Typically Tottenham

It’s a classic Spurs story - the promise and momentum of that battling point at Chelsea quickly turned to the rubble of a mediocre home defeat to Aston Villa. Any hope had by fans before the season started, be it unrealistic aspirations of the top four or simple dreams of a strong start to the campaign, have now evaporated into misery at the plight of this famous old club.

Its not as if the two-one reverse last night was even a decent performance. Only Darren Bent’s late scrambled goal gave Spurs the undeserved privilege of having a notch on their scorecard. Tottenham were limp, unimaginative and disappointing. The players didn’t seem to have any idea of what they were aiming at. They appear to be a team in need of unification - in need of a real leader to take charge and kick some proverbial behinds.

Before anyone crows that that man should be Robbie Keane, remember the awful start last season first. The man they need back the most is Ledley King. His injury troubles over the past year are ridiculously well documented but his appearances against both Sunderland and Chelsea gave hope that he was on his way to a consistent fitness. He may still be but his absence last night was strongly felt. Michael Dawson, King’s replacement, has gone terribly backwards as a footballer and isn’t really capable of doing the same job as the erstwhile Tottenham captain.

If King can’t be there to motivate them in every game, then manager Ramos should be. The English barrier provides a bigger problem then many at White Hart Lane want to admit. Previous boss Martin Jol was never short of a word or two in the players ear and, while there is no doubting Ramos’ pedigree as a coach, one has to concede that things would be better if he could provide a smattering of English in the media here and there. Presumably he does behind closed doors but obviously there are words lost in translation - step up please , Gus Poyet.

Ramos did at least play Darren Bent up front with a partner, something fans have been crying out for all season. Roman Pavyluchenko did okay but, in his first game, was unable to provide the X factor so badly missing by the team. The midfield looked confused. Jermaine Jenas, the vice captain, wasn’t even played which was confusing after his great display for England in Zagreb. As it happened, he came on after twenty odd minutes for the injured Luka Modric, who again looked slightly off the pace. Fans must be desperate that the talented Croatian will pick it up sooner rather than later.

Didier Zokora and Tom Huddlestone in the middle looked to be too much the same player and the midfield became overly congested as a result. The one tiny, flashing positive was Aaron Lennon’s slightly better performance than what we had come to expect from the diminutive winger - although this is severely clutching at straws. And, although Heurelho Gomes made some exceptional saves, he made the key mistake of the night in letting Ashley Young’s tame shot squeak past him. Without wishing to curse the Brazilian, thoughts inevitably drift to Paul Robinson’s error strewn performances of last year.

What next? At the moment, I would not rule out relegation. It sounds extreme but until they get the wins under their belt they cannot be sure of anything. A top six position is still in reach but not without one hell of a turnaround. Ramos must instil some realism into his players - they need to be aware of what could happen if this carries on. The bottom of the barrel hasn’t been found yet but we’re not far away.

Spurs fans are not alien to this type of crisis. We’ve seen false dawn after false dawn, glimmers of hope replaced by piercing bullets of failure. The talent is so obviously there and this appears to be a psychological problem rather than an ability based one. Spurs are badly needing a leader and a sense of togetherness. They would do well to look at their opponents from last night and take a lesson or two. Whereas teams like Newcastle and West Ham are complete jokes off the pitch, Tottenham are quickly becoming a joke on it.

Bridge Over Troubled Water?

New columnist Mark Tilley on the what the future holds after the Chelsea draw

Bare facts always tell a story - Tottenham are 19th in the table with just one point from three games. They are currently ranked below the likes of Hull, Wigan and Stoke and are way behind the established pack looking for European places.

But that single, solitary point tells another tale. Spurs, with two terrible defeats to mediocre teams, went across London to Stamford Bridge and to Chelsea, where they would surely find another defeat. Instead, they showed courage and resilience and gained a creditable 1-1 draw. It may just be the result that kick starts their season. Or it may be yet another false dawn, another tantalising sign of what we are capable of when we really, really want it.

