THE FA NEED TO GET A GRIP

Everybody can see that John Terry did not deserve a red card in Chelsea's win at Manchester City, however it was definitely a booking - everyone can also acknowledge that.

Chelsea appealed. Chelsea won. Terry can face Manchester United this weekend. No change there then.

After Mark Halsey dismissed Terry on Sunday afternoon it emerged that Chelsea would have to show the England captain did not deserve to receive a yellow card for the challenge. Which he clearly did. Let's be honest, it was a bit of a rugby tackle and clearly a cynical offence committed to deny City a chance to create a goal.

It always has been a cautionable offence, so surely the FA would have to uphold the ban - however unjust it may be.

It seems everyone neglected to remember that the FA are utterly useless and totally incompetent - once again they proved it. The Football Association have promoted the RESPECT campaign this season, in an attempt to increase the authority of the match official, yet they consistently undermine them.

Halsey got the decision wrong on Sunday. Referees get decisions wrong all the time, it's part of the game. The FA got the decision wrong today. They do it more often than officials. Remember what they say about two wrong's not making a right. The FA don't.

There is no doubt John Terry should have been booked and NOT sent off on Sunday. However, in overturning the decision, all the FA have managed to do is add fuel to the flames of the belief among opposing fans that the England captain, not just Terry but all of them, are given preferential treatment by the FA.

We can only hope this is not the case, but the more it happens the more people will believe.

p.s. Five Chelsea players surrounded referee Halsey after the red card was shown. The FA have not mentioned this. So much for RESPECT. One rule for one, a different one for the rest. If Newcastle had surrounded the official after Danny Guthrie's red card on Saturday there is a good chance they would have been punished for it.

Hawk-Eye thinks JT should have been banned, is he right?
Hawk-Eye Challenge
	Results

TIME TO USHER IN THE FUTURE

"You can't beat experience", or so they say. Just ask Liverpool after Manchester United's two most experienced players gifted them a Premier League victory at Anfield this lunchtime.

Rafael Benitez' side fully deserved the three points they took in front of their home fans, after a 2-1 victory over their biggest of rivals from Old Trafford, but they could, and probably should, have lost.

Manchester United flew out of the traps and £30million signing Dimitar Berbatov cut the ball back for an unmarked Carlos Tevez to fire Sir Alex Ferguson's team in front on just three minutes.

However, 37-year-old United stopper Edwin Van Der Sar seemed intent on looking as frail and brittle as possible. By the time he slapped the ball into the legs of a helpless Wes Brown to gift Liverpool an equaliser, he had already dropped a simple cross only for Dirk Kuyt to waste the present.

Up to that point it had been the visitors that were in control, but as the infamous 'Kop' became more involved, the more the Liverpool players asserted themselves.

Benitez's men were overrunning and overpowering their opponents, so Ferguson called for United's record appearance holder, Ryan Giggs. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, it was Giggs who 'dallied' in possession when under pressure in the penalty area before being robbed by Mascherano who then set up Babel for the winner.

Scouring the club's message boards' there is a split opinion on both Giggs and Van Der Sar with regard to whether they merit their places.

Ben Foster is rumoured to be back to full fitness and it will be interesting to see whether he is able to displace the newly internationally retired Van Der Sar between the sticks at Old Trafford.

While the position of Giggs looks increasingly insecure, especially when you consider that Cristiano Ronaldo is expected back in midweek. With Anderson already ahead of the Welshman in the pecking order, alongside the likes of Carrick, Scholes and Hargreaves, possibly even a fully fit Park Ji-Sung and Nani too. Could it be that Giggs' United days are over?

Whatever the ramifications for United after this defeat you can be sure the manager will not bow to sentiment and if he feels they are no longer up to the job they will find themselves out of the squad as quickly as they entered it.

Is Hawk-Eye right, are Van Der Sar and Giggs for the 'knackers' yard?
Hawk-Eye Challenge - Giggs Challenge - VDS
	Results

GREAT RESULT BUT HIDDEN PROBLEMS EMERGE

Last night England produced the type of dominating performance the nation has been waiting for since the 5-1 in Munich. However, in beating Croatia 4-1 in Zagreb there were worrying signs that Fabio Capello must be aware of.

So you will have to excuse me for having a moan, it is something I have become used to after England international fixtures, because I am delighted as anybody.

Anyway, that's enough praise for the players who only a day ago we were all criticising like there was no tomorrow....let's get underway.

Firstly, John Terry. Captain Marvel. An inspiration. Hard-working. Brave. Give me strength! I have never been a big fan of the Chelsea and England skipper, I believe him to be slow and clumsy, although I was willing to give him brave - until last night anyway.

Terry was at fault when Croatia grabbed a late consolation. With a loose ball bouncing around on the halfway line 'Mr. Chelsea' went with his head but the Croatian player's boot beat him to the ball. Admittedly, it should have been a free-kick for a dangerously high-foot, but that does not excuse the England captain rolling around on the floor like Drogba and Ronaldo while Rio Ferdinand and David James were left to deal with the onrushing Luka Modric.

He should have been chasing back but he preferred to feign injury by clutching his untouched forehead. If it had been a Croation player we would be up in arms at the play-acting but because it was 'our' Captain - which I maintain he should not be - we don't bat an eyelid. John Terry is not brave, all his fans just like to think he is.

The second cause for concern was the predictability of, what is affectionately known as, the David James moment. At 1-0, James flapped at a corner, the ball dropped straight to a Croatian attacker and the Portsmouth keeper was relieved to see it rebound off one of five England defenders in his six-yard box.

Then, with the game over as a contest (I did not think I would be saying that when I turned Setanta on last night), James raced from his penalty area only to bundle into Mladen Petric and was again relieved as Ivan Rakitic looped over the bar.

On another night these incidents could have been costly, but Capello knows you take the rough with the smooth with James and he is just as likely to make five or six world class saves.

Finally, there are still concerns about the midfield and while Frank Lampard delivered a professional performance (his best for England for some time) his partner, Gareth Barry, always concerns me. I have never seen a player so one-footed. Barry certainly does a job but there are better-equipped players, and although neither was available last night, hopefully Capello will allow them to show it as England move forward.

On numerous occasions last night Barry tried to turn onto his left foot and found himself losing possession as the opposition knew exactly what was happening. Unlike Barry, Manchester United duo Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick have the ability to turn both ways and both are more positionally and tactically aware in the defensive midfield role than the Aston Villa man.

Personally I would like to see Hargreaves or Carrick alongside Lampard or Gerrard in the middle by the time Kasakhstan visit Wembley next month, however I cannot see this happening. Barry seems to be the man of the moment. I'm not sure why, but he is.

On a night when England emerged from the shadows to give the nation a team they can be proud of there were stand-out performers such as hat-trick hero Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney - who finally showed what he is capable of. Also, it was the first time I have seen Wes Brown perform in an England shirt.

However, we must not be blinkered by the result, we must move on and build on this result. Croatia are good, not great just good, and that was exposed last night but against the creme-de-la-creme of world football the mistakes of Zagreb might well be punished.

But that should not dampen our spirits, finally England played like everyone knows they can and finally there are reasons for optimism, yet another thing I cannot believe I have the opportunity to write...

