This weekend, four men have the chance to write themselves into sporting history. The four men in question are Andy Murray, his brother Jamie, James Ward and Kyle Edmund.
Together they make up the Great Britain Davis Cup team and if they seal victory on Sunday, they will be Britain's first successful Davis Cup team since the Fred Perry days of 1936.
It has been an extraordinary journey for Great Britain's male tennis team ever since Leon Smith took on the captaincy in 2010. At that point, Britain had slumped to a humiliating defeat in Lithuania, putting them on the brink of relegation to the lowest level in European Davis Cup participation.
However, Smith's quiet understated manner and intelligent tennis brain brought an instant impact with a 5-0 defeat of Turkey in July 2010. Since then, the team have won ten ties and lost only two (one of those was to this weekend's opponents Belgium in 2012, but they were lacking talisman Andy Murray).
After narrowly losing out to an inspired Italian side in the quarter finals in 2014, Murray and his teammates have made it a personal mission to win the 2015 edition of the Davis Cup. It began with a stunning victory over America in Glasgow in March, the highlight of which was Ward's remarkable comeback from two sets down against the man who lives for five setters John Isner.
After Andy had beaten Donald Young earlier in the day, it looked all set to finish 1-1 on the first day after Isner took the first two sets. Buoyed by a raucous Emirates Arena crowd, Ward launched arguably the best display of his career and held his serve and nerve superbly to win the fifth 15-13.
Jamie Murray and his partner Dominic Ignlot also threatened an unlikely comeback in the Saturday doubles against the best pair in the world; the Bryan Brothers but the American pair held on. However, Andy wasn't going to let this chance slip on the Sunday and defeated Isner to seal a first home victory for Britain against America since 1935.
The quarter final again pitched Britain against one of the world's strongest male tennis playing nations as France came to play on the grass at Queens Club. Ward couldn't produce more heroics as he lost the first singles rubber against Gilles Simon before Andy levelled up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The Murray brothers then teamed up in the doubles, which was to prove the start of a fruitful partnership for Britain and they came from a set down to defeat Nicholas Mahut and Tsonga to give Britain a 2-1 lead going into Sunday.
Andy looked absolutely dead on his feet against Simon. A set and a break down, it looked like Ward would have to beat Richard Gasquet to keep the Davis Cup dream alive. Murray wasn't about to put that pressure on his countryman and produced a comeback to win in four sets, at the end of which he couldn't hide his emotions.
That set up a semi final in Glasgow in September against the Aussies. Andy started off the semi final in blistering fashion, losing only six games in his straight sets win over Kokkinakis.
Smith had made the slightly controversial decision to hand Dan Evans the second singles slot for the tie, but although he lost to Bernard Tomic he put up a brave fight in four sets and more than justified his inclusion. The tie always looked like being decided by the Saturday doubles and so it proved to be.
The fans inside the Emirates Arena were treated to an unbelievable five setter as the Murray brothers dug into their deepest energy reserves to see off the fired up Aussie pair of Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt coming from a set down and also holding their nerve in the decider.
Despite Andy once again looking shattered, he swept aside Tomic on Sunday to seal a first appearance in the final for GB since 1978.
Now that final is fast approaching with the proceedings kicking off at 12.30 tomorrow. And what an interesting tie there is to start the final. Leon Smith has given the nod to 20 year old Kyle Edmund to play alongside Andy Murray in the singles.
Edmund will be making his debut in the Davis Cup in the final. No pressure Kyle. Smith has decided to go with him due to his excellent recent clay court form (the tie is being played on an indoor clay court), which included a Challenger Tour title win over clay court specialist Carlos Berlocq in Argentina two weeks ago. This year Edmund also won in five sets at Roland Garros against ten time clay court title champion Stephane Robert.
For me, you have to trust the judgement from Smith who has been a magnificent captain who has taken Britain to a level no tennis fan in this country could have dreamt of. He has obviously seen enough in practice and over recent tournaments to know that Edmund is more than capable of producing a surprise opening win over David Goffin, the world number 16 and Belgium's key man this weekend.
There can be no doubting Edmund will need to produce the performance of his life to win but if this year has taught us anything it's to expect the unexpected when it comes to the Great Britain Davis Cup team.
Murray will then come up against world number 108 Ruben Bemelmans who has been given the nod over Steve Darcis, who once beat Nadal at Wimbledon and who has been vital in their run to the final. With all due respect despite Murray having never played Bemelmans before I don't foresee Murray having too many problems.
The Saturday doubles will see the Murray brothers take on Darcis who will line up alongside 21 year old Kimmer Coppejans, who played in their win over Canada. Taking a lead into Sunday's singles will be vital and that is why Ward has been retained in the possibility of having to win a fifth rubber, with Darcis also a possibility to come in.
Overall, Britain have already upset the odds by beating the other three nations who host Grand Slams annually and all this with only one available player in the top 50 (Aljaz Bedene can't yet play for Britain in the Davis Cup). Contrast that with France who currently have four players in the top 20.
Murray is of course the key man and it simply would have been mission impossible without him but everyone has played their part. Ward's heroics against Isner and Jamie Murray's play in the doubles have also made this possible. Kyle Edmund might well become the star this weekend.
Despite Murray's success over the last decade, Britain still isn't a tennis loving nation. A win this weekend would be a massive boost heading into 2016 and be one of the sporting achievements of the year.
Thursday 26 November 2015
Monday 16 November 2015
The darting phenomenon that is Michael Van Gerwen
Darts is a sport that continues to grow and grow in popularity. One of the reasons for that is the brilliance of its number one ranked player, Dutchman Michael Van Gerwen.
Last night, he defeated the greatest player to ever play the sport; Phil Taylor by 16 legs to 13, to lift the Grand Slam trophy for the first time. That thrilling win, achieved by coming back from 4-1 and 7-3 down, means MVG (as the acronym goes) has now won every major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) trophy. This is someone who doesn't turn 27 until April.
Back in January 2013, I wrote this piece after Van Gerwen reached the World Championship final for the first time, where he lost out to Taylor (http://www.ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/why-michael-van-gerwen-is-future-of.html). It's not very often I get sporting predictions right, but I was always confident of that one coming true.
Since losing that final, Van Gerwen has went onto win the World Championships, the Premier League, the World Matchplay, the Grand Prix (to add to a success in 2012), the UK Open, the European Championships twice, the Masters and now the Grand Slam. This is a man who just loves winning darts matches and trophies and right now as the World Championships loom on the horizon, he is going to take some beating.
During the Grand Slam, he averaged over 100 with every three darts thrown, in every one of the seven matches he played. Indeed, his average of 100.94 in the final was his lowest of the week which had peaked at an astonishing 111.05 in his 16-4 quarter final win over Kim Huybrechts on Saturday night. With those sort of averages, players are having to almost hit two big trebles just to live with him or be as equally lethal on the doubles, something Taylor didn't do as he missed 26 out of his 39 darts thrown at doubles. During his last three matches at the Grand Slam, Van Gerwen threw a remarkable 34 180's in total.
Not only has Van Gerwen won five major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments during 2015, he has also reached the final of every major TV event after losing to Gary Anderson in the World Championship semi final on January 3. He is showing a remarkable degree of consistency that hasn't been seen in darts since Phil Taylor truly dominated the sport throughout the 1990's and 2000's.
The challenge now for Van Gerwen though is to become Taylor-esque and start winning the big PDC majors multiple times over and over. Time is certainly very much on his side. Whilst it would be astonishing if the Dutchman got anywhere near Taylor's record by the end of their respective careers, he has certainly got the talent to make a bid to become the second greatest darts player of all time.
Just look at Taylor's CV. He's won the World Championship on 16 occasions (he won the BDO in 1990 and 1992) before winning the PDC version 14 times between 1995 and 2013. He's won the World Matchplay 15 times, the Grand Prix 11 times, the UK Open five times, the Premier League six times since its debut in 2005 and the Grand Slam six times since its debut in 2007.
Van Gerwen might have won a lot this year, but he missed one out of every three doubles in the Grand Prix final which allowed Scotland's Robert Thornton to complete a famous 5-4 win. If Van Gerwen had won that, he'd be able to say he had won it three times in the last four years.