Although they were on the back foot for most of the game, Tottenham played well. Refusing yet again to play want-away forward Dimitar Berbatov, manager Juande Ramos stubbornly stuck with the lone striker idea, employing Darren Bent up front by himself. However, Chelsea struck first, as they always seem to against us. Darren Bent, defending a corner, failed to clear and the ball struck Juliano Belletti before going in, rather fortuitously. Given their pressure, you could argue it was no less than Chelsea deserved.

Tottenham then showed a side of themselves that had been vacant in the first two games - they showed courage and endeavour. They seemed to put aside the fact that their star striker was left out of the squad with a huge question mark over his future. They gelled, new players and old, and it brought a reward, just before the break. Luka Modric's pass was inadvertently deflected into Bent's path by Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Bent remained cool to slot the ball home, in front of the long suffering Spurs fans.

If it was a lucky goal, then Tottenham deserved it, for the way they refused to bow down to the clearly superior strength of Chelsea. Half time must have been a godsend for Ramos. And what he told his players must have broken the translation barrier because, although Chelsea flooded the Spurs defence, the men in white refused to buckle and comfortably repelled anything Chelsea had to offer. In particular, Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King were excellent.

When the final whistle went, Tottenham fans tried to put the result into context. Normally, a draw away to a big four side should be applauded. But given the awful start to the season, the feeling was that Tottenham still need to do a lot to impress their faithful. And they should be capable of it in the coming games.

The defence, so shaky and under prepared at Middlesbrough, was compact and solid at the Bridge. The return of King cannot be understated, while his partnership with Woodgate continues to flourish. It suggests Spurs have a defence of substance at last after the shambles of last season, where game plans at times revolved around simply scoring more than the opposition scored against us, no matter how many.

The midfield looked promising although players struggled to get forward enough. Modric is clearly a talented playmaker but he needs to get into the final third a bit more and use his undoubted talents. The same can be said of David Bentley but it is painfully obvious that Spurs need two strikers up front. Bent looked far too isolated by himself and hopefully the arrival of Roman Pavyluchenko and Frazier Campbell will change Ramos' line of thinking.

In all, it was a good Spurs display but the players and the fans will know that much, much more is needed to convince this season. They can start against Aston Villa next Monday night.

(contributing article for www.tottenhamhotspur-mad.co.uk)

We've Been Here Before

England’s 4-1 win in Croatia was a fantastic victory and one which will have significant bearings on England’s qualification and Fabio Capello’s reign as England manager. Provided the squad and young Theo Walcott in particular keep their feet on the ground then the result could prove to be a foundation for greater success. Capello surely knows that Wednesday’s win was but a stepping stone on the path to glory.

Not every aspect of the win was as attractive as England’s passing however. Football was once again dragged into the racism row with striker Emile Heskey being subjected to monkey chants by the home fans after he was yellow carded for a foul on Niko Kovac. Heskey, no stranger to the trials of away day racism, took it on the chin, saying "You have to let the people above deal with that and I will carry on playing my game."

As much as Heskey plays down the incident, its an ugly, thorny issue that has and will rear its head time and time again unless something is done. Go back six years to 2002 and Heskey was on England duty as they played out a scrappy 2-1 win in Slovakia, another eastern European country. Heskey, along with defender Ashley Cole, was subjected to racial abuse and monkey chants throughout the whole game. The Slovak FA tried to pour cold water on the issue but the abuse was described as "the worst I have ever encountered" by Heskey.

England players suffered a year earlier in Albania during a routine 3-1 win but it was in 2006 and Madrid, where perhaps the biggest case of racism occurred. A dull friendly match saw England lose 1-0 but the real story was the shocking and disgusting abuse aimed at Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright Phillips every time they touched the ball. The chanting emanated from around the whole stadium and pictures showed fans all around the ground swearing and hurling furious vitriol at England’s black players.

Whereas before the incidents took place in less profile countries and could be quietly swept away by UEFA - this time there was no hiding. The FA made all the right noises and FIFA investigated alongside the Spanish FA. There was talk of banning Spain from tournaments and making them play games behind closed doors. However harsh the punishments that were muted are, the world couldn’t help but notice what was happening.

The abuse of Heskey in Croatia was sickening and detrimental to the state of the game. When the Madrid incident happened, Sepp Blatter opined that football had the potential to be a powerful anti racism tool and that respected players should speak out against the dangers and moral issues of racism. Efforts have certainly been made in England with initiatives such as Kick Racism Out Of Football.

