WeeklySport
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
FRANKIE'S FLUTTERS
LEWIS HAMILTON will be aiming to make up for his poor showing at Spa ast year.
This year's race in Belgium takes place on Sunday.
Last year Sebastian Vettel stormed to his seventh victory of a wonderful individual season.
But Lewis failed to win any points after crashing out after a collision with Kamui Kobayashi.
Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber finished second to seal a Red Bull one-two while Jenson Button was third.
This year I am predicting Button and Lewis to both finish in the top three.
In football, Man City should beat QPR by a couple of goals at the Etihad on Saturday.
While on Sunday I would expect Man Utd to win at Southampton.
FRANK WORRALL
LEWIS HAMILTON IS THE RYAN GIGGS OF F1
LEWIS HAMILTON is on the brink of signing a new long-term deal with McLaren.
It was perhaps inevitable that he would never leave the team he has been with since he was 12.
He always dreamed of driving for McLaren when he started out. It was the team of his hero, Ayrton Senna, and embodied everything he believed was great about Formula 1.
It had great tradition, great cars and was one of the teams with the most joie de vivre.
Only during the last couple of seasons did relations between Lewis and the team go astray.
He felt let down by the constant balls-ups in the pits and frustrated by the development of the car.
But, at heart, Lewis always believed they would get it right and that he would once again be in a position to seriously contend for the drivers' title.
It seems ridiculous that he is the best driver of the circuit and yet has only lifted one title.
That may all change next year.
He will have signed his new deal and the car and the team will be on a high.
Lewis Hamilton is like Ryan Giggs - just as Giggsy only ever wanted to play for one team, so Lewis only ever really wanted to drive for one team.
Lewis Hamilton and McLaren - a team united, and back in business.
FRANK WORRALL
IS BRENDAN RODGERS REALLY BETTER THAN KENNY DALGLISH...OR JUST ANOTHER VILLAS BOAS?
NEARLY four months after Kenny Dalglish was sacked, Liverpool fans continue to ask themselves two valid questions.
The first is: Did he really deserve the sack?
While the second is: Did Brendan Rodgers deserve to get his job?
My feeling is this: No, Kenny did not deserve the sack...he should have been given one more season to prove himself. He did, after all, bring a trophy back to Anfield (the League Cup) and also took the fans to a second final last year, with the FA Cup.
Those two trips in themselves were surely enough to warrant a stay of execution after a period directly before Kenny's arrival of no glory and no joy?
Regarding Rodgers, I am not sure that he did deserve to get Kenny's job.
He had a good season at Swansea and got them playing football, but what has he won - and what else has he done?
If he gets Liverpool playing good football a la Swans, but with the same lack of glory, is that enough?
Of course it isn't.
My worry for Liverpool is that Brendan Rodgers has been promoted out of his depth - although I hope he proves me wrong for the sake of my many friends who follow the club through thick and thin.
Rodgers is the product of Liverpool's American owners - in essence he is a mirror reflection of them.
He got the job (after Wigan's Roberto Martinez turned it down) via an excellent interview that included a thorough documented presentation of how he would fit in with the owners' vision.
He sounds more like one of the gin and tonic brigade of bean counters than a football manager. I can visualise him impresssing John W Henry with his flip charts and his expense calculations.
Can you imagine Ferguson, Mourinho or Guardiola operating that way?
Alan Pardew, of Newcastle, yes, certainly - but the REAL big-time bosses, no way, Jose!
Rodgers has clearly bought into the bullshit that you can build a Premier League and Champions League team by buying wisely (ie cheaply) and operating on a budget.
I have news for him: you can't!
Look at Man City, Barca and Real Madrid - and even old Purple Nose at United has realised he is having to harangue the Glazers for some cash at last, because he has also realised he is on the last year or two of his time at Man United and will never win anything again unless he does.
The best Liverpool can be under the Rodgers/Henry vision is the new Newcastle - operating within sensible budgets and making it to the lower end of the top six, maybe fourth if everything falls into place at once.
Is that good enough for Liverpool FC?
Rodgers also reminds me of Andre Villas Boas when he arrived at Chelsea and tried to prove himself.
He ditched the likes of Lampard and brought in the likes of Sturridge, who is not good enough.
His aim was to show he was the boss and that he was going to pursue his 'project' whatever the strife it caused.
Similarly, Rodgers has ditched Andy Carroll to show that he will only accept a more fluid, attacking style of football.
Yet Carroll is unusual for a big striker in that he can play the ball on the ground as well as in the air! And he is clearly a better all-round player than Fabio Borini, the Italian nobody Rodgers has splashed £10million on!
Rodgers has also messed up the heads of his centre-backs (Agger and Skrtel), asking them to play it out from the back like Barca, rather than continuing the excellent defending that made them the best centre-half pairing in the league last season.
Rodgers is going for revolution rather than evolution with tactics, buys and decisions that are eminently questionable.
Those were exactly the same accusations levelled at Andre Villas Boas before he was sacked after less than six months in the Chelsea hotseat.
The really bad news for Liverpool is that if Rodgers does prove not up to it, they can't get rid of him as easily as Chelsea did AVB.
If the Northern Irishman is indeed out of his depth, how can the owners sack him without it reflecting terribly on themselves?
Especially as they so ruthlessly turfed out a king to land such a novice.
FRANK WORRALL
The first is: Did he really deserve the sack?
While the second is: Did Brendan Rodgers deserve to get his job?
My feeling is this: No, Kenny did not deserve the sack...he should have been given one more season to prove himself. He did, after all, bring a trophy back to Anfield (the League Cup) and also took the fans to a second final last year, with the FA Cup.
Those two trips in themselves were surely enough to warrant a stay of execution after a period directly before Kenny's arrival of no glory and no joy?
Regarding Rodgers, I am not sure that he did deserve to get Kenny's job.
He had a good season at Swansea and got them playing football, but what has he won - and what else has he done?
If he gets Liverpool playing good football a la Swans, but with the same lack of glory, is that enough?
Of course it isn't.
My worry for Liverpool is that Brendan Rodgers has been promoted out of his depth - although I hope he proves me wrong for the sake of my many friends who follow the club through thick and thin.
Rodgers is the product of Liverpool's American owners - in essence he is a mirror reflection of them.
He got the job (after Wigan's Roberto Martinez turned it down) via an excellent interview that included a thorough documented presentation of how he would fit in with the owners' vision.
He sounds more like one of the gin and tonic brigade of bean counters than a football manager. I can visualise him impresssing John W Henry with his flip charts and his expense calculations.
Can you imagine Ferguson, Mourinho or Guardiola operating that way?
Alan Pardew, of Newcastle, yes, certainly - but the REAL big-time bosses, no way, Jose!
Rodgers has clearly bought into the bullshit that you can build a Premier League and Champions League team by buying wisely (ie cheaply) and operating on a budget.
I have news for him: you can't!
Look at Man City, Barca and Real Madrid - and even old Purple Nose at United has realised he is having to harangue the Glazers for some cash at last, because he has also realised he is on the last year or two of his time at Man United and will never win anything again unless he does.
The best Liverpool can be under the Rodgers/Henry vision is the new Newcastle - operating within sensible budgets and making it to the lower end of the top six, maybe fourth if everything falls into place at once.
Is that good enough for Liverpool FC?
Rodgers also reminds me of Andre Villas Boas when he arrived at Chelsea and tried to prove himself.
He ditched the likes of Lampard and brought in the likes of Sturridge, who is not good enough.
His aim was to show he was the boss and that he was going to pursue his 'project' whatever the strife it caused.
Similarly, Rodgers has ditched Andy Carroll to show that he will only accept a more fluid, attacking style of football.
Yet Carroll is unusual for a big striker in that he can play the ball on the ground as well as in the air! And he is clearly a better all-round player than Fabio Borini, the Italian nobody Rodgers has splashed £10million on!
Rodgers has also messed up the heads of his centre-backs (Agger and Skrtel), asking them to play it out from the back like Barca, rather than continuing the excellent defending that made them the best centre-half pairing in the league last season.
Rodgers is going for revolution rather than evolution with tactics, buys and decisions that are eminently questionable.
Those were exactly the same accusations levelled at Andre Villas Boas before he was sacked after less than six months in the Chelsea hotseat.
The really bad news for Liverpool is that if Rodgers does prove not up to it, they can't get rid of him as easily as Chelsea did AVB.
If the Northern Irishman is indeed out of his depth, how can the owners sack him without it reflecting terribly on themselves?
