Time To Do It All Again: My Premier League 2013/14 Preview

There's always something quite beautiful about August. Whether it's receiving those exam results you so desperately wanted (Good luck to all who are getting their A Level results this week, and hopefully you've made the right choice and are coming to Nottingham Trent University in September) soaking up the last rays of summer or just simply enjoying the holidays. For the majority in this country though, you cannot shy away from the simple fact that August is the month where we start the 9 month journey that is the domestic football season.

At first look, you might think that it is quite stupid to endure this repetitive process year after year. Look closer however and you will see why. Nowhere other than football is the scent of glory stronger. Nowhere other than football can you be hoping against hope that relegation is not for you even when you're 20 points adrift with ten games to play. Only in football, can you win the Premier League title, which has become the holy grail for many.

Which brings me to my season preview for 2013/14 and the defending champions: Manchester United. As a Liverpool fan I could unleash some inner bias for the sake of this post & give them no credit whatsoever. I will not do that. I respect Manchester United for what they have achieved just like I respect recently retired Sir Alex Ferguson. It doesn't mean that I have to like them! They currently have the leagues best striker in Robin Van Persie. They also have a new manager in David Moyes. There is no doubt after a successful ten years at Everton that he deserves the opportunity to manage one of the biggest teams in the world.

The New Man Utd Manager will be hoping for a successful first season.

The pressure though is ridiculously high and everybody outside of Manchester United has seemed to be determined to make it a uncomfortable welcome as possible. Take Jose Mourinho and his public admiration for Wayne Rooney. You'd have to be living under a rock not to realise that the Chelsea boss is playing mind games, trying to get under the new boys skin. If Sir Alex was still at the helm, Mourinho would not be doing this because he knows that it wouldn't work. Monday August 26th when United play Chelsea could be telling. If Mourinho wins the battle there it could set the tone for the rest of the season.

It'll be interesting to see what happens between now and then especially with the Rooney situation but even if he does stay, I personally believe also that Moyes must buy at least one midfielder. The simple reason being is that United's first 11 on paper at this time is not good enough to win the title this year. Chelsea have strengthened and with or without Rooney would look extremely strong in attack. Noisy Neighbours Manchester City have gone under the radar and with Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, David Silva & Jesus Navas in midfield, it now looks far better than United's current midfield by some margin. Of course it would be stupid to rule United out of anything, their squad still has depth and it looks like one of two young players are once again emerging. But I would argue that the same is happening elsewhere, not to mention the fact that the two players that Moyes has sought after most this summer, Thiago Alacantara & Cesc Fabregas have opted to stay away from Old Trafford. That being said many other continental players have refused to join the Premier League this summer so United aren't a single case of this! It's not a case of thinking United are a bad team, I just think there are a couple of teams at the moment that boast better teams than them. All can change thought by the time the transfer window shuts on September 2nd.

If there is a time that the era of United dominance is going to end then it will be this season. If it doesn't then we will be seeing Moyes in charge and winning many trophies for years to come. I hope he copes and gets time because he seems a reasonably nice bloke. It is my hope though that when September 1st comes round and Moyes brings his troops to Anfield that we'll be sending him into the international break with a lot to ponder!

So if I don't think United will win the title this year then who will? Well my pick is Chelsea. Petr Cech is not far away from his best form again, in defence they looked solid at the end of last year and that is helped by David Luiz looking like he has finally learned to defend properly under Rafa Benitez then Luis Felipe Scolari at the Confederations Cup! Their attacking midfield of Hazard, Oscar and Mata is the best in the whole league. Striker is the issue they must fix, if they get Rooney then job done but I'm sure Romelu Lukaku would do a decent job as well. The return of "The Special One" gives Chelsea all the aces. No man since Sir Alex Ferguson invented the concept of mind games has played them so well. It's one of the reason why Sir Alex has a lot of respect for the man. No man beat him to the Premier League title without defeating him in the mind games department that corresponding year. Arsene Wenger did it in his prime, Roberto Mancini just about pulled it off in 2012 & Mourinho did it for two seaons running. Meanwhile Rafa Benitez decided to present "facts" in 2009 and the rest as they say is history. Mourinho might be a pain in the backside at time, he might not be the most loyal man in the world. But one thing he most definitely is is a winner, along with the drive to achieve his way with whatever set of players he inherits. With a Chelsea team that looks stronger than the one that performed the miracle of all miracles in Munich, they would be the team I suggest you put a fiver on to win the league this season.

The self proclaimed "Happy One" will be looking for immediate success on his return to Stamford Bridge.

Don't rule out the blue side of Manchester either. Manuel Pelligrini has installed stability at the club, with them all pulling in the right directing for the first time since May 2012. The problems that Carlos Tevez and Mario Ballotelli gave the club are gone. Jovetic and Negredo, two very capable forwards in their own right have come in to assist Sergio Aguero. If they can return to the almost majestic defensive capabilities of the 2011-12 season, then they are in with an almighty shout. I do feel however that a League or FA Cup and progress past the group stages of the Champions  League will suffice the owners appetite for this season.

So what about the race for the place that carries so much significance these day, with the final Champions League spot up for grabs. 4th place looks like a wide open book this year and Arsenal Spurs along with Liverpool (yes Liverpool) are looking like the main protagonists. Again a lot can change by September 2nd but at the moment with Arsenal doing their classic tactic of waiting until the last minute and then panic buying after all the good players have gone, a Spurs side with or without Gareth Bale but definitely with quality new signings in Paulinho & Soldado, and Liverpool who even with the running saga that is Luis Suarez have strengthened their ranks. 16 years in a row Arsenal have made it into the Champions League. I think finally this year is where the bubble bursts. Liverpool will cause the surprise of the season and finish 4th. You might think that's blind optimism but with another signing or two (Winger Willian is rumoured to be joining) a bit of luck and down right hard work adapting to Brendan Rodgers style of football then I genuinely think we can upset the apple cart and get that 4th spot. Of course that man Suarez is imperative to this but we did cope well without him when he got banned when auditioning for the next Jaws film with Branislav Ivanovic!

Will either of these two knock Arsene Wenger out of the Top 4?

In other news, Everton have done well this summer & another manager in Roberto Martinez has earned his opportunity to manage a big club. Top ten should be a certainty for them along with Swansea, Norwich who have got a pretty potent strikeforce in Van Wolfwinkel and Gary Hooper, along with Southampton who now boast England new star Ricky Lambert. Maybe sacking Nigel Adkins wasn't such a bad idea after all!

The relegation battle will be one of the fiercest ones fought for years. Stoke look in danger with Mark Hughes not regarded as the finest manger around lets put it that way, not to mention the fact that by the end of last season team had finally figured Stoke out. Aston Villa might still have Christian Benteke but elsewhere their squad still looks weak, likewise at Sunderland and Newcastle (Where Alan Pardew will be the winner of the sack race because of the farce that is director of football: Joe Kinnear)

A lot of people have written off the promoted clubs. I would agree that Hull look very vulnerable to go straight back down, but Cardiff and Crystal Palace I'm not so sure. Palace have the trump cards in Ian Holloway and the legend that is Kevin Phillips ( I implore you put him as 1st choice sub in your fantasy league teams, he will get you goals), whilst Cardiff have Premier League experience in Craig Bellamy and a strong defense to help get them through. At the end of the day, I think Palace will go down, but Cardiff will survive and possibly quite comfortably.

