A certain well-known betting company uses the slogan “Everyone has an opinion – what’s yours worth?” And they’re right – in sport, everyone does indeed have an opinion. It’s an industry which for many reasons inspires more people to expound these opinions more vociferously and adamantly than, say, politics or art manage to do. Websites, newspapers, magazines, blogs, fanzines and more all voice their views on the events of the sporting world, and here at Sport.co.uk we’re no different. The Monday Morning Musings brings you its unashamedly incomplete, ill-ordered and occasionally-irrelevant ruminations on the weekend’s activities. What’s our opinion worth? Well Novak Djokovic is the toast of the sporting world, so we’ll punt 100 Serbian Dinar.
Congratulations to Manchester City. You suspect they won’t have to wait 35 years for their next trophy. They were the better side on the day, as they were in the semi final against Manchester United, and justified their Italian manager’s inherent caution in both matches. There are critics of Mancini’s cautious style, but you won’t find too many City fans complaining after he guided his charges to what was, bar one or two moments, a fairly comfortable victory.
Mancini’s most difficult task this season has surely been keeping a large squad of feisty characters happy. To accommodate Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and David Silva, the Italian sacrificed the troublesome Emmanuel Adebayor, whose future surely lies away from Eastlands. It was a shrewd move, and although disharmony is never far away when Balotelli is around, and while Tevez’s future is still in doubt, City’s squad seem more settled than earlier in the season. Mancini, assuming he remains in the job, will of course spend big again this summer, but the character and personality of his signings will be of paramount importance. City cannot afford another over-inflated ego in their squad. They need team players if they are to raise their game once more next year, and compete for the biggest two prizes.
Because of more long-term significance than winning the FA Cup is City’s qualification for next season’s Champions League. The reasons the likes of Kaka and David Villa had for turning down Eastlands have in large part been dispelled. City will still offer the largest transfer fees and highest wages, believing that UEFA’s financial fair play rules are likely to have little real effect, and they now offer players the genuine and undeniable opportunity of winning every competition they enter.
Of the past five FA Cup finals, four have been settled 1-0 with the solitary goal scored by an African player. It’s an extraordinary statistic, and one which highlights what an important role African footballers play in English football. They are ideally suited to the Premier League, with their powerful running and immense stamina. Yet English managers will hesitate before signing any Africans this summer; in order to not hold the competition in the same year as the World Cup, the African Cup of Nations will now be played in January of both 2012 and 2013. A player can miss up to ten games due to participation in the tournament, and that fact lends credence to the argument that Didier Drogba will leave Chelsea this summer.
Manchester United’s match at Ewood Park on Saturday was entirely emblematic of their season. United finish their 19 away games with an average points per game total of just 1.32, by some distance the lowest in the Premier League era. It has not been a vintage season and, despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s protests to the contrary, this is not a vintage United side, but they have consistently done enough to get over the line, and since December have been by some distance the most likely side to win the League.
So congratulations are due to the victors, and United are deserved Champions, but the extent of Ferguson’s belief in his charges will be tested this summer. He knows that the noisy neighbours, with their shiny FA Cup winners’ medals and a place in the Champions League to tempt potential new recruits with, will once more splash the cash this summer. He knows, too that Chelsea will spend big, most probably under a new manager, in order to revitalise an ageing squad. Even Arsenal may spend, what with their fans finally growing restless at a lack of trophies and big name signings. And with Liverpool resurgent under Kenny Dalglish, it would require an unequivocal faith in his squad to prevent Ferguson from reaching for his chequebook.
Whether he decides to replace certain cogs of his side is therefore a pertinent question. Particularly open to debate is the need to add both creativity and mobility to an inconsistent midfield. What is certain, however, is that if Edwin van der Sar does retire, United will buy a new replacement. Ferguson’s reasons for bringing in Tomas Kuszczak on Saturday were twofold; give his number 1 a rest, and ascertain with more certainty whether the Pole is ready to take on the role full time. It is safe to say that Kuszczak failed that particular test, and his nervy display was characteristic of most of his outings this season.
Mike Phelan is not an inspiring man. In the Match of the Day limelight solely due to Ferguson’s never-ending spat with the BBC, here was Phelan’s chance to shine, to add some insight into how it feels to complete their long-held goal of overtaking their hated rivals’ tally of League titles. So go on Mike, let us know how it compares to previous title victories: “it’s up there with every one.”