So, is Hawk-Eye right to criticise England?
Good Call Challenge
	Results

BMX IS THE NEW BLACK

Have you caught any of the BMX racing at the Olympics over the last few days? If not, then you have definitely been missing out. It may not be a typical Olympic sport but it is certainly one of the most unpredictable, exciting and addictive.

Every race is jam=packed full of thrills, spills, flying bikes and crashing falls as the eight riders attempt to find the optimum line around the burms - corners to you and me.

At the semi-final stage the entire event becomes somewhat of a free-for-all as each rider battles for every place to ensure themselves a spot in the final. In how many sports could you fall twice and still reach the final? Well that is what has happened to Shanaze Reade of Great Britain who fell in her opening time trial and then collided with another rider at the first turn of her opening semi-final run to finish seventh out of eight.

However, she showed true character to finish runner-up to Laetitia le Corguille before then beating her French rival in the third and final semi-final run to reach the Olympic final - and in the fastest time of the competition as a whole making her first seed for the final. Which she again fell in trying to actually 'take out' Anne Caroline Chausson of France at the final bend - that is what it looked like anyway - as the world champion failed to medal.

It is simply amazing that none of the riders have been on the receiving end of a serious injury at some point in the event - in fact Kyle Bennett of the United States suffered a dislocated shoulder during the Men's Quarter Final runs, but the doctor popped it back into it's socket and he made the semi-final regardless.

Simply the best sport I have seen at the Olympics this year for sheer entertainment value and what more could you want possibly want?

So, is Hawk-Eye right about BMX?
Good Call Challenge
	Results

THE UNITED STATES OF PHELPS

Something has just dawned on me about Michael Phelps’ unbelievable achievements in the Water Cube at the Beijing Olympics. The ‘Baltimore Bullet’ – by himself – would be lying tied sixth position in the Medals Table. To be honest, that is for want of a better word…insane!

The 23-year-old swimmer all but confirmed his status as the ‘Greatest Olympian of All Time’ with his record haul of eight gold medals in one Olympic games – beating Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals from Munich in 1972.

Agonising. Dramatic. Intense. Exciting. Breathless. Exhilarating. There are not enough words in the English language to describe the feelings during Phelps’ quest.

France had the 4x200m freestyle relay all wrapped up when 100m freestyle Olympic Champion Alain Bernard left the blocks on the final leg. In fact, it was there race until Jason Lezak of the USA began pulling himself over the water faster than he has ever done so before or will ever manage again. Lezak reeled in and overtook Bernard with metres to go and the first obstacle to Phelps’ dream had been overcome – in breathtaking fashion.

The remainder of the first six gold medals – matching his own record from the 2004 Athens Olympics – were achieved with consummate ease. Phelps simply – to put it bluntly – battered his opponents without even a cursory glance. He was ‘in the zone’ and the rest knew they had no hope of living with ‘The Man’.

However, gold number seven was the one Phelps himself was – and this is an assumption - dreading. The 100m butterfly. The only event he does not hold the world record in. The event he was beatable in…possibly.

Mirolad Cavic of Serbia, the world record holder, knew as he walked out for the final that he was the man with the chance to end Phelps’ pursuit of greatness. Better yet, he knew he could do it.

For the first time all week, Phelps’ usually flawless start failed him and he turned at the 50m mark in sixth place. Not only was the dream dying, it was falling apart at the seams. Would he even medal? Now was the time for the champion inside Phelps’ mind to pull his tired body into gear.

Fortunately for him, his second major weapon was firing on all cylinders. Throughout the week, anybody near Phelps approaching the turn found themselves – to all intents and purposes – a country mile behind. As the swimmers re-surfaced Phelps appeared alongside fellow American Ian Crocker in second position, but Cavic was clear, a long way clear at that.

Now he needed his biggest weapon. His heart. His desire. His champion’s spirit, whatever you want to call it, he has it in abundance.

In trademark style, arguably the greatest athlete of all time, laid siege to the Serbian and began to claw back the gap stroke by stroke. However, Cavic countered the threat and appeared to have fought ‘The Great Michael Phelps’ and emerged victorious.

Any other chasing swimmer, at any other time, in any other place and Cavic would have cruised to victory. Not here, not now, not with Michael Phelps on the hunt. As Cavic completed his final stroke he was still half a body length clear and it still seemed over, he had done it. But he hadn’t. As Cavic glided towards the wall, Phelps threw his arms furiously over one last time. Was it enough?

Why did anyone even wonder? The boy from Baltimore won, by a whole 0.01 seconds - in terms of distance, he won by less than 5mm. It is quite possibly the only time during whole meet that a swimmer touched the wall with their arms above the water…now they will wonder why they ever glide towards it. Phelps said afterwards that he did not care if he hit the wall, he would go through it for the gold medal.

In case you can’t tell, I was a little excited throughout this race. There is something about seeing sporting history unfold in front of your eyes that makes you want it to happen. Perhaps it’s because Phelps comes across as a likeable person – with the reputation held by many of his countrymen, it is perhaps surprising that a person labelled ‘The Greatest of All Time’ is so modest and understated.

The moment Phelps clinched the seventh gold, to match Spitz’s record, is something I will never forget and in years to come will become like Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick, Solskjaer’s injury time winner, Tiger Woods winning the US Open on one leg and Federer versus Nadal. Where were you when Phelps won when he had lost?

Of course, the 4x100m medley relay was the last of the eight but after the 100m butterfly was there any doubt that the Americans would win this one. Fittingly it was Phelps – and his new ‘best mate’ Lezak – that brought it home for the USA after Aaron Piersol and Brendan Hansen had allowed the dangerous Australians a halfway lead. Cue Phelps’ destruction on the butterfly leg. Cue Lezak holding off the 100m freestyle world record holder Eamon Sullivan. Cue mass hysteria in the packed stands of the Water Cube. Cue the eighth gold medal.

There is no doubt Michael Phelps has left a telling mark on these Olympics in a fashion that no other, not even the frighteningly quick Usain Bolt, can match. Beijing 2008 will be remembered for Michael Phelps relentless pursuit of eight gold medals and little else.

Some still claim that ‘although eight is a great achievement, it was only swimming’…to them I inform you: “Michael Phelps – on his own – won as many gold medals as Russia.”

TEAM GB SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF?

Who would have thought it? As we enter the closing stages of the Beijing Olympics, Great Britain occupy third spot in the medal table. That is not a misprint, the battling Brits are in front of everyone except for the richest nation in the world - The United States of America - and the most highly populated nation on earth - the hosts China.

The 29th Olympiad have gone so well for Team GB thus far that the British public even have a new hero to aspire to and, believe it or not, she is a swimmer. Rebecca Adlington - aged just 19 - arrived in Beijing without fanfare, in fact the majority would have to admit to not even knowing who she was beforehand.

However, Adlington soon made a name for herself as she claimed the 400m freestyle gold medal having trailed for all but the final few centimetres. With that came the promise of further glory as her favoured event is actually the 800m freestyle...and so it proved as Adlington demolished the field to take her second gold medal and smash the oldest world record in the sport by more than two seconds.

