In a manner reminiscent of Phil Jones’ departure from Blackburn, Sunderland sold their England midfielder Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for £20m; unlike Steve Kean at Rovers, however, Steve Bruce has not been shy of spending the revenue. The Black Cats have added no fewer than nine players to their squad, including Manchester United defenders Wes Brown and John O’Shea, Birmingham duo Sebastian Larsson and Craig Gardener and also fought off competition to sign Ipswich’s highly-rated midfielder Connor Wickham. Bruce must hope that the squad gels quickly and easily, but he would surely be disappointed if his side did not improve on last season’s 10th place.
Recent weeks have been another episode in the perennial Newcastle United farce. With Joey Barton threatening to follow Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan out of St James’ Park, many Toon fans expect a frustrating season ahead. With a relatively impotent strike force of Shola Ameobi and new signing Demba Ba, manager Alan Pardew has been urged by fans to invest more of the £35m received for Andy Carroll in January. Whether or not owner Mike Ashley permits this is a matter of debate, and while Newcastle have added some (Francophone) midfielders – Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Mehdi Abeid and the impressive-looking Yohan Cabaye – to their squad, they still desperately require another striker. It might be a difficult season, but Newcastle should still have too much quality, including Hatem Ben Arfa and new captain Fabricio Coloccini, to return so soon to the second tier.
West Bromwich Albion, who clawed back a three-goal deficit against Newcastle on the last day of last season to leapfrog the Magpies into 11th place, had a season of two halves. After Roberto Di Matteo was sacked as manager in February – following a run of seven defeats in nine matches – Roy Hodgson presided over a rise in fortunes and the table for the Baggies. With Peter Odemwingie on prolific goalscoring form last year – and this season joined up front by record signing Shane Long – Hodgson will be hopeful that he and other key players, including midfielders Somen Tchoyi and Chris Brunt, will be able to build on that mid-table finish. It would be a surprise if they fail to do so.
Stoke City are commonly regarded as one of the least glamourous clubs in the top division, but fans – reputedly among the loudest in the country – will not care. Their three seasons in the Premier League have seen Tony Pulis’ side finish 12th, 11th and 13th, and there is few reasons to believe the Potters cannot engineer another safe mid-table spot this time around. Stoke’s focus last season was on the FA Cup, in which they reached the final before capitulating to Manchester City. Famous for the long throws-in of Rory Delap, Stoke have talent throughout the team, particularly in imposing centre back Robert Huth, winger Matthew Etherington and triggerman Kenwyne Jones. Matthew Upson is a solid signing, too, but Stoke will have to be wary of the potential effects of their Europa League campaign on their domestic fortunes.
Like Stoke, Fulham have already kicked off their Europa League campaign – indeed, they did so before the end of July. Last time out in the Premier League, under Mark Hughes, they were the draw specialists, finishing a satisfactory 8th. The summer, however, has seen Hughes being replaced with former Tottenham manager Martin Jol, and although the new boss is yet to bring any true blockbuster signings to Craven Cottage, he will be hopeful that a team that boasts undoubted defensive talents – including goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and defenders Brede Hangeland, Chris Baird and former Liverpool left back John Arne Riise, who joined this summer from Serie A outfit Roma – will be able to secure another top-half finish. It would be a surprise if the well-regarded Jol were to fail in that task.
For Jol’s former club, the 2011-12 season would have to be a remarkable one to eclipse the adventure of last term. Tottenham Hotspur won their Champions League group in their first outing in Europe’s premier club tournament, and then knocked out AC Milan before finally succumbing to Real Madrid in the quarter finals. The continental adventure might have distracted Spurs, who this season will revert back to the Europa League. With Liverpool’s apparently rising fortunes, Spurs will struggle even to retain last season’s fifth spot. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, a fantastic shot-stopper but subject to frequent lapses of concentration, may be usurped by the signing of Aston Villa’s Brad Friedel, but this season is likely to be something of a letdown after the heights of the previous two.
