Capello Gone- Renewed Hope For England

Fabio Capello's reign as England manager is over after the FA accepted the former Real Madrid managers resignation yesterday.

On his way

The news may have come as a surprise to many. Although I doubt that many tears will be shed over the news. In fact many responses from the fans and even some pundits have been positive. It would appear that the John Terry issue was the final straw and Capello (right) has fallen on his sword for his former captain.  For many Capello should have been removed after the dismal World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Despite that poor World Cup, Capello's record is impressive with a 66.7 win percentage. That is the highest of any England manager ever. He also guided England to this summers Euros. From an outsiders point of view it seems to make no sense as to why he is so unpopular. The England job have been called a poisoned challis due to the press scrutiny, huge public pressure and expectation it is easy to see why. Capello came into the job with a hugely impressive club management record with European big guns AC Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid. He has had experience in top leagues in European as well as the Champions League. However he had never managed in England. Therefore the type of press England has he may have been used to. Also something which was highlighted by many fans was his failure to learn English in nearly 4 years in the job. For talking to the press as well as his players this is a key requirement.  However having said that many ex-pros did not believe it was a problem and his win percentage would also indicate otherwise.  

Terry was Capello's major problem 

Capello brought about his own problems during his time as manager. Mistakes were made by Capello and I am sure he realises it. John Terry (left) caused him numerous problems due to his personal life. Firstly with Wayne Bridge refusing to play for England due to Terry's affair with his wife. Also allegations of wrong-doing including the touting of his box at Wembley. This lead to the decision and the right one by Capello to remove the captaincy from him. For me then he should not have been in the squad. His decision split the public however many did agree. However his biggest mistake and where all his trouble really started from was the decision to hand the captaincy back to Terry. This was a dreadful mistake (as I commented on an earlier article back in March last year). This decision was poor and the handling of it was even worse. The way Rio Ferdinand was removed as captain was appalling and really hurt him as it showed when he was asked by the BBC's Dan Walker on Football Focus about taking the captaincy back and he said 'no' and you could see the hurt on his face. Capello blind-faith in John Terry as cost him his job. He was again let down by Terry with the raciest allegations by Anton Ferdinand. I know that these have not been proven but it looks very bad for him. The FA decision to remove him as captain was the right one, however Capello should have been consulted.

Capello other mistake was the World Cup, right from the beginning they were in trouble. On the 1st July 2010 when the squad was announced it was over. As I wrote at the time the wrong players were chosen. When he was appointed he had these ideas and principles of which he did not deliver. When it came to it he picked the same deadwood players who had failed time and time again.

Other errors included his Capello index and the way in which he handled the squad was poor. All the trouble with Rooney and then Terry speaking out at press-conferences. The whole tournament was a disaster and they were shown to be a very poor side.

In some ways I feel for him as to put such faith in a player and to constantly be let down is tough. This will again apply when Terry is most likely found guilty in July. However onwards and upwards as far as England are concerned.

England Future?

The most likely man to replace Capello is that of Harry Redknapp (right). After being acquitted this morning of all charges his odds have tumbled and he is 4-7 (SkyBet) to be the new manager. Something will have to be worked out with Tottenham but I am sure that that will be done. He will probably stay at Spurs until the end of the season then take over the England job. The public and media support for him is huge. As a result I doubt any other Englishman will want it. Other names include Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink. However it is more likely that one of them will take the Tottenham job in the summer when Redknapp leaves.

I hope it goes to Redknapp as for the first time in a long time I will feel excited about England. With Capello I think all the country were not looking forward to the Euros as we would be poor again. The public have just been waiting for him to go. It also seems that either Steven Gerrard, Joe Hart or Scott Parker will be captain. Personally I would like it to be Parker. He should have been in the World Cup two years ago and if he was playing for Tottenham and not West Ham I am sure he would have been.

It is incredible that one week ago England had a captain and a manager, now they have neither and yet there is an optimism among the fans about the upcoming Euros and the future for England. That is the crazy world of football. 

O'Neill A Dark Horse For The England Job

Martin O'Neill is one of the best managers in the game and yet his name is barely muttered when it comes to the England job. 

