Spain reign to end years of pain

We will have to think of a new tag with which to label the Spanish sides at future major tournaments.

For so long they have been ‘perennial underachievers Spain’ but they shed that moniker by rising to the occasion at the Ernst Happel stadium yesterday.

For the next couple of tournaments ‘Euro 2008 champions Spain’ will suffice and it’s a title they richly deserve.

The Spaniards were simply too good for Germans and capped off a wonderful tournament with a classy display of their passing football in the final.

While Spain’s tournament win will be seen as a vindication of the quick little silky midfield player, with Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva all fitting in that category, it was a classic centre forward who rose to the occasion in the final.

Fernando Torres may not have had a great tournament by his own Everest-high standards, but the Liverpool hitman picked his moment to shine.

They say the best players perform on the biggest stage and last night Torres stepped up to the plate.

Full of menace, he carried more threat on his own than the whole Germany side put together and gave a real cutting edge to the pretty passing stuff being played out behind him.

His goal was a classic striker’s effort, brushing aside Germany’s Philipp Lahm before calming dinking the ball over an onrushing Jens Lehman.

But it was the sheer enthusiasm with which Torres harassed the German back line and the competitive way he fought tooth and nail for his side that raised the spirits of the whole team.

There is a streak of pure anger which fires Torres game’ that belies his cherubic features, this is after all a man who was nicknamed El Nino – the kid – in Spain for his youthful complexion.

He has a ferocious desire coursing through his veins, not dissimilar to that fervour that grips Wayne Rooney every time he steps out on a football pitch.

Unlike the Manchester United forward though, the Spaniard seems to be able to contain the anger, only releasing it in occasional outbursts seemingly directed more at himself than opponents or the referee.

I remember reading an interview with Torres’ Liverpool team mate Steven Gerrard shortly after the striker arrived at Anfield when the Reds’ skipper said he was surprised by how much Torres enjoyed the rough side of the English game.

It may explain why the forward was so quick to adapt to life in the Premiership, he didn’t just cope with the tough stuff dished out by big centre halves week in week out, he enjoyed it.

This is clearly not some pretty boy striker here to make a quick buck, Torres is that rare phenomenon of a star player who plays with the attitude of someone who is less able than his colleagues and has to make up for it through grit and determination.

It is not hard to see why he has become an instant Kop idol, and why he was deified during his time at Atletico Madrid.

As Spain won a victory for football purists last night, Torres was busy claiming a separate triumph for the role of the old-fashioned centre forward.


My team of the tournament for Euro 2008:
(4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Spain) – For years the most reliable player at Real Madrid and Spain, the stopper deserved to lift the trophy in the tournament’s final act. Had his moment of personal recognition in the quarter final shoot out against Italy but Casillas is also the epitome of a team player, ever-dependable and a steadying influence on those around him.

Right back: Sergio Ramos (Spain) – Not flawless defensively but more than made up for it with his surging runs forward and bags of energy on the right flank. It’s hard to imagine England ever producing a full back so comfortable on the ball and the Real Madrid defender is also a great athlete, able to add his presence in both penalty boxes at set pieces.

Centre back: Carlos Marchena (Spain) – The less celebrated of Spain’s centre back pairing, the Valencia defender came of age in this tournament and offered a solid foundation for his side to use as a base for their sparkling football. An old school defender who gets stuck in and does the simple things well, Marchena was an underrated contributor to the champions, success.

Centre back: Robert Kovac (Croatia) – This is likely to be the last time we see Robert and brother Niko at a major international tournament and the pair will be sorely missed. Robert is a classy defender who plays with a calm authority that tends to rub off on his team mates. A true leader, he made up for any lack of pace in his ageing legs with great reading of the game.

Left back: Yuri Zhirkov (Russia) – Russia went into the tournament boasting that in right back Alexandr Anyukov they had the Cafu of Eastern Europe. That may have prompted Zhirkov to pull off a passable impression of Cafu’s compatriot Roberto Carlos with his marauding runs from the left and also the ability to smash the leather off a dead ball.

Centre midfield: Marcos Senna (Spain) – It’s no surprise that the two finalists had the two most effective holding midfield players in the tournament. Senna offered a security net for Spain’s more naturally gifted midfielders to roam forward. His work ethic, sensible use of possession and positional sense were key to the Spanish success story.

Centre midfield: Xavi Hernandez (Spain) – The Barcelona player summed up what Spain were all about with intelligent passing and brilliant vision. They say the best sportsman look like they have more time than they are actually given and Xavi never seems rushed on the ball. His success will help banish the memories of a season of underachievement at the Nou Camp.

Right sided attacking midfield: Wesley Sneijder (Holland) – The gifted Dutchman was key to his side’s bright attacking play early in the tournament and he scored two fine goals, one putting the finish touch on a great team move and the other a superb individual effort. Coming off the back of a great season with Real Madrid, his wicked delivery from set pieces is another weapon in his bountiful arsenal.

Central attacking midfield: Andrei Arshavin (Russia) - May have missed the first two games and might as well have not shown up against Spain in the semi, but in the two games in between the tricky Russian was electrifying. The kind of creative genius every major tournament needs, the only mystery is how it took Arshavin till the age of 27 before he proved himself on the world stage.

