A shoe-in for Team of the Year at the BBC sports personality awards?

 
Having been out of the sports blogging loop due to the birth of my first son, there's a fair bit to catch up on! There are not many things that would have kept me away from the Ryder Cup, but I'm deliriously happy to say that the arrival of my little boy did. Well done Team Europe! I'd say that the performance of Team Europe in the singles on Sunday is well up there with the best come backs of all time. I am not quite sure whether it tops Liverpool's second half performance in the Champions League final in 2005, but it is certainly equal in my mind. I think the team as a hole performed fantastically well in the face of the extreme adversity brought by the partisan home, but I have to give particular plaudits to Ian Poulter. He showed tremendous mettle through the entire weekend, and gave the other lads the platform to release the shackles and play without fear. I hope he can use this performance as an inspiration to shine in the majors when it's just him and his caddie against the rest. He has proved now that he has the full game to follow Rory McIlroy on the major trail!

One other thing that's happened in the recent sporting past, is Lewis Hamilton's move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 F1 season after signing a three year deal with the Silver Arrows. Many have been critical of the move and suggested that it is just for the financial benefits. I agree with David Coulthard who said that the move is necesary for Lewis to mature as a driver. As everyone knows Lewis has been with McLaren since the age of thirteen, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he hasn't quite shed some of the child-like characteristics usually seen in adolescence. I am quite sure that once he makes the move, Lewis can mature in to the driver everbody knows he can be, and at the same time he can be the catalyst to take Mercedes on to the next level. I don't think Merecedes have ever lacked ambition, and although the progress maybe hasn't been as rapid as they may have liked, it will come. After all, next year will only be year four in the project and companies like Mercedes employ people like Nick Fry and Ross Brawn to settle for second best. It will also help that he's been friends with future team-mate Nico Rosberg since their karting days as team-mates. 

This week in boxing we see the heavyweight clash between David Price and Audley Harrison. I can't see the fight gong to far past four rounds or so. He hasn't exactly been bathed in glory in his twelve years as a pro, and he's been down once or twice! I think Price's big bombs will be far too much for Harrison to deal with. Hopefully that will then bring the curtain down on the farce that has been Harrison's career as a pro. Even my brother, who I consider to certainly be more of a boxing nut than me, admitted that he gets sucked in by the hype every time. All suggestions for forfeits will be considered. That's how confident I am that Price will win, and it will be funny to see what people can come up with. Reply via email, facebook or twitter on the links below. 

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Ryder Cup 2012 Medinah Country Club, Illinois

 

This coming week brings the most enthralling week of golf in the calendar. The Masters and The Open are definitely special in their own way, but there is something about the dynamic of playing for a team that brings an extra bit of spice to the competition as well. Europeans have somewhat dominated the golf world for the last few years, but the last thing that Davis Love III and his team will want is for Europe to come in to their back yard and give them a tonking! In my humble opinion Europe do have the slight edge but there is really not a great deal in it. It could very well go down to the last match on Sunday to decide this years winners. No doubt, the 'in the hole' brigade will play their part as well. I won't deny that it does drive me to absolute distraction when Tiger Woods is teeing off on a 600 yard Par 5 to hear that being screamed. Not that he could ever say so, but it must drive Tiger to distraction as well! Europe might have the world No. 1 in Rory McIlroy, but the No. 2 Tiger Woods has just a little pedigree as well. What's more, his form has been getting better and better this year. The teams might be incredibly even on skill, but Europe definitely have the edge in experience; Team USA have four debutantes in Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker against Europe's one, Nicolas Colsaerts. The Belgian might not have any Ryder Cup experience, but as the winner of the World Matchplay this year, this will give him some idea of what is required. The one thing that can't be replicated is the ferocity of the crowd. That roar as you step on to the first tee will be louder than anything any golfer will experience at any other tournament; particularly for Team Europe, as it will be a fiercely discouraging roar rather than one of support. As much as I want Europe to win for the memory of one of their greatest ever players Seve Ballesteros, I would not be as bold as to say I think they will win. I do hope Europe can be inspired by Seve's memory as they were by the man himself. At the time of writing, Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker tee off at East Lake in Atlanta as co-leaders (at -8, two clear of the field) in The Tour Championship in about an hour and a half. It could end up being a shot in the arm for one and crushing for the other but only time will tell. McIlroy, Watson, Woods and Furyk are not too far behind, and one of them is more than capable of mounting a charge through the latter stages.  Which ever way it goes, you can be sure there will be twists and turns along the way. I can't see either team running away with it, and I can't wait! 