With Fabio Capello leaving after Euro 2012 it seems that Harry Redknapp has almost got the job, however for me O'Neill should signify a serious contender. For a man who is widely respected in the game for his achievements both as a player and manager it is amazing that he has never been offered a top job. In the summer of 2010 he was linked with Liverpool before losing out to Roy Hodgson. For me he should have got the England job after Sven Goran Eriksson left in 2006.

London calling?

Currently he manages his born-hood team Sunderland AFC and his record up to this point is very good. After Steve Bruce's sacking Sunderland were down at the bottom end of the Premier League and struggling to pick up any points. A home defeat to Wigan was the final straw that got Bruce the sack. The sale of key stars was sighted for Sunderland problems. However since O'Neill (left) has come in his record is P12 W8 D2 L2 in all competitions. In the league it stands at P10 W7 D1 L2, this is almost Champions League form. This to he has done with the same players as Bruce had. The transformation is superb. Sunderland are now a team that no one wants to play. The victory over Manchester City was an incredible achievement and highlights just what O'Neill brings. He has a terrific way will getting the best out of so called players of 'average' ability. He has shown this throughout his career.

In the early days when O'Neill was Wycombe Wanderers manager he lead them to the Football League as well as winning the FA Trophy twice (FA Cup format but only non-league sides involved). During a five year reign he took them from the Conference to the Division 2 (modern day League 1). This also included two consecutive promotions in 1992/93 and 1993/4.

At Leicester he lead them to the Premier League and through one of the most successful times for the club in recent times. Between 1997-2000 he lead the foxes to three League Cup finals in four years. Winning two of these finals in 1997 and 2000. He therefore lead them into the UEFA Cup in 2000 as well as an 8th place league finish. This with a squad of players that contained Matt Elliot, Robbie Savage, Muzzy Izzet, Emile Heskey and Neil Lennon. If anyone doubted his role at Leicester it is interesting to see that only two year after he left they were relegated (2001-2002).

At Celtic he had a 76% win after five years in charge (2000-2005) ; winning 3 League titles, 3 Scottish Cups and one League Cup. He also lead them to the UEFA Cup final in 2003 where they lost to Jose Mourinho's Porto. After leaving to care for his ill wife he came back into football in the summer of 2006 to take charge of a struggling Aston Villa side who had been finishing in the bottom half for last few years under both David O'Leary and John Gregory. O'Neill went on to lead Villa to three 6th place finishes in three consecutive years. One in which it seemed the Champions league was a real possibility only for his squad to be too small to maintain the push. He also lead them to the Carling Cup final and if Nemanja Vidic had been sent off as he should have been in the third minute it could have been another cup win for O'Neill. It was incredible at the time that some Villa fans were complaining about him on the radio, since his departure they are no where near top six and are a weak side. Those fans will see when he leads Sunderland to a higher league position then Villa this season how wrong they were. 

O'Neill's man management skills are well known as terrific and this is something required for the England job. I believe that he could do a fantastic job for England. His mentor was that of the great Brian Clough a man described as the 'greatest manager England never had', and O'Neill does share similarity with the great man. His ability get results with average teams is one of them. Furthermore the current England team are average on the International stage and need a man like O'Neill get the best out of the players. At the moment of course Harry Redknapp is the leading contender however the current court case that he is involved with could affect or ruin his chances of the England job. If this is the case then the FA in their Wembley HQ should being looking at O'Neill as a serious contender.

Weekend Tips

With many matches being called off this weekend it has left only a selection of fixtures to look at. 

Due to the poor conditions I would expect that there might be a few shocks today and so picking outright winners could be tough. However the conditions should aid the number of goals and I expect many this weekend.

Predict Birmingham good run to continue

Football:

Both teams to score:

Norwich vs. Bolton

Watford vs. Barnsley

Bristol City vs. Leeds

Cardiff vs. Blackpool

Best bet of the day: Both teams to score in all League One games today- 8-1 (SkyBet)

Long shot of the day: 3 draws- West Brom vs. Swansea, Stoke vs. Sunderland, Wigan vs. Everton

40-1 with SkyBet.

