Liverpool can win 2016/17 but its not going to be easy

Liverpool can win the title but they have to keep their focus and momentum. They have arguably the finest striking force in the English game as is evident by their lead in the goals ‘for’ category but have an Achilles heel in defense that continues to be problematic. Jurgen Klopp may address this in the January transfer window.

In addition the Reds will be without the very influential Sadio Mane for several weeks and will need some time to reintegrate Philippe Countinho back into the side following his injury.

Their greatest strength this season though is that they have proved to be tremendously capable in distributing the scoring load which makes them less vulnerable ultimately to a single injury . Lallana, Henderson, Milner and Firmino have all been wonderful.However problems could arise if injuries and suspensions pile up.

Fortunately for Liverpool have only Domestic fixtures to concern themselves with and while this is true of Chelsea as well it make work in Liverpool’s favour who after the Old Trafford match up this coming Sunday (Jan 15) will have a schedule that is even more biased towards home games for the Reds.

We will have to wait and see. Still predicting good times ahead for the Reds. YNWA.

Soccer Upsets....love them or hate them...here are a few

15 Greatest Cinderella feats at the World Cup or European Championship

1. Denmark obtaining a late invite into the 1992 European Championship (Yugoslavia was banned from playing) and then going on to win the competition.
2. Greece fighting their way to the final and then defeating hosts Portugal in the 2004 European Championship.
3. Czechoslovakia defeating World Cup Winners and defending champion West Germany to win the 1976 European Championship.
4.  North Korea defeating Italy 1-0 in the World Cup group stage in 1966
5. The US defeating England 1-0 in the World Cup Group stage in 1950
6. Uruguay defeating hosts Brazil in front of a crowd of almost 200,000 to win the 1950 World Cup
7. Northern Ireland defeating hosts Spain in the 1982 World Cup Group stage
8. Algeria defeating West Germany in the 1982 World Cup Group Stage
9. Cameroon defeating defending World Cup Champions Argentina in the Group stages in 1990 and then going on to reach the quarterfinal
10. Senegal defeating defending World Cup Champions France in the Group stages in 2002 and then going on to reach the quarterfinal
11. South Korea defeating Portugal, Italy and Spain on route to reaching the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup
12. Costa Rica defeating Uruguay and Italy to reach the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup
13. Bulgaria beating Argentina and Germany to reach the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup
14. Iceland 2 England 1 European Championship 2016
15. Wales 3 Most expensive team in existence Belgium 1

Muhammad Ali

News outlets are falling over each other in praise of Muhammad Ali. While there is no doubt that he was a tremendous athlete and iconic figure whose story translates itself well into the 60's narrative I have always found the superlative Great as used with the man to be somewhat misapplied.

For one he was not a great human being. Look no further to his treatment of arch-rival Joe Frazier before their third fight in Manila (the notorious thriller). His use of the ‘gorilla’ term to taunt his opponent on looks alone was classless at best as was his use of racist language to imply that Frazier (who was Black) was the White Man’s Champion but was essentially an Uncle Tom when juxtaposed against Ali himself.

Not only were these slurs cruel and unnecessary (and bothered Frazier for the rest of his life) they were especially vile as it was Frazier who gave Ali financial support during his ban from boxing and it was Frazier himself who lobbied hard to have Ali reinstated as a fighter.

Ali was arrogant, continually mocked ‘whitey’ but was never to high above the moral quandary to reject the money that came his way from a largely Caucasian audience. In fact it was white journalist such as Howard Cosell who played a huge role in creating the legend that was Ali as was his legendary trainer Angelo Dundee.

That he was a skilled fighter is a given but his record doesn’t standard head or shoulders above some of the other heavyweights of renowned fame. In fact one could argue that it was less impressive than some of the sport’s leading lights. He did not retire undefeated like Rocky Marciano (39-0) or have the knockout record of Foreman (76 wins 68 by knockout compared to Ali’s 56 wins 37 by knockout), nor did he come close to holding on to the title as long as Joe Louis who carried the belt for 12 years (that included 25 an unbelievable defenses).

He did win the Heavyweight title three times but that was largely a consequence of circumstance (the Don King Rumble Initiative and Leon Spink's suspect decision to avoid Ken Norton the #1 contender at the time and defend against Ali instead).

In fact a breakdown of Ali’s key fights shows a spurious win against Sonny Liston (Phantom Punch…likely a fix), controversial use of the rope-a-dope tactic (arguably illegal) in the Rumble, a wrong victory decision against Ken Norton in the Third Fight and a over hyped win over Frazier in Manila (when Ali’s corner were seconds away from throwing in the towel themselves).

