The new npower Football League season gets underway this week, and as ever, it is excellently previewed in the September issue of FourFourTwo magazine. For those that don't know, it asks a fan of each club a set of questions about their team and the season. I am a Nottingham Forest fan, and here are my answers to those questions:
Dream season:
Automatic promotion. I think we're some way off that though, especially looking at some of the squads in the division.
Our fans think our team is:
Short of a left back and a 20-goal-a-season striker, yet capable of beating any team in the league on their day.
Best away ground in your division:
The atmosphere at Upton Park was brilliant when we went there in the Cup last season. A proper ground with passionate support.
Manager's popularity out of 10:
There seems to be cautious optimism at the moment, yet you can't doubt Steve McClaren's pedigree, England notwithstanding. I'll say 7. I get the feeling that the national press will be breathing down his neck if we make a poor start though.
Unsung hero at the club:
With Luke Chambers and Wes Morgan doing so well for us, it's easy to forget Chris Gunter's role in our side. One of the best right backs in the league right now.
Opposition player you admire:
There must be some great left backs around in the Championship. We can't be the only team without one.
Do you think McClaren has learned much since his 'Wally with the Brolly' England days?
He had a bad time with England, but that shouldn't be the be-all and end-all. After all, he has been successful before and since. One bad experience doesn't make you a bad manager.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Can football have its own England v Exiles game?
Friday night saw Rugby League's first ever International Origin match between England and the Exiles, a side made up of the best overseas players currently in the Super League. For the record, the Exiles won the game 16-12 at Headingley, in front of a decent crowd of 14,000.
While I am not the world's biggest Rugby League fan, I do take my hat off to those at the RFL who are not afraid to try something new to lure fans into what has traditionally been a sport that has played second fiddle to Union in most of the country. The scoreline certainly suggests that it was a better game and more of a spectacle than the annual thrashings that England have given out to France in the past at this time of year anyway.
Which got me thinking. Could the FA and the Premier League organise such a game? Would they? Or even should they? England v a Rest of the World Premier League side. I for one would love to see it, even if it is just a one off fixture. Of course, international football is much more common than it is in Rugby League, and there would be many managers who would shudder at the thought of their superstars playing even one more game than necessary. But I would imagine that there are a lot of fans who would love to see it, and it may even go some distance to ending the debate that my friends and I often have, namely how well would England get on in the Premier League. Last time, we decided 4th, if you're interested.
Assuming the game was to take place this week, I have taken the England XI from last week against Switzerland, with the following exceptions. Wayne Rooney would be involved (he was suspended last week), and Ashley Young would start, as he should have done at Wembley in the 2-2 draw.
England: Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole; Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young; Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent.
Subs: Rob Green, Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Gareth Barry, Scott Parker, Stewart Downing, Bobby Zamora.
I have chosen the 'Exiles' squad based on the season just finished in the Barclays Premier League. Not an easy choice, and it will be interesting to hear what your squads would be. For me they would line up as follows:
Rest of the World PL: Edwin van der Sar; Fabio, Nemanja Vidic, David Luiz, Patrice Evra; Antonio Valencia; Yaya Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale; Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez.
Subs: Pepe Reina, Brede Hangeland, Vincent Kompany, Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt, Javier Hernandez.
That would be some game, although sadly I think the World team would win it. It would be tight though, the odd goal would probably decide it.
Let me know your thoughts on the idea of the game, and of my 'exiles' squad. Look forward to hearing from you.
While I am not the world's biggest Rugby League fan, I do take my hat off to those at the RFL who are not afraid to try something new to lure fans into what has traditionally been a sport that has played second fiddle to Union in most of the country. The scoreline certainly suggests that it was a better game and more of a spectacle than the annual thrashings that England have given out to France in the past at this time of year anyway.
Which got me thinking. Could the FA and the Premier League organise such a game? Would they? Or even should they? England v a Rest of the World Premier League side. I for one would love to see it, even if it is just a one off fixture. Of course, international football is much more common than it is in Rugby League, and there would be many managers who would shudder at the thought of their superstars playing even one more game than necessary. But I would imagine that there are a lot of fans who would love to see it, and it may even go some distance to ending the debate that my friends and I often have, namely how well would England get on in the Premier League. Last time, we decided 4th, if you're interested.