Especially as they so ruthlessly turfed out a king to land such a novice.
FRANK WORRALL
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
FRANKIE'S FLUTTERS
THE BIG footie match of the week comes on Sunday when Liverpool take on Manchester City at Anfield.
I predict that the best the Kop kings can hope for is a draw, but more likely is a City win...maybe even as clearly as 3-1.
City are miles ahead of Liverpool right now. Put it this way...even without the world-class Sergio Aguero they can call on the wonderful Mario Balotelli or the £30million battering ram Edin Dzeko to stand in for him!
Liverpool, by contrast, have dropped their best striker - Andy Carroll - and are playing Italian Fabio Borini in his place. That is sheer madness...surely new Kop boss Brendan Rodgers can see that Carroll isn't just a bull of a No 9?
Carroll can play on the ground as well as in the air and, from what I have seen so far, is twice the player of Borini.
The Italian certainly doesn't look good enough to even get on the bench if he was at City.
In the other big match, I predict that Chelsea will beat Newcastle 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
I predict that the best the Kop kings can hope for is a draw, but more likely is a City win...maybe even as clearly as 3-1.
City are miles ahead of Liverpool right now. Put it this way...even without the world-class Sergio Aguero they can call on the wonderful Mario Balotelli or the £30million battering ram Edin Dzeko to stand in for him!
Liverpool, by contrast, have dropped their best striker - Andy Carroll - and are playing Italian Fabio Borini in his place. That is sheer madness...surely new Kop boss Brendan Rodgers can see that Carroll isn't just a bull of a No 9?
Carroll can play on the ground as well as in the air and, from what I have seen so far, is twice the player of Borini.
The Italian certainly doesn't look good enough to even get on the bench if he was at City.
In the other big match, I predict that Chelsea will beat Newcastle 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
SIR ALEX FERGUSON HAS LOST THE PLOT: EXCLUSIVE BY HIS BIOGRAPHER
FOOTBALL
SIR ALEX FERGUSON HAS LOST THE PLOT:
WHY MAN UTD WON'T DOMINATE
AGAIN UNTIL MOURINHO OR
GUARDIOLA ARRIVES
WEEKLY SPORT SPECIAL ANALYSIS BY FRANK WORRALL, AUTHOR OF WALKING IN A FERGIE WONDERLAND, THE BIOGRAPHY OF SIR ALEX FERGUSON
SO Sir Alex Ferguson achieved a five-year ambition by signing Arsenal's Robin van Persie...and then started him on the bench!
He left him there for almost 70 minutes at Everton on Monday night - even though his United team were clearly in need of both inspiration and a saviour.
United were losing 1-0 and hardly looking like scoring. Indeed, you could easily see the Toffees grabbing a second goal to make sure of the points.
Yet old purple nose continued to sit there, defiantly, determined not to bring on his new superstar signing.
The thinking was obvious: we will score (somehow) and then I can say we were good enough to get a point without even having to throw in my new man...that's how good we are!
It was warped thinking. I am told by more insightful folk than myself that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again...and expecting a different outcome.
Well, how many times over the years has Fergie stubbornly refused to do the obvious? How many times also has he persevered with a player who clearly wasn’t as good as another, just to prove a point?
Dozens. I give you two examples - one from a few years back, one from the current era.
Probably the most obvious case of Fergie the Blunderer is that of the Argentine Juan Sebastian Veron, who simply couldn’t cut it at United.
But Fergie was determined to give him every chance to prove the doubters wrong – and no doubt to justify exactly why in 2001 he had splashed out United’s then record £28.1million transfer fee for the midfielder.
In 2003, Fergie’s attempts to prove the boy WAS up to it collapsed when the man he was keeping out of the team – the wonderful David Beckham – replaced him as a sub and stole the honours in a Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Becks had been unable to regain his place in the United starting line-up after an early season injury, with the boss preferring to play Solskjaer on the right side of midfield. Ole was a class act, and you can see why Fergie might persevere with the Norwegian until David reached peak fitness again.
But it was impossible to defend the boss’s antics in April 2003, when he stubbornly left Becks out of the team to face Madrid in the Champions League second-leg at Old Trafford. United had lost the first leg 3-1 and so this was the decider: a key match against a crack outfit, with the winner taking a step closer to the final at Old Trafford that Fergie so desired.
It was a match to field your strongest eleven, with no passengers carried, no worries about any man breaking down from an injury he had been carrying. Yet, instead of starting with Becks, Fergie stubbornly – and foolishly – sent out Veron in his place. Veron had been out injured for the previous seven weeks and was still half-fit, so it was a ludicrous decision.
I remember writing at the time that it seemed to be another chapter in the manager’s doomed campaign to prove the Argentine was worth the £28.1 million he had splashed out on him in July 2001. The facts tell the full story of how the boss’s decision backfired that St George’s Day, 23 April 2003.
A hat-trick by the Brazilian Ronaldo meant United were also losing 3-2 on the night when Fergie finally relented and took off the ineffective Veron – and sent on Becks. Within 21 minutes, David had scored twice and United finished 4-3 winners, but lost the tie 6-5 on aggregate.
Afterwards Fergie would claim he had kept Becks on the sidelines for Solskjaer, not Veron, saying: ‘I saw it as quite a straightforward decision. Solskjaer’s form has been fantastic on the right-hand side. I don’t regard him as a sub any more – he deserved his place.’
Two months later Becks would be on his way to join the team who had ended Fergie’s dream of competing in front of his own fans for the Champions League final. In the end, AC Milan would claim the trophy in Manchester after beating their Italian rivals Juventus 3-2 on penalties after the match ended 0-0.
More recently, Fergie has insisted on playing Danny Welbeck instead of Javier Hernandez. Now, no one is denying that Welbeck is a fine work in progress. But he is just that: he is too easily bundled off the ball, he is careless with his passing and his partnership with Rooney is stop-start. In comparison, Chicharito is a natural born striker who is a much better goal-getter and whom Rooney admits he loves working with. Yet he remains on the bench while Welbeck continues to learn his trade.
Someone in the United backroom team should have the guts to tell Fergie he has got it wrong - before the little Mexican leaves.
Just as someone in the United backroom team should have told Fergie he had got it wrong at Everton.
On Monday, United looked bereft of ideas and could certainly have done with Van Persie earlier.
But the clanger over the Dutchman was hardly the first of Fergie's night.
Against a resolute Everton side, who United rarely beat at Goodison, Fergie started with his best winger (Valencia) at full-back and his best midfielder (Carrick) at centre-half.
While the ineffective Nani, and subsequently Ashley Young, struggled to get crosses in, Valencia struggled at the back.
And Carrick struggled to contain the wonderful Marouane Fellaini.
Valencia should have been on the wing with Rafael at full-back (Rafael is, after all, now playing there for Brazil!) while Carrick should have been in his rightful midfield role.
OK, United were shorn of centre-backs because of injury. But surely they have someone in the reserves or youth team who is worth a go? This is Manchester United - and they are forced to play two midfielders in defence in what was bound to be a tough encounter!
It speaks badly of Ferguson and his back-up team.
As does the fact that he bought Van Persie rather than Felaini - in the sense that the one area at the club that has been crying out for attention and rejuvenation was central midfield.
For the money spent on Van Persie, United could have brought in the awesome Felaini, surely the rightful heir to the crown Roy Keane vacated five years ago (and which has not been filled since).
But Fergie had his way and bought the injury-prone Dutchman rather than sorting out the eternal midfield conundrum.
So United continue to struggle in midfield with old-stagers (Giggs and Scholes) and those who are not good enough (Anderson and Cleverley).
And the arrival of Van Persie...it now poses a question mark over the future of United's most naturally gifted striker, Javier Hernandez.
Chicharito cannot be expected to accept his role as No 4 striker at the club - he is better than Welbeck (who Fergie stubbornly still insists on playing ahead of him) and, I am told, is a 'bit down' at the arrival of Van Persie, which now threatens to limit him to even less playing time.
The Mexican superstar is one of the nicest, most humble guys you will ever meet - certainly not your typical ego-driven footballer - but even he can only be expected to take so much.
No, I believe Sir Alex Ferguson dropped a bollock by not playing Van Persie from the off on Monday night, and that the signing shows the Scot is no longer the manager he once was...because of the implications it also has in hoovering up the cash that could have signed Felaini and in the way it has left Chicharito in the lurch.
