A marvellous BBC tribute to Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 championship winning season. Vettel is the youngest ever double F1 world champion.
Anonymous asked: Hi Alex,
Excellent football info. I shall put it all to use when creating my fantasy team. But will it not be annoying for you when you come second in our league!?
ahaaaa!
To be honest if I can second I’d be doing better than usual! Who is this?!
Adel Taarabt has the ability to light up the league if he can stay focused
Prediction Time…
As promised when I named my team of the season less than three months ago (my how the off season flies), and speculated as to the pointlessness of such an activity, I will now predict my team for 2011/12 to see how it compares with honours come May. Many of you, I’m sure, will be presently doing the same within the financial constraints of fantasy football.
Out of interest, this year my friends and I have decided to self-regulate our fantasy football selections so as to avoid the predictable Rooney, Drogba, Lampard, Gerrard line-ups that exhaust the game. We are all selecting two teams; one team must remain untouched throughout the season so as to test our prediction skills and our ability to spot an injury ridden lame duck (sorry (Michael) Owen (Hargreaves) you didn’t make my team). The other team must not include any players from last year’s top six finishers. This should freshen up fantasy football nicely.
As for my predictions…
My (Prospective) Team of the Season 11/12
GK Joe Hart
Expect the City stopper to be even more difficult to beat this year as the blue half of Manchester mounts a serious title challenge
LB Patrice Evra
United have looked in exceptional form pre-season and winning the Community Shield over the noisy neighbours should give them a boost for the start of the season. Evra has consistently proved himself as one of the world’s finest full backs.
CB Thomas Vermaelen
The Belgian missed most of last season through injury and will be a vital figure (and captain if Fabregas leaves) in Arsenal’s feather weight defence
CB David Luis
The Chelsea new boy looked a shrewd signing in January and took to the Premier League well, even scoring for Chelsea before his fellow (more expensive) January arrival Fernando Torres did. With a full pre-season behind him he’s set to shine.
RB Martin Kelly
King Kenny’s faith in the Liverpool academy means that youngsters like Kelly will get plenty of first team chances. A good prospect.
LCM Luka Modric
Will have a point to prove if he moves to a ‘bigger’ club before the end of August. If he does stay at White Heart Lane we can expect the usual exceptional skill and passing from one of the world’s finest midfield players.
CM Jack Wilshire
If Fabregas does get his dream move to Barcelona The Gunners will be relying on the young Englishman more than ever. He look sets to control the Premier League’s pitches for many years to come.
RCM Charles N’Zogbia
Excellent last season for Wigan and a big factor for their Premier League status this year. You can expect him to step up a level with his move to Villa Park
LF Luis Suarez
Looks the business since arriving in January and will make Anfield ask ‘Fernando who?’ for the coming season. Possibly the most exciting attacking prospect in the league this season.
CF Wayne Rooney
Having re-found his 09/10 form late last season with that goal against City Rooney looks set for another vintage year. Love him or loathe him; the boys got talent.
RF Adel Taarabt
Could be a poor man’s Ronaldo, criss-crossing and show-boating his away into boos at every stadium, or could light up the league. He was phenomenal in the Championship last season and could do the same this year if he hasn’t got sick of it by January.
Whatever happens this season, however wrong my predictions are, enjoy it!
Roger Federer was defeated today after a thrilling five-setter against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Men’s quarter-final day; SW19
After a thrilling men’s quarter-final day at Wimbledon I feel compelled to pay tribute to one of the greatest sportsman I can recall witnessing. Although this blog doesn’t usually talk tennis let’s justify it by bringing the All England Club’s Grand Slam under the ‘festivities’ banner and pay homage to the King of SW19; Roger Federer.
Today Andy Murray maintained home hopes and will carry the impossibly heavy burden of trying to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry in 1936 into his semi-final against Rafael Nadal later this week. Novak Djokovic, the world number two, also did his job and continued his amazing year by knocking out an eighteen year old Australian qualifier; Bernard Tomic. Indeed, we expected all of the ‘Big Four’ to reach the semi-finals and it was so far so good until Jo-Wilfried Tsonga achieved the impossible. He reversed a two-sets-to-love deficit against Roger Federer (the first time this has ever happened to Federer in a Grand Slam), to knock the grand master out of the competition and deny him a record equalling seventh men’s singles Wimbledon title.
Federer is a true legend of the game, a gentile, well mannered man with an unrivalled touch and feel for a racket and tennis ball. He is an all round class act and will no doubt be back next year but today must belong to the young Frenchman who proved himself every bit the old master’s equal.
The final lap of an enthralling Canadian Grand Prix as Button, last at one stage, completes a stunning drive to snatch victory from reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel
The Canadian Grand Prix
It has taken me four days to recover and having watched the highlights again last night I feel there is no finer way to commence my F1 chatter than by paying tribute to the Canadian Grand Prix and Jenson Button in particular. I cannot remember being so enthralled by the closing laps of a Formula 1 event and must confess to screaming at the television as Sebastian Vettel locked a break and skidded wide off the racing line into the treacherous aqua sheen that lined the track, allowing Jenson Button to pass just seconds before the end of the race. The importance of not straying from that thin railroad of safety was highlighted earlier in the race when Felipe Massa moved off the dry line and onto the water logged track to lap a backmarker. He promptly aquaplaned, met the barrier and was lucky to escape with a damaged nose cone. Vettel had been warned but the crushing pressure placed on the Red Bull diver by the charging Button, as he closed the gap to the world champion by more than a second a lap, was enough to make him crack, something we have not seen the young German do on race day for a very long time! Cue pandemonium in the McLaren garage as Button completed the finest drive of his career.