Assuming the game was to take place this week, I have taken the England XI from last week against Switzerland, with the following exceptions. Wayne Rooney would be involved (he was suspended last week), and Ashley Young would start, as he should have done at Wembley in the 2-2 draw.
England: Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole; Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young; Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent.
Subs: Rob Green, Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Gareth Barry, Scott Parker, Stewart Downing, Bobby Zamora.
I have chosen the 'Exiles' squad based on the season just finished in the Barclays Premier League. Not an easy choice, and it will be interesting to hear what your squads would be. For me they would line up as follows:
Rest of the World PL: Edwin van der Sar; Fabio, Nemanja Vidic, David Luiz, Patrice Evra; Antonio Valencia; Yaya Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale; Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez.
Subs: Pepe Reina, Brede Hangeland, Vincent Kompany, Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt, Javier Hernandez.
That would be some game, although sadly I think the World team would win it. It would be tight though, the odd goal would probably decide it.
Let me know your thoughts on the idea of the game, and of my 'exiles' squad. Look forward to hearing from you.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Survival Sunday: Who's for the drop?
After ten months and 37 games, and many twists, turns, shocks and surprises, the fate of five Barclays Premier League clubs comes down to 90 minutes. Survival Sunday is well and truly upon us.
Going into the final day, Wigan and Blackpool (both 39pts) occupy the two remaining relegation places, with Birmingham (39) outside on goal difference. Wolves host Blackburn (both on 40 pts), where the winners are guaranteed safety, and that is where I shall start my preview.
This game could very easily turn into an Austria v West Germany situation. On that occasion, the sides pre-arranged a 1-0 German win that benefited both countries, changing the rules for last-day fixtures. I am not suggesting there will be any pre-game chat here between Messrs Kean and McCarthy, but if the other games are going their way both teams will certainly settle for a draw and play keep-ball for as long as necessary. The caveat is that a draw would send both sides down if all of the other three relegation rivals win, and Wolves alone would drop if any two of the other three emerge with three points.
Wolves therefore will be more keen for the win, but despite their very good form of late, I think this game will be a draw.
Blackpool are off to Old Trafford to take on the champions Manchester United, where in all likelihood, they will have to win the game to stay up. Only West Brom have taken so much as a point from the Theatre of Dreams this season, and even that looks a tall order for the Tangerines, irrespective of Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection. In my opinion he can put the youth team out with no arguments; I think its fair to say that he has earnt the right to select any 11 players he likes. Whichever side comes out, they ought to be too strong. After all, their 'reserves' have already beaten Schalke 04 4-1 this season.
I'll go for a comfortable home win to send Blackpool back into the Championship.
Wigan have, in my opinion, the most winnable of the final fixtures against a Stoke side who must surely have their summer holidays in mind following the FA Cup final defeat. That said, it won't be a gimme for the Latics, the Britannia Stadium is still one of the more difficult grounds from which to take a result home. That said, I think Wigan's hunger alone - emphatically shown by their comeback last week against West Ham - can get them the result they hope will keep them up.
As I said, of all the opponents they could have had, Wigan probably would have chosen Stoke, and I think they will get the point they need for survival.
That is because Birmingham, who have dropped like a stone since winning the Carling Cup, are at a Tottenham side who still have fifth place, and a Europa League berth, to secure. Spurs are seemingly over their wobble, and their win at Liverpool was one of the more impressive results of the season. Despite Harry Redknapp's apparent lack of interest in the Europa League, he will be desperate to ensure that they finish as high as possible, ie. 5th, to secure it.
I can only see an easy home win here, sorry Blues fans.
So it's Blackpool and Birmingham to join West Ham in the second tier next season in my opinion. I'm sure it won't be that simple though. They will probably all be safe or down at some point, and I can't wait to see it unfold. Apparently there are 81 different permutations today, we may even see most of them. See you at 4.00!
