Bellamy inspires final fling from Wales

Craig Bellamy kept Wales’ slim hopes of qualification for Euro 2008 alive with an out-standing display in an impressive 5-2 win over Slovakia in Trnava.

Bellamy set up three and bagged a brace to move ahead of John Toshack in the all-time Welsh goal-scorers list and level with the legendary John Charles on 15 goals.

As well as a victory in Eastern Europe Welsh dreams hinged on their Celtic cousins the Republic of Ireland defeating the Czech Republic but Toshack’s young side did all that they could, three first-half counter attacks providing three goals against the side who humiliated Wales 5-1 in Cardiff last year, before an own goal and an 89th minute finish from Simon Davies completed the rout.

The Welsh players could have been forgiven for checking their watches as they walked onto the pitch for their crunch Euro 2008 qualifier.

Last Saturday’s crowd of 25,000 at the Millennium Stadium was adjudged a poor turnout, particularly given the quality of Wales’ opposition, but the Antona Malatinskeho stadium in Trnava was virtually bare by comparison. 500 Welsh fans made the journey to Slovakia and the home support did not number many more in the 18,000 capacity stadium.

Both Wales and Slovakia retained an outside chance of qualification at the outset of the evening, yet this glimmer of hope seemed not to galvanise the Slovak public. It was Slovakia’s 7th attempt to reach the final of a major tournament in the 14 years since the countries conception and the absence of a clean sheet in their last dozen internationals gives a clue as to why.

However, the Slovakian’s defied their supporters’ indifference, opening the scoring in the 11th minute after Cardiff City’s Joe Ledley made a complete hash of a simple clearance in his own box and gifted the Slovak skipper, Marek Mintal, the opportunity to volley past Wayne Hennessey from eight yards.

Welsh fears of a repeat defeat by the Eastern European outfit were assuaged when Freddy Eastwood levelled in the 21st minute. Craig Bellamy displayed his class threading a clever little ball through the Slovak defence to feed Joe Ledley who made amends for his earlier error by crossing into the path of the encroaching Eastwood who hit the mark for the second time in only his second game for Wales.

If Craig Bellamy needed to stretch his legs after missing the defeat to Germany he was given a golden opportunity to do so in the 34th minute. Receiving the ball on the halfway line he streaked half the length of the pitch before chipping the approaching keeper to find the top right corner and complete a reverse in Wales’ fortunes.

It was almost a carbon copy of his effort minutes earlier when he found the net by the same means, chipping the goalkeeper from a similar position, but incurring a yellow card as the referee had already blown for offside.

Bellamy continued to outline the impact of his absence on Saturday by adding a third in the 41st minute. Joe Ledley, once again the provider, chipped deftly over the Slovakian back line for Bellamy to run on and finish coolly from the left side of the six yard box. Only the woodwork denied him a hat-trick in the second half.

In the 78th minute he completed his torment of the Slovak defence, beating two players down the right and passing across from edge of the six yard box to tee-up Simon Davies for a tap-in, forcing Durica to find his own net whilst attempting an impossible intervention.

Despite the score-line, Slovakia bossed large swathes of the game with inventive and high-tempo passing, but their industry was let down again by a pourous defence which has conceded an average of almost two goals a game in qualification so far.

Moments before half-time a flick-on at the near post fell for Mintal whose shot rocketed goal-ward from the edge of the area only to ricochet off the Welsh bar to the relief of an outstretched Hennessy.

When the Slovak captain then put his side back in the game in the 57th minute with his second goal of the match looked as if Wales could face a tough final third. A reverse pass from Cech on the edge of the box cut out Collins and Gabbidon, leaving Mintal to drive home.

Hennessy fumbled a fierce shot from Petras two minutes later but fortunately the ball fell for a corner rather than an opposition shirt and then Craig Bellamy stretched his legs once more and Davies added a fifth in the final moments. The provider? Craig Bellamy. Qualification or no, John Toshack can but be proud of a performance which may put more bums on seats next time round.

A plus point on a wonderful weekend of sport

There are sporting weekends and there are sporting weekends. The commencement of the Rugby World Cup on Friday evening heralded one of the finest three days of armchair viewing for some time. Rugby, football, cricket, tennis and Formula One all vied for impossible levels of attention, satisfied only by the advent of modern technology. Many a prayer of thanks will have been uttered to the heavens this weekend for the development of Sky Plus.

With the England rugby team's World Cup opener against the USA and their football counterpart's must-win Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel conveniently both scheduled for 5pm on Saturday careful planning was clearly required. The sheer extent of such action was only revealed upon further investigation of the listings.

A few deft selections later and Saturday's viewing comprised the All Blacks demolition of Italy, Australia's rout of Japan and then a crazed Ian Wright extolling the virtues of his son, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who scored the opener in England's 3-0 canter against a somewhat impotent Israeli side.

The Welsh football team failed to follow this fine performance as they succumbed 2-0 to Germany in the Millienium stadium courtesy of a brace from prolific marksman Miroslav Klose and the absence of Craig Bellamy.

Returning to the rugby courtesy of the invaluable red button on my shiny new remote I was then able to round off my day on the couch watching Dallaglio and co. pick apart the American part-timers. Or so I thought. Within the opening seconds it became clear that England's painfully unimpressive form running up to their defence of the Webb Ellis trophy was set to continue.

Fortunately it was only the quality of the victory that was in doubt, never the result; unlike the Welsh match on Sunday afternoon. "If you win you get a pat on the back, if you lose you get shot," commented Sir Clive Woodward in a recent BBC documentary on the rewards or otherwise of managing the Welsh rugby team, widely recognised as the toughest job in Wales.

Gareth Jenkins was on the verge of being hung out to dry as his team conceded a third try granting the Canadian opposition a dream 45th minute scoreline of 17-9. He restored the natural order though via the substitution of misfiring youngster James Hook and the introduction of fit-again former captain Stephen Jones and current captain Gareth Thomas. The resulting five Welsh tries triggered by their arrival prompted the question of why on earth they were absent in the first place.

Wales may have had their biggest scare since Gavin Henson's last tanning session but it was the French who scooped the biggest cock-up of the weekend. Friday night brought a feast of entertainment as France, plucky hosts of the Rugby World cup, choked against Argentina whose star is ever-rising in rugby circles. It was a marvellous victory of determination, bravery and tactical adeptness as the Argentines upset the old order and Bernard Laporte in particular with an opening game victory reminiscent of Cameroon rocking the Argentine football fraternity in the curtain-raiser for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

On paper, in both instances, there should not really be any suprise but arrogance and tradition die hard and unrealistic expectancy with it. For the neutral, and the English, it made for a delightful start to proceedings.