Left sided attacking midfield: Lukas Podolski (Germany) – The Polish born forward struggled for a starting spot at club side Bayern Munich last term, but he has come to the fore at the last two major tournaments. Deployed on the left flank by Joachim Low, Podolski was a threat and claimed three well-struck goals. Faded as the rest of his side’s form dipped in the closing stages of the competition.

Striker: David Villa (Spain) – Expected to play second fiddle to Torres, the Valencia hitman claimed the Golden Boot despite missing the final and coming off injured before half time in the semi. One of the most complete strikers in world football, Villa is equally comfortable playing deep, out wide or on the shoulder of the last defender. No wonder the big guns are said to be getting out their cheque books.

Cherries Chat: Fans favourite Danny commits to life in League Two

It’s been a rare week of good news at Dean Court.

AFC Bournemouth are still in administration and joint administrator Gerald Krasner has admitted that the club is likely to start with a 15-point deduction next season.

However, all bar one of our out of contract players have committed to the club for next season and the squad for the upcoming campaign is starting to take shape.

Josh Gowling has fled the nest, moving the length of the country to stay in League One with Carlisle.

Hopefully former Arsenal trainee Ryan Garry will finally shed his injury curse next season and fill the gap left by Gowling.

Elsewhere we have lost Sam Vokes, who was snapped up on the cheap by Wolves, and Max Gradel, our loan star who had returned to his parent club Leicester.

Otherwise we have maintained all the players who did so well for us at the end of last season and narrowly missed out on survival.

With over a month to go before the 2008/9 campaign kicks off we will hopefully find room in our tight budget to make a couple more additions, with another forward and a wide player key targets.

We will have one of the best squads in the division, even if it is on the small side, and as long as we are not hit by too many injuries, we should be able to bounce back quickly from whatever points deduction is inflicted on us.

In true ‘save the best till last’ fashion it was the supporters player of the year Danny Hollands who was final player to pledge his immediate future to the Cherries.

The former Chelsea reserve team skipper was slow to make an impact at the club after being signed by Sean O’Driscoll at the start of the 2006/7 season.

But the midfielder came into his own last season, even when the team was struggling his outstanding work rate and love of a tackle shone through.

He always makes himself available and, while he is not bad on the ball, he knows his limits and will often play the simple ball when it is on.

For me his best performance last season was actually in a game we lost, away at Cheltenham in January.

Hollands was everywhere, pulling the strings as we dominated the game but poor finishing cost us as we conceding from a set piece in the dying minutes.

There must be something positive going on off the pitch at Bournemouth that is convincing players like Hollands to stay on the south coast next season despite offers from other clubs.

I hope we can get the financial issues sorted as quickly as possible but at least now I am finally looking forward to next season with some optimism and I can’t wait for us to start playing again.

Colly has a wobble

Paul Collingwood must be looking back through rose tinted spectacles at the days when all he had to worry about was woeful batting form and a crisis of confidence.

His early season woes with the willow must now seem small fry compared to the troubles now sitting on his shoulders.

Forced to sit out the next three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 for overseeing a slow over rate in the field in the latest clash with New Zealand at The Oval, the Geordie has also become the villain of the cricketing world for his part in the controversial run out of Grant Elliott.

Collingwood refused to allow the Kiwi all rounder to be reinstated after he was caught out of his ground following an accidental clash with Ryan Sidebottom.

The act has been described as going ‘against the spirit of cricket’, but it was not just that, it went against the spirit of sport in general.

One player should not suffer, and his team’s chances of winning be hit, by a simple accidental collision.

In football players are encouraged to put the ball out of play if a player is injured, in boxing you have to let you opponent get up if they slip and in most sports a side pauses if a member of the opposition is down with an injury.

Admittedly Collingwood apologised pretty swiftly after the game, but the damage had already been done.

He had his chance and he made the wrong call, what is more he knows it.

If Collingwood is honest he simply panicked, the game was going down to the wire and he saw a chance of getting rid of Elliott, who was looking like the matchwinner and had been a key component in the Black Caps victory in the previous game at Bristol.

It’s all very well to say you’re sorry now but captaincy in cricket is all about making the right decision in the heat of the movement and the combative Durham all rounder let the pressure of the situation affect his judgement.

It almost seems a saving grace for Collingwood that England still managed, with some effort, to contrive to lose the game.

The vitriol heading the England skipper’s way may just have been a little bit spicier if England had walked away with a victory.

If the home side had won it would have gone down in the record books as a win but it would only serve to raise the question of how we actually define a ‘win’, is there really such a thing as winning at all costs?

If you have to bring your sporting integrity into question and the manner in which you play the game, can this side really be classified as winners? Or is all that matters the ‘W’ in the results column?

Think of the times when Michael Schumacher was second to his supporting Ferrari team mates such as Rubens Barrichello and they eased off in the closing stages to allow the German to take over, ensuring him maximum points for his title challenge. Who actually ‘won’ that race?

In 1986 Argentina won the World Cup but how many people think back to that tournament and picture Maradona holding the trophy aloft in a Bobby Moore-esque pose?

How many of us, particularly the English, instead picture the Argentinean rising with his fist aloft as he cheekily dinks the ball over Peter Shilton with the immortalised ‘Hand of God’ to help knock Bobby Robson’s men out in the quarter finals.

I guess the key element in this Collingwood issue is that, thanks to the most basic of cricketing errors – failing to back up in the field, the question of how we define a winner is irrelevant because, in both senses, poor old Colly came out of the game a loser.

Should we return to Hell?