I predict here and now that United WON'T win the Premier League this season. That honour will go to Man City or Chelsea, with the best the Red Devils can hope for being a battle for third spot with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
The countdown to the end of Fergie has begun...and even United fans I spoke to yesterday admitted that they also believe they will only truly be able to start competing for the league and the Champions League again when either Mourinho or Guardiola takes over. The countdown has begun...
FRANK WORRALL
SIR ALEX FERGUSON HAS LOST THE PLOT:
WHY MAN UTD WON'T DOMINATE
AGAIN UNTIL MOURINHO OR
GUARDIOLA ARRIVES
WEEKLY SPORT SPECIAL ANALYSIS BY FRANK WORRALL, AUTHOR OF WALKING IN A FERGIE WONDERLAND, THE BIOGRAPHY OF SIR ALEX FERGUSON
SO Sir Alex Ferguson achieved a five-year ambition by signing Arsenal's Robin van Persie...and then started him on the bench!
He left him there for almost 70 minutes at Everton on Monday night - even though his United team were clearly in need of both inspiration and a saviour.
United were losing 1-0 and hardly looking like scoring. Indeed, you could easily see the Toffees grabbing a second goal to make sure of the points.
Yet old purple nose continued to sit there, defiantly, determined not to bring on his new superstar signing.
The thinking was obvious: we will score (somehow) and then I can say we were good enough to get a point without even having to throw in my new man...that's how good we are!
It was warped thinking. I am told by more insightful folk than myself that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again...and expecting a different outcome.
Well, how many times over the years has Fergie stubbornly refused to do the obvious? How many times also has he persevered with a player who clearly wasn’t as good as another, just to prove a point?
Dozens. I give you two examples - one from a few years back, one from the current era.
Probably the most obvious case of Fergie the Blunderer is that of the Argentine Juan Sebastian Veron, who simply couldn’t cut it at United.
But Fergie was determined to give him every chance to prove the doubters wrong – and no doubt to justify exactly why in 2001 he had splashed out United’s then record £28.1million transfer fee for the midfielder.
In 2003, Fergie’s attempts to prove the boy WAS up to it collapsed when the man he was keeping out of the team – the wonderful David Beckham – replaced him as a sub and stole the honours in a Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Becks had been unable to regain his place in the United starting line-up after an early season injury, with the boss preferring to play Solskjaer on the right side of midfield. Ole was a class act, and you can see why Fergie might persevere with the Norwegian until David reached peak fitness again.
But it was impossible to defend the boss’s antics in April 2003, when he stubbornly left Becks out of the team to face Madrid in the Champions League second-leg at Old Trafford. United had lost the first leg 3-1 and so this was the decider: a key match against a crack outfit, with the winner taking a step closer to the final at Old Trafford that Fergie so desired.
It was a match to field your strongest eleven, with no passengers carried, no worries about any man breaking down from an injury he had been carrying. Yet, instead of starting with Becks, Fergie stubbornly – and foolishly – sent out Veron in his place. Veron had been out injured for the previous seven weeks and was still half-fit, so it was a ludicrous decision.
I remember writing at the time that it seemed to be another chapter in the manager’s doomed campaign to prove the Argentine was worth the £28.1 million he had splashed out on him in July 2001. The facts tell the full story of how the boss’s decision backfired that St George’s Day, 23 April 2003.
A hat-trick by the Brazilian Ronaldo meant United were also losing 3-2 on the night when Fergie finally relented and took off the ineffective Veron – and sent on Becks. Within 21 minutes, David had scored twice and United finished 4-3 winners, but lost the tie 6-5 on aggregate.
Afterwards Fergie would claim he had kept Becks on the sidelines for Solskjaer, not Veron, saying: ‘I saw it as quite a straightforward decision. Solskjaer’s form has been fantastic on the right-hand side. I don’t regard him as a sub any more – he deserved his place.’
Two months later Becks would be on his way to join the team who had ended Fergie’s dream of competing in front of his own fans for the Champions League final. In the end, AC Milan would claim the trophy in Manchester after beating their Italian rivals Juventus 3-2 on penalties after the match ended 0-0.
More recently, Fergie has insisted on playing Danny Welbeck instead of Javier Hernandez. Now, no one is denying that Welbeck is a fine work in progress. But he is just that: he is too easily bundled off the ball, he is careless with his passing and his partnership with Rooney is stop-start. In comparison, Chicharito is a natural born striker who is a much better goal-getter and whom Rooney admits he loves working with. Yet he remains on the bench while Welbeck continues to learn his trade.
Someone in the United backroom team should have the guts to tell Fergie he has got it wrong - before the little Mexican leaves.
Just as someone in the United backroom team should have told Fergie he had got it wrong at Everton.
On Monday, United looked bereft of ideas and could certainly have done with Van Persie earlier.
But the clanger over the Dutchman was hardly the first of Fergie's night.
Against a resolute Everton side, who United rarely beat at Goodison, Fergie started with his best winger (Valencia) at full-back and his best midfielder (Carrick) at centre-half.
While the ineffective Nani, and subsequently Ashley Young, struggled to get crosses in, Valencia struggled at the back.
And Carrick struggled to contain the wonderful Marouane Fellaini.
Valencia should have been on the wing with Rafael at full-back (Rafael is, after all, now playing there for Brazil!) while Carrick should have been in his rightful midfield role.
OK, United were shorn of centre-backs because of injury. But surely they have someone in the reserves or youth team who is worth a go? This is Manchester United - and they are forced to play two midfielders in defence in what was bound to be a tough encounter!
It speaks badly of Ferguson and his back-up team.
As does the fact that he bought Van Persie rather than Felaini - in the sense that the one area at the club that has been crying out for attention and rejuvenation was central midfield.
For the money spent on Van Persie, United could have brought in the awesome Felaini, surely the rightful heir to the crown Roy Keane vacated five years ago (and which has not been filled since).
But Fergie had his way and bought the injury-prone Dutchman rather than sorting out the eternal midfield conundrum.
So United continue to struggle in midfield with old-stagers (Giggs and Scholes) and those who are not good enough (Anderson and Cleverley).
And the arrival of Van Persie...it now poses a question mark over the future of United's most naturally gifted striker, Javier Hernandez.
Chicharito cannot be expected to accept his role as No 4 striker at the club - he is better than Welbeck (who Fergie stubbornly still insists on playing ahead of him) and, I am told, is a 'bit down' at the arrival of Van Persie, which now threatens to limit him to even less playing time.
The Mexican superstar is one of the nicest, most humble guys you will ever meet - certainly not your typical ego-driven footballer - but even he can only be expected to take so much.
No, I believe Sir Alex Ferguson dropped a bollock by not playing Van Persie from the off on Monday night, and that the signing shows the Scot is no longer the manager he once was...because of the implications it also has in hoovering up the cash that could have signed Felaini and in the way it has left Chicharito in the lurch.
I predict here and now that United WON'T win the Premier League this season. That honour will go to Man City or Chelsea, with the best the Red Devils can hope for being a battle for third spot with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
The countdown to the end of Fergie has begun...and even United fans I spoke to yesterday admitted that they also believe they will only truly be able to start competing for the league and the Champions League again when either Mourinho or Guardiola takes over. The countdown has begun...
FRANK WORRALL
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
FRANKIE'S FLUTTERS
THE FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK AMONG US.
This week's big games are:
Saturday - Newcastle v Tottenham
Sunday - Man City v Southampton
Monday - Everton v Man Utd
I predict that the Toon and Spurs will draw 1-1, City will beat Saints but it will be a closer match than most people expect...with a 2-1 scoreline, and Man Utd will beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison with Rooney and new signing Robin van Persie on the scoresheet.
CRICKET
England to draw with South Africa at Lords and thus lose the series and their No 1 spot to their closest rivals.
FRANK WORRALL
This week's big games are:
Saturday - Newcastle v Tottenham
Sunday - Man City v Southampton
Monday - Everton v Man Utd
I predict that the Toon and Spurs will draw 1-1, City will beat Saints but it will be a closer match than most people expect...with a 2-1 scoreline, and Man Utd will beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison with Rooney and new signing Robin van Persie on the scoresheet.
CRICKET
England to draw with South Africa at Lords and thus lose the series and their No 1 spot to their closest rivals.
FRANK WORRALL
LONDON 2012 - A SHIMMERING SUCCESS BUT AT A PRICE: OLYMPICS REVIEW 4
I DON'T think any of us will disagree that the London 2012 Olympics were a massive success and uplifting for a nation almost on its knees due to the financial crisis that continues to swirl unrelentlessly around us.