Going into the final day, Wigan and Blackpool (both 39pts) occupy the two remaining relegation places, with Birmingham (39) outside on goal difference. Wolves host Blackburn (both on 40 pts), where the winners are guaranteed safety, and that is where I shall start my preview.
This game could very easily turn into an Austria v West Germany situation. On that occasion, the sides pre-arranged a 1-0 German win that benefited both countries, changing the rules for last-day fixtures. I am not suggesting there will be any pre-game chat here between Messrs Kean and McCarthy, but if the other games are going their way both teams will certainly settle for a draw and play keep-ball for as long as necessary. The caveat is that a draw would send both sides down if all of the other three relegation rivals win, and Wolves alone would drop if any two of the other three emerge with three points.
Wolves therefore will be more keen for the win, but despite their very good form of late, I think this game will be a draw.
Blackpool are off to Old Trafford to take on the champions Manchester United, where in all likelihood, they will have to win the game to stay up. Only West Brom have taken so much as a point from the Theatre of Dreams this season, and even that looks a tall order for the Tangerines, irrespective of Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection. In my opinion he can put the youth team out with no arguments; I think its fair to say that he has earnt the right to select any 11 players he likes. Whichever side comes out, they ought to be too strong. After all, their 'reserves' have already beaten Schalke 04 4-1 this season.
I'll go for a comfortable home win to send Blackpool back into the Championship.
Wigan have, in my opinion, the most winnable of the final fixtures against a Stoke side who must surely have their summer holidays in mind following the FA Cup final defeat. That said, it won't be a gimme for the Latics, the Britannia Stadium is still one of the more difficult grounds from which to take a result home. That said, I think Wigan's hunger alone - emphatically shown by their comeback last week against West Ham - can get them the result they hope will keep them up.
As I said, of all the opponents they could have had, Wigan probably would have chosen Stoke, and I think they will get the point they need for survival.
That is because Birmingham, who have dropped like a stone since winning the Carling Cup, are at a Tottenham side who still have fifth place, and a Europa League berth, to secure. Spurs are seemingly over their wobble, and their win at Liverpool was one of the more impressive results of the season. Despite Harry Redknapp's apparent lack of interest in the Europa League, he will be desperate to ensure that they finish as high as possible, ie. 5th, to secure it.
I can only see an easy home win here, sorry Blues fans.
So it's Blackpool and Birmingham to join West Ham in the second tier next season in my opinion. I'm sure it won't be that simple though. They will probably all be safe or down at some point, and I can't wait to see it unfold. Apparently there are 81 different permutations today, we may even see most of them. See you at 4.00!
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
A decent effort, but Forest fall short again
Nottingham Forest suffered another play-off disappointment last night, the defeat at Swansea's Liberty Stadium means the club has now failed in four such campaigns. But what do the fans take from the season? Pleasure from another decent attempt at promotion, or frustration that they came up short again? Probably both.
Some may look back at the season and think of it is a disappointment, a failure even, but for me, far from it. At the start of the campaign another tilt at the big time looked an awful long way off after a summer of discontent at the club. I blogged at the end of August expressing my anger at what I assumed would be the start of a downward spiral and a year of, at best, mid-table mediocrity. I did mention however that we hadn't become a bad side overnight either, and that's how it turned out to be fair.
We were, at the start of the season, a difficult team to beat without being spectacular, or indeed winning enough games, and that was how we continued really for too long. Players came in, which was an improvement on last year, but they were replacements rather than additions, and the squad was still far too thin. Although we were challenging for a top-two place as recently as February, there was a feeling in my head that it was almost too good to be true. There followed a sharp decline in form in the spring was in a part down to our lack of strength in depth and injuries and suspensions hitting that had stayed away a few weeks earlier.