If Blackpool do go down, as seems likely despite their victory over Bolton Wanderers, they will leave the Premier League with their heads held high and memories which will never fade. It may well sound like a broken record when Ian Holloway complains that pundits only allocated them 10 points in their pre-season predictions, but it is true that they were expected to challenge Derby County for the record of lowest points tally in a Premier League season. Instead, the Tangerines find themselves just one point short of the 40 which would usually comfortably afford a side another season with the big boys. Their 37 matches have seen a spectacular total of 127 goals scored. For their sakes, all neutrals must be hoping that figure doesn’t rise by too many when Holloway and his men travel to Old Trafford, because Blackpool’s hopes of survival probably rest on how ruthless Ferguson and his charges are feeling next Sunday. Bizarrely, a 1-0 defeat could be just what Blackpool need, providing Tottenham and Stoke do them a mighty favour by beating Birmingham and Wigan respectively.
A quick word for Peterborough United. If you thought Blackpool matches were free scoring, think again. This season the Posh have played in 42 League 1 matches, eight cup games and a Playoff First Leg. The total number of goals those 51 games have produced? A scarcely believable 221. If both they and Blackpool end up in the Championship next season, the record for the number of goals in one game, seventeen, set by Tranmere Rovers and Oldham Athletic on Boxing Day 1935, could be in danger.
A famous, famous day for Wigan Athletic fans, and one which sets up one of the most nerve-wracking final days to any season in living memory. Well might the Latics celebrate, but surely they must be absolutely sick of hearing that ridiculous jingle after every goal their side scores. All football fans know that each goal brings about a unique and personal reaction, yet at the DW Stadium, after a few seconds of euphoria, fans are forced to break into a ludicrous, repetitive and contrived chant. The tune was played after scoring a meaningless consolation goal against Aston Villa in January exactly as it was played yesterday after the dramatic 94th minute winner against West Ham.
An aberration involving Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny back in February is probably the only reason Alex McLeish is still in a job. Birmingham look woeful, in entertainment value as in results.
The actual sum of money that a season in the Premier League is worth is uncertain, but it’s certainly more than £18 million. And while it’s an inexact science to predict how many points any player is worth (given that it ignores the fact that someone else would be playing in that player’s place), let’s do the maths anyway with Darren Bent. His nine goals since arriving at Villa Park have been worth eight points, and quite possibly a place in next year’s Premier League. Another interesting statistic, and one which is in keeping with his record while at Sunderland, is that of those nine goals, eight have come against top half opposition.
Andy Murray can take a lot of heart from his semi final performance against Novak Djokovic at the Rome Masters. On the whole it has been a miserable 2011 for the Scot, but in coming so close to beating the indomitable Serb on clay, Murray proved that he still belongs at tennis’ top table. In his 38 undefeated matches this calendar year, Djokovic has never been so close to defeat, and that must be a huge fillip for Murray as he prepares for Roland Garros. Further positives to take from the week in Rome came on Sunday night, as Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets (6-4, 6-4)in the final. Murray has never come close to beating Nadal on clay, but given that he stretched Djokovic so much further than Nadal did, he should approach a potential French Open semi final with confidence, not with fear.
Murray’s reputation as a choker comes from his performances in the finals of grand slams, but it will not have been helped by Saturday evening’s failure to serve out the match. He broke Djokovic three times in the set, but could not find the inspiration needed when it really counted. It will be a heavy weight around his neck until he wins a slam, much as Rory McIlroy will have question marks over his temperament until he banishes memories of Augusta by lifting one of golf’s biggest four trophies.
Murray must improve his body language on court. Compare and contrast with Djokovic, who positively bounced to the bass line before every point, with his head held high and an anticipation of winning the next point. The Scot, meanwhile, spends too long berating himself and gloomily gazing into the clay surface. Nole should have felt it was all over when Murray served for the match at 5-4. Instead, he knew he had seen weaknesses in his opponents mind, and set out to exploit them.
The Serb’s record this year beggars belief. He has won all seven tournaments he has played in 2011, including four ATP 1000 events and the Australian Open. He has already qualified for November’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena.