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Hillsborough verdict and the return of The Hitman

After 23 long years, the truth has been uncovered; now it's time for justice.

This week the truth about what really happened at the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough in 1989 came out. Many people have discussed it at length this week, as it has been headline news on the front pages as well as the back pages, so as emotional as I feel about it I don't want to dwell too much on the past; the 96 will never ever be forgotten, but now is the time for looking to the future. Even if the future is campaigning for the people who did do wrong on 15th April 23 years ago to be held accountable for their actions, as well as those who covered it up and prolonged the pain for the victims' families.  I find it hard to think that criminal charges won't be brought, particularly in the face of such compelling evidence against certain organisations and the individuals within. Although the ninety-six will always be in our hearts forevermore, I hope that the families, the city and the club can move forward; I can think of no greater tribute to the fans that did not come home that fateful day, than to start bringing trophies (and particularly the Premier League!) back to Anfield on a regular basis. I would like to finish this section by thanking all the fans of other clubs, that have sent messages of support to our club throughout this week. Unfortunately there have been a few moronic idiots that deny the verdict of the independent panel, but the support from the football family has been fantastic. 

Also this week, former two-weight boxing world champion Ricky 'The Hitman' announced he will be coming out of retirement for a fight against an unnamed opponent in November. It has to be said that Ricky dominated the light-welterweight division before moving up to welterweight so he has nothing to prove. At his peak Ricky beat the pound-for-pound No 1 Kostya Tszyu, as well as claiming the WBA welterweight belt from Luis Collazzo before losing to two of the best pound-for-pound pugilists the planet has ever seen (or might ever see!) in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio.That said, you can understand that from a pride point of view why he would want to prove to himself as much as anybody that he is better than the devastating two round defeat to Pacquaio showed. Here is Ricky's press conference.

Ricky was quick to say that he wanted to earn the right to fights at the top level, but there are certainly some hum-dingers out there if he proves his worth. A fight against Paulie Malignaggi seems likely at some point in the future; after all Hatton knows he can beat the American who has never had the greatest punch power. From there, there are huge domestic money spinners against Amir Khan and Kell Brook to consider. One fight I would like to see is Hatton v Junior Witter, just so Hatton can shit him up for good. If only his boxing was as good as his mouth! As current British welterweight champion this match up is probably a real possibility. Hatton says he is in the best pre-fight shape of his life following his training with Bob Shannon who has been using 'old school' methods which favour Ricky's approach. I think that now Ricky's head is right, we may even see the best Hitman that we have ever seen. Most of all, I hope that Ricky gets what he needs from his comeback. Roll on November 24th. 

As a final note, congratulations to Andy Murray for winning the US Open on Monday. May that be the first of many major wins now he has got the proverbial monkey off his back. It is a shame that we have to wait until the Australian Open in January to find out. 

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The future's bright for football and fight nights!

I have to admit that after hearing the starting XI for England's game in Moldova in I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by some of the weekend's sport; Along with international football, I'd become quite disillusioned with boxing for some time as well. Firstly, thanks to Roy Hodgson, and later on I'll make mention of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport.

After deciding not to watch the match live, mainly because watching England has become somewhat tedious in recent times, I did decide to watch the highlights. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Was the football mistake free? Certainly not, but the freedom and fluidity of the play was definitely inspiring from a fans point of view. In hindsight I think the injuries to Andy Carroll, Ashley Cole and Gareth Barry may have been a blessing in disguise. These omissions forced Hodgson to play Leighton Baines, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tom Cleverley who played with a youthful exuberance that we haven't seen in a three lions shirt for quite a while. It also meant Jermain Defoe was tasked with the striker's role, and although he might have had a goal or two more on the night, his talent and club form over a number of years mean this chance is overdue in my opinion. I think Defoe is the most gifted natural English striker the Premier League has seen since Alan Shearer retired and I think his movement gave focus to England's play. It was also good to get a positive answer to the eternal midfield Gerrard/Lampard question. They may not be the long term answer to England's midfield, but at least we now know that two genuine midfielders can play together in harmony using good judgement to know when to go forward and when to sit deep. Gerrard tended to sit deeper while Lampard was making runs beyond Defoe and Cleverley as he did to head in Glen Johnson's cross for his second goal. Albeit England are still work in progress, their campaign could not have got off to a better start, so hopefully the good work will continue against Ukraine on Tuesday at Wembley. John Terry is the only doubt, but either his club-mate Gary Cahill or Phil Jagielka should make an able deputy. (If Jagielka plays, hopefully we don't hear any ridiculous pronunciations of his name!) 