After a win in the Premier League in 2013, he has lost the last two finals to countryman Raymond Van Barneveld in 2014 and Anderson this year. Taylor won the event five out of six times between 2005-2010.
Van Gerwen's breakthrough success came at the Grand Prix in 2012 and he followed that up a month later with a final appearance in the Grand Slam, where an inspirational performance from Van Barneveld stopped him. The following two years though he lost at the second round and quarter final stages. Now he's finally won it, can he defend it in 2016 and beyond?
The same goes for the World Matchplay. Until his defeat in the semi finals this year Taylor hadn't lost a match at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool since 2007. Van Gerwen progressed from a semi final appearance in 2013, to runner up in 2014 to winning it this year. Now he needs to stay at the top.
And what of the World Championships which begin in London on December 17? He is certainly going to take some stopping in his current form, but Anderson showed last year that it can be done as did Taylor in the 2013 final. Van Gerwen has certainly cemented his place at the top of the rankings, but everyone is now gunning for him at the Alexandra Palace.
Darts has had many iconic figures over the years from Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and John Lowe in the 80s to Taylor and Dennis Priestley in the 90's. And Barneveld, John Part and the BDO's Andy Fordham and Martin Adams in the 2000's.
Van Gerwen now has the potential to join them. It will be fascinating to see him handle the pressure.
Last night, he defeated the greatest player to ever play the sport; Phil Taylor by 16 legs to 13, to lift the Grand Slam trophy for the first time. That thrilling win, achieved by coming back from 4-1 and 7-3 down, means MVG (as the acronym goes) has now won every major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) trophy. This is someone who doesn't turn 27 until April.
Back in January 2013, I wrote this piece after Van Gerwen reached the World Championship final for the first time, where he lost out to Taylor (http://www.ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/why-michael-van-gerwen-is-future-of.html). It's not very often I get sporting predictions right, but I was always confident of that one coming true.
Since losing that final, Van Gerwen has went onto win the World Championships, the Premier League, the World Matchplay, the Grand Prix (to add to a success in 2012), the UK Open, the European Championships twice, the Masters and now the Grand Slam. This is a man who just loves winning darts matches and trophies and right now as the World Championships loom on the horizon, he is going to take some beating.
During the Grand Slam, he averaged over 100 with every three darts thrown, in every one of the seven matches he played. Indeed, his average of 100.94 in the final was his lowest of the week which had peaked at an astonishing 111.05 in his 16-4 quarter final win over Kim Huybrechts on Saturday night. With those sort of averages, players are having to almost hit two big trebles just to live with him or be as equally lethal on the doubles, something Taylor didn't do as he missed 26 out of his 39 darts thrown at doubles. During his last three matches at the Grand Slam, Van Gerwen threw a remarkable 34 180's in total.
Not only has Van Gerwen won five major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments during 2015, he has also reached the final of every major TV event after losing to Gary Anderson in the World Championship semi final on January 3. He is showing a remarkable degree of consistency that hasn't been seen in darts since Phil Taylor truly dominated the sport throughout the 1990's and 2000's.
The challenge now for Van Gerwen though is to become Taylor-esque and start winning the big PDC majors multiple times over and over. Time is certainly very much on his side. Whilst it would be astonishing if the Dutchman got anywhere near Taylor's record by the end of their respective careers, he has certainly got the talent to make a bid to become the second greatest darts player of all time.
Just look at Taylor's CV. He's won the World Championship on 16 occasions (he won the BDO in 1990 and 1992) before winning the PDC version 14 times between 1995 and 2013. He's won the World Matchplay 15 times, the Grand Prix 11 times, the UK Open five times, the Premier League six times since its debut in 2005 and the Grand Slam six times since its debut in 2007.
Van Gerwen might have won a lot this year, but he missed one out of every three doubles in the Grand Prix final which allowed Scotland's Robert Thornton to complete a famous 5-4 win. If Van Gerwen had won that, he'd be able to say he had won it three times in the last four years.
After a win in the Premier League in 2013, he has lost the last two finals to countryman Raymond Van Barneveld in 2014 and Anderson this year. Taylor won the event five out of six times between 2005-2010.
Van Gerwen's breakthrough success came at the Grand Prix in 2012 and he followed that up a month later with a final appearance in the Grand Slam, where an inspirational performance from Van Barneveld stopped him. The following two years though he lost at the second round and quarter final stages. Now he's finally won it, can he defend it in 2016 and beyond?
The same goes for the World Matchplay. Until his defeat in the semi finals this year Taylor hadn't lost a match at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool since 2007. Van Gerwen progressed from a semi final appearance in 2013, to runner up in 2014 to winning it this year. Now he needs to stay at the top.
And what of the World Championships which begin in London on December 17? He is certainly going to take some stopping in his current form, but Anderson showed last year that it can be done as did Taylor in the 2013 final. Van Gerwen has certainly cemented his place at the top of the rankings, but everyone is now gunning for him at the Alexandra Palace.
Darts has had many iconic figures over the years from Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and John Lowe in the 80s to Taylor and Dennis Priestley in the 90's. And Barneveld, John Part and the BDO's Andy Fordham and Martin Adams in the 2000's.
Van Gerwen now has the potential to join them. It will be fascinating to see him handle the pressure.
Wednesday 14 October 2015
Five ways the Scotland national team's mentality needs to change
American singer Lenny Kravitz once sang "If you want it you've got to believe."
Whilst Kravitz would never be considered as a renowned philosopher, he does raise a pertinent point in relation to the Scotland football team. Belief is a trait that seems to be lacking in this side and has been for the most part over the last 15 years or so.
Sure Scotland have had their moments such as the incredible home and away wins over France in the Euro 2008 campaign (our most glorious failure of a campaign, where we got 24 points and still didn't qualify), a Hampden win over Holland and beating Croatia away from home in 2013, when they were ranked fourth in the world.
However, the brutal fact remains Scotland have failed to qualify for a tournament since the 1998 World Cup and in that time have only reached two play offs, both for the European Championships of 2000 and 2004. The failure to qualify for Euro 2016 is particularly galling considering the increase in nations competing went up to 24 and the fact all the other home nations will be living it up in France.
Other smaller nations such as Iceland and Albania will also be taking their place in the finals. Whilst there might be shock at the Dutch not qualifying, only 15 months after finishing third at the World Cup, I'm much more concerned with the problems Scotland face having only seen them qualify for three major tournaments in my lifetime, all of which were when I was seven or younger.
For me, a huge part of the failure is down to the mentality of the Scotland set-up from the players to the management, right down to the fans and the media (Yes, I'm not afraid of criticising the industry I work in). Whilst like Kravitz, I also don't claim to be a profound philosopher here are five things I think Scotland need to do mentally in order to boost our chances of qualifying in the future.
1. Stop celebrating failure
Due to Scotland's lack of qualifying for major tournaments in the last two decades, the attitude of many fans has switched from analysing why that has happened to simply accepting we will be watching on the televisions screens every two years. That is plain wrong. Take Sunday's game against Gibraltar for example. Whilst I have nothing wrong with Tartan Army supporters voicing support for Gordon Strachan, when you break it down they are chanting for a man who led us to two wins outwith the Gibraltar games in this campaign.
Whilst the majority overall would have booked tickets for Portugal thinking this could have been a qualification party, there didn't seem to be much doom and gloom at the fact Scotland didn't qualify just three days earlier. I'm not in the process of stopping folk enjoying themselves abroad, but to me it sent out the wrong message.
It sent out the message that, "Oh well, we've failed again, we may as well just have a party here and forget about it." Instead, people who were there should have been asking questions about why it had went wrong, why Strachan didn't use this game as a chance to blood some new talent, why Scotland players weren't up for it in Georgia.
Until the vast majority of the Tartan Army get serious, then the players will know that they will get their support whatever happens. That's not healthy. Personally I had no interest in Sunday's game and stuck on a Kevin Bridges DVD instead. I know someone else who was watching Mad Men. Not true fans? Not at all. Living in the real world? Most definitely.
