The first round of Euro 2012 games: a reflection

The first round of games has been very much a mixed bag. Ukraine v Sweden looked like the worst game of the tournament for the first 50 minutes. Then Sheva decided it would be be a great time to roll back the years. Penny for Roman's thoughts. I'm pretty sure the former Chelsea and Milan striker made his debut for Ukraine in 1955. Even though the country didn't exist back then. But there seems to be a real dearth of quality from the early evidence. The England v France and Italy v Spain games could not show a greater contrast of one all draws. The former was as uninspired as it could get, but this is pretty much what everyone expected from Roy Hodgson's England. France were a major disappointment though. Benzema, Ribery and Nasri were good in patches, but although they may be 22 games unbeaten, Les Bleus are unlikely to worry the latter stages of the tournament. The heat was being trotted out by journalists as a factor long before the game even started. It's not as if England decided to base themselves in Poland. Oh wait..... yes there have been injuries, suspensions and loss of form, but Hodgson is nothing if not pragmatic and I'm not sure what the pundits and fans were expecting. On that note, a moment to consider ITV's early coverage of the tournament. As if Adrian Chiles' smug patronising tone and Gareth Southgate's apparent cowardice of a certain former Ireland international skipper weren't enough. Any semblance of sophistication they hoped to gain with their outside cafe set was destroyed when Gordon Strachan reared his head as one of the pundits. Plus why wouldn't you ask a random Italian to give us his expert insight on the game. And no Adrian, he doesn't know what Twitter is. Neither does Strachan. And that just about trumps the expected diving, imaginary yellow card waving and a drab England performance as the major bugbear of the tournament so far. The World and European champions encounter with the 2006 World Cup winners was anything but dull with a couple of unorthodox formations. Spain went for the strikerless formation a la Barcelona. Could have worked well, but the was one missing ingredient. No Messi. And since when did the term false nine become such a common part of football parlance? Italy on the other hand, were pretty impressive. I'm sure Kevin Keegan was smiling somewhere at their reinvention of 3-5-2. Christian Maggio is clearly better on the right of that formation than in a 4-4-2 (ask the Russians) and Pirlo still looks and plays like he's in his mid 20s. Super Mario wasn't loco as he could have been, and it was great to see the ITV commentators have their pensioner jokes shoved back down their throat within minutes of Antonio di Natale coming on. Not a classic, but probably the best technical game of the tournament so far. And this is probably the last Euros that anyone will really enjoy. 16 teams is the perfect number, UEFA have settled on a great formula. But why would that matter when there's loads of money at stake. Who can seriously suggest the likes of play-off losers Estonia, Montenegro and maybe even Bosnia and Herzegovina would dilute the quality? Yes that includes Edin Dzeko. There are not 24 teams in Europe good enough to grace this competition. Although at least it gives hope to Wales and Scotland. They might actually qualify for something, so they can channel their summer aggression into a route other than just supporting England's opponents. Lastly, as a Liverpool fan, it was great to see Danny Agger be so imperious against Holland. And he's a qualified tattoo artist to boot. Mental. On that note, adios.

Euro 2012: what really annoys me

As it's been a while I thought I should get back into the swing of things. I have a proper job now so things have been a little bit hectic but I will upload a proper post after England start their Euro 2012 campaign with a gallant defeat at the hands of their Gallic neighbours (see what I did there). I've found myself getting increasingly annoyed with so much to do with football and a major championships was never going to be any different, be it diving, the imaginary card-waving antics of some players or ITV's curious decision to broadcast from an outside TV set in a Polish cafe. Any attempt to appear sophisticated fell down when Gordon Strachan was introduced as one of the pundits. Stay tuned....

Arteta on England's radar (again)

With (apparently) England coach Fabio Capello courting the services of Everton's Spanish born and bred (but uncapped) midfield player Mikel Arteta, the issue of nationality and citizenship in sport is once more in the news. The FA in particular have been very coy about not making a decision one or the other over whether Arteta may have a future as an England international, and they are practically giving Capello yet another way to hang himself. There is no doubt that a player of Arteta's quality would add something to squad in the middle of the park - he would give much needed composure to England's midfield, he was the most fouled player in the Premier League last season (suggesting he is a skillful individual) and he is an excellent passer of the ball, especially from deep in the mould of Xabi Alonso. Which is a crucial point - the chances of him making an impression on the Spanish international set-up at the age of 28 are slim, especially with the likes of Alonso, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas ahead of him in the pecking order.