The promotion season in League One saw Forest look out of the reckoning, before 6 wins in the last 7 got that side over the line. This season looked similar to that. Defeat at Norwich left us needing - in my opinion at the time - an unlikely 10 points, or even 12, from the last four games. We got 12 to get into the play-off places again. Unbelievable. I didn't see that coming after the Carrow Road game. Would momentum take us over the line? If only it was that simple, but I did have a feeling that the underdogs tag would suit us, as opposed to being the huge favourites we were against Blackpool, and before that, Yeovil Town. Sorry for the reminders!
As it turned out, we were underdogs for a reason. Swansea defended brilliantly at the City Ground with ten men, although were helped by Forest's alarming lack of ambition in the first half. The 0-0 scoreline felt like a win for them and Forest had, in my eyes, missed the boat. The second leg performance was much better from the Reds, but the Swans deserved the win. You have to take your chances, you cant afford to miss ones like those not taken by Marcus Tudgay and David McGoldrick.
Of course I was disappointed to have lost, but not devastated like in the aforementioned semi-finals. Rightly or wrongly, it didn't feel as bad. Overall it has been a decent season, but are decent seasons enough? Now we know we are a Championship club once again, we can get down to the business of sorting out the futures of those out of contract. I really hope the final-year trio of Guy Moussi, Nathan Tyson and Rob Earnshaw do not see their futures elsewhere. I would also like to see on-loan Kris Boyd at the club full time. There will probably be a few departures, but as long as more come in than go out we should be ok and ready to have another go next season.
Some may look back at the season and think of it is a disappointment, a failure even, but for me, far from it. At the start of the campaign another tilt at the big time looked an awful long way off after a summer of discontent at the club. I blogged at the end of August expressing my anger at what I assumed would be the start of a downward spiral and a year of, at best, mid-table mediocrity. I did mention however that we hadn't become a bad side overnight either, and that's how it turned out to be fair.
We were, at the start of the season, a difficult team to beat without being spectacular, or indeed winning enough games, and that was how we continued really for too long. Players came in, which was an improvement on last year, but they were replacements rather than additions, and the squad was still far too thin. Although we were challenging for a top-two place as recently as February, there was a feeling in my head that it was almost too good to be true. There followed a sharp decline in form in the spring was in a part down to our lack of strength in depth and injuries and suspensions hitting that had stayed away a few weeks earlier.
The promotion season in League One saw Forest look out of the reckoning, before 6 wins in the last 7 got that side over the line. This season looked similar to that. Defeat at Norwich left us needing - in my opinion at the time - an unlikely 10 points, or even 12, from the last four games. We got 12 to get into the play-off places again. Unbelievable. I didn't see that coming after the Carrow Road game. Would momentum take us over the line? If only it was that simple, but I did have a feeling that the underdogs tag would suit us, as opposed to being the huge favourites we were against Blackpool, and before that, Yeovil Town. Sorry for the reminders!
As it turned out, we were underdogs for a reason. Swansea defended brilliantly at the City Ground with ten men, although were helped by Forest's alarming lack of ambition in the first half. The 0-0 scoreline felt like a win for them and Forest had, in my eyes, missed the boat. The second leg performance was much better from the Reds, but the Swans deserved the win. You have to take your chances, you cant afford to miss ones like those not taken by Marcus Tudgay and David McGoldrick.
Of course I was disappointed to have lost, but not devastated like in the aforementioned semi-finals. Rightly or wrongly, it didn't feel as bad. Overall it has been a decent season, but are decent seasons enough? Now we know we are a Championship club once again, we can get down to the business of sorting out the futures of those out of contract. I really hope the final-year trio of Guy Moussi, Nathan Tyson and Rob Earnshaw do not see their futures elsewhere. I would also like to see on-loan Kris Boyd at the club full time. There will probably be a few departures, but as long as more come in than go out we should be ok and ready to have another go next season.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Darts' night of shame
Last night saw the long awaited rematch of January's Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final between Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson in week 6 of the 888.com Premier League. What was expected was a top-class display of arrows that would wow us like the Alexandra Palace showpiece did, all done before a partisan but well behaved Scottish crowd. What we got was one of the most shameful hours in the competition's - no, the sport's history.