For those whose eyes hadn't started to glaze from the sheer number of hours in front of a screen, or for whom sleep deprivation was not an issue, there was also England's series clinching one-day triumph over India in the cricket, Justin Henine and Roger Federer retaining their respective US Open crowns (in Federer's case for a remarkable fourth consecutive time) and Lewis Hamilton's 11th podium finish in 13 Formula One outings.

My brain overloaded as I saw Scotland crash over the line for their 6th try against Portugal and I reached for the standby button, content for the moment with what I had witnessed and not expecting Ireland to have any undue difficulties against Nambia, despite their subsequent efforts to try and prove me wrong.

The beauty of it is, that after a brief recharge, there is plenty more to come.

Johnson heads Cardiff through Carling Cup trial

Cardiff City FC v Brighton and Hove Albion FC
15 August 2007 Kick off 7.45pm

Cardiff City eased into the second round of the Carling Cup last night with an uninspiring win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Dave Jones’ men required extra time before Roger Johnson’s header spared their blushes and a penalty shoot-out against League One Albion.

Ninian Park was treated to somewhat of an ornithological feast with the visit of the ‘Seagulls’ although no fowl was on display, the Bluebirds close season coup, Robbie Fowler, not yet match fit.

Despite the heavy pre-match rain abating the players failed to rival the subsequent sunset for creativity, style or end product. While Stephen McPhail and Darren Purse stood out as engines edging their side closer to what should have been a routine 90 minute victory, City could not build on their respective industry.

The first half reflected the attendance; miserly. A mere 3,726 turned out albeit on a wet Tuesday night in peak holiday season against visitors who failed to up their game to Championship standards. Brighton only mustered 87 fans of their own.

Warren Feeny, Paul Parry and McPhail all snatched at long range half-chances early on without troubling Brighton keeper Michel Kuipers. Peter Whittingham engineered a move down Cardiff’s left flank in the 17th minute, firing a low cross into Brighton’s penalty area which was met by McPhail, blocked and the rebound blasted over.

It was Brighton who, against the run of play, came closest in the 33rd minute. Ross Turnbull punched clear from an Albion corner but only as far as the Seagull’s left back, Joel Lynch, who was lurking on the edge of the 18 yard box. The sweetness with which he connected with the ball proved why he was waiting there. Fortunately for Turnbull and the Bluebirds, his effort slammed into the advertising hoardings just wide of its mark.

Turnbull could have seized the headlines himself for a ‘Lehman-esque’ moment shortly before half-time. He tried to deal with a bouncing back-pass via a neat flick with the side of his boot but made far too much contact and only just managed to clear the danger with his second touch in the face of the fast advancing Nicky Forster.

The coming of the second half failed to bring changes to the teams or the tempo. The fans, however, were in much better voice, particularly enjoying baiting the rather rotund Brighton physio who was called into action for several nasty clashes of heads. Tiring of him once the players involved had returned to their feet, they turned their attention on Brighton’s beleaguered support: “We can see you holding hands”.

Dave Jones’ introduction of Matt Green in the 63rd minute did little to stir Cardiff’s attack. Paul Parry had highlighted their problem just three minutes into the second half, breaking beautifully down the right, beating his man and delivering a delightful chipped cross into the penalty area, which was happily dealt with by the Brighton back four.

On this occasion, unlike a wayward delivery from Chris Gunter later in the game which earned ironic cheers from the crowd, it was not the decision-making or execution that was to blame, but City’s lack of a predator to capitalise on a fine move. Fowler’s presence is keenly awaited.

The Bluebirds were refused a penalty in extra-time after Joe Ledley was unceremoniously muscled off the ball in the box. In turn though Cardiff denied Brighton a penalty shoot-out, McPhail providing the perfect corner to tee up Johnson’s decisive header in the 108th minute and seal the win.

The Carling Cup may often be derided as a second-string cup competition, but it is a valuable opportunity for experience against clubs playing in the league where Cardiff want to be, the Premiership. For the moment they are one step closer to drawing such a team, the second round.

Cardiff City:

Ross Turnbull, Tony Capaldi, Roger Johnson, Darren Purse (c), Chris Gunter, Peter Whittingham (76’ Joe Ledley), Stephen McPhail, Gavin Rae, Paul Parry (115’ Aaron Ramsey), Warren Feeney (63’ Matt Green), Steven Maclean.

Shots on target – 7, Shots off target – 9, Corners – 8, Freekicks won – 17, Offsides – 3
Yellow cards – 0.

Brighton & Hove Albion:

Michael Kuipers, Joel Lynch (45’ Sam Rents), Guy Butters, Tommy Elphick, Andrew Whing, Dean Cox, Dean Hammond (c), Adam El-Abd, Tommy Fraser (65’ Paul Reid), Alex Revell (105’ Bas Savage), Nicky Forster.

Shots on target – 1, Shots off target – 5, Corners – 6, Freekicks won – 8, Offsides – 0,
Yellow cards – 3.

A Holiday Hitch

“Remember, you only need one car,” said the Reiki healer as I stuck out my thumb once more. 10 hours, 5 cars and 1 train ride after I set out from Cromer in North Norfolk, I made it to Leeds.

In a fit of pique at the price of travel, and in a bid to lessen my impact on the environment, I decided to resort to the traditional traveller’s favoured mode of transport: hitch-hiking. It had been some time since I had last lingered on a street corner flourishing a card-board sign, but a number of factors had culminated in a well-reasoned desire to test the temperament of the nation once more.

An emailed invitation had arrived in a millisecond proposing a leaving party in Leeds, significantly less than a millisecond’s travelling time away. An old friend was emigrating; to Australia. As such, the request for people to journey to Leeds was put in perspective. It was an awful lot closer up there than down under.

By train there was a selection of extremely cheap tickets, none of which remained available. By bus a cheap option existed, but lacked a direct route and required a painstaking series of changes and lengthy waiting periods in some the nation’s less salubrious bus stations.

Driving was, of course, an option. However, a five hour journey each way, alone, seemed not only highly uneconomical, unproductive and upsetting for the environmentalist lobby, it would also have deprived my better half of transport and open domestic arguments that (in the short term at least) the worst threats of global warming could never compete with.