He has played in Britain for eight years after moving to Rangers from Barcelona (apart from a six month hiatus at Real Sociedad) and qualified to claim British citizenship through residency in January having played for Everton for five years. The FA haven't been forthcoming in making a decision, because it is a Catch22 situation. He would definitely improve the squad in the short-term, but it is likely to be an unpopular decision with the fans and players alike, especially if Arteta's inclusion comes at the expense of a promising young English player, such as Jack Wilshere. Arteta has not ruled out playing for England - he said this week, 'I've said it before and I'll say it again, no one has contacted me. But if they do, it's something I'll consider very seriously.' So Arteta, along with the FA, is leaving the decision squarely on Capello's shoulders - but it needs to be resolved sooner rather than later, one way or the other.
This is an issue which has been far more prescient in cricket and rugby over the years, as all the home nations have been quick to use the tenuous citizenship rules and 'grandmother' law to recruit talented South African and Antipodean players to their national set-ups. But there seems to be little complaint from the fans and other players if this approach noticeably improves the team. Maybe that's because it's easier to identify with people from these countries - they all speak English as a first language, and are all former British colonies. It may not be so easy to integrate a Spaniard into the dressing room.
Look at the current England cricket team - captain Andrew Strauss was born in Johannesburg, as were Matt Prior and Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan is Irish, Kevin Pietersen was born in Natal, Owais Shah in Pakistan and Jonathon Trott in Cape Town. But this has no effect on the team - the players improve the quality than if 'just' English born players were able to be included, and doesn't impinge at all on team spirit as all of these perceived foreigners have been around the county scene for quite some time, and are familiar faces to the other players.
The same can be said about the home nations rugby teams as well. England have Kiwis Riki Flutey and Shontayne Hape in the centre, and Hape's compatriots and fellow rugby league converts Lesley Vainikolo and Henry Paul were both capped by England. Maybe attitudes are different in these sports, or cricket and rugby have been so used to this being the case as it has been happening for so long.
Arteta's lack of English heritage would make him an easy target if things weren't going well - a ready made scapegoat, in much the way Jamaican born John Barnes was, shockingly and racially, for both Liverpool and England fans. But while this is a depressing factor of the modern game, I do think it is important .to have a sense of national identity when playing for your national team. Arteta (and his compatriot Manuel Almunia, the Arsenal goalkeeper who doesn't have a hope in hell of playing for the Spanish national team) wouldn't even be thinking about England if they could get near the Spanish set-up. So England would be the booby prize then.
This could all be academic anyway - Scottish manager Craig Levein is unsure whether Arteta would qualify to play for England, due to an eligibility agreement signed by the home nations last year. 'The way I see it, the Home Nations have an agreement. You have to have a family bloodline or completed five years education in the country in question before qualifying.' Arteta doesn't come close to meeting either of these directives, and, according to Levein, 'it is more than a gentleman's agreement.' Capello and England could always challenge this, but this would surely just open up a whole new can of worms. What would that be saying about the quality (or lack of it) of young English players coming through the system, if England are fighting so hard to ensure someone can play for England who is not actually English, and just lives in the country (only because he plays for an English football club.) He's hardly going to be able to identify with what it means to quintessentially British.
In fairness, they rules are not as lax as they once were. Half a century ago, great players like Ferenc Puskas (Hungary and Spain) and Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina and Spain) played full international football for two different countries. And Levein knows how hypocritical it would be to criticise a country for using residency and citizenship rules to summon the best players available to play for that national team - he played with many players during his international career who were essentially English, and qualified through the 'grandmother' rule and just this week he has called up Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks for the first time, who has one Scottish grandmother. Both Irish nations and Wales have been quick to scour birth certificates and records. London hard man and current Hollywood star Vinny Jones even captained Wales, and former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino won 88 caps for the country, and scored 19 goals. Only it turned out he wasn't Irish. He found out early in his international career that his mother was adopted, so he was not a blood relative of his grandfather, who he had thought qualified him to play for Ireland. But he kept this quiet until long after he retired and released his autobiography. As Cascarino said, 'I was a fraud, a fake Irishman.' About as Irish as Arteta is English then!
Let's give the last word to Levein: 'from my point of view, it isn't my job to decide who's Scottish. It's my job to win football matches.' Maybe Capello should follow that mantra and cross the bridge if (or when) he comes to it.

Casey fails to make the cut as brotherly love reigns supreme

Casey fails to make the cut (with no pun intended)

The dye was cast, the decision was made. All that was left to do was for legendary European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomery to do was to inform those concerned whether they would be competing in the 38th edition of the event at Celtic Manor at the start of October. And after making his three chosen wild cards (Edoardo Molinari, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald) aware of their selection, it was left to Monty to make one of the hardest phone call he will ever to have made - to inform Paul Casey that he had missed out on one of the three spots.
