11 hours in 3 days...Is Djokovic the greatest sportsman of all?

After collapses comebacks and great wins 2012 is already proving a defining year of sport, with a pulsating Aussie Open Final the obvious highlight.

The Wimbledon final of ’08 was the benchmark, but after six-hours of physical, technical and mental majesty this one was even better.  

Nadal is an enigma, a rampaging Majorcan matador whose recovery from 0-40 in the fourth set was world defining,

But unfortunately for him Djokovic belongs to a different world and it took super-human willpower for Nadal to even get close. After seven consecutive final defeats will he ever get a better chance?

The Serb matched the Spaniard mentally while out-serving and out-muscling him physically - a phenomenal competitor, athlete and man.

For those reasons Andy Murray should be mightily proud of his semi-final showing. The Lendl affect is already apparent and in many ways Murray’s tennis was closer to Djokovic’s than Nadal’s was.

The mental gap remains but it is closing, and that elusive Grand Slam will eventually come.

These matches were great adverts for the five set game and despite the greater variety of contenders after Azarenka’s triumph the Women’s game is struggling to compete.

After Djokovic’s heroics, Piers Morgan chose the occasion to lambast Footballers for struggling to play two matches in a week. Cheap shot it may have been but he does have a point...

England’s cricketers could also learn from these champions after a series ending defeat in Abu Dhabi.

Geoffrey Boycott called it “a load of rubbish”, yet while the Yorkshire-man speaks a lot of tosh this summery was bang on. Let’s hope he fulfils his promise to sell all three of his houses after England’s loss...

We all feigned anxiety before England’s sub-continent test but deep down thought that the boys would pull through. How wrong we were.

Strauss, Bell, Pietersen and Morgan (who must surely be dropped?) play spin with the deftness of Gordon Brown and are simply unsuited to these conditions, while even Graham Swann is struggling to back up his world-leading credentials.

And with grizzled warriors Ponting and Clarke back in form the Ashes next year suddenly look far less enticing...

Liverpool will also be approaching the future more positively after Cup wins over both halves of Manchester. League glory might be a long way off but a great knock-out team they remain.

It as a sad incitement on the current game that racism allegations at Anfield appeared inevitable, but with posted bullets and hand-shake refusals galore, events at Loftus Road lowered the bar further.

After his admission that he he cannot spell and writes like a two year old, Harry Redknapp restored some much needed 'pride' to the national game.

What does it matter when he has the brains to win a football match, I hear you cry. But is this man really capable of the demands of the nation’s second highest profile job?

England and Arsenal’s woes continued with Jack Wiltshire’s latest setback, while Alan Smith’s big loan move to MK Dons did little to excite the transfer damp squid.

It was also domestic-cup weekend end in Rugby, and League convert Joel Tomkins debuted with a brace of tries in Saracens 41-14 romp over Worcester.

And track star Mo Farah also thrived in unfamiliar territory as he won a thrilling race at the Kelvin Hall in a rare outing over 1,500m.

Farah is everywhere in the press in recent weeks, and his tale of dedication, maturity and attention to detail is of a sporting champion in the Djokoviccian mould.

Olympic sport success came also in Sailing and Hockey where Britain fought back to draw 2-2 with Olympic Champions Netherlands.

And in Golf Britain are as strong as ever as unheralded Robert Rock held off both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to win in Abu Dhabi, on the same day as 14 year old Lydia Ko won on the women’s tour.

It was another week of great sporting drama but, ahead of what could be a great career; Ko must look at Djokovic, Nadal and Farah for inspiration and not those feckless flops in Cricket and Football...

A wake up call for England...and for London football

After the Dubai debacle it has been an eye-opening week for English cricket.

Time will tell if it was a one-off setback or a more serious reality check, and while the former category seems more likely, the tourists were resoundingly outplayed by a resurgent Pakistan.

Despite the poor crowds it was another good advert for test cricket. The top sides are continuing to knock each other over for fun, and the game needs a strong Pakistani side.