2. Stop blaming bad luck and bad group draws
All too often Scotland fans bemoan the bad luck we get and the bad groups we are drawn into. Whilst there can be no denying Robert Lewandowski's late equaliser for Poland on Thursday night was a fortunate goal, were Scotland not fortunate with two strikes against Germany? Or how about Shaun Maloney's deflected efforts against Georgia and Ireland?
Fortunate goals happen in football and Scotland can benefit or not from them. There is no evidence to suggest that bad luck is at the root of our failure to qualify and frankly it is a really lazy excuse to use upon elimination from the potential of qualification.
Scotland should have had more than enough to get out of this group, or at the bare minimum get into a play off spot. The truth is we were not good enough. We were the only nation to lose to Georgia away from home and only took five points (including a win over Gibraltar) from the last 15 available in the group.
Would I have fancied Scotland to qualify from Wales's group or Northern Ireland's? Potentially yes. I think we would have had enough in Northern Ireland's group but the facts remain that a win in Georgia would have got us a play off spot so there's no point in blaming a bad draw. Same goes for the Euro 2012 group when Craig Levein farcically played no one up front away to Czech Republic, who were hardly world beaters. Failure to beat Lithuania away that campaign cost us too.
If Scotland fans and management honestly think drawing teams like Lithuania and Georgia are bad draws then we can forget about qualifying for major tournaments for another generation.
3. Don't talk about 'bogey teams'
Following on from that previous point, far too much was made about a 2-0 loss Scotland suffered in the Euro 2008 campaign away to Georgia, in the build up to the game in Tbilisi in September. The media were particularly guilty of it in the week leading up to the match. You couldn't get away from it if you were reading the papers, listening to press conferences or even just seeing posts on social media.
Quite what relevance a game eight years ago had to this qualifying campaign, I am still struggling to work out. That was all done and dusted. Scotland had a team featuring Graeme Murty, Graham Alexander and Stephen Pearson in that night. Hardly players who are playing for us now.
Georgia had won four qualifiers since then including wins over Gibraltar and Malta. They were ranked almost 150th in the Fifa Rankings for a reason. They aren't that good and weren't in 2007 either. We should have been talking up how Scotland have much better players than them, play better football and how every other nation had gone to Tbilisi and won.
Instead we talked about how 2007 haunted us and how it could happen again and how Tbilisi temperatures could affect the players. What typical Scottish negativity.
Our first World Cup qualifier is away to Malta next September. Spare me the nonsense about it being a potentially tricky start. Just say as it is- Scotland should be winning these games.
4. Think outside the box
What I mean by this is, why not look to other sports as a source of inspiration. Paul McGinley, the European Ryder Cup captain used this to wonderful effect when he brought in Sir Alex Ferguson to give the team a pep talk before last years event at Gleneagles.
Whilst I'm not claiming Fergie won the Ryder Cup for Europe, his speeches were clearly an inspiration to the team, no matter where they were from on the continent. They knew exactly who he was and how much he'd achieved. They were keen to write their own places in history after listening to him.
So why don't the Scotland management team take a leaf out of McGinley's book? Why not pick up the phone to Sir Chris Hoy and ask him to come along to a training session ahead of a vital qualifier to give an insight into how he became the country's most successful Olympian ever?
Why not get in touch with Andy Murray to see how he believed he could always win a Grand Slam and as to how he coped with the pressure of that Wimbledon final in 2013?
Why not even ring up world darts champion Gary Anderson? He had to beat the best player to ever throw a dart, Phil Taylor to collect the world title earlier this year and that was down to him believing he had the beating of Taylor.
Those are just some suggestions and ones I feel could certainly make the Scotland players think a little differently. Whilst those sportstars have done brilliantly, football is still the national sport and it would give the whole nation a lift if they qualified.
5. Believe you can beat anyone
This sounds simplistic but it's rarely a belief you see Scotland carry onto the pitch. Credit must go to Ireland for taking four points out of six against world champions Germany in our Euro group, but far too much of the analysis in Scotland bemoaned how Ireland had managed to do that.
Instead we should have been looking at how we failed to hold onto positions where with 20 minutes to go in Germany we were on course for a point and looked the better team and at Hampden where we were level at half-time?
We need to rediscover the belief that ensured we beat France twice and ran world champions Italy hugely close. But we need to get away from 'bravery in defeat' and 'glorious failure'. Those cliches will get us nowhere. Instead, we need to go out on the park home and away truly believing we can win. Anything can happen in a game of football; shocks happen all the time. Largely it's down to the underdogs mindset.
Scotland can have their day in major tournaments again and there are plenty talented players coming through. Here's hoping they bring belief into future squads.
Whilst Kravitz would never be considered as a renowned philosopher, he does raise a pertinent point in relation to the Scotland football team. Belief is a trait that seems to be lacking in this side and has been for the most part over the last 15 years or so.
Sure Scotland have had their moments such as the incredible home and away wins over France in the Euro 2008 campaign (our most glorious failure of a campaign, where we got 24 points and still didn't qualify), a Hampden win over Holland and beating Croatia away from home in 2013, when they were ranked fourth in the world.
However, the brutal fact remains Scotland have failed to qualify for a tournament since the 1998 World Cup and in that time have only reached two play offs, both for the European Championships of 2000 and 2004. The failure to qualify for Euro 2016 is particularly galling considering the increase in nations competing went up to 24 and the fact all the other home nations will be living it up in France.
Other smaller nations such as Iceland and Albania will also be taking their place in the finals. Whilst there might be shock at the Dutch not qualifying, only 15 months after finishing third at the World Cup, I'm much more concerned with the problems Scotland face having only seen them qualify for three major tournaments in my lifetime, all of which were when I was seven or younger.
For me, a huge part of the failure is down to the mentality of the Scotland set-up from the players to the management, right down to the fans and the media (Yes, I'm not afraid of criticising the industry I work in). Whilst like Kravitz, I also don't claim to be a profound philosopher here are five things I think Scotland need to do mentally in order to boost our chances of qualifying in the future.
1. Stop celebrating failure
Due to Scotland's lack of qualifying for major tournaments in the last two decades, the attitude of many fans has switched from analysing why that has happened to simply accepting we will be watching on the televisions screens every two years. That is plain wrong. Take Sunday's game against Gibraltar for example. Whilst I have nothing wrong with Tartan Army supporters voicing support for Gordon Strachan, when you break it down they are chanting for a man who led us to two wins outwith the Gibraltar games in this campaign.
Whilst the majority overall would have booked tickets for Portugal thinking this could have been a qualification party, there didn't seem to be much doom and gloom at the fact Scotland didn't qualify just three days earlier. I'm not in the process of stopping folk enjoying themselves abroad, but to me it sent out the wrong message.
It sent out the message that, "Oh well, we've failed again, we may as well just have a party here and forget about it." Instead, people who were there should have been asking questions about why it had went wrong, why Strachan didn't use this game as a chance to blood some new talent, why Scotland players weren't up for it in Georgia.
Until the vast majority of the Tartan Army get serious, then the players will know that they will get their support whatever happens. That's not healthy. Personally I had no interest in Sunday's game and stuck on a Kevin Bridges DVD instead. I know someone else who was watching Mad Men. Not true fans? Not at all. Living in the real world? Most definitely.
2. Stop blaming bad luck and bad group draws
All too often Scotland fans bemoan the bad luck we get and the bad groups we are drawn into. Whilst there can be no denying Robert Lewandowski's late equaliser for Poland on Thursday night was a fortunate goal, were Scotland not fortunate with two strikes against Germany? Or how about Shaun Maloney's deflected efforts against Georgia and Ireland?
Fortunate goals happen in football and Scotland can benefit or not from them. There is no evidence to suggest that bad luck is at the root of our failure to qualify and frankly it is a really lazy excuse to use upon elimination from the potential of qualification.
Scotland should have had more than enough to get out of this group, or at the bare minimum get into a play off spot. The truth is we were not good enough. We were the only nation to lose to Georgia away from home and only took five points (including a win over Gibraltar) from the last 15 available in the group.