Of course we expected the World Champion to be subjected to a rough reception - he was playing a Scotsman in Scotland after all, but nobody could have expected or can condone the line which was crossed by a small minority.
Lewis had beer thrown at him during his walk-on, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he then had to withstand a barrage of coins thrown at himself and even the dartboard during his visits to the oche. I don't think any player would have been able to take that, and nobody was surprised when Anderson, at this point visibly upset and embarrasssed at his countrymen's actions, raced into a 3-0 lead.
Anderson looked even more rattled by it than Lewis did, and at one point picked a coin up from the stage, pocketed it, and then missed three darts at double top, arguably deliberately, to gift Lewis a leg he nearly got booed out of.
Although the professional standard these days means that players are rarely put off their stride by crowd noise, this was something else, and both players posted averages (Lewis 88.18, Anderson 87.28) a full eleven and twelve points lower than their respective 99's at the World final in January. The majority of the supporters - who it must be said had been well behaved, and had earlier given Raymond van Barneveld an unbelievable reception - had every right to feel cheated.
Sadly, the PDC's tournaments, and especially the Premier League, are no stranger to misbehaving fans, but this is surely the incident - which has to be seen to be truly believed - that makes Barry Hearn and his team stand up, take notice and realise that the players and the real fans will not stand for it any longer.
Of course we expected the World Champion to be subjected to a rough reception - he was playing a Scotsman in Scotland after all, but nobody could have expected or can condone the line which was crossed by a small minority.
Lewis had beer thrown at him during his walk-on, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he then had to withstand a barrage of coins thrown at himself and even the dartboard during his visits to the oche. I don't think any player would have been able to take that, and nobody was surprised when Anderson, at this point visibly upset and embarrasssed at his countrymen's actions, raced into a 3-0 lead.
Anderson looked even more rattled by it than Lewis did, and at one point picked a coin up from the stage, pocketed it, and then missed three darts at double top, arguably deliberately, to gift Lewis a leg he nearly got booed out of.
Although the professional standard these days means that players are rarely put off their stride by crowd noise, this was something else, and both players posted averages (Lewis 88.18, Anderson 87.28) a full eleven and twelve points lower than their respective 99's at the World final in January. The majority of the supporters - who it must be said had been well behaved, and had earlier given Raymond van Barneveld an unbelievable reception - had every right to feel cheated.
Sadly, the PDC's tournaments, and especially the Premier League, are no stranger to misbehaving fans, but this is surely the incident - which has to be seen to be truly believed - that makes Barry Hearn and his team stand up, take notice and realise that the players and the real fans will not stand for it any longer.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Chelsea and Liverpool dominate Deadline Day
The January transfer window has seen unprecedented spending this year, especially when compared to the same period last season. Barclays Premier League clubs have spent over £200m this month compared to around £30m in 2010.
Of course, two clubs dominated the headlines on yesterday's Deadline Day. Chelsea had had a quiet time of it in recent transfer windows, not least because of the Gael Kakuta saga a couple of windows back, but this time they announced their re-emergence on the top financial table with a vengeance. The long-awaited, will they, won't they story finally reached a conclusion with the sensational signing of Benfica's David Luiz. Oh, and they signed some bloke called Torres as well.
Of course, Luiz adds defensive options to the club that perhaps they have lacked since Ricardo Carvalho's departure in the summer, and there have been questions about the form and fitness of Alex, Jose Bosingwa and John Terry. I'm sure he will be a great addition to the back line, but it is the Torres signing from Liverpool, for a British transfer record fee of £50m, that has really got the Blues fans excited.
Liverpool would have been desperate to keep their star striker, one who on form is possibly the best in the world, although this season he has cut a forlorn figure, and especially during the Roy Hodgson era, looked like a player who wished he was anywhere else. But every player has his price, and as soon as it became apparent that El Nino wanted to leave, Liverpool would have been crazy to turn the money down. Now, Torres has got his move, I expect him to hit the ground running. A goal against Liverpool on Sunday would be the perfect way to announce his arrival at Stamford Bridge. Of course, one added benefit is that he is not cup-tied for the Champions League this season, unlike the majority of big money January buys have been down the years. Torres is as desperate as Chelsea are to win what the club sees as the holy grail, their first European Cup.