The success of Saeed Akmal begs the question of Monty Panesar’s inclusion but it was England’s batting display which caused their defeat. Kevin Pietersen has received most of this criticism but all the top six were guilty.

 A reaction similar to those great recent Ashes recoveries at the Oval and the MCG is now required.

But in football the title recovery of London’s finest now seems beyond hope after a super-Sunday of Mancunian majesty.

Sky’s ‘day of payback’ came to nothing, and while Spurs and Arsenal can each count themselves unlucky they ultimately fell shot against sides with superior ability to win a big match.

As ever it was Ballotelli who made the headlines and, accidental or not, his stamp on Scott Parker fully deserved a ban.

And In a week where Marcos Baghdatis broke 6 racquets in 25 seconds and Thomas Berdych refused to shake hands with a beaten opponent, Ballotelli-itis appears to have engulfed tennis as well.

In beating another entertainer in Frenchman Michael Llodra, Murray underlined the futility of serve-volleying in the modern game, but his rivals woes have been exaggerated after Nadal, Federer and Djokovic all romped through the early rounds.

How much must English club Rugby envy such serene progress? Saracens join Cardiff and Edinburgh  in the Heineken Cup quarters, but Harlequins missed out after an awful 9-8 reverse to Connacht.

And it seemed worrying that while Chris Robshaw has been all but confirmed as England captain, he should be guilty of picking a scrum over a penalty in the game’s final moments.

British struggles have continued in other traditional sports, as after a Dutchman won the BDO World darts, Aussie Neil Robertson won the Masters Snooker.

Muhammad Ali has turned 70, but he has not been the only newsworthy sporting legend after a clash between past and present icons of the oval-balled game.

Pele’s dismissal of the credentials of the young whippersnapper Messi seem harsh, but he does have a point about the Argentinean’s international record, with the Olympics remaining Messi’s only accolade. Like with the state of England’s cricketers, time will provide the best answer.

Considering Olympic football, it is great to see that out of 191 players asked, only seven have turned down the chance to don the GB kit, and Beckham, Giggs, Bale and Ramsey are all likely inclusions.

Olympic action continues to hot up as heartbreak for Britons Rhythmic Gymnasts has been balanced by success elsewhere.

The athletics season has really got going this week as first Holly Bleasdale went second in the all-time indoor Pole Vault rankings with a stunning 4.87 clearance, 16cm above her old British Record.

Robbie Grabarz also got in on the jump success, clearing a world leading 2.34m. After five high jumpers lost their funding last year 2012 success always appeared inevitable.

And there has been more drama for distance legend Kenenisa Bekele after he was one of 35 Ethiopians banned from the national team after failing to attend a training camp.

His threats to change nationality are unlikely as athlete power, along with common sense, will surely prevail, but 2012 has been a frustrating year so far for Bekele, and for his nation who are struggling to keep up with imperious Kenyans.

LOCOG will not want Bekele to miss their London shindig. But a bomb scare would be an even more nightmarish occurrence. And while danger was thankfully avoided, a bomb scare was exactly what happened at the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, where an unexploded World War Two mine was discovered close to the action.

Just another bizarre occurrence in the world of sport...

The Olympics can bring glory...but also pain, misery and failure

The sight of Britain’s Rhythmic Gymnasts falling agonisingly short in their Olympic quest is a poignant reminder that golden dreams can often end in misery.

Beyond recollections of recent glory lie memories of Shanaze Reade crashing out of the BMX, Frankie Gavin failing to make his Boxing weight limit and of course, Paula Radcliffe weeping by the roadside in Athens.

The Olympics can be the low-point as well the hallmark of a great career.

But while these names at least had the platform to achieve greatness, the anonymous failure of not even qualifying for London is an even more nightmarish scenario.

Boxing flyweight Khalid Yafai has won European and Commonwealth medals and reached the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Champs, but was still edged out in the qualification stakes by Welsh rival Andrew Selby.