The Aston Villa club hierarchy were embroiled in much controversy at the start of the summer, upsetting many of their fans by appointing Alex McLeish as manager – despite not only arriving from archrivals Birmingham City, but also having got them relegated. He has brought in a couple of useful players, however, namely goalkeeper Shay Given and midfielder Charles N’Zogbia. In England striker Darren Bent, they have one of the top forwards in the league, but his task will be made more difficult by the loss of wingers Stewart Downing and Ashley Young to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. In order to build on last season’s ninth place finish, McLeish will hope that young players such as Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark and Nathan Delfouneso can build on the promise they showed last year.
Everton have had a remarkably quiet off-season. A very satisfactory seventh place finish last time was achieved despite having very few options for the position of striker; indeed, Tim Cahill, with nine goals, was the top league goal-scorer for the Toffees. Despite this lack of strikers, however, Everton have a number of high quality players that were crucial to last season’s relative success, particularly left-back Leighton Baines, centre back (and apparent Arsenal target) Phil Jagielka, the freekick master Mikel Arteta as well as Australian international Cahill. Along with the likes of the Irish youngster Seamus Coleman, Everton can become an established top-half side, even in spite of the vacuum up front.
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Premier League Preview Part One: The Title Contenders
The first week or two of August is traditionally time for widespread optimism amongst football fans. With the season a matter of days away, supporters believe that this is ‘their year’ for success, and with the addition of high-profile signings and the prospect of more to come, there is an almost tangible air of excitement.
For the English football powerhouses, such positivity is easy to come by. Last season’s champions Manchester United, who took the title – in the end relatively comfortably – despite being commonly regarded as something of a shadow of the team of a few seasons ago, have bolstered the squad with the additions of goalkeeper David de Gea, centre-back Phil Jones and winger Ashley Young. De Gea and Jones are just 20 and 19 years of age respectively, and their signings underline Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire to build his squad for long-term success. With last season’s breakthrough of Javier Hernandez – to the extent that he kept joint top goal-scorer Dimitar Berbatov on the bench towards the end of the season – as well as a host of other young players such as Chris Smalling, these remain exciting times for United fans (not that that can apply more particularly to this off-season than any other at Old Trafford). Dutch star Wesley Sneijder has proved elusive to United so far, but his addition remains on the radar, and would make the defence of the league title that much easier.
Chelsea have not added any players, but in appointing Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager created one of the first talking points of the summer. Villas-Boas, echoing his compatriot Jose Mourinho in arriving at Stamford Bridge from FC Porto and with the experience of having worked under Sir Bobby Robson, is the youngest manager in the Premier League at just 33. He will be under immediate pressure – although presumably less intense than that felt by his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti – to win trophies, but the lack of arrivals gives Villas-Boas a hard task in freshening up a team that, at times, looked stale and even predictable last season. Fernando Torres, after his frustrating goalless spell following his move from Liverpool, will be keen to justify his £50m price tag. Finally scoring at the end of last season will have eased the tension greatly, and it is not hard to see this being a relatively fruitful season for the Spaniard.
Torres’ quest for the golden boot, however, will be made all the more difficult by Manchester City’s signing of Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero, in probably the biggest transfer of the summer. City, who will grace the Champions League group stage this year, have been – admittedly, with some justification – accused of attempting to buy success. But whilst it is true that City have spent even more money than Chelsea since Roman Abramovich’s takeover, their signings have had much less of an effect, and a large transfer fee paid by the club is far from a guarantor of future productivity. The £27m paid for Edin Dzeko is yet to be justified; the £24m for Mario Balotelli has been little more than a waste. Yaya Toure, though, performed superbly last season, and this is no time to write Manchester City off, for as soon as the squad gels – the most significant missing ingredient over the last two seasons – success will surely follow. It is not difficult to envisage a Manchester double act atop the league by the end of May 2012.
Arsenal, by contrast, have avoided splashing out. The debacle towards the end of last season, when they took just 12 points from their last 11 league matches and were knocked out of three cups in less than a fortnight has led to a level of dissatisfaction with Arsene Wenger that is probably the most intense of his time in North London. The perennial goalkeeper problem continues to dog Arsenal, though Wojciech Szczeny appears to be a marked improvement on the likes of Manuel Alminua and Lucasz Fabianski. Two of the club’s top midfielders, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, have not guaranteed their return to the Emirates Stadium, and it would be a terrible blow to Arsenal’s fortunes if they cannot retain at least one of the two.