The home nations rugby sides are currently licking their wounds after another emphatic reminder that they are still playing catch up with the Southern Hemisphere on the international stage.

Scotland may have claimed one win out of two in hostile surroundings in Argentina but Ireland, Wales and England all came up short against the big guns of the south.

The question on the minds of management staff, fans and even the players now is probably something on the lines of ‘was it really worth it’?

Wales came back to earth with a bump following their Six Nations grand slam as World Cup winners South Africa showed just how poor the standard of this year’s competition really was.

The Springboks showed the true meaning of the word ‘champions’ as they eased to two comfortable test victories while playing largely within themselves.

Ireland put up a spirited display against New Zealand, but never really stretched the All Blacks or a weak Australia side.

Skipper Brian O’Driscoll openly raised concerns about the demands of overseas tours at the end of a World Cup season and suggested the players may have been better off putting their feet off at home.

But it was England who suffered worst on their tour and I’m not even taking into account the allegations against the so-called ‘gang of four’ relating to an incident at the team hotel in
Auckland after the first test.

A young side was emphatically put away by an Kiwi team in transition, making a mockery of all pre-match talk concerning the ‘drain of All Black talent’ and the ‘depth of English rugby’.

New England supremo Martin Johnson seems to have dodged a bullet by electing to miss the series and stay at home with his expectant wife.

So the issue is whether we have learned anything from these tours, whether they serve any purpose.

I have no doubt that these trips are an essential part of a young rugby player’s education as there is nothing quite like touring and the experience of playing an away test in the Southern Hemisphere.

You could almost excuse the numerous senior pros who pulled out of touring with their respective country because of injuries, some more convincing than others.

They may well think they have done the whole tour experience and at this stage in their careers they have to look after their bodies in an increasingly demanding rugby calendar.

But for young players these trips can prove an invaluable experience, if a humbling one, and surely these bright prospects are the sort of players who could be returning south in the red of the Lions for next year’s tour of South Africa.

The fact they have already been on a tour with an international side and faced the cream of global rugby in their own back yard can only stand them in better stead.

We also hear of people like Jonny Wilkinson who was part of the original ‘Tour of Hell’ to Australia in 1998 and how it turned out to be the making of the young man.

It is a well known coaching maxim that the time when you really find out about your players is not when they are coasting to victory but when they are being dominated and how they respond.

England’s trip to New Zealand may forever be remembered for whatever did happen in that hotel and the fact our young hopefuls were roundly trounced.

But maybe, just maybe, we will talk to a James Haskell or a Tom Rees in a few years time and they will say how the tour was an integral step on their path to becoming a top international player.

In terms of the tabloid headlines that have overshadowed the actual rugby side of the tour, I don’t want to say too much because – quite frankly – we have no idea what exactly happened.

What I do find outrageous is the blame levelled at Rob Andrew for allowing the players to go out on the town and the idea that if Martin Johnson was present all the boys would have behaved like angels.

Touring is a massive bonding experience that can build a team but the time spent relaxing off the pitch is equally as important as those intense moments in the heat of a test match.

Players need to be able to let off steam and they should be able to go out for a few drinks a week before the next game whether they win, lose or draw.

But when they are given freedom it is up to the players to take responsibility for themselves.
They may be young men, but they are not children and should have to face the consequences of their actions.

As I said, we don’t actually know whether they have done anything wrong and it is likely that the England management staff don’t know either, so of course they are right to support the players.

But if any of the allegations do turn out to be true, or even if they are false but the players have still acted in a way to discredit the rest of the squad, then there is noone to blame but the individuals themselves.

Tortured Toni's passionate display

I was extremely pleased that the local television directors producing the pictures for Euro 2008 picked up on the dramatic body language of Italian striker Luca Toni early in the tournament.

Few neutrals have shed a tear at the exit of Roberto Donadoni’s World Champions, as their exit will hardly hinder the entertainment aspects of the tournament.

However, one source of amusement to take from their negative displays was the repeated pleading to the heavens by hapless hitman Toni as yet another guilt-edged chance went begging.

The whole of the Bayern Munich forward’s massive frame contorted with exasperation as he let out screams like an Oedipal figure tortured by the Gods.

If only such passion was evident in the way the Azzuri actually played the game, perhaps they might have progressed beyond the quarter final stage.

A very British hero

It’s that time of year again at SW19 when the place comes alive with strawberries and cream, rain delays, Sharapova’s legs and McEnroe’s opinions as the whole nation suddenly takes an interest in tennis.

This year at Wimbledon though one of the staple ingredients of the British summer banquet will be missing.

Yes, I’m talking about ‘Tiger’ Tim Henman, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I will miss the presence of the Oxford-born nearly man in the draw.

Henman is remembered by some as the typical serial loser of British sport - so often he offered promise, the belief that it might actually be his year, only to crash out in dramatic circumstances.

Like the English football team he roused the public expectation time and time again only to leave us with that slightly betrayed feeling that we were seduced by his pretence as a potential champion.

But I want to thank Tim for the years he gave to British tennis.

In an era where we bemoan the lack of homegrown talent how can we complain about a man of modest ability who gave his all and adapted his game to be able to challenge anyone in the world game on the Wimbledon turf.

Four semi-finals and four-quarter finals may point to a man unable to perform when it really matters but it underlines the sheer consistency with which Henman came back again and again to the All England Tennis Club to present a real challenge in a period dominated by Pete Sampras and then Roger Federer.