There only target is survival.

So to finish this preview I shall put my full premier league table prediction below. I might not have covered every team (although West Ham fans bet you're excited anyway with Andy Carroll and Stuart Downing now in your ranks) so please don't shout at me but I hope you enjoyed reading and who knows maybe I'll check back in May 2014 and see if I got anything right!

The Premier League season is upon us. Time to go back to business. Strap in all, it's going to be a bumpy ride! Good luck to all, especially the team at Anfield!

                      'If you are first you are first. If you are second you are nothing.'
                                                            Bill Shankly
Premier League Final Table Prediction
1. Chelsea
2. Man City
3. Man Utd
4. Liverpool
5. Spurs
6. Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Swansea
9. Southampton
10. Norwich
11. West Brom
12. West Ham
13. Fulham
14. Newcastle
15. Cardiff
16. Sunderland
17. Stoke
18. Aston Villa
19. Crystal Palace
20. Hull

Sport: The Chance To Live Forever

Andy Murray. The first British winner of Wimbledon for 77 years. If you don't know that by now you live under a rock! An audience of over 17 million people tuned in to watch history being made on Centre Court and like everyone else I was made up for him. After going through so much professionally and personally it was a fitting triumph. But the thing that got me thinking in the aftermath of his victory was when Andrew Castle and later Sue Barker on the BBC uttered the word that is the main focus of this post. Immortality.

At first you would be forgiven to immediately suggest that the use of the word in any context is completely absurd. I mean, who has ever lived forever? Look closer though and you can gradually understand, therefore appreciating even more the scale of Murray's achievement. He is now immortal. In 100 years time, when people will be going to work on hover boards or by teleportation, whenever the subject of tennis comes up, the name Andy Murray will always get a mention no matter how many more Grand Slams he wins.

 The new favourite for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

That is one of the beauties of sport. It gives you the chance to be remembered long after you are gone, to live in the minds of people forever. To truly appreciate the manner of how and why you can be remembered for eternity you must look at different sports across the spectrum, to see incredible feats and drama that entertains millions.

Take WWE for example. Action based on a script, but the pain of in ring moves totally real. Despite this an audience of millions across America and indeed the whole world. Once a year they have an event that they promote as "The Showcase of the Immortals". Wrestlemania. As legendary commentator Jim Ross once said "The road to ever-lasting mortality runs through Wrestlemania".  If you look at the stats, only one man can truly claim to be immortal on that stage. Now if we called The Undertaker by his real name I bet you that the majority of you would not have a clue who is he. But because of the fact that he has dedicated himself to the cause for nearly 25 years, been physically capable of constructing his streak of 21-0 at Wrestlemania and generally being one of the best wrestlers of all time ensures that he will be remembered by people across the globe. Mark Callaway may not be immortal, but the Undertaker certainly is.

The Deadman is one of the best ever the grace the ring.

Sometimes it because of the conditions that you compete in and the rivalries that ensue that can bring you this more than just legend status. In the 1970s Formula One was in what many call a golden age. Fantastic wheel to wheel racing with the best drivers in the world, a jetset lifestyle us mere citizens could only dream of. Lest we forget that there was a sinister side as well. At the same time there was a 20% chance that a driver would die. It was on this backdrop that the short but legendary rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt would begin. Lauda, one of the best developers of a car, knowing how to set it up to his standards perfectly. Hunt, a quick flamboyant young man, who lets say took a great interest in the females that were constantly around him! In 1976 they battled for the World Championship until a horrific crash where his car burst into flames left Lauda fighting for his life. What was he doing six weeks later? He was back in the car, taking the championship right to the last race. That where he achieved immortality. By showing his will to win and strength in the face of adversity, which at the end of the day is what Formula One is all about sealed his placed in the history book and this was even before he took his tally of World Championships to three by 1983. Hunt would also gain his right to live forever by defeating Lauda in the final race in Japan to become World Champion. Never mind that would be his only title, he remains one of the most talked about, loved British racing drivers ever, showing that even not the conventional lifestyle need stop on the way to sporting greatness. Ron Howard's new movie Rush, which is out in September tells this incredible story and you can watch the trailer here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzNbGH1oZJc

One of Formula Ones greatest rivalries.

Perhaps football is the sport that it is most difficult to distinguish who is going to be remembered the most after they depart planet earth. Probably because the pool of elite players in football is far greater than any other sport. At the moment probably the only one who will definitely receive that accolade is Pele the Brazilian who by the majority is regarded as the greatest player ever. Others like Maradona George Best etc will follow suit. From the looks of it the best chance to achieve immortality in football is to win the World Cup. Take Neymar for example. Next year Brazil host the World Cup with himself as the star player. You've only got to look at the recent Confederations Cup to see what it's going to be like in the stands at the tournament especially when the host nation. If Brazil win the World Cup next year and Neymar is the star man he will almost certainly attract God like status in Brazil not to mention acclaim from across the footballing world. Brazil never forgets its Sporting heroes. Ayrton Senna anyone? Lionel Messi will also be keen to make his mark next year. A magician with the ball at his feet but has never really done anything special for his country Argentina. Win the World Cup next year; I have no doubt that he will become the best player of all time. Lose, and then he still has work to do!

Both will be hoping to achieve immortality next summer.

Team Sports seem the most difficult place to achieve singular greatness. Unless you are a sporting nut, you are not going to remember the entire Lions team that beat Australia, the Ashes squads that have triumphed over Australia in three out of the last four series, or the England team that won the World Cup in 1966. What you will do though is remember these teams and you will remember the defining moments in the matches they played, like George North's try in the first test, Kevin Pietersen's Ashes winning century in 2005 and Geoff Hurst hat-trick goal against West Germany. Through these moments a team will live on and the moments will be returned to further down the line.

England’s victorious 2005 Ashes Side but how many could you name in 50 years?

To conclude I shall return to Andy Murray. He still has good five or so years left in his career so who knows what the future holds or how many more Grand Slams he can win. One thing that I do know is because of what he did on Sunday the seventh of July 2013, he will be remembered by the public forever.

That, in the sporting world, is one of many ways to become immortal.

Gaining Confidence

Hello again to one and all. Hope you are well. I set myself a target before coming to University that I would blog at least once a month and so far I've kept to my target, something I have not succeeded at in the past! Anyways on totoday’s Post.

So first off I shall talk about Liverpool FC. Now 7 games unbeaten in theleague with the 3-0 win over Wigan today. We currently have the Premier League's top scorer in Luis Suarez (without his goals so far this season wewould be rock bottom of the league) and now are only 8 points off 4th place, 4 points behind Arsenal and 2 points behind Spurs. All that with still 26 games to go. I thought immediately after the draw with Chelsea, with the fixtures coming up and especially during the Christmas period that this was the time of the season that we had to come alive and judging on today’s performance that might just be about to happen. Of course there are still many challenges ahead and unfortunately Brendan Rodger's assertion that a finish above 8th this year would be progress is accurate, but who knows, with a potentially 20 goal season in Suarez's reach and if the correct reinforcements are brought in January who knows what will have unfolded by May! So Liverpool and I are gaining confidence.