Would I have fancied Scotland to qualify from Wales's group or Northern Ireland's? Potentially yes. I think we would have had enough in Northern Ireland's group but the facts remain that a win in Georgia would have got us a play off spot so there's no point in blaming a bad draw. Same goes for the Euro 2012 group when Craig Levein farcically played no one up front away to Czech Republic, who were hardly world beaters. Failure to beat Lithuania away that campaign cost us too.
If Scotland fans and management honestly think drawing teams like Lithuania and Georgia are bad draws then we can forget about qualifying for major tournaments for another generation.
3. Don't talk about 'bogey teams'
Following on from that previous point, far too much was made about a 2-0 loss Scotland suffered in the Euro 2008 campaign away to Georgia, in the build up to the game in Tbilisi in September. The media were particularly guilty of it in the week leading up to the match. You couldn't get away from it if you were reading the papers, listening to press conferences or even just seeing posts on social media.
Quite what relevance a game eight years ago had to this qualifying campaign, I am still struggling to work out. That was all done and dusted. Scotland had a team featuring Graeme Murty, Graham Alexander and Stephen Pearson in that night. Hardly players who are playing for us now.
Georgia had won four qualifiers since then including wins over Gibraltar and Malta. They were ranked almost 150th in the Fifa Rankings for a reason. They aren't that good and weren't in 2007 either. We should have been talking up how Scotland have much better players than them, play better football and how every other nation had gone to Tbilisi and won.
Instead we talked about how 2007 haunted us and how it could happen again and how Tbilisi temperatures could affect the players. What typical Scottish negativity.
Our first World Cup qualifier is away to Malta next September. Spare me the nonsense about it being a potentially tricky start. Just say as it is- Scotland should be winning these games.
4. Think outside the box
What I mean by this is, why not look to other sports as a source of inspiration. Paul McGinley, the European Ryder Cup captain used this to wonderful effect when he brought in Sir Alex Ferguson to give the team a pep talk before last years event at Gleneagles.
Whilst I'm not claiming Fergie won the Ryder Cup for Europe, his speeches were clearly an inspiration to the team, no matter where they were from on the continent. They knew exactly who he was and how much he'd achieved. They were keen to write their own places in history after listening to him.
So why don't the Scotland management team take a leaf out of McGinley's book? Why not pick up the phone to Sir Chris Hoy and ask him to come along to a training session ahead of a vital qualifier to give an insight into how he became the country's most successful Olympian ever?
Why not get in touch with Andy Murray to see how he believed he could always win a Grand Slam and as to how he coped with the pressure of that Wimbledon final in 2013?
Why not even ring up world darts champion Gary Anderson? He had to beat the best player to ever throw a dart, Phil Taylor to collect the world title earlier this year and that was down to him believing he had the beating of Taylor.
Those are just some suggestions and ones I feel could certainly make the Scotland players think a little differently. Whilst those sportstars have done brilliantly, football is still the national sport and it would give the whole nation a lift if they qualified.
5. Believe you can beat anyone
This sounds simplistic but it's rarely a belief you see Scotland carry onto the pitch. Credit must go to Ireland for taking four points out of six against world champions Germany in our Euro group, but far too much of the analysis in Scotland bemoaned how Ireland had managed to do that.
Instead we should have been looking at how we failed to hold onto positions where with 20 minutes to go in Germany we were on course for a point and looked the better team and at Hampden where we were level at half-time?
We need to rediscover the belief that ensured we beat France twice and ran world champions Italy hugely close. But we need to get away from 'bravery in defeat' and 'glorious failure'. Those cliches will get us nowhere. Instead, we need to go out on the park home and away truly believing we can win. Anything can happen in a game of football; shocks happen all the time. Largely it's down to the underdogs mindset.
Scotland can have their day in major tournaments again and there are plenty talented players coming through. Here's hoping they bring belief into future squads.
Thursday 10 September 2015
Andy Murray: The Positives and Negatives of his 2015 Grand Slam results
Whilst the US Open is still going on; another year has slipped by for Andy Murray without winning a Grand Slam title after his fourth round defeat to Kevin Anderson on Monday night. It will be a fact that is bound to frustrate the man from Dunblane, considering the very impressive season he has had.
However, he has now played nine slams since winning the WImbledon title in 2013, although it should be said he was still coming back into form during 2014, albeit his straight sets defeat by Grigor Dimitrov during the defence of his Wimbledon title was extremely poor.
2015 has seen Murray perform at close to his best once again, winning two Masters titles in Madrid (where he beat Rafa Nadal on clay) and Novak Djokovic in Montreal. He also reached the final of the Australian Open and the semi finals at the French Open and Wimbledon enabling him to rise from sixth in the world at the start of the year to a more natural position of world number three where he is now.
You can also add in the fact he is on course to lead Great Britain into their first Davis Cup final since 1978 and the possibility of a first win since 1936 in the competition. A tough semi-final with Australia awaits next weekend in Glasgow, but there is no doubting from matches against USA and France that Murray is fired up to win the trophy.
However, the failure to land a Grand Slam in an otherwise successful season to date means Murray has significant analysis to do about where it went right and wrong in the four slams this year.
Australian Open (Final- Lost in four sets to Djokovic)
Positives: The main positive for Murray in Melbourne was his run to the final despite being seeded sixth. It was a clear statement that Murray was approaching top form again. He dealt with lower ranked opponents comfortably in the first three rounds before he showed his grit in beating Dimitrov in four sets in round four when a fifth set looked likely when he was 5-2 down in the fourth.
Home hope Nick Kyrgios was well beaten in the quarters in front of an electric atmosphere before Murray produced arguably his best performance since winning Wimbledon when he fought back from a set down to defeat Tomas Berdych in the semi finals, with a superbly aggressive Murray taking sets two and three for the loss of just three games in total.
A fourth Australian Open final in six years showed his consistency at the first Grand Slam of the Year.
Negatives: The main negative is obviously the fact Murray lost the final to Djokovic in four sets. The manner too was disappointing as he allowed himself to be distracted by his opponent's apparent injuries after breaking at the start of the third set. At that point, Murray looked to be in control of a match that was finely poised but his temper came to the fore and his second serve became about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Losing what proved to be the final set 6-0 in under half an hour was a dreadful way for Murray to end his Australian Open campaign and ultimately he heads into 2016 having failed to win the tournament despite having reached the final on four occasions.
French Open (Semi Final- Lost to Djokovic in Five Sets)
Positives: Murray had been producing some terrific clay court form in the run up to Roland Garros, winning titles in Munich and most impressively in Madrid where he defeated clay maestro Nadal in straight sets and he carried this form on in Paris. Although a set was dropped to Joao Sousa in Round Two, Murray looked confident throughout week one and yet again dealt with a potentially tricky tie against Kyrgios, defeating him in straight sets in round three.
A quarter final victory against Spain's David Ferrer, a man known for his love of clay courts was a timely boost to Murray's confidence especially after missing the chance to win it in straight sets, when he had a match point. A 6-1 win in the fourth set showed Murray's growing confidence on clay against a player who defeated him in the French Open of 2012.
A semi final backed up his pre-tournament form and showed that he was very much a force to be reckoned with in Paris each year now.
Negatives: Left himself with too much to do after losing the opening two sets against Djokovic in the semi final, though the way he fought back compared to the Australian Open final was certainly positive to watch.
He seemed to have the momentum after levelling up a match which went to a second day, but couldn't find his rhythm at the start of the fifth set and ultimately lost it 6-1, in what was his seventh successive loss to Djokovic since beating him in the Wimbledon final.
Also perhaps missed his best opportunity to complete the career slam of appearing in all Major finals.
Wimbledon (Semi Final- Lost to Federer in 3 sets)
Positives: Largely carried on his form from winning Queens. Benefited from an easier draw as it turned out, but coped well with the pressures that brings in front of a home crowd and looked every bit a title winner in the second round against Robin Haase, a player who had given him trouble on a couple of occasions at the US Open.
Despite losing a set, he also coped very well with the giant serving of Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in the fourth round and he also played well in round one against Mikhail Kukushkin who was a much better player than his ranking of 59 suggested. Comfortably dealt with Vasek Pospisil in the quarter finals.