The adversity and poor fortune that hounded the 2009 world champion during the Canadian race makes his performance even more astounding. Button started a disappointing seventh on the grid but was further hampered when his fellow McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton broke the first commandment of Formula 1; don’t crash into your team mate! Hamilton’s race ended with suspension damage and Button was forced to the pits to check for damage on his car. Using the opportunity to switch to intermediate tyres he jumped the gun and as the heavens opened over Montreal again he was forced back into the pits to change to full wets. It was at this point that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was deemed too hazardous for Formula 1 cars and race control, anticipating an accident on the soaking track, first brought out the safety car and then red flagged the race altogether leaving viewers frustrated for over two hours. However, when the race did finally get going again boy was it worth waiting for! Button pitted again for intermediate tyres as the race resumed and again shortly afterwards after puncturing a tyre in trying to get past Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. In these action packed days of DRS, KERS and high wearing Pirelli tyres it is a struggle to remember exactly what happened during a race but with ten laps to go, and having made six pit stops as opposed to Vettel’s three, Button found himself in fourth place and flying. Yet another safety car period closed the pack again (a rare bit of luck for the Brit), and a titanic battle for second place ensued. Michael Shumacher, enjoying the best race of his comeback career, made his Mercedes as wide as possible but could not hold Webber or Button behind him. Button, driving astoundingly well in the treacherous conditions, made the most of a mistake by Webber by bravely darting onto the wet side of the track to pass him before using DRS to dispense of Shumacher. He was free to charge down Vettel and complete a stunning drive to victory. Button was no doubt the star of the show but I will not be alone in feeling a romantic inclination towards wishing Shumacher had returned to the podium for the first time since his comeback.
I am out of superlatives to describe the drama, excitement and heart racing action of the Canadian Grand Prix; it was truly a world class sporting spectacle and proves beyond doubt that Formula 1 has retained the appeal of bygone years, especially with a bit of rain thrown into the mix!
Clubs will spend big with optimism but will hope to avoid this summer’s Paul Konchesky
The Silly Season
Silly season is upon us as football clubs Europe-wide embark on happy speculation before the merry-go-round starts again in August. We fans, left with a dearth of excitement on Saturday afternoons, find salvation in the gossip columns of the off-season; pondering the ins and outs at both management and playing level. Transfer speculation is rife and expectations are high as fans demand spending and the introduction of fresh players, most of whom will be spectacular flops and a complete waste of money. Still, at least it’s not the January transfer window with its hyper mark-up on prices and panic buying (the type that saw Andy Carroll become the eight most expensive football player in history ranking above David Villa of Barcelona)!
This summer we can be prepared for spending on a particularly high scale in the Premier League as Manchester United look to add cosmopolitan quality to their squad after their defeat to Barcelona, Chelsea aim to rebuild a side that has grown as old and tired as Abramovich’s managerial hiring (and firing) policy, Arsenal hope to add some substance after Wenger has finally admitted he needs to spend, and Liverpool try to break back into the top four with King Kenny declaring he has the financial backing of the board to blow big bucks. Ironically it seems that Manchester City will be the only Premier League heavyweight not to be opening the cheque book on a mighty scale as, although Mancini has expressed a desire to spend big, the owners are keen to rein it in before financial fair play comes into effect. Mind you, if you believe that you may as well put a bet on Blackburn being a European force to be reckoned with next season. Foreign owners, as we have seen countless times, cannot be trusted. As Descartes said, ‘it is prudent never to trust completely those who have deceived us even once.’ Just ask Big Sam. My bet is that City will spend just as heavily as the rest of them. They are sure to outspend Arsenal for starters.
As for the particulars; Big Sam Allardyce should do the job at West Ham. He is a proven mid table finisher and, providing he can bring them up within two seasons, The Hammers shouldn’t be worried about relegation with him on board. Mark Hughes’ bemusing exit from Fulham has paved the way for Martin Jol’s overdue return to England’s top flight. Fulham have consistently overachieved and Jol will find it difficult to better what Roy Hodgson managed. I would like to see the vacant post at Aston Villa go to Steve McLaren. He did a fine job at Middlesbrough and has proved himself since the England fiasco. He could have a real crack at Villa Park provided the fans gave him time. Of the other contenders; I wouldn’t touch Mark Hughes with a barge pole after he walked out on Fulham, it would be too much of a sideways step for David Moyes who should hold out for the big time, and Rafa Benitez has proclaimed his desire to manage in England again but wouldn’t Villa be a bit of a step down after Liverpool? The Villa owner Randy Lerner seems to be a sensible man (perhaps one of the few exceptions from my scornful judgment on foreign owners), and he will pick a good man for the job.
I was tempted at this stage to delve into the murky depths of player recruitment but this would open a can of worms so large not even Rod Liddle could fit it into his gob so I’ll leave it be and enjoy the unfolding summer transfer drama. Money will be wasted, hopes will be dashed, Team God will not match Ashley Young’s ambitions, but it will be a mighty fine soap opera.
