are talking about a 60,000 all-seater stadium, and perhaps new facilities, we really need someone who has been around that situation.

“We are talking about the long-term development of the club. We know that we have the opportunity to become bigger and to do that we have to plan it, work it out before we go anywhere.”

The West Ham manager was keen to stress that whoever was brought to the club would not have any influence over first team affairs, as has been rumoured to have led to factionalism at Chelsea and Tottenham earlier in the season.

Curbishley added: “I will take control of all first team matters. I don’t have any problems at all in that area. What we are basically after is someone who can come on board and help develop the club.”

Labels: Alan Cubishley, Premier League, Upton Park, West Ham United

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 3:33 pm | Permalink | Comments

'NAIVE' NOBLE OUT WITH HERNIA INJURY

Mark Noble has been forced to have a double hernia operation because of his eagerness to play too much football, his manager Alan Curbishley believes. The West Ham central midfielder, who undergoes surgery tomorrow (FRI), joins ten team mates on the sidelines, and will be out of action for at least two weeks.

The locally-born 20-year-old, who signed to the club as a schoolboy, has been one of the most popular players at Upton Park since his emergence in the team midway through last season.

His grit and passion to the cause – epitomised by his tears when Tottenham hit a late winner in their 4-3 defeat of West Ham last season – earned him a regular spot in the side. His enthusiastic performances, along with Carlos Tevez’s timely goals, were one of the main reasons that his team avoided relegation.

However this enthusiasm may have been his downfall, his manager reckons. Curbishley said: “He has been having a groin problem for a couple of months and he hasn’t cracked on.

“He had been going full pelt for the last five or six months and he has not really had any recovery time.”

Noble, who captained England’s U18s, was called up to the U21s this summer, and made his debut in the European Championships in Holland. As a result he had scarcely any time off to recover.

“He only had two weeks off in the summer,” his manager continued. “I think you’re dealing with a young man, probably thinking all he wants to do is play and he can get through it.

“It was only after the Coventry game, when he came off, he declared how sore it was and that it had been niggling him for some time.

“It’s probably a bit of naivety from a young player that wants to play all the time, desperate to play for his club. We’ll put that down to experience, I think.”

Curbishley is hopeful that the youngster and his team mates – Craig Bellamy, Dean Ashton, Bobby Zamora, Anton Ferdinand, Scott Parker, Freddie Ljungberg, Callum Davenport and James Collins – will recover by the time West Ham host Tottenham on November 25, after the international break.

Kieron Dyer and French international Julien Faubert have long term injuries, and are expected to be out for five months and three months respectively.

Labels: Alan Cubishley, Mark Noble, Premier League, West Ham United

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 2:18 pm | Permalink | Comments

HOWLEY: GATLAND WILL BE THE RIGHT MAN FOR WALES

Rob Howley believes his former Wasps coach Warren Gatland should be appointed as Welsh national team boss - claiming the New Zealander has the ability to put Wales back on the world rugby map.

Gatland, 44, has been touted as the front runner to succeed Gareth Jenkins for Wales, though World Cup winning coach Jake White is also being strongly linked after he declined to extend his contract with South Africa.

Howley, who won 59 caps at scrum-half for Wales, 22 as captain, thinks that the current technical director of Jonah Lomu's old club, Waikato Chiefs, is the right man to take the team forward.

"Warren's record speaks for itself," said the ex-scrum half. "He always knew in which direction he wanted to go as a coach."

"He was very good at putting the management team together while I was at Wasps with (fitness guru) Craig White and (backs' coach) Shaun Edwards."

The former Ireland coach won three consecutive Guinness Premiership titles while at Adams Park, as well as the Heineken Cup in 2004 against Toulouse - a game in which Howley scored the winning try.

"He had a great relationship with the players, and that helps in getting the squad to play for him. He can be dogmatic when he wants to be, and he can be an empowering coach when he wants," continued Howley, now on the coaching staff at home club Cardiff Blues.

"The main thing that players look for in a coach is honesty. Warren is certainly honest and quite frank with players in terms of their performance - good or bad.

"He's a good listener and very good at getting strategies and game plans in place so that players and coaches can play."

Howley added: "If it is Warren who is appointed then I am sure he will have great foresight in where the team want to be. He is very good at putting plans in place and getting the right team around him.

"The WRU want the best coach in place and for now it looks as though it is going to be a foreigner, which is fine.

"Alongside that it is important that a successful plan is put into place so that in five, six or seven years time, when whoever gets the job decides to move on, that there are firstly, Welsh coaches who want to take the job on and secondly, they have the ability to do so."

Labels: Robert Howley, rugby union, Wales, Warren Gatland, WRU

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:27 pm | Permalink | Comments

FA TROPHY: CHASETOWN FC v RADCLIFFE BOROUGH

At the Scholars Ground, home to Staffordshire’s Chasetown FC, there is the tingle of magic in the air. But this isn’t the first time. In November 2005, under the guidance of early-nineties forward Charlie Blakemore, the small club, which normally attracts crowds of 300, drew 1-1 with Oldham Athletic in the first round of the FA Cup, gleaned a television audience of 3.2m and warmed the hearts of many more.