Next up, time to talk about Fly FM (You might see where I got the Post Title from now). I've done 4 shows now and I do feel that I'm getting better with every two hours on air. It has actually helped me rediscover my love of music.Now I'm listening to all different types of music finding what is the best tune to be played as song of the week and listening to the songs off the official station playlist to learn more about them. Heck I have even put Taylor Swift's new Album on my Christmas list!

The Student Radio Awards were held last week and Fly were nominated for five awards. And while we didn't win any awards we did get one Third (in best Female Presenter) and two Seconds (in Best Male Presenter and Best Station Sound & Marketing). This shows that we are one of the best Student Radio Stations inthe Country & we are on the cusp on moving to the next level. Our station manager gave a passionate speech (well it was a post on our Facebook page but all the same) asking to keep up the good work but to strive more, think of new ideas & generally make the stations content even better than it was before. Needless to say I'm up for that challenge! I was following the twitter feed from the Student Radio Awards and hearing the stories of the evening from the committee made me want to be attending next year. Who knows? If I work my arse off to make my presenting better, my show better, so therefore the station better then perhaps I will be there next year. There is a best newcomer category y'know! So there is that aspect of gaining confidence covered.

And the final aspect relates to me. Since being at University, I feel I have become a much more confident person, more willing totake part in things, and being positive for the majority of the time. I am a firm believer that everyone has a dark side and I know all too well that my darkside is having negative thoughts, not thinking that things are meant to happenfor me. But that has all changed since I came to Nottingham. Something just feels different this time. Hopefully this newfound confidence in myself and my abilities will come in good stead in the coming days, weeks and months!

So to round off I give you this: Optimism the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence - HelenKeller. And here's a cool picture!

Thanks again for reading! Just to remind you, I am on Fly FM every Tuesday 1pm-3pm. You can tune in on www.flyfm.co.uk through the Live Player on the website. Alternatively you can listen via the TuneIn App which can be downloaded off the App store on ITunes. Also I know some of the readers from this blog come from America so for you my show is on 5am Central Standard Time (Hey you might be up by then) 8am Eastern Time so by my reckoning that is 3am on the West Coast. Please feel free to correct me if I'mwrong!

So until next time (haven't used this line in a longtime), The Outsider is Out!

My Ultimate Crash Course Part Two: The Life of a Radio DJ

Well it has been quite a month!

Hello all again. Since my last post the work has started & believe me it will start to pile up. It is good fun though, especially the practical elements now finally we are getting stuck into it. I went to court for the first time last week too. It was interesting to say the least. I won't say much about it as I am bound to legal restrictions which I don't 100% know about yet!

Now that I'm going home for the weekend I thought this would be a good time to sum up what has occurred for far here in Nottingham.

As you might have picked up from the title, I am now a radio DJ. After a voice check & some studio training as was given the lunchtime slot, 1pm to 3pm on Tuesday. I did my first show this past Tuesday and I must say it was the most fun 2 hours I have had in a long time! What could be better? Speaking into a microphone talking about some random stuff that people can connect with whilst in-between play some of the best tunes in the UK right now. Whilst I did ponder what was the breakup of my listeners between people back home and ones at Uni with me at first, it doesn't really matter as they're all awesome for listening in! So thanks again to them. I can foresee loads of fun over the coming months ;) The Fly FM committee are awesome too, very welcoming & helpful. And well if the first social at Ocean last night was anything to go by there will not be anything but enjoyment working for Fly this year :)

So that has been going on, but what about life in general? Well I can honestly say I am having the time of my life here at University. I have a great flat, friends across block 5, I've been watching films that are classics, not to mention that I've now got FIFA 13 so that's useful for a rainy day ;)

I must admit I haven't been out that much since fresher’s week, but when I have done, it's been so much fun (I urge anyone coming to Nottingham, if you want a great night out go to Ocean, it is amazing). The other thing that I've noticed that for the first time in my life I have more friends that are girls than boys. Now that might be down to the fact that roughly the ratio of girls to boys at Uni in general is 65:35. Now to some people this would be a problem (I'm not going to mention the stereotype, you know what it is). But to be honest I really don't care. I would rather be friends with the people I've met than just mingle with a group I don't like just to fit in with a social stereotype. Also there is the fact that most of the girls are lovely (believe me, I could go into a lot more description but to retain respectability as a trainee journalist that's as far as I will go)

Just to clarify nobody here has made the stereotype I mentioned above. I wouldn't be as happy as I am now if it had! I was talking in a more general sense.

So after now over a month at Uni, I am returning home for the weekend. I must say, I haven't been homesick or anything, or longed to be back home, but it will be good to be back in my hometown in my own bed! The other good thing about it is that I'm going to be seeing some of my old friends again which something that I’m seriously looking forward to is! The only way that Uni would be better at the moment is that if they could be up here with me as well (including all of my mates who are at different Unit’s) And of course it'll be good to see my family as nothing beat seeing someone face to face even now when you have Skype.

So to finish I do a bit of cheap advertising! If anyone wishes to listen to my show on Fly FM go to www.flyfm.co.uk then click on live in the top right hand corner. If it doesn't work immediately go to player problem and play from one of the two direct streams given!

And long may this Uni adventure continue!

See you next time folks :-)

My Ultimate Crash Course

Hello again to one and all.

So I'm here. I'm in Nottingham for University and I have just been through (and survived may I add) my fresher’s weeks. I must admit, right now I'm feeling more like death than anything else. But still, as best I can I shall try to reflect on what has been an incredible week.

Now, one of the main worries of any fresher when they start is am I going to make new friends? Will I be all alone in a place where I have never socialised, let alone lived before? Of course those worries disappear almost immediately as everyone is basically in the same position. I have lost count of how many times I have smiled, waved and talked to people I have never met before in my life. The first night was interesting because at first you have only been in your flat so when you go to another one to pre-drink you get that feeling of apprehension that you had only just felt at the beginning of the day.

I need not have worried though because everyone I have met has been extremely friendly & welcoming to anyone who wants to have a chat. My flat is awesome! Four girls and two guys, including me so a nice balance ;) So thanks to them for helping make this week a great experience, along with the friends I've made from other flats & from my course induction. Credit must go to our reps as well. They have been a proper source of fun and advice (nothing educational though which is perfect) and generally helping us through fresher’s week.

A special mention must be made for the chants on the bus on the way to the clubs. Hilarious but unfortunately stuff that can now be typed in full, in case of offense caused to not only normal web surfers, but to residents of Gill Street so I'll just stick with the best one;

T.R.E.N.T! We are the T.R.E.N.T Army!

It's kind of weird actually. You're with people for a week and it feels like you have been with them for years. There might even be the case where you spend loads of time with people this week but now our courses begins, you might barely see them, let alone talk to them. Either way there's always facebook ;)

And now I come to the matter of the clubs. Put simply Nottingham nightlife is awesome! Ocean especially has a great atmosphere not to crowded plenty of space for general movement, to dance & of course whatever you wish to do on the dance floor ;) Of course you can do this at other clubs too, and you'll probably get more special guests in a place like Oceana for example. For example Reggie Yates was in there Wednesday night that was a good set after technical problems were sorted. Overall though, very good nights occurred out and about in Nottingham. It's probably helped by the fact that for most places drinks are relatively cheap. Whether that will stay the same now fresher’s week is done & dusted remains to be seen.