In Taekwondo Michael Harvey is a World bronze medallist, but in a sport where a nation can compete in just two of the four divisions, his weight category has also been overlooked for selection.

Both men could have excelled in London but will be reduced to armchair spectators wondering what might have been.

Worst of all, Sailors Ed Wright and Giles Scott have won the last two World titles in the Finn Class but will both miss out in the selection battle due to the presence of superstar Ben Ainslie. 

Ainslie suffered a controversial World Championship disqualification, but after a dominant 2011 his choice cannot be disputed. Yet it remains outrageous that some sort of wildcard cannot be provided for two global champions.

Similar dilemmas exist for China in Table-tennis, Russia in Wrestling and Kenya in the Marathon.

In Rhythmic Gymnastics Britain are far from powerhouses, and have never before qualified for the Group event. But after relying on parental support six unfunded teenagers came a knotted ribbon away from doing exactly that.

They ultimately missed the British Gymnastics defined benchmark by 0.273 points, and despite bettering that mark the following day their dreams are over and, in a sport where adulthood effectively means retirement, are unlikely ever to be fulfilled.

Even qualification is no determinant of participation.

As of yet the worst injury suffered by Team GB has been to eventer William Fox-Pitt’s horse, Cool Mountain, but others will happen.

 Portuguese Triple-Jumper Nelson Evora is already ruled out and someone will inevitably inherit the agony of Jessica Ennis, one of Beijing’s injured absentees.

To these athletes, the Olympics are far more than a ‘friendly games.’ It is a way of life in a career where failure will often mean financial as well as emotional ruin.

After last year’s death of Marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru, another example of the Olympics dark side has been illustrated by Irish runner Martin Fagan, after he admitted taking the banned substance EPO.

Fagan is a cheat and that cannot be condoned, but his cheating was a consequence of depression and despondence with an ailing career.

Running had become simply a battle for survival, and after a spiral of injury and underachievement it had lost any sense of fun or enjoyment. As any readers of David Miller’s Racing through the Dark would find familiar, drugs became the next step - the final way to guarantee success.

In 2012 the Olympic can and will bring glory and glamour, but they will also bring despondence and despair.

Its oldest creed may be that “it’s not the winning but the taking part.” But to a world class athlete that is a purely mythical thought, and especially so for our many contenders who will fail to even “take part”  in the first place.

Corruption, Comebacks...and Ballotelli: another week of sporting drama

With Essex’s Mervyn Westfield the latest villain, Cricket’s dark side has re-emerged this week as the English county game loses its immunity.

There is irony surely that spot-fixing has returned to the limelight the week before an England/Pakistan tour, but it is clear that there is a blight endemic throughout the cricketing world.

Westfield has been stupid and will rightly be disciplined but there are surely many others in these shores and beyond who have yet gone unpunished.

The climate is one of corruption but also one of enthralling test cricket, and nothing should detract from what should be an absorbing series.

With two warm-up wins safely secured England are favourites and deservedly so, but Pakistan are unbeaten in five series and should not be underestimated.

England’s big selection quandary concerns their fourth bowler in the wake of Tim Bresnan’s injury.

Monty Panesar would be an aggressive and brave yet desirable choice, but his selection is highly unlikely given England’s ambivalence towards a second spinner. And given the strength of their seam resources, who could blame them?

Rugby has also seen its fair share of selection decisions this week and England have opted for youth and inexperience, as they finally shed ties with any remaining members of the 2003 World Cup brigade.

After spearheading Harlequins charge towards the Heineken Cup quarters, Nick Easter is one who can count himself unfortunate to have been omitted, but a new generation has emerged on and off the pitch and England’s back line in particular looks very exciting.

But in Football the re-emergence of grizzled veterans has been the order of the week as Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes each found the net on their respective returns from the wilderness.

