Rarely has the return to action of a sporting hero been celebrated with the gusto in which the golfing fraternity welcomed back the iconic Tiger Woods.
Tiger and his reconstructed knee took to the tee for the first time in eight months at the Accenture World Match Play Championship in Marana.
The last time we saw the Tiger on the prowl was when he won the US Open at Torrey Pines virtually on one leg.
It’s fair to say that even in his absence he had remained the most talked about figure in the sport and the last eight months seemed to have only served to show how dependent golf is on Woods for its global popularity.
Padraig Harrington did his best to fill the vacancy left by Tiger, winning successive majors last year, but he lacks the charisma and awe-inspiring talent of the main man.
Rory McIlroy has also kept the British interest from waning completely with glimpses of his exciting potential but if you asked anyone in Britain to name just one golfer Tiger would almost certainly be the name to pass their lips.
The problem when one man is so dominant in his sport is that anyone who succeeds while the champion is laid off automatically has the validity of their victory questioned – what if Tiger were playing?
Woods won his first match on his return (should we have expected anything else?) but it may take a while for him to get back to his best.
All that is certain is that the world of golf needs a fully firing Tiger because the only way a true successor can step forward is if they step up to the great man’s impeccable high standards.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Howe has he done it?
Amongst the plethora of worthy films released in the run up to Oscar night was a Daniel Craig film called Defiance.
The James Bond star played one of the three Jewish brothers who defied the Nazi regime by setting up their own community in a forest.
In one of the more moving speeches of the film Craig’s character tries to calm the revengeful feelings amongst his people by suggesting that the best way they can stick two fingers up to Hitler and his henchman is simply by surviving – living is their act of ‘defiance’.
At times this season I have despaired at the plight of my club AFC Bournemouth – how we were hit with a 17-point deduction for off-field financial problems (the same financial problems that – ultimately – led to our relegation to League Two last season) and we seem to have been taken for a ride by a succession of owners.
It has been easy for the Cherries faithful to bemoan our fate and vent our spleens at the various instigators of our demise.
Suddenly, though, there seems to be a different atmosphere around Dean Court.
The Dorset outfit’s impressive performances under our wet-behind-the-ears boss Eddie Howe have brought a welcome return of a more attractive brand of football and, crucially, results as well.
We have taken 11 points from our last 15 and suddenly, instead of looking for someone to blame, a wave of optimism is spreading amongst the fans.
Howe, at just 31, was seen by many as a last resort and a ‘cheap option’ when Jimmy Quinn was sacked at the turn of the year - he was already employed by the club as a coach and had no managerial experience.
But often moves of desperation end up being unintentional masterstrokes.
One of the key moves Howe made was to bring back his old pal and team mate Steve Fletcher.
‘Big Fletch’ may be about as mobile as a phone box and has not scored in five appearances up front, but his effect on the team is invaluable and he has provided a great foil for young strike partner Brett Pitman - who can’t stop scoring lately.
Howe is doing the business but now faces three tough away games in the space of eight days as we travel to Chesterfield, Dagenham and Gillingham.
We are still five points from safety and there is work to be done but Howe’s men have inspired belief at last.
Let’s hope the Cherries can put on our own ultimate show of defiance – let’s survive.
The James Bond star played one of the three Jewish brothers who defied the Nazi regime by setting up their own community in a forest.
In one of the more moving speeches of the film Craig’s character tries to calm the revengeful feelings amongst his people by suggesting that the best way they can stick two fingers up to Hitler and his henchman is simply by surviving – living is their act of ‘defiance’.
At times this season I have despaired at the plight of my club AFC Bournemouth – how we were hit with a 17-point deduction for off-field financial problems (the same financial problems that – ultimately – led to our relegation to League Two last season) and we seem to have been taken for a ride by a succession of owners.
It has been easy for the Cherries faithful to bemoan our fate and vent our spleens at the various instigators of our demise.
Suddenly, though, there seems to be a different atmosphere around Dean Court.
The Dorset outfit’s impressive performances under our wet-behind-the-ears boss Eddie Howe have brought a welcome return of a more attractive brand of football and, crucially, results as well.
We have taken 11 points from our last 15 and suddenly, instead of looking for someone to blame, a wave of optimism is spreading amongst the fans.
Howe, at just 31, was seen by many as a last resort and a ‘cheap option’ when Jimmy Quinn was sacked at the turn of the year - he was already employed by the club as a coach and had no managerial experience.
But often moves of desperation end up being unintentional masterstrokes.
One of the key moves Howe made was to bring back his old pal and team mate Steve Fletcher.