Henman’s best chance to claim the trophy was in 2001 when he knocked out a young Federer and, with Sampras out of the competition, all that stood between him and a final with Pat Rafter was Goran Ivanisevic.

In typical Henman fashion it was a thrilling contest - we all remember how Tim was on the cusp of victory before the rains came and the loveable Croat fought back to claim victory and eventually win the title.

The point is I found it so easy to get behind Tim, it was exciting, at times unbearable, but you were never left in doubt that this was a man leaving nothing behind.

With Tiger Tim moving aside, we now have Andy Murray as the standard bearer of British tennis and I can’t say I’m thrilled.

It’s not that I don’t want to like the angst ridden young Scotsman but I find his ‘world against me’ attitude and taciturn demeanour have started to get to me.

I understood it when he was a fresh-faced teenager breaking into the game but his refusal to grow up off the court seems to be reflected in his game.

The thing is Murray is actually far more talented than Henman, although his game is perhaps less suited to grass, but when you compare his progress to that of Novak Djokovic since the two first broke onto the scene as gifted teenagers it is easy to see which has made greater strides.

Murray is also playing at a time when there are arguably just three real ‘world class’ players in the men’s game – Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic – and when you take them out of the equation anyone can beat anyone.

He has a great chance of winning a grand slam, perhaps in one of the hard court tournaments, if that holy trinity slip up or injuries strike.

But as yet he hasn’t shown the dedication and mental strength to make the most of his talent that will take him to the top of the game.

He has already penned an autobiography, which I have about as little intention of reading as the one produced by Cherie Blair, but what – in tennis terms – has he actually done?

Murray needs to stop focusing on the negative aspects, such as the pressure of the media, that could hold back his career and start focusing on the positives to improve his game.

I am tipping Nadal to overcome Federer this year and take his first grand slam on grass.
Federer may look so at home on grass that I’m convinced he was born in a Swiss meadow, but he has been winning purely out of habit of late and the way Nadal put him away so emphatically at Roland Garros - even if it was on clay - must have left mental scars.

I watched Nadal at Queens recently and although many were impressed by his triumph in the final over Djokovic, it was his quarter final win against the giant Ivo Karlovic that impressed me.

The 6ft 10in Croat’s serve was on top form as he banged down over 35 aces and Nadal was unable to break him in a single service game.

However, Nadal hung in there and in the final set tie break the Spaniard raised his game to another level and swept Karlovic aside.

It showed the kind of mental strength that Nadal has added to his game since he burst onto the scene as a bicep bulging, fist pumping clay court specialist.

Another youngster who can set an example to Murray as he carries a nation’s hopes on his shoulders this summer, whether he likes it or not.

More luck than judgement

I have a confession to make. Something I want to get off my chest.

Without wanting to sound like a kind of cricketing Luddite, I just don’t get the whole Twenty20 revolution.

I’m normally all for change or ‘progress’ and we repeatedly hear how sport is an ‘entertainment business’, but something just didn’t sit right with me from the start of this whole insatiable thirst for quickfire cricket.

It took me a little while to put my finger on it but I’ve finally worked it out.

The problem for me is that a large percentage of this new game is based on pure and simple luck.

Gloss it up as hard-hitting skill as you like, and I know there is some talent required to time the ball over the ropes, but there can be know doubt that every time someone launches the ball into the air they are playing with fire.

The players who succeed in Twenty20 rely on good fortune just as much as a good eye and shot selection.

Bowlers who get smacked straight to a fielder on the boundary rope get just the same result in the wicket columns as those who beat a player all ends up and send their stumps flying out the ground.

For a game that places so much emphasis on numbers and statistics, the shorter format brings with it a much higher element based on fortune that cannot be expressed in pure numbers.

With all the riches on offer for the winners now, how do we tell who deserves it and who is just blessed with some sort of lucky charm – does it even matter?

The whole point of test cricket is that it is just that, the ultimate test, five days of combat relying on skill and mental strength. Invariably the better side comes out on top, especially over a series.

In Twenty20 the chance for an upset is so much higher because fortune can favour one man on either side who can turn the game on it’s head in the space of a few minutes.

It is cricket condensed, downsized into a frenzied period of activity, but there are a number of elements of the game that are lost such as the ability to pick the delivery to leave or hit and manoeuvring the field through clever deflections.

For me it has parallels with a penalty shoot out in football, the skills involved are based on the general game and the better players normally have the advantage.

But in this ultra-simplified version anything can happen, the playing field is levelled and the upset is on the cards.

I hate sounding like an ultra-conservative lauding the status quo in the face of exciting change, but there we go, I’ve said my piece.

Unfortunately there is one all-conquering argument to shoot down any of the anti-revolutionaries like myself and that is the old business maxim – ‘give the people what they want’.

As long as the demand for Twenty20 remains and the money floods in, the revolution will continue to move forward.

Cherries chat: The longest of summers

The Carling Cup first round has been drawn, full league fixtures are revealed on Monday and most fans are starting to get excited about the 2008/9 season.

For Bournemouth fans though the new season still feels a very long way away.

The Cherries have now been in administration for 18 weeks and the lack of progress towards a rescue package is becoming alarming.

Before we begin life in League Two and take on FA Cup finalists Cardiff in the Carling Cup there is still an awful lot that needs to be sorted.

Eight of our squad are out of contract and even those of them who want to sign on for another year are only able to agree a deal in principle.