Negatives: Hard to say his display against Federer was a negative, due to the sheer genius of his Swiss opponents display in the semi final. However after electing to receive first, Murray always put himself on the back foot and that would have given Federer even more encouragement as if he needed any. Federer served magnificently though and never really gave Murray a sniff.
Losing a set 6-1 to Andreas Seppi in the third round was also careless and Murray's concentration compared to 2012/13 could certainly be called into question.
US Open (4th Round- Lost in four sets to Kevin Anderson)
Positives : Handled the pressure of playing Kyrgios again in a slam in what was a humdinger of a round one draw, especially after the Australian's pre tournament headline making comments about a fellow countryman "banging Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend."
Fought back in his usual gritty style from two sets down to beat Adrian Mannarino in Round Two and looked a lot more comfortable against Bellucci in Round Three.
Win against Mannarino was his eighth career comeback from two sets down showing you can never write him off.
Negatives: Defeat to Anderson on Monday night meant his earliest exit at a slam since he lost to Wawrinka in the third round of the US Open in 2010. Struggled once again to cope with conditions on the Louis Armstrong stadium against Anderson and it is now clearly bothering him mentally after losing their against Wawrinka and struggling against Haase in 2014 and Cilic in 2012 on the court.
Spent too much time on court during the early rounds after a hectic warm up schedule prior to arriving in New York. With all due respect to Mannarino, there's no way his game should have had the ability to take Murray to five sets.
His forehand wasn't firing on all cylinders right from the start of the tournament compared to its blistering pace which enabled him to defeat Djokovic in the Montreal final. Defeat to Anderson meant he still hasn't been beyond the quarters at Flushing Meadows since winning the tournament in 2012.
Where does Murray go from here?
The first priority for Murray is next weekend's Davis Cup Semi Final against Australia at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Murray recognises 2015 as the best chance of him lifting the Davis Cup and he has revelled in his role as talisman. It is looking likely that Murray will be asked to play three matches, though the performances in the US doubles tournament by his brother Jamie and Dominic Inglot who have both reached the semi-finals at the time of writing, might mean he rests out on the Saturday.
From there, his schedule certainly isn't as packed as this time last year when he was playing tournaments every week in an effort to reach the World Tour finals in London. This year he's already qualified and will play the Shanghai Masters in October and the Paris Masters at the start of November as preparation for the finals which start on November 16.
Either those finals in London or a Davis Cup final appearance at the end of November will bring Murray's 2015 to an end. It has been an impressive year to date, but many like myself felt Murray was almost certain to win a slam this year despite the level of competition that now enriches the men's game.
One thing for sure though is that he will be even more determined to correct that wrong in 2016, starting at the Australian Open.
However, he has now played nine slams since winning the WImbledon title in 2013, although it should be said he was still coming back into form during 2014, albeit his straight sets defeat by Grigor Dimitrov during the defence of his Wimbledon title was extremely poor.
2015 has seen Murray perform at close to his best once again, winning two Masters titles in Madrid (where he beat Rafa Nadal on clay) and Novak Djokovic in Montreal. He also reached the final of the Australian Open and the semi finals at the French Open and Wimbledon enabling him to rise from sixth in the world at the start of the year to a more natural position of world number three where he is now.
You can also add in the fact he is on course to lead Great Britain into their first Davis Cup final since 1978 and the possibility of a first win since 1936 in the competition. A tough semi-final with Australia awaits next weekend in Glasgow, but there is no doubting from matches against USA and France that Murray is fired up to win the trophy.
However, the failure to land a Grand Slam in an otherwise successful season to date means Murray has significant analysis to do about where it went right and wrong in the four slams this year.
Australian Open (Final- Lost in four sets to Djokovic)
Positives: The main positive for Murray in Melbourne was his run to the final despite being seeded sixth. It was a clear statement that Murray was approaching top form again. He dealt with lower ranked opponents comfortably in the first three rounds before he showed his grit in beating Dimitrov in four sets in round four when a fifth set looked likely when he was 5-2 down in the fourth.
Home hope Nick Kyrgios was well beaten in the quarters in front of an electric atmosphere before Murray produced arguably his best performance since winning Wimbledon when he fought back from a set down to defeat Tomas Berdych in the semi finals, with a superbly aggressive Murray taking sets two and three for the loss of just three games in total.
A fourth Australian Open final in six years showed his consistency at the first Grand Slam of the Year.
Negatives: The main negative is obviously the fact Murray lost the final to Djokovic in four sets. The manner too was disappointing as he allowed himself to be distracted by his opponent's apparent injuries after breaking at the start of the third set. At that point, Murray looked to be in control of a match that was finely poised but his temper came to the fore and his second serve became about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Losing what proved to be the final set 6-0 in under half an hour was a dreadful way for Murray to end his Australian Open campaign and ultimately he heads into 2016 having failed to win the tournament despite having reached the final on four occasions.
French Open (Semi Final- Lost to Djokovic in Five Sets)
Positives: Murray had been producing some terrific clay court form in the run up to Roland Garros, winning titles in Munich and most impressively in Madrid where he defeated clay maestro Nadal in straight sets and he carried this form on in Paris. Although a set was dropped to Joao Sousa in Round Two, Murray looked confident throughout week one and yet again dealt with a potentially tricky tie against Kyrgios, defeating him in straight sets in round three.
A quarter final victory against Spain's David Ferrer, a man known for his love of clay courts was a timely boost to Murray's confidence especially after missing the chance to win it in straight sets, when he had a match point. A 6-1 win in the fourth set showed Murray's growing confidence on clay against a player who defeated him in the French Open of 2012.
A semi final backed up his pre-tournament form and showed that he was very much a force to be reckoned with in Paris each year now.
Negatives: Left himself with too much to do after losing the opening two sets against Djokovic in the semi final, though the way he fought back compared to the Australian Open final was certainly positive to watch.
He seemed to have the momentum after levelling up a match which went to a second day, but couldn't find his rhythm at the start of the fifth set and ultimately lost it 6-1, in what was his seventh successive loss to Djokovic since beating him in the Wimbledon final.
Also perhaps missed his best opportunity to complete the career slam of appearing in all Major finals.
Wimbledon (Semi Final- Lost to Federer in 3 sets)
Positives: Largely carried on his form from winning Queens. Benefited from an easier draw as it turned out, but coped well with the pressures that brings in front of a home crowd and looked every bit a title winner in the second round against Robin Haase, a player who had given him trouble on a couple of occasions at the US Open.
Despite losing a set, he also coped very well with the giant serving of Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in the fourth round and he also played well in round one against Mikhail Kukushkin who was a much better player than his ranking of 59 suggested. Comfortably dealt with Vasek Pospisil in the quarter finals.
Negatives: Hard to say his display against Federer was a negative, due to the sheer genius of his Swiss opponents display in the semi final. However after electing to receive first, Murray always put himself on the back foot and that would have given Federer even more encouragement as if he needed any. Federer served magnificently though and never really gave Murray a sniff.
Losing a set 6-1 to Andreas Seppi in the third round was also careless and Murray's concentration compared to 2012/13 could certainly be called into question.
US Open (4th Round- Lost in four sets to Kevin Anderson)
Positives : Handled the pressure of playing Kyrgios again in a slam in what was a humdinger of a round one draw, especially after the Australian's pre tournament headline making comments about a fellow countryman "banging Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend."
Fought back in his usual gritty style from two sets down to beat Adrian Mannarino in Round Two and looked a lot more comfortable against Bellucci in Round Three.
Win against Mannarino was his eighth career comeback from two sets down showing you can never write him off.
Negatives: Defeat to Anderson on Monday night meant his earliest exit at a slam since he lost to Wawrinka in the third round of the US Open in 2010. Struggled once again to cope with conditions on the Louis Armstrong stadium against Anderson and it is now clearly bothering him mentally after losing their against Wawrinka and struggling against Haase in 2014 and Cilic in 2012 on the court.
Spent too much time on court during the early rounds after a hectic warm up schedule prior to arriving in New York. With all due respect to Mannarino, there's no way his game should have had the ability to take Murray to five sets.
His forehand wasn't firing on all cylinders right from the start of the tournament compared to its blistering pace which enabled him to defeat Djokovic in the Montreal final. Defeat to Anderson meant he still hasn't been beyond the quarters at Flushing Meadows since winning the tournament in 2012.