While he was quick to talk the talk when it suited him Ali was too often caught up by his own hubris. He refused to retire with grace and was taken to task for his efforts by both Larry Holmes and the less than stellar Trevor Berbick.

Ali defined an era but had feats mired in hyperbole and for this he will be remembered. Boxing will forever be indebted to him but to call him the Great (or any fighter for that matter) simply overlooks the bigger picture that necessitates such a call to glory.

World Cup Rugby - Kiwis take Webb Ellis Trophy

The New Zealanders have managed to repeat as World Cup Rugby Champions after defeating the Aussies 34-17. Hardly a surprise as the level of depth and all around excellence of the Kiwis was outstanding. On a broader level though the 2015 tournament was a much improved version of 2011 with admirable performances by Argentina, Scotland and Japan adding to an electrifying mix. England disappointed but it was partly to be expected given their locale in the Tournament's Group of Death. As for the Boks - they leave the tournament with dignity after a humbling defeat at the hand of the Cherry Blossoms in their opening game. They pushed the New Zealanders to the final whistle and did well to secure a third place overall finish. Full results did well to refelect the order of power in today's World Rugby theatre. Pretty much as you were.

Rugby World Cup 2015 - South Africa goes home.

The Boks lost 20-18 in a game that could have gone otherwise. However in all fairness to the ABs they were the better team. The Kiwis had two tries to South Africas none and except for a brief period at the beginning of the game dominated possession. I fully expect the ABs to win the World Cup however their Achilles heel of penalties shipped to the opposition may be their undoing. From South Africa's point of view the Boks defended very well against arguably one of the greatest teams of All-Time and despite the loss against Japan in the opening round (largely academic) will leave England with their heads held high. Great recovery. As for the match - it was a bruiser battle between the fowards with very little open play. Not a collector's item but intense all the way to the final whistle. Player of the Match - Dan Carter. Inspired substitution - Sonny Bill Williams.

England win the Ashes

I was happy to see that England won the coveted cricket Ashes. They have a 3-1 lead in the series which cannot be broken and have defeated the Aussies four times in a row when the cricket series is held in England. Well done lads!! Although I fully expect the boys from Down Under to bounce back when the Series returns to Oz.

Here is an interesting stat. In the 69 Ashes series played since 1883 Australia have won 32. England have won 32 and 5 have been drawn. Nevertheless the Aussies have held the urn for 76.5 years compared to the 53.5 years for England.

An Oldie but a Goldie - My Favourites

My Favourites
For all rankings (1 is the highest and 5 is the lowest)

Science:

Areas of Science: 1. Modern Physics 2. Classical Physics 3. Cosmology 4. Evolutionary Theory 5. Psychometrics

Chemists (Top Five): 1. Le Chatelier 2. Mendeleev 3. Dalton 4. Lavoisier 5. Kekule

Physicists (Top Ten): 1. Einstein 2. Newton 3. Schroedinger 4. de Broglie 5. Galileo

6. Bohr 7. Planck 8. Feynman 9. Gell-Mann 10. Maxwell

Biologists: (Top Five): 1. Wallace 2. Hunt Morgan 3. Darwin 4. Harvey 5. Semelweiss

Philosophers: (Top Ten): 1. Kierkegaard 2. Spinoza 3. Descartes 4. Kant 5. Mills

Economists: (Top Five): 1. Smith 2. Ricardo 3. Friedman 4. Hayek 5. Nash

US Presidents: 1. Lincoln 2. Reagan 3. Truman 4. Jefferson 5. Kennedy

British Prime Ministers: 1. Churchill 2. Disraeli 3. Gladstone 4. Thatcher 5. Lloyd George

Canadian Prime Ministers: 1. Borden 2. Pearson 3. Laurier 4. Harper 5. MacDonald

Cricketers 1. Bradman 2. Pollock 3. Truman 4. Richards 5. Sobers

Boxers (Heavyweights): 1. Louis 2. Marciano 3. Foreman 4. Ali 5. Lewis

Boxers (Non-Heavyweight): 1. Leonard 2. Hagler 3. Mitchell 4. Conteh 5. Robinson

Tennis Players: 1. McEnroe 2. Federer 3. Becker 4. Edberg 5. Kriek

Athletes 1. Sebastian Coe 2. Daley Thompson 3. Ed Moses 4. Usain Bolt 5. Steve Cramm

The Forgotten guys

The following is a list of ten unheralded players in the EPL. All of these individuals contributed immensely to their respective squads but their performances (usually low key but effective) never earned them the same accolades as some of their more illustrious peers.

