World Championship Snooker

This weekend sees the start of the World Snooker Championship. Below I shall try to pick through the early rounds of the draw and rate the players chances. John Higgins starts off against Liang Wenbo, a crucible favourite after his debut performances. A tough test for the Scot but one his matchplay should see him overcome. The winner of that will face Stuart Bingham or Stephen Hendry. Hendry had to qualify for this years Championships but now he has, who would bet against him. It won't be easy as Bingham has seen a rise in form but I think Hendry's craft should just see him get through. A tough first round match sees Graeme Dott take on Joe Perry. Both players are capable of long runs in the Worlds and this match is simply to close to call. It has the makings of a last frame decider. Whoever wins that will face the winner of Stephen Maguire or Luca Brecel. The Belgian won't be overawed by the crucible crowd but I think Maguire shuld win this match up. Shaun Murphy takes on Jamie Jones. Admittedly I don't know to much about Jones and he may falter under the crucible atmosphere. I'm picking Murphy to win that match. The winner will take on Stephen Lee or Andrew Higginson. This is hardly going to be a quick fire match but I think Stephen Lee will win this one. Ali Carter takes on Mark Davies. Carter should have enough to win this match as long as he keeps his emotions in check. The winner will face Judd Trump or Dominic Dale. You have to feel sorry for Dale with his luck in first round opponents. Trump will win this match. That is the easier half of the draw in my opinion. Potential quarter finals are; Higgins/Wenbo or Bingham/Hendry v Dott/Perry or Maguire and the other quarter final being Murphy or Lee v Carter or Trump In the bottom half of the draw Mark Williams takes on Liu Chuang. A potentially tricky encounter but I think Williams will come through. The winner of that faces Ronnie O'Sullivan or Peter Ebdon. O'Sullivan can either be brilliant or terrible and we won't know which until that first frame. If he is prepared to fight then I'll pick him to win. Martin Gould takes on David Gilbert. Gould's recent experiences will see him overcome Gilbert I think. The winner will face the winner of arguably the tie of the round in Neil Robertson and Ken Doherty. Which Doherty will turn up. I expect a cracking match and unfortunately for the neutrals, I think Robertson will win this. Ding Junhui opens up with a tough match against Ryan Day. If there is to be a shock in round one then this could be the tie. I think a tough game will be decider again by a frame or two. The winner of that finds Mark Allen or Cao Yupeng waiting. I think the frustrated Irishman will see off his Chinese competitor to set up another intriguing tie. Matthew Stevens faces a tough Marco Fu in the first round. Another match that is to tough to call and either player will just be happy to get through. The winner will face Mark Selby or Barry Hawkins. While Hawkins possesses the game to frustrate most players, in Selby he is against the best all round player. I think Selby will win that one. So the potential quarter finals in the bottom half are; Williams or O'Sullivan/Ebdon v Robertson and Ding Junhui/Day and Allen v Stevens/Fu and Selby Nearly time to sit back and simply enjoy the drama as it unfolds.