The £50m didn't stay in the Anfield coffers for long though. The £22.8m deal to bring in Ajax's Luis Suarez had been done before Torres' move south, and that should be a great piece of business, but it was their second purchase which really got heads turning.
Newcastle frontman Andy Carroll is obviously a player of huge talent, and tremendous potential, but a £35m price tag is one worthy of all-time greats - David Villa was signed by Barcelona for £34m for example- not players with just 34 career goals, and only half a season of regular Premier League starts. That said, he has proven himself to be capable of playing with a huge weight of pressure on his shoulders - he was Newcastle's number 9 of course, and they don't give that shirt away in a raffle. With a good strike partner in Suarez, and service from Steven Gerrard, he should bang them in when he is fit, but if not, there will be questions asked about just why Liverpool paid quite so much money.
Of course the positive PR for the new owners might have had a great deal to do with it. What better way for John W. Henry and his team to announce 'We are not Hicks and Gillett, we are here for this club and its fans' than to spend the sort of money that could put Liverpool back to where they feel it belongs?
One thing is for sure, Sunday's game at Stamfor Bridge between Chelsea and Liverpool is sure to be a fiery one. Their intense rivalry which has developed over the last six or seven years or so is about to enter a whole new exciting chapter.
Of course, two clubs dominated the headlines on yesterday's Deadline Day. Chelsea had had a quiet time of it in recent transfer windows, not least because of the Gael Kakuta saga a couple of windows back, but this time they announced their re-emergence on the top financial table with a vengeance. The long-awaited, will they, won't they story finally reached a conclusion with the sensational signing of Benfica's David Luiz. Oh, and they signed some bloke called Torres as well.
Of course, Luiz adds defensive options to the club that perhaps they have lacked since Ricardo Carvalho's departure in the summer, and there have been questions about the form and fitness of Alex, Jose Bosingwa and John Terry. I'm sure he will be a great addition to the back line, but it is the Torres signing from Liverpool, for a British transfer record fee of £50m, that has really got the Blues fans excited.
Liverpool would have been desperate to keep their star striker, one who on form is possibly the best in the world, although this season he has cut a forlorn figure, and especially during the Roy Hodgson era, looked like a player who wished he was anywhere else. But every player has his price, and as soon as it became apparent that El Nino wanted to leave, Liverpool would have been crazy to turn the money down. Now, Torres has got his move, I expect him to hit the ground running. A goal against Liverpool on Sunday would be the perfect way to announce his arrival at Stamford Bridge. Of course, one added benefit is that he is not cup-tied for the Champions League this season, unlike the majority of big money January buys have been down the years. Torres is as desperate as Chelsea are to win what the club sees as the holy grail, their first European Cup.
The £50m didn't stay in the Anfield coffers for long though. The £22.8m deal to bring in Ajax's Luis Suarez had been done before Torres' move south, and that should be a great piece of business, but it was their second purchase which really got heads turning.
Newcastle frontman Andy Carroll is obviously a player of huge talent, and tremendous potential, but a £35m price tag is one worthy of all-time greats - David Villa was signed by Barcelona for £34m for example- not players with just 34 career goals, and only half a season of regular Premier League starts. That said, he has proven himself to be capable of playing with a huge weight of pressure on his shoulders - he was Newcastle's number 9 of course, and they don't give that shirt away in a raffle. With a good strike partner in Suarez, and service from Steven Gerrard, he should bang them in when he is fit, but if not, there will be questions asked about just why Liverpool paid quite so much money.
Of course the positive PR for the new owners might have had a great deal to do with it. What better way for John W. Henry and his team to announce 'We are not Hicks and Gillett, we are here for this club and its fans' than to spend the sort of money that could put Liverpool back to where they feel it belongs?