The concern remains that in the rest of Europe there is nothing being done. The Spanish FA were fined £44,750 for the scenes witnessed on that ugly night in Madrid. A pathetic fee, for sure, and Rio Ferdinand later spoke at the ’joke’ nature of the punishment. If FIFA and UEFA are serious about this problem then it is painstakingly clear that more needs to be done.

The FA have asked FIFA to investigate the actions of the Croatian fans in Zagreb but it is all well and good when our country is making noises - the rest of Europe needs to cotton on for changes to be made. Racism has absolutely no place in football and is a pathetic way of trying to bring a player down. Some of the world’s best players are black and have extremely successful careers - they should be seen as role models.

FIFA needs to get serious with these countries and start imposing some serious punishments. It may seem harsh to ban teams from tournaments or to force teams to play with no crowd but serious actions are needed to enforce serious changes. FIFA must get tough or scenes such as the hideous ones seen in Zagreb will continue to be a black mark on the potential healing power that is competitive football.

Southampton Student Guide

With two large universities, Southampton is full of students. So it is fair to assume that most markets are tendered for the student lifestyle, namely shopping, eating and drinking.

The city has three shopping centres, the biggest and most popular being West Quay (8-10 Portland Terrace, SO14 7EG). This multi-storey complex has a massive range of high street shops and eateries. Student discounts can be acquired in most places and it is always easy to bag a bargain or two. You’ll find mainstream fashion everywhere in West Quay from popular men’s retailers such as Burtons and Republic to women’s outlets such as H&M and Monsoon.

If you’re looking for something less high profile then check out Bargate (City Centre, SO14 1HF). Set for maybe a slightly younger crowd then the bustling West Quay, Bargate features several alternative shops and is definitely seeking out if your looking for something different from the mainstream. The Mall (Civic Centre Road, SO14) is not far away from West Quay and is on a smaller scale but still has it’s appeal with useful shops specialising in clothes and several birthday/gift shops.

When it comes to eating then Southampton has choice aplenty. The two main areas are the high class Oxford Street, located close to Ocean Village and the student-filled Bedford Place. Bedford Place features the usual student style late night curry houses and chip shops, which are easy on the wallet. If you’re looking for somewhere quieter then have a look at the Pride of India restaurant, which has an excellent quality of food and is reasonably priced.

Also if you in the mood for typical pub fare then be sure to stop in at Varsity and Avondales, two very cheaply priced student pubs with surprisingly good food. Oxford Street is a little more pricey but well worth it - Pizza Express is a must for all Italian food lovers and The Pilgrim House is also worth a look if you in the mood for Chinese.The city has a wide array of pubs and bars, particularly in the city centre where you can find The Slug and Lettuce, Walkabout, Que Pasa and two Wetherspoons pubs. Most of the cities bar are quite cheap and a great deal features drinks discounts when in possession of their cards - i.e. Walkabout’s Survival Card.

Southampton has plenty of areas to relax in, that is if the weather meets your liking. Hoglands Park is located right between Solent University and the halls of residence and is a popular haunt, during the summer time at least, for students who just want lie in the sun, have a small barbeque or play some football. If all that sounds too chaotic then there are several, more low key, parks further north, near to Solent University. Filled with walkways, fountains and statues, they are very picturesque and relaxing to either walk through or just sit down in. If all this sounds to quiet then head to Leisureworld (West QuayRoad, SO15), a massive entertainment complex featuring a cinema, bowling alley, arcade and several bars and clubs.

With loads to see and do, Southampton truly is one of the best cities to be in if you’re a student. So take advantage!

Mark Tilley, MyVillage, 10th September

(article for www.myvillage.com/southampton)

Top Five: Student Nights

In a city packed with top nights out Mark Tilley guides you through the unmissable places you just have to try...

Kaos
Monday Nights

Lets start with Kaos, of course - the best in student entertainment. Monday Nights are very popular with students and this is obvious by the massive, snaking queues outside. There’s a compromise between getting in early and waiting for it to liven up or risking going later and finding the queue to be too long. But with the cheap drinks, varying music and electric atmosphere, it is definitely worth the wait. You’ll meet familiar people and by the end of the night you’ll feel part of the Kaos family.