The blue touch paper had been lit for Team GB and the cyclists began to confirm there place as the leading team on two wheels the world has to offer. Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Rebecca Romero and the rest of their talented team-mates have delivered world record after world record, gold medal after gold medal.

After the obligatory gold medal from the brilliant Ben Ainslie in the Sailing Finn class and the 'Three Blondes in a Boat' - Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson - took gold in the Yngling class Britain had enjoyed its finest, and most gold-filled, 48 hours in modern Olympic history.

It appears, that after years and years and years of waiting, the British public have a team of Olympians to be proud of - not just a selection of individuals who touch our hearts such as Sir Steve Redgrave and Denise Lewis, but a collection of them.

Unbelievable as it may sound, their could be more gold on the way for Team GB as the sailing regatta continues to offer hope while the men's triathlon is often anybody's race. As well as this, Shanaze Reade is expected to be challenging for top spot on her BMX - I still can't believe that is an Olympic event, nobody should be able to have that much fun in the Olympics (Bolt and Phelps excluded).

Regrettably, the Bird's Nest stadium is unlikely to prove a happy hunting ground as the track and field events take over, an area where there is precious little gold medal promise. With the notable exceptions of triple jumper Phillips Idowu and 400m world champion Christine Ohuruogu, the best Britian can hope for is that the likes of Ohuruogu's fellow 400m runner Nicole Sanders can find a place on the podium.

As Australian comedian Adam Hills said last week: "Why are the British only good at events that involve sitting down?"

Okay, okay it was meant as a joke and everyone had a good laugh about it...but he has a point.

Of Britain's twelve gold medals so far, only the two from Adlington have been won without the assitance of a sailing boat, rowing oars or a bike.

However, the performances of our seated athletes have set the foundations in place for the likes of Idowu and Ohuruogu to fulfil their potential and bring home gold medals from the track.

On the whole it has already been a superb Olympics for Team GB and whatever happens over the closing days, it will be remembered for all the right reasons...but wouldn't it just top it off to rub the Aussies noses in it.

TENNIS' BULLY BOY AT IT AGAIN

A month on from the breathless Wimbledon final the world is 'treated' to a typically boring and tiresome display from Ivo Karlovic - that guy with the big serve.

The 6ft 10in Croatian sends down rocket serve after rocket serve at his opponent and the majority are left flailing aimlessly as the ball flashes past their racket.

The latest big name to suffer at the hands of 'Ivo the Giant' was current world number one Roger Federer as Karlovic triumphed in trademark fashion - a bucket load of aces and relying solely on tie-breaks.If Karlovic's serve is firing on all cylinders then even the best have trouble against a player possessing a very low level of technical ability overall.

In the third, and decisive, set between Karlovic and Federer in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters the big Croation took just two points - that is not a misprint - off the five-time Wimbledon Champion. However, frankly ridiculously, he also won the setas it finished in a tie-break - a part of the game that Karlovic was born to revel in.

Therefore Karlovic advanced to meet Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the fourth round. Have a guess how that match finished!

Yes, well done, congratulations you guessed correctly...Karlovic emerged victorious in a torturously tedious match in straight sets 7-6 7-6.

Well done Ivo, another opponent bullied into submission. Next, next, next...

For once I will find myself cheering for the impetuous Andy Murray in the semi-final with the hope that he can restore faith in 'traditional tennis'.

COME ON ANDY!!!!

GRIPPING SPORT AT IT'S BREATHTAKING BEST

In modern sport events struggle to live up to the hype - the FA Cup Final between Man Utd and Chelsea at the New Wembley comes to mind - but on Sunday afternoon there was no need to worry.

Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal. The two best players of their generation taking each other on in the final of the greatest tennis tournament anywhere in the world. It had the makings of a classic, but we always say that, thankfully this one exceeded all expectations.

The ingredients:

• Rafa's Revenge - Federer had triumphed over Nadal in the last two Wimbledon finals
• Fed's Fury - Nadal lost just four games to Federer in a spectacular French Open final win a month earlier
• Nadal's forehand - Arguably the finest shot in the game today, the Spaniard can do anything with it, from anywhere
• Roger's Record - Going into the match Federer was an unbelievable 66 grass court matches unbeaten
• Iberian Improvement - Nadal's ability on grass has increased dramatically in the last two years

Centre Court was packed to the Pat Rafter's (excuse the pun) as the players entered the cauldron. The fans' took no sides and cheered every winner, by either player, as if Tim Henman was taking on Andy Murray for the title at SW19.

Nadal was out of the blocks quicker than Usain Bolt - 100m world record holder - and cruised through the opening set 6-4 with a series of trademark forehand cross-court winners. Five-time champion Federer was struggling to find his form against the barrage of ground strokes coming from the other end and the world number one made unforced error after unforced error as he lost the second set by the same score.

Nadal was, almost literally, on fire by this point and Federer will be eternally grateful for the showers that haulted the Spaniard's march to the crown.

Upon the resumption of play Federer found renewed fight and vigour and, like the true champion he is, battled though the third set tie-break to ensure some respectability in the scoreline.

All of a sudden the man from Switzerland was quicker to pounce on the short ball and punish it. However, Nadal remained unbreakable and the fourth set headed for a tie-break.

The world number two was back to his destructive best at the start of the breaker and found himself with two championship points, on his own serves. Thankfully for all of us who wanted the match to go on and on and on and on the first chinks appeared in Nadal's armour as he tightened up and double faulted away his second chance.

Undeterred the Spaniard came back for more and hit the forehand of the tournament to give himself another point for the title. Federer struck a penetrating forehand onto the baseline but as he advanced to the net awaiting a comfortbale volley, Nadal somehow stretched to whip the ball around his rival from a virtually impossible position. Cue the trademark Nadal fist-pump...cue Federer's riposte.

This time Nadal didn't freeze, this time he looked odds on to win as he clipped a forehand deep into the corner and advanced to the net, only to see Federer smash a delightful backhand beyond his reach...the second best winner of the competition.

Minutes later, the fourth set was Federer's and Nadal looked a little shellshocked - could the greatest comeback of recent times be on the cards?

The world's best players played out a dramatic final set throwing punch after punch, counter-punch after counter-punch matching each other blow for blow, step for step.

As soon as one took the initiative the other stepped up their game to a new level and fought back.

As darkness fell over South-West London the two giants of the modern game continued to fight it out for the title of 'King of Grass'.

Finally, after more than four hours of playing time Nadal found himself with a fifth match point and this time Federer could not deny him. The Swiss sent a forehand long and Nadal dropped to his knees, then his back and raw emotion took over. Bursting into tears of joy he clambers to his feet before climbing the scoreboard to reach his family in the player's box. With flashbulbs and cheers coming from everywhere inside the arena the Spaniard too a treacherous walk over the scoreboard to reach the Royal Box before eventually jumping back to the relative safety of the court.

To cap it all both players showed extraordinary levels of sportsmanship throughout the presentation ceremony. If this match does not go down as the Elite Sporting Event of 2008 then whatever does will have to be something truly spectacular.

What do you think? Was Nadal v Federer the match of the year?