The Team GB victories were inspiring and the whole event was essential, mesmeric viewing.
Even sporting cynics found themselves shedding a tear or two as the incredible, awe-inspiring achievements continued to mount on the athletics track, in the velodrome and in the swimming pool.
For two weeks, we were lifted out of the doom and gloom that has been a constant part of life as the country struggles amid cuts, job losses and lack of growth in industry.
But in another way it reminded me of when I was a carefree music journalist in my 20s, boozed up and skint - and enjoyed Christmas by maxing out my credit cards.
During the festive season itself I was lost in a wonderland of unlimited booze, food, 'fun' and hedonism.
Then came the dark realisation that I had no way of paying off the debts I had racked up during that couple of weeks of exceptionally good times.
It was the hangover of all hangovers: I was maxed out on my cards, I was skint and I couldn't meet my commitments.
I had experienced a whale of a time at Christmas, now I was just sinking.
And isn't that, to an extent, the same with the Games?
I know, it makes me sound a killjoy, but don't you feel a bit of a hangover this week? Now that the Games are gone, don't you miss them and feel a bit low?
As a country we have blown £9billion on them - and I will always tell anyone that it was one of the best two weeks of my life.
But so was that two-week blow-out in my 20s.
Then reality kicked in.
Let's hope that the Games HAVE paid for themselves as the politicians claim. The last thing we need is another Millennium Dome-style debt albatross hanging around our necks right now...but do we trust the politicians to have been telling the truth?
Do they usually?
FRANK WORRALL
The Team GB victories were inspiring and the whole event was essential, mesmeric viewing.
Even sporting cynics found themselves shedding a tear or two as the incredible, awe-inspiring achievements continued to mount on the athletics track, in the velodrome and in the swimming pool.
For two weeks, we were lifted out of the doom and gloom that has been a constant part of life as the country struggles amid cuts, job losses and lack of growth in industry.
But in another way it reminded me of when I was a carefree music journalist in my 20s, boozed up and skint - and enjoyed Christmas by maxing out my credit cards.
During the festive season itself I was lost in a wonderland of unlimited booze, food, 'fun' and hedonism.
Then came the dark realisation that I had no way of paying off the debts I had racked up during that couple of weeks of exceptionally good times.
It was the hangover of all hangovers: I was maxed out on my cards, I was skint and I couldn't meet my commitments.
I had experienced a whale of a time at Christmas, now I was just sinking.
And isn't that, to an extent, the same with the Games?
I know, it makes me sound a killjoy, but don't you feel a bit of a hangover this week? Now that the Games are gone, don't you miss them and feel a bit low?
As a country we have blown £9billion on them - and I will always tell anyone that it was one of the best two weeks of my life.
But so was that two-week blow-out in my 20s.
Then reality kicked in.
Let's hope that the Games HAVE paid for themselves as the politicians claim. The last thing we need is another Millennium Dome-style debt albatross hanging around our necks right now...but do we trust the politicians to have been telling the truth?
Do they usually?
FRANK WORRALL
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE PARALYMPICS? OLYMPICS REVIEW:4
MY favourite moments of the Games were the Jess Ennis win, the Mo Farah double, the Wiggins win, the Usain Bolt treble golds - and the plucky performances of the disabled sprinter, Oscar Pistorius.
The South African became the first amputee sprinter to take part in the Olympics in the men's 400m heats and added another first when he subsequently appeared as a member of South Africa's 4x400m team.
I admire Oscar for his persistence, dedication and braveness - the same way in which I admire Jess, Mo, Bradley and Usain.
Which brought up an interesting point of conversation when I was talking to a friend this week.
She said, 'I am really looking forward to the Paralympics - but isn't it discriminatory that they are held after the Olympics? Aren't we meant to all be equal and to see each other equal nowadays? So shouldn't it just be all part of one Olympics - that lasts for a month instead of two weeks?
'That way you could have one day of the able-bodied athletes competing, with the next day the disabled athletes. Surely it would be more appropriate in this modern era?'
It is certainly an interesting and valid point.
As they say on examination papers at A Level...Discuss!
FRANK WORRALL
The South African became the first amputee sprinter to take part in the Olympics in the men's 400m heats and added another first when he subsequently appeared as a member of South Africa's 4x400m team.
I admire Oscar for his persistence, dedication and braveness - the same way in which I admire Jess, Mo, Bradley and Usain.
Which brought up an interesting point of conversation when I was talking to a friend this week.
She said, 'I am really looking forward to the Paralympics - but isn't it discriminatory that they are held after the Olympics? Aren't we meant to all be equal and to see each other equal nowadays? So shouldn't it just be all part of one Olympics - that lasts for a month instead of two weeks?
'That way you could have one day of the able-bodied athletes competing, with the next day the disabled athletes. Surely it would be more appropriate in this modern era?'
It is certainly an interesting and valid point.
As they say on examination papers at A Level...Discuss!
FRANK WORRALL
EMELIE SANDE TWICE - BUT NO ADELE? OLYMPICS REVIEW 3
THE closing ceremony wasn't as good as the opening one.
The opening one was bathed in drama and visual wonder, and also had the benefit of two major rock acts performing, in McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys.
The closing one, in contrast, was never meant to have the same conceptual weight. But its creators DID make the claim that it would be one of the greatest musical events that these isles have ever seen. And that it WOULD showcase the very cream of our talented musicians and singers.
Well, to put it simply, it failed.
Let's start with Emeli Sande. Now, I know she is a good singer, soulful and emotive, but why was she given two slots in the closing ceremony after also getting one in the opening?
It was a crazy decision, one that suggested there is a shortage of top-notch divas. A friend of mine even suggested that she 'must be going out with either one of the show's producers or some bigwig from the BBC'.
Why wasn't Adele on that stage? She, not Sande, is our No 1 female star.
Moving on, why was George Michael allowed to plug his new single which, apart from being no good, was hardly representative of the golden years of rock/pop?
And why were Madness invited to yet another celebration? They have become the modern-day Chas 'n Dave - they'll turn up for a 'knees-up' at the spin of a coin - what with singing on the roof of Buck House for the Diamond Jubilee and now at the Olympics. Their contribution to the annals of British music simply does not justify such exposure.
Then there's the omnipotent Jesse J. For Christ's sake, the girl has been around five minutes (four more than Emil Sande) and she is on twice too, singing in a Roller, then duetting with Brian May.
Have we really got no bigger, better musical stars than Emeli Sande, Jesse J and Madness?
Is this the legacy of the likes of Bowie and Lennon?
The Lennon moment was the one truly inspiring section - as his face beamed around the world singing Imagine I had to fight back the tears. What a genius, how we could have done with the likes of him at that flawed closing ceremony.
FRANK WORRALL
The opening one was bathed in drama and visual wonder, and also had the benefit of two major rock acts performing, in McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys.
The closing one, in contrast, was never meant to have the same conceptual weight. But its creators DID make the claim that it would be one of the greatest musical events that these isles have ever seen. And that it WOULD showcase the very cream of our talented musicians and singers.
Well, to put it simply, it failed.
Let's start with Emeli Sande. Now, I know she is a good singer, soulful and emotive, but why was she given two slots in the closing ceremony after also getting one in the opening?
It was a crazy decision, one that suggested there is a shortage of top-notch divas. A friend of mine even suggested that she 'must be going out with either one of the show's producers or some bigwig from the BBC'.
Why wasn't Adele on that stage? She, not Sande, is our No 1 female star.
Moving on, why was George Michael allowed to plug his new single which, apart from being no good, was hardly representative of the golden years of rock/pop?
And why were Madness invited to yet another celebration? They have become the modern-day Chas 'n Dave - they'll turn up for a 'knees-up' at the spin of a coin - what with singing on the roof of Buck House for the Diamond Jubilee and now at the Olympics. Their contribution to the annals of British music simply does not justify such exposure.
Then there's the omnipotent Jesse J. For Christ's sake, the girl has been around five minutes (four more than Emil Sande) and she is on twice too, singing in a Roller, then duetting with Brian May.
Have we really got no bigger, better musical stars than Emeli Sande, Jesse J and Madness?
Is this the legacy of the likes of Bowie and Lennon?
The Lennon moment was the one truly inspiring section - as his face beamed around the world singing Imagine I had to fight back the tears. What a genius, how we could have done with the likes of him at that flawed closing ceremony.