Wenger deserves praise for his thrift, but the patience of Gunners fans is wearing extremely thin, and if no trophy is forthcoming this season it will surely prove to be his last at the club. As always, it would be foolish to dismiss the Arsenal challenge completely, but their strength in depth is not enough to win the league. To extend his time with the Gunners, Wenger will probably have to overcome his traditional hostility to the League and FA Cups.
Arsenal’s problems, however, looked set to be overshadowed for much of last season by those at Anfield. As late as January this year, thousands of Facebook users cheekily anticipated a spontaneous party to celebrate what was apparently unthinkable – the relegation of Liverpool from the Premier League. Everton’s 2-0 derby victory put Liverpool into 19th place, and the club had barely recovered by the time manager Roy Hodgson left his post after just seven months in charge. Under new boss, and Reds legend, Kenny Dalglish, the side’s fortunes changed, and they finished sixth, only just missing out on European qualification. This season, with one of the top strike partnerships in the league, Liverpool will aim to break back into the top four. Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, both of whom joined in January, were the first fruits of last season’s takeover by the American Fenway Sports Group.
There has been plenty of transfer activity this summer, too. Dalglish has acquired Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, and is thus hardly short of midfielders. Although questions have been asked about the cost of Dalglish’s signings – Carroll, Downing and Henderson cost a combined £75m – if the Reds can build on the relative success of the second half of last season, a top-three finish is not inconceivable. Indeed, under Dalglish Liverpool triumphed over both Manchester teams and Chelsea, and snatched a dramatic draw at Arsenal. Liverpool’s problem has been their consistency against lesser teams, but it would be no great surprise if, in May 2012, Liverpool have achieved a Champions League spot – and have added to the Anfield trophy cabinet.
This article was originally published at The Vibe
For the English football powerhouses, such positivity is easy to come by. Last season’s champions Manchester United, who took the title – in the end relatively comfortably – despite being commonly regarded as something of a shadow of the team of a few seasons ago, have bolstered the squad with the additions of goalkeeper David de Gea, centre-back Phil Jones and winger Ashley Young. De Gea and Jones are just 20 and 19 years of age respectively, and their signings underline Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire to build his squad for long-term success. With last season’s breakthrough of Javier Hernandez – to the extent that he kept joint top goal-scorer Dimitar Berbatov on the bench towards the end of the season – as well as a host of other young players such as Chris Smalling, these remain exciting times for United fans (not that that can apply more particularly to this off-season than any other at Old Trafford). Dutch star Wesley Sneijder has proved elusive to United so far, but his addition remains on the radar, and would make the defence of the league title that much easier.
Chelsea have not added any players, but in appointing Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager created one of the first talking points of the summer. Villas-Boas, echoing his compatriot Jose Mourinho in arriving at Stamford Bridge from FC Porto and with the experience of having worked under Sir Bobby Robson, is the youngest manager in the Premier League at just 33. He will be under immediate pressure – although presumably less intense than that felt by his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti – to win trophies, but the lack of arrivals gives Villas-Boas a hard task in freshening up a team that, at times, looked stale and even predictable last season. Fernando Torres, after his frustrating goalless spell following his move from Liverpool, will be keen to justify his £50m price tag. Finally scoring at the end of last season will have eased the tension greatly, and it is not hard to see this being a relatively fruitful season for the Spaniard.
Torres’ quest for the golden boot, however, will be made all the more difficult by Manchester City’s signing of Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero, in probably the biggest transfer of the summer. City, who will grace the Champions League group stage this year, have been – admittedly, with some justification – accused of attempting to buy success. But whilst it is true that City have spent even more money than Chelsea since Roman Abramovich’s takeover, their signings have had much less of an effect, and a large transfer fee paid by the club is far from a guarantor of future productivity. The £27m paid for Edin Dzeko is yet to be justified; the £24m for Mario Balotelli has been little more than a waste. Yaya Toure, though, performed superbly last season, and this is no time to write Manchester City off, for as soon as the squad gels – the most significant missing ingredient over the last two seasons – success will surely follow. It is not difficult to envisage a Manchester double act atop the league by the end of May 2012.