One straight bet : Chris Hughton (right) to maintain Birmingham form with win over Southampton 11/10 (SkyBet)

Worst bet of the day: Arsenal to beat Blackburn at 2/9 (SkyBet). Arsenal should win however this price in far to short for me and would not be going in my Accumulator as do not trust Arsenal to deliver and after Blackburn performances of late. Better bet is Van Persie to score first at 4-1 (Skybet)

Horse Racing:

Each-Way bet : Brunston 12-1 (SkyBet) in the 3.35 at Lingfield.

Rugby Union:

Half-time/full time double bet

France/France- 1/9

Scotland/ England 11/2

Nice 8-1 Double with SkyBet.

Weekend Football Hit By Bad Weather

Weather disrupts saturday's football fixture list

Many Football League matches have been postponed this weekend due to the bad weather conditions across the country. As of now all Premier League games still go ahead. Only one game in League 2 has survived with Plymouth playing Southend. Frozen pitches have been given as the reason for all of the following games:  

Championship:

Doncaster vs. Reading

Portsmouth vs. Hull

League One:

Bournemouth vs. Exeter

Bury vs. Hartlepool

Charlton vs. Rochdale

Colchester vs. Sheffield United

Notts County vs. Stevenage

Oldham vs. Leyton Orient

Preston vs. Brentford

Scunthorpe vs. Walsall

League Two:

Aldershot vs. Bristol Rovers

Bradford vs. Crawley

Cheltenham vs. AFC Wimbledon

Crewe vs. Accrington

Gillingham vs. Hereford

Morecambe vs. Dagenham & Redbridge

Northampton vs. Macclesfield

Oxford vs. Barnet

Rotherham vs Torquay

Shrewsbury vs. Port Vale

Swindon vs. Burton

What Next For Leeds United?

Grayson 'sheds a tear' at his sacking 

On Wednesday Leeds United announced that Simon Grayson had been sacked as manager. 

There had been rumours for the last few months that Grayson (right) was on the way out. Leeds currently sit 10th in the Championship and are only 4 points of the play-offs. So the position is set up for the incoming manager to propel Leeds into those play-off places. However with the transfer window having just closed the new man will have to work with what he has got. In this respect I do not understand Ken Bates' decision as if he knew he was to sack Grayson then earlier would have been better.

Grayson admits that he 'shed a tear' as he left Elland Road on Wednesday. After a run of poor performances his fate was sealed after a a dismal display and 4-1 defeat on Tuesday night against quickly improving Birmingham City. However now the attention turns to who the next manager will be. Leeds have reported that they have been inundated with credible applications for the job. SkyBet has Huddersfield's Lee Clark as the 8/11 with ex-QPR manager Neil Warnock  at 4-1. Warnock or 'Mr Promotion' has a track record with getting teams promoted which is what Ken Bates wants however the question would be whether the fans want him. Interestingly he does top the poll on the Yorkshire Evening Post. Also Warnock and Bates would clash due to the meeting of two very strong personalities and so feel it would not work.

Lee Clark would be a good choice. The young manager has done a terrific job at Huddersfield and has been unlucky not to be promoted in last two seasons.  Again this year they are very much in the promotion hunt with the in-form and surely future Premier League bound Jordan Rhodes the key man. I think that Clark will go if he is offered the job and would be a good appointment.

Gordon Strachan is the name that came to my mind when this job came up. He is out of work since his sacking by Middlesborough in October 2010. He is experienced and a former Leeds player. He is second on the YEP poll. SkyBet have him at 16-1 which would seem a decent bet.

Obviously many ex-Chelsea players such as Gus Poyet, Roberto Di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola and Dennis Wise have been linked however I do not think any of them will get the job.

Is Jones a serious contender?

Billy Davies who I think would be a great appointment and should not be ruled out. Steve Bruce is 10-1 and Davies 16-1 on SkyBet. Those also linked are ex-Cardiff City manager  Dave Jones, MK Dons' Karl Robinson, Alan Shearer and a return for David O'Leary. So many names heavily linked with the job including that of Neil Redfearn the current care-taker manager. However the funniest and most bizarre is that of Vinnie Jones (left) at which the price is 50-1.

Is Lambert Leeds bound?