‘Big Fletch’ may be about as mobile as a phone box and has not scored in five appearances up front, but his effect on the team is invaluable and he has provided a great foil for young strike partner Brett Pitman - who can’t stop scoring lately.
Howe is doing the business but now faces three tough away games in the space of eight days as we travel to Chesterfield, Dagenham and Gillingham.
We are still five points from safety and there is work to be done but Howe’s men have inspired belief at last.
Let’s hope the Cherries can put on our own ultimate show of defiance – let’s survive.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Ordinary Joe the perfect champion
It is a strange paradox that some sporting champions act like champions while others are the champions they are because they act just like anybody else.
The likes of Muhammed Ali, Maradona and George Best had an amazing charisma off the field that fuelled their sense of greatness and they carried it with them onto the pitch.
Now and again you get a sporting hero who is so amazingly unassuming and normal that you cannot believe they are champions of their field.
Then when you see them in action you realise this ‘man of the people’ approach is central to their whole outlook as they fight every battle as if they are doing it for all the ordinary people out there.
Recently retired Joe Calzaghe will go down in British boxing history as one of the very greatest this nation has ever produced, if not these best.
But you could not get a more contrasting figure to the showmanship of Ali – universally accepted as ‘the greatest’ of all time in global terms.
‘Ordinary Joe’ always comes across as such a laid back, considered human being that you almost felt he didn’t belong in the world of boxing.
But as soon as the bell went Calzaghe came into his own, the Welshman was a fierce competitor with a huge amount of talent but almost as crucial was his grounded nature that kept him rooted in the heat of battle.
He hardly ever seemed to lose his cool and many of his fights were victories of mind and technique as much as strength.
You don’t need to watch Rocky to know boxers often have a hard time giving up the sport and many greats before Calzaghe have been tempted to return to the ring.
I hope Calzaghe rejects the financial temptation and competitive urges to fight again because, with 46 fights and 46 wins, ‘Ordinary Joe’ has something that elevates him out of normality and into the realm of the greats, the best record of all – perfection.
The likes of Muhammed Ali, Maradona and George Best had an amazing charisma off the field that fuelled their sense of greatness and they carried it with them onto the pitch.
Now and again you get a sporting hero who is so amazingly unassuming and normal that you cannot believe they are champions of their field.
Then when you see them in action you realise this ‘man of the people’ approach is central to their whole outlook as they fight every battle as if they are doing it for all the ordinary people out there.
Recently retired Joe Calzaghe will go down in British boxing history as one of the very greatest this nation has ever produced, if not these best.
But you could not get a more contrasting figure to the showmanship of Ali – universally accepted as ‘the greatest’ of all time in global terms.
‘Ordinary Joe’ always comes across as such a laid back, considered human being that you almost felt he didn’t belong in the world of boxing.
But as soon as the bell went Calzaghe came into his own, the Welshman was a fierce competitor with a huge amount of talent but almost as crucial was his grounded nature that kept him rooted in the heat of battle.
He hardly ever seemed to lose his cool and many of his fights were victories of mind and technique as much as strength.
You don’t need to watch Rocky to know boxers often have a hard time giving up the sport and many greats before Calzaghe have been tempted to return to the ring.
I hope Calzaghe rejects the financial temptation and competitive urges to fight again because, with 46 fights and 46 wins, ‘Ordinary Joe’ has something that elevates him out of normality and into the realm of the greats, the best record of all – perfection.
Wenger gambles on Arshavin deal
I have an immense amount of respect for Arsene Wenger but I am worried that his protracted pursuit of Andrei Arshavin will see him become a victim of his own ideals.
Now I’m a big fan of the Russian schemer and I’m not saying he won’t be a success at the Emirates Stadium, but - by spending the whole of the transfer window chasing Arshavin - Wenger has critically neglected other areas of his team.
Yes, they have missed the invention of the injured Fabregas, but Arsenal are not exactly short of creative players and far more alarming over the past couple of seasons has been the sides soft centre.
When Wenger needed to bring in some steel, a player in the Patrick Vieira mould, he instead reverted to type and spent four weeks trying to recruit another silky, gifted, attack-minded player.
The Gunners are facing a very real prospect of missing out on Champions League football next season and the notion of the Premiership’s ‘Big Four’ could soon be trimmed to a triumvirate.
Wenger’s perfectionist nature and unwavering commitment to the beautiful game is commendable but ask any Arsenal fan and I expect they would settle for a few scrappy wins between now and the end of the season if it would guarantee a Champions League berth.
This current Arsenal side has been treated as a team in transition for too long and they need a solid experienced core to push on and that requires investment.
