Murray needs to show ruthless streak

Posted by Alex Livie 9 hours, 32 minutes ago

Andy Murray made a superb start to his US Open quest with a straight-sets victory over Lucas Lacko and it was good to see him show a ruthless streak.

Murray has the talent to go all the way, but time and again in majors he has wasted energy by winning matches in four and five sets that he should have put away in three. Most of his lapses can be put down to a lack of concentration, but that can be an Achilles heel when you are playing at a major lasting a fortnight.

It is imperative you conserve energy in the early rounds, especially so for Murray who did not kick off his campaign until Wednesday meaning his matches will be squeezed into a tighter timeframe.

Against Lacko, Murray produced the quality play he is famed for, but also recovered from dropping his serve at the start of the second set to close out the match. There would have been times in the past when a dropped serve at the start of a set would have been the catalyst for Murray losing his focus and surrendering a set. But not on this occasion.

Lacko is of limited ability when you talk about players at the top of the tree and up next is a similar player: Dustin Brown – a Jamaican capable of the sublime and the ridiculous.

Truer tests lie ahead for Murray over the course of the next week and a half, but he needs to maintain that ruthless streak.

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Milner is not the answer for City

Posted by Alex Livie on 02/08/2010

James Milner appears to be rivalling Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres for the transfer saga of the summer award. Will he or won’t he leave Aston Villa for Manchester City? That is the question on the lips of many fans of the two clubs, but I doubt fans of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are losing too much sleep over the saga.

Milner is a good player, but is he really any better than that? I just don’t see it. I am a fan of Milner, he has a great attitude and is a tireless worker. But those are the sort of players that should be operating for teams in the middle of the table, not in the Premier League title race.

So is he worth £30 million? The transfer market suggests he is, so it must be the case, but that speaks as much about the money flooding through Eastlands than the quality of the player.

And that really is the problem as City do seem to have money burning a hole in their pockets. If you look at the players on City’s books, Roberto Mancini could field two teams that would stand an excellent chance of finishing fourth. But, worryingly for City and their fans, I don’t think the Italian could pick one side that would win the Premier League.

Shay Given is a top class keeper, as is Joe Hart, but if you look through the rest of the squad there are a glut of good players but only a small handful who are top-class talents. There is talk that Mario Balotelli is on his way and he is in the mould of potentially top class but far from the finished article.

If City want to challenge Chelsea and United, they need to be channelling their millions into signing top-class talents. Milner, for all his qualities, is not.

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England need to make big changes

Posted by Alex Livie on 28/06/2010

We have to be careful not to let the big issue of England's defeat to Germany be missed in the subsequent fallout: England were terrible and terribly managed.

Frank Lampard had a perfectly good goal not given and Sepp Blatter will surely roll out an excuse for why he is right to ignore calls for goalline technology. Both are big issues but the goalline-technology debate has been a big issue for a long time. The case for goalline technology has to be championed but it is a debate for another day. Whether Lampard's goal had been given or not is pretty much irrelevant as Germany were in a different parish in terms of class and, in my opinion, would have won in any case.

England had a ten-minute spell when they were on top, but for the other 80 minutes they were chasing shadows. That England's keeper was the best player in a 4-1 drubbing speaks volumes. We witnessed the sight of John Terry, for so long a player that you could set your clock by in terms of reliability, fail to grasp the concept of altitude and Matthew Upson fail to grasp the basic concept of defending.

Steven Gerrard, Lampard and James Milner cannot be accused of a lack effort - they were simply outperformed by a slick Germany midfield. This was a Germany midfield that deployed the luxury player that was Mesut Ozil. He spent the whole game simply drifting into gaps, working space and hurting the opposition. England did not have the capacity to deal with him or the ability to hit back because the manager does not believe such players can be carried. Germany can breathe a sigh of relief that Joachim Low does not sing from the same hymn sheet.

What also cannot be overlooked is England were carrying passengers. Gareth Barry is a quality player but a clearly unfit one. His touch at times was awful and the way Ozil gave him a five-yard start and still went past him had to be seen to be believed. The only excuse for Barry's impression of wading through treacle was a lack of sharpness. And the manager must take the blame for deploying a player who could not do the job.

The other passenger was Wayne Rooney. It is not in doubt that he is the nation's best player, but he looked a shell of a man and has done all tournament. He has not been fit since damaging his ankle against Bayern Munich and then being rolled out for the second leg of Manchester United's Champions League clash and going over the ankle again. The subsequent groin injury will have been picked up on account of him overcompensating for the ankle problem. It is commendable that he wanted to play but he was not up to the task and the manager should have been big enough to have seen this and put someone else in his place. There was no power in the Rooney legs and without that he is half the player. Capello clearly felt that a half fit Rooney was better than his other forward options. That was not the case.