Rhino
Tuesday Nights

Tuesdays at Rhino are the famous Let’s Kill Disco nights, showcasing the finest in indie, electronica and funk music. With some of the finest DJs on the South Coast, the music never gets old and the night becomes a heavy dance floor experience. With entry reduced to just £3, you’ll also find the beverages are served cheap. Tuesdays at Rhino features some of the best drink deals in the city so be sure to take advantage and have a great night for an even better price.

Kaos
Wednesday Nights

Back to Kaos again; most students have trouble staying away. Wednesday nights are similar to Mondays in terms of popularity but the difference is the sports clubs from Solent University have their Kaos socials on this night. So the atmosphere is even more intense and the queues can be even longer. But this night is definitely worth checking out. The drinks are staggeringly cheap and the entry fee is reduced to just nothing if you have a Kaos card and get in before 10pm. This student heaven keeps on delivering and Wednesday nights are no different.

Ocean & Collins
Thursday Nights

The OC plays host to The Big Cheese on a Thursday, which focuses on, you’ve guessed it, good, old-fashioned cheese music. The drinks are very cost efficient and it’s possible to have a good night for very little money. For those lucky enough to be Facebook friends with The OC, a special password is given before Thursdays - repeating this word at the door will gain you free entry. This night is aimed heavily at students, from the prices to the music - they rely heavily on requests so if you want something weird or wonderful played, you can bet you will get it.

Junk
Sunday Nights

You wouldn’t normally associate Sundays with clubbing, but at Junk this is one of their best nights. Named Vodka City, this night focuses on R’n’B and party music and has a great feel to it. It’s not difficult to get in yet, when your inside, the place seems filled to the brim and it all combines to serve up an excellent atmosphere. Although Junk is normally associated with high price drinks, it is the opposite tonight with beverages at an affordable price for all and a good time is ensured. Junk is already one of the more popular clubs in the city - this night trumps the lot so be sure to check it out.

Mark Tilley, MyVillage, 10th September

(article for www.myvillage.com/southampton)

Top Five: Cheap Drinks

You’ve spent your day trekking from lecture to lecture, writing dissertations and generally being studious. You need a good voddy and coke to settle the nerves but turns out that student loan that looked so spendy is now a little depleted...worry not, our Southampton student expert Mark Tilley has the answer...

Bedford’s Bar
Bedford’s Bar is a small pub located in the buzzing Bedford Place area and is extremely popular with students. With pool tables and big screens showing live sports, the bar has a modern feel and offers very cheap drinks. A popular device is the Tribus card which entitles its user to 20% off all drinks and food. This means that if your stopping in for a quick drink or on the first leg of a heavy night out, then your wallet remains in healthy shape. Bedford’s Bar draws a large student crowd due to the proximity to student housing and with the prices, it’s hard to disagree with their choice.

Kaos
Kaos is unofficially the cheapest night out in Southampton. With drinks going as low as 90p for vodka mixers, it remains the essential in low cost drinking. You can get all standard drinks such as lagers, mixers and spirits but where Kaos excel is their cocktail range. With prices on different drinks varying from night to night, students have chances to get their favourites for low prices. Popular drinks include Kryptonite, Turbo Shandy and Cheeky Vimto and all of these can be acquired for a matter of a few pounds.

Avondale’s
Another hugely popular student bar, Avondale’s is situated at the north of the Polygon area and is very close by to other bars and clubs. The main highlight of Avondale’s is the excellent and money saving £1 pints on a Tuesday night. This intimate pub is jam packed on this most student of all student nights but you can hardly argue with the prices. The perfect place to go before a big night out in the surrounding area.

Walkabout
Popular all around the UK, the Southampton edition of Walkabout is no different. An Australian themed bar, Walkabout features a deal on exported Aussie beers and offers them up for no more than £1.50 on Mondays. They also do deals on lager pitchers and serve up double spirits and mixers for a great deal less than some other places. Students are also aided by the now common Survival Card, which gives discounts on drinks and food. An extremely friendly atmosphere too makes Walkabout a prime destination for any drinking occasion.