Where does Murray go from here?
The first priority for Murray is next weekend's Davis Cup Semi Final against Australia at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Murray recognises 2015 as the best chance of him lifting the Davis Cup and he has revelled in his role as talisman. It is looking likely that Murray will be asked to play three matches, though the performances in the US doubles tournament by his brother Jamie and Dominic Inglot who have both reached the semi-finals at the time of writing, might mean he rests out on the Saturday.
From there, his schedule certainly isn't as packed as this time last year when he was playing tournaments every week in an effort to reach the World Tour finals in London. This year he's already qualified and will play the Shanghai Masters in October and the Paris Masters at the start of November as preparation for the finals which start on November 16.
Either those finals in London or a Davis Cup final appearance at the end of November will bring Murray's 2015 to an end. It has been an impressive year to date, but many like myself felt Murray was almost certain to win a slam this year despite the level of competition that now enriches the men's game.
One thing for sure though is that he will be even more determined to correct that wrong in 2016, starting at the Australian Open.
Tuesday 11 August 2015
The US PGA Championship: Who can tame Whistling Straits?
The US PGA Championship is upon us offering the best in men's golf a final shot at winning a Major Championship in 2015. Being played over the links-style Whistling Straits, the past two PGA Championships held on the course have went to play-offs in 2004 and 2010, so we could be in for some late drama come Sunday evening.
The course features almost 1,000 bunkers and one of those infamously cost Dustin Johnson an opportunity to win a Major when he grounded his club in sand on the 18th hole in 2010, without realising he was in a designated bunker. A two-shot penalty ensued meaning Johnson slipped down to fifth, after already missing a par putt to get into the play-off which Germany's Martin Kaymer went on to win.
That infamous bunker has now been covered up by a viewing area, but the rules are the same that all areas of the course that were built with bunkers and filled with sand will be played as bunkers. After Johnson's 'error' in 2010 though, it would be incredible to see someone fall foul of these rules again.
With the bunker issues out the way, it's time to start thinking about who is going to lift the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday in Wisconsin. The favourite is Jordan Spieth, winner of this years Masters and US Open. He almost kept his hopes of winning all four Majors in one year alive at St Andrews, but missed out on the play-off by a shot, with the Claret Jug going to his countryman Zach Johnson.
However, at a best priced 7/1 currently there is little value in betting on the young American. Here are three men who can make your wallet a little bit bulkier heading into the office on Monday morning.
Jason Day (Australia) Best Price 14/1 (Various): Along with Dustin Johnson, the Australian has been the golfer who has been continuously knocking on the door bidding to win a first major over the last few years.
That 'Day' hasn't arrived yet for the 27 year old from Queensland but it's not through a lack of trying. He already has nine top tens in Majors, dating back to 2010 at Whistling Straits when he finished in a tie for tenth. Since then he has finished in the top two at both the Masters and US Open, and last month he only missed a play-off in The Open by a shot.
This course looks primed for Day to attack with his brilliant course management and he's a fan of links style course having secured that top five finish at the Open and also achieving a hugely admirable tied ninth placed finish at Chambers Bay in the US Open in June, despite suffering from his known Vertigo issues.
Only a disappointing final round of 74 stopped him from truly contending last time out here and having bounced back from Open disappointment with a win at the Canadian Open the week after, Day looks mentally primed to finally lift a Major.
Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) Best Price 40/1 (Various): Having narrowly missed out on delivering for me at the Open, I'm again putting my faith in the South African, who of course did win the Open in 2010.
It has been a welcome return to form for Oosthuizen this year, after several struggles with injuries and if his putting had been better on the Monday at St Andrews he would surely have walked away with a second Claret Jug.
Furthermore, he would have won the US Open at Chambers Bay if it hadn't been for a horrible first round of 77. Oosthuizen went 66-66-67 over the other three days on a course not a million miles away from Whistling Straits, although this weeks course has greens that are much more accessible and easy to putt on.
He might have missed the cut here in 2010, but that was off the back of coping with being Open champion. Five years on, he is swinging back to his best and he'll be annoyed if this is a year where he walks away empty handed in the Majors. 40/1 is a terrific bet.
Robert Streb (USA) Best Price 90/1 (Coral): This might be a name unfamiliar to casual golf fans but the long odds being offered on Streb this week seem incredible to me. Of course it is an entirely different proposition from taking regular PGA Tour event form onto a Major Championship course, but Streb who is currently ranked fifth in the Fed Ex Cup standings is too good to ignore at this price.
He has been 'Mr Consistency' this season and comes into the championship with eight top tens and 13 top 25's this season in 25 PGA Tour events. He's also a winner on the PGA Tour this season, albeit back in October 2014 at the McGladrey Classic.
However, his recent form has been impressive too. He was in contention at the Open until a Monday final round of 73 saw him slip into a tie for 18th, but anyone who shoots 66 round the Old Course can't be sniffed at. He followed that up with a fifth placed finish in the Bridgestone Invitational last week and he hasn't missed a cut since the end of April. Results since then have included top five finishes at the Wells Fargo and the Greenbrier Classic.
The PGA Championship is notorious for throwing up surprise winners; think Rich Beem, Shaun Micheel and Y.E.Yang and it might just happen for Streb this week. Certainly worth an E/W bet.
One final footnote for this weeks championship is of course, how will Rory McIlroy do? The defending champion and World Number One is just off a serious ankle injury which kept him out of defending his Open title at St Andrews. He doesn't look to be suffering any effects so far during his practice rounds, but tournament golf is altogether a different proposition.
If he feels ready though and this is a course which he finished tied third on in the 2010 PGA, then you can't rule out the Northern Irishman.
Wednesday 15 July 2015
The Open 2015: Who can tame the Old Course?
One of the annual sporting highlights is upon us with The Open Championship set to begin at 6.30am tomorrow.
The 144th edition of golf's oldest major will take place at the so-called home of golf, St Andrews and it promises to be another fascinating battle to see who will be lifting the claret Jug early on Sunday evening.
St Andrews always delivers magical moments, from Tiger Woods dominance in 2000, to Costantino Rocca's monster putt in 1995 and Seve's magical win in 1984, it brings out the best in the world's best golfers. The winners at St Andrews include Woods, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Faldo, Jones and Snead showing it is the cream of the crop who rise to the challenge of the Old Course.
Jordan Spieth is the overwhelming favourite for this years event having won the first two majors of this year and the fact that defending champion and World Number One Rory McIlroy is missing The Open due to injury. However, if you are looking for a flutter this weekend, Spieth is offering no value.
With that in mind here are five men who I feel could be challenging come Sunday night.
Rickie Fowler: Best Odds (19/1 BWIN): The odds are shortening all the time on Fowler, who arrives at St Andrews in terrific form, having captured his first European Tour title at Gullane last week in the Scottish Open. For many, that is seen as the perfect preparation and Fowler is fully confident he can repeat the back to back double of winning the Scottish Open and The Open, like his countryman Phil Mickelson did in 2013.
He also won the Players Championship in wonderful fashion in May, playing the final six holes in six under at Sawgrass before he fought hard to defeat Sergio Garcia then Kevin Kisner in a sudden death play-off.
Fowler is also a lover of links golf and finished tied for second in last years Open behind McIlroy and also finished in the top five in 2011. He played in the last Open at St Andrews in 2010 and despite a 79 on the opening day, he recovered to finish inside the top 15.
He looks primed for a major despite his disaster at the US Open last month.
Louis Oosthuizen: Best Odds (25/1 Various): The popular South African was the winner at St Andrews in 2010 and looks in the right sort of form to win again at the Old Course. Oosthuizen has one of the best swings in golf and seems to finally be over the chronic back problems which have hampered his progress.
He comes into the event in great form off the back of a tied second at the links style US Open course of Chambers Bay and is bound to be perked up by returning to the scene of his only Major win to date.
Although he did enjoy some luck with the weather on the Friday in 2010, Oosthuizen showed terrific composure on the final day to ensure nobody else was ever in the hunt for the Claret Jug. If he discovers that sort of focus again, he'll take some stopping.