In addition there was the slight matter of course induction this week. I actually enjoyed what was in the end basically a sightseeing trip so now I have some rough bearings of Nottingham. I'm going to need it. The Broadcast Journalism course has got a lot of practical element, which look really fun and perfect to get stuck into, but that will need a good understanding of the local area, but I'm sure that will come with time as the year goes on.

So all in all a very good week. It certainly exceeded my expectations anyway. Now the hard work begins. I've got my first 10-4 day tomorrow which especially after not doing proper work for nearly four months could be interesting, then later is Swimming Trials. Words cannot describe how much I want to get onto the competitive team. After really enjoying watching it at the Olympics and the fact it is one of the sports that makes up the Charity Varsity Series between Nottingham Trent & Uni of Nottingham, I have this real urge to try out another sport and see if I'm any good at it. You never know. I take inspiration from the fact the Olympic Gold Medallist in boxing, Team GBs Anthony Joshua only took up boxing only four years ago, then won Gold at London 2012. If I'm unsuccessful then I'll still go for the social stuff and fitness. Hey, I need to work off the weight put on from all the booze & pizza consumed this week somehow!

So to conclude, I would say that this has been my Ultimate Crash Course in University life. And I would like to think that I, my flatmates & new friends have passed with flying colours :-)

Bring on the rest of the year!

The Truth

Well what a day it has been. The Hillsborough Independent Panel delivered its report today and after having a quite detailed skim through it (http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/ if anyone’s interested) it does at time make quite uncomfortable reading.

I must admit, I had been slightly unsure of what the general verdict would be. This is probably not helped by the fact I was not even born at the time of the disaster and don't live in Liverpool. I feared that if legitimate documentation stated that Liverpool fans were partly to blame for this tragedy then it would not be accepted by the people of Liverpool, thus blurring the quest for justice.

Thank god that this has proved not to be the case, but now finally in its place is the truth. The whole truth. More than 100 police documents altered. The potential for 41 lives to be saved if it were not for the failures of the emergency services. Inaccurate briefings, first from South Yorkshire police to the government of the day, then from Local MPs to media outlets. It is truly shocking that senior figures of authority had the nerve to cover up so much vital information simply to cover their own backs when 96 families had to grieve & bury relatives as young as 8 years old.

Quite a few apologies have been issued today most notably by the Sun. Whilst, I suppose quite justifiably the families of the dead are not really interested in what they now have to say, I will give the Sun's editor a little bit of credit for facing the issue head on. As far as I am aware the majority of people who now work at the Sun (and South Yorkshire Police for that matter) were not working there at the times of the disaster so must not be shown any disdain by any angry people now searching for justice. The two people who I wouldn't give any time of day to are Kelvin Mackensie & David Duckenfield. I know Mackensie apologised today but it is very out of tune with his public utterance over recent year. Meanwhile Duckenfield is nowhere to be seen & to my knowledge he is still alive. Why can't he come out and say sorry for this sorry episode which ultimately destroyed his career!

As I've already stated I was not born at the time of the disaster. But since becoming a Liverpool supporter I have gradually learnt about it & what the fallout was. Perhaps the saddest thing about Hillsborough was that it took a tragedy like that to make football stadia what they are today. Safe, along with some of the best medical equipment in the world. Whatever football club you support, I think it is right that you know about Hillsborough. However harrowing it might, it is important to know about it as quite possibly it has turned out to be one of the reasons that football stadia is now a safe place to be. Even though Taylor report has been largely discredited today, its recommendations for improvement to football stadia remain valid & important.

On a quick side note, I saw a tweet earlier asking a small minority of Manchester United & Chelsea to stop chanting "Hillsborough" at matches. I totally agree with that, but it has to work both ways, as a stupid minority of Liverpool fans chant "Munich" at games. Please stop. It's sickening that some people can be that way.

Anyway, it is now time to step back. For 23 years the whole city of Liverpool, has united behind the efforts of the bereaved families to get justice for their loved ones. Now that we have the truth, it must be left to the authorities to do their work and subsequently for justice to take its course. Hopefully within the year this shall be all done & Liverpool as a whole will be able to move on.

I'd like to finish this post by saying well done to everyone who campaigned for the truth and I'm glad that the truth has come out. But there is one man who needs thanking more than most for his conduct in the days after the Hillsborough disaster. Kenny Dalglish. He went to every single funeral, made speeches acted as a counsellor & generally held the whole City together during its darkest days. So thank you King Kenny. And thank you all who believed in Liverpool fans version of event & realised that they were the ones not the Sun or the Police that were telling the truth.

If one thing can be taken that is truly positive from the past 23 years of this sorry tale is this. At Liverpool Football Club, whatever the circumstances may be You Will Never Walk Alone.

The Road of the two Rs

"No matter what a waste one has made of one's life, it is ever possible to find some path to redemption, however partial.”

Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

"Every renaissance comes to the world with a cry, the cry of the human spirit to be free."
Anne Sullivan Macy

Now the two quotes might not seem at first to relate to football, or more specifically Liverpool FC. Now look closer. Read between the lines. If still stuck look back to the Title.

Let me take you back to May of this year. Manchester City have just snatched the title away from Manchester United with a winning goal against QPR with the clock at 93 minutes & 20 seconds. Tottenham secure 4th with a 2-0 win over Fulham but with Arsenal winning it condemned them to in the end missing out on the Champions League. Meanwhile on that very same day, Swansea City, who had just had a very successful debut season in the Premier League under the tutelage of up and coming British manager Brendan Rodgers beat Liverpool 1-0 in what turned out to be Kenny Dalglish's last game in charge before getting the sack a few days later.

Looking back, that day summed up our season. Whilst others prospered, we faltered, when we had control of our destiny. Case Point 1: FA Cup Final. Rubbish for first hour, too late fight back in last half hour. FA Cup goes to average performing Chelsea. Case Point 2: Home game against Arsenal. The best game we play all season, yet somehow Arsenal escape with a 2-1 victory & started the disastrous run that made Anfield look more like a comedy club rather than a fortress.

Let’s go back even further. December 2011. Luis Suarez has just been banned for 8 games for racially abusing Patrice Evra. Instead of calmly explaining why they felt aggrieved that Evra receive no punishment after also admitting using derogatory slurs towards Suarez, Liverpool create a media storm, with crass t-shirts, ridiculous statement & too be frank bad handling by the manager. If only that first statement had explained their actual problem with the proceedings instead of the penultimate chapter a lot of problems may have been avoided.

Now let’s fast forward to 1st June 2012. Brendan Rodgers has been unveiled as Liverpool's new manager. Some see it as a bold appointment; some see it as the perfect choice for a club that needs a makeover. Rodgers immediately sets out to work, knowing that he would have the shade of Euro 2012 & then the Olympics to quietly set about his work. This includes restoring the old This is Anfield Sign & the old red goal nets from the 70s & 80s

This brings me back to the quotes that started this post. This season needs to be the renaissance of Liverpool Football Club. Perhaps more importantly, this needs to be the season of redemption for Liverpool Football Club.

Back in the 70s & 80s Liverpool were the most dominant club in England, Europe and even the whole world. These seemingly at first token restoration of pieces of club history by Rodgers actually remind us not only of our greatest ever players to grace the club, but how we were run. There was no sleaze, no arguments, and no problems off the pitch affecting matters off it and vice versa. We were in essence the place to be.