And so, with summer finally in bloom, the decision was taken not to fall prey to the school holiday price hikes, and instead to put my faith in the people of these fair isles.

Within five minutes of brandishing my carefully drawn plea on the outskirts of Cromer, “Anywhere closer to Leeds”, the first lift was proffered. It was a short hop to Holt, a mere 15 minutes drive, but it was psychologically the most important ride of the day.

The second ride, from Holt to Fakenham took far longer to materialise but by then the journey had begun. Any devils of doubt could be countered by the fact that one lift had already been granted, that a complete stranger had seen fit to stop and offer a ride to his fellow man.

Then it started to rain. The devils became restless. 40 minutes past. The devils reminded me that I was still within calling distance of the aforementioned other half. There was still time to gracefully bow out citing any number of entirely reasonable excuses; the weather, health, general safety, and missing any number of sporting events on the telly. But then, just as the rain drops appeared to be gathering momentum and size, a car slowed to a halt and a cheery couple (teachers, a day into their summer break) took pity and pulled over.

From Fakenham it was 20 miles to Kings Lynn; 20 miles to the edge of Norfolk. “I’m headed to Leeds” I would explain to passing North Norfolk locals. “Leeds!” they responded, as if Holland would have been a far more sensible suggestion. The truth is it is probably closer.

My next saviour was a Reiki healer, headed not just to Kings Lynn but far beyond it to one of middle England’s main arteries, the A1. From there I would be home dry; home dry that is if I hadn’t left my umbrella in his car.

As much as I sought to visualise my next lift, putting into practise my impromptu Reiki teaching, it failed to materialise for a very long time. There were plenty of smiles and the odd honk from the vehicles departing the A1 services at which I had been dropped, but no lift.

Shortly after relinquishing visualisation and relocating to the slightly more precarious, but statistically preferable, slip-road to the north-bound carriageway, I struck gold again. It was another short hop but an immense morale booster. Unfortunately it also underlined an important rule of hitching: Think carefully before trading a good position for an unknown position a few miles further on.

Generally speaking “a good position”, as opposed to “a pickle”, is a place where there are plenty of cars heading in your direction, that can see you early, and have time and space to pull over. “A pickle” includes most slip roads (on which cars accelerate and there is often little room to pull over safely).

When salvation finally came the sun was low in the sky, the clouds were darkening again and the irony of leaving my protective umbrella in the healer’s car was no longer entertaining. “Can drop you in Grantham, at the station,” said the white van man. “It’s not far at all on the train to Leeds if you’re prepared to spend a bit of money; and it’s about to piss it down.”

And so my resolve crumbled. I gave up at Grantham and caught the train to Leeds in time for a curry and copious quantities of Cobra. I had had five lifts and covered many miles. I had tested the water again and found it warm, but I had been on the road for seven hours and my objective was the send-off in Leeds, not a compulsive desire to hitch all the way come hell or high water. Hitching should always remain an additional option as opposed to a stubborn obsession.

My jaunt had saved me a significant amount of money and reduced my impact on the environment to a bottle of Sprite and a Magnum ice cream (Peterborough Services has its highlights). I had enjoyed the company of a number of strangers and learnt about the Montessori method of teaching, discussed the prospect of emigrating (always high on the agenda when the sky appears to be falling in), been schooled in the basics of Reiki healing and met the founder of a new classic-car hire business.

As for the journey home; don’t ask.

Getafe get up and at them

Barcelona are a club of European pedigree of the highest order. Which is why at 10pm on a drizzly Thursday night in England it was almost so easy to flick away from Sky Sports' coverage of their second leg encounter with Getafe in Spain's premier cup competition, the Copa Del Rey. 5-2 up from the first leg, last night's match was a formality for the Catalan visitors.

But Getafe, the minnows of La Liga, taught Barca a lesson in not taking anything for granted. By half-time the home side were 2-0 up, heading into the dressing room 5-4 down on aggregate and with a determined spring in their step. Frank Rijkaard could but watch on and ponder his side's poor performance.

Not long into the second half and the all-important third goal came their way courtesy of Vivar Dorado to desperate looks from Ronaldinho, Barca's buck toothed Brazilian wonder. Getafe were level on aggregate but would proceed to the final on away goals. The commentators could barely contain their excitement and the home crowd had long since let theirs fly. So when Getafe slammed a fourth past the side challenging for the league title, you knew you were witnessing something special.

Barca do not lose games 4-0 very often. If it wasn't for the hour at which this game drew to a conclusion I would have spent some time researching this point but am willing to wager it would take a while. They are, as is so often quoted, "more than a club", a force in European football and beyond, a beacon of footballing brilliance littered with stars the likes of the aforesaid Ronaldinho, the African Player of the Year Samuel Eto'o and Maradona's latest successor, the mercurial Lionel Messi.

Yet Getafe rolled them over and therein lies the beauty of the game. Underdogs can win, can turn things around, can raise their game, can believe and, on occasion, succeed. Whether they can do it two games running to take the trophy is, of course, another matter entirely, but for now their fans are in heaven and on their way to Madrid for their first ever final to give it a damn good try, and I'm glad I didn't change the channel.

AFC Wimbledon win appeal

AFC Wimbledon have won their appeal against an 18-point deduction. The decision of the Ryman League Appeal's Panel has today been reduced from 18 points to three with an increased fine.

The dispute concerned the lack of an international transfer certificate for the transfer of Jermaine Darlington from Cardiff City, who play in the English Championship but are based in Wales. An oversight at best, the volunteer form-filler had deemed such a certificate as not applicable. Yet the league punished the fledgling club severely, deducting points for every game in which the player was involved.

Represented at the tribunal for free by Jim Sturman QC, who advises Chelsea (for a fee), the club's case was clearly reasonable. AC Milan were docked four points for four years of match fixing.

AFC's appeal was bolstered by the voice of Tony Blair, whose opinion was appealed to in Prime Minister's question time. "It sounds like a daft rule, and someone should change it," said Mr Blair in response to a plea for help from Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden in a motion signed by 84 MPs.

To be docked any points at all for such a minor and unwitting misdemeanour will still rancour the fans. Not least when Liverpool and West Ham appear to have smoothed over concerns as to irregularities over the contract of Javier Mascherano.