As well as the football on Friday, the first big boxing show of the season was incredibly refreshing as well. Having heard an interview earlier in the year with Matchroom Sport's Eddie Hearn, he said that he was intending to bring genuine 50/50 fights to the public. He did this firstly with Kell Brook v Carson Jones in July where the Sheffield pugilist came through one hell of a gut-checker, and continued last night at Alexandra Palace with the excellent 'London's calling' show. This saw Erick Ochieng, Lee Purdey and Tony Bellew all win in enthralling fights, and creates a buzz and excitement for the coming boxing season. Perhaps Carl Frampton v Steve Molitor in a couple of weeks in Belfast is the prime example of Hearn's policy, and with the continuing Prizefighter series, Brook v Saldivia and Froch v Mack on the horizon it certainly whets the appetite. Perhaps the only blot on the weekend was that Darren Barker had to pull out of his fight, but hopefully the Londoner can get over his recent arm injury and get back in the ring soon. I have seen some talk that he should retire, but I think he is one of the classiest middleweights out there and the sooner he is back in the ring the better. Over the next two years Matchroom will provide Sky with twenty shows a season to bring to air, so hopefully fight fans will see 'deeper bills with more title fights and more competitive fights in packed out arenas' as promised. Thankfully for boxing, the future's bright....the future's Matchroom. I for one am glad that I don't have to see the over inflated ego's of boxers from other stables (no names mentioned!) win easy fights any more.  

The best of the transfer window in the Premier League

Well from my point of view it couldn't have been much worse. Liverpool have let their only out and out front man go on loan to West Ham without replacing him. You could excuse Brendan Rodgers for thinking Clint Dempsey was a shoe-in to come to Anfield, but we'll only know in time whether not having a contingency will cost Liverpool. With Fabio Borini, Joe Allen, Oussama Assaidi, Nuri Sahin and Samed Yesil coming in, I think the rest of the team is looking strong, but if Borini or Suarez get injured it could be Spain's 'no-striker' for us! 

Top transfers

New Chelsea man Eden Hazard

 Chelsea's new starlet may have been the most expensive signing of the summer, but even at £32m there does look to be value in it. Having played a part in all of Chelsea's goals so far he could be worth every penny. Last season while he was a team-mate of Hazard at Lille, Joe Cole suggested that Eden was the best player he'd ever seen and would one day be regarded as the best player in the world. Time will tell!

Tottenham's new midfielder Moussa Dembele

I think Tottenham paying £15m for the services of Moussa Dembele will prove to be an absolute steal in the long run. I would not be surprised if Spurs get a few good seasons out of the Belgian midfielder, and then a marquis club (Barca, Real, Man Utd) will come calling with about £30m; And Daniel Levy has never been shy of selling players for a substantial profit.
 

Michu has scored four goals already!

 Not being a huge viewer of the Spanish La Liga, I was not overly aware of Miguel Pérez Cuesta. Better known as Michu, he was the top scoring midfielder in La Liga last season and for MIchael Laudrup to relieve Rayo Vallencano of his goals for £2m he could be the signing of the summer. 

New Black Cat Adam Johnson

 Why Manchester City have let this young man go is beyond me. He has looked one of the most exciting and talented English players to emerge for quite a while, and as well as having ball-dribbling skills to bamboozle full backs, he's not shy in chipping in with a few goals as well. £10m is a bargain, and I think Sunderland will have to be playing European football before long to keep him. That said, with Martin O'Neill at the helm there's a chance that may happen. 

Best Bargains

Jack Rodwell Everton to Man City £12m, If Everton weren't so cash strapped they could have paid twice that. 