Their recalls still bear the hallmarks of desperation, but the goals signified that blend of romance which only sport can bring, and it is worth stating that unlike these two great stars, neither Torres nor Carroll have scored in 2012.

This season’s only constant is its volatility, and while City’s stutter continued against Liverpool, Tottenham’s midweek rise (which was greeted by overdue eruptions of media excitement) was muted by a dogged display by Wolves.

Yet after their absurd decision to relocate to a 25,000 capacity cauldron of misery, Darlington’s impending extinction shows that a predictable reality will in certain areas always reign supreme.

We are two weeks into 2012 and already we have a tennis grand slam upon us. After qualifying success for James Ward and Laura Robson, It was great to see six Britons in the main draw down under, even if five of them lost on Day One.

Rather predictably one lone Scot is left to plough the British furrow, and if he is to reach his third Australian final on the trot, Murray will probably have to beat Novak Djokovic in the last four. That remains unlikely, but with the Murray/Lendl partnership now fully blooming it would be foolish to write him off...

LOCOG have experienced more problems as their ticketing system continues to malfunction, but Britons male gymnasts will be in attendance next summer as they vaulted and pommel-horsed their way to spectacular test event success.

With more attention than ever going to these summer stars, Britain’s winter competitors have struggled for publicity in recent times.

But the season is warming up well metaphorically if not climatically, and Shelly Rudman has returned to the top of our female Skeleton standings with a World Cup win in Koenigssee.  

The Premier League is surely football’s most exciting, but the NFL is sports biggest franchise and in the first week of playoff action the 49ers edged the Saints in a mesmerising encounter, as the lead changed three times in the last four minutes.

And an unprecedented year of sporting action looks set to get even bigger as the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight moves closer. Prize money and prison sentences are small matters still unresolved but a Mayday showdown is likely after some remarkable Twitter exchanges.

Yet the jury remains out over whether social media is a good addition to the world of sport, as Rugby’s Rory Lamont became the latest miscreant after he bizarrely labelled Barrack Obama as a “whore” online.

Thankfully we still have Mario Ballotelli for harmless sporting entertainment, and after another week of money-throwing spontaneity he is becoming more endearing than ever. Saving Darlington Town must surely be his next move...

'Not a care in the world:' more Rugby problems in another week of drama

With new instances of racism, sexism, corruption and alcoholism this week, the sporting scandal-ometer has rolled on unabated into 2012.

It would take no genius to speculate that another England Rugby player might be responsible for drink related antics, and after two offences in a month Danny Care has duly obliged.

 It is good to see Stuart Lancaster adopt a tougher line than his predecessors but the problem clearly lies far deeper than one careless scrum half.

The Amir Khan 'defeat or not a defeat’ saga has taken a new twist with the emergence of a shadowy and unknown scoreboard-tampering intruder. If the allegations are true it speaks dividends for the sports integrity, but sympathy must be felt for Lamont Peterson whose greatest victory could now be overturned.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman has damaged the sport’s integrity further, by responding to the convenient postponement of Floyd Mayweather’s jail sentence by proclaiming that “Beating a lady is not nice, but it is not a major sin or crime.”

It looks like the Sepp Blatter school of sporting governance is attracting new students.

And after another week of racism allegations, football certainly has no right to take the moral high ground. They may not share a sentence vary often but Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi and Barcelona’s Dani Alves are the latest victims of appalling terrace chanting.

Factor in Frank Lampard’s escape for being too nice, Joey Barton’s punishment for being too nasty and Wayne Rooney latest rupture with Sir Alex, than the oval-balled game really has been as scandalous as ever.

Yet while it must be the most overused cliché in the history of sport, but the “romance and magic” of the Cup was there again this weekend as Swindon knocked out Wigan before a scintillating Manchester derby.

Considering City’s first half woes, it would be foolish to read too much into the final result, yet in the second-half Mancini’s team’s resilience was admirable. 