Despite the evident inequalities in the football system, the club, founded in 2002 by Wimbledon FC supporters following the South London side's relocation to Milton Keynes and reincarnation as the MK Dons, is now back on track for promotion to the Conference South. The dream of catching their corporate rivals is still alive.

France v Argentina

Live coverage of France v Argentina (International friendly coverage for Eurosport - 7 February 2007)

For my match report click HERE.

For my minute by minute live coverage click HERE.

Saviola Sinks Les Bleus in Paris

Javier Saviola's first-half strike saw Argentina to victory against Les Bleus in the Stade de France, Paris. The diminutive Barcelona striker sealed the friendly with Argentina's only goal in a surprisingly easy 1-0 victory over a strong French side.

Argentina, without Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Juan Pablo Sorin and Pablo Zabaleta, came to France looking for their first win under new boss Alfio Basile and got precisely what they were after.

The new manager's first victory was inspired by an old hand. Javier Zanetti, recalled to the team after his omission at last summer's World Cup, was the man who unlocked the French defence in the 15th minute.

Playing a sumptuous one-two with Saviola, Zanetti reached the French by-line and pulled the ball back into the path of Hernan Crespo who doesn't miss from six yards. He didn't miss, but French keeper, Gregory Coupet, managed to parry his shot. Unfortunately for Coupet the rebound fell for Saviola who, arriving late into the box, drove home his 11th goal for the Seleccion.

The goal seemed to galvanise Raymond Domenech's men. Franck "I am not a robot" Ribery showed duracell-bunny-esque regularity up and down the right flank as he combined with Willy Signol to find a way back for France. But despite Ribery engineering openings in the 20th, 35th and 42nd minutes, the Argentine goalkeeper, Roberto Abbondanzieri, enjoyed a relatively quiet first half.

It could have been very different. In the second minute of the match Thierry Henry played a delightful through ball to his former Arsenal team-mate Patrick Viera who hit the turf in dubious fashion as he charged into the area. The French appealed for a penalty but the Slovenian referee Damir Skomina knew better than to point to the spot.

France pushed hard in the second half for an equaliser with Ribery in particular working through his trick-book in an attempt to find a way past the experienced Roberto Ayala. But, despite the introduction of the in-form journeyman, Nicolas Anelka, the Argentine defence held firm.

Not averse to his fair share of attention, Anelka still managed to steal some of the headlines by sparking a ten man brawl in the closing minutes. Unhappy with the Argentine's desperate tackles in a late goal-mouth scramble the Bolton front man aired his thoughts to his aggressor prompting swift intervention from the officials.

The game degenerated into a scrappy affair as the full time whistle approached encouraging Argentine substitute Jonas Gutierrez to risk the wrath of the Parisians by heading for the corner flag rather than the goal when played through in stoppage time.

Following the decision of Real Madrid wonderkid Gonzalo Higuain's decision to play for Argentina, the place of his upbringing, rather than France, the place of his birth this result was a second blow for Les Bleus.

Domenech, not bitter in the slightest, responded to Higuain's preference for sunshine and samba by saying, "there are many players as good as him in France and we won't have to wait for him." He failed to name them.

Premiership double-team

Match report for Newcastle v Aston Villa and ive minute by minute updates for this and the Bolton v Charlton match (Premiership coverage for Eurosport - 31 January 2007).

Lots of fun juggling all this... hey hum, a good learning experience.

Newcastle v Aston Villa

For my minute by minute coverage please click HERE.

For my match report please click HERE.

Bolton v Charlton

For my minute by minute coverage please click HERE.

Newcastle steal Young's limelight

Newcastle served up two first-half goals in as many minutes as they defeated Aston Villa 3-1 to record their first home win since Christmas.

The hosts began the game in glorious fashion as James Milner produced a rip-snorter of a shot from 25 yards into the far top corner after his cheeky step-over bamboozled the Villa defence.
And after just seven minutes it was 2-0 as the scorer turned provider.

Milner crossed from the right and the mercurial Kieron Dyer beat his marker at the near post to flick the ball into the far corner.

But Villa dominated the remainder of the first half with new signing Ashley Young scoring his first goal for the club and they continued to terrify the notoriously porous Newcastle defence after the break.

But somehow, in the most unconvincing fashion, Newcastle and Steve Harper in particular stood firm. John Carew hit the post and had a goal disallowed while Gareth Barry hit the bar.

As Villa pressed for the equaliser, Newcastle were able to counter and first-half substitute Antoine Sibierski put the game beyond doubt in the 90th minute.

Damien Duff broke free and, stumbling into the Villa penalty area managed to square the ball to the unmarked Sibierski who stroked the ball home to secure a flattering win.

Fulham v Stoke

Live coverage and match report (FA Cup coverage for Eurosport - 27 January 2007):

For the match report click HERE.

For my minute by minute live coverage of the match click HERE.

This was an interesting one, as the "live" coverage and report were done without actually seeing the match. I also learnt that the "short teaser" needs to be repeated in the start of the "long teaser", otherwise it is missing from the match report...

Hey, ho, slightly more glamourous (if that is the right word) tie on wednesday when I'll be covering Newcastle v Aston Villa in the Premiership. Although I suspect, sadly, this will again be without the benefit of any live feed. Bugger.

Polling Chelsea

Post to Football 365 in the aftermath of Graham Poll's retaliatory outburst to the Chelsea starlets:

"I entirely condone whatever Graham Poll said. If it is allowed (tacitly, by the lack of cautions) for him to receive foul and abusive language then he should be allowed to dish it out in return. "An eye for an eye and soon we'll all be blind," said somebody who looked far better in a nappy than me, but a bit of retaliation always feels good and, in certain situations, is justified.

How many of us cheered when Cantona launched himself into the stands, when Juninho told Albert exactly where to go, when the mighty ZZ made the world take notice by flooring his abuser in the World Cup Final?

Professional footballers get away with murder (almost literally in some drink-driving cases) and something needs to be done to clean up the sport. Our refs are now miked up which is a step in the right direction and presumably a prelude to allowing us, the audience, to share in the referee's comments, a la rugby.

But before that will be permissible on live television, beamed to generations of impressionable youths and their even more impressionable parents, the language directed at, and the general attitudes to, the ref need to be improved.