In reality, though, Casey had only himself to blame by passing up the opportunity for valuable ranking points in the penultimate event on the European Tour, the Czech Open, last week. Instead, he opted to compete in the FedEx Cup in America, with the increased price money and lustre being the perceived draw. How that decision backfired on Casey, who was made to pay the ultimate price for his arrogant attitude and laid-back approach to Ryder Cup matters, as, having been knocked out of the automatic places by his decision to miss the event in Prague, was hit by the ultimate sucker-punch as Molinari's superb win in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last weekend convinced Monty that the Italian deserved to be given his Ryder Cup debut.
This also sets a Ryder Cup first - following his shock triumph, the older Molinari will be joining his brother, Francesco, in being the first European set of brothers to play in the event. And boy does he deserve his place, following a fairytale rise up the rankings. The careers of Molinari and Casey have taken different trajectories. Just over a year ago Casey won the PGA Championship at Wentworth, elevating him to a career high third in the world rankings. In contrast, Molinari was ranked 653rd in the world at the time, and was scratching around the tour just playing for his card. But his fortunes started looking up by winning Italy their first World Cup in China last November, and he has become a regular on the tour this season. But his win at Gleneagles was still only his second on the European Tour (his other being last month at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond) and his best finish in a major is just tied for 27th, at this year's Open.
In that respect, it certainly a brave choice by Montgomery, especially considering how close he himself is to Casey. The Englishman was a guest at the captain's wedding two years ago, and they were teammates in Montgomery's last two Ryder Cup appearances as a player, in 2004 and 2006, both of which ended up as wins for the European side (Casey even struck a hole-in-one on his Saturday afternoon fourballs.) But Molinari is the player in form, with his two wins in the past couple of months. He has a fiery, flamboyant temperament which could be ideal in the specialised atmosphere of the Ryder Cup, and he has a ready-made partner for both the foursomes and fourballs - not only is Francesco his brother, they are best friends and do everything together. But most importantly, he has a team spirit which Casey seems to lack (or has lost since his elevation up the world rankings swelled his ego). Currently at eight in the rankings, he is the highest ranked player who will not be turning up at Celtic Manor, as the seven above him are either European or American, and have long since secured their places in their respective teams. As Casey was teetering on the edge of the final qualifying places prior to the Czech Open last week, competing with the likes of the Molinari's and veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez, he clearly thought Monty would pick him regardless of his final finishing position in the race. But following Molinari's superb finish at Gleneagles, where three consecutive birdies from the 16th gave him a one shot win over Australian Brett Rumford. Completing a family affair, Francesco finished tied for third two shots further back.
Not surprisingly, Monty preferred to accentuate the positives rather than dwell on those who missed out: 'I don't think I've seen a finish of that quality under that pressure by anyone before,' on Molinari's win. The kind of commitment to the cause the Scot wanted to see from Casey was definitely displayed by Jimenez, who had originally decided to skip the event to attend his nephew's wedding. But with his place in jeopardy, he turned up and finished tied for third, which was more than enough to clinch one of the final two places up for grabs, along with Sweden's Peter Hansson. If Monty hopes Molinari will be the bright spark needed in the European camp, then he has gone for two tried and trusted competitors as his other two picks. Harrington is the only British golfer to win a Major in over a decade - three in fact, with his back-to-back Open wins in 2007 and 2008, and his US PGA win in the same year as the latter. Although he is hideously out of form, with that US PGA win being his last title in any way, shape or form, the captain clearly feels having him in the side for his experience will be an asset given the inexperience of the team. The affable Irishman is one of only two players (along with Lee Westwood, who has one of the best Ryder Cup records of anyone, either side of the pond, ever), to have appeared in more than three editions.
Donald, on the other hand, has a superb Ryder Cup record from his two appearances, in 2004 and 2006. But despite being given the call by his captain, Donald started the inevitable questioning of the system, which he feels places too great an emphasis on the European Tour. Donald, along with Casey, Harrington and Justin Rose (who also missed out on being a wild card selection) all played in the FedEx Cup, and spend large chunks of their season on the PGA Tour in the States. 'I understand they want to protect the European Tour but at the same time the top players are going to want to play against the best players in the world, so they shouldn't be penalised for that. Maybe so, but although golf is essentially an individual pursuit, playing in the Ryder Cup should be one of the pinnacles of a players' career, but some players have clearly placed their priorities elsewhere. But if the playing side of the team lacks experiences (with six debutants being the Molinari brothers, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Ross Fisher and Hansson), that is certainly not the case away from the greens and fairways. The news that Sergio Garcia will be Monty's fourth vice-captain means that between them, and the other three vice-captains (Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn), they have a staggering 23 Ryder Cup appearances between them. McGinley especially will be aware how the event can make a hero out of an individual, as his putt to half his singles match against Jim Furyk was the match winning putt, and he consequently ended up in the water at the Belfry. And such was Garcia's desire to be involved, following a horrible slump in the last year which has seen the Spaniard career out of the world's top 50 and taken a self-imposed sabbatical from the game, that he begged Monty to include him in some capacity. Now that's commitment, and at just 30, there is surely more to come from such a talented golfer.