Two years later and they are back in the first round, riding high in the Southern League Division One – the league to which they were promoted in that same monumental 2005-6 season – and are hoping to dispatch of Radcliffe Borough in the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

“We have had a fantastic start to the season,” beams Blakemore, who returned to take Chasetown’s managerial reins in 2002. “In total we have only lost two games, and it’s a fairytale to reach the first round of the FA Cup twice – we’re in complete dreamland.

“The magic of the FA Cup and the FA Trophy is very emotional. For a team at our level I sometimes have to pinch myself. It’s hard to believe that this is all going on again. As a non-League manager it is just fantastic to pit your wits against teams with a more resources and bigger budgets.”

And the secret to Chasetown’s success? Beer. “We regularly go out as a group and that helps the togetherness of the team,” admits Blakemore. “At the end of pre-season I took them away for a trip to Taunton, and it’s really bonded them well and they work really hard for each other.

“I roomed all the lads who are normally quiet with noisy ones – mixed them all up a bit. They are a hungry bunch of lads and they work really hard. They have a great team spirit, are fearless and enjoy any challenge that is thrown in front of them.”

On Saturday their challenge will be UniBond First Division North side Radcliffe Borough, who trip down from Bury and are having a time to forget, by and large. Indeed, the FA Trophy – a competition in which they reached the last 16 in 1995-6 – is their final chance of salvaging anything from the season. And this well before the Christmas decorations have been lifted down from the attic.

Gaining only two points from their opening nine league games, bottom of the table, with diminishing crowds and chairman Bernard Manning Jnr stepping down before the New Year, Boro’s situation is no laughing matter. Yet the Chasetown manager remains wary. “Boro are a good side and are no slouches,” he continues.

“I don’t think they have had the best of starts but we will be giving them the respect they deserve. It will not be an easy game. We are going to have to be at our best again, and we are looking forward to meeting them.”

Labels: Chasetown FC, FA Trophy, Radcliffe Borough

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:30 pm | Permalink | Comments

REES TO PUT STING BACK IN WASPS’ TAIL

England flanker Tom Rees wants to rid himself of the disappointment of the World Cup by pouring all his energies into kick-starting Wasps’ season after their poor start.

On Sunday Wasps host a Gloucester side firing on all cylinders, in the EDF Energy Cup. The 23-year-old No7 thinks that the sizable challenge will bring out the best in his team whose reinforcements have arrived just in time.

“Gloucester have been flying high,” said Rees. “They have been a strong attacking side for a few years, and now they are adding a real consistency to their game.

“It presents a big challenge for us, and hopefully it will be this big challenge that will pull out a big performance from us.”

The London club have won only once in the Guinness Premiership, while Gloucester, who finished top of the table last season, have begun where they left off and they are the pace-setters after six games.

In the EDF Energy Cup it is all square in their pool – Wasps drew with Newport Gwent Dragons and Gloucester tied with Newcastle Falcons last week.

Heineken Cup champions Wasps have been without World Cup stars Rees, England skipper Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, Joe Worsley, Josh Lewsey, Laurence Dallaglio and Paul Sackey, as well as Frenchman Rafael Ibanez so far this season.

And Rees is raring to go after a disappointing time in France – he featured in the pool matches against the USA and South Africa, but was not further selected on England’s unlikely journey to the final at the Stade de France.

He said: “It’s very good to be back from France. The World Cup was a fantastic experience but I wasn’t involved on the playing side as much as I would have liked, so it is good for me to be back playing at Wasps against Gloucester to try and back in the swing of things.

“If I’m going to be anywhere near the England team come the Six Nations I am going to have to get back playing well for Wasps.

“It does feel a bit odd coming back when the campaign is already underway – I feel like I’m starting my season now.

“There are guys who are already up to speed, and up and running and have plenty of match practice already. It’s important for us to get back in and get firing, and build our match form up.”

Unlike his international colleagues, Rees did feature for Wasps last week, in their draw with Newport. He was impressed by the performance Riki Flutey, who signed from London Irish in the summer.

“For Riki to come into the team and play slightly differently to how he used to is hard, but he has slotted in really well.

“As a No7 it is important to have a good relationship with your fly-half, and when we played together last week he was talking to me the whole game – it felt like I was the newcomer.”

Rees, who won the man-of-the match award on his first international start against France in March, is positive that Wasps can turn their season around.

“I don’t think we need to push any panic buttons, or change anything drastically,” he added. “I’m convinced that the effort and passion is there in abundance from the lads.

“There are a lot of young guys who are trying to prove their worth. The things that have been lacking are perhaps a cool head at times and that self-belief when things begin to get tough.

“I think that toughness marks out a lot of our senior players – the fact that when the chips are down they are always firing right to the final whistle.

“If these young players could learn just to have that self-belief we will start to close out games. Once we build up that confidence we will be fine.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, rugby union, Rugby World Cup, Tom Rees, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:25 pm | Permalink | Comments