Cards clearly don't work - see the yellow card for post-goal shirt-stripping. So I propose perma-tan. They'll be far more concerned about avoiding "a Dale Winton" than missing the next three games and jetting off to La Manga. Admittedly (and regrettably) this punishment wouldn't work on some who already embrace such horrors (see Cristiano "glow in the dark" Ronaldo) so other means need to be invented, and what better place perhaps than this forum."

Manchester United v Wigan

Live coverage and match report (Premiership coverage for Eurosport - 26 December 2006):

For my minute by minute live coverage of the match click HERE

Ronaldo leads United four points clear

Buoyed by the knowledge that Reading had robbed Chelsea of two points, Cristiano Ronaldo put on a second-half show to help dismantle Wigan 3-1 and send United four points clear at the top of the Barclay’s Premiership.

Second-half substitute Ronaldo struck twice within five minutes of the restart to send Wigan crashing to their fourth successive defeat and enable United to capitalise on Chelsea’s draw with Reading.

The timeless Ole Gunnar Solskaer was on target in the 59th minute to give United a three goal lead. A late penalty for Wigan, converted by young Leighton Baines, was the only downside to what was a sterling performance by Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

Ronaldo, Louis Saha, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville were all absent from the starting line up as Sir Alex shuffled his pack once more, safe in the knowledge that, regardless of the result, United would remain top of the Premiership.

With the score 0-0 at half-time though ,Ferguson introduced his trump card to kick start proceedings. He could never have imagined the immediacy of the impact.

Within two minutes of gracing the pitch Ronaldo put United 1-0 up with a thumping header from an early corner. Three minutes later he fed J.S.Park in the Wigan penalty area after fine work down the left. Park was promptly fouled right in front of referee, Mike Riley, for a stonewall penalty. Ronaldo failed to convert from the spot but made sure with the rebound.

United dominated proceedings in the first half but had failed to open the scoring. Wayne Rooney, rejuvenated after his rest against Aston Villa on Saturday, could easily have had a hat-tick. Wigan’s Chris Kirkland was forced to make three exceptional saves from close range in the opening twenty minutes and could only watch as efforts from Rooney and Patrice Evra fizzed wide.

J.S Park and Ole Gunnar Solskaer respectively replaced on form Portugese high diver Ronaldo in midfield and club top scorer Louis Saha in attack.

Wes Brown took over from Gary Neville at right back and revelled in the amount of space afforded him. Darren Fletcher, who replaced Carrick, bossed the midfield alongside Paul Scholes and twice released Brown down the right early on but United failed to convert their chances and, despite enjoying 60% of the possession, allowed Wigan to hang on to a clean sheet as Riley blew for half-time.

Fletcher was pulled to make way for Ronaldo at the break. If Ronaldo hadn’t produced such an emphatic impact this decision would have appeared harsh on Fletcher who had been carving open the Wigan back four with intelligent balls to Rooney and an ever-advancing Brown.

But the game was transformed by Ronaldo. He was everywhere and Wigan had no answer to his trickery. Stunned by the two early goals, the coup de grace came from Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskaer.

John O'shea won the ball in midfield and flicked it on to Rooney who out jumped Emile Heskey to feed Solskaer. With time to compose himself and pick his spot in the far corner, he drove the ball comfortably home from the edge of the area.

Mikael Silvestre blotted his copy book with a late Christmas present for Wigan with an ill timed tackle in the last minute to gift the visitors a penalty. Baines showed the maturity and confidence that has been alerting bigger clubs to the possibility of his signature by converting the spot kick but the result was never in doubt.

Ferguson will be relishing the fact that no team with this many points at Christmas has ever failed to go on and win the Premiership.

If Jose Mourinho wasn’t in need of some christmas consolation after his side's draw with Reading, he will now.

Missing in action – Parting with your Passport

If you haven’t got your word, what have you got? There is a simple answer to this well known maxim: your passport, the single most important part of foreign travel in any way shape or form. You cannot leave home without it, so what happens when it isn’t there?

Some may have experienced this sensation, some may not. It isn’t pleasant. One minute this priceless piece of parchment, emblazoned with Her Majesty’s imprint, her permission to pass and, most importantly, your photo, is where you last left it; the next your identity is gone and your travel plans are in dire straights unless you fancy Butlins as an alternative.

Having established beyond doubt that your passport is nowhere at home, work, parent’s or friends’ houses, having ruled out Butlins as an option, and having traced intricately through its previous use and movements without revelation, there is still the belief that Her Majesty will save her loyal subject.

The Identity and Passport Service as it is now known was established as an Executive Agency of the Home Office on 1 April 2006. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, a fool learns from his own. The personnel at the passport office have a sense of humour judging from the date of this latest incarnation of their services.

In the advent of broad band internet connections, your first port of call is the “I need a replacement urgently” link on http://www.passport.gov.uk/. The crux of your situation is swiftly revealed by the appearance of the following statement: “If you need to travel in less than two weeks you should make an urgent application for a new passport. Your first step should be to call our Adviceline on 0870 521 0410 and make an appointment at one of our offices.”

Personally, I had a little over four hours, and by the time I had concluded beyond doubt that my passport was indeed lost beyond hope it was 2am. Unsurprisingly the Identity and Passport Agency are unable to offer an appointment at that time within that timescale. Surprisingly, given the time in the morning, they still answer the phone.

A gentle voice greeted me and soothingly yet remorselessly informed me that the fastest possible time for obtaining a new passport is seven days after an appointment. The relevant appointment personnel would not be present to accept a booking, let alone action one, until 10am.

There is an “emergency procedure”. In the case of dire business or life and death need, applications can be fast-tracked. The bar is set high though and even if cleared the minimum time in which a passport can be produced is four hours from the time that said bar has been negotiated and photos supplied.

Exceptionally the rules it seems can be overlooked. English pop singer Dido didn’t miss out when it was discovered that a passport was missing on her whirlwind attempt to play three gigs in an afternoon for the charity spectacular, Live8. Sadly the Easyjet’s of this world have slightly more stringent regulations than their private counterparts.

Not all celebrities are so lucky or so expert in their dealings. This summer Pete Doherty missed a concert in Ibiza after losing his passport and the same reason was quoted for the cancellation of a Sugababes gig in Denmark. Spare a thought though for Naomi Campbell's former personal assistant. Amanda Brack has claimed the supermodel attacked her three times, spat in her face and threw her passport in a swimming pool. At least she knew where it was.

By Andy Sloan, author of ‘23 Sweet FAs’, whose original brief was to cover the derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, in Istanbul.