Paul Casey: Best Odds (40/1 Various): The Englishman started the final day in 2010 at St Andrews alongside Oosthuizen hoping to push for his first Major title, but that was put paid to after a horror show on the 12th.
Nevertheless Casey still finished tied third that week having shot three rounds in the 60s and is a big fan of St Andrews, having shot rounds of 66 and 62 over the Old Course in the last two years at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Casey was expected to kick on from that result in 2010, but fitness worries meant that he was winless for two years until he won the Irish Open in 2013. Since then, he has gradually got back to form and heads to St Andrews in a great frame of mind.
Only play-off losses to Bubba Watson and James Hahn stopped him from picking up titles on the PGA Tour this season and he also enjoyed a top six finish at the Masters. Great odds for a man I remain convinced will lift a Major.
Branden Grace: Best Odds (50/1 Various): Oosthuizen's countryman Branden Grace is another player who is well worth an each way bet this week. A former winner of the Dunhill Links in 2012, he shot rounds of 67 and 70 that year as well as two 69's in the same tournament last year around St Andrews.
A wayward drive on the 16th at Chambers Bay cost him his chance of winning the US Open last month but throughout that tournament, Grace looked liked he believed he could win a Major for the first time. Now he's heading to a course he loves and he'll be keen to follow in the foot steps of Oosthuizen.
He's already won this season in Qatar and South Africa and has six wins to his name on the European Tour since 2012. That winning habit is hard to get out of.
Tommy Fleetwood: Best Odds (90/1 BWIN): My final pick for the week goes to the Englishman Fleetwood who absolutely loves this course. He is a remarkable 26 under for his last four rounds at St Andrews and has finished in the top five in the Dunhill Links three times in the last four years so clearly loves the links golf courses of Scotland.
He backed that up with a top ten at Gullane last week and has enjoyed a consistent season on the European Tour. He also won at Gleneagles in 2013 and will be quietly confident of challenging this week.
The Open is a bit of a lottery, but I hope these men can add some cash to your wallet come Sunday night. The next four days promise to deliver superb sporting drama. Sit back on the sofa and put your feet up or if you are heading to St Andrews, have a great time!
The 144th edition of golf's oldest major will take place at the so-called home of golf, St Andrews and it promises to be another fascinating battle to see who will be lifting the claret Jug early on Sunday evening.
St Andrews always delivers magical moments, from Tiger Woods dominance in 2000, to Costantino Rocca's monster putt in 1995 and Seve's magical win in 1984, it brings out the best in the world's best golfers. The winners at St Andrews include Woods, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Faldo, Jones and Snead showing it is the cream of the crop who rise to the challenge of the Old Course.
Jordan Spieth is the overwhelming favourite for this years event having won the first two majors of this year and the fact that defending champion and World Number One Rory McIlroy is missing The Open due to injury. However, if you are looking for a flutter this weekend, Spieth is offering no value.
With that in mind here are five men who I feel could be challenging come Sunday night.
Rickie Fowler: Best Odds (19/1 BWIN): The odds are shortening all the time on Fowler, who arrives at St Andrews in terrific form, having captured his first European Tour title at Gullane last week in the Scottish Open. For many, that is seen as the perfect preparation and Fowler is fully confident he can repeat the back to back double of winning the Scottish Open and The Open, like his countryman Phil Mickelson did in 2013.
He also won the Players Championship in wonderful fashion in May, playing the final six holes in six under at Sawgrass before he fought hard to defeat Sergio Garcia then Kevin Kisner in a sudden death play-off.
Fowler is also a lover of links golf and finished tied for second in last years Open behind McIlroy and also finished in the top five in 2011. He played in the last Open at St Andrews in 2010 and despite a 79 on the opening day, he recovered to finish inside the top 15.
He looks primed for a major despite his disaster at the US Open last month.
Louis Oosthuizen: Best Odds (25/1 Various): The popular South African was the winner at St Andrews in 2010 and looks in the right sort of form to win again at the Old Course. Oosthuizen has one of the best swings in golf and seems to finally be over the chronic back problems which have hampered his progress.
He comes into the event in great form off the back of a tied second at the links style US Open course of Chambers Bay and is bound to be perked up by returning to the scene of his only Major win to date.
Although he did enjoy some luck with the weather on the Friday in 2010, Oosthuizen showed terrific composure on the final day to ensure nobody else was ever in the hunt for the Claret Jug. If he discovers that sort of focus again, he'll take some stopping.
Paul Casey: Best Odds (40/1 Various): The Englishman started the final day in 2010 at St Andrews alongside Oosthuizen hoping to push for his first Major title, but that was put paid to after a horror show on the 12th.
Nevertheless Casey still finished tied third that week having shot three rounds in the 60s and is a big fan of St Andrews, having shot rounds of 66 and 62 over the Old Course in the last two years at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Casey was expected to kick on from that result in 2010, but fitness worries meant that he was winless for two years until he won the Irish Open in 2013. Since then, he has gradually got back to form and heads to St Andrews in a great frame of mind.
Only play-off losses to Bubba Watson and James Hahn stopped him from picking up titles on the PGA Tour this season and he also enjoyed a top six finish at the Masters. Great odds for a man I remain convinced will lift a Major.
Branden Grace: Best Odds (50/1 Various): Oosthuizen's countryman Branden Grace is another player who is well worth an each way bet this week. A former winner of the Dunhill Links in 2012, he shot rounds of 67 and 70 that year as well as two 69's in the same tournament last year around St Andrews.
A wayward drive on the 16th at Chambers Bay cost him his chance of winning the US Open last month but throughout that tournament, Grace looked liked he believed he could win a Major for the first time. Now he's heading to a course he loves and he'll be keen to follow in the foot steps of Oosthuizen.
He's already won this season in Qatar and South Africa and has six wins to his name on the European Tour since 2012. That winning habit is hard to get out of.
Tommy Fleetwood: Best Odds (90/1 BWIN): My final pick for the week goes to the Englishman Fleetwood who absolutely loves this course. He is a remarkable 26 under for his last four rounds at St Andrews and has finished in the top five in the Dunhill Links three times in the last four years so clearly loves the links golf courses of Scotland.
He backed that up with a top ten at Gullane last week and has enjoyed a consistent season on the European Tour. He also won at Gleneagles in 2013 and will be quietly confident of challenging this week.
The Open is a bit of a lottery, but I hope these men can add some cash to your wallet come Sunday night. The next four days promise to deliver superb sporting drama. Sit back on the sofa and put your feet up or if you are heading to St Andrews, have a great time!
Tuesday 7 July 2015
The Ashes 2015: Who are the key players going to be for England?
The Ashes are all set to begin tomorrow when the first ball is bowled at 11am in Cardiff. That ball could set the tone for the entire series, whoever it is bowled by just like Steve Harmison's shocking first ball set the tone in the 2006/07 Ashes series, when England were humiliated 5-0.
Australia seem to have the momentum coming into the 2015 edition and a drawn series over the five matches will see them retain the Ashes. They are blessed with the world's best batsman right now in Steve Smith and also have a fearsome pace attack spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, though they were dealt a blow recently when Ryan Harris retired last week. Add in the experience of captain Michael Clarke, wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Shane Watson and the Aussies have a pretty formidable team.
However, after a shocking World Cup, England have certainly re grouped and are playing a much more positive brand of cricket than they were at the beginning of 2015. If they are to win the Ashes, then they will have to continue to be aggressive and not let the Australians see that they are scared, which too many players did in the last series down under. That's where young talents like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes could come into their own.
With a new coach Trevor Bayliss at the helm eager to prove his Australian countrymen wrong and players in good form with the bat and bowl, then the Aussies will be in for a tough test and their sledging could quieten down quickly against an England team keen to keep a proud record of having not lost a home Ashes series since 2001.
Here are five men who will be vital if England are to win the little urn back.
Joe Root: Still just 24, the Yorkshireman has made himself the key batsman in the England team over the last 18 months and goes into the Ashes in a rich vein of form. After a disappointing series down under where he scored only 192 runs, Root has re-grouped and has scored four test centuries since then and also performed well in the recent series against New Zealand where he had scores of 98 and 84 in the first Test. In the One Day series he scored two centuries and also helped himself to 68 in the 20/20 international between England and New Zealand.
