From defeat to victory? The week City came of age...

In twenty years time in some nostalgia filled Manchester pub, City fans could easily remember this weekend as the defining moment of a triumphant campaign.

After European failure was followed by defeat to Chelsea the wheels of momentum were threatening to unravel, but in a slap in the face for any critic of the top flight they responded with a thrilling win over a resilient Arsenal.

'Silva' became gold at the Etihad and as with Messi last week the midfield maestro won the battle of the League’s on-form players, and was at the heart of a fine team effort.

For Arsenal the match did illustrate improvement but in a tough week a European trip to the San Siro will offer scant festive cheer.

Yet AC Milan have come unstuck against English opposition three years in a row, and in some ways Chelsea have the tougher Italian assignment.

Chelsea and Napoli are two of just three teams to have beaten City this season, and while Chelsea’s inconsistent domestic form has been better than the Italians, Cavani and co will still provide a stern test.

There is a chance that Man Utd may be offered a lifeline back into the competition (and would that not just be typical?) but they are dependent on rules, finance and Swiss incompetence.

Whatever happens Barcelona remain favourites for the title, and after another World Championship win, are one of the greatest ever club teams.  

“Greatness” is an over-hyped concept in sport, and in the recent annals of English Rugby, it is an adjective with which retiree Jonny Wilkinson is often associated.

It is easy to get carried away, and Jonny was not the greatest player ever, with Kiwi nemesis Dan Carter perhaps edging him to that accolade.

Yet he was the flagship of a new professional age, one who abandoned the temptations of the high life for good old fashioned hard work.

An old-school exponent on the pitch if not off it, who took kicking and tackling to unforeseen heights and (lest we forget) slotted a certain drop goal in 2003 which defined a new generation of British sport. Not the greatest but one of the greats of our age.

There has been much recent talk of England’s club football woes, but in Rugby it is much worse, and Wilkinson’s new contract with Toulon is indicative of the ever growing French superiority.

There could easily be just one English club in the Heineken Cup quarters, and after a breathtaking win in Toulouse, Harlequins are the exception to the rule. After 2009’s Bloodgate scandal, they are providing the RFU with the perfect model of how to respond to adversity.

British Boxing and Golf have endured weeks of contrasting fortunes.

Andre Ward has been hailed as the future of the ring after a fine win and a second Sunday morning of British misery.

But after Amir Khan failed in his appeal to overturn...well what exactly? it was refreshing to see Froch concede his loss and plan to respond in the gym and not in the courtroom. A Wilkinson-esque reaction.

It was another triumphant week in an unprecedented year for our Golfers, as both Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood secured victories. After an opening round 60, Westwood’s win in Thailand will push him above Rory McIlroy in the world rankings, as Britain end 2011 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd.

Golf is not an Olympic sport quite yet, but in disciplines scheduled for 2012 Team GBs Sailing and Equestrian teams enjoyed more success, with Dressage fast becoming another event with serious gold-medal aspirations.

The seasonal Darts extravaganza is just beginning at Ally Pally but Christmas this year seems barer in the absence of Ashes cricket. Without England other countries must provide the festive highlights.

Shane Warne may have stuttered on his Twenty20 return, but Australia are busy blooding some decent new youngsters, while South African have unleashed a real gem in the brilliantly named Vernon Philander.

No Christmas cricket but we have had no shortage of Christmas spats. Ballotelli versus Richards and now the revelation that Sir Alex and Roy Keane actually never got on. We might be lacking scandal in this post Leveson age, but there will never be a shortage of football histrionics...

In sport is it player or business interests which really matter?

The boundary between competition and entertainment has long been disputed but in the last week it has become less certain than ever.

In York Mark Allen, the eventual runner-up at the UK Snooker Championships, was banded a “silly little boy” by the sport’s supremo Barry Hearn after he dared to criticise Hearn’s commercialisation of the sport.

Allen was upset by the reduction in length of matches, which has aimed to please armchair and audience fans, but to the detriment of the players who prefer the intensity of a longer match.

Then in Auckland triple Olympic champion Ben Ainslie was disqualified from the World Sailing Champs after an argument with an obtrusive TV vessel.

Closing in on an unprecedented sixth Finn World title, Ainslie jumped from his boat and swam across supposedly shark infested waters in order to remonstrate with the crew, whose presence was producing progress impeding waves.