A touching World Cup story

In January 2007 the England Women’s Touch Rugby team head out to South Africa for the Touch Rugby World Cup. After a gruelling selection process over the past month, a squad of 24 will be boarding the plane to Stellenbosch via Johannesburg to fly the flag in one of the UK’s fastest growing sports.

Touch Rugby, the summer cousin of Union and League, has seen a dramatic increase in participation in the past few years. Alongside Softball and Frisbee, the nation’s park-lands are now awash with Touch Rugby.

Almost in line with the influx of Australians in London and elsewhere, leagues have spawned, competitions have grown and, in turn, England’s standing in the game has improved. Whilst the England Men’s Rugby Union team have floundered since their epic 20-17 victory down-under in 2003, the England Women’s Touch team are current European Champions.

Touch Rugby’s appeal lies in its accessibility. It lacks the crunching brutality of its cousins but retains the skills and explosive action of the game. Elite players need to be strong sprinters, capable of changing direction in an instant (to avoid a touch or to wrong-foot an opponent) and have the tactical nouse and lightening reactions to work a break in the opposition’s line and capitalise on the smallest of mistakes.

It is a fast, furious game and those who underestimate it are soon left trailing the heels of others. The rules are simple, the work-out complete, and the competition as tough as you want it to be.

As you might expect in a sport fathered and championed in the rugby-mad nations of Australia and New Zealand, there is a distinct Antipodean touch to the current England squad. Nearly two-thirds of the team hail from beyond England’s green and pleasant lands; naturalised after three years of life on these shores.

Newest recruit to the England setup, Natalie Wanrooy, is just one such example. Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Brisbane, Australia, she grew up playing rugby on the Gold Coast. “It’s a way of life out there,” she explained, tipping her home nation to win in Stellenbosch.

Wanrooy moved to England eight years ago and has been playing Touch Rugby in London ever since her arrival. “I love it” she said, smiling brightly, her enthusiasm for the sport evident in the passionate way in which she has embraced her new role in the England set up. “I’m absolutely stoked to have made the team” she said. “The girls are all amazing and I’m learning so much with every training session.”

Quizzed on the team’s chances against the tournament favourites, Australia, she struggles to retain the same conviction. “Not a chance,” she laughed. “You’ve got to be realistic; those girls are playing 24/7, their squad has been picked and training together for a year. They’re funded and frightening. We’ll have had 4 months preparation by comparison, do a lot of our training individually after work and have to scrape together our own funds for the trip.”

Wanrooy used to be part of the Australian women’s rugby union side before packing up and moving to England. “I wouldn’t have a chance of making the Australian Touch team” she said, “so it’s awesome to have found a way to make the World Cup with England.” Playing down her past brushes with the likes of Australian Rugby legends John Eals and Michael Lynagh, Wanrooy is confident that England can make an impact given a favourable group in January.

With a range of countries from Scotland to Singapore joining Australia, New Zealand and the hosts, South Africa, the competition is set to sizzle. “We’ve got to fancy ourselves against Scotland” said Wanroy, resident south of the border for long enough to recognise the rivalry, “and, no disrespect, but I didn’t even know Singapore had a team.” The England football team may be firing blanks against European minnows but England’s Touch Rugby women hope to sprint through the early rounds against their sport’s equivalent nations and take a punt at the big boys of Australia and New Zealand.

Looking to build on their European Championship success, it just might be England’s turn to shine. Every tournament brings an upset and whilst the odds may be against our girls returning victorious, an appearance in the final is a distinct possibility. Asked if she would turn down a last minute offer to defect and don the Australian jersey once more, Wanrooy was diplomatic; but a mischievous glint in her eye betrayed fond sentiment for her homeland. “Let’s just see how I get on with the English National Anthem” she replied.

Spurs put on a show to squeeze past 'Boro

On a barmy Tuesday night in December, a visitor to London could have done no better than to have entertained themselves at last night’s dubious looking fixture of Spurs v Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane.

It may have been a clash between last season’s UEFA Cup finalists and this season’s potential finalists but it was also a clash of mid-table mediocrity. Gareth Southgate has hardly set the world on fire in his fledgling months as manager of Middlesbrough and Martin Jol’s Spurs have frankly failed to build on the promise of last season, currently languishing 11th in the Premiership, rather lower than their aspirations of the fourth place Champions League spot allow.

Yet this encounter served up a treat of all that is good in English football. Three goals, two red cards and various bouts of fisty-cuffs was content enough to satisfy a television audience but such action on the pitch also had the effect of stirring the various sections of the crowd into a classic contest of their own.

“Stand up if you hate Arsenal” was a swift and unsurprising chant early on in the game by the Tottenham fans to which the Middlesbrough faithful promptly responded with, “3-0 to the Arsenal”, rejoicing in reminding the occupants of the south stand of Tottenham’s miserable defeat to their north London rivals three days prior.

Not to be outdone, the inventive north Londoners retaliated with “You’re just a small town in Scotland” and, on sighting a man in a flat cap and barber jacket who seemed rather quiet, “you only sing when you’re farming”. This verbal jousting must have fascinated any foreigners present, an insight into life on the English terraces. Forget a year in Provence; a year in the south stand at Spurs will provide a cultural education of its own.

The first half wasn’t entirely pretty as both sides managed to convey why they continually fail to trouble the top of the table. Jonathan Woodgate, formerly of Real Madrid, Newcastle and England, belied his pedigree by completely misjudging a simple defensive header for Middlesbrough early on and Jermaine Defoe, having won a rare recent start proved profligate to the extreme, seemingly unable to pull the trigger early and fire home, despite numerous chances.

On 47 minutes Dimitar Berbatov stepped up to the plate and broke the deadlock with his second league goal of the season. Game on. As the fans increased their volume in celebration and renewed taunting of the farmer, so the match spread out, the pace quickened and the challenges stiffened.

The ‘Boro fans were thrown a lifeline on 80 minutes when Steward Downing curled in a corner which, after a short bout of pinball in the Tottenham six yard box, was slammed home by Robert Huth. Their joy was short lived. Robbie Keane joined the fray in place of Steed Malbranque and four minutes later struck home from 25 yards following a quickly taken free quick.

Middlesbrough frustrations boiled over leading to a cynical challenge on Pascal Chimbonda which prompted unnecessary intervention from Didier Zokora and his midfield counterpart George Boateng who, after having exchanged pleasantries in a scuffle against the advertising hoardings, were both given their marching orders by referee Mark Halsey.