Spineless FA

Yesterday saw yet more evidence of the FA and their lack of ability to get the basic decisions correct. This season has seen the Luiz Suarez affair handled all wrong, even if in some quarters the right result was reached. The discrepancies in that scenario were how the whole case was carried out. Then we reached the John Terry affair. That isn't a metaphor for him and another players wife. Of course I'm referring to the Terry vs Anton Ferdinand race row which the FA bravely and conveniently put off until after the Euro's. The thinking behind this I can only assume was to keep a player undeserving of his stature as England captain, in that very position. That fiasco saw the end of Fabio Capello after the FA refused to bow down to his demands and we eventually thought the FA finally had some balls. But we were wrong. They bungled their way around appointing a successor by refusing to name or approach the man they wanted and leaving a prime candidate in the middle of a media frenzy. So just what is the FA's latest show of weakness. Well firstly not handing out a retrospective additional ban for Mario Balotelli's shameful tackle on Alex Song during the match between Arsenal and Manchester City. Anyone with a degree of common sense saw just how much damage such a tackle could have left the young Arsenal star. It was the FA's chance to make an example not of the player but of the challenge. The FA also bottled the decision not to reduce Shaun Derry's red card which he received for his 'foul' on Ashley Young. The fact that Young was offside, that contact was minimal wasn't enough to persuade the FA to reduce the one match ban. Now I am not going to slate the referees. Early in the season I wrote an article not blaming referees but their assistants. The Young decision started from a linesman error. What about the 2 Chelsea goals in the Wigan match. Or the QPR goal that never was. The referees are stuck in the firing line when it is their so called assistants that are causing the problems. These are not marginal calls like the 1966 World Cup final. They are clear to the naked eye. So we go back to the FA. There is not a match in England that is not covered by some form of broadcaster. Therefore there is a camera at nigh on every match. In my view the FA needs to show some balls and introduce a referral system. Each team gets say 1 referral to an official with replay facilities. Whether he is in the stadium or outside in a broadcast truck but you don't physically see the third umpire in cricket yet you see his decisions. As long as you limit the amount of time the referrals take is it really going to slow the game up to much. When you have matches that have 6 or 7 minutes of injury time as it is. So I call the FA for once to show some spine, show us the FA have balls and make our FA an association to be proud of once again. Try test runs in next seasons Carling Cup. One video referral per side with a limit of say a minute to 2 minutes. The equiptment is in place, it only needs a man, a TV screen and a replay or two. Written by Wesley Hillier @armchairstato.blogspot.com

Armchairstato.com: Which managers will be at their clubs next season?...

Armchairstato.com: Which managers will be at their clubs next season?...: Usually all the talk towards the end of a Premier League season is which players are moving where. However this seaason I think it could be ...

Which managers will be at their clubs next season?

