Red Alert

A double bill for Jan & Feb.

Stan Wawrinka always had the talent. The Aussie Open showed he now has developed the nerve / belief to pull out the wins in a major against the two top-ranked players in the world.

Britain hadn’t beaten USA in the Davis Cup since 1935, & now play Italy in the QFs. James Ward, like Dan Evans, again proved he can deliver on the big occasions for his county, defeating much higher-ranked opposition.

It was the battle of the meanest defence in the NFL v the highest scoring offence in the Superbowl. The Seahawks crushed favourites Denver 43-8 for their first title. Peyton Manning is a future hall of famer, & had set TD & yardage records in the regular season, but his post-season record is a blemish on his illustrious career.It’s not news to say that Man. United are having a disastrous season by their lofty standards. Losing to Sunderland in the semi of the League Cup was the previous low point, but a new nadir was the abject performance in the UCL r16 first leg v Olympiakos. They still have an outside chance to progress with the return leg at Old Trafford.

The rapid decline of the champions is something of a mystery. On current form they may emulate Blackburn who were 7th in ‘95-96 season, the most recent occasion that the defending champions finished so low in the league.  

United have mostly the same team as last season that won title at a canter, though their rivals underperformed. The summer transfers have strengthened others (City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs), but the Reds have stagnated.

As the bad results have piled up, the fear factor has gone and opponents scent blood. There are weak links in defence & the midfield is a pale shadow of the glory days of Keane, Beckham, Scholes & Giggs.

 

Performance of the Month

 

Seahawks.

England Eclipsed

Champions League

With Chelsea & Arsenal facing first leg deficits of 3-1 & 4-0 respectively, it's looking highly likely there will be no English team in the QFs for the fist time since 1996. From 2007-9, English teams made up three of the four semi-finalists, with an-all English final in 2008. United were also runners-up to Barca last year & in 2009. So why are English clubs no longer dominant ? The other side of the coin is the opposition getting stronger. Barcelona have set a new level of excellence in recent years, & Real Madrid are perhaps Barca's closest challengers. So last season Barca accounted for Arsenal as well as Man U, while Madrid knocked out Spurs. In the last few seasons English sides have had the better of the Italians but this year Serie A have turned the tables, assuming the London clubs can't pull off miracle comebacks.

The question is whether this is set to last, or will English teams mount a strong challenge next season. I think they will. Man U will surely bounce back after their nightmare European season, although they need reinforcements in midfield for the vets: Giggs & the unretired Scholes. Man City you would expect to have a decent run after a difficult first campaign. Spurs are the only other team you can be fairly sure will qualify, with the 4th place being far too close to call at the moment. If Redknapp takes the England national team post, I wouldn't like to tip how well Spurs will do until seeing their new manager.