The fans were then treated to an inexplicable five minutes of added time before the final whistle granted the Middlesbrough section leave to commence their long trek north and Southgate to mull Keane’s suckerpunch. Martin Jol may well have aged in the process of earning these three points, but they will be three points well received from what was essentially a pantomime of a performance.

The Return of the Hoff

Article for Guardian travel competition (July 2006):

"Crikey" said my little brother, as he turned his head, his eyes staying fixed on the road-sign as our trusty vehicle sped past it. "Ausfahrt must be a big place. That's the fourth exit we've passed for it."

We had not been long across the German border yet he was already proving that the German word for "EXIT" had slipped from his GCSE vocabulary. He had, however, replaced such knowledge with a cunning knack for dreaming up the most important necessity for any World Cup: a World Cup costume.

Having secured tickets for the second round match in Stuttgart, my brother, two friends and myself set out across the continent with high hopes of watching England v Germany but settled for England v Ecuador after a dangerous flirtation with the prospect of Sweden v Ecuador. We were to grace the Fatherland for one week only and therefore World Cup drinking costumes were top of our list of pre-road-trip things to organise. We were English fans after all and had a reputation to live up to.

Suggestion number one from my inspired brother was Darth Vader. Quizzical emails were exchanged between us as to the connection with football and/or England until he revealed what he intended to print on Darth's cape: "the Empire Strikes Back". Amidst much laughter, and with some regret, it was decided that this stroke of genius was probably too close to the bone and another master plan was called for. He obliged.



"The Hoff is an England Fan" read the t-shirt. From under a 70s style, black, curly, wig, behind oversized aviators, sporting short red shorts, flip flops and with a rescue buoy in hand, strategically rested on one shoulder for the cameras, the four of us reintroduced the Hoff to the Germans.

The man who claims to have reunified Germany (his song "Crazy for you" was seized upon as an anthem at the time the Berlin Wall came down) and who graced our screens for years as Michael Knight and Mitch Buchanan in Knight Rider and Baywatch respectively, was back in town.

"Hans Hoff England's Cup" read the back of the t-shirt for any in doubt as to our true origins.
The Germans, to our unjustified surprise, welcomed the English (and the Hoff) into their homeland and organised a cracker of a tournament.

Naturally the efficiency of their organisation was at an optimum, but there was an unprecedented sprinkling of understanding and common sense as to the requirements and desires of the travelling fans that was the making of this World Cup. From extra fan zones with giant screens to accommodate the thousands who travelled without tickets, to requiring deposits for beer glasses, therefore minimalising litter and missiles, the Germans were one step ahead.

And for any locals lacking a sense of humour, or bemoaning the fact that both England and Germany crashed out ahead of their much vaunted meeting in the final, the reply was simple. "Hey, don't hassle the Hoff".

Bond and Beckham - Unwitting bedfellows

Random article surrounding the release of Casino Royale:

Watching Bond is like watching England; it so often fails to deliver after such promise but we, the public, are duty bound to go back for more lapping up the entertainment from the love affair with two of our nation's foremost franchises. This week Ian Fleming's creation returned to our screens as Steve McClaren's charges too returned to action last night against Holland. The similarities were striking.

Bond, an institution, a franchise, knows it has a captive audience. Bond has been bad for years but with each encounter the general public cannot get away from the fact that it is still Bond and, whilst reminiscing about the good old days of Connery and co., turn out in their droves to cheer on 007's increasingly ridiculous adventures.

Likewise England; the reign of Sven-Goran Eriksson delivered nothing other than mediocrity, three quarter-final exits in major championships, a few howlers in the form of encounters with Northern Ireland and Denmark and the odd ray of hope, that special night in Munich on 1 September 2001. It has been a long time since 1966 (its been a long time since 2001 for that matter) but still the fans flock to stadiums in their thousands to sing songs about the Queen and hope that maybe, just maybe, they might be treated to the type of glorious England performance we've all been waiting for.

Recognising rising tensions and keen to stall downward trends, both Bond and England have sought to reinvent themselves. The past year has seen the old adage take hold of "out with the old and in with the new", Daniel Craig swaggering into the limelight as the first blonde Bond and McClaren being handed the managerial reigns, delivering the coup de grace to Sven's regime by axing long-loved skipper David Beckham. Hair today, gone tomorrow, step forward big John Terry to lead the new generation.

Much trumpeting heralded these changes but neither was greeted with much aplomb by the public. Craig was lampooned as lacking the credentials and the charisma to carry off the tuxedoed caricature of Bond, whilst McClaren was clearly the FA's second choice, earning the moniker "Second Choice Steve". His early results hinted at promise but the disappointing defeat to Croatia shattered what honeymoon period the former Middlesbrough manager had been awarded by the media and the fans at large.

How the stars like to prove their critics wrong though. Craig has banished his doubters in the best fashion by keeping schtum and proving his worth on the silver screen in a back to basics bare-knuckle Bond that has had the pundits cooing in his direction.

McClaren sought similar success by culling Beckham, banning the WAGs (or at least frowning on past profligacies) and shying away from the obscure (Eileen Drewery) and the unfortunate (sting meetings with fake sheiks).

However, as proved by last night's draw with the Dutch, McClaren's back to basics treatment has failed to cure England's malaise and the jury is still out on his tenure and tactical tinkering. Admittedly his hand was swayed by a swathe of injuries, real or imagined, but although there are no cries to bring back Beckham, for England to impress, results are required regardless of excuses. Time is on McClaren's side though, he has until March before England's next competitive outing to plan the subsequent steps to re-inventing the England franchise.

Bond and England, two of Britain's great institutions juggernaut onwards and, regardless of the results this time and next, you can guarantee we will be back for more. Theatre it isn't, but entertainment it most definitely is.

The stars come out for Jackson

Article on the charity launch of a local boxer's attempt to run across America (Norwich Evening News - 2 November 2006)

Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan and Darren Huckerby and Bryan Gunn amongst other stars lent their support last night to Norwich boxer, Jackson Williams, who launched his charity bid to run across America. The glitzy event, held at the Marriott Sprowston Manor Hotel, raised nearly £10,000 for Jackson’s two nominated charities, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Bryan Gunn Leukaemia Appeal.