Lady Laura! The next Queen?

by guest blogger Callum Sparrowhawk of footymad.net

Yesterday, English tennis finally had something to cheer about as Laura Robson, 14, clinched the Wimbledon Girls’ Title on Court One. What a day for young Laura, who seems to have the world at her feet…

Taking the first set 6-3, Robson seemed in complete control when a break up in the second but the pressure showed for the first time as she lost it 6-3 and the Briton’s challenge was again in the balance. However, an uncharacteristically un-British ability not to cave in when the going got tough shone through in the end. Robson overpowered the third seed Lertcheewakarn with a display of superb baseline winners to take the final set 6-1 and seal the Championship.

So, finally things could be on the up for British tennis and in the post-match press conference Robson said: "It was so good today as all the crowd were behind me and it was an overwhelming experience."

Unfortunately for Robson, she now has the pressure of performing again, and with all the media attention and we just all have to hope that it doesn’t affect her game. Do we have the new Virginia Wade at last, some 31 years since the last time a Brit won a women’s singles title at SW19 in 1977.

Good Luck Laura, we’re all behind you!

BIG MISTAKE RETIEF

Why do people do it? Why question Tiger Woods? All you do is give him even more motivation to come out and beat you next time. So what was Retief Goosen thinking on Tuesday morning?!

In the aftermath of Tiger Woods' dramatic US Open play-off win the usually friendly and sensible South African announced that he thought Tiger was, to all intents and purposes, 'faking it'. That his knee was not as bad as he was making out and that the world number one was searching for sympathy and excuses.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, how wrong could he be? Well, actually, an absolute mile off!

Just a matter of hours later Tiger Woods tells his website that he is having to go under the knife again to repair a badly damaged knee ligament and also that he had not only won the US Open with a dodgy knee, but he had a double stress fracture of his left leg too.

How's that for 'milking it' Retief?

It is sad that a talented and clever man such as Goosen should fall into such a trap of criticising and questioning Woods.

The bad news for the rest of the golfing world, apart from the lack of interest that will now ensue as a result of Woods' absence, is that Goosen has provided Tiger with all the ammunition he needs to add to his major tally upon his return.

ANYONE FANCY THE RUSSIANS?

Holland are now second favourites to win Euro 2008, behind the Germans, but must get past the Russians tonight in order to progress to the semi-finals. Personally, I feel this will be their greatest test to date!

Guus Hiddink’s side 'turned it on' in their final group game against Sweden and looked a class act. In fact, if Pavluychenko had been able to finish then it could well have been five or six. The Zenit playmaker Andrei Arshavin also looked like a truly world class player, scoring and making chances at will. Should these two perform tonight, I don’t know if the Dutch defence will be able to deal with them.

So far, Holland have played both France and Italy, and destroyed them both. Sure, a team of trained chimps could have beaten France, and Italy were far from their best but they still scored 9 goals in the group stages. Defensively they have looked comfortable to date but the Russian's roaming full backs and clever front men could carve them apart.

So tonight, I expect lots of goals, lots of excitement and plenty of fast, flowing and entertaining football. The Dutch have looked strong but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Russians cause an upset!

THE BEST MAJOR OF ALL TIME?

Exactly what it says on the tin, was the US Open the best major championship that the golfing world has ever seen?

Personally...yes, an enequivocal and definitive yes at that.

Torrey Pines gave us everything we wanted this week, and more on top of that for good measure.

For the first two days the USGA decided to make the world's top three players - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and Adam Scott - go head-to-head by grouping them together. Woods and Mickleson do not get on, as we all well know, and on day two in particular the drama and excitement surrounding the trio was immense.

Elsewhere, there were qualifiers and unknown quantities firing themselves to the top of the leaderboard, before falling away dramatically moments later...all except the new household name, Rocco Mediate.

The weekend arrived with great anticipation adn a billion questions to be answered, most of which surrounded Tiger Woods. How was the knee? Will the knee hold up any longer? Will he have to pull out? Is what he is doing really possible? Oh, and an Englishman - Lee Westwood - was in contention and looking strong.

Naturally Tiger took all the headlines away from the man from Worksop on Saturday evening by treating the 50,000-plus spectators to a collection of trademark 'Tiger Moments'.

A winding eagle putt the length of the 13th green brought him back into contention after a sloppy opening nine, the cheer that greetedthe sight of the ball dropping into the hole was almost deafening. Then, having wasted the momentum he gained there, the world number one slam dunked a chip shot at the 17th into the cup on its second bounce.

That moment clearly embarassed Tiger, not that he was going to request it not be counted, but the eagle he followed with on the 18th was vintage Woods. Clearly in tremendous pain he somehow smashed a driver and a 5-wood to the middle of the green. The stage was set, the grandstands full of anticipation and Woods duly guided the ball into the cup - it was almost as if he sent it in by radar.

Suddenly Woods was in the lead and, as we all know, he does not lose majors when he leads after three rounds.

It was by no means plain sailing on Sunday though, and everyone had forgotten about Mediate. As Woods and Westwood matched each other birdie for birdie, bogey for bogey the 45-year-old American cruised into the lead.

In fact, Woods and Westwood needed to birdie the final hole in order to force a play-off on Monday. Somehow you knew only one of them was going to do it, and you also knew it would be Tiger. Again he sent the crowd wild as his 12-footer for birdie dropped into the side of the hole.

So it was Woods v Mediate in an 18-hole Monday playoff...many believed it was to be a huge anti-climax to a superb tournament. Would it?

Yeah right! No chance!

For a start, Woods finally managed to NOT double-bogey the first hole. Actually it was rather ominous as Mediate missed short putt for par and Woods lead.

However, Mediate came within inches of a hole-in-one at the par-three 3rd hole and, as Woods bogied, he suddenly lead.

Back came Woods, for two holes Tiger played like we all know he can as he birdied two of the toughest par-4's on the course to storm ahead. Could it be all over? Not a bit of it!

Mediate completed a devastating hat-trick that put him in pole-position as the final furlong approached. Birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th gave him a one shot lead. Woods gave himself opportunities at 16 and 17 but both birdie putts came up just an inch short of the hole, could the Woods record in majors be coming to an end?

Unfortunately for Mediate, the 18th plays right into Woods' hands. The world number 158 does not have the length required to get to the green in two...Woods does.

Of course Tiger made the birdie he needed to force a sudden death playoff hole and suddenly a sense of destiny arrived.

The first extra hole, the 91st of the week, was to be the long par-4 7th - that would be the one Tiger birdied earlier in the day then.

Woods had the honour and blasted his drive 307 yards down the centre of the fairway. The pressure was on Mediate, and for the first time it actually proved too much. The likeable American pulled his tee-shot into a fairway bunker and did the same with his second to find the grandstand left of the green.

Tiger floated an 8-iron onto the front edge of the green - the only thing wrong with the finish was that Woods left the winning putt a fraction short, so Mediate had a 15-footer to force another extra hole.

However, it was not to be for Mediate as his putt rolled past the right edge of the cup. It was over. Woods was the champion. Did we expect a different result? Really?