FRANK WORRALL
WHY DAVID BOWIE DIDN'T PLAY THE OLYMPICS - GAMES REVIEW 2
I WAS reading the Guardian newspaper the other day when my attention was suddenly grabbed by the headline, 'DAVID BOWIE SNUBS OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY'.
I'll admit I am a tabloid writer and tabloid animal at heart, and that headline summed up for me all that is wrong with the so-called 'classier broadsheets'.
Yes, I know the Guardian is a Berliner format (sized somewhere between tabloid and broadsheet style) but it is of the same mindset as the broadsheets: the arrogant, sneering contempt it holds for the tabloids being one of its common traits.
Yet that headline was worse than anything the tabloids did on Bowie. Of course, most did not even mention that he turned down an invitation to play at the Games' finale.
Why would they?
They knew, as I am sure most of the population of the UK knows, that David Bowie was NEVER going to play, so he hardly needed to turn it down.
How could he when he is not in the best of health, holed up in his penthouse home in Lower Manhattan?
In 2004 he suffered a heart attack that rocked him spiritually and mentally, as well as physically.
From that point on, he has stayed largely anonymous in New York, preferring to live the quiet life. He picks his daughter up from school and, when he does venture out to the shops (usually book stores) he does so incognito. He likes his privacy and has no yearning to make music, play music and certainly not to do live shows.
A friend of mine told me that David has suffered other physical ailments of late - another claims to have seen him coming out of a clinic renowned for its treatment of cancer, although, of course, Bowie could have been visiting a friend there.
What is clear is that David Bowie was never going to play at either of the Olympics ceremonies, so I don't know how the Guardian saw his non-appearance as 'a snub'.
Perhaps the paper should look at itself first, before laying into the tabloids?
Talking of David, I have heard that he did watch both ceremonies and enjoyed a chuckle when his hit, Fashion, was played as the backdrop to the closing ceremony's tribute to the British fashion industry.
Doh! Didn't the producers of the show know that the song is actually an ATTACK on fashion rather than an endorsement of it? A close listen to the lyrics would have confirmed that.
Now why didn't the Guardian mention and comment on that irony when a downmarket tabloid hack like me can spot it so easily? It certainly would have been a better angle for them to latch on to their crude attempt to demean one of the two greatest British rock icons of all time (Lennon being the other).
FRANK WORRALL
MO-MENTOUS MO FARAH -OLYMPICS REVIEW 1
I THINK we're all agreed that the three British stars of the Games were Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah?
Bradley and Jess made early claims for immortality while Mo did it over two so-called Super Saturdays.
In the first, he won the 5,000m while by the end of the second he'd also notched up the 10,000m gold.
Mo is a potent symbol of the Britain of today - a Somalian immigrant who has taken to England and adopted himself to his adopted country.
Mo arrived here at the age of 8 and spoke no English. He was no academic genius when he finally did break through, but he was a genius on the track. From the age of 13, he worked hard and his payoff was double gold at the London Olympics.
He has proved the power of positive action and while he is proud to be British, we are just as proud, if not more so, of him.
Mo Farah is one of the best examples of what can be achieved in the multicultural, tolerant Britain of today. Mo, we salute you - and thank you for two brilliant Saturday nights, two of the best Saturday nights in we have enjoyed for many a year.
FRANK WORRALL
Bradley and Jess made early claims for immortality while Mo did it over two so-called Super Saturdays.
In the first, he won the 5,000m while by the end of the second he'd also notched up the 10,000m gold.
Mo is a potent symbol of the Britain of today - a Somalian immigrant who has taken to England and adopted himself to his adopted country.
Mo arrived here at the age of 8 and spoke no English. He was no academic genius when he finally did break through, but he was a genius on the track. From the age of 13, he worked hard and his payoff was double gold at the London Olympics.
He has proved the power of positive action and while he is proud to be British, we are just as proud, if not more so, of him.
Mo Farah is one of the best examples of what can be achieved in the multicultural, tolerant Britain of today. Mo, we salute you - and thank you for two brilliant Saturday nights, two of the best Saturday nights in we have enjoyed for many a year.
FRANK WORRALL
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
FRANKIE'S FLUTTERS
ATHLETICS: Usain Bolt to add the 200m title to his 100m crown. Mo Farah to make it double gold by winning the 10,000m after his brilliant showing in last week's 5,000m.
DIVING: Tom Daley to win a bronze in the 10m Platform.
FOOTBALL: Robin van Persie to end the speculation by joining Manchester United for £20million.
OLYMPICS TREATS TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS WEEK!
All events on BBC1, BBC2 or BBC3. Check on day for which station to watch.
TODAY (Wednesday August 8)
ATHLETICS
Men's 200m semis
From 8pm
Usain Bolt and fellow countryman Yohan Blake do battle yet again.
Women's 200m final
Allyson Felix is the hot favourite - she won silver four years ago.
9pm
Men's 110m hurdles final
9.15pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 9
ATHLETICS
Men's 800m final
8pm
BOXING
Women's Boxing Finals
From 4.30pm
FOOTBALL
Women's Football Final
7.45pm
Live from Wembley as the United States take on Japan. Interest is terrific - a crowd of at least 83,000 is guaranteed after defending champions' the US beat Canada 4-3 in extra-time and world champions Japan's overcamer France 2-1 in the semi-finals on Monday.
FRIDAY AUGUST 10
ATHLETICS
Women's 1,500m Final
Hannah England is the big hope for Team GB.
HOCKEY
Women's Hockey Final
8pm
TAEKWANDO
Women's Final
10.15PM
SATURDAY AUGUST 11
ATHLETICS
Men's 5,000m Final
7.30pm
Mo Farah goes for double gold after his triumph in the 10,000m a week previously.
Men's 4x100m Relay Final
9pm
Look out for the brilliant Jamaicans.
DIVING
Men's 10m Platform Final
8.30pm
A big chance for Tom Daley to make amends after his disappointment at finishing fourth a week previously with team-mate Pete Waterfield. Now solo, Tom will be hoping to grab a medal.
SUNDAY AUGUST 12
ATHLETICS
Men's Marathon
11am
The event begins on The Mall, where it will also conclude.
BASKETBALL
Men's final
3pm
BOXING
Men's Superheavyweight final
3.15pm
THE CLOSING CEREMONY
From 9pm
Expect more fireworks and wondrous praising of London and Britain throughout the ages. If it is anything as good as Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony, it will definitely be worth staying up for.
TODAY (Wednesday August 8)
ATHLETICS
Men's 200m semis
From 8pm
Usain Bolt and fellow countryman Yohan Blake do battle yet again.
Women's 200m final
Allyson Felix is the hot favourite - she won silver four years ago.
9pm
Men's 110m hurdles final
9.15pm
THURSDAY AUGUST 9
ATHLETICS
Men's 800m final
8pm
BOXING
Women's Boxing Finals
From 4.30pm
FOOTBALL
Women's Football Final
7.45pm
Live from Wembley as the United States take on Japan. Interest is terrific - a crowd of at least 83,000 is guaranteed after defending champions' the US beat Canada 4-3 in extra-time and world champions Japan's overcamer France 2-1 in the semi-finals on Monday.
FRIDAY AUGUST 10
ATHLETICS
Women's 1,500m Final
Hannah England is the big hope for Team GB.
HOCKEY
Women's Hockey Final
8pm
TAEKWANDO
Women's Final
10.15PM
SATURDAY AUGUST 11
ATHLETICS
Men's 5,000m Final
7.30pm
Mo Farah goes for double gold after his triumph in the 10,000m a week previously.
Men's 4x100m Relay Final
9pm
Look out for the brilliant Jamaicans.
DIVING
Men's 10m Platform Final
8.30pm
A big chance for Tom Daley to make amends after his disappointment at finishing fourth a week previously with team-mate Pete Waterfield. Now solo, Tom will be hoping to grab a medal.
SUNDAY AUGUST 12
ATHLETICS
Men's Marathon
11am
The event begins on The Mall, where it will also conclude.
BASKETBALL
Men's final
3pm
BOXING
Men's Superheavyweight final
3.15pm
THE CLOSING CEREMONY
From 9pm
Expect more fireworks and wondrous praising of London and Britain throughout the ages. If it is anything as good as Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony, it will definitely be worth staying up for.
THE GAMES' BIGGEST STAR OF ALL?
LIKE everyone else, I have been thrilled and so proud of our Team GB athletes and their medals success.