1. Martin Keown – Easily one of the best man-markers of his generation. Keown regularly shackled physical opponents such as Didier Drogba and Mark Viduka. His position sense was textbook in its application and he was the mainstay of a stingy Gunner’s defence for over a decade.

2. Dietmar Hamman – He did his job and he did it very well. The Liverpool teams that had Didi in their spine were resolute in performance as his calming influence and control of play in his half of the field could steady any torrent. His actions in Istanbul on that night in 2005 is the stuff upon which legends are built.

3. Ole Gunnar Solsjaer – Solsjaer (please don’t bring up that mind numbing Sunshine song) was in all likelihood the best super-sub in the history of the EPL. His scored 91 times in an eleven year stint with United where he was largely positioned behind the pecking order of Cole, Yorke and Van Nistlerooy. However many of the goals that he scored were key game breakers delivered with clutch precision. The extra-time strike in the 1999 Champion’s League Final being the most memorable (or most forgetful if you are a Bayern Munich fan).

4. David Batty – They will not make David Batty highlight videos but when it comes to work rate, endurance over ninety minutes and a tireless effort over the full game David Batty was right up there with the best. He was an important player for EPL minnows Blackburn (even if they were minnows with money) as they stormed to the apex of the table to essentially become the last provincial team to win English footer’s most coveted piece of silverware.

5. Claude Makelele – Not only was CM the linchpin of a great Real Madrid squad (renowned for its turn-of-the-millennium Euro success) he continued, without missing a beat, playing the same role at Chelsea. Together with Michael Essien the two established a partnership that would ensure midfield domination by the Blues against almost any opposition, thus allowing the likes of Frank Lampard to continue marketing himself as midfielder while establishing a goal scoring profile more akin to a striker. Makelele was the master of the tackle and distribution double act and performed his craft with a standard per excellence.

6. Danny Murphy – The Murph was your antidote to flashy play but when it came to dropping a free kick ball into the box for forwards to lunge in on he had an intrinsic knack matched by few. Couple that with three consecutive Old Trafford fixtures games where his goals were the deciding factor in Liverpool victories and Murph certainly earns his place on this list.

7. Gary Pallister – He was the first defender to switch teams as a result of a really big transfer (at least for the time) but Pallister paid his bosses back with his vital performance in the back four. His partnership with Steve Bruce was crucial to United’s inaugral EPL triumph in 1993 and the double winning feat that followed the year after. The Devil's genesis as a team emerging from the wilderness of League success owes much to players like Pallister. Nevertheless he appears to have dropped back, behind the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Jaap Staam and Rio Ferdinand when discussing United’s central defence legends and he is rarely mentioned in the same breath as those later stars by the club faithful. THis is somewhat of a shame.

8. Ray Parlour – In an Arsenal midfield and strike force loaded with a plethora of talented continental players (Anelka, Bergkamp, Petit, Viera, Overmars ), Ray Parlour was the standout Englishman, He chimed in regularity from the wide position and gave the Gunners balance in an attack that was by all measures extremely lethal.

9. Markus Babbel – At the height of his play Babbel was the best RB in the Premier League (yes..he was better than Gary Neville). He could tackle move forward, pass and cut through from the periphery. A great asset to both Liverpool (especially in the 2001 Treble winning season) and Germany Babbel’s career was prematurely ended as a result of a debilitating immune system illness. Had he not been so inflicted I believe that his presence on the pitch would have helped Liverpool avoid the drop off in performance that defined the end of the Houllier era.

10. Shay Given – Playing in goal behind the porous defence that is the Newcastle back four is no easy task. Not only does it invoke images of running across a shooting range when the Marines are engaged in target practice it has to be from a keeper’s perspective an exercise in frustration. Yet Irish national keeper Given played this role for twelve years (354 games) rescuing the Magpies with quiet dignity from many a perilous outcome.

The EPL Top Twenty

The birth of the premiership is largely an artificial demarcation point in the history of English Soccer having said that my Top TWENTY since 92/93 - taking into account the metrics of individual performance, contribution to their respective clubs and all around impact on the game as an evolving dynamic are:1. Ronaldo 2. Shearer 3. Henry 4. Schmeichel 5. Keane 6. Gerrard 7. Cantona 8. Scholes 9. Bergkamp 10. Giggs 11. Beckham 12. Aguero 13. Lampard 14. Owen 15. Viera 16. Zola 17. Drogba 18. Suarez 19. Makalele 20. Yaya Toure.