And this week was not alone. TV vehicles also caused problems in the Tour de France, where a French TV car crashed into a group of breakaway riders and catapulted one over a barbed wire fence, while in tennis a players strike is a possibility due to the ongoing competitor’s versus corporate tournament scheduling clash.

In comparison to these events, Sailing and Snooker both seem pretty small fry in terms of commercial, financial and spectator revenue.  

But sport is becoming big business across the board.  Once upon-a-time it was purely about the Olympian quest for physical perfection, yet in this era of professionalism business interests are as much if not more important.

Allen bemoans a perceived loss of purity in Snooker, but he will not be complaining when he receives greater prize-money, and greater sponsorship, opportunity and exposure as a result of Hearn’s actions.

And while it is easy to feel sympathy for Ainslie, and his two-race medal-ending ban did seem excessive, he knew that TV boats would be there and like his compatriots should have just accepted the situation.

Commercialism in sport can go too far. Match-fixing is an obvious example, as was the ECB’s infamous employment of fraudster Alan Stanford, along with pretty much any recent action of FIFA. This was epitomised by the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and its 40’C+ temperature - a ludicrous case of player welfare being overlooked.

Players are by no means pawns in the game utterly to the whim of sporting super figures.

Yet they must also remember how much they owe to these figures, and while Ainslie’s actions may only add to his popular status they also cost him dear, and will only continue to do so. 

Vetoes, Finance, Corruption and Diplomacy: Who needs the EU?

Manchester produced a European veto all of its own this week ,as ‘City’ ‘United’ with Channel  5 in an exclusive Thursday night alliance.

For City the result was perhaps expected. In a tough group on their Champions League debut their time will surely come.

United have no such excuse as the might of Romania, Switzerland and Portugal seemed an effective bye to the knockout stages.

I 8-2 say it so soon after that Old Trafford annihilation but United are missing the Szczesny, Vermaelen, and Van Persie-esque spine that their London rivals now have.

An easy win over Wolves and a seemingly straightforward Christmas timetable could spare the blushes but cracks long disguised by a litany of last minute goals are now there for all to see.

Finance has also been high on the agenda. United’s exit will see a projected £20 million loss, while LOCOG will add more than double that to their Olympic ceremony budget, a move that has drawn derision from the National Audit Office and Paula Radcliffe alike.

In Dubai the banks of McIllroy and Donald went head to head over 72 holes, and unsurprisingly it was Ireland who fell short. Donald may not have won a major in 2011, but his consistency has been magnificent, and despite last week’s re-emergence of Tiger Woods, an elusive major triumph cannot be far away.

Diplomacy is a tale of success and failure, and in Switzerland it saw a reduction for Wayne Rooney and his 2012 ban, but in Perth it ended disastrously for Ben Ainslie and his World Championship Sailing hopes after a failed remonstration with officials.

Disqualification seems the only way that Ainslie can be beaten, and while it did seem an over-reaction spare a thought for teammate Giles Scott, who won gold and will still be overlooked for the single Olympic selection.

Accusation was also rife in Snooker where Judd Trumped the opposition but runner-up Mark Allen was locked in a spat with boss Barry Hearn over the sports increasing ‘commercialism.’  Allen prefers the traditional version of the game, but it is important to remember in this world of short-attention spans that viewers and broadcasters do matter as well.

Corruption appears rife in Wrestling where bizarre allegations have emerged over the British team. A group of Ukrainians brought to Britain as sparring partners have all married other GB squad members and all hope to have British citizenship fast-tracked in time for 2012.

Moral obligations may have been overlooked but it is great to see attention being paid to these lesser Olympic disciplines. 

It has been a good week for Sailors and for runners who won twelve medals at the European Cross Country Championships, but less good for Wrestling and for Hockey as Britain were humbled 8-1 by Spain.

In World news, the latest instance of El-Classico showed England the way to go. It was a mesmerising Bernabeu encounter but Messi outshining Ronaldo was the tale of the day as Barcelona revived La Liga with a scintillating victory.

In Cricket New Zealand edged Australia in another thrilling test encounter but after Virender Sehwag’s ODI 219 against the Windies, doesn’t Sehwag (along with summer star Rahul Dravid) deserve the same status as Sachin ’99 hundreds’ Tendulkar?

And while Congo-esque election rioting may have been avoided, big new appointments were seen in tennis for Judy Murray and in Rugby for Stuart Lancaster in a week where Harlequins unbeaten run was finally ended by an inspired Toulouse.