One thing is for sure, Sunday's game at Stamfor Bridge between Chelsea and Liverpool is sure to be a fiery one. Their intense rivalry which has developed over the last six or seven years or so is about to enter a whole new exciting chapter.
Monday, 13 December 2010
World Darts Championship preview
On Thursday the eyes of the darting world will once again be focused on the Alexandra Palace in London, as the 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship gets underway. It's the one tournament of the year which defines careers, and for me at least, it is the sporting event which defines the Christmas period, especially since the BBC took the World's Strongest Man off our screens.
Of course, there is one darting heavyweight that goes into every tournament the huge favourite to win, and that is Phil Taylor. The Stoke legend is 4/7 with the sponsors to win a 16th world title. The Power begins his campaign on the opening night against the winner of the first Preliminary Round tie, either the little known Filipino Juanito Gionzon or more likely the popular American Gary Mawson, a former UK Open finalist. His possible second round opponent is John Part, the one player in the last ten years or so not afraid of the Power, and with the knowledge of how to beat him. I for one am hoping to see a match that if it comes close to their legendary final of 2003, where the Canadian won his second world title, will be one to savour.
Although Taylor comes to the Ally Pally the huge favourite, he doesn't have the form of a player firing on all cylinders. His failure to win the Grand Prix, Grand Slam and the World Cup with England has planted a seed of doubt in some minds, but we have seen before that a written-off Taylor is as dangerous, if not more so, than a Taylor in his prime and he will be more keen than ever to show the world who rules this sport.
His biggest challenger of late has been James Wade. Until England's shock World Cup defeat to Spain earlier this month, Wade's first round draw against Antonio Alcinas went largely unnoticed, and was perhaps considered to be a glorified bye into the last 32. But the Spaniard certainly won admirers in Sunderland, and at the European Championship, where he was narrowly beaten by Mark Walsh, and Wade will have to play well to win, make no mistake. A tricky second round tie would await the Machine against either Michael van Gerwen or the dangerous Austrian Mensur Suljovic, a player more than capable of producing two upsets to reach the last 16 himself. Top players often talk about wanting a tough test early in the tournament, and Wade's certainly got that, but if he gets into the third round, expect him to get a lot further from a relatively comfortable quarter of the draw.
It is fair to say that Raymond van Barneveld has had a difficult few years, on and off the oche, but one thing that darts fans across the world want to see above all others, is to see the Barney of 2006-07 when he won the UK Open and of course the World Championship in what is considered the greatest match of all time against Phil Taylor. Since then we have seen a van Barneveld who has had as many battles with himself as with his opponents. Since he won his 5th World Championship at Purfleet, his record has been disappointing, with a noticable shortage of major individual televised titles. He is however, returning to the scene of two of his greatest moments, the two magical nine-dart legs in each of the last two years so we know he can turn it on here. After last year's disappointment, after which he claimed 2010 was 'already lost', he will be desperate to make amends. He should comfortably make the quarter-finals, where he is likely to meet Mervyn King or Gary Anderson. Time will tell whether he still has the mental strength or the game to defeat either in a nine-set encounter.
This year was the first year where there were no big-name moves from the BDO, so we are lacking the 'dangerous floaters' seen in previous draws in the shape of Anderson, King, Mark Webster, Simon Whitlock and of course Barney, who was seeded 32 at the time of his Circus Tavern win. That means that we may be short of upsets, or stand-out ties in the first round, but for me, the few of the top 32 that could be under threat from the non-seeds are the aforementioned Michael van Gerwen; Jelle Klaasen, who faces the talented Bristolian Steve Brown, and Alan Tabern, who lacks recent TV form and is against a resurgent Richie Burnett, whose floor form of late got him into the draw. The former Embassy winner will fancy his chances in a first round he nearly didn't reach. Terry Jenkins has a very poor record at the Alexandra Palace, with two first round exits, one of which came against shock finalist Kirk Shepherd three years ago, and a third round departure last year. He come up against Joe Cullen of Bradford, who may fancy his chances of adding to his growing reputation as a rising star of the future.