This where renaissance and redemption come in. The renaissance of Liverpool playing the beautiful game with Rodgers policy including element of the highly proclaimed tika-taka style, so reasonably similar to the style Liverpool used to play in the 70s & 80s. The redemption of Liverpool Football, by showing honesty, hard work spending wisely & not becoming a laughing stock like we have over the past few seasons by concerning matter escalating on & off the pitch.

In 2008/9 Liverpool finished 2nd in the League, only four points behind Manchester United. The three seasons since then our record is 7th, 6th, 8th. Rodgers knows from this that this is a massive job he has undertaken, to make Liverpool successful again & knows that following Dalglish in the hotseat brings its own problems. He needs results & will need them almost immediately otherwise the Kop may get nervous. However he has started well with these tokens of the past returning to adhere the faithful of Anfield & has strengthened the squad with the seemingly very good signings of Fabio Borini & Joe Allen, with hopefully more to come.

With this, optimism going into the new season on Saturday is (as always) high. The title will not being heading to Anfield at the end of May as much as I would love it too. The top 4 is not even the owners target, but I'm sure that Rodgers will want to get at least 4th from this season to get back into the Champions League thus get more players to come to the club. He doesn't need to worry about trophies. 4th & no trophy will go down nicely this season. Make no mistake, I am confident that Liverpool, can have a good season, but to do not expect us to become world beaters overnight.

I do expect us to take a journey on two roads though. The Road to Renaissance & the Road to Redemption.

"We are Liverpool Football Club"- Steven Gerrard

Farewell Olympics, Welcome back Me Part 2

Well what a way to end! The Closing Ceremony was a bit slow to really amaze (as seems to be the case with a lot of events in Britain this year) but the last hour was great & a brilliant way to end the Olympics. Of course us Brits are swelling with pride that Team GB came third in the medal table, basically the best of the rest behind the USA and China!

So now perhaps the most important work is now ahead of Britain & our Olympic organisers. Where do we go from here? What shall the legacy of these games be?

One thing’s for sure, we cannot just go back to what we were doing before. It's amazing to think that just around a year ago London and other parts of the UK were basically burning as rioters swept the streets, now we stand tall after welcoming the world and delivering one of the greatest Olympics ever. It's time for Britain to put its best foot forward, to show that we are a nation of kindness warmth & respectability, and that include laying down the full force of the law to criminals.

Life still goes on y'know. The murder case of Tia Sharpe has been on our screens for the past week & whilst a truly tragic story is a telling reminder of what parts of society in Britain have become & that to prevent our welcoming of Olympic athletes being branded as having a mask hiding the true face, then justice must be served whenever necessary.

Moving on to the sporting aspect, it is obvious that a reasonable number of compulsory hours of competitive sport must be introduced from Primary School then gradually become optional at Secondary level. There are too many children (and to be fair adults) who spend their life never having no said to them whether they are right or wrong. Sport can do a lot more than just earn you gold medals. If used properly it can teach life lesson, like how to win & lose graciously. It can bring egos into check, keep little brats in line & make people strive to do better next time. However in Secondary School however it has to be more flexible. Some people just don't like Sport. If they don't like it and are of an age to make their own decisions you cannot make them. It's their own loss. Just get them to take part in another way like setting up a pitch clocking someone’s 100m time etc.

This of course need cooperation from everybody, that includes Parents who are scared of their children losing and throwing a tantrum, along with Teachers and their Unions who are more concerned with trying to make the paper by striking against government pension plans which they know they now cannot alter & making sure that the Health & Safety Officer doesn't turn up! This Liberal way of thinking needs to stop in our Schools, there are winner and losers in life.

Funding is also needed to get top quality coaches from a whole variety of sports to work in School to inspire success. So Mr Michael Gove Education Secretary. I like the majority of your education reforms, but could you please do the right thing and restore the whole of the government funding you took away from Sport in Schools in 2010. Thank you very much :)

Finally, speaking of inspiring success, it sure as hell inspired me. Being in the Olympic Park on August 5th was as I previously mentioned on my last blog was one of the best experiences in my entire life. Watching top quality Hockey mixed with mingling in a crowd of thousands seeing fantastic architecture and there just being an overall friendly atmosphere and a sense of enjoyment by all. There was the TV coverage by the BBC here in the UK & I must say it was nothing short of outstanding, with Jake Humphrey & Claire Balding shining in particular. Must also mention Ian Thorpe. Absolute Legend! :)

Seeing Team GB do so well along with the foreign Athletes like the legend Usain Bolt, the legend Michael Phelps & now the legend David Rudisha has earned widespread praise and will now hopefully get more people to do sport. Including me.

I used to do quite a bit of sport. I did football, cricket & athletics for both my Primary & Secondary School. I also did Cricket for Stevenage up to Under 15 Level (Highest score of 15, BOOM!). Then for some reason or another I just stopped but never got back into it.

Now after watching the Olympics, I want to do sport again, and would actually like to do more than that. I would now love to compete in an Olympics games.

Now they might sound ridiculously over-ambitious. Believe me, I know. But think about it. I've done 3 sports and wasn't very good at them. But with so many sports on offer at the University I want to go to, and quite a few are done in the Olympics. What's even better is that quite a few of them you can just turn up with no experience, so who knows whether I have a hidden talent at Volleyball or something? Hey you don't know until you try.

Of course I am realistic & that my most likely route to the Olympics again will be in the journalistic discipline. But I'm sure that the most key thing of these Olympic Games will be that many people will want to take part in new sports and see where they take them.

So take up Sport Britain. And see what great places it can take you. As for me, maybe just maybe I'll see you in 2016/2020 ;)

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, my focus shall switch back to football, to be more specific Liverpool FC.

Thanks for reading and see you soon :)

Farewell Olympics, Welcome Back Me

Hello again all. I can't even remember the last time I wrote a blog, have been very busy. Anyway I felt I had to come back now to write some stuff about the Olympics. Also with the new football season imminent (Does anybody actually know/care the Community Shield is today?) I shall be writing a piece on Liverpool just to set the wheels in motion.
So the past two weeks I have basically done nothing else but watch Olympic Sport. I was listening to the radio in my primary school classroom when London were awarded these games & ever since then I wanted to be part of it in some way. Well last Sunday I got my wish when I went to the Olympic Park to watch some Hockey. It was truly a great day out and the atmosphere everywhere was just amazing. I shall go into more detail later in the week when I write a piece about Olympic legacy

It has also helped that Team GB have had an amazing games. It needed Bradley "Wiggo" Wiggins to get things going in the Gold Medal department but since then it has been a gold rush with sporting achievement happening all over the place. The only sport we were really rubbish in was Swimming. I don't care what Rebecca Adlington says a silver & 2 bronzes in the pool is not good enough for a sport that received £25 million funding for this Olympic cycle. Michael Jamieson is the exception in the pool, he had a great meet! Also in Athletics wouldn't it really be nice if we could run a relay properly!

Anyway without further ado here are my top 10 Olympic moments from London 2012 :~)

Honourable Mentions
Helen Glover & Heather Stanning: Won Team GBs first gold but slightly fell under the radar afterwards

Basketball Team USA: Been sensational at times but what else would you expect from NBA All Stars?