It lifts the heart and spirits in these difficult economic and social times - even if it proves to be only a temporary fix.
But one man stands out for me as THE athlete of the London 2012 Games, and he is not British.
Step forward Oscar Pistorius and take your place on the podium of greatness.
The South African sprint runner is known variously as 'Blade Runner' or the 'Fastest Man on No Legs'.
That's because he had a double below-knee amputation aged 11 months and runs with the aid of carbon fibre artificial limbs.
His successes have been phenomenal over the years. Back in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens he came third in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee) 100-metre event. Then he went on to win the 200m event, beating two Americans who had a single amputation to his double amputation.
Four years later, in Beijing, he retained his 200m crown and added the 100m and 400m to it as he roared to victory in the Paralympics.
He had made brave and noble attempts to actually compete in the Olympics themselves that year - but was held back by political maneovring by Games chiefs who argued unconvincingly that his blades could prove a safety risk to other competitors.
Finally, his persistence paid off and he was awarded a place, on merit, in the South African Olympic Games squad for London 2012.
And last week, Oscar Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games. He finished second in his heat in the 400m, a result that meant he had made it to the second semi final.
Now his luck would run out, as he finished eighth...last.
But even that was a miracle when you consider where he had come from and the incredible odds and obstacles he had to overcome.
Oscar Pistorius had become a living example of just what you can achieve if you put your mind to it - and you really want it.
He had inspired millions and brought tears to the eyes of countless others.
So, Oscar we at the Weekly Sport salute you - you are our Biggest Star of the 2012 Olympics.
A real action hero in every sense of the phrase...
FRANK WORRALL
It lifts the heart and spirits in these difficult economic and social times - even if it proves to be only a temporary fix.
But one man stands out for me as THE athlete of the London 2012 Games, and he is not British.
Step forward Oscar Pistorius and take your place on the podium of greatness.
The South African sprint runner is known variously as 'Blade Runner' or the 'Fastest Man on No Legs'.
That's because he had a double below-knee amputation aged 11 months and runs with the aid of carbon fibre artificial limbs.
His successes have been phenomenal over the years. Back in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens he came third in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee) 100-metre event. Then he went on to win the 200m event, beating two Americans who had a single amputation to his double amputation.
Four years later, in Beijing, he retained his 200m crown and added the 100m and 400m to it as he roared to victory in the Paralympics.
He had made brave and noble attempts to actually compete in the Olympics themselves that year - but was held back by political maneovring by Games chiefs who argued unconvincingly that his blades could prove a safety risk to other competitors.
Finally, his persistence paid off and he was awarded a place, on merit, in the South African Olympic Games squad for London 2012.
And last week, Oscar Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games. He finished second in his heat in the 400m, a result that meant he had made it to the second semi final.
Now his luck would run out, as he finished eighth...last.
But even that was a miracle when you consider where he had come from and the incredible odds and obstacles he had to overcome.
Oscar Pistorius had become a living example of just what you can achieve if you put your mind to it - and you really want it.
He had inspired millions and brought tears to the eyes of countless others.
So, Oscar we at the Weekly Sport salute you - you are our Biggest Star of the 2012 Olympics.
A real action hero in every sense of the phrase...
FRANK WORRALL
BBC SHOULD HAVE 2 SPORTING PERSONALITIES OF YEAR
I DO hope that the BBC can correctly ascertain the mood of the country and will take that into account when they dole out their annual sporting honours come Christmas time.
My belief is that this year they should have TWO Sporting personalities of the Year rather than just the one.
Such a move would also put an end to the belief that the honour is sexist - as men usually win it.
This year the Beeb could have a MALE and a FEMALE category winner.
My choices would be the great Bradley Wiggins to lift the men's gong while surely the women's would go to the fantastic Jessica Ennis.
I honestly believe that each has as much a credible case as the other to lift it - so surely it makes sense to have two winners?
So, come on BBC - show that you're in tune with the times...that you 'get it'...and give us what we are asking for!
FRANK WORRALL
My belief is that this year they should have TWO Sporting personalities of the Year rather than just the one.
Such a move would also put an end to the belief that the honour is sexist - as men usually win it.
This year the Beeb could have a MALE and a FEMALE category winner.
My choices would be the great Bradley Wiggins to lift the men's gong while surely the women's would go to the fantastic Jessica Ennis.
I honestly believe that each has as much a credible case as the other to lift it - so surely it makes sense to have two winners?
So, come on BBC - show that you're in tune with the times...that you 'get it'...and give us what we are asking for!
FRANK WORRALL
WHY VICTORIA PENDLETON DISAPPOINTED ME
YES, yes, I know that Victoria Pendleton will go down as one of THE greats in the cycling world.
No one can cast doubt on her ability or her standing when the history of this London Olympics is written.
Yes, yes, she went out on a high - with a gold and a silver over the last week - and also won a gold in Beijing four years ago.
Yes, yes, she has won nine world titles including a record six in the individual sprint competition - and is the reigning World Champion for the sprint.
I don't deny any of that - or the fact that I was cheering her on as robustly as the next person as she battled vainly to overcome the powerful Anna Meares in what would be the final race of her career on Tuesday.
Yes, yes, Victoria Pendleton has undoubtedly been a great champion - and a great ambassador for Britain.
It's just on a humanistic level that I feel a bit let down by her.
As I watched her compete over the week in heats and finals, I just felt she could have been a bit more compassionate with team-mates - maybe a little less concerned with self. I know that is tantamount to heresy given the adulation in which she is now held by the British public.
But I still feel it is something that has to be said.
One particular incident highlights it astutely. In the team sprint, she and team-mate Jess Varnish set a world record in the qualifying round.
But they were later disqualified after Pendleton blundered - moving to the front too early at the end of the first lap.
It meant they threw away a guaranteed silver medal, and, more than likely, a gold.
Of course, all the TV cameras and all the attention was on Vicky, with poor Jess being almost forgotten. All the sympathy and loss seemed to be centred on Vicky - but, let's be honest, she had many more medal chances to come in these Games.
Jess, by contrast, was on her way home. In her first Olympics, she had lost the chance of a medal because of a clanger by her more experienced team-mate - and yet I didn't notice any sympathy being offered to the younger competitor.
It was all 'poor Victoria' this and 'poor Victoria' that. I also didn't hear Vicky publicly say how sorry she was for Jess and HER loss - and that is what left me so disappointed.
I believe Vicky should have spoken of Jess and her regret for her when Vicky won that gold. Let's be honest - she could even have dedicated it to Jess and made a big thing of it. Well, couldn't she...
But no, no, there was nothing. Even after winning a gold and a silver all the talk was about 'poor Vicky' and even Vicky cried tears for herself.
What about poor Jess?
At least Team GB cycling chief Dave Brailsford belatedly paid tribute to poor Jess, saying: 'It was Jess's first Games and I think that when you look statistically most people do not deliver in their first Games. Most medallists are second Games athletes.
'For her, while it is a bitter pill to swallow no doubt as they were guaranteed gold or silver and it is a medal lost in that sense, it was not as if there was a question of whether she was good enough to get a medal. I know that will be hard but she will get over it and I know that she will be set for Rio (2016 Olympics).'
Indeed she will - and I hope if she is ever in the position that Vicky was with her, she will show a bit more compassion and selflessness. Given the type of person she clearly is, and the depth of disappointment she will have felt in her own dark moment on the track this week, I am sure she will.
FRANK WORRALL
No one can cast doubt on her ability or her standing when the history of this London Olympics is written.
Yes, yes, she went out on a high - with a gold and a silver over the last week - and also won a gold in Beijing four years ago.
Yes, yes, she has won nine world titles including a record six in the individual sprint competition - and is the reigning World Champion for the sprint.
I don't deny any of that - or the fact that I was cheering her on as robustly as the next person as she battled vainly to overcome the powerful Anna Meares in what would be the final race of her career on Tuesday.
Yes, yes, Victoria Pendleton has undoubtedly been a great champion - and a great ambassador for Britain.
It's just on a humanistic level that I feel a bit let down by her.
As I watched her compete over the week in heats and finals, I just felt she could have been a bit more compassionate with team-mates - maybe a little less concerned with self. I know that is tantamount to heresy given the adulation in which she is now held by the British public.
But I still feel it is something that has to be said.
One particular incident highlights it astutely. In the team sprint, she and team-mate Jess Varnish set a world record in the qualifying round.
But they were later disqualified after Pendleton blundered - moving to the front too early at the end of the first lap.