There are lots of United players in the Top Twenty but this is understandable as they have been the overriding force since 93. Suarez should be higher (had he stayed longer) and Torres could arguably oust Toure had he not 'tanked' at Chelsea. Gareth Bale has the potential to be a top twenty player as well but his length of time in the league knocks him out of the top twenty for now.. Ronaldo took the game to a new level and helped United win three titles in a row. He was far and above the top player during his era of involvement.

Other top players knocking on the Top Twenty List include Petr Cech, Robbie Fowler, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Michael Essien (when healthy), Steve McManaman, Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, Emmanuel Petit, Jamie Carragher, Sol Campbell and my personal favourite outsider Matt Le Tissier.

English Football - An overview from the Stratosphere

Year in and year out it is more clear then ever that English Football has fractured into three tiers that notwithstanding the injection of nouveau cash are for all intent of purpose permanent features. The divisions are:

a. The Money Elites – Represented by Chelsea, Manchester City and the queen bee of them all Manchester United, the money elites dominate the game as they simply have far greater financial recourse than their opponents. While Chelsea and City are essentially the product of foreign capital United thrive on a brand that has become the textbook case of how-to-sell your image. Regardless of the methodology the end result is money in the coffer. Lots of it and what better tool than money to eventually buy enough quality players to offset mistakes in the transfer elites. The Money Elites are footer’s powerbrokers. They own the game in a sense, and in a league with no salary or spending caps, will continue to dictate the future results and league silverware having already secured every EPL title since 2005.
b. The Old Guard – Arsenal. Liverpool and Spurs fall into this category. Each team has a formidable football pedigree (although perhaps less so with Spurs) and march into every season with much fan expectation. Occasionally they will push the Money Elites to the brink as Liverpool did in 2014 or Arsenal regularly do but the Old Guards are limited. They are forced to sell in order to buy and despite some clever cost cutting business strategies, particularly by the Gunners, are ultimately governed by more constrained moneybags, that at the end translate into a glass ceiling with respect to league titles. The Domestic cup realm has brought success but the Cups (FA and League) have declined in stature over the last fifteen years and with the obsession of European football, a phenomenon that will unlikely not abate, this is largely an afterthought. Nevertheless these teams still carry the history of old, a reminder of a time when Footer was less vulgar and more focused on activities on the field, than those of the boardroom. A lost era for now and a source of joy for those who enjoy waxing with nostalgia.
c. The Feeder Teams – This designation includes the rest of the Premier League and now fits historically storied clubs like Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham just as well as it does the yo-yo teams of Leicester, West Brom (who seemed to have settled down) and QPR (who will sit out the next season in the Championship but will probably return in 2016 so I will still count them as an EPL hangover). While many of these clubs have developed exciting brands of Football (Swansea and Crystal Palace for example) their principal function is to furnish the bigger boys with quality players, while systematically navigating the expected loss in performance that comes from bleeding your team dry. Southampton seems to have mastered this skill and boasts what is arguably the best academy development system in the English game but unfortunately for their supporters and lovers of a more diverse league these clubs will almost certainly not break the top four let alone win the title. This may change with the arrival of a billionaire saviour who has the wherewithal to transform the club into another Manchester City. However real fans are unlikely to hold their breath in anticipation.

Passing Phases in Footer..

Some Football teams (Soccer to you Yanks) have been prominent on an International level for brief periods of time (the Golden Age), only to disappear into the aether soon afterwards. Here are a few nations and the period in which they elevated themselves above the usual norm.

1. Hungary (1950s and 1960s)
2. Belgium (1980s)
3. Scotland (late 60’s early 70’s)
4. Ireland (late 80’s early 90’s)
5. Poland (early 70’s to mid 80’s)
6. Turkey (early 2000’s)
7. Greece (mid 2000’s)
8. Soviet Union (60’s)
9. Czech Republic (mid 2000’s)
10. Norway (90’s)
11. Denmark (late 80’s early 90’s)
12. Bulgaria (mid 90s)
13. Romania (90s)
14. Morocco (late 80s and early 90s)
15. Croatia (late 90s)
16. Northern Ireland (early 80s)

American Tennis..Whatever happened?

Wasn't there a time when Sam Querry was touted as the Great American hope on the Tour? Roger Federer defeated him 6-4 6-2 6-2. With the fall of John Isner in five sets there are officially no American men left at the All-England Championship. I can't think of a time in American tennis history when the nation was at such a low point on the court. Whatever happened to the tennis tradition that gave the world Tilden, Budge, Gonzalez, Trabert, Smith, Ashe, Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, Courier, Agassi and Roddick? Players who could win let alone compete in Slams.

Bringing down a behemoth

Rafa Nadal goes down at Wimbledon to Ziggy Marlee lookalike Dustin Brown. Congrats to the qualifier. Maybe he can repeat Johnny Mac's 1977 run?