The money is there by all accounts but Wenger again is a stickler for his principles and seems reluctant to pay out the kind of cash he needs to in order to keep up with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
There is a hint of selfishness about Wenger’s stubborness and refusal to change his ways as the victims at the end of the day are the Arsenal fans who have grown used to their team challenging at the top of the table.
Yes football is meant to be entertaining but there is no better way to entertain the fans than by winning football matches.
It will be interesting to see how long until the Arsenal fans keep patience with Wenger and his unique approach if the club continues to be starved of success.
Now I’m a big fan of the Russian schemer and I’m not saying he won’t be a success at the Emirates Stadium, but - by spending the whole of the transfer window chasing Arshavin - Wenger has critically neglected other areas of his team.
Yes, they have missed the invention of the injured Fabregas, but Arsenal are not exactly short of creative players and far more alarming over the past couple of seasons has been the sides soft centre.
When Wenger needed to bring in some steel, a player in the Patrick Vieira mould, he instead reverted to type and spent four weeks trying to recruit another silky, gifted, attack-minded player.
The Gunners are facing a very real prospect of missing out on Champions League football next season and the notion of the Premiership’s ‘Big Four’ could soon be trimmed to a triumvirate.
Wenger’s perfectionist nature and unwavering commitment to the beautiful game is commendable but ask any Arsenal fan and I expect they would settle for a few scrappy wins between now and the end of the season if it would guarantee a Champions League berth.
This current Arsenal side has been treated as a team in transition for too long and they need a solid experienced core to push on and that requires investment.
The money is there by all accounts but Wenger again is a stickler for his principles and seems reluctant to pay out the kind of cash he needs to in order to keep up with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
There is a hint of selfishness about Wenger’s stubborness and refusal to change his ways as the victims at the end of the day are the Arsenal fans who have grown used to their team challenging at the top of the table.
Yes football is meant to be entertaining but there is no better way to entertain the fans than by winning football matches.
It will be interesting to see how long until the Arsenal fans keep patience with Wenger and his unique approach if the club continues to be starved of success.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Brett steals Big Fletch's thunder
Sometimes football just refuses to follow the script.
At Dean Court yesterday Bournemouth’s match against Wycombe Wanderers was supposed to be all about one man as club hero and record appearance holder Steve Fletcher returned to the club a season and a half after being let go.
But it was Fletcher’s young strike partner Brett Pitman stole the show, with a delicious free-kick and a fine all-round performance as the Cherries beat League Two’s top side 3-1.
Pitman has come in for his fair share of criticism from Cherries supporters and has been written off on numerous occasions.
An apparent lack of workrate at times, inconsistency and rumours of off-field excesses has had the Cherries faithful on his back and he seemed to alienate them permanently a few weeks ago when he was sent off minutes after coming on for a wild challenge as Bournemouth were dumped out of the FA Cup by minnows Blyth Spartans.
What has never been in doubt is Pitman’s potential and Eddie Howe was prepared to offer the olive branch to the 20-year-old when he was appointed caretaker manager, probably influenced by the striker’s youth team mentor Joe Roach, now his assistant.
The lad is a natural goalscorer, as his prolific record at reserve and youth team level proves, and I feel those who wrote him off completely were far too quick to judge.
We sometimes become too obsessed with the idea of a footballer who has fallen completely off the rails but sometimes we have to take players for what they really are, young men who are growing up.
Pitman has been in and around the first team for around two years now and, although he has made over 100 appearances for the club, he is still a youngster.
Yes he will make mistakes on and off the pitch but what is important is that he learns from those mistakes and never loses sight of how lucky he is to have such talent.
Having Joe Roach around the first team will hopefully help Pitman’s confidence and I believe playing alongside Steve Fletcher will also help his game.
There was a lot of debate around the return of ‘Big Fletch’, of course he is a cult hero and will always be cheered on by the fans, but he is 36 now and it remains to be seen whether he has the fitness and mobility to play week in, week out at this level.
He is also something of an Emile Heskey figure in that people will always point to his poor goal scoring record.
What is never in doubt is his commitment and he does do a job for the team, he is a handful for defenders and allows someone like Pitman to make runs, knowing Fletcher is likely to win the flick on.
There is still a lot of work to be done for both Eddie Howe, for whom Saturday was his first win as boss in his first game after getting the job permanently, and Pitman, but there were positive signs and hopefully the Wycombe win will be the start of something.
At Dean Court yesterday Bournemouth’s match against Wycombe Wanderers was supposed to be all about one man as club hero and record appearance holder Steve Fletcher returned to the club a season and a half after being let go.
But it was Fletcher’s young strike partner Brett Pitman stole the show, with a delicious free-kick and a fine all-round performance as the Cherries beat League Two’s top side 3-1.