That leaves us with, by my reckoning, a seven-man first team squad at the moment and that includes three youth players who were promoted to the first team squad this summer.

Several of the players whose contracts are up are being linked with other clubs, including industrious midfielders Danny Holland and Shaun Cooper.

Defender Josh Gowling has revealed he has had offers from three other clubs to consider.
Gowling has been dubbed ‘Rio’ by the Cherries faithful due to his ‘corn roll’ haircut once sported by England and Manchester United centre back Ferdinand.

It is not the only thing they have in common as, while I’m not saying Gowling is in Rio’s class, his greatest weakness is also a tendency to switch off at the back.

Like Ferdinand he is a great athlete, particularly at this level, but while the United star has grown up and cut out those lapses last season Josh seemed more error prone than ever at the start of the campaign.

He came good though as we put on our run of six wins and a draw at the end of the season and had three monumental performances against three forwards who in my view were the just about best in the division last year.

Against the powerful Jason Scotland of Swansea, Bristol Rovers’ muscular Rickie Lambert and the lighting sharp Nicky Maynard from Crewe Gowling was outstanding and hardly put a foot wrong.

It just adds to the theory that he only performs at his best when he is concentrating and perhaps he would be better off not coming down to the fourth tier with us where his lackadaisical side may come to the fore once more.

The problem is that for every player that leaves we need to find a replacement fast – unless we end up relying on a side packed full of loan players and we proved last season that didn’t work.

The only other option is to see whether teams in League Two fancy taking us on in a five-a-side.

Big Phil sizes up Chelsea challenge

So ‘Big’ Phil Scolari has taken up the hottest of managerial hotseats at Stamford Bridge.

Scolari was the obvious choice once Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti dropped out of the running, it seems the only surprise about the appointment of the Portugal boss was the timing.

With their usual disregard for other teams and other competitions the Stamford Bridge outfit chose the middle of a major tournament in which Scolari’s current charges are involved.

It can’t have been Big Phil’s choice and word has it that the news broke from London to pre-empt the event being leaked to the press.

The Blues claim they waited until Portugal were confirmed as being through to the last eight as group winners but it does seem hard to conceive that it would have all been quiet without Arda Turan’s late deflected goal for Turkey that sent Switzerland packing and Portugal through.

With no national team competing in Euro 2008 to occupy the British press, journalists will be framing every Portugal game as one featuring ‘the future Chelsea manager’.

Meanwhile every British-based player will be (if they haven’t already) quizzed on their relationship with the gaffer and how it could influence their future.

This can only cause a distraction and I hate to think how we would react if an England team and their manager were treated this way.

But we must look forward and so far the response has been almost exclusively positive to Big Phil’s imminent arrival in England.

There are doubts about the fact he has never managed a European club before and, more significantly, his minimal command of the English language.

But there is a general consensus that the one tiem England target is the man Chelsea need to bring the best out of big players and put his stamp on the scene.

My only worry is we’ve heard it all before. The coach who is an outsider, with a reputation for doing things his own way and a refusal to be intimidated by anyone – is this a case of The Special One mark Two?

Even If it is some Chelsea fans may say ‘bring it on’, after all Jose Mourinho won the Premiership title in his first few seasons.

But the whole reason the Mourinho era turned sour at the Bridge was because Jose became too much of his own boss and started to clash with the Abramovich and the club’s power brokers such as Avram Grant and Frank Arnesen.

Grant may have departed following a gutsy effort in a doomed managerial appointment but Arnesen is as influential as ever (if not exactly who was behind the transfer of Jose Bosingwa as Grant was leaving the club).

While Abramovich is seemingly becoming disillusioned judging by his more frequent matchday absences and is responding by taking more decisions upon himself and his close circle.

The question might well be will Big Phil prove too big for Stamford Bridge?

Richie not tempted by foriegn riches

It is often said that ‘money talks’ and in sport it is a phrase that seems to be borne out with added emphasis on a daily basis.

Cricketers are having their heads turned by the riches of the IPL and footballers are being offered ever higher wages as the dollar proves its pulling power.

This week All-Black legend Richie McCaw bucked the trend as he put pen to paper on contract that will keep him tied to the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Fellow Kiwi Daniel Carter is on the verge of a similar deal which, like McCaw’s includes a clause entitling him to a six-month sabbatical from New Zealand rugby.

While Carter is expected move to Europe next year, most likely to Tana Umaga’s Toulon in France, on a short-term contract that is expected to earn him over half a million pounds.

But flanker McCaw has made it clear he is not intending to take his leave of absence any time soon and when he does it is likely to be to recharge his batteries for the New Zealand cause, rather than to cash in by playing abroad.

The All Blacks skipper had made it clear that captaining the club where he came through the ranks and leading his national side to glory as he is hailed as one of the greats of the game is enough to satisfy him.

Strangely, it seems this type of decision is becoming increasingly rare these days as financial rewards seem to be the ultimate goal of most sportsmen.

It is easy for us to judge when we sit and watch as young men are offered wealth beyond our wildest dreams for possessing talents we do not possess and say dismissively ‘he only went for the money’.

Sportsmen are, after all, human but it seems, as with all humans, some individuals have a higher sense of what is important in life.

While Carter is the poster boy of New Zealand rugby, McCaw is a man of the people.