Woods' fourteenth major may well turn out to be his best. He had not played in the two months since the Masters. He was still carrying a knee injury. This is not good preparation for any tournament, let alone the US Open. What those writing him off forgot is...this is Tiger Woods, he is not like the rest of us, he is - as Butch Harmon describes - Superman!

The next question we want answered is will he be at the Open? You have to think he will try, but whether he physically can is another matter. What we do know now though is that even if he is so much better than everyone else that not only does he not need to play well to win anymore - he does not have to even have two legs.

Scary isn't it!

MORE MIRACLES FROM TIGER WOODS, UNBELIEVABLE!

Not exactly a revelation I know but Tiger Woods has shown exactly why he is the best golfer of all time.

After the disappointment of losing out at the US Masters in April the world number one underwent knee surgery. In the two months since he had not completed 18 holes until the opening day of the second major of the season, the US Open at Torrey Pines.

Clearly still struggling with his injury, shown by the grimaces and winces after a number of shots, Tiger battled through a tough first day and an unusually inconsistent front nine on Friday. However, all hell broke loose after that!

Woods pushed a tee-shot at the 1st, his 10th, and had to play his second shot from a cart path. After impant Woods' damaged left leg slid and clearly the injured knee was tweaked. He limped his way up the fairway before promptly putting all concerns about the injury to one side and draining a twisting 25-footer for a birdie three.

The blue touch paper had been lit...

At the next Woods secured his second successive birdie with another superb putt, before being unfortunate not to be left with a tap-in at the tricky par three third, his 12th, before leaving a 20-footer in the jaws of the hole.

Not to worry though for Tiger, the next yielded yet another glorious birdie as all thoughts of his left knee trouble diminished and he continued his run of successive three's by adding a fifth immediately with another monster putt down the slope at the fifth.

Even the driver seemed to working properly by this point and the quality of golf on show all around the San Diego course was becoming completely and utterly enthralling. The enigmatic home-town favourite Phil Mickleson was finding a few birdies of his own as he tried to keep up with a charging Woods.



Inexplicably Woods failed to make a birdie at any of his next three holes as putts began to slide by the edge of hole rather than into the centre of the cup but the par-five 9th was to come.

Tiger casually drove hs ball ovedr 337-yards straight down the fairway before flying his fairway metal all of 280-yards to leave himself with a makeable chip for eagle, and an inward nine of just 29. Surely not?

Believe it or not...he was in fact out of miracles and out of luck for the day as the ball came to rest a few feet left of the cup and he had to settle for a birdie and a round of 68.

However, the damage has been done. Woods is well and truly in contention, his name is on the leaderboard, everybody knows it and most of all, so does he.

THE DRAMA OF PENALTIES...IN TENNIS?

If Rafael Nadal performed incredibly last weekend then today he, somehow, managed to step up to an even higher level.

Up against the 'giant' that is Ivo Karlovic it was never going to be easy for the reigning four-time French Open champion. The Croatian is at his best on the grass, where his powerful serve is accentuated by the speed of the surface. Regularly hitting first serves at around 140mph, Karlovic smashed an unbelievable 35 aces past Nadal - that normally doesn't happen over an entire season.

Watching the coverage of the Artois Championships from the Queen's Club it became apparent to me that Karlovic's service games beared more than a passing resemblance to a penalty shootout. Karlovic the striker and Nadal the goalkeeper.

As soon as the 6'10" Croat looped the ball into the air, before spiking it - volleyball style - over the net, Nadal was on the move in an attempt to get even remotely close to the ball. Consequently the Spaniard was made to look a 'fool' for a spell but the longer the match went on the more he began to fire returns back across the net.

The first set went the way of Karlovic, after a Nadal double fault in the tie-break, but as the second set wore on the Spaniard started to predict the Karlovic serve. Nadal was battling to make every point into something resembling a tennis match - it was easier said than done.

You would think a game of tennis in which serve is never broken would be tedious and boring to watch...not this time! Nadal was under immense pressure to hold his own serve before trying everything in his armoury to give himself a chance on the Karlovic serve. On any other day, against any other player, both Karlovic and Nadal would have beaten their opponents - in straight sets to boot.

Unfortunately for the Croatian his movement is not the best and he gave Nadal opportunities to hit trademark forehand winners in the final set tie-break - when he hits these at almost 100mph, while falling backwards, it shows how special the shot is.



Ironically Nadal will now face another big server, Andy Roddick, in tomorrow's semi-final who was given a walkover after Andy Murray's withdrawal through injury.

Roll on more of the same! I for one will be glued to the screen and, in this form, my money is on Nadal, possibly even for Wimbledon too...

BOWLING WITH THE TIMES...

by guest blogger Callum Sparrowhawk of footymad.net

Cricket faces a revolution. Playing international test cricket will always be the pinnacle of any player’s career, but the domestic game needs to become more appealing.

In 2003 the ECB introduced twenty20 cricket and it quickly became the most watched form of county cricket. Since then, the format has gone worldwide and every major cricketing nation acknowledges the revolution in the sport. Now, 50 over one-day games are facing extinction within the county game.

It’s not just the 50 over format that appears to be being scaled back; the English counties play more games - in all formats - than any other country. Unfortunately, attendances are decreasing at a frightening rate and, it seems, the time is right for the twenty20 format to become the foremost competition in the domestic calendar.

Current players appreciate the need for change and see the twenty20 revolution as being nothing but great for the game. However, there are those who see twenty20 as battling against cricketing tradition - but I imagine they are the same people who would ban the internet, because libraries are traditional.

Get with the times!

Everything evolves and now cricket has the opportunity to capitalise. Bring on the revolution and bring in the crowds!

WHAT DOES SIMAO DO?

I'm not sure about you but I am struggling to see what Simao Sabrosa brings to the Portugal lineup.

The Benfica wideman has done little to justify the alleged interest in him from some of Europe's top clubs in the European Championships so far and I, for one, am wondering why Luiz Felipe Scolari picks him.

So far I have Simao take two free-kicks away from the 'best player in the world' Cristiano Ronaldo only to promptly lift each of them tediously over the cross bar. Simao is by no means a novice, in fact he scored a wonderful effort at Old Trafford a few seasons ago, but when Ronaldo is alongside you it only makes sense to let him have a go.





And as for the former Barcelona wingers corners, well I am sure Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho would rather someone such as Deco or Joao Moutinho was curling the ball onto their head, rather than Simao finding the defender at the near post time after time after time after time.

So far this seems to be a bit of a rant - okay its a lot of a rant - predominantly about the quality of Simao's set-pieces but this is not the only part of his game that has irked me.

Unlike some England's poor excuse for wingers - Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips take note - Simao has a good first touch but having controlled the ball nicely he seems to, as Lennon and SWP also do, spend the majority of his time running down blind alleys.

By the way, his finishing and composure in front of goal are not exactly brilliant either - the rushed attempt agains the Czechs being symptomatic of this problem.

Oddly the Portuguese are in the enviable position of possessing a proverbial monopoly over the world's most exciting wide men. Obviously they have Ronaldo, who is a guaranteed starter, who is backed up by Simao, Porto's Ricardo Quaresma and Ronaldo's Manchester United team-mate Nani.