Pitman has come in for his fair share of criticism from Cherries supporters and has been written off on numerous occasions.
An apparent lack of workrate at times, inconsistency and rumours of off-field excesses has had the Cherries faithful on his back and he seemed to alienate them permanently a few weeks ago when he was sent off minutes after coming on for a wild challenge as Bournemouth were dumped out of the FA Cup by minnows Blyth Spartans.
What has never been in doubt is Pitman’s potential and Eddie Howe was prepared to offer the olive branch to the 20-year-old when he was appointed caretaker manager, probably influenced by the striker’s youth team mentor Joe Roach, now his assistant.
The lad is a natural goalscorer, as his prolific record at reserve and youth team level proves, and I feel those who wrote him off completely were far too quick to judge.
We sometimes become too obsessed with the idea of a footballer who has fallen completely off the rails but sometimes we have to take players for what they really are, young men who are growing up.
Pitman has been in and around the first team for around two years now and, although he has made over 100 appearances for the club, he is still a youngster.
Yes he will make mistakes on and off the pitch but what is important is that he learns from those mistakes and never loses sight of how lucky he is to have such talent.
Having Joe Roach around the first team will hopefully help Pitman’s confidence and I believe playing alongside Steve Fletcher will also help his game.
There was a lot of debate around the return of ‘Big Fletch’, of course he is a cult hero and will always be cheered on by the fans, but he is 36 now and it remains to be seen whether he has the fitness and mobility to play week in, week out at this level.
He is also something of an Emile Heskey figure in that people will always point to his poor goal scoring record.
What is never in doubt is his commitment and he does do a job for the team, he is a handful for defenders and allows someone like Pitman to make runs, knowing Fletcher is likely to win the flick on.
There is still a lot of work to be done for both Eddie Howe, for whom Saturday was his first win as boss in his first game after getting the job permanently, and Pitman, but there were positive signs and hopefully the Wycombe win will be the start of something.
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Kaka signing once in a blue moon
The astronomical figures being reported during Manchester City’s pursuit of Brazilian playmaker Kaka suggest the concept of the priceless footballer is set to be severely tested.
We have often heard managers claim a player is not for sale at any price, but never before have the player’s suitors been armed with the unlimited funds of an oil-rich emirate.
If ever there was a player who falls into the ‘priceless’ bracket it was Kaka.
He is one of the world’s very best players, capable of moments of genius few are able to produce and, despite all the other big name stars on show at AC Milan, the team is built around his unique talents.
But City’s Arab owners are apparently prepared to offer the kind of sum that would make anyone listen, around £100 million may just make Carlo Ancelotti think twice about rebuilding his team in a different way.
The other stumbling block is to persuade Kaka they can match the ambitions of one of the world’s greatest talents and wages of half a million pounds a week would go some way to showing how serious they are.
Signing him is going to be hard enough but, while I would love to see a player of Kaka’s genius in the Premier League, moulding Kaka into the team is going to be a further challenge for Mark Hughes.
While I’m not suggesting for one second that City will be a weaker side with Kaka in the line up, trophies and the kind of glory the Brazilian must be chasing are not reliant on one man alone but a team or even a squad.
How the other players in City’s squad react to the inclusion of a player on drastically higher wages and who cost so much is going to be interesting, particularly as the team will have to be built around Kaka.
Some players have the natural humility to accept their limited talents and their value, and as a result will be satisfied with a water-carrying role.
Others may relish the chance of lining up alongside such a gifted player and see it as a chance to improve their game and prove they are not such a long way off themselves.
Look at the way Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips have prospered since Robinho’s arrival at Eastlands.
But there will no doubt be some who will resent Kaka’s privileged position and inflated earnings, it is only human nature.
They may also fear that their place in the team could be jeopardised at a stroke if Sheikh Mansour goes after more stellar signings, which – it has been suggested – could be a prerequisite for the capture of Kaka.
Manager Mark Hughes will have to master these feelings and the transfers which the Welshman himself seem to be actually involved in suggest he does realise the importance of building a team rather than just splashing out on big names.
They may not be as glamorous and not involve game-changing money, but the signing of Wayne Bridge and the potential capture of the industrious Scott Parker could be, in a very different way, almost as important as Kaka.
To prove this they only need to look across to the other side of Manchester.
United – currently the nation’s most successful club – have based their success not just on the talents of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but also a rock solid defence that has just recorded ten successive shut outs and a host of committed squad players.
We have often heard managers claim a player is not for sale at any price, but never before have the player’s suitors been armed with the unlimited funds of an oil-rich emirate.
If ever there was a player who falls into the ‘priceless’ bracket it was Kaka.