Despite avoiding a third straight defeat, problems still remain for United, and the resurrection of a 37 year old to partner a 38 year old in midfield hardly seems the answer.

Speaking of nostalgia Chris Ashton, him of those halcyon swallow-diving days of English success, returned to prominence as his Northampton side overpowered league leaders Harlequins to add further spice to the Premiership title race.

With youngsters such as Farrell, Morgan and Robshaw at the helm, the Six Nations should be a fresh start for England, and the defending champions cannot be discounted from the title race.

The end of the international break is upon us in Cricket as well as Rugby, and it is remarkable that even with Tremlett and Bresnan out, Graham Onions can still not return to the team.

James Pattinson is another who would struggle for selection, but since he abandoned the blue cap for the baggy green, he’s done pretty well, as along with triple-centurion Michael Clarke he helped the Aussies to another triumphant win over the Indians, who are as bad on the road as England Rugby would be on the wagon.

With his new coach in tow Andy Murray started another career defining season well, with a comfortable victory in Brisbane. If only he could do that at a Grand Slam...

And in what could be a famous year for Britons on the water, Sailor Brian Thompson helped break the record for the globe’s fastest circumnavigation, while in Darts that other err, great feat of human endurance, Adrian Lewis won his 2^nd world title at Ally Pally.

Yet the weeks biggest shock came at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, where the king of distance running Kenenisa Bekele finished just 11^th over 3km, beaten by no less than five Britons including 19 year old runner-up Jonny Hay.

It certainly begs the question of whether such a lacklustre performance merits appearance money, but write off the Ethiopian at your peril. When he needs to be running well he invariably does so and Bekele v Farah remains one of the most appetising showdowns of 2012. 

From World Cups to Wimbledon via Sexism and Sepp: 11 Sporting Highlights of 2011:

2012 is now alive and well, and after a week of Premier League unpredictability, controversy involving an English Rugby player, and domination from Djokovic, it seems as if nothing has changed. But lest we forget, 2011 was a fantastic year for sport, and here are 11 of its greatest features:

1: DOMINATION: In a fashion totally at odds to that of the continental currency, two Europeans enjoyed years of crushing domination. Sebastian Vettel obliterated his rivals with a, well, drive-away victory. 11 wins, 15 poles, and hegemony so extensive that the season’s most exciting moments were the battles between the various also-rans. In tennis Novak Djokovic’s triumph was less expected but almost more magnificent due to the calibre of opposition he swept aside. Three Grand Slam titles and two pulsating semi-finals against Roger Federer were among the highlights. What odds on Hamilton and Murray doing the same?

2. POLITICAL WRANGLING: It has been a year of anguish for sports various governing bodies. The RFU has led the way with its World Cup debacle, and dossier leaking, player-protecting, ball-tampering antics. FIFA and its ever-autocratic leader Sepp Blatter has not been far behind. 2011 began with Qatar being awarded the world cup, and ended with Blatter’s bizarre views on racism, with a catalogue of electoral incompetence in between. When also considering the various dramas in US sport, plus scheduling controversies within the ICC and ATP, then sporting misdemeanour really has matched that of the wider world.

3. SCANDAL At a lower level scandal has also been rife. Football had Ryan Giggs not so well gagged disreputability, the sexism of Sky’s Andy Grey and Richard Keys, and then racism from Messrs Suarez and Terry, and its defence by Blatter. Elsewhere we saw a trackside punch-up between two athletics team-mates, and a very public breakup between Tiger Woods and his caddy. Yet worst of all there was the moronic behaviour of England’s Rugby finest as they lurched from one catastrophe to the next. With dwarf-gate, ferry-gate, maid-gate and a generous barrelling of beer-gate, we had it all.