Both Nani and Quaresma have superb quality with their delivery, in fact Nani has become known as one of the Premier League's finest corner takers.

Each is considerably younger than Simao and possess very similar characteristics to the Benfica man. However, they seem to be better exponents of these abilities than their national team-mate.



Personally I would prefer the Portuguese to line-up with an attacking trio of Nani, Quaresma and Ronaldo interchanging positions providing a deadly attacking triumvate. However new Chelsea boss Scolari is intent on avoiding using Ronaldo as a central striker so that leaves Nani, Quaresma and Simao competing for a spot alongside Ronaldo and Nuno Gomes.

With the Portuguese already qualified for the quarter finals as winners of Group A I expect Scolari to experiment against Switzerland. Nani and Quaresma should both start this match and I would bet that if either was to display the level of ability we already know they possess then Simao could be edged onto the bench by the time the business end of the tournament approaches.

What do you think, is Simao Portugal's weak link?

INTER THE SPECIAL ONE?

by guest blogger Callum Sparrowhawk of footymad.net

After Avram Grant’s unceremonious departure from Stamford Bridge, some expected Jose Mourinho to return to his former club. That was always a fantasiful suggestion and the Special One soon took over at Inter Milan. The question on everyone's lips is – is the special one still special?

Mourinho enjoyed plenty of success at Chelsea, despite failing to win the Champions League, a fete he managed during his first managerial job at Porto in 2004. After three years at Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese had shown the world his ability and built strong bonds with world class players such as Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho. All of whom have been tipped to join him at Inter Milan.

Drogba has already made it clear his future 'lies with Mourinho’. Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o is also set to move in the Summer and Inter looks a likely destination for the Cameroonian. WHat a striking lineup Mourinho could have available to him nex term. Add the names of Drogba and Eto'o to a supporting cast of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Suazo and Adriano and you start to see why the Serie A champions will be one of the favourites to win the Champions League.



The Portuguese manager is a known fan of a strong, creative midfield lining up to support a physically imposing forward line. Well - you guessed it - he appears to have that one covered too. England's Lampard and the frustatingly brilliant Deco are rumoured to be on their way to join their former boss in Milan.

It seems Mourinho is planning a massive overhaul of the squad he has inherited from Roberto Mancini in order to give Inter the edge in Europe. At Chelsea, Jose was famous for one–nil wins and a solid defence was key to his success so I wouldn’t bet against the likes of Ricardo Carvalho heading for Italy’s second city.

The Special One… the stage is set for Mourinho to work his magic and lead Inter to European glory - but is he as good as he says he is?

EURO 2008 COMES ALIVE...AT LAST

We have waited - i would like to say patiently bit I can't - for the 2008 European Championships to put on a show. After the drip and drab affair of Romania v France it was the turn of the other two big guns in Group C.

Holland v Italy. It sounds appetising doesn't it. It was everything you could hope for...and more!

The early signs were good as the workmanlike Dutch midfield pairing of Orlando Engelaar and Nigel De Jong secured possession for the men in orange, but despite their pressure the Italians were dangerous on the break with Antonio Di Natale flashing a couple of half volleys just over Edwin van der Sar's cross bar.

However, concerns were mounting that the game needed a goal while both teams were going for it.

A quick browse through the two sides and the most obvious man to break the deaadlock was the arch-poacher himself - Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Real Madrid striker is famous for scoring inside the six yard box and he was on hand to do just that tonight.

The World Cup winners failed to clear a corner from the right hand side and Wesley Sneijder struck a low left foot shot goalwards and van Nistelrooy was in the right place at the right time to tuck it home. The Italians were angry as he was miles offside but the assistant kept his flag down - somehow.

Just minutes later Italy looked to be level but Giovanni van Bronckhorst hooked a Luca Toni header off the line. What the Italians did not see coming was the blistering counter from the men in orange.

The impressive Rafael van der Vaart fed a buccaneering van Bronckhorst down the left and, with the Italians more than a little lost, the former Arsenal man searched out Dirk Kuyt on the right side. The Liverpool man cooly nodded down to the oncoming Sneijder and the Real Madrid midfielder finished delicately round Gianluigi Buffon.



With Italy shellshocked van Nistelrooy had a glorious chance to put the game beyond doubt after a superb through ball from van der Vaart but fired straight at the legs of Buffon.

Roberto Donadoni threw Alessandro Del Piero and Antonio Cassano on in an attempt to create something and the latter forged a wonderful opening for Toni but the Bayern Munich man panicked and lobbed over.

The Dutch then rounded off proceedings with another deadly counter attack.

Andrea Pirlo looked to have got one back for the Italians but his free-kick was brilliantly palmed out by van der Sar. Within a matter of seconds that man van Bronckhorst was heading Kuyt's cross into Buffon's net.

Substitute Ibrahim Afellay was given a chance to show what he can do and he almost scored a contender for goal of the tournament after bemusing Fabio Grosso before unleashing a rasping effort that beat Buffon but not the bar.

Everybody had been waiting for this tournament to come alive and tonight - at long, long last - it did. No doubt everyone will be writing off the Italians and hailing the Dutch as runaway champions but as long as the remaining games follow on in this pattern I, for one, will be happy.

WANTED: DYNAMISM, PACE AND INVENTION!

Come on it's okay to admit it, you put a few quid on France winning the European Championships...well perhaps you should just throw that slip away now!

Romania are not as bad as they have been made out to be but the fact of the matter is that Raymond Domenech's side never really looked like breaching their defence. The men from Eastern Europe set out to be defensive and try to use the pace of Adrian Mutu on the break. The second part of that plan did not work as hoped, but the first part was executed to perfection.

The selection of the clumsy Eric Abidal at left back ahead of the marauding and purposeful Patrice Evra is as close to insane as you get...only higher on that list is the decision to select the Barcelona man in the squad at all given the form of Arsenal's Gael Clichy!



How can Raymond Domenech justify selecting the abject Florent Malouda next time out? Did he do anything of note? Apart from bottling a 50-50 with the keeper of course. Jeremy Toulalan and Claude Makelele may work well together when you are trying to defend a lead and close out a quarter final, but they are not a goal threat.

Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema were the subject of much furore is the build up but both failed to impose themselves at any stage and as for Nicolas Anelka...don't even get me started!

Seemingly Arsenal-bound Samir Nasri arrived and looked busy but did not see enough of the ball in dangerous positions to create a meaningful opening.

Surely Domenech will change things ahead of the game with the Dutch!

His first decision should be to give Evra the left-back berth. Patrick Vieira will take over from Toulalan should he regain full fitness in time, but I would be tempted to include Lassana Diarra either in his place or in place of Makelele to add some much needed running and urgency to the midfield.

On the wings Domenech must find room for the inventive Nasri - with Malouda dropping out - with Ribery on the other side. In attack, Benzema must be given another chance but perhaps Anelka has played his way out of the side and it would not be a surprise if Thierry Henry returned in the front line against the Dutch.



All this may seem a little drastic but sometimes it is required and the performance of the French today needs addressing. However, Domenech has shown his fear of upsetting players in the past and don't be surprised if Abidal, Makelele, Anelka and Malouda all continue with Vieira and Henry returning to keep Toulalan, Evra, Nasri, Benzema and Diarra out.