Usually all the talk towards the end of a Premier League season is which players are moving where. However this seaason I think it could be one that sees the biggest movement in managers. Arsene Wenger continues to defy what is possible when you concentrate on youth but even the great man knows you need a sprinkle of experience in any successful side. Should Robin van Persie leave this summer and Jose Mourinho leave Real Madrid then Wenger might find that challenge to much to turn down should the Spanish giants come calling. Alex McLeish hasn't won over the Villa Park faithful. Financial constraints, key injuries and the recent news surrounding club captain "Stan" Petrov, have all conspired against him this season. All these things cannot overshadow that Aston Villa are a weekend or two away from being sucked into the relegation dog fight and at the moment other teams down there are in better form. It wouldn't surprise me if McLeish was replaced before next season. Some may think I have launched a season long attack on Steve Kean but nothing could be further from the truth. I just don't like the man. How anyone, even his deluded self can say Blackburn are in a better position than when Sam Allardyce was unceremoniously replaced at Ewood Park. The longer the season has gone on the more it seems it's about him and not the team. Granted a couple of decent results have made an average manager look better than he is but with 7 games to go his team still sit in the relegation zone. Maybe it's incriminating photographs he has of the owners or something but I really hope my Match of the Day viewing is minus Steve Kean next season. Owen Coyle is a popular man and he has galvanised his squad since the Fabrice Muamba ordeal. The biggest surprise to me is that Bolton find themselves in trouble in the first place. I think they will get out of it and Coyle is one manager who will be at the same club next season. Has Roberto Di Matteo really performed wonders in his brief spell in charge? He has won one decisive game, the second leg against Napoli. The FA Cup tie against Birmingham was a match they should of won anyway. I've no doubt they probably will beat Benfica in the Champions League but will they beat Barcelona? I've my doubts as to whether or not they will even beat Tottenham in the FA Cup semi final. Di Matteo might start next season but I don't see him lasting a whole campaign. David Moyes has to be the most under appreciated manager over the last 10 years. Not only does he manage to survive on a limited budget but he also has a good record of bringing players through from lower divisions. He is also a loyal man and unless a really big top 4 or 5 job came up then he will be there again defying the odds at Goodison Park. Martin Jol has enjoyed a decent season. Yes Fulham are flirting down the wrong end of the table but have enough quality not to be sucked into the mire. Keeping hold of the likes of Clint Dempsey and Brede Hangeland will be his toughest test over the summer but I expect Jol to still be at Craven Cottage next season. Kenny Dalgleish's time at Liverpool is up. I was sickened by his orchestration in ridding Anfield of Roy Hodgson and it appears Dalgleish actually isn't any better. His transfer signings have all been unimpressive on the whole and his attitude to the media is disrespectful. He leaves a bad taste in many neutrals mouths and although he will see out the season, he won't be there next year. Roberto Mancini is clearly showing signs of the pressure at Manchester City. He and his team were very public around Christmas saying the title was a foregone conclusion. They didn't count on teams raising their performance against them and in actual fact are lucky to be only 5 points off the top. Mancini is also struggling to keep the dressing room happy with all the egos and the self imploding Mario Balotelli is doing more harm than good at the Etihad. It looks likely for all the outlay pre-season that Manchester City could end the season without a trophy. That's the same team that crowed about winning 4 trophies this season. I don't expect Mancini to be managing in England next season. Sir Alex Ferguson looks like possibly winning his greatest league title. His youngsters have risen to the challenge and have overhauled Man City and don't look like capitulating like their noisy neighbours. Will Ferguson want one final attempt at Champions League glory. Or will he hand over the reigns to a younger man. Could Mourinho or Moyes be ready to fill Sir Alex's shoes. Is the great man ready to give it all up yet. I think we will see one more season from him. Alan Pardew as I have continually maintained deserves recognition for where he has taken Newcastle. An unpopular choice when appointed, he now lives a god like status amongst the St. James Park faithful. They deserve a run in next seasons Europa League and regardless how their season finishes, Pardew will still be their manager next season. Paul Lambert is the first of two highly respected newcomer managers in the league this year. His Norwich team are quite attractive to watch and he has built a real team ethic there. Obviously the second season is the test for newly promoted clubs but Lambert will still be Norwich manager. Mark Hughes doesn't come across as a Championship manager. Queens Park Rangers have home matches against Swansea, Tottenham and Stoke which they have to win. An away match at West Brom is a game where there are points to be played for. They also have away matches against Man United, Man City and Chelsea. If Hughes can achieve 3 or 4 wins and nick a draw here or there they might just be safe. I'd like to think if QPR did go down he would stay and bring them back up. I think Hughes will stay there and rebuild his reputation. Unless the unthinkable happens and the FA offer Tony Pulis the England managers job, he is another who will stay in charge of Stoke next season. Infact I think the only job he would seriously consider leaving the Britannia for is the Welsh National Team. Martin O'Neill is another manager who will start next season at Sunderland. He has worked wonders there since taking over and with a little cash to spend next season could really push for a European position. Brendan Rodgers is another manager who is safe with his job. He has put together an impressive side and keeping hold of them all will be a test. Also the second season syndrome will be interesting but he won't change his ethics and Swansea are another decent team to watch. Harry Redknapp will stay at Tottenham if they secure Champions League football I believe. Why would he want to give up one of the most exciting teams we have seen and swap it for the drudgery of the England managers job. However if Tottenham do lose out then he might be tempted to have a crack at the Euros but I don't think Redknapp is a long term candidate. I expect him to still be Tottenham manager next season. Roy Hodgson is a manager I have respected over many years. He seems to do well wherever he goes and I still maintain he wasn't given a fair crack at Liverpool. He had a want away Fernando Torres and some of his signings have since been sold to improve rival teams. West Brom won't want him to leave and I don't see him doing so. Roberto Martinez has had an aura about him all season that has suggested if Wigan did get relegated he would stick by them. That wasn't a negative approach, just realism as to how much a fight it was going to be this season. It won't be easy with Wigan facing 4 out of the top 6 before now and the end of the season but I think Martinez will stay regardless. Terry Connor is one who will be gone. I don't see anyway for Wolves to survive and the heirarchy must be regretting allowing Mick McCarthy to leave. It will be hard to see Wolves bouncing back but I do think Connor won't be given the chance to try. Written by Wesley Hillier @armchairstato.blogspot.com

Armchairstato.com: US Masters contenders

Armchairstato.com: US Masters contenders: It's the weekend that always makes me think that spring is here. Watching the climax to a great weekends golfing action on the world best go...