The other concern from the Germany game was Capello's refusal to change his system. At 3-1 down it was not really the time to take off the most likely source of a goal, Jermain Defoe, and replace him with another striker. If he wanted to throw on Emile Heskey then it would have been better to take off a defender or midfielder and play three up top. Yes it would have given Germany more space but it would also have given them something new to think about. To go out of the World Cup without rolling the dice is not acceptable.

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Drop Lampard to free Gerrard

Posted by Alex Livie on 18/06/2010

A lumbering 0-0 draw with the mighty Algeria still leaves England’s qualification hopes in their own hands.

A win over Slovenia will allow England to progress into the second round, possibly as group winners, but as things stand and with the team that was sent out against Algeria, that will not be good enough. The team that was sent out against Algeria will probably beat Slovenia – but that will not mask that things need to change, and fast.

The change that needs to be made, and it will take a brave manager to do it, is for Fabio Capello to grasp the nettle and drop Frank Lampard. ‘Drop Frank Lampard?’ the calls come. ‘Yes’ is the answer. Lampard is one of the finest midfielders this country has produced in recent times, but he is in a team that possesses a better one. Steven Gerrard is quite simply a better midfielder than Lampard.

But Gerrard is paying the price for being a better midfielder than Lampard. He is superior, the victim of his own quality if you like, and he is being asked to play the square-peg-in-round-hole role. Capello has round pegs for round holes but so far he has, for reasons unknown to me, declined to use them.

In Joe Cole, England have the one player who is ideally suited to international football. Cole may not have got a regular game at club level last season, but he is a player of the highest class and is a player who knows the value of the football. To win at international level, you have to control, caress, love the ball. England do not do that, the Premier League does not lend itself to that type of football, but Cole is one player who has that trait.

Cole needs to be let off the leash to take on the role on the left-hand side of midfield – freeing Gerrard from those shackles. To do that needs a radical change. Capello is unlikely to change from his 4-4-2. Some said Sven did not have a Plan B, well I’d rather have Sven but that is a story for another day.

Capello can retain his beloved 4-4-2, but he must bring in Cole, shift Gerrard to the middle and inform Lampard that his role is one of bench warmer. By handing Gerrard the role in the middle he can, with Gareth Barry guarding the shop, have freedom to wander, create and inspire in the way he does for Liverpool.

Tough decisions are required for England to progress and we need to see if this hard-line Italian has it in him to make those decisions.

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A bit late to whinge, Murray

Posted by Alex Livie on 11/06/2010

Andy Murray's third-round clash at Queen's with Mardy Fish was halted at 3-3 in the final set on account of bad light. A good time to take the players off, you might think. Not if you are Andy Murray.

The British No. 1 had fought back from 3-0 down to level things. The momentum was with Murray, Fish knew it, and in another 15 minutes he might well have wrapped up the match.

It was gloomy, but not unplayable. Fish could see the match drifting away and chanced his arm. He went up to the umpire and gave his best 'I can't see impression'. The referee was called and Fish followed that fine first serve with an excellent volley 'it's a bit slippy and could be dangerous'. The referee could not dig out a stroke to counter and the match was duly called off. Faster than he had moved at any stage in the match, Fish picked up his bag and scurried off to the locker room.

All the while, Murray was stood on the baseline waiting to receive serve. As Fish wandered off, a mix of disbelief and rage drifted across Murray's face. But still he stood, until finally he trudged back to his chair - as if accepting that Fish had not gone for a quick change of shirt. At which point the tirade began. He complained that the light was good enough to play, that he had been given no warning that play would soon be called off and, the most pertinent point, that Fish had shown no desire to come off when leading 3-0 ten minutes earlier.

Murray's points were valid but were a little like shutting the door after the Fish had bolted. As soon as he saw Fish heading for the chair to persuade the umpire that the match should be halted, he should have been up there as well stating his case that the game should carry on.

Fish knew he was struggling and tried it on, successfully. Murray should have been alive to the situation.

It may all turn out fine as he could seal the win upon the resumption, but it is certainly a lesson learned.

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England do not do convincing

Posted by Alex Livie on 25/05/2010

So England were unconvincing in beating Mexico. What's new? The last time England were convincing was arguably against Germany in 2001.

England do not do convincing. England do not pass teams off the park and score beautiful goals that leave you with a warm feeling in your stomach. That sort of thing is best left to the Spains and Brazils of this world.

Fabio Capello does not have the players at his disposal to play the beautiful game. There is no Leo Messi, no Kaka, no Cristiano Ronaldo and certainly no Xavi and Iniesta. If you want your team to pass the opposition to sleep and win beautifully, go find another team.

What England do do is work hard pressing the ball and grinding teams down. England have Lampard and Gerrard, two good players, but cut from a different cloth from the aforementioned set of top-class stars.

England may win the World Cup, I very much doubt it simply because their inability to keep the ball will see them punished by a good side, but whatever they achieve will not be done convincingly.

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Grab on Blackpool and enjoy the ride

Posted by Alex Livie on 22/05/2010

Blackpool has a Tower, a Winter Garden, a big dipper or two and now it has Premier League football.