Hopefully Caseyand Rose will take heed of their rejection should the Ryder Cup mean to them what it means to the likes of Jimenez and Garcia. But Montgomery's counterpart Corey Pavin has an altogether tougher decision to make when the American wild card picks are announced at the start of next week (he has the 'luxury' of four as opposed to Monty's three.) Namely, whether to include the great Tiger Woods as one of those four picks. It is certainly a tricky one, as America themselves have a young team laden with rookies (half of the automatic qualifiers in Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton and Matt Kucher) so could use Tiger's experience, and he is still world number one despite his travails. On the flip side, he hasn't been in great form since his self-imposed exile from the game and his Ryder Cup record is shoddy for someone of his ability. He has often appeared to be a divisive influence in the US camp, and his brilliance is better suited for the pursuit of individual glory. I wouldn't like to make that call, but whoever they are up against, the stage is set for the Molinari to steal the show, and prove themselves to be the perfect double act.

Close the window behind you

One of the most exciting days of the domestic football season is upon us - the first transfer window of the season slams shut at 6 o'clock tonight, and we can be sure to have a whirlwind of frenzied activity up until that point, with rumour and counter-rumour, and this player being spotted at this airport/train station/training ground as team's show increasing desperation to strengthen their squad for the last time before January as the ultimate deadline draws close. Early rumours on the BBC's live text (which only adds to the tall stories) include - 'my sister was on a flight from Johannesburg to London last night and Siphiwe Tshabalala was on board,' and 'my sister, who works at Watford Gap service station, spotted Kevin Davies talking to a West Ham representative.' This is the day when everyone seems to know someone, everyone seems to be connected.
But despite the enduring appeal of the excitement of deadline day, you will still find it difficult to find anyone involved with football who think it's a good idea. Manager's don't generally think it's a good idea - unless you're one of the really big boys - you could lose one of your stars with minutes left of the transfer window, and won't be able to replace them until January. That's why deadline day is sometimes about who will stay at their club rather than leave - and this is definitely the case at West Ham today, who will be worried about the future of their two key players Scott Parker and Carlton Cole, with the likes of Spurs and Liverpool sniffing around. The big-wigs at boardroom level will share this point of view, to hold off the inevitable backlash from disgruntled fans. There are two sets of people who will lick their lips every time deadline day draws near - players and agents. As if player power had not spiralled out of control enough with the Bosman ruling and the increased money players can earn in the game, the transfer window has only served to add to this. Players can now hold their clubs to ransom if they are not happy - Javier Mascherano as good as went on strike to engineer a transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona, and then Charles N'Zogbia practically did the same at Wigan. Although N'Zogbia didn't really care where he went, and typifies most of what is wrong with the modern game. Having failed to agree personal terms with Birmingham, he clearly has a higher value of his own worth than anyone else, and maybe he would be prepared to 'do a Winston Bogarde' - sit on the bench, or in the reserves, while he gets paid what he thinks he deserves? Lastly, Brett Pitman, of League One Borunemouth (League Two last season) failed to agree personal terms with Premier League Blackpool. Credit must go to former chairman Karl Oyston and manager Ian Holloway for not being held to ransom, but what is the world coming to when the lure of playing at the top level isn't enough? Unfortunately, behind every petulant football player, there is likely to be a greedy agent, who will be angling to get a better deal for their client. And to paraphrase that, a bigger cut for themselves.
Since it's inception by FIFA in the 2002/03 season, there have been non-stop dissenters ever since. Former Reading and Bristol City manager Steve Coppell (one of the brighter, more insightful men in football), stated, 'the transfer window breed panic and encourages scurrilous transfer activity. I can't see the logic in it. It breeds a fire-sale mentality, causes unrest through the media and causes clubs to buy too many players. The old system we had was far better.' Coppell puts it much better than I ever could as someone on the inside, and this gives an insight into the sweats and hot-flushes managers and chairman alike will experience as the deadline draws closer. There have also been suggestions that the transfer window impinges on human rights and freedom of trade, but that is a legal rather than a football matter, so that can be left to the lawyers!