The most interesting development is that of Norwich's Paul Lambert (right). The Norwich boss' odds have been slashed from 50-1 to 8-1 on SkyBet. This is very most interesting. To think that Lambert would leave Norwich after all his work is unthinkable. To leave a team who look like surviving in the Premier League and having a great year to take over a Championship club. I know the club is Leeds United and therefore a big job in football but with no money or financial clout I would surprised if Lambert arrived at Elland Road. To be fair they appointed Grayson from Championship Blackpool back in 2008 when Leeds were in League One. But this is completely different situation.

This is a difficult decision for Bates and one which wont be decided until at least next week. So who do you think it should be?

Djokovic Looking Unstoppable For 2012

As Novak Djokovic wins the first Men's Grand Slam of this tennis year, I am going to take a look at the leading contenders for the remaining Men's Grand Slams and give my predictions.

More glory for Djokovic?

Firstly who else to start with but the World Number One and the man of the moment Novak Djokovic (right) who is without doubt the one to beat. Over the last year he has established himself as the undoubted number one. His record of 70 wins out of 76 matches in 2011 says it all. He has also brought this form into 2012 with an unbeaten start. After being the world number three for a few years and really taking a back seat as he struggled to break the dominance of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, 2011 was his break-through year. He won the Australian Open in 2008 however did not build on it however this did give him the confidence to know he was capable of wining Grand Slams. He has been improving from 2007 when he reached the US Open final. The potential was there and his breakthrough in 2011 is testament to the two greats of Nadal and Federer to keep him at number three for so long. Although I think that these two have made him a greater player as he knew the level that he needed to get to to compete. Also his progression in 2010 where he reached the quarters at Australian and French Opens, the semis at Wimbledon and then the final at the US Open showed a clear progression that set up the 2011 success. This jump is something that Andy Murray has failed to yet achieve.

SkyBet make Djokovic 8-1 to win the remaining three Grand Slams titles in 2012. They also make him 9/4 to win two of the three. This is an interesting bet and the one I would look at if I were to have a flutter. On current form he is unstoppable and he has already proven he can win at Wimbledon and at the US Open. My fear for the clean sweep is that of the French Open (Roland Garros) as this is his weakness. That is why 8-1 is not a good price and should be more around 16-1. Beating the likes of Nadal at the Australian Open is an incredible achievement however it will take an exceptional performance to beat him on 'his' surface that of clay at Roland Garros. Nadal dominance at Roland Garros is sensational. He also holds a 9-2 winning advantage over Djokovic on clay, although that 2 for Djokovic have come the last two times they have played.

More French Open success for Nadal ?

Rafael Nadal (left) is facing therefore a huge fight in order to regain the World Number One spot. Djokovic would seem to have the advantage over Nadal on hard-court surfaces with an 11-5 advantage. The feeling is that Djokovic has the edge over Nadal and last weekend's result will not have helped Nadal. To play so well and for it still not to be enough will be hard for the Spaniard to take. Djokovic has now won the last seven encounters, all were finals and twice on clay. However the French Open is Nadal's tournament and one clay surface that I can not see him being beaten on at the moment. If fit for the French Open then I think his dominance will continue. SkyBet go even money on this being the case. I am confident, that if fit, Nadal will be at the latter stages of all the Grand Slams this year and would not be surprised to see Nadal/Djokovic the final at every Grand Slam.

Does he still believe?

Roger Federer - The great man is entering the final few years of his tennis career however is still the best player to watch. The effortlessness in which it seems he plays is incredible. He makes the game look so easy and elegant compared with many other players where strength and power is the order of the day. Even though Federer (right) has both of these qualities he is majestic in his approach and that is why he is the greatest player I have ever seen. It is his style that allows him to play year after year as he does not get the injuries of the other, e.g Nadal style gives him knee trouble.

However he has not won a Grand Slam since 2010 but it would be wonderful for him to win Wimbledon this year however I do not think it will happen. The question is does Federer still believe he can win? I think he does and that is why he had continued to play. I hope he has at least one more Grand Slam in him and hope that that is Wimbledon. Although it is a sign of the times when SkyBet go 2/5 that he will not win a single Grand Slam this year. This a man who dominated men's tennis for years and has won 16 Grand Slams. At the US Open last year Federer was on the cusp of winning before Djokovic antics. He for me would present a greater challenge to him then Nadal does. I think a real test for Djokovic would be a French Open final against Nadal and a Wimbledon one against Federer. Two matches that would be incredible to watch. That is my wish for 2012.