4. BALLOTELLI. And lest we forget this man deserves a whole chapter to himself. After embroiling in training ground fights, dart-throwing antics, and a bizarre back heal in front of an open goal, the Italian enhanced his already notorious reputation. Yet another side to his personality has emerged. Yes he set off fireworks in his bathroom, but he also helped a bullied school boy and gave away money on the street. His question of ‘why always me’ is simple. He is young and has an unbridled capacity for attention. But he is also a talented if precocious player. An idiot yes, but an increasingly loveable one and if nothing else ‘Ladotelli’ has added humour to the Premier League.

5. STRUGGLING OLYMPIC STARS. The ultimate test will be next year, but Beijing’s two greatest heroes both showed glimpses of fragility in 2011. OK, save one false start, Usain Bolt was unbeaten, and he still won two World Championship titles. But the emergence of Yohan Blake is certainly a threat and next year should be thrilling. Michael Phelps now has a formidable rival, not in Ian Thorpe, but in teammate Ryan Lochte, who won five World gold’s to Phelps’ four, including both of their head to heads. British stars were not immune to these tremors either. Sir Chris Hoy and Victorian Pendleton both lost World Titles, while Sailing supreme Ben Ainslie did likewise albeit only after confrontation and disqualification.

6. BRITISH SUCCESS however, remained plentiful and particularly in endurance events. Kerry-Anne Payne and Becky Adlington ensured a golden swimming double, the latter after a thrilling duel with Danish rival Lotte Friis. In Triathlon, Alistair Brownlee and Helen Jenkins became World Champions in Olympic disciplines, while Chrissie Wellington was one of numerous other global winners. Mo Farah’s stunning ascent to stardom saw three British Records before gold and silver in Daegu, while Mark Cavendish was simply magnificent throughout the year. A Tour de France green jersey and a World Championsip gold were his greatest accolades as he won Sports Personality with a whopping 49% of the vote.

7. GOLFING GREATNESS from various British stars. Like the buses, after no Major winners since 1999 two came along at once. Rory McIlroy recovered from the low of the Masters to triumph in the PGA before Darren Clarke crowned his career by winning the Open. After five victories Luke Donald also became the first player to top money lists both sides of the Atlantic, with, with Donald, Lee Westwood and McIlroy completing an all British 1-2-3 in the rankings. Add to that a thrilling Solheim Cup win for Europe and the emergence of young star Lauren Taylor and it really was a stunning year.

8. TEST CRICKET cannot be left out as well. By January 1^st we had already retained the Ashes but we subsequently won down-under for the first time in 24 years with a crushing Sydney victory. A 4-0 thrashing of World Champs India (including Sachin ’99 hundreds’ Tendulkar) was to follow as England topped the World Test standings. Cook, Bell and Pietersen are among the best batsman, while Swann and any number of seamers far-and away the best bowlers, with keeper Matt Prior completing a supreme line-up. The 50 over format remains elusive, but it is Test cricket which remains the games pinnacle and England are its clear leaders.

9. ANTIPODEAN RENNOVATION. After the low of Sydney Australia slowly recovered to beat India, while Casey Stoner, Sally Pierson and their Four Nations winning Rugby League team have added some gloss. Yet it is New Zealand who should be really happy after finally winning their first World Cup since 1987. They may have been largely outplayed in the final against the French but they won, and they won with a fourth choice fly-half, while also staging a tournament which was attractive, successful and welcoming.

10. TRAGEDY is unfortunately a given in life and sport, but 2011 did have more than its fair share. The death of Gary Speed baffled and bemused and was a tremendous loss to football and to Wales, with whom he promised so much. The motorcycle deaths of Dan Wheldon and Mario Simoncello were tragic and beg questions over the safety of motor sport, while the demise of Olympic Marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru brings a stark reminder of the perils of fame and fortune. The deaths of Ballestrios, Socrates, Cooper and others lacked the tragedy but not the sadness. Long may they all be remembered.