The transfer window does give an incline about where the season will lead and what the next nine months will hold in store for us. The players who clubs have signed previously, and are linked with on this transfer deadline day, give away where managers see where their priorities lie and where they have problem areas. For example, Arsenal signed a centre-back, Laurent Koscielney from Lorient! Liverpool, on the other hand, having seemingly shored up the left back position with the signing of Paul Konchesky from manager Roy Hodgson's former club Fulham, are on the trail for a striker to support Fernando Torres - candidates today include Cole, Fernando Llorente (Atletico Bilbao), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich) and Darren Bent (Sunderland). And Liverpool's cross-city rivals Everton are also in the market for a striker with just Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer brought in to strengthen the ranks, with Wolfsburg striker Grafite being mooted as a potential loan signing. That would certainly be popular with all the journalists in Fleet Street. And this knowledge runs the rumour mill into overdrive - will Arsenal solve their goalkeeping crisis by singing Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris? Will Stoke inject some flare into their team with Dutch winger Royston Drenthe? Will Birmingham do the same with Chilean World Cup star Jean Beausejour?
If manager's are canny, they will have got their business done before this chaotic day. But not everyone has the resources of Manchester City, who have bought six top quality players for a combined £125 million. Not bad if you can do it, but the likes of the newly promoted trio, Blackpool, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion have barely had a penny to rub between them, and will look to be active today to increase their chances of survival. But such is the limited time-frame available on this dramatic day, that clubs like to sign a replacement before letting one of their key players go - and this in itself sparks another round of rumours. Sunderland are on the verge of signing Ghanaian World Cup star Asamoah Gyan. But is this a move to improve the squad or replace the out-going Darren Bent. Similarly, Liverpool signed two players (Raul Meireles from Porto and Christian Poulson from Juventus) before Mascherano's transfer to Spain went through, and Fulham want to sign a replacement for Mark Schwarzer (possibly Shay Given) before allowing the Australian to join Arsenal. The phrase merry-go-around springs to mind!
The chances are, though, that only the tiniest proportion of these transfers will go through, and there will be some surprises on the cards (such as the £6 million transfer of young Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson from Reading to Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim). And the Championship could look even more star-studded by the end of today - with Craig Bellamy going home to Cardiff, David James winding down his career at Bristol City and Edgar Davids come out of retirement at Crystal Palace, Spurs striker Robbie Keane could be making it a quartet if rumours of his possible loan move to Nottingham Forest prove true. And former England striker Darius Vassell moving to Notts County would be another bizarre move to say the least.
But the excitement is why the fans love it, even though it's not necessarily the best for most clubs. Ir's like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. The last deadline day, in January of this year, passed without major incidence. But who can forget the transfer window on August 31, 2008. On that historic day, multi-billionaire Abu Dhabi oil tycoons took over Manchester City, and with mere minutes to go, the huge transfers of Robinho to Man City and Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United in a breathless finish.
To add another spanner to the works, the new Premier League squad rules only complicates matters. This is one thing which could add up to 'the breathless finish' we all crave. With all clubs having to name a 25 mans squad to choose from in the top flight (including eight home-grown, not necessarily English, players), anyone who thinks they might miss the cut for their respective clubs (injury-prone players like Owen Hargreaves and Jonathon Woodgate) could hanker for a loan move to improve their prospects of first team football. The one thing anyone who follows football should expect is the unexpected. No one is going to understand that more than former Southampton manager Alan Pardew. The Saints won 4-0 away from home at the weekend, only to dispense of his services two days later, to become the fourth football league club to part company with their boss before the end of August. So while I'm not suggesting we'll see Ian Holloway pull off a sensational loan coup by persuading Robinho to move to Bloomfield Road for the season, there are sure to be some shocks come six.

Capello continues to underwhelm as the 'old guard' return

er a three week break, Formula One returned with a vengeance. Lewis Hamilton drove superbly from start to finish at Spa to win the Belgian Grand Prix and retake the lead at the top of the drivers championship with six races remaining. In another incident packed race, world champion Jenson Button crashed out in controversial fashion after a collision with world champion contender Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull, which saw Vettel salvage his race without being able to force his way into the points. This result potentially ends the title challenge for both drivers, with Vettel 31 points behind Hamilton and Button a further four points back from his team-mate.
In such an extraordinary season, it was not a surprise that the weekend at Spa lived up to expectations after the three week break for the drivers and teams to improve and modify their cars. And it was McClaren (and Hamilton in particular) who benefited most from the seance, as the 2008 champion drove a controlled race without letting the carnage around him phase him. He overtook previous championship Mark Webber on the first corner and never looked back, turning a four point deficit into a three point lead in the process.