Dimitar Berbatov Man Utd to Fulham £4m, Should get enough goals to keep them up. 
Hugo Rodallega Wigan to Fulham FOR FREE! Enough said.
QPR signing Andy Johnson from Fulham and Ryan Nelsen from Spurs for free. Vital experience that could keep them up.
Reading managed to get Fulham forward Pavel Pogrebnyak on a free. He scored goals for fun last season. 
Stoke paid £4m to take Charlie Adam for Anfield to the Britannia. After never really getting back in to the side Liverpool after getting injured last year, and Joe Allen coming in at Liverpool sealed his fate. Good luck Charlie.

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F1 Belgian Grand Prix preview

Well the football is back, but now I'm missing the Formula One. I don't recall the mid-season break feeling quite so long before. Some sport fans are never happy! The F1 will be back next weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, which is my favourite circuit as well as many of the drivers favourite so I shouldn't be so impatient. The new pristine circuits of Abu Dhabi, India, China and Singapore may have the perfectly smooth tarmac and immaculate pit facilities, but without doubt the circuits lack the character of Spa, Silverstone, Monaco, Monza and Interlagos; You can sense the illustrious history around these places which is something that the newer tracks will never have. Fangio, Moss, Ascari and Stewart haven't pitted their wits against these less dangerous (and possibly less challenging) circuits. It may have been a horrific part of the past in motor-sport, but the clinical nature of the more recently built circuits removes the constant reminder that people have died taking part in this sport. There must be something that keeps your senses dialled in that bit more if you know that one mistake could throw you in to the wall at 200mph. Relive a bit of the circuit and the history below as Michael Schumacher in his Benetton chases down Ayrton Senna in his McLaren. It is interesting to look at the differences between the two cars in 1993; most look relatively the same in 2012 because of the regulations, but these cars are quite different. 

RIP Ayrton. I know I'm not alone in saying that you may have been taken from us far too soon, but you will never be forgotten and you will always be missed. 

I think the close to this F1 season could be the most exciting ever as at the half way point any one of the top five drivers could still win the championship. Fernando Alonso will take some beating as Ferrari seem to have found their stride, but Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen will no doubt have a big part to play. The man who I hope plays the biggest part, and manages to overhaul the speedy Spaniard's forty point lead is Mark Webber. With twenty-five points for a win the gap is not impossible to bridge, but the odd issue with the prancing horse may be required. I think the Australian is due his share of luck. I know that Mark is highly regarded as a good bloke off the track, as well as a hard racer on it. Four or five years ago I was lucky to spend an afternoon watching the Belgian Grand Prix with former BBC motor-sport commentator Norman Greenway. (Also sadly missed by many. Norman lost his battle with cancer at the age of 87 in 2010) Norman was the radio equivalent of Murray Walker, and was also the circuit commentator at Snetterton. Norman had spent a lot of time around all the drivers of the day, as you might imagine, and he was absolutely clear that not only was Mark Webber one of the nicest drivers he'd ever met, he was one of the nicest people he had ever met who was always generous with his time. I think there are ten races in eleven weeks to the close of the season so it will be frenetic to say the least, so I hope things swing the way of the Australian.If anybody deserves it he does. Red Bull Racing, and particularly Adrian Newey are always trying to push the boundaries to the limit which has proved a winning strategy over the last couple of years. Winning it may have been, but the favour fell mainly on the other side of the garage with team mate Sebastian Vettel as he won back-to-back world championships. This season Webber has been out-performing Vettel in the main so long may this continue and hopefully Alonso may falter. As a double world champion himself, this is unlikely but you can always hope! Come on @AussieGrit!

In a round up of other matters, Lance Armstrong has given up fighting the USADA accusations the he has taken and distributed illegal substances and hormones this week. This is a massive sports story, but as a relative newcomer to cycling I felt unable to compile a creditable story. As a result Armstrong has been stripped of all professional wins in the sport; perhaps the saddest part is that he has been a massive inspiration to budding cyclists as well as cancer victims around the world who've used his achievements in sport and life to overcome their own obstacles. Now this inspiration has been cast under the biggest shadow that perhaps sport has ever seen. 