Varsity
Varsity can be found right next to previously mentioned Avondale’s and is a very nice bar. Students are advised to take advantage of the V Card initiative, which gives a whopping 25% discount on drinks. Varsity is very student friendly, offering free Wi-Fi and plenty of live sport. Tuesday nights features the Varsity Pound Party, where most if not all drinks can be brought for the low price of, you guessed it, £1. Cocktails are also on the cheap at Varsity, as on a Wednesday, you can get two for just £5.

Mark Tilley, MyVillage, 10th September

(article for www.myvillage.com/southampton)

KP's Brave New World

Alas, the English cricketing summer is over. Well, at least, the internationals are over - the county season and the Pro40 Leagues are still to be fought over. Attention in the minds of Peter Moores and Kevin Pietersen now turns to the Stanford Twenty20 games, tours of India and the West Indies and, most significantly, the Ashes. In exactly twelve months time, the Australians will be dancing around the Oval, parading the little urn that they have deservedly won back yet again. Or will KP be lifted high upon the shoulders of his team mates having just guided England to revenge for that 5-0 whitewash Down Under a few years back?



KP’s bright new era as England captain has given fans a tentative hope of victory over the Aussies next summer. The 4-0 drubbing of South Africa in the one day series and the prior Test victory at the end of that series has shown Pietersen to have an inspirational style of captaincy and he looks to be able to get the best out of his players. But, which players exactly will be taking the field at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff next year for the First Test? How close will that team be to Pietersen's last Tes side?



Let’s start at the top and the openers. It is hard to see Alastair Cook being replaced between now and a years time, barring a monumental loss of form. Cook hasn’t scored a Test hundred since his 119 in Sri Lanka in December, however, he struck a fifty in each game against South Africa. His critics point to his lack of ability in converting good starts but Cook surely just needs one three figure score to reclaim his reputation and his mental steel. The same cannot be said of Andrew Strauss. Since his recall to the side, Strauss’ runs have come against only the poor New Zealand attack and he was woeful versus the South Africans.


Consideration may be given to Michael Vaughan being recalled and moved up to open with Cook, with Strauss dropping out. Certainly the left/right handed combination has some appeal and they have shown success with hundred partnerships in Sri Lanka and strong starts in New Zealand. However, Vaughan may be better in the middle order due to his lack of footwork early on in his innings and against the new ball, this could prove fatal. Strauss has shown signs of regaining his world beating form but the technical deficiencies still haunt him and he will need millions of runs on both England tours to convince the selectors.


There is also the Kent pair of Rob Key and Joe Denly, who continue to threaten to get into the side. Key has played for England before without ever fully convincing - that said, he has a Test double hundred to his name, albeit against a mediocre West Indies side. Denly looks a great prospect, but next summer may be too soon for him and he looks to be destined to begin his international career in the one day arena first.


Into the middle order and Ian Bell should bat number three, providing Cook bats with Vaughan or Strauss at the top of the order. Captain Pietersen will come in at number four regardless so the real issue is who bats at three and at five. If Vaughan is recalled, he could play at either. One suspects he would be more at home at number three leaving Bell to go back to five, where he played this summer. Alternatively, Bell could retain his first drop batting position and Vaughan could provide security down at number five. Middlesex’s Owais Shah could be included given his impressive batting both for his county and in one day cricket. Shah would likely bat at five leaving Vaughan and Bell to fight it out for that number three spot. Shah’s batting has won him praise from all quarters and if he is selected this winter then the weight of runs could mean his inclusion against the Aussies.


Number six is a contentious issue. Ideally Andrew Flintoff would bat here and also be part of a five man attack. It really does depend on how many bowlers England are planning to play as Flintoff could possibly bat lower down and be part of a weaker attack. If this is the case then Ravi Bopara or Paul Collingwood could play. Both offer a medium pace bowling option and have strong claims to be in the side. Collingwood is seen as a great team man whereas Bopara has undoubted batting talent. Both men could even play at one spot higher should Vaughan and Shah be left out altogether.