But the main talking point surrounded the coming together between Button and Vettel which could prove crucial in the final reckoning. After a season littered with controversy over team disagreements and team orders, at least this incident surrounded a genuine (and entirely accidental) coming together on the race track between two opponents, but Button's anger was entirely understandable in the circumstances. As so often with sport, the weather played a part in proceedings, and Vettel isn't the first driver to have skidded in wet conditions. On the 15th lap, Vettel tried to overtake Button after gaining a run on him. He skidded on the wet track as the rain poured down, and careered into the Briton. That was the end of his race for Button (and possibly the end of his title defence) but somehow Vettel was able to recover and drive his car across the pit lane, where a quick wing change preceded his return to the track.
The immediate stewards enquiry which followed, which resulted in a drive through penalty for the German for causing an avoidable collision, will have been of no consolation to Button, who was well aware of the consequences of his unfortunate turn of events: 'all I felt was a really big bang in the sidepod and I lost control immediately. I don't know what he was playing at really. From the point of view of the championship it is a massive blow.' To be blunt, that is stating the obvious, and even with 25 points for a race win, with just six races left it looks a tall order for the chasing pack of Vettel, Button and Alonso to make up the ground on Hamilton and Webber.
If Hamilton is going to be the hero when the curtain falls on the F1 season is Abu Dhabi in November, then the villain may well end up being Vettel. Driver for driver, he has been the quickest on the track this season, to the extent that his own team principle Christian Horner deemed to declare him Red Bull's number one driver (a statement his team-mate Webber did not agree with wholeheartedly. As the BBC's Andrew Benson said in retrospect, 'Spa was yet another example of Vettel's propensity to make criticial - and very costly - errors. Very succinctly put, and such has been the calamitous nature of the Germans's season, that rather than leading the championship (as he really should be given his qualifying performances) he is not even in the picture with half a dozen races left. Hamilton, on the other hand, has done remarkably well considering McClaren have found themselves trailing in the wake of the superior Red Bull so often. He ranks his win this weekend, in the rapidly changing conditions, as one of his best, saying afterwards, 'a race like this can be a lottery, and I'm so happy to come out on top. It almost feels like it is my first win it's phenomenal!' If he comes out on top in six races time, his achievement will surely rank as a greater one than his championship win in 2008, where he pipped Massa's Ferrari to the title on the final lap of the final race of the season.
The disagreement between Button and Vettel was, however, yet another example of the darker side of the sport. This season has been one of the most exciting in recent memory - the changes in the scoring system and the presence of three competitive teams (Red Bull, McClaren and Ferrari) have definitely contributed to this. But with the stakes so high, it is inevitable teams (and individuals, such as Michael Schumacher, who endangered the life of his former team-mate Rubens Barichello over the small matter of one point) are going to go to any lengths to win for the teams, but more importantly themselves. The three top teams have certainly seen examples of this in the past six months, with none of the so called 'team-mates' living up to that name as Webber and Vettel at Red Bull, the Brits in the McClaren paddock and Alonso and Felipe Massa for Ferrari have punctuated the season with almost constant bickering over supposed team orders, and their ranking in the team. on the plus side, most of the races this season have been incident packed - but whether that is good for the integrity of the sport is another question entirely.
One of the best performances in Spa was seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, who fought his way through the grid at the Belgian Grand Prix having qualified on the back row in 21st place, he will have been relatively pleased with his seventh place finish which yielded a respectable six points. But this hardly adds up to the title challenge he boasted about when he made his return to the sport after a three year absence (not including his time as a replacement for the injured Massa at Ferrari last season. Schumacher's resilient effort at Spa still left him no-where near the championship challenge he promised when he signed up for Mercedes, as he sits in tenth place with 44 points, one behind his compatriot Adrian Sutil. When he signed up for Mercedes in January, although he was pleased that his team-mate Nico Rosberg was going to be given equality with him, he stated in no uncertain terms 'I expect to challenge for the title.'
But at 41 years old, it is perhaps no surprise that he has failed to even come close to fulfilling this promise. With the likes of Hamilton, Button and Alonso still thoroughbreds in comparison, and quality starlets like Rosberg and Robert Kubica coming through the ranks to be consistent performers, it was always likely to be a tall order. Formula One is a young man's game, and so this season has proved. The only reason for Schumacher to return to the sport at his age must be the need to compete at the highest level in the rarefied atmosphere F1 creates. He doesn't need to gain anything financially after all he achieved in his career, and with his consultancy role he had at Ferrari as well as numerous endorsement and sponsorship deals with sports and leisure companies alike. If anything, his lacklustre return to the sport have affected his marketability. It can't be for the glory - he is the most successful driver in F1 history, with 91 wins to his name as well as 144 podium finishes, and having won two championships more than his nearest challenger Juan Manuel Fangio. But rather than retire gracefully, he has returned to a high pressure sport, both physically and mentally, and has put his neck on the line with nothing left to prove - and the guillotine has dropped emphatically.