Without the flashy skills of his Canterbury colleague and lacking the build of some of the fierce Lomu-esque figures to have squeezed into an All Black shirt, McCaw brings a kind of honesty to the game that belies his superstar status.

His immense work rate, brilliant anticipation, deceptive athleticism and reckless disregard for his own well physical being combine to make just about the perfect openside flanker.

His humble nature meant that, despite his success with Canterbury, he wasn’t the automatic choice to succeed Tana Umaga as All Blacks skipper and take up the kind of demi-god status that goes with it.

More doubts were raised when the red-hot World Cup favourites crashed out at the quarter-final stage in 2007.

But the 60-test veteran’s ridiculously consistent levels of performance and the respect he commands within the New Zealand camp mean he is likely to remain as captain for some time to come.

While McCaw has remained true to his roots other Kiwis such as Carl Haymans, Aaron Mauger, Luke McCalister and now Jerry Collins have abandoned the national team as they seek lucrative offers abroad.

The lure cash is also proving too much for many cricketers to resist as well as lucrative Twenty20 competitions begin to threaten the longer format of the game.

In football, if the rumours are to be believed, Brazilian Ronaldinho is preparing to signal the end desire for major trophies at club level by signing for Manchester City at the age of 28. Why? There are reportedly 200,000 reasons a week why.

Meanwhile Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo is being tempted with all the financial rewards he can dream of to join Real Madrid and leave the club where he has just one the Premiership, Champions League, Player of the Year and just about established himself as the best player on the planet.

I’m not saying talented athletes aren’t entitled to their share of the wealth as the money floods into professional sports, it’s just nice to see when the number size of the figure in a contract is not the only deciding factor when they take career-altering decisions.

Efficient Germans set the standard

Following a typically ridiculous opening ceremony Euro 2008 is underway.

The tournament hasn’t exactly burst onto the scene, it seems instead to have quietly poked its head around the corner to see if anyone is watching.

So far the general format has been for the underdogs to battle bravely but not quite have enough to cause an upset as the favourites, with their winning mentalities, have ground out victories.

The most impressive team so far has been the Germans, so far the only team to have come to the tournament who look like they are comfortable in the way they play and what they are trying to achieve.

'German efficiency' is a footballing analogy as old and overused as the 'magic of the FA Cup', but since Jurgen Klinsmann took over the reigns in 2004 that famous term seems to have taken on a new meaning.

While his successor Joachim Low seems to have slightly reduced the attacking emphasis of the side, thr principles still largely remain the same.

The side is a simple 4-4-2 with clear roles for each individual, whoever steps into the breach.

The midfield of Frings and Ballack, the former holding while the latter dictates the passing, flanked by two out and out wide men bears a more than passing resemblance to Manchester United’s `1999 treble winning quartet of Keane, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham.

Lukas Podolski may not be an natural wide man but he played that position with eagerness and no little discipline, although his striking instincts did enable him to pop at the right time to score two goals.

It is an ethos England could learn from. For years we have been obsessed with getting the best out of every player when the real question should be how do we get the most efficient team performance.

Wayne Rooney is a fantastic attacking talent but on several occasions last term, particularly on the big European nights, Sir Alex Ferguson did not shy away from playing him down the left flank as effectively a defensive midfield player when he felt Rooney’s energy in that position would benefit the team.

When he was first selected I doubt Frings was classed as the second best central midfield player in Germany but his sound technique, work rate and simple passing made him the ideal foil for Ballack.

Frings has grown and grown in that position and now it seems Bayern’s ambition and a slight history of injuries could be the only two things stopping a top club from Spain, Italy or England trying to tempt him away from the Allianz Arena.

Back to the tournament in general, it has hardly been free flowing feast of footballing entertainment, but after England’s performances at the 2006 World Cup we can’t exactly complain.

Football at this level is all about the winning, entertainment has always been secondary but nowadays - with so much money and national pride at stake – it seems like even less of a priority.

Every now and then we are blessed with a side that wins because it plays beautiful football and hence plays beautiful football because it leads to success.

Arsenal’s invincibles could certainly claim that status and last season, in the Premiership at least, Manchester United were a joy to watch.

I read some interesting comments from Waps and Ireland scrum-half Eoin Reddan recently ahead of last Saturday’s test against the All Blacks on the fact that the Irish oftened performed against the Kiwis, only to be denied victory.

He said: "Performance is a measure of success, but there is no measure of success like winning.

"That's why the trophies and the leagues are there in the first place; otherwise they would have a judging panel who could say who had played the best rugby at the end of the year."

An intriguing hypothetical concept and had it been played out as such in last season’s football Premiership, I doubt Chelsea would have pushed United to the final day of the campaign.

The problem for a club like Chelsea that is all substance over style come, as Avram Grant knows only too well, when you don’t win anything and have spent the whole season with this winner takes all attitude.

A cynical approach to Arsene Wenger’s artistic approach to the game is that, while placing such emphasis on the style of his teams and playing the right way, he is simply guarding himself against failure and that is why he has been able to remain at the helm for so long despite the Gunners’ barren run of late.

While Reddan’s notion is obviously just a bit of fun to play around with I did a bit of Sepp Blatter thinking while watching the first few Euro 2008 games and came up with my own outrageous Sepp-style suggestion – a rugby style bonus point for scoring three goals.

Like most of the FIFA supremos, it would probably never really get off the ground, but it might simply raise the debate as to what incentive teams have to push for a third goal when the game is safely won at 1-0 or 2-0.