The Five Set Tennis Match

While I support pay equity in tennis I still take issue with the fact that the Women’s Grand Slam Events (Australia, French, Wimbledon, US Open) have not shifted to a best-of-five set format as opposed to the best-of-three scenario that currently prevails. If the sexes are to earn the same amount in prize money (even though the women’s game is markedly inferior on almost all measurable yardsticks of technical proficiency) then surely players should at least be expected to pla...y to the same level of competitive rigour especially in the big events. The Grand Slams represent the pinnacle of tennis achievement and those that succeed need to earn their spurs by being subjected to more stringent criteria than those of the regular tennis tournaments (which are generally best-of-three for both men and women). This issue has been brought up before, most recently by Andy Murray in 2013, but after the predictable shout downs by the feminist griping class is quickly swept under the table. Top female competitors are very much capable at playing to the five set format (in fact the season ending WTA tournament adapted the structure between 1983 and 1998) and rightfully should be made to do so to earn the multi-million dollar pay cheques that await the winners of these monumental tournaments. Lets stop with the excuses and get on with it. If you want the big money then work to earn it

Tennis Grand Slams

I agree that men and women should earn the same prize money for the Grand Slams in tennis but then they should also play the same number of sets - best of five not three - these are the Slams after all. One must run the gauntlet to win.

Secret to New Zealand All Black Success: Passion and an incredible feeder system

There is no more dominant teams perhaps in all of international sports than the New Zealand All-Blacks. Not only do the Kiwis have winning records against all competitors, their win percentage across all games is a colossal seventy-five percent (or so). This of course is no reflection on the quality of opposition. Each of the Australian Wallabies, South African Springboks as well as England and France, to name a few, play high intense rugby and boast admirable records on their own but it is the All-Blacks who steal the show. While the New Zealanders boast a proud history of great players - Jonah Lomu, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Colin Meads – it is the level of teamwork, all round commitment, position play and the pride of following in a tradition that borders on the excellent that have elevated the All-Blacks to legendary status. They never seem to field a weak team and are always a force to be reckoned with. In fact it would not be out of line to say that the All Blacks are rugby union’s default champions. So what is the basis for this success? I believe that it is a consequence of the various tiers of competition that colour the panorama of the kiwi rugby world. Take the Canterbury Rugby Union, who are 11 time winners of the ITM Cup (New Zealand’s premier national competition). Amazingly, 48 Club teams feed into this particular union from three sub-unions, yet Canterbury is only one of 26 unions. The elite from Canterbury then play at the next level in the Super 15 Competition tier together with top players from the various other regional unions in an odyssey of rugby that pits the best of New Zealand against their counterparts in South Africa and Australia. The best of the best from these rarefied Super 15 teams are then selected to represent the All-Blacks on the international front. No other nation boasts such a multi-levelled structure that guarantees consistent competition on a yearlong basis (South Africa comes closest), but clearly it does the trick and is a key component in All Black success.

World Cup Final

The World Cup has had more than its fair share of twists and turns but the final features two teams whose odds of reaching the ultimate stage were high. As much as I would like Messi to shine, and earn the accolades that he deserves, the Germans seem the more likely team to walk away with the trophy. For one the Europeans are strong in every position and have an attacking zest that arises from their midfield which has proved unstoppable. While the Argentinians are better defensively than they were four years ago they are still vulnerable to a strong attack and are often too reliant on Messi for creativity up front. I am predicting a German win but we will have to wait and see.

United and Chelski drop points

Never thought I would be so happy to watch a goaless game but when these two teams drop points then I have to smile. United looked better than the Blues and Rooney was clearly the best player on the field but its the score line that counts.

Season starts off well...lets hope the train doesn't derail.

Liverpool are off to their best start in several seasons. Two games played, two wins, zero goals conceded. This may end on the weekend against United but it doesn't harm to dream. All of City, the Scum, Chelski and the Arse have dropped points. So far so good. There is still however an urgent need for another forward plus a central defender. Selling Suarez for 45 million pounds could solve both issues. The Reds have to move quickly.

Well Done Andy Murray

Although I am not a fan of Andy Murray (Roger Federer is my player of choice) he must be congratulated for winning his first Wimbledon title - the first by a Brit in 77 years (maybe the poms can shut up about that now....they are real-broken records in this department). The game seemed like the longest straight set victory on record with both players struggling in the service department. Novak Djokovic clearly had an off day, and is still in my opinion a better player than the Scot. Nevertheless the Djokovic-Murray rivalry promises much with the entire sport being the real winner in the future if such competition persists.