It meant they threw away a guaranteed silver medal, and, more than likely, a gold.
Of course, all the TV cameras and all the attention was on Vicky, with poor Jess being almost forgotten. All the sympathy and loss seemed to be centred on Vicky - but, let's be honest, she had many more medal chances to come in these Games.
Jess, by contrast, was on her way home. In her first Olympics, she had lost the chance of a medal because of a clanger by her more experienced team-mate - and yet I didn't notice any sympathy being offered to the younger competitor.
It was all 'poor Victoria' this and 'poor Victoria' that. I also didn't hear Vicky publicly say how sorry she was for Jess and HER loss - and that is what left me so disappointed.
I believe Vicky should have spoken of Jess and her regret for her when Vicky won that gold. Let's be honest - she could even have dedicated it to Jess and made a big thing of it. Well, couldn't she...
But no, no, there was nothing. Even after winning a gold and a silver all the talk was about 'poor Vicky' and even Vicky cried tears for herself.
What about poor Jess?
At least Team GB cycling chief Dave Brailsford belatedly paid tribute to poor Jess, saying: 'It was Jess's first Games and I think that when you look statistically most people do not deliver in their first Games. Most medallists are second Games athletes.
'For her, while it is a bitter pill to swallow no doubt as they were guaranteed gold or silver and it is a medal lost in that sense, it was not as if there was a question of whether she was good enough to get a medal. I know that will be hard but she will get over it and I know that she will be set for Rio (2016 Olympics).'
Indeed she will - and I hope if she is ever in the position that Vicky was with her, she will show a bit more compassion and selflessness. Given the type of person she clearly is, and the depth of disappointment she will have felt in her own dark moment on the track this week, I am sure she will.
FRANK WORRALL
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
STOP PRESS: WIGGINS GOLD PROVES HE'S THE GREATEST
OLYMPICS SPECIAL
YES, the incredible Bradley Wiggins has won GOLD in the cycling time trial! His seventh Olympic medal and his fourth gold.
Another brilliant showing from the man who is a certainty to now win the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year after winning the Tour de France too.
This man is a genius - we are lucky to be around in his era to pay homage to him.
Soon, surely, it will also be a case of ARISE SIR BRADLEY...
FRANK WORRALL
YES, the incredible Bradley Wiggins has won GOLD in the cycling time trial! His seventh Olympic medal and his fourth gold.
Another brilliant showing from the man who is a certainty to now win the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year after winning the Tour de France too.
This man is a genius - we are lucky to be around in his era to pay homage to him.
Soon, surely, it will also be a case of ARISE SIR BRADLEY...
FRANK WORRALL
FRANKIE'S FLUTTERS
FOOTBALL: I know that Team GB have one foot in the door of the next stage, having drawn with Senegal and beaten the UAE but I remain doggedly unconvinced by Stuart Pearce and his team. I cannot see them beating Uruguay in tonight's crunch match in Cardiff...but maybe they can scrape a draw which would see them through.
CYCLING: I believe that Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy WILL both win gold this next week. I also think Bradley Wiggins will be there or thereabouts in the Time Trial.
ATHLETICS: Usain Bolt to retain his 100m crown - and joy for Britain with Mo Farah (bronze) and Dai Greene (proably silver).
CYCLING: I believe that Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy WILL both win gold this next week. I also think Bradley Wiggins will be there or thereabouts in the Time Trial.
ATHLETICS: Usain Bolt to retain his 100m crown - and joy for Britain with Mo Farah (bronze) and Dai Greene (proably silver).
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AT THIS WEEK'S OLYMPICS
All events on BBC1, BBC2 or BBC4. Check on day for which station to watch.
TODAY (Wednesday August 1)
CYCLING
Men's Individual Time Trial, from 2.15pm
Come on Bradley! Yes, it's time for the Tour de France winner to step up to the plate and bring us another gold.
FOOTBALL
Great Britain v Uruguay, 7.45pm
Can Stuart Pearce's ragtag squad hold out against the likes of Liverpool's Luis Suarez and the brilliant Edison Cavani? Winner takes all - advancing to the next stage, although GB only need a draw.
THURSDAY AUGUST 2
ROWING
Lightweight Fours, from 10am
Team GB won the world crown four years ago but now face a daunting task to win gold. They must beat the brilliant boys from Denmark.
CYCLING
Men's team sprint finals
Sir Chris Hoy is the big GB hope.
SWIMMING
Women's 100m Freestyle Final, from 8.30pm
Fran Halsall should be among the medals for Britain.
FRIDAY AUGUST 3
ATHLETICS
Heptathlon, from 10am
GB poster pin-up girl Jessica Ennis begins her quest for glory as the athletics section of the Games finally gets underway.
Swimming, 7.45pm
Rebecca Adlington defends her 800m freestyle crown after winning bronze in the 400m race last Saturday.
SATURDAY AUGUST 4
SWIMMING
Men's 4x100m
The great Michael Phelps goes for gold - yet again.
ATHLETICS
10,000m Final, 9.15pm
GB have major hopes of glory in the legendary 10,000m as Mo Farah takes on the world's best.
SUNDAY AUGUST 5
ATHLETICS
Women's Marathon, 11am
Unfortunately, Paula Radcliffe will not be competing for GB - she succumbed to injury.
SAILING
Men's Finn, 2pm
Can Ben Ainslie deliver for GB?
MEN'S 100m semis and final, from 7.45pm
Usain Bolt will be going for gold in the showpiece athletics final of the Games.
MONDAY AUGUST 6
GYMNASTICS
Women's Uneven Bars, from 2.50pm
Beth Tweddle is the great hope for Team GB.
ATHLETICS
Men's 400m hurdles final, 8.45pm
Dai Greene earned the gold in the world championships - and now would dearly love to emulate that achievement at the Olympics.
TUESDAY AUGUST 7
CYCLING
Women's Sprint Semis and Final, from 4pm
Victoria Pendleton is a realistic bet for gold as she attempts to retain her title.
Men's Keirin Final, 5.50pm
Chris Hoy is expected to be in among the medals for GB.
TODAY (Wednesday August 1)
CYCLING
Men's Individual Time Trial, from 2.15pm
Come on Bradley! Yes, it's time for the Tour de France winner to step up to the plate and bring us another gold.
FOOTBALL
Great Britain v Uruguay, 7.45pm
Can Stuart Pearce's ragtag squad hold out against the likes of Liverpool's Luis Suarez and the brilliant Edison Cavani? Winner takes all - advancing to the next stage, although GB only need a draw.
THURSDAY AUGUST 2
ROWING
Lightweight Fours, from 10am
Team GB won the world crown four years ago but now face a daunting task to win gold. They must beat the brilliant boys from Denmark.
CYCLING
Men's team sprint finals
Sir Chris Hoy is the big GB hope.
SWIMMING
Women's 100m Freestyle Final, from 8.30pm
Fran Halsall should be among the medals for Britain.
FRIDAY AUGUST 3
ATHLETICS
Heptathlon, from 10am
GB poster pin-up girl Jessica Ennis begins her quest for glory as the athletics section of the Games finally gets underway.
Swimming, 7.45pm
Rebecca Adlington defends her 800m freestyle crown after winning bronze in the 400m race last Saturday.
SATURDAY AUGUST 4
SWIMMING
Men's 4x100m
The great Michael Phelps goes for gold - yet again.
ATHLETICS
10,000m Final, 9.15pm
GB have major hopes of glory in the legendary 10,000m as Mo Farah takes on the world's best.
SUNDAY AUGUST 5
ATHLETICS
Women's Marathon, 11am
Unfortunately, Paula Radcliffe will not be competing for GB - she succumbed to injury.
SAILING
Men's Finn, 2pm
Can Ben Ainslie deliver for GB?
MEN'S 100m semis and final, from 7.45pm
Usain Bolt will be going for gold in the showpiece athletics final of the Games.
MONDAY AUGUST 6
GYMNASTICS
Women's Uneven Bars, from 2.50pm
Beth Tweddle is the great hope for Team GB.
ATHLETICS
Men's 400m hurdles final, 8.45pm
Dai Greene earned the gold in the world championships - and now would dearly love to emulate that achievement at the Olympics.
TUESDAY AUGUST 7
CYCLING
Women's Sprint Semis and Final, from 4pm
Victoria Pendleton is a realistic bet for gold as she attempts to retain her title.
Men's Keirin Final, 5.50pm
Chris Hoy is expected to be in among the medals for GB.