While this may be a step too far I certainly think leagues and competitions that are abandoning goal difference as a way of separating teams that finish level on points are not encouraging the concept that every goal counts and a 4-0 win is better than a tense 1-0.

For now anyway the trick for the next few weeks is simply enjoy the dramatic and tense nature of the football, even as a neutral, and wait for the moment - and it will come - when two sides throw off the shackles and revel in a purists' game of football.

It's in Switzerland and we're the ones who are neutral

We've had heard keepers going on about the 'movement of the new balls', the papers have been tracking races for fitness and the office sweepstake has been drawn... it must be time for a major tournament to begin.

Only this year there is something missing. Where are the St George's crosses adorning white vans across the country? Where are the queues of people by the racks of 50 per cent off England shirts in Sports Soccer?

Of course, thanks to some bald Croatian bloke and a ginger chap with an umbrella, England will not be in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

As a result it seems the general public in England has greeted the return of Big Brother with more excitement than the tournament's opening weekend.

I'll admit this festival of football has somewhat crept up on me but I guarantee I will be watching hours of it over the coming four weeks.

The fact is major tournaments are what football is all about, they are what we will be look at many years from now - they are where the memories come from.

It's all very well being able to perform for club and country throughout a 15-year career but the moments that people remember, that they can still visualise, come from these grand occasions.

Cristiano Ronaldo may have been a superstar for Manchester United this season but say the name to a global audience and chances are the first image they will see in their minds is the 'winker' of Word Cup 2006.

His Brazilian namesake has hardly had the most consistent of careers with several injuries and weight problems, but 20 years from now he will be remembered as well as any player of our generation for his 15 goals across three world cups.

Ronaldo will forever be recalled scoring his two goals in the final in Japan with his infamous ‘crow’ haircut.

When we think of the footballing greats we picture their moments in the national shirt on the biggest stage, think of Pele, Maradona, Van Basten or Zidane.

It’s not just the mega stars who are defined by the big tournaments, Milan Baros has hardly been the most feared striker in his spells in the Premiership with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Portsmouth but he will still be remembered as the leading scorer of Euro 2004.

Try and think too of Toto Schillaci without thinking about Italia ‘90, Oliver Bierhoff without Euro ’96 and David Trezeguet without Euro 2000.

The fact is reputations will be made and stars will rise as people we have hardly heard of before will become household names in the space of four weeks (one of my tips is the Croatian Ivan Rakitic, a talented young attacking midfielder currently plying his trade with Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga).

The intensity of the football and the high stakes mean drama is inevitable and although there may be low points and, while we may not all be wildly excited about the prospect of Austria v Poland, there will be bags of entertainment.

For the record I have drawn the Germans in our office sweepstake – could be worse. I have also put a quid on Portugal to win at 9/1 at the bookies as well as a quid each way on Croatia at 16/1 and Russia at 22/1.

Good on ya Shiv

Some sportsmen thrive in adversity because it gives them a chance to see how good they really are.

It is easy to look impressive when you are riding on the coat tails of an all-conquering team, it is when the chips are down that the true champion comes out.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has made a career out of battling the odds in impossible situations and he seems to have taken it to a new level in the latest test series against Australia.

Chanderpaul has continued to defy the Aussies every time they looked like they might run through the Windies batting line-up and it is largely due to the Guyanese left-hander that the series is still alive going in to the final test in Bridgetown.

Two centuries and a battling 77 not out on the final day of the Antigua test may prove futile in the overall outcome in the series but he has certainly dented that infamous Australian confidence.

Ramnaresh Sarwan certainly played his part with a captain’s century in Antigua but not since Michael Vaughan’s lone crusade in the 2002/3 Ashes has one man troubled the Aussies over a series in the manner of Chanderpaul.

Vaughan was at the peak of his powers in that series and I don’t think I have ever got the same pleasure out of watching someone bat as I did witnessing the Yorkshireman that winter.

He was simply mesmeric, with a grace and confidence that was all the more impressive considering the fact that his side were being dominated for the whole series.

Chanderpaul is something of a different animal, he may not look such a flowing player and indeed he is in many ways the antithesis of the great West Indian batsman of his generation Brian Lara.

‘Shiv’ is all about defiance as he fiercely defends his wicket while at the same time appearing quite calm and under no pressure.

This is a man who has spent over 1,000 minutes at the crease between dismissals on three occasions (noone else has done it more than once).

His un-West Indian approach has often seen him treated as something of an outsider by the cricketing establishment in his homeland but that has hardly seemed to affect him as he goes into his own single-minded world when he goes out to bat.

This has also led to accusations of selfishness but if every player showed such a focused desire to protect their own wicket, the team would reap the benefits.

Chanderpaul’s test record of 7795 runs in 111 matches at an average of over 48 is up there with the greats of the game but this is also a man who saves his best performances for the really tough times.

Call me old fashioned, but for all the glitz and glamour, sixes and cheerleaders of the IPL nothing in cricket has given me more entertainment in cricket over recent weeks than the stoic defiance of Chanderpaul, particularly because it was against the Aussies.

Gazza's tragic tale

"My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and talents and
I lay them both at his feet" (Mahatma Gandhi)


We often refer to the ‘theatre of sport’ and this could be because at the heart of it we endlessly come across characters who define dramatic conventions.

One of the most fascinating theatrical characters, particularly prominent in Shakespearean drama, is the notion of the tragic hero.