US Masters contenders

It's the weekend that always makes me think that spring is here. Watching the climax to a great weekends golfing action on the world best golf course. And the worlds best golfers will all be trying to win the coverted green jacket. After having a brief look at the odds this morning and the bookmakers have made Tiger Woods 9/2 and Rory McIlroy 6/1 the clear favourites. However I flicked further down the list and have picked out a few decent worthy bets. However shop around for where the best place to put your bet on is as some outlets only offer 4th place and ties but I know Paddy Power offer as far down as 6th. Luke Donald is 14/1 and a worthwhile £2 each way bet. The rest of the golfers names I'll list are all worth a £1 each way. Lee Westwood is 20/1 Hunter Mahan is 28/1 Keegan Bradley is 30/1 Jason Day is 40/1 Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson are both 50/1 Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell and KJ Choi are all 66/1 Martin Kaymer is 70/1 Angel Cabrera is 80/1 Rickie Fowler is 100/1 Some surprising odds see Paul Casey and Y E Yang at 125/1 and Stewart Cink at 200/1 and Miguel Angel Jimenez 250/1 Also it seems at Augusta a former champ always seems to feature. So the likes of Fred Couples are a mere 125/1, Vijay Singh 200/1 and Jose Maria Olazábal 400/1 So where will my money be going this weekend. McIlroy could be worth £5 to win and I hope he does but I usually pick out 5 golfers further down the field and do them £1 each way making an weekends pleasurable golf with a minor £10 outlay. I think Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, KJ Choi, Hunter Mahan and an outsider paul Casey could be the ones I'd go with.

Armchairstato.com: Who should be the next England manager?

Armchairstato.com: Who should be the next England manager?: Since Fabio Capello resigned as England manger earlier this year, speculation as to who his replacement should be has reached fever pitch. ...

Who should be the next England manager?

Since Fabio Capello resigned as England manger earlier this year, speculation as to who his replacement should be has reached fever pitch.

In the eyes of the media there seems to be just one man for the job. That's the same media ready and waiting to knock the next candidate down.

Harry Redknapp is a very respected manager in England. His man management skills are well documented but there a two factors which should be considered. Firstly his age doesn't mean he is a real long term option. Secondly, should Tottenham secure a top 4 finish then I think Redknapp will relish another crack at Champions League football.

The other man named of similar age is Roy Hodgson. He is well respected across Europe and has coached and been successful at everywhere he has been. OK his time at Liverpool will be questioned but I feel he wasn't given a fair chance there. Both Hodgson and Redknapp may be slightly to old for the England job.

Now if you consider the next two world cups are in Brazil and Qatar then in all seriousness, I wouldn't expect England to win either. Travel and climate, altitude and heat are all factors to be considered. So if the FA are looking for longevity then their next manager should be someone who ideally will be around managing in 2022.

I don't subscribe to the idea the next manager has to be English but certainly British. So who are the candidates.

David Moyes continues to defy the financial constraints at Everton and this season alone finds the club in an FA Cup semi final as well as in the mix for a European place through the league. Moyes also has an uncanny knack of unearthing decent players from lower down the leagues. My only concern would be whether or not Moyes has experienced pressure situations and whether or not a top 4 or 5 club will come calling in the summer.

Tony Pulis has made Stoke one of the Premier Leagues most feared teams on their day. Near impossible to beat on home soil, they continue to defy the odds in the league and although Stoke did spend in the summer, still possess a 'team' not guaranteed to play for many premier league teams. People may raise doubts over a proud Welshman managing the England team and maybe that is why he hasn't been mentioned.

Alan Pardew still remains a candidate for manager of the season in my view. Allowing Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Andy Carroll and Jose Enrique to leave and none have gone on to top Newcastle in the table so far. He obviously has an eye for talent as the squad he has assembled proves. The downside to Pardew is the lack of English players in his starting line up.

Chris Hughton has done a minor miracle at Birmingham this season. So long known as an assistant, he left Newcastle through no fault of his own in good shape after an excellent promotion from the championship. He has juggled a squad ripped of it's better players as well as Europa League commitments, which they almost qualified from, and took Chelsea to an FA Cup replay. During all this he has quietly taken Birmingham into the playoff zone and if nothing else deserves recognition.

The other obvious man is Stuart Pearce. He has tournament experience with the U21 team and knows the next generation of England players. If the players are old enough then why not the manager. England can use the next two world cups as experience and focus on the Euro's. Then for 2022, Pearce will still be available for a fair crack at a world cup.