The tournament get underway on Thursday and you can see every dart live on Sky Sports HD. A fantastic year of darts has been building up to these next two weeks, and I for one cannot wait for it to start.
Let me know your thoughts via the best darts group on Facebook, of which I am a member and officer, or via my Twitter page. Game On!
Of course, there is one darting heavyweight that goes into every tournament the huge favourite to win, and that is Phil Taylor. The Stoke legend is 4/7 with the sponsors to win a 16th world title. The Power begins his campaign on the opening night against the winner of the first Preliminary Round tie, either the little known Filipino Juanito Gionzon or more likely the popular American Gary Mawson, a former UK Open finalist. His possible second round opponent is John Part, the one player in the last ten years or so not afraid of the Power, and with the knowledge of how to beat him. I for one am hoping to see a match that if it comes close to their legendary final of 2003, where the Canadian won his second world title, will be one to savour.
Although Taylor comes to the Ally Pally the huge favourite, he doesn't have the form of a player firing on all cylinders. His failure to win the Grand Prix, Grand Slam and the World Cup with England has planted a seed of doubt in some minds, but we have seen before that a written-off Taylor is as dangerous, if not more so, than a Taylor in his prime and he will be more keen than ever to show the world who rules this sport.
His biggest challenger of late has been James Wade. Until England's shock World Cup defeat to Spain earlier this month, Wade's first round draw against Antonio Alcinas went largely unnoticed, and was perhaps considered to be a glorified bye into the last 32. But the Spaniard certainly won admirers in Sunderland, and at the European Championship, where he was narrowly beaten by Mark Walsh, and Wade will have to play well to win, make no mistake. A tricky second round tie would await the Machine against either Michael van Gerwen or the dangerous Austrian Mensur Suljovic, a player more than capable of producing two upsets to reach the last 16 himself. Top players often talk about wanting a tough test early in the tournament, and Wade's certainly got that, but if he gets into the third round, expect him to get a lot further from a relatively comfortable quarter of the draw.
It is fair to say that Raymond van Barneveld has had a difficult few years, on and off the oche, but one thing that darts fans across the world want to see above all others, is to see the Barney of 2006-07 when he won the UK Open and of course the World Championship in what is considered the greatest match of all time against Phil Taylor. Since then we have seen a van Barneveld who has had as many battles with himself as with his opponents. Since he won his 5th World Championship at Purfleet, his record has been disappointing, with a noticable shortage of major individual televised titles. He is however, returning to the scene of two of his greatest moments, the two magical nine-dart legs in each of the last two years so we know he can turn it on here. After last year's disappointment, after which he claimed 2010 was 'already lost', he will be desperate to make amends. He should comfortably make the quarter-finals, where he is likely to meet Mervyn King or Gary Anderson. Time will tell whether he still has the mental strength or the game to defeat either in a nine-set encounter.
This year was the first year where there were no big-name moves from the BDO, so we are lacking the 'dangerous floaters' seen in previous draws in the shape of Anderson, King, Mark Webster, Simon Whitlock and of course Barney, who was seeded 32 at the time of his Circus Tavern win. That means that we may be short of upsets, or stand-out ties in the first round, but for me, the few of the top 32 that could be under threat from the non-seeds are the aforementioned Michael van Gerwen; Jelle Klaasen, who faces the talented Bristolian Steve Brown, and Alan Tabern, who lacks recent TV form and is against a resurgent Richie Burnett, whose floor form of late got him into the draw. The former Embassy winner will fancy his chances in a first round he nearly didn't reach. Terry Jenkins has a very poor record at the Alexandra Palace, with two first round exits, one of which came against shock finalist Kirk Shepherd three years ago, and a third round departure last year. He come up against Joe Cullen of Bradford, who may fancy his chances of adding to his growing reputation as a rising star of the future.
The tournament get underway on Thursday and you can see every dart live on Sky Sports HD. A fantastic year of darts has been building up to these next two weeks, and I for one cannot wait for it to start.
Let me know your thoughts via the best darts group on Facebook, of which I am a member and officer, or via my Twitter page. Game On!
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