The idea of the great man with a tragic flaw that ultimately proves his downfall, but has so much to admire and – dare we say it – to identify with.

In sport we are equally intrigued, even obsessed, with the idea of the flawed genius.

Yes we can respect the likes of Michael Schumacher, Pete Sampras and Steve Waugh with their winning-is-everything mantra, but it is all too easy to lose interest after a while as these characters become somewhat one-dimensional.

What we really want to see are the Cantonas, the Maradonas or the Ronnie O’Sullivans, seemingly masters of their trade and all they survey yet, at the same time, constantly brimming on the edge of self-destruction.

These are the real heroes, the rounded characters, the people who make the best stories.

It is hard not to feel a sense of guilt then when we hear this reckless nature, the artistic temperament that we once so admired, has taken over a sportsman when his playing days are over.

Paul Gascoigne, forever Gazza, was one of those sportsmen who just didn’t ‘do’ predictable.

His career fluctuated constantly between soaring highs and plummeting lows, we never knew when one chapter would end and the next rebirth or fall would occur.

We loved his wild, irascible nature but we never questioned it, it was so hard to think about where it would take him when his career was over.

Gazza’s famous tears in Italia ’90 was not just a sign of a man who wore his heart on his sleeve and cared about the game, it was the sign of a man who cared about nothing else.

The loveable Geordie’s puerile nature simply lived off the rush of adulation he received when he went out to strut his stuff, as with so many former pros, he has found nothing to replace it.

It was not just the good times that he seemed to enjoy but he appeared a man who relished the hard times, when people doubted him and he had to prove himself all over again (never was this more gloriously emphasised than that goal and celebration in Euro ’96).

Ian Wright was another footballer with a similar childlike nature who lived for the hero worship from his fans. It appears he had just enough savvy about him to carve out a career in television that has gone some way to replacing that feeling.

Poor Gazza, being less articulate and with several more demons in his closet, couldn’t make it work.

He also found that managing was no substitute for the adrenaline rush he got from playing, something he clung onto as long as possible with spells at the likes of Burnley, Boston and Gansu Tainma in China.

In his hour of need Gazza’s many friends in the game seem to be taking it in turns to pledge their support to our fallen hero.

The tragedy here is that none of them seem to be able to offer what Gazza needs.

The best of enemies

THERE is nothing in sport quite like two champions battling it out in a winner-takes-all clash.

English rugby union’s end of season play-off system has struggled for universal acceptance but on Saturday it served up the showpiece final it was designed to create.

With the greatest of respect to west country duo Gloucester and Bath, who have been setting the pace in the Guiness Premiership for most of the season, Wasps versus Leicester was the final everybody wanted to see.

The two modern day rugby powerhouses may have had their troubles this season but, true to form, they produced enough in the final stages of the season to ensure they were again scrapping for a major trophy.

The Tigers have been struggling for form all season and only squeezed into the play-offs courtesy of a last day win against Harlequins before Andy Goode’s late drop goal in the semi-final saw them edge out Gloucester.

Wasps had a shocking start to the season and were 10th in the table in December, but a late-season surge saw them ease into the play-offs and now they are officially champions of England.

Their routes to Twickenham were forgotten as the giants took to the stage to contest another major prize.

Wasps had triumphed in the 2005 domestic final and the 2007 Heineken Cup final, when just like this season’s Champions League Final England’s two biggest clubs fought for Europe’s top prize.

The London side tasted success yet again today but Leicester will almost certainly have a chance for revenge in the near future.

Apart from a brilliantly incisive run and try by Josh Lewsey, the game may have been short in crowd pleasing skills and flash back play to charm the neutrals, but the ferocity of the fierce rivalry was apparent from the outset and was always going to be settled up front.

Leicester fought bravely but the Wasps pack, marshalled by the titanic Simon Shaw, played like men possessed as the Tigers threatened a late comeback, their sheer strength of will saw them through.

Three years ago Wasps had ruined Martin Johnson’s final game for Leicester but this time Lawrence Dallaglio was not to be denied a final trophy.

Dallaglio does seem to divide opinion amongst rugby fans and the outspoken number eight may have been more popular amongst England fans had he resisted the temptation to return to the international stage after retiring in 2004.

But nobody can question his commitment to Wasps and the undying loyalty he has shown to the club throughout his 18-year career.

With Dallaglio now a thing of the past, the final also gave an exciting glimpse of the future as his two young back-row colleagues produced fine displays.

James Haskell is the kind of bullocking, body-on-the-line player who fans love and all players want in their team.

Against Leicester he also showed good judgement and a tireless workrate and if he continues to show these attributes he can go right to the top of the game.

Tom Rees has been a star in the making for a while now but a combination of high expectations and unfortunate injuries have hampered his progress.

This final was tailor-made for him to show off his skills and he took the opportunity with hands to deliver a classic openside display.

These sides will undoubtedly meet again as they have shown time and time again throughout the years that they can produce the goods when it matters and that is what gets teams into finals.

It is an attribute shared by this year’s Heineken Cup winners Munster.

A decent, but not outstanding group of players seem to save their best for the competition and the bigger the stakes the more they seem to raise their game, resulting in success far beyond what the club’s resources warrant.

In all sports we have these champions who have the curious ability to find another gear when it really matters and these are the people who are often left with the biggest prizes.

To quote one of the most used cliches in sport: form is temporary, class is permanent.