11. PREMIER LEAGUE: But we must end on a high. And despite national inconsistency and Champions League failure the top flight has been only too exciting in 2011, with last season ending in the most pulsating relegation battle ever. This campaign has seen the emergence of a Manchester civil war. City have the better team on paper, as their 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford showed. United however have the managerial genius of Sir Alex barely dimmed after 25 years at the helm. Both ended 2011 with losses and the reminder that in the Premier League, the unexpected must always be expected.

More of the same we hope in 2012. 

A festive fortnight of turkey and tinsel...sporty, sentences and shocks.

Whatever it’s supposed limitations in comparison with continental counterparts this weekend has shown that for sheer excitement and unpredictability the Premier League has no equal.

Blackburn and Sunderland’s wins against the odds proves both the merits and the misfits of replacing a manager, but the victories were due more to the heroic resolve of their players.

United’s loss was shocking but City’s was even more so because of the full strength nature of their squad.

Considering that injury ravished vast swathes of their resources it is a wonder that United end the year joint top and that achievement must be accredited to managerial brilliance.

After turning 70 Ferguson has been everywhere in the news, and in a stroke of incredible irony was partly responsible for Blackburn’s turnaround after an inspiring phone call with Steve Kean.

And Sir Alex has also thrived in his other great love of horses after Harry the Viking’s win in Doncaster. It is fitting that racing also provided another annual Boxing Day star, as Kauto Star’s secured his fifth King George’s triumph.

Mark Cavendish has been Christmases greatest winner and his Sports Personality title was much deserved after years of anonymity on these shores.

At least four other candidates could have won in another year and McIlroy and Clarke, along with Taekwondo champions and Rugby retirees alike, were fully deserving of their New Years honours.

But Messrs Suarez and Terry received Christmas gifts of a different variety after falling foul of racism allegations.

It is great that England is leading the way in addressing one of football’s greatest problems.

Terry’s outburst was despicable and the latest in a series of vulgar actions from a man surely not befitting of the England captaincy.

Suarez’s case is more complicated. An eight-match ban is harsh for an unproven allegation from a character as nefarious as Patrick Evra, but all of the cultural comparisons have been overplayed. The Uruguayan term ‘negrito’ can be a term of endearment, but it can also be an insult and when uttered to someone you don’t know in the heat of battle, the latter use seems more likely.

Suarez’s absence should fatally handicap Liverpool’s Champions League aspirations, and while Terry responded with trademark aplomb against Tottenham a seismic shift is occurring in the capital’s oval-balled hierarchy.

Doubts remain over Chelsea’s consistency and union, while time will tell if Thierry Henry’s return will prove a stroke of genius or vain nostalgia for Arsenal. But in Modric, Adebayor and Parker (the next England captain...) Spurs have perhaps their strongest ever team and could move ahead.

A traditional Christmas hero came a cropper at Ally Power, as Phil ‘the Power’ Taylor was unceremoniously dumped out of the World Champs by the unheralded rookie Dave Chisnall.

But the fortnights greatest spectacle came at Twickenham, where a staggering 81,000 watched Saracens end Harlequins unbeaten Premiership run. It was a world-record crowd for a domestic match and was refreshing in a time of supposed problems with the English game.

There was more drama in Test Cricket with India and South Africa both losing, to Australia and Sri Lanka respectably. England will hope to avoid a similar fate against Pakistan as their number one ranking becomes ever more secure.

Rugby League has elsewhere added to the scandal register with the news that three Hull FC figures have been banned for drugs abuses, while the woes have continued for French Athletics.

Triple Jumper Teddy Tamhgo has been banned for an altercation with a teammate, which is ironic considering two French runners escaped such a punishment after a trackside punch up at the Monaco Diamond League.

Tamhgo’s ban could limit his Olympic chances and therefore play into the hands of Britain’s great hope Phillips Idowu.

And it is with the Olympics that we must end. With that iconic year now upon us, Team GB have been predicted to finish 6^th in the medals table. But with a myriad of chances across a host of sports, they will surely place higher than that, and the suspense will only build over the coming months.

Roll on 2012.

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