Missy Franklin: 4 golds in the pool at 17 years old at a time when her native Aurora, Colorado is still reeling from the tragic events last month

Laura Trott: Double Olympic Champion & the new Queen of British Track Cycling. Also take over the mantle from Victoria Pendleton of being the hottest athlete in Team GB ;)

All gold winning Team GB athletes that are not in the main list

10: Andy Murray wins gold at Wimbledon Revenge is a dish best served cold! After the heartbreak of losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final last month, Murray put that all behind him to blitz Federer in all aspects on Centre Court. His celebrations afterwards showed how much this meant to this. Now he must use this to push on & finally end that wait for his elusive Grand Slam. If he keeps up the form he showed in the Olympic Tournament, it might just come at the upcoming US Open. But make no mistake Federer will want revenge after being denied the only thing he has never won so nothing will be easy.

9: Robert Harting's Celebration: For sheer comedy factor this was absolutely fantastic, a discus thrower jumping some hurdles to celebrate Olympic glory. Just brilliant!

8: Fourth Time Lucky for Katherine Grainger: 3 previous Olympics. 3 previous silvers. All that is now forgotten as Katherine Grainger finally achieved her dream of Olympic Rowing glory after winning the Womens Double Sculls with Anna Watkins. From the verge of quitting after Beijing heartbreak to Olympic gold in London, it was truly as she coined it "The Peoples Medal".



7: Allez Wiggo in "Wherever we are": He was already a national hero after becoming the first British man to win the Tour de France, but that wasn't enough for Bradley Wiggins. After trying in vain to get Mark Cavendish to a sprint finish in the Mens road race just a few days earlier, he somehow produced a display of power, speed and sheer brilliance to take the Gold medal in the time trial. His interview afterwards was just classic. "The crowd was fantastic in wherever we are" & "It was great to get the Gold Medal at this castle" when it was a palace! If he doesn't win Sports Personality of the Year this year then there's something wrong. If he don't win perhaps he'll do what he said on the Tour de France podium, "We're just going to draw the Raffle tickets now"! Legend. A knighthood will surely follow, or even perhaps he will become Lord Wiggo of Sideburns ;)

6: Victoria Pendleton winning the Keirin: Queen Victoria wanted 3 gold medal in her final Olympics before retirement. She only got 1 but what a brilliant one it was, defeating her great rival Anna Meares to get the gold. It would be Meares who had the last laugh, by defeating Pendleton in the Womens Individual Sprint. It was actually somewhat fitting that if Pendleton wasn't going to get the gold in her final race, then it was Meares that beat her to the gold. Their rivalry has been nothing short of epic and will be remembered soon enough as one of sports great rivalries with that  traditional feel. Britain vs Australia going toe to toe every single time.

5: The Mens Team Sprint winning Gold in World Record Time: Phillip Hindes, Jason Kenny & Sir Chris Hoy. Within a minute they had stormed around the track, beaten the French, broke the World Record & sent the crowd in the Velodrome delirious. It was an outstanding show of power & speed, highlighting the dominance that the British team have exerted in the Velodrome. What's that about magic wheels? ;)  

4. Michael Phelps: He's a bit good isn't he? After one bad race where he finished fourth, it was Gold/Silver all the way afterwards. It was great to see him show respect & kindness to Chad Le Clos who beat him in the 200m butterfly. Phelps would take centre stage by the end of that night though by being part of the winning 4x200m freestyle relay team which made him the most successful Olympian ever in terms of medals. Now going into retirement he finished with 22 Olympic Medals 18 Gold 2 Silver & 2 Bronze. This is to go with the 26 World Championship golds he has won. It's simple. In the pool, he is the greatest!


3. Sir Chris Hoy becoming greatest British Olympian: It looked like it was going to be a anti-climax. The German rider had overtaken Sir Chris on the back straight of the final lap of the Keirin Final. Fortunately the German couldn't get a bike length in front having to take the longer route around the final corner giving Hoy the chance to use a final burst of power to win his 6th gold medal overtaking Sir Steve Redgrave's total of 5. It was truly a feelgood moment afterwards that the British team gave him a guard of honour as he returned to middle of the velodrome with the crowd going wild. Just brilliant. Arise Lord Hoy of the Velodrome!

2: Usain Bolt: What can you say about this man that nobody else has said? There was doubt before these Olympics began whether he was fully fit or if the self proclaimed "Beast" Yohan Blake who beat Bolt at the Jamaican Trials would go and do the job himself. Why did we ever doubt Bolt? He wasn't as sensational as he was in Beijing but he wasn't too far off. An Olympic Record to win the 100m. Equaling Michael Johnson's old world record to win the 200m. Then to cap it off running the anchor leg in the 4x100m relay setting a new world record in the process. He is the best athlete in the world and his words, not mine "a living legend". Now he shall probably take a few weeks off, eat some chicken nuggets and go party until 5am with the Swedish Handball team ;)

1. Two Super Saturdays for Team GB: Number 1. Two Saturdays. One got 3 golds. One got 6. August 4th: 1st off Sophie Hosking & Katherine Copeland win womens lightweight Double Sculls. Then almost straight after GB win the Mens Coxless Four a discipline we have now won for the past four Olympic games. In the afternoon, at the Velodrome the Womens Pursuit Team win gold in a new world record time. And then between 9 & 10pm three more gold in the greatest hour ever for British Athletics. First Jessica Ennis wins the heptathlon with a new British Record. Literally a few minutes later, Greg Rutherford wins the long jump. So to cap it all off Mo Farah wins the 10,000m, 80,000 fans going crazy, tvs across the country being screamed at in joy, it was the most amazing day which even though I was only watching on TV was proud to be part of.

Then 12th August: In the morning Ed Mckeever becomes the inaugural Olympic Champion at K1 200m at the Canoe/Kayak Sprinting. Then Mo Farah becomes the double Olympic champion by winning the 5000m. At the Excel around an hour later Luke Campbell became Britain's first bantamweight boxing champion since 1908. Finally, although it wasn't a gold, Tom Daley put his personal heartache twitter abuse & disappointment from the 10m synchro event behind by finishing 3rd in the Mens 10m Platform, thus winning Britain's only 7th medal in the diving discipline. He did all he could of, he got a medal & now he can go to Rio in 2016 & probably have a more realistic chance of getting gold. Two saturdays. Two days that Great Britain were at their sporting best!

  







So there you go. The Greatest Show on Earth is coming to an end. Stay tuned as tomorrow I shall be looking a bit more at the Olympic legacy & how it affects me in particular.

Thanks for reading see you soon :)

Feeling Blue

Hello again all. I'm sure if you are a Liverpool fan anywhere in the world you'll still be feeling the disappointment over yesterdays FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea. It's really a case of what might have been which makes the defeat even worse. If the players had turned up for the whole game not just the last half hour we would have won the game easily. There were just too many of them who were not at the races in the first half which Gerrard and Suarez could not negate for them. Fair play to Chelsea, they deserved it just about, but their performance was average at best and to be honest that's all they had to be for the first hour.

I suppose one crumb of comfort to take from this game is that Andy Carroll is finally starting to look like the striker we actually bought at great expense from Newcastle. Probably angry at being left on the bench, he looked like a man possessed when he went on and suddenly Liverpool starting playing. His goal was a very good one and he continued to terrorise the Chelsea defence for the rest of the evening. And of course he was about a few millimetres and a Petr Cech hand away from becoming an immediate Kop legend. If can now reproduce that on a weekly basis from now on, there's no reason why he cannot become a influential figure in the Liverpool and a regular England international. He's only 23 so there is plenty of time.