And a run was also ended in Washington for Amir Khan. In a sport full of cliché’s, the inevitable street fighter triumphed over the complacent champion in a bout tainted by official ineptitude. Khan will return but his showdown with Floyd Mayweather will wait a while longer.

Sport is full of twists and turns, but the City of London’s battle with Europe will continue next week with the Champions League draw, and FC Basel will remain the dream opponents.

From horror injury (via Slovenia) to London 2012:..

Steph Twell makes a quiet return at the European Cross Country Champs in Velenje this weekend after a nightmarish year of injury.

Back in February the 21 year old was closing in on victory in a low-key race in Belgium, when she fell on a muddy descent, broke her ankle in three places and was ruled out for ten months.

It is the stuff of which all athletes dread. Sitting on the sidelines unable to train and do what you love as others achieve goals which could have been yours.

Indeed, Aldershot club-mate Charlotte Purdue dominated the cross-country season, while Hannah England (ranked behind Twell in 2010) won 1,500m silver at the World Championships.

Yet inspiration was never far away as fellow athletes Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe both made careers out of returning from adversity.

And Twell reacted to the setback with a maturity belying her tender years, viewing her career as a long term process and remaining thankful that injury had struck this year and not next.

After tentatively returning in October, Twell finished a solid 5^th at the European Trials race in Liverpool, and will compete in the Under 23 race this weekend  confident of individual and team success.

It is fitting that it should be at the Euro Cross where Twell should return, as she made her name there with three consecutive Under 20 titles from 2006-2008. In a stellar junior career she also won World Championship 1,500m Gold and competed at the Beijing Olympics shortly after her 19^th birthday.

After poor European and World level cross-country showings and last place in her World Championship heat her senior bow in 2009 was something of a disappointment.  

Yet last year Twell showed her true credentials, running 1,500m and 5,000m PBs and going 4^th on the British all-time lists in the latter event after smashing the elusive fifteen minute barrier. She also finished a solid 7^th at the European Champs before snatching bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

And after quiet winter she had been re-approaching that form before disaster struck in Belgium.

Although her eventual future surely lies over longer distances, Twell will focus on 1,500m in 2012, going head to head with England, 2009 World silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey and a host of other names in a formidable domestic line-up.

Our female distance contingent is strong across the board after some solid Autumn performances. Paula Radcliffe has returned for a final tilt at Olympic glory and along with Mara Yamauchi has already booked her 2012 Marathon place.

After a PB on the notoriously tough ‘Big Apple’ course Jo Pavey is likely to join them, while Purdue, Clitheroe, Dean and of course Diamond League winner Jenny Meadows are other names to look out for.

Twell will have aspirations just as big as these figures but for the moment she will just be glad to be back among them, as she takes that tentative first step back along the journey to 2012.

Strikers, Women... Who will the BBC upset next?

It may have lacked the brashness of Jeremy Clarkson but the all-male Sports Personality shortlist has precipitated a sporting gender-row.

The annual extravaganza is stuck in the wilderness between celebrating achievement and personality but one of its redeeming features is its ability to foster debate.

And exactly that has happened this week as keyboard warriors have been locked in fierce confrontation. Some see Darren Clarke as the only personality on the shortlist. Others see golfers scarcely worthy of inclusion. Others mourn the absence of Ironman triathletes, while everyone bemoans the inclusion of Andy Murray.

Murray should not have been picked over Becky Adlington and our other female world champions, but the criticism has been blown out of all proportion. Even in our politically-correct age women should only be picked on merit and no one nominated is unworthy of selection.

Other deserving men such as Alistair Brownlee and Sam Tomkins have been omitted, and despite her brilliant record, how many people had actually heard of Ironman’s Chrissie Wellington before this week?

For me Mark Cavendish must be the winner. The Manx missile exudes Ali-esque confidence but also Ali-esque performance. His Green and Rainbow jersey winning exploits compare favourably with winning the World 5,000m title, and then the London Marathon as well.

With the exception of the grotesquely short-sighted Manchester Evening news, who redefined the term British by including Messrs Toure, Viera and Berbetov, footballers were notably absent from the shortlists.

Mario Ballotelli would surely win a Premier-League personality contest, but his City outfit would contend the achievement award as well. A clinical counter-attack to see off Arsenal was followed by a routine yet sublime demolition of Norwich. Cup draws against Liverpool and United are unkind, but their opponents will be even more fearful.