Arsenal, by contrast, have avoided splashing out. The debacle towards the end of last season, when they took just 12 points from their last 11 league matches and were knocked out of three cups in less than a fortnight has led to a level of dissatisfaction with Arsene Wenger that is probably the most intense of his time in North London. The perennial goalkeeper problem continues to dog Arsenal, though Wojciech Szczeny appears to be a marked improvement on the likes of Manuel Alminua and Lucasz Fabianski. Two of the club’s top midfielders, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, have not guaranteed their return to the Emirates Stadium, and it would be a terrible blow to Arsenal’s fortunes if they cannot retain at least one of the two.
Wenger deserves praise for his thrift, but the patience of Gunners fans is wearing extremely thin, and if no trophy is forthcoming this season it will surely prove to be his last at the club. As always, it would be foolish to dismiss the Arsenal challenge completely, but their strength in depth is not enough to win the league. To extend his time with the Gunners, Wenger will probably have to overcome his traditional hostility to the League and FA Cups.
Arsenal’s problems, however, looked set to be overshadowed for much of last season by those at Anfield. As late as January this year, thousands of Facebook users cheekily anticipated a spontaneous party to celebrate what was apparently unthinkable – the relegation of Liverpool from the Premier League. Everton’s 2-0 derby victory put Liverpool into 19th place, and the club had barely recovered by the time manager Roy Hodgson left his post after just seven months in charge. Under new boss, and Reds legend, Kenny Dalglish, the side’s fortunes changed, and they finished sixth, only just missing out on European qualification. This season, with one of the top strike partnerships in the league, Liverpool will aim to break back into the top four. Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, both of whom joined in January, were the first fruits of last season’s takeover by the American Fenway Sports Group.
There has been plenty of transfer activity this summer, too. Dalglish has acquired Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, and is thus hardly short of midfielders. Although questions have been asked about the cost of Dalglish’s signings – Carroll, Downing and Henderson cost a combined £75m – if the Reds can build on the relative success of the second half of last season, a top-three finish is not inconceivable. Indeed, under Dalglish Liverpool triumphed over both Manchester teams and Chelsea, and snatched a dramatic draw at Arsenal. Liverpool’s problem has been their consistency against lesser teams, but it would be no great surprise if, in May 2012, Liverpool have achieved a Champions League spot – and have added to the Anfield trophy cabinet.
This article was originally published at The Vibe
England 23-19 Wales
England saw off a late Welsh challenge to secure a win in this World Cup warm-up match at Twickenham in a fixture that saw both nations field experimental line-ups. With the tournament in New Zealand just one month away, clinical kicking from Jonny Wilkinson edged England home – as so often – after Wales scored three tries to the hosts’ two.
Neither team was at full strength, and most English focus was on debutant Manu Tuigilagi. The twenty year-old centre made an instant impression on the international stage, dancing through the Welsh defence for England’s second try to the delight of the majority of the 81,000 crowd.
Wilkinson’s form will have pleased home supporters, too. The outside half scored thirteen points, and his 100 percent goalkicking record will give hope that he can emulate his achievements in the last southern hemisphere World Cup, in 2003.
Perhaps, though, England’s back line today is even more electric than eight years ago; along with Tuigilagi, Delon Armitage was solid at full back and Matt Banahan made solid yards with every touch. Martin Johnson will surely be satisfied that he has players of sufficient quality to call on throughout the backline. That said, however, the pack does not have the same kind of experience or class that propelled England to glory in Australia.
For their part, Wales will not be too disheartened with the result considering the relatively makeshift side they fielded. Outside half Stephen Jones was injured just prior to kick off; his place was taken by Rhys Priestland, and Morgan Stoddart came into the side at fullback to replace Priestland.
It was to be an afternoon of contrasting fortunes for the Priestland and Stoddart. The former was excellent in kicking both from hand and at goal, and looked strong and confident at stand off. Stoddart, however, was stretchered off in obvious pain with a suspected broken leg, and his place in New Zealand now looks under serious doubt.
Winger George North continued to demonstrate his talent, scoring two tries and looking powerful facing Mark Cueto. North and Priestland are excellent prospects for the Welsh for the coming years. Captain Sam Warburton, too, impressed, and in spite of the defeat there is plenty to encourage Wales coach Warren Gatland. Not least amongst these factors