What is it that makes the greatest not know when to give up, and keep pushing for one last big day? Schumacher is not the first to aim for such lofty ambition, and, to coin an (admittedly rather cliched) phrase, try to bank cheques his body couldn't cash. Lance Armstrong had a similar fate befall him this year and last to an extent, in an even more strenuous sport. He returned to cycling after a four year absence last year, at the ripe old age of 37, and followed up a third place finish in his Tour de France comeback with a disappointing 23rd place before packing away his bike for good. After the adversity the Texan overcame to win his seven Tour wins, he definitely had nothing left to prove. Completing an illustrious trio is the great Muhammad Ali, Losing the fight of the century to Joe Frazier and later to Ken Norton in the halycon era of heavyweight boxing was one thing - but losing three of his last four fight, two to Leon Spinks and Trevor Berbick (at the ages of 36 and 39 respectively), was a quite ignominious way for the greatest man to ever don gloves to bow out. Surely it makes sense to quit while you're ahead, with a reputation untainted by respective failure. That is what every top sportsman craves - the tight to quit on their terms. But there seems to be a personality confliction shared by many individual sportsmen, where they can hog the glory but also shoulder the burden of failure.
The lustre of chasing a seemingly impossible dream must have been a big draw for the German. But as Nike's adverts famously say, 'Impossible is Nothing.' Schumacher has shown this to be painfully untrue. And if 'Impossible is Nothing,' then the future is Hamilton's, not Schumacher's.

Formula One returns with a bang

After a three week break, Formula One returned with a vengeance. Lewis Hamilton drove superbly from start to finish at Spa to win the Belgian Grand Prix and retake the lead at the top of the drivers championship with six races remaining. In another incident packed race, world champion Jenson Button crashed out in controversial fashion after a collision with world champion contender Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull, which saw Vettel salvage his race without being able to force his way into the points. This result potentially ends the title challenge for both drivers, with Vettel 31 points behind Hamilton and Button a further four points back from his team-mate.
In such an extraordinary season, it was not a surprise that the weekend at Spa lived up to expectations after the three week break for the drivers and teams to improve and modify their cars. And it was McClaren (and Hamilton in particular) who benefited most from the seance, as the 2008 champion drove a controlled race without letting the carnage around him phase him. He overtook previous championship Mark Webber on the first corner and never looked back, turning a four point deficit into a three point lead in the process.
But the main talking point surrounded the coming together between Button and Vettel which could prove crucial in the final reckoning. After a season littered with controversy over team disagreements and team orders, at least this incident surrounded a genuine (and entirely accidental) coming together on the race track between two opponents, but Button's anger was entirely understandable in the circumstances. As so often with sport, the weather played a part in proceedings, and Vettel isn't the first driver to have skidded in wet conditions. On the 15th lap, Vettel tried to overtake Button after gaining a run on him. He skidded on the wet track as the rain poured down, and careered into the Briton. That was the end of his race for Button (and possibly the end of his title defence) but somehow Vettel was able to recover and drive his car across the pit lane, where a quick wing change preceded his return to the track.
The immediate stewards enquiry which followed, which resulted in a drive through penalty for the German for causing an avoidable collision, will have been of no consolation to Button, who was well aware of the consequences of his unfortunate turn of events: 'all I felt was a really big bang in the sidepod and I lost control immediately. I don't know what he was playing at really. From the point of view of the championship it is a massive blow.' To be blunt, that is stating the obvious, and even with 25 points for a race win, with just six races left it looks a tall order for the chasing pack of Vettel, Button and Alonso to make up the ground on Hamilton and Webber.
If Hamilton is going to be the hero when the curtain falls on the F1 season is Abu Dhabi in November, then the villain may well end up being Vettel. Driver for driver, he has been the quickest on the track this season, to the extent that his own team principle Christian Horner deemed to declare him Red Bull's number one driver (a statement his team-mate Webber did not agree with wholeheartedly. As the BBC's Andrew Benson said in retrospect, 'Spa was yet another example of Vettel's propensity to make criticial - and very costly - errors. Very succinctly put, and such has been the calamitous nature of the Germans's season, that rather than leading the championship (as he really should be given his qualifying performances) he is not even in the picture with half a dozen races left. Hamilton, on the other hand, has done remarkably well considering McClaren have found themselves trailing in the wake of the superior Red Bull so often. He ranks his win this weekend, in the rapidly changing conditions, as one of his best, saying afterwards, 'a race like this can be a lottery, and I'm so happy to come out on top. It almost feels like it is my first win it's phenomenal!' If he comes out on top in six races time, his achievement will surely rank as a greater one than his championship win in 2008, where he pipped Massa's Ferrari to the title on the final lap of the final race of the season.