Darren Ambrose's sensational winning Carling Cup strike for Crystal Palace, along with Stoke and Birmingham's Europa League success, illustrates the great depth of the English game, although Bristol Rovers humbling of AFC Totten added a dose of reality.

‘Kean Out’ banners were seen during the strikes and the tennis last week, but protesting as your club completes a priceless victory is a step-too far. Steve Kean ‘lost’ to Steve Bruce in the managerial sack race, and he was handed a Yakubu shaped lifeline against Swansea.

Frank Lampard missing a penalty shows that a major international tournament must be approaching, and while England have avoided the groups of death and of debt, there is no room for complacency.

   Our matches are by no means easy, and logistical travelling problems and the inevitable media hype will add to the difficulty.

Spain look set to dominate next summer and their tennis players did likewise by winning a third Davis Cup in four years.

Raphael Nadal’s mental and physical brilliance in overcoming Argentina’s two Juan’s (Monaco and Del Potro) ridicules his supposed ‘loss of love’ for the game. Nadal is back, and like Federer, will enter the New Year ominously high on confidence.

Argentina are the subject of the latest Olympics controversy as they plan to use the Games to showcase their latest attempt to win back the Falklands Islands. And a sporting South American political dispute is a fitting scenario to lament the death of Socrates.

With his classical and political interests, Socrates was far from the average footballer, and while his lifestyle was hardly professional his football certainly was, and he remains one of Brazil’s greats.

Yet after successive weeks of football deaths, it is refreshing to see a sportsman go out in the way he wanted, and despite losing Shane Williams did exactly that at the Millennium Stadium. A dying breed of player Williams absence will surely reduce the excitement of international rugby.

But the game will go on, and after the RFU revelation’s English Rugby returned to normality in a flurry of fists, as a mass Premiership punch-up proved that some elements of the game will never change...

"A true test or a needless compromise" Is 50 over cricket on the way out?

Tongue-in cheek it may have been, but Graham Swann’s call for the phasing out of 50 over cricket is a view shared by much of the English cricket fraternity.

Swann has lost his status as the world’s premier ranked one day bowler, and as the 50 over game is the one format in which England currently struggle, there appears a light-hearted mischief to the spinner’s words.

He touches however upon deeper sentiments and in a calendar already stretched to breaking point, player, public and corporate interests could eventually combine to confirm his prophecy.

Twenty20 is the future of the game, the way to transcend cricket to the masses, and to the short-attention spans of the modern world.

When it was introduced there were fears that it would be too basic, too batsmen-friendly and to the detriment of the games technique. Yet many of the same worries were uttered at the introduction of one-day cricket, and like in the 1970s, players such as Swann and Lasith “the slinger” Malinga have spear-headed the adaption to the different demands of the shorter format.

Shane Warne this week defended the Twenty20 concept, and the fact that on any given day anyone can almost beat anyone, as one of its most endearing and unique qualities.

If Twenty20 is the rock concert, then Test Matches are the classical opera: a game for the purists. In the last month alone a series of enthralling encounters has confirmed the value of a format never seriously in doubt.

In South Africa we saw the Aussies skittled out for 47 but subsequently recover in Joburg for a pulsating final day victory. Then in Mumbai the West Indies hung on for histories second ever draw with the scores level, after five roller-coaster days of action. England’s schedule next year, in the sub-continent and against the South Africans, wets the appetite already.

So how does the 50 over game fit into this? The World Cup proved that great matches can occur. The game ebbs and flows like no other, and requires the right balance between building an innings and keeping the scoreboard moving.

Yet it does seem a compromise of sorts for the other two versions and when the World Test Championships belatedly begins the World Cup’s status will be downgraded.

Money and Sponsorship must also be considered. But whatever the corporate demands English summer has no space for 7 Tests, Twenty20 and numerous ODI’s. Player power will eventually win through and ODI’s are the obvious sacrifice even to the corporate mind.  

It would be sad to see it go. It was the 50 over game which made cemented India, Sri Lanka (and others) as cricketing superpowers and who could forget great matches like the Australia v South Africa World Cup semi of 1999.

As Swann stated it won’t be happening for a while, but change is always a necessary in life and in sport and common sense, business, player and public desire all suggests that the game may slowly be approaching extinction.