He is one of the world’s very best players, capable of moments of genius few are able to produce and, despite all the other big name stars on show at AC Milan, the team is built around his unique talents.
But City’s Arab owners are apparently prepared to offer the kind of sum that would make anyone listen, around £100 million may just make Carlo Ancelotti think twice about rebuilding his team in a different way.
The other stumbling block is to persuade Kaka they can match the ambitions of one of the world’s greatest talents and wages of half a million pounds a week would go some way to showing how serious they are.
Signing him is going to be hard enough but, while I would love to see a player of Kaka’s genius in the Premier League, moulding Kaka into the team is going to be a further challenge for Mark Hughes.
While I’m not suggesting for one second that City will be a weaker side with Kaka in the line up, trophies and the kind of glory the Brazilian must be chasing are not reliant on one man alone but a team or even a squad.
How the other players in City’s squad react to the inclusion of a player on drastically higher wages and who cost so much is going to be interesting, particularly as the team will have to be built around Kaka.
Some players have the natural humility to accept their limited talents and their value, and as a result will be satisfied with a water-carrying role.
Others may relish the chance of lining up alongside such a gifted player and see it as a chance to improve their game and prove they are not such a long way off themselves.
Look at the way Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips have prospered since Robinho’s arrival at Eastlands.
But there will no doubt be some who will resent Kaka’s privileged position and inflated earnings, it is only human nature.
They may also fear that their place in the team could be jeopardised at a stroke if Sheikh Mansour goes after more stellar signings, which – it has been suggested – could be a prerequisite for the capture of Kaka.
Manager Mark Hughes will have to master these feelings and the transfers which the Welshman himself seem to be actually involved in suggest he does realise the importance of building a team rather than just splashing out on big names.
They may not be as glamorous and not involve game-changing money, but the signing of Wayne Bridge and the potential capture of the industrious Scott Parker could be, in a very different way, almost as important as Kaka.
To prove this they only need to look across to the other side of Manchester.
United – currently the nation’s most successful club – have based their success not just on the talents of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but also a rock solid defence that has just recorded ten successive shut outs and a host of committed squad players.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Fergie lets players do the talking
During Sir Alex Ferguson’s 22-year managerial reign at Old Trafford he has claimed almost as many victims with his notorious mind games as he has won trophies.
Ferguson simply revels as the pressure of a title race increases and loves nothing more than to see other bosses struggle to cope.
This week it seems Rafael Benitez was the latest to have his feather’s ruffled by the Glaswegian but for all the heated accusations flying about the back pages over the last few days, Ferguson
let his team make the most emphatic statement of all against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
With Liverpool having stumbled to a 0-0 draw with Stoke the previous evening, United seized the title initiative to win 3-0 in a game which will also raise serious questions about the West Londoners’ table-topping ambitions.
In truth United were far from breathtaking but they were solid at the back and clinical up front and managed to make Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side look very ordinary.
A far cry from their free-flowing performances at the start of the campaign which saw Chelsea compared to Scolari’s Brazilian sides, the Blues looked bereft of ideas up front with Didier Drogba woefully out of sorts and were crying out for an attacking wide player in the mould of Arjen Robben.
Chelsea never looked like breaking down United’s solid defence and with the reinvented Ryan Giggs revelling in his role as midfield prompter, the Reds strolled to victory.
There is still a long way to go and there will doubtless be more twists and turns between now and May, but with Ferguson at the helm United are likely to only get stronger as the final run-in approaches.
Ferguson simply revels as the pressure of a title race increases and loves nothing more than to see other bosses struggle to cope.
This week it seems Rafael Benitez was the latest to have his feather’s ruffled by the Glaswegian but for all the heated accusations flying about the back pages over the last few days, Ferguson
let his team make the most emphatic statement of all against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
With Liverpool having stumbled to a 0-0 draw with Stoke the previous evening, United seized the title initiative to win 3-0 in a game which will also raise serious questions about the West Londoners’ table-topping ambitions.
In truth United were far from breathtaking but they were solid at the back and clinical up front and managed to make Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side look very ordinary.
A far cry from their free-flowing performances at the start of the campaign which saw Chelsea compared to Scolari’s Brazilian sides, the Blues looked bereft of ideas up front with Didier Drogba woefully out of sorts and were crying out for an attacking wide player in the mould of Arjen Robben.
Chelsea never looked like breaking down United’s solid defence and with the reinvented Ryan Giggs revelling in his role as midfield prompter, the Reds strolled to victory.
There is still a long way to go and there will doubtless be more twists and turns between now and May, but with Ferguson at the helm United are likely to only get stronger as the final run-in approaches.
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