THE FEELGOOD OLYMPICS
OLYMPIC SPECIAL 3
THE first week of the Olympics has been like that famous 1960s Western starring Clint Eastwood and Lee van Cleef - we've seen a lot of the good, a bit of the bad and a bit of the ugly side of the world's biggest sporting event. In that sense, yes, it has gone much to form - most Olympics I have witnessed over the years have gone off to much the same script.
My main relief is that we have not had to watch in horror as some terrorist cell have wrecked the Games. There was a general fear that could happen in the first week, but it seems as if the balls-up by security firm GS4 has resulted in an unexpected happy spin-off - for the Army were brought in to beef up security and have been doing a great job.
I have been staying in Earls Court during the Games and what has struck me is the fantastic feelgood factor that has dominated. The volleyball has been taking place at the exhibition centre and the visitors - many of them from abroad - have been laughing and really enjoying themselves.
Around 15,000 crammed into Earls Court on Saturday and then on Sunday and what was also noticeable was the excellent rapport between the stewards and guides and the crowds walking down Penywern Road to the venue.
All those stewards and guides - many of them volunteers - deserve a real round of applause. They have welcomed the visitors with open arms and been helpful and polite. They have been a credit to the nation and have played a truly major role in ensuring these Games are a success.
Well done, all of you - you deserve a medal too...
FRANK WORRALL
THE first week of the Olympics has been like that famous 1960s Western starring Clint Eastwood and Lee van Cleef - we've seen a lot of the good, a bit of the bad and a bit of the ugly side of the world's biggest sporting event. In that sense, yes, it has gone much to form - most Olympics I have witnessed over the years have gone off to much the same script.
My main relief is that we have not had to watch in horror as some terrorist cell have wrecked the Games. There was a general fear that could happen in the first week, but it seems as if the balls-up by security firm GS4 has resulted in an unexpected happy spin-off - for the Army were brought in to beef up security and have been doing a great job.
I have been staying in Earls Court during the Games and what has struck me is the fantastic feelgood factor that has dominated. The volleyball has been taking place at the exhibition centre and the visitors - many of them from abroad - have been laughing and really enjoying themselves.
Around 15,000 crammed into Earls Court on Saturday and then on Sunday and what was also noticeable was the excellent rapport between the stewards and guides and the crowds walking down Penywern Road to the venue.
All those stewards and guides - many of them volunteers - deserve a real round of applause. They have welcomed the visitors with open arms and been helpful and polite. They have been a credit to the nation and have played a truly major role in ensuring these Games are a success.
Well done, all of you - you deserve a medal too...
FRANK WORRALL
STOP PRESS: BRITAIN WINS FIRST GOLD!
OLYMPICS SPECIAL 2
WE must be a lucky charm here at Weekly Sport Towers!
No sooner do I start banging out the column (12noon, Wednesday) than Great Britain finally goes and breaks their duck and grabs an Olympic gold!
Yes, many congratulations to Helen Glover and Heather Stanning for finishing first in the final of the rowing women's pair.
The achievement is all the more remarkable as Helen and Heather are the first female British rowers to be crowned Olympic champions.
Now let's hope the golds start to flow - beginning with Bradley Wiggins in this afternoon's cycling time trials at 3pm.
I am glad the girls broke our duck as it was beginning to feel like we would be hosts who put on a great opening ceremony and then failed miserably in the events themselves - like say Austria and Poland who hosted the Euro 2012 football finals.
Now we need to build on the momentum set by Helen and Heather to avoid ending up with that overall verdict.
FRANK WORRALL
WE must be a lucky charm here at Weekly Sport Towers!
No sooner do I start banging out the column (12noon, Wednesday) than Great Britain finally goes and breaks their duck and grabs an Olympic gold!
Yes, many congratulations to Helen Glover and Heather Stanning for finishing first in the final of the rowing women's pair.
The achievement is all the more remarkable as Helen and Heather are the first female British rowers to be crowned Olympic champions.
Now let's hope the golds start to flow - beginning with Bradley Wiggins in this afternoon's cycling time trials at 3pm.
I am glad the girls broke our duck as it was beginning to feel like we would be hosts who put on a great opening ceremony and then failed miserably in the events themselves - like say Austria and Poland who hosted the Euro 2012 football finals.
Now we need to build on the momentum set by Helen and Heather to avoid ending up with that overall verdict.
FRANK WORRALL
HOW DID THE OPENING CEREMONY COST £27MILLION THEN?
OLYMPICS SPECIAL 1
I THOUGHT the Olympics Opening Ceremony was sensational and that producer Danny Boyle definitely deserves the New Year knighthood that is coming his way for masterminding it.
It was arguably the best opener of all-time and certainly better than the military efficiency and glum predictability of Beijing four years ago.
The journey through the various landmark eras of life in Britain - the agricultural then industrial revolutions - and the tips of the hat to our landmark achievements - the NHS, the music and the entertainment industry - were thrilling and highly watchable.
The comic moments - Rowan Atkinson with the LSO and the Queen with Daniel Craig - were also fantastic. And David Beckham looked like he was auditioning for the Bond role as he glided down the river smiling mysteriously on a speedboat.
I also loved the drumming and the musical accompaniments by the likes of Mike Oldfield (who most people had thought had long passed away!)
But there were, inevitably, certain questions and minuses about the whole affair.
Like why did the stadium announcements come in French first and then English?
And why did no one on the set explain who the mean-looking businessman played by Ken Branagh was meant to be? In fact, he was not a mean businessman but Brunel, the man who played a foremost role in the aforementioned industrial revolution with his work on the railways and transport infrastructures.
And then there is the most important question: Just why did the ceremony cost £27million to stage?
Sure, I understand that a lot of people were involved and that there were lots of different scenes and sets.
But the majority of those taking part were volunteers - which means they weren't paid - and even the likes of Paul McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys only received a perfunctory £1 each.
So where did the money go? We need a transparent breakdown of the figures.
Why?
Well, while the event was magnificent and quirky triumph for Britain, that money could have been used elsewhere, couldn't it? Like helping get kids into jobs, people off the dole or improving lifesaving facilities in the NHS?
Surely the ceremony should have cost next to nothing? If everybody involved took no money (as is claimed) and everything was donated (from the sets to the costumes to the electric et al), I could understand a figure of say £1million - and even that is being generous - being set aside for sundry expenses and unexpected late charges. But £27million?
So come on Danny Boyle, let us know how that massive figure breaks down...
FRANK WORRALL
I THOUGHT the Olympics Opening Ceremony was sensational and that producer Danny Boyle definitely deserves the New Year knighthood that is coming his way for masterminding it.
It was arguably the best opener of all-time and certainly better than the military efficiency and glum predictability of Beijing four years ago.
The journey through the various landmark eras of life in Britain - the agricultural then industrial revolutions - and the tips of the hat to our landmark achievements - the NHS, the music and the entertainment industry - were thrilling and highly watchable.
The comic moments - Rowan Atkinson with the LSO and the Queen with Daniel Craig - were also fantastic. And David Beckham looked like he was auditioning for the Bond role as he glided down the river smiling mysteriously on a speedboat.
I also loved the drumming and the musical accompaniments by the likes of Mike Oldfield (who most people had thought had long passed away!)
But there were, inevitably, certain questions and minuses about the whole affair.
Like why did the stadium announcements come in French first and then English?
And why did no one on the set explain who the mean-looking businessman played by Ken Branagh was meant to be? In fact, he was not a mean businessman but Brunel, the man who played a foremost role in the aforementioned industrial revolution with his work on the railways and transport infrastructures.
And then there is the most important question: Just why did the ceremony cost £27million to stage?
Sure, I understand that a lot of people were involved and that there were lots of different scenes and sets.
But the majority of those taking part were volunteers - which means they weren't paid - and even the likes of Paul McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys only received a perfunctory £1 each.
So where did the money go? We need a transparent breakdown of the figures.
Why?
Well, while the event was magnificent and quirky triumph for Britain, that money could have been used elsewhere, couldn't it? Like helping get kids into jobs, people off the dole or improving lifesaving facilities in the NHS?
Surely the ceremony should have cost next to nothing? If everybody involved took no money (as is claimed) and everything was donated (from the sets to the costumes to the electric et al), I could understand a figure of say £1million - and even that is being generous - being set aside for sundry expenses and unexpected late charges. But £27million?
So come on Danny Boyle, let us know how that massive figure breaks down...
FRANK WORRALL
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