His technique is a joy to watch unless you are the bowler trying to get him out. He will be key in either pushing England on from great starts by the opening batsmen or rescuing the situation in the middle order.
Alastair Cook: Talking of opening batsmen, Cook will need to be at his best to ensure England get off to the best possible start in each innings of the series, particularly when his opening partner is the inexperienced Adam Lyth. After a miserable couple of years with the bat, Cook finally regained his form on the tour of West Indies in April when he scored a century and two fifties and he continued that form against New Zealand with another century and two further 50 plus scores.
He also led England to victory in the Ashes in the last home series in 2013, before 'leading' his side to a 5-0 whitewash down under six months later. That saw the calls for him to resign hugely intensify but Cook has stuck it out and his decision making on the field at key moments will be hugely vital for England if they are to win the Ashes. And as Nasser Hussain knows after infamously bowling in Brisbane after winning a coin toss, he'll need to get those decisions spot on too.
Jos Buttler: The wicket-keeper batsman is arguably the most exciting cricketer who will be lining up for either side. Buttler was seen initially as a one-day specialist due to his aggressive hitting, but the new found England have seen no reason why he can't translate that to the test arena.
He scored two wonderful fifties in the test series against New Zealand recently and he'll be keen to grab his first test century as soon as possible after getting his debut last July against India. He won't be feared of the likes of Johnson and Starc and if England are in a good position batting wise when he comes to the crease, he has the ability to bat the Australians out of the game quickly.
I might have focused on his batting here, but he is improving all the time as a wicket keeper and I have a funny feeling he won't be shy in engaging in a bit of sledging with the Aussie batsmen, which could work to England's advantage.
Jimmy Anderson: With over 400 test wickets, Anderson will be leading England's attack. Still more than capable of delivering near perfect spells, the Lancashire lad will be looking to find as much swing as possible in the English conditions which he has used to great effect before, especially in 2013 when he took five wickets in each Australian innings at Trent Bridge.
If the groundsmen have prepared the pitch to suit Anderson's pace and bounce then his deliveries could prove very effective against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Adam Voges in the Australian top order. His experience and help to captain Alastair Cook on the pitch and in the dressing room with younger players will be invaluable to new England coach Trevor Bayliss as well.
Ben Stokes: Like Buttler, a player who can be absolutely devastating when on top form with the bat and the Australians will be wary of a player who made his test debut against them in the last Ashes series.
Despite England's humiliation, Stokes showed no fear and in only his second test scored a magnificent 120 in a losing cause in Perth. He also picked up six wickets in the final test in Sydney and many felt a new star had been born.
However, Stokes was still a work in progress and it wasn't until the recent series against New Zealand where he showcased his talent to all of its ability for the first time. After a 92 in the first innings of the first test, he scored the fastest ever test century by an Englishman in the second innings in just 85 balls. He has the potential to be England's all-rounder hero this summer just like Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was in 2005 if he shows no fear and can find the proper line and length with the ball.
If this series is half as good as the 2005 series was or even 2009's edition then I'll be glued to the Sky Sports Ashes Channel over the next couple of months. The Ashes can make or break players. They can either stand up and be counted and become national sporting legends or crumble like England have done down under in recent years. It will be fascinating to watch whatever happens.
For cricketing fans, this is like Christmas and birthday's rolled into one. Here's to a great summer of cricket!
Australia seem to have the momentum coming into the 2015 edition and a drawn series over the five matches will see them retain the Ashes. They are blessed with the world's best batsman right now in Steve Smith and also have a fearsome pace attack spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, though they were dealt a blow recently when Ryan Harris retired last week. Add in the experience of captain Michael Clarke, wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Shane Watson and the Aussies have a pretty formidable team.
However, after a shocking World Cup, England have certainly re grouped and are playing a much more positive brand of cricket than they were at the beginning of 2015. If they are to win the Ashes, then they will have to continue to be aggressive and not let the Australians see that they are scared, which too many players did in the last series down under. That's where young talents like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes could come into their own.
With a new coach Trevor Bayliss at the helm eager to prove his Australian countrymen wrong and players in good form with the bat and bowl, then the Aussies will be in for a tough test and their sledging could quieten down quickly against an England team keen to keep a proud record of having not lost a home Ashes series since 2001.
Here are five men who will be vital if England are to win the little urn back.
Joe Root: Still just 24, the Yorkshireman has made himself the key batsman in the England team over the last 18 months and goes into the Ashes in a rich vein of form. After a disappointing series down under where he scored only 192 runs, Root has re-grouped and has scored four test centuries since then and also performed well in the recent series against New Zealand where he had scores of 98 and 84 in the first Test. In the One Day series he scored two centuries and also helped himself to 68 in the 20/20 international between England and New Zealand.
His technique is a joy to watch unless you are the bowler trying to get him out. He will be key in either pushing England on from great starts by the opening batsmen or rescuing the situation in the middle order.
Alastair Cook: Talking of opening batsmen, Cook will need to be at his best to ensure England get off to the best possible start in each innings of the series, particularly when his opening partner is the inexperienced Adam Lyth. After a miserable couple of years with the bat, Cook finally regained his form on the tour of West Indies in April when he scored a century and two fifties and he continued that form against New Zealand with another century and two further 50 plus scores.
He also led England to victory in the Ashes in the last home series in 2013, before 'leading' his side to a 5-0 whitewash down under six months later. That saw the calls for him to resign hugely intensify but Cook has stuck it out and his decision making on the field at key moments will be hugely vital for England if they are to win the Ashes. And as Nasser Hussain knows after infamously bowling in Brisbane after winning a coin toss, he'll need to get those decisions spot on too.
Jos Buttler: The wicket-keeper batsman is arguably the most exciting cricketer who will be lining up for either side. Buttler was seen initially as a one-day specialist due to his aggressive hitting, but the new found England have seen no reason why he can't translate that to the test arena.
He scored two wonderful fifties in the test series against New Zealand recently and he'll be keen to grab his first test century as soon as possible after getting his debut last July against India. He won't be feared of the likes of Johnson and Starc and if England are in a good position batting wise when he comes to the crease, he has the ability to bat the Australians out of the game quickly.
I might have focused on his batting here, but he is improving all the time as a wicket keeper and I have a funny feeling he won't be shy in engaging in a bit of sledging with the Aussie batsmen, which could work to England's advantage.
Jimmy Anderson: With over 400 test wickets, Anderson will be leading England's attack. Still more than capable of delivering near perfect spells, the Lancashire lad will be looking to find as much swing as possible in the English conditions which he has used to great effect before, especially in 2013 when he took five wickets in each Australian innings at Trent Bridge.
If the groundsmen have prepared the pitch to suit Anderson's pace and bounce then his deliveries could prove very effective against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Adam Voges in the Australian top order. His experience and help to captain Alastair Cook on the pitch and in the dressing room with younger players will be invaluable to new England coach Trevor Bayliss as well.
Ben Stokes: Like Buttler, a player who can be absolutely devastating when on top form with the bat and the Australians will be wary of a player who made his test debut against them in the last Ashes series.
Despite England's humiliation, Stokes showed no fear and in only his second test scored a magnificent 120 in a losing cause in Perth. He also picked up six wickets in the final test in Sydney and many felt a new star had been born.
However, Stokes was still a work in progress and it wasn't until the recent series against New Zealand where he showcased his talent to all of its ability for the first time. After a 92 in the first innings of the first test, he scored the fastest ever test century by an Englishman in the second innings in just 85 balls. He has the potential to be England's all-rounder hero this summer just like Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was in 2005 if he shows no fear and can find the proper line and length with the ball.
If this series is half as good as the 2005 series was or even 2009's edition then I'll be glued to the Sky Sports Ashes Channel over the next couple of months. The Ashes can make or break players. They can either stand up and be counted and become national sporting legends or crumble like England have done down under in recent years. It will be fascinating to watch whatever happens.
For cricketing fans, this is like Christmas and birthday's rolled into one. Here's to a great summer of cricket!
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