The disagreement between Button and Vettel was, however, yet another example of the darker side of the sport. This season has been one of the most exciting in recent memory - the changes in the scoring system and the presence of three competitive teams (Red Bull, McClaren and Ferrari) have definitely contributed to this. But with the stakes so high, it is inevitable teams (and individuals, such as Michael Schumacher, who endangered the life of his former team-mate Rubens Barichello over the small matter of one point) are going to go to any lengths to win for the teams, but more importantly themselves. The three top teams have certainly seen examples of this in the past six months, with none of the so called 'team-mates' living up to that name as Webber and Vettel at Red Bull, the Brits in the McClaren paddock and Alonso and Felipe Massa for Ferrari have punctuated the season with almost constant bickering over supposed team orders, and their ranking in the team. on the plus side, most of the races this season have been incident packed - but whether that is good for the integrity of the sport is another question entirely.
One of the best performances in Spa was seven times world champion Michael Schumacher, who fought his way through the grid at the Belgian Grand Prix having qualified on the back row in 21st place, he will have been relatively pleased with his seventh place finish which yielded a respectable six points. But this hardly adds up to the title challenge he boasted about when he made his return to the sport after a three year absence (not including his time as a replacement for the injured Massa at Ferrari last season. Schumacher's resilient effort at Spa still left him no-where near the championship challenge he promised when he signed up for Mercedes, as he sits in tenth place with 44 points, one behind his compatriot Adrian Sutil. When he signed up for Mercedes in January, although he was pleased that his team-mate Nico Rosberg was going to be given equality with him, he stated in no uncertain terms 'I expect to challenge for the title.'
But at 41 years old, it is perhaps no surprise that he has failed to even come close to fulfilling this promise. With the likes of Hamilton, Button and Alonso still thoroughbreds in comparison, and quality starlets like Rosberg and Robert Kubica coming through the ranks to be consistent performers, it was always likely to be a tall order. Formula One is a young man's game, and so this season has proved. The only reason for Schumacher to return to the sport at his age must be the need to compete at the highest level in the rarefied atmosphere F1 creates. He doesn't need to gain anything financially after all he achieved in his career, and with his consultancy role he had at Ferrari as well as numerous endorsement and sponsorship deals with sports and leisure companies alike. If anything, his lacklustre return to the sport have affected his marketability. It can't be for the glory - he is the most successful driver in F1 history, with 91 wins to his name as well as 144 podium finishes, and having won two championships more than his nearest challenger Juan Manuel Fangio. But rather than retire gracefully, he has returned to a high pressure sport, both physically and mentally, and has put his neck on the line with nothing left to prove - and the guillotine has dropped emphatically.
What is it that makes the greatest not know when to give up, and keep pushing for one last big day? Schumacher is not the first to aim for such lofty ambition, and, to coin an (admittedly rather cliched) phrase, try to bank cheques his body couldn't cash. Lance Armstrong had a similar fate befall him this year and last to an extent, in an even more strenuous sport. He returned to cycling after a four year absence last year, at the ripe old age of 37, and followed up a third place finish in his Tour de France comeback with a disappointing 23rd place before packing away his bike for good. After the adversity the Texan overcame to win his seven Tour wins, he definitely had nothing left to prove. Completing an illustrious trio is the great Muhammad Ali, Losing the fight of the century to Joe Frazier and later to Ken Norton in the halycon era of heavyweight boxing was one thing - but losing three of his last four fight, two to Leon Spinks and Trevor Berbick (at the ages of 36 and 39 respectively), was a quite ignominious way for the greatest man to ever don gloves to bow out. Surely it makes sense to quit while you're ahead, with a reputation untainted by respective failure. That is what every top sportsman craves - the tight to quit on their terms. But there seems to be a personality confliction shared by many individual sportsmen, where they can hog the glory but also shoulder the burden of failure.
The lustre of chasing a seemingly impossible dream must have been a big draw for the German. But as Nike's adverts famously say, 'Impossible is Nothing.' Schumacher has shown this to be painfully untrue. And if 'Impossible is Nothing,' then the future is Hamilton's, not Schumacher's.