All this being said, it should and hopefully will be Flintoff. His batting against South Africa suggested he was back somewhere close to his imperious best and although it will take more runs this winter to convince the selectors, he should be able to make the number six position his own as it is clear that Pietersen wants him there as part of a five man attack. The balance of the side looks so much better with a fit and firing Fred and Pietersen knows it.


On to the wicket keeper position and who can really make a confident prediction on that? Loads have been tried (namely Jones, Read, Prior, Ambrose) and they have all failed to fully convince. However good or bad they are, though, the next man in has to be given a suitable run int he side to establish himself. Ambrose seems unlikely to get his spot back and Prior’s form in the one day series looks to have secured him a second chance. Essex’s James Foster is also being tipped to get a chance and the two of them will slug it out to impress the most this winter. Again, there is a question of balance - Prior is the better batsman and Foster is the better keeper. You decide. The selectors look likely to go with Prior and if he can do the right thing for long enough then he can make sure he is there for that first test match in July. Others who may be considered are Phil Mustard of Durham and Stephen Davies of Worcestershire.


Finally the bowling attack and we’ll start with the spinner. It should be Monty Panesar but I wouldn't blame the selectors for maybe looking elsewhere for a little bit. Shane Warne recently opined that Panesar ‘has not played 33 Test matches, he has played the same match 33 times’, meaning he has absolutely no variation. And he’s right. Panesar, although talented, seems to be going through a transitional period where he is unable to take wickets in clusters and gets hit around too much. He seems to have lost his pizzazz, his X factor. He will provide a threat but he should be looking over his shoulder at who is threatening his position.


Adil Rashid is that rarest of birds - an English leg spinner who bats like a dream. He is too young for now and probably too young for next summer but if he is selected to tour India and plays for some reason, then he could really impress and he would offer a more all round package than Monty, with his athletic fielding and high quality batting. The same can be said of Graeme Swann and Samit Patel. These three are still however not as good as Monty when it comes to bowling but he might just want to think about his game a little bit.



The seamers provide more of a selection headache. Realistically, Pietersen looks to be able to choose from Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard and anyone from left field such as Durham’s Graham Onions.



Pietersen was instrumental in getting Steve Harmison back into the team and should he perform enough during the winter, he will definitely be in the side for the simple reason that Pietersen wants the Aussies to face a fired up Harmison propelling 90mph rockets at them. His showing at the Oval vs. South Africa promised much but England will want to thread lightly with him, given his past record.



So with Harmison, Flintoff and Panesar seemingly sure of three of the five bowling places, who fills the other two. To start, they will want someone to open the bowling with Harmison and I believe they are choosing from James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom. Matthew Hoggard looks to have no way back for England now so it will be down to these swing masters. Sidebottom is arguably the more reliable of the two and his left arm swing adds crucial variation. However, his 2008 summer was disappointing and he showed a lack of fitness. Anderson, when on fire, is lethal. He bowls fast, skidding out swing and given the Aussie’s vulnerability against the swinging English ball, Anderson could get the nod. He’s never been one for consistency in his career but this summer, Anderson looked to have found this component and he ended the summer as England's most reliable bowler, in the Tests at least.




To be honest, the decision depends on fitness. Whoever is in the best shape and form will probably get the spot. My gut tells me Anderson but Sidebottom is no bad option to have waiting in the wings and he could be brought in to the side should the conditions heavily favour swing bowling. The last bowling spot should go to Stuart Broad. He is still young and learning but he has so much promise and he adds crucial depth to the batting with his number eight abilities. Broad’s bowling was criticised this summer but he did well in bursts and should develop enough this winter to be enough of a handful to the masterful Australian batting order next summer.


Should he not improve sufficiently to give Pietersen peace of mind then the last spot could go to Simon Jones, should he regain full fitness. He bowled fantastically well this summer in domestic cricket when he was fit and almost made it back into the England side but injury again let him down. He is a great option to have with his dynamic reverse swing and pace but there are career long doubts over his long term fitness. Chris Tremlett offers good speed and bounce but is maybe too similar to Harmison and shouldn’t be able to force his way into contention, barring a miracle or devastating injury crisis.


