Widget box

Not so Fabio

As Mr Capello reflects on another victory in group 6, I really wonder why England cannot reach the heights their individual talent promises. Another, over-complicated win leaves Capello's side all but certain of winning Group 6. But I do not see them as serious contenders for the World Cup in 2010.

These games should be easier than England make them look.

Wayne Rooney was, again the neanderthol-like driving force behind Englands attack, but can he complete a full ninety minutes without loooking to kill one of the opposition?

There is no doubt that England's stars have the talent to shine on a world stage, but as of the last ten years they simply have not performed. Some say that England don't have good enough players, but this is the view of a person looking for easy answers.

Steven Gerard is wasted in left-midfield. Capello trys to hide it by playing Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry as holding midfielders and therefore avoiding the issue.

Capello can seek comfort in qualification, but his contribution to England's success will be defined by their achievements in South Africa.

Saints Forever

Sam Macdonald

Today my beloved Southampton FC lie on the brink of administration. A sorry state of affairs for a club who were in the FA cup final less than six years ago.
With any luck the Saints will avoid being docked points because their parent company SLH will go into adminstration and not the club itself. I'd like to take this opportunity to say how disappointed I am with the way the club has been run by Rupert Low et al and hope they can redeem themselves to a small extent by attracting some investment. I can only hope. OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN!

The greatest sportsman of all time?

Sam Macdonald

It's another Sunday evening on the PGA tour. The Orange County crowd is silent. Tiger Woods has a 16 foot putt to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second year in a row. In only his third tournament back after knee surgery, the greatest player ever to grace a fairway was scintillating as he came from five shots behind on the final day to win. Woods' exploits consistently amaze the thousands of fans who flock to see him week in week out.

He delights his supporters with his supremacy under pressure. He also frustrates a contingent that think the game has become less interesting because of his dominance. Many dared to whisper the question “will he be as good when he comes back?” Tiger gave an emphatic answer on Sunday afternoon. Woods is a genius. The most outrageously talented golfer since the game began. He makes other, world class golfers look embarrassingly ordinary in comparison.

He is surely the best sportsman of his era, if not all time. Ruling his sport with a devastating ability to put the fear of god into his opponents. Just ask Sean O'Hair, who watched his five-shot lead disintegrate on Sunday as Woods piled on the pressure.An eight month lay-off after his visit to the surgeon does not seem to have affected Woods' desire to become the greatest golfer of all time. He is only 4 major victories away from equalling Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 titles.

Few would put the grand slam this season and equalling Nicklaus' record past the great man. It has taken Tiger less than a month to get back to winning ways. Anyone who doubted his ability to continue lifting trophy after trophy will surely continue to be embarrassed as Woods moves ominously towards the Masters in just over a week's time.