A French revolution is needed...but don't hold or your breath, or your betting slip.

HOW ON GOD'S EARTH DO YOU BEAT RAFAEL NADAL?!

That is the question Roger Federer must be asking tonight after being handed a thrashing by Rafael Nadal in the French Open final at Roland Garros.

The world number one had been nowhere near his vintage best throughout the fortnight but many still felt that with the input of his new coach anything was possible as Federer possessed more variety in his shot-making on clay than ever before. How wrong those predictions were. If anything Nadal was further ahead of the Swiss than ever as he cruised to a fourth successive French Open title.

It never looked good for Federer from the very moment they entered the court. Nadal raced onto what is, to all intents and purposes, his home away from home with a spring his step and determination all over his face. While Federer strolled slowly into the arena - it may have looked almost majestic from afar but his face showed signs of nerves never associated with the man.

Nadal's trademark burst from his chair before the opening game seemed to set the tone for a performance that may come to define the man from Mallorca's career. Nadal broke his arch-rival in game one and then held his own serve to take the early advantage. Federer reached deep into his box of tricks and expertise and despite his best efforts it was just not good enough. Nadal had all the answers as well as all the aces!

The first set lasted just 32 minutes - when u consider hte first two service games accounted for half of that it shows just how dominating the Spaniard was as he took it 6-1.

The break between sets couldn't disrupt Nadal's rhythm as he turned on the style as the start of the second set - until Federer mustered a break from nowhere. Commentators wondered if this was the turning point, they need not have wondered...



Nadal broke back almost immediately and went on to take the set 6-3 to clinch a two set lead. There appeared to be no way back for the world number one and so it proved.

By the time the third set began Nadal was riding the crest of a wave and hitting winner after winner after winner from the baseline while Federer looked deflated. Predictably, and rather unbelievably so, Nadal steamrolled his way to the third set and a fourth successive win at Roland Garros 6-0.

Nadal didn't even drop a set throughout the entire tournament - not even Federer has managed that at Wimbledon - and it just the seventh man to achieve such a feat. So the question must be asked now, how do you beat Rafael Nadal on clay?

What do you think? Will anyone ever beat Nadal at Roland Garros? No one has managed it yet...

THE GROUP OF DEATH!

by guest blogger Callum Sparrowhawk of footymad.net

The European Championships of 2008 kicked off yesterday with Group A but no doubt that the keen eye will be on Group C, the group of death. This tough draw sees three European giants; Italy, France and Holland face each other in the opening round with minnows Romania making up the numbers.

The world champions must surely be favourites to make the quarter-finals and with good reason after topping France in the qualifying stages. With a new look 4-3-3 formation - as opposed to a 4-4-2 system traditionally favoured by Italian Coaches down the years - the World Cup Winners have found a more attacking mentality. The Italians will be able to draw on the experience of Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattusso and Gianluigi Buffon with Luca Toni leading the line.



The talismanic Francesco Totti will be a creative force for the Italians after another fine season at AS Roma, however the loss of Fabio Cannavaro to injury is a major blow – but not a fatal one. The players know how to win but does manager Roberto Donadoni? Marcello Lippi’s successor lacks experience in high pressure situations and could be exposed when the going gets tough.

Italy meet France on the final day of a potentially tight group stage, with Raymond Domenech’s side eyeing up a third European Championship. The French squad is showing plenty of promise but, in my opinion, their hopes depend on Domenech’s selections in attack. Lyon striker Karim Benzema enjoyed a fabulous season in Ligue 1 and it would seem foolish to leave him out – especially given the form of the rest of the strikers in the squad.



However, is Domenech brave enough to see superstars Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka grumbling and sulking on the bench? If he is, France could go all the way with the likes of Franck Ribery and Samir Nasri wreaking havoc on the flanks, but if he isn’t then a resilient defence could stifle the French attack.

The third giant of the group is Holland, a side famous for their brand of ‘total football’ displaying the finest technique and tempo in the world. At the helm is Marco Van Basten - one of the finest forwards to grace football’s illustrious history – however, he has set his team in a system of function over style. Up top, Ruud Van Nistelrooy is a famed goal threat around the box but his lack of movement nowadays causes problems for the wide players who find themselves sprinting beyond the Real Madrid man with ease.



The Dutch managed only 15 goals in 12 qualifiers so perhaps Ajax’s much touted hitman Klass-Jan Huntelaar should be considered instead. Holland’s hopes depend on whether the midfield can conjure up enough goals to see them through… I just don’t see it happening.

A slip up from either of the giants against minnows Romania will have a massive impact on who progresses, and the Romanians will be looking to Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu to snatch them a result. However, the former Chelsea star is faced with a €12 million compensation claim from his former employers as a result of a positive drugs test during his spell at Stamford Bridge.

It would be great to see the underdogs earn a few points in this tough group, however unlikely it is, but as we all know, anything can happen in football. The French will have to beware on the opening day as they face the Romanians…remember Senegal at the World Cup anyone?!



I can certainly see the World champions Italy winning the group and I would fancy the French to follow them in second. However, the Dutch are unlikely to concede many goals and if the Romanians can stun somebody, I would put money on it being France and if they do then surely Holland would sneak in to the quarter finals.

Jimmy Anderson comes of age...emphatically!

For years and years English cricket fans have waited for James Anderson to deliver a career defining performance and at Trent Bridge on Day Two of the Third and final test with New Zealand it finally happened.

After Kevin Pietersen, Tim Ambrose and Stuart Broad had steadied England's innings with the hosts eventually being bowled out for a respectable 364. From then on it became the Jimmy Anderson show!

In front of the plush new stand at Nottinghamshire's home ground Anderson took on the New Zealand batting lineup single-handedly.

The Black Caps could not come to terms with the pace and swing of Anderson and by the end of Day Two England were sitting pretty with a lead of 268 while Daniel Vettori's tourists drifted precariously towards a 2-0 series defeat.

By the close Anderson had dismissed six New Zealand batsmen for a personal loss of just 42 runs with the visitors finishing at 96-6.

It is very rare for one bowler to dismiss an entire team in an innings but if Anderson's bowling is as eerily deadly on the morning of Day Three then it could happen for him here because

Could Anderson be becoming one of the most dangerous bowlers in world cricket or is this another false dawn?

Here is the video of Anderson bowling a bouncer at Daniel Flynn in the second test which hit the batsmen more than a little hard!

SPURS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

Okay Tottenham Hotspur may have had a disastrous 2007/2008 campaign, excluding the Carling Cup of course, but next season could be the start of a revival at White Hart Lane.

Ask anyone what Spurs' problems have been and they will say defensive fragility and a lack of balance, especially on the left hand side of midfield. Well today Juande Ramos has solved one of those problems.

Tottenham have agreed a deal with the mighty Barcelona for 19-year-old Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos - who believe it or not has a wand of a left foot and is not afraid to take his man on.

The diminuitive winger has been labelled the 'New Ronaldinho' in many quarters over the last year but his brief career failed to ignite at the Camp Nou where he played second fiddle to Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and perhaps most importantly fellow youth graduate Bojan Krkic.