Jackson, who stepped into the ring against Khan last February, has set himself the daunting challenge of running 3,100 miles from Los Angeles to New York non-stop. He is however no stranger to long distance running. Aged 17, whilst studying at City College he ran from London to Norwich and a year later raised the bar by running 400 miles home to his native Norwich from Scotland, arriving to large acclaim at Carrow road in time for a derby day kick-off against Ipswich.

Not content with what most people would regard as a lifetime’s exercise Jackson, like Khan has set his sights on America. What he is proposing, however, is perhaps a far sterner test than the twelve rounds Khan may face when he eventually crosses the Atlantic to further his career. “It [the run] is going to take a lot of bottle but I think he’ll do it. I’ve seen him, I’ve been in the same ring as him. He’ll do it.”

Khan, who made time in his schedule to attend last night’s event, defeated Jackson in the ring by virtue of a 3rd round technical knockout in their clash at London’s ExCel Arena in February. His next bout is against an unnamed American opponent at the ExCel Arena on December 9 ahead of making his American debut next year. He may rely on more conventional means of transport to travel across the continent. “I’m feeling good, feeling sharp and I’m looking forward to fighting over there,” he said.

Huckerby has known Jackson for a couple of years since his return to City. Aside from running defenders ragged, the most Huckerby has ever run in one go is around 10 miles, so he was in awe of what Jackson is proposing to achieve. “I can’t see many of our [Norwich] players making it that far” he said. “Boxing has got a special kind of discipline. I think if anybody is going to do it a boxer can. They train very hard for long periods of time so I’m sure he’ll be able to do it. He’s got to have a bit of mental strength, else he wouldn’t be a boxer.”

Jackson’s run is inspired by the death of his friend, Edward Beddar, in March 2006 at the hands of Motor Neurone Disease and the work of Gunn, the former Canaries keeper, who set up the Bryan Gunn Leukaemia Appeal following the death of his two-year-old daughter from the disease in 1992.

Confident of the task in front of him Jackson was in fine spirit given the remarkable show of support for his attempt and for his charitable work. City legend, Gunn, was in awe of his hard work. “What Jackson is doing is incredible. You have got to give him credit because he has guts in abundance to try something like this.” Jackson’s mum was naturally also quick to praise her son and confident that he had the determination and the ability to succeed. “He’ll crawl if he has to,” she added, with a knowing smile.

For more information on Jackson’s run, the charities, and how to donate, please go to www.jacksonwilliams.co.uk.

The Week Ahead

Brief article summarising sporting action in the week ahead. (Norwich Evening News - 31 October 2006)

Monday 6th: Stoke take on Coventry in the Coca-Cola League Championship while, north of the border, Aberdeen travel to Inverness in the Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League.

Tuesday 7th: Resist the urge to watch Saudia Arabia take on Jordan and settle down for Carling Cup fourth round action as Southend look to cause an unlikely sensation at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

Wednesday 8th: More Carling Cup action including the all-Premiership encounter of Chelsea v Aston Villa.

Thursday 9th: There is virtually nothing on so take the limited opportunity to pamper the wife/girlfriend/significant others ahead of a cracking weekend of sport.

Friday 10th: England’s cricketers continue their pre-Ashes warm-up down under ahead of the opening clash on November 23 in Brisbane. They take on a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.

Saturday 11th: Norwich travel to high-flying West Bromwich Albion in the Coca-Cola League Championship. There are also seven fixtures in the Premiership as Manchester United travel to Blackburn and Watford contemplate dreamland, a clean sheet away at Chelsea.

Sunday 12th: England take on the All Blacks in what will be a crunching encounter at Twickenham with both sides looking for to secure a vital psychological edge ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Fan's View - Norwich v Colchester

Opinion on the Norwich Colchester match, one from my view, and the other on behalf of another fan following a quick telephone call. (Norwich Evening News - 1 November 2006)

It was far from a happy Halloween at Carrow road last night. Norwich, with Huckerby and Earnshaw back in their ranks and showing their class, could have ended this game by half time. Instead, the City faithful had to face a cute finish from their old favourite, Jamie Cureton, and the pain of the U’s supporters chanting “are you Ipswich in disguise?”

Dickson Etuhu stepped up to the plate to rescue City in the 72nd minute from long range but Norwich, despite bringing on Dion Dublin, failed to add a second and let two points slip away. The performance was much improved from the nightmare against Stoke City, but missed chances don’t count for anything come the final whistle.

Andy Sloan

Colchester came to do a job. They were workmanlike and bossed the game for long periods. Whilst City looked better once Dion Dublin came on, they relied too much on the long ball. Etuhu’s produced another fantastic strike which followed some good build-up play, now he just needs to supply the same in away games.

Sad to say it was a point gained rather than two lost. If City are going to challenge for the play-offs they need to put teams like Colchester to the sword. Simply not good enough.

Keith Roads

You're the Boss - Norwich v Sunderland

Short piece on my team selection and reasoning behind it for Norwich v Sunderland, as a token Norwich fan for the day. (Norwich Evening News - 3 November 2006)

(4-4-2)

Gallacher; Drury, Shackell, Dublin, Colin; Eagle, Etuhu, Safri, Robinson; Huckerby, Earnshaw.
Subs: Ashdown, Ryan Jarvis, Hughes, Spillane, Thorne.

The draw with Colchester showed the importance of having Darren Huckerby and Robert Earnshaw fit and present. In spells, before they tired, their performance gave hope to the City faithful.

Etuhu will look to make it a hat-trick of three home strikes and should continue his central partnership with Safri, who was unlucky not to score from long range himself against the U’s.

Should, as feared, Gary Doherty and Craig Fleming fail late fitness tests then Grant should call for the experienced head of Dion Dublin to deputise ahead of the inexperienced, though promising, Michael Spillane. Dublin proved time after time on Tuesday his prowess in the air and, although naturally preferring a striking role, would relish a full 90 minutes against Keano’s Black Cats.

Adam Drury and Colin Jurgen continue to pick themselves but both need to push further up the pitch given the opportunity, with or without the ball, to offer themselves as an option or simply to draw markers to them and create the space for Earnshaw and Huckerby to attack.

Roy Keane will be looking to instill in his Sunderland side some of the steel with which he ruled the Old Trafford turf and knowing this, Peter Grant has made reference to “brains over braun”; but Norwich will need to hold their own and out-beef Sunderland, something Dublin, with his size and experience is perfectly placed to do.