So, having picked my way through the whole team, I am left with an eleven of:



Alistair Cook
Andrew Strauss
Ian Bell
Kevin Petersen [c]
Michael Vaughan
Andrew Flintoff
Matt Prior [wk]
Stuart Broad
Steve Harmison
James Anderson
Monty Panesar



It is clear Pietersen likes to do thing his way and getting HIS players out onto the pitch. If he can get the best from the likes of Harmison and Anderson then England could have a dangerous bowling attack. If Ian Bell can finally win over his doubters he will make a stable number three. Vaughan provides experience in the middle order along side the explosiveness of Pietersen, Flintoff and Prior. The only concerns are with the opening partnership and Strauss should be performing out of his skin to get there or I’d expect Rob Key to be recalled to open, giving the right/left balance that England like at the top of the order.

It’s a year away, but the excitement is tangible. KP talks a fantastic game; now can he get his team to deliver one against the very best?

Winners, Losers and Nasty Sir Alex

With the end of one of the most climactic transfer deadline days ever, the footballing world now sits back and assesses the damage. And what a world of damage it is. Without a doubt, the upheaval of fortunes at Manchester City which saw them trump Chelsea and sign Robinho, has to be the most amazing story of them all. Could any right minded person have predicted that ‘the next Pele’ would be plying his trade with the blue half of Manchester? He may not be that good, but, make no mistake, Robinho is one of the world’s best or, at least, most promising. Will he fit in the Premier League? Maybe not. But big name signings make headline and City have stolen all of them this morning.

Yet, who else came out of yesterday’s soap opera better or worse off? A more interesting story was the painfully, protracted transfer of Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United from Spurs. This story had been running all summer, like a an endless courtship, and finally reached a head at the very last minute last night. But the ramifications are still high profile. Firstly, lets look at Man Utd and, in particular, their manager.

Sir Alex had been pursuing Berbatov all summer, relentlessly harassing Spurs and barking at reporters when asked about his progress. Tottenham, in no position to sell, rightly said no every time, claiming that Utd weren’t offering the right money. When Man City made their audacious bid yesterday, Tottenham accepted it, as it was the correct valuation and the player wanted to leave - maybe not to City but that was beside the point. Sir Alex must have been fuming. You could imagine the contortions on his face when being informed that Spurs had said yes to City.

So, in typical, disgraceful fashion, Sir Alex brought Berbatov to Old Trafford and began sorting out a deal, without the permission of Spurs. The way he saw it, the player wanted to be at Utd so he’d get him there and then sort out his current club after. Ferguson has divine right, you see. If he wants a player, he should get the player, regardless of who he plays for and what that team wants. Should Berbatov go, Spurs would be short of a striker so Ferguson threw in Frazier Campbell to the equation to sweeten the deal. Spurs got their 30 million pounds but they didn’t get it in time to get a good enough replacement. This may have been their fault, yes, but it is in the interests of Man Utd haters to blame them.

Sir Alex also ensured that Tottenham agreed to drop their charges against Man Utd for their pursuit of Berbatov. He really did get his own way, 100%. Like he always does, Ferguson proverbially bullied enough people to get the right result for him. One can only hope that the FA has the balls to investigate Utd’s approach of Berbatov further. Nothing was said in public but you can bet Ferguson and other Man Utd personnel were calling, texting, e-mailing and convincing Berbatov all summer long. All the time without the permission of Tottenham. It is sad to say but Spurs have been forced and bullied into selling Berbatov to Utd and there’s nothing to stop it happening again in the future.

The bare facts of the saga are as follows: Spurs will get £31 million for Berbatov plus Frazier Campbell on a season long loan deal. Berbatov has a four year contract at Man Utd. Spurs didn’t have enough time to sign the replacements talked about so have a slightly weakened strike force of Darren Bent, Fraizer Campbell and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Utd sealed the deal with ten minutes to go before the deadline. Ten minutes between Sir Alex getting what he wanted and not.

One can only hope Man Utd lose out this season now, purely from a vengeful point of view. It is nothing against Berbatov. Yes he was a bit moody but most Spurs fans understood his need to play for a better team and to win trophies. The desire for Utd to fail is aimed wholeheartedly at their manager. Their manager, who illegally and immorally, pursued another teams player and signed him against all interests of fair play and decency.

I really, really loathe him.