Dos Santos made 16 starts for the Catalans in a disappointing season for the club, however he showed glimpses of the talent that alerted the giants of the game - a hat-trick in the final day 5-3 win at Murcia being one of them.



In recent seasons Spurs have used the trusty Steed Malbranque on the left side while the likes of Jamie O'Hara, Teemu Tainio and Gareth Bale have all had a go at filling the gap. The right wing has not been such a problem although Aaron Lennon endured a tough campaign and many feel he will move on - with Sevilla's Spanish winger Diego Capel also being linked with Ramos' side.

If Dos Santos can have the impact many hope and make the left side of the North Londoners midfield his own then it could be an exciting move for both club and player and potentially a snip for Ramos with the Mexican whizkid costing well under £10million.

The defensive and goalkeeping issues still need to be addressed but if Ramos can lock the backdoor next season and keep Dimitar Berbatov happy - and in form - then maybe, just maybe, Spurs will finally make a Champions League push.

Is it time for Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and particularly Liverpool to be wary?

I'VE WORKED IT OUT!

Yesterday I wrote on the ongoing Ronaldo saga with the tug of war between Manchester United and Real Madrid taking over the back pages day after day. After a night and morning to think over the whole story a light just flicked on in my head a few seconds ago.

Last night I wasted a couple of hours watching Ronaldo interviews on YouTube - I really need to get out more - and started to get an idea in my head that Ronaldo himself is not necessarily feeding the press rumours on purpose.

This morning Cristiano's mother has spoken of her belief that England is the player's home and that he is very happy to be continuuing at Old Trafford next season.

One line in particular stands out: "...the future only god knows".

Now where have i heard that before? Oh that's it every interview Ronaldo has given to a TV station in recent months, from the Champions League final build up where he says "I stay in the club" to the Football Writer's Awards where he again re-iterates his desire to stay. However, the quotes the media pick up on are the ones where he says that "only God knows what the future holds".

These are taken a meaning that Ronaldo is unsure over his immediate future as the media are looking for a story and something to hang it on. At the moment Ronaldo is blockbuster in whatever he does and people read the paper and watch the news to find out what he has done now.

Not a day goes past without speculation about his future but perhaps there is no need for all this. Ronaldo has already stated on a number of occasions that he wishes to stay and it could be suggested that all he is saying in the alleged unsure sections of interviews is that he will be at the club as long as they want him. Perhaps Ronaldo realises that the club are in charge and will decide his future and is merely explaining that if United decide they want him no longer then he would have to move on.

This post may become a daily event as speculation grows, although hopefully in shorter form. However, I think I might have worked out what Ronaldo is saying. That he wants to stay a Manchester United player and that he is merely covering all bases.

It appears the quotes eminating from Brazil yesterday have been discredited in the wake of Ronaldo's mother's comments. Although predictably the press have taken these on as gospel and the backpages are filled with "Ronaldo: I Want Real Deal" or "I'm off to Real".

It appears there is no immediate end in sight...

IS TIGER READY?

Tiger Woods is still recovering from knee surgery as the draw for the first round pairings at US Open - the second major of the season - is made. So the question must be ask, is the greatest player in the game's history ready to claim his 14th major or is he back too soon?

Before the US Masters there was talk of a Grand Slam for the world number one in 2008 - of course that dream disintegrated when Trevor Immelman claimed the title at Augusta in April - now there are doubts as to if he will even see out the season. Tiger's third operation on the same knee in recent years is perhaps a sign of a chronic problem, will it affect his hunt of all of Jack Nicklaus's records?

On a brighter note for the man who seems to have everything - gorgeous wife, new born child, more money than he could ever spend and the admiration of millions of golfer and non-golfers around the world - this year's US Open is at one of his favourite venues.

Woods has already won at Torrey Pines this season when he cruised to an eight shot victory in the Buick Invitational and he has won six times there in the past - including each of his last four.

Before suffering the injury to his troublesome left knee Woods was - to all intents and purposes - untouchable. At the Buick nobody could get near him from the start of Thursday to the final putt on Sunday. Tiger was at his dominating and imperious best that week but he enters the US Open a wounded animal in more ways than one.

Not only is his knee still potentially a little short of full fitness but the elusive Grand Slam slipped away in his last outing. However, you know what they say about facing wounded animals!

Would you back Tiger this week? Or is your money going elsewhere?

THE RONALDO DEBATE RUMBLES ON...

It's time to be honest, I am starting to think that perhaps, just perhaps, Ronaldo does really want to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid. The worst nightmare of United fans everywhere could become a horrible reality.

At this point I also venture to suggest that the quotes released today that have been attributed to the 23-year-old Portuguese seem a little far-fetched and as cruel as it may sound - I believe them to be - controversially - a fixture of Jose Gomes' imagination. Sky Sports News have interviewed Gomes and fellow journalists - who claim they have not seen the Brazilian journalist at Portugal's training camp in Switzerland - and the Portuguese national side's Press Officer claims Ronaldo has not conducted any interviews at all. Meanwhile, in Gomes' interview with presenter Sam Matterface he was pressed on why he failed to ask Ronaldo why he wished to leave and what reasons he had for wanting to join Real Madrid and on each occasion the Terra Newspaper reporter basically pleaded the 'fifth ammendment'.

On such quotations my personal jury is not even out - they have already delivered a unanimous verdict. However, they say there is no smoke without fire - and the fire is that Ronaldo himself has not quashed the rumours as he could have done.

With this in mind I will now look at what the potential repurcussions would be for United should Ronaldo make a potentially record-breaking move to Spain:

The biggest problem for United would be replacing the 42 goals the Portuguese scored this season - a mammouth task even for some of the world's finest strikers including the like of Fernando Torres or much linked Karim Benzema. Also let us not forget that Brazilian midfielder Anderson failed to score this season and with the ability he possesses it is hard to believe he will not become a regular contributor next season.

Of course there are obvious solutions to this problem in that Sir Alex Ferguson would have - potentially - upwards of £50million to spend in order to plug the gap. This money could be used to fund a mega-money move for the exciting Benzema - presumably with money to spare! Or perhaps Fergie will look at different options. With Ronaldo in Madrid there would be no place for Robinho. I am not suggesting Robinho is of the same quality of Ronaldo - because nobody is - however he has similar traits and talents, and a little under the radar he has started to develop into the player the world thought he would become.

With Robinho or Benzema in the side United would be able to operate the same fluid attacking system they have this season with Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez completing the trio.

However, the heir apparent to Ronaldo's throne at Old Trafford could already be there in Portguese compatriot Nani who has shown glimpses of frigthening quality - especially in the FA Cup win over Arsenal where he teased and tormented the Gunners.



In all honesty, there are any number of potential solutions to the problem of losing Ronaldo, all with different merits.

There is no doubt that Manchester United will be weaker should they lose Ronaldo, any team would be, however they have lost big players before and always seem to come back stronger.

I would urge the Old Trafford faithful to ignore the press reports and wait until they see Ronaldo officially discuss the matter after the European Championships before thinking about whether he will stay or go.

My money is on Ronaldo blessing the Theatre of Dreams with his skills and goals once more next term, for the time being at least...

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