Good luck to Andy Murray who starts his campaign to win the US Open at Flushing Meadow this week. After winning Olympic Gold at Wimbledon beating Roger Federer, hopefully his confidence is high and he can use that to win in New York. It has always been a good tournament for him, so hopefully he can go one better than in previous years and take the title.

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Why do I love football so much?

After an opening day like my team Liverpool had yesterday, it is an easy question to ask; thankfully when you look at the bigger picture the answers come equally as easy. Nineteen goals across seven games; two teams scoring five; great goals from Demba Ba, Mladen Petric and Zoltan Gera amongst others. If I am struggling to convey my anguish, the next picture of Liverpool centre half Dan Agger just about sums it up. The noise he makes at exactly this point is precisely how I feel.

One picture says it all as Dan Agger leaves the field of play.

The result was not good for Liverpool but there are positives. Just.  Luis Suarez looked like a man that has not really had any rest this summer and was as sharp as a tack, but boy does he need to improve his goals per shot ratio. Liverpool could have had the game by the scruff of the neck if the Uruguayan had taken a couple of his four or five chances.  After going down to ten men at one-nil down it was never really going to be our day, but Liverpool showed signs throughout the game of a team that is trying to implement a new style of play. It didn't help that Fabio Borini and Joe Allen looked a little overawed at times, Stewart Downing was poor for most of the sixty minutes he spent on the pitch, so after we went down to ten men we were effectively playing with half a team. There isn't much more to be said, other than chalk this one up to experience and move on. It's a shame that we have to move on to playing the current champions Manchester City at Anfield next Sunday. At least with Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi signing for the Reds this week we should be subjected to Stewart Downing on a less regular basis. I do think that we would benefit from one or two more to bolster our strength in depth. There are still rumours about Cristian Tello and Theo Walcott coming from Barcelona and Arsenal respectively. Perhaps the most controversial Reds-related transfer rumour of the moment is that David Moyes is trying to make Charlie Adam the first player to cross Stanley Park since 1992 when Graeme Souness sold Gary Ablett. With Joe Allen coming in, perhaps Adam's chances will be limited so he may be better taking the opportunity to leave while it's there. It is reasonably safe to say that Liverpool's season probably won't get worse, but i hope it gets better sooner rather than later. 

To sum up the rest of the Premier League's games, 0-0 against Sunderland might be a big indication of how Arsenal will get on without Robin van Persie, who signed for Manchester United this for £24m this week. Fulham 5-0 Norwich probably says more about Norwich than Fulham, but the south-west Londoners will be glad of a fantastic start to build on having lost a few players already, as well as having Clint Dempsey on strike trying to get out of Craven Cottage. Swansea's Michu looks an exciting prospect, scoring two as well as Nathan Dyer as they smashed QPR 0-5 at Loftus Road. Reading and Stoke finished 1-1 although it could have been different but for a bit of a howler by Royal's keeper Adam Federici. West Ham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Upton Park in the battle of the claret and blues, Kevin Nolan scoring the only goal five minutes before half time. Finally, Newcastle beat Tottenham at St James' Park with Hatam Ben Arfa scoring the decisive goal from the spot in the 80th minute. This came just four minutes after Jermain Defoe had equalised Demba Ba's stunning opener. Perhaps the most exceptional (and funniest!) event of the game was Alan Pardew getting sent of for physically abusing the linesman. He has subsequently apologised and labelled his actions as ridiculous, but he will probably still face sanctions from the FA. 

On balance I am much relieved that the football is back, I just hope from a personal point of view that things take a massive upturn sooner rather than later.

 SPORT SHORTS

Huge congratulations to Rory McIlroy who tore the field apart last weekend at Kiawah Island to win his second major, the US PGA Championships, sealing victory by eight shots. Britain continued to stamp it's authority on the sport as four of the top five were from these shores. 

The third Test match at Lord's is very finely poised between the two best sides in the world at the moment, England and South Africa. The Proteas are slightly ahead at the moment, but a few early wickets on day four can change the complexion of the game completely. We'll find out tomorrow who'll be the victor in the battle for number one in the world. 

Troubled club Portsmouth fought for a 1-1 draw in League One yesterday having fielded a team of eleven debutantes. Much credit should go to manager Michael Appleton who signed ten players on loan and short term contracts on Thursday in order to make the fixture happen. 

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