Just to clarify on the goal line decision, I think it was over but you couldn't definitively tell either way so the linesman made the right call. The TV replays were inconclusive so if anyone says they showed clearly it went over or not either is quite frankly either blind or is just trying to stir an argument!

Returning to the bigger picture, there is no doubt that Liverpool's season has been disappointing and not good enough. 8th in the league (Shocking), Carling Cup Winners (Season highlight) and FA Cup runners up (Disappointing) is not what we should be aiming for. Some of the players (Henderson and Downing I'm looking at you especially) need to take a hard look at themselves over the summer and decide whether to bring it next season or get out. We can't be carrying passengers now. Not after this season. There is no doubt in my mind that new players are desperately needed. Even with the players that are not performing to their abilities, the squad is not good enough to be certain of top 4 and nowhere near ending the 22 years of not winning a league title.

At the moment a lot of other team’s fans are laughing at our seasons failings. The old Liverpool (not just in the 80s but only just this century) would quickly shut them up the next season by kicking the absolute shit out of them and go and win the major honours. I can't see this being the case at the moment with the current crop. Anfield along with the terrible form there has been reduced to just any home ground, this season it certainly hasn't exerted the passion and fear it used to. Perhaps European Football is needed to regain Anfield's sparkle and as we are in the Europa League next season because of our Carling Cup win we shall have the opportunity to do just that.

Moving to a more financial footing, but sticking with the issue of Anfield, it is clear now that we desperately need a new stadium. United, City, Arsenal and now perhaps in a few years Chelsea are making so much money simply from the fact that they have the stadium capacity to get more bums on seats. In turn, along with the money the Champions League provides, that gives them more money to spend on a variety of thing and that includes quality players. Now Liverpool is on a much more stable financial footing since FSG took over in late 2010 when administration was looming. But progress must now be made on getting a new ground built or redeveloping and enlarging Anfield, otherwise we will be left further behind than we are already.

Finally, there is something that I'm 100% certain of and that is the future of the manager. Kenny Dalglish answered our SOS in January last year when there was the real prospect of a relegation battle and he led us to 6th only a few points behind Spurs and a further few behind Man City. Of course he has made mistakes this year, nothing more clearly than his handling of the Luis Suarez affair and his signings haven't worked out but most people will admit that he at least before the terrible run at the end of the season that he got Liverpool playing performance wise reasonably well. Of course he would point out that even if half of the 30 times we have hit the woodwork this term had been goals we'd be right in the fight for top 4. He has also brought stability and unity to a club that was fractured during the end of the Benitez reign and the final days of Hicks and Gillett. Everyone knows where they stand with him and will play for him.

So now is not the time to wield the axe when he will know that this season has gone wrong and I bet that he will know where to put it right for next season. As usual there is the tendency in football these days for immediate results, and opposition fans of course are saying he should be sacked now, when if it was happening in their club they'd be moaning about constant changes of manager. John Barnes put it perfectly this morning on the radio:

"If there is a club who will support a situation it will be Liverpool. There will not be a kneejerk reaction," he told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek.

"People are too quick to change managers and demand instant success. If a new manager comes in and says 'I need £200m to spend because this team is not good enough', and if that does not work and a new manager comes in, there has to be a point where a club says 'it has not worked but we have to stick with this until it becomes apparent that it definitely is not going to work'. One year, or six months, is not a long enough period of time".

Of course next season, getting into the top 4 is a must and if he can't achieve that then it will be time to say thank you but no thank you. For now though we Liverpool fans must stick with him and support him. We owe him too much to abandon him now. Dalglish held a whole City together at the time of the Hillsborough disaster and only a few weeks later led Liverpool to an FA Cup victory. Perhaps he is living off the brownie points he acquired in his first stint at the club, either way it doesn't matter, that is more than enough to merit a second bite at the cherry. Not many people remember that he is one of the select few managers which include Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Ancellotti (Possibly Mancini soon) that have actually won the Premier League.

So all in all, just to add a bit of humour to this mainly miserable article, Liverpool are a club that are "still standing" but are struggling to be "stayin' alive" at without new signings, new investment into infrastructure then we could be staring into the wilderness for some time.

Ah well could be worse. Could be a Wolves fan! ;)

Showcase of the Immortals

Happy April Fools Day to all. The day has arrived. Wrestlemania 28 in Miami Florida. The event has been a year in the making and is shaping up to be one of the best American sports events in recent times. Of course as always in America it has been hyped to extreme proportions which might annoy us a bit in other countries but it doesn't seem to matter to them! Nevertheless this time they genuinely have a lot to be excited about, with a stacked card which features no more than 12 world champions. So let me get to business and in this post I shall be analysing the top 3 matches on the card and giving my predictions for them and all the other matches occurring tonight.

WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

This will probably be the match that opens the show and the stakes could not be higher. The WWE Championship is up for grabs along with the honour of being known as the best wrestler in the world. Punk and Jericho have been going at it for a couple of months now and it has been intriguing from the very beginning. Punk has been champion now for around 4-5 months and has beaten all comers. Now he faces his biggest test in a man who was the first ever undisputed champion. It will surely be a fantastic match to start the show and it will say to the rest of the card going on afterwards "go on, go and beat that". As for the outcome I think CM Punk will edge it after around 1/2 hour of pure wrestling from both men.

Winner (and still champion): CM Punk

End of an Era Hell in a Cell Match: Undertaker vs. Triple H

So the end of an era is apparently upon us. And it shall be done inside the devils playground as Triple H attempts for the third time to defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and end the Streak. This shall be brutal and the build up has truly got across what a dangerous structure hell in a cell is, with Taker even asking HHH whether he'd be willing to give his own life to defeat him. If this was a normal hell in cell match I'd imagine this would be kept as PG as possible and it wouldn't be as effective. However with these two, both veterans of 19 hell in a cell matches between them, I think they'll have the license to do whatever they feel they are capable of doing to steal the show. Of course we must not forget that Shawn Michaels is special guest referee of this match and there has been must speculation about what role he'll play. Personally I hope he's booked to call this down the middle. If the streak is ending (which personally I hope it isn't) then it must have a clean finish otherwise Triple Hs stature in wrestling will be diminished, not to mention he will probably be public enemy number 1 along with his buddy HBK. This also means that it must be a clean finish if Undertaker wins as well, otherwise the streak will lose some of its credibility. Either way I really do think this will be match of the match of the night and that after 3 tombstone piledrivers, Undertaker will make Triple H rest in peace.