Will 2012 be his year?

Finally Andy Murray (right), he has threatened for years however not quite made it. With new coach Ivan Lendl his game will improve however not to the standard it needs to for success this year I feel. I do not think he will win any of the Grand Slams despite his recent display against Djokovic I just feel he does not have the mental toughness to win a tournament. Could you ever imagine Murray doing what Djokovic did last week? The answer is no. That is why SkyBet offer of 1/4 that he will not win a Grand Slam in 2012. However a positive for Murray is that this is what many said about Djokovic a few year ago and look at him now. So there is hope, however I can not see him making a genuine impression this year.

So I predict that all Men's Grand Slams will be won by one of the top three this year. However ones to watch are young Bernard Tomic who I think will have a big year and Juan Martin Del Potro. A few years ago he looked terrific however injury has hampered him however he may be a surprise player this year and maybe one to watch out for at the US Open later this year.

Also this year there is the Olympics and so another aim for the top players. Will be an interesting tournament with the final at Wimbledon. My tip is Roger Federer however this could be a shock result as the players may still be tired from Wimbledon only finishing 3 weeks earlier. 

Predictions: French Open- Rafael Nadal

                    Wimbledon- Novak Djokovic (but would love it to be Roger Federer)

                    US Open- Novak Djokovic

                    Olympics- Roger Federer 

Ones to watch: Bernard Tomic and Juan Martin Del Potro

It is looking like a terrific year of tennis is in store and one many can not wait to unfold. 

Djokovic Wins Epic Australian Open Final

World number one Novak Djokovic (right) has retained his Australian Open title after winning one of the greatest tennis matches of all time. He overcame the world number two Rafael Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 in a match lasting a staggering 5 hours and 53 minutes.

At the end Djokovic fell to the floor in exhaustion while Nadal was left to wonder what could have been. 

Djokovic describes this as his greatest triumph.

"This one I think comes out on the top because just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible, incredible," he said. "I think it's probably the longest finals in the history of all Grand Slams, and just to hear that fact is making me cry, really. I'm very proud just to be part of this history."

Nadal gave it his all however it was ultimately not enough to overcome the powerful Serbian. The array of shots and rallies by both players was sublime. The number of time that Djokovic found the line was unreal and this forced Nadal to possibly go for shots he did not want to. Having said this Nadal also played some magnificent shots. The quality of the tennis remained high throughout the match despite the tiring of both players. Djokovic found himself 4-2 down in the fifth set and it looked that he would suffer due to the effort he had put into the tournament in previous rounds. Djokovic had come through another five-set clash against Andy Murray in the semi-final only two days before. In that match he was showing signs of physical tiredness however had enough to win the match. He also overcame injury problems against David Ferrer in the quarter-final. This is why pundits were tipping Nadal to have edge in the Final. The resolve shown by Djokovic to comeback in that final set is a testament to the mental and physical toughness the man. That to against a player like Nadal who has shown over the years his own never say die attitude which has won him 10 Grand Slam titles.

After the match Djokovic describes the his feeling during the match :

"It's just incredible effort. You're in pain, you're suffer(ing). You're trying to activate your legs. You're going through so much suffering your toes are bleeding. Everything is just outrageous, but you're still enjoying that pain."

Nadal described it as one of the toughest matches of his career, and that is saying something after his epic win over Federer in 2008 at Wimbledon. He congratulated Djokovic however the disappointment was clear to see after the effort he had put into the near 6-hour match. It is difficult to say that Djokovic deserved to win as had Nadal won the plaudits would have been just as much.

Djokovic becomes the eleventh man in the very prestigious list of player to win three grand slams in the row. Other players on the list include the great Fred Perry and Jimmy Connors along with his current tennis rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Djokovic had an incredible 2011. He won 70 out of the 76 matches he played winning ten titles including three out of the four grand slams. It was this record the propelled him to World Number One. His achievement is even greater as he has two of the greatest tennis players ever playing on the tour at the same time. He is definitely the man to beat in 2012.