Clubs see the Premier League as the place where fortunes can be made but you hope Blackpool take a leaf out of the book of Burnley rather than copy the model of Hull City.

Burnley may have had just one season in the top flight, as opposed to Hull's two, but the Clarets head back to the Championship far better equipped to fight a promotion battle than a Hull or a Portsmouth. Yes Burnley were found wanting on account of a lack of quality on the field, but they could have spent millions more and still ended up in the same position.

Having seen Blackpool on a couple of occasions this season, it is clear their squad will need bolstering. But they have a manager in Ian Holloway who has built a tremendous team spirit and they play football in the right way.

Bloomfield Road has changed massively from when I stood on the away terrace on the odd freezing January day but it will still be a daunting trip for some of the world's elite and they have to make it a fortress.

But win or lose, let's just hope Blackpool don't get carried away and gamble all. Just enjoy the ride.

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Long live King Rafa

Posted by Alex Livie on 17/05/2010

Masters 1000 title No.18 came his way on Sunday and it is clear that Rafael Nadal is back operating towards the peak of his powers.

There were those, myself among them, who feared for Nadal when he limped out of the Australian Open with yet another knee injury. It appeared that injury would rob the game of, in my opinion, the greatest player to pick up a racket.

But he has battled back and the way he did another job on Roger Federer in Madrid suggests that Slam No. 7 will be heading Nadal's way at the French Open.

He is a different beast away from the debilitating surface that is concrete and looks untouchable on clay. And if he manages his schedule in the manner he has since Melbourne then he will surely have a big summer on grass.

The US hard-court season will offer the likes of Federer and Andy Murray the chance to hit back. Nadal would be well advised to limit his play on concrete to the big events, sacrificing titles if needs be, as his longevity is vital for tennis. The game needs stars and Nadal is the brightest of all.

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A King size problem for Capello

Posted by Alex Livie on 08/05/2010

Fabio Capello has a looming problem on his hands in the shape of a certain Ledley King.

Capello names his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup on Tuesday and King must feature. The Tottenham man has produced consistent excellence this season and in recent games has proved that his notoriously brittle knees can stand up to the rigours of games in quick succession. His display during Tottenham’s win over Manchester City was top-drawer in the way he shackled Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor, but it was no flash in the pan. He has been doing the same all season.

The problem Capello faces is that not only should King be in the squad, on current form he should be in the team.

If all defenders available to England were fit for selection, four centre-backs stand head and shoulders above the rest: Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, King and Jonathan Woodgate.

Woodgate is out of the picture due to injury, which leaves two from three and herein lies the problem for Capello. The odd one out would appear to be Ferdinand, but he is the England captain and can he drop the England captain if he is available?

King and Ferdinand are alike in terms of playing style, comfortable on the ball and great readers of the game. Terry is the no-nonsense ball winner and as such it should be either King or Ferdinand partnering Terry.

Ferdinand’s position in the team would have been guaranteed 12 months ago, but a series of injuries have blighted his season and as a consequence he has not looked as assured when he has been available for Manchester United. He is likely to play in the final game of the season and as such prove his fitness, but that alone should not guarantee him a place in the team.

Capello has to pick the best players available and on form it is King and Terry, but will he make that tough decision to axe his captain in the same way he stripped Terry of the captaincy for an off-field incident earlier in the season?

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A plea for consistency

Posted by Alex Livie on 02/05/2010

Henry Cecil had a 25th Classic in his pocket, but before the famous flag could be flown over Warren Place the 1000 Guineas was ripped from his grasp by the Newmarket stewards.

Jacqueline Quest scored by a nose from Special Duty, after the two had duelled throughout the final furlong, but the finish caught the attention of the stewards as Jacqueline Quest drifted to her right, taking Special Duty with her, and Tom Queally was guilty of not pulling his whip through to his right hand.

The stewards took the view that the result had been affected by the actions of Jacqueline Quest and took the decision to reverse the placings. It was the right decision, as the margin had been so slight it was almost certain that Special Duty had been hampered, and it should not matter whether it was a Group One race at the headquarters of racing or a selling race at Folkestone on a Tuesday afternoon.

But that is where the problem lies as there have been far worse incidents that have occurred in the past that have gone unpunished. The British Horseracing Authority are attempting to boost the image of racing with an initiative called ‘Racing For Change’. That’s all well and good, but there is no possible way that the image of racing can be improved if the people that matter, the paying customers, have no faith in the system.

The majority of backers of the two horses will have gone away from the 1000 Guineas fairly happy, as Special Duty was a well backed 9/2 favourite whereas Jacqueline Quest was an unconsidered 66/1 shot. But there will be those who are aware that more serious breaches of the rules go on day in, day out that are not punished.

Cecil is a master of his art and will take the decision with good grace, but there may not be good grace in the future if one of his horses is carried across the track in a selling race at Folkestone on a Tuesday afternoon and is not awarded the race.

All we can ask for is consistency. But will we get it?

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