Winner (and 20-0 at Wrestlemania): Undertaker

Once in a Lifetime: The Rock vs. John Cena

Whether you love it or hate it, this is the match that will truly define the success/failure of this year’s Wrestlemania. It is the most hyped match of all time, most built match and overall most important. This could shoot WWE back into the mainstream if this match is successful and they've probably got the two best guys to do it. Both Cena and Rock don't like each other but they both sure know how to perform a classic match and I'm sure that's what they will be planning to do come The big debate has been who should win. Some say Rock because it's in his hometown and so he can claim to be the best superstar of all time, whilst humbling Cena and perhaps giving him a new direction to go down with his character. On the other hand some say Cena should win because of the fact that he is the face of the company and that he will be carrying on full time after Wrestlemania with Rock going back to Hollywood and only making rare appearances. Also it would symbolise the official passing of the torch from attitude to PG. I would go for the latter argument. Cena needs the win here more than Rock. They could easily have a rematch at say Summerslam and have Rock win there so they would be equal, but Cena must win here. The stakes are too high for him. Wrestling is all he has (lets face it he's a rubbish actor) while Rock has a lot, wrestling, acting, singing, a good knowledge of Politics. On a quick side note, like Undertaker vs. HHH, this match must have a clean finish. There have been rumours of outside interference to determine the winner. This is an absolute no go. The only way that would not spark riots in some shape or form is if Zeus were to throw a lightning bolt from up high into the ring to kill one of them. Here's hoping that doesn't happen eh ;)

Winner: John Cena

Here are my predictions for the other matches in 10 words or less;

Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny: Will be hectic, Team Johnny to win with Ziggler pinfall

Randy Orton vs. Kane: Orton will not embrace the hate. Win by RKO.

Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan: Sheamus dominant, Bryan sneaky. Great White to break Rumble curse.

Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show: Show wants Wrestlemania moment. Rhodes with crossrhodes for the win.

Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Eve & Beth Phoenix: Does anybody care? Good thing Kelly Kelly is extremely hot!

So there you have it folks. Sit back and enjoy Wrestlemania XVIII. Thanks for reading and until next time The Outsider is out. :)





Gentlemen, start your engines!

Hello again all. I never did get round to writing a review of the Carling Cup Final like I promised in my last post. It's a good thing I didn't because it has all gone downhill for Liverpool since then!
Anyway back to business and it is now less than a week until the start of the new Formula One season. This season just seems to have a real air of anticipation, with all the teams not knowing where they stand in terms of raw pace after pre-season testing, so there is the potential for this to be the best season yet this century.

Of course, the favourite for the Drivers title going into this season is of course Sebastian Vettel. The man has been supreme over his past two championship winning seasons, getting the absolute maximum out of his Red Bull on all but a mere few occasions. The fact that he is just a genuine nice bloke makes his dominance bearable, but it has been said that behind closed doors he has that element of Schumacher in him, striving for perfection at all times. Put all this together and you wouldn't dare bet against him joining a select group (of two actually, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio) who have won three world titles in a row.

However, I believe that this year won't be as easy for him. The main challenge is I believe (and quietly hoping) is going to come from Lewis Hamilton. He's coming off a horrendous 2011 on and off the track, but even with everything seemingly going wrong, he was still able to show that he still has it. Just look at his pass on Button and Vettel in China and you'll see what I mean. If the 2008 World Champion has got a quick Mclaren to at least match the Red Bulls, is on top form and most importanly, mentally prepared, then Lewis can beat Vettel. I would even stretch out to saying when everything comes together, Hamilton is a better driver than Vettel but consistently must show this if he wants to add a second world championship to his collection.

Of course, we can not forget Mclaren's other driver a certain Jenson Button. He was best of the rest last year, puting in some superb performances, with the best being his win in Canada in the greatest F1 race in my lifetime. From interviews, he seems calm, focused and ready to do battle. He is a dark horse for sure, you can never count him out. If you do he always comes back to prove you wrong, and there is no reason at why Jenson can't go and win his second drivers championship.

Then there's the matter of Ferrari. They have not had the best time of it in pre-season testing, with the cars balance and therfore performance being incredibly erratic. For Fernando Alonso the pressure is huge. This is his third season with Ferrari and the demand for a championship is growing. News about the Scuderia is always in the Italian papers positive and negative, so if success doesn't come soon, the tifosi might just turn its back on the current management setup and Alonso himself. Still, could be worse. Could be Felipe Massa who unless a miracle happens will be out of a drive by the end of the season.

Both Lotus and Mercedes have looked impressive and there are serious murmurs in the paddock that they both could spring a suprise at the first race and beyond. This is desperately needed for Michael Schumacher if he wants to achieve his goal of winning again, the same for Nico Rosberg only that he's still looking for his first trip to the top step of the podium. For Lotus, Kimi Raikonenn is back after two years rallying and looks raring to go, with a young team mate beside in Roman Grosjean, making it perhaps the perfect driver lineup for the team. Whether they can trouble the top teams remains to be seen but the initial signs are good. 

The midfield looks like it will be extremely competitive. Paul Di Resta has said that he is really pleased with the new Force India so expect them to be strong. Torro Rosso have a completely new driver lineup which shall be determined to pick up points early, in what potentially be a race between Daniel Riccardo and Jean-Eric Vergne as to who replaces Mark Webber in the Red Bull seat for 2013. Of course the plucky Australian, will not give up without a fight and don't be suprised to see him foghting for more wins this season. The championship unfortunately, I'm afraid is now beyond him. Williams has a Senna back in their car since that fateful day at Imola in 1994 and it shall surely be an emotional moment when we see Ayrtons nephew Bruno roll out of the pits in Melbourne. There are encouraging signs for the team though with profits being made and with a clean slate after last seasons nightmare.

Just a quick side note, it's a pity that Rubens Barichello, one of the true gentlemen of F1 hasn't got a drive for this year. Fingers crossed he might be able to force his way back him in 2013, just like Pedro De La Rosa has this year with HRT, but I fear that this is the end of the road in F1 at least for the man they call Rubinho. I don't think I'd be too far off in saying that apart from Sir Stirling Moss, the greatest driver never to win a world championship.

Finally, there's going to be an intense battle off the track and that's in the world of television. Here in the UK, for the first time ever not all the F1 races will be free to air, as the BBC sacrificed half of the 20 race season in part of wide cost cutting across the coporation. The other half they shall have extensive highlights so it should still be good coverage.

So Sky Sports now have all the races live and there own channel to boot. This is a first for Formula One and it will be fascinating to see how this project plays out.  Fortunately for me I get the Sky Sports F1 channel free as my family are on sky and have already the HD package and Sky Sports 1 & 2. You only need one of these two if your provider is sky to get the channel free. Virgin Media, I'm not so sure, I shall go and try find out for all you out there! I watched the channels launch program and I was immediatly impressed. It was slick focused and detailed, with the technology they have at their disposal being the key asset which in turn should get them better access to the teams which will get fans closer to the sport than ever before. Theyare also playing off the nostalgia of the sport, when racing was in a golden age. I can't wait to look back on some of F1s hisotry and Steve Riders' interviews with the legends of the sport Also I cannot imagine watching F1 on TV these days without having Martin Brundle in there. He has replaced Murray Walker as the voice of F1 and thankfully he shall be returning to his preferred role of co-commentator this year alongside David Croft. Not to mention his gridwalks will be entertaining as ever. Personally, although it is sad that another sport has fallen under the grip of the Murdoch empire, it will be fantastic to year of F1 that is Eddie Jordan free!

So sit back and fasten your seatbelts everyone. It should be an incredible season. I shall leave you with my predictions for this season and the link for the video for the opening titles of Skys coverage this season. It is epic, I'm sure you'll love it.

Drivers Championship
1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Sebastian Vettel
3rd: Jenson Button

Constructors Championship
1st: Red Bull
2nd: Mclaren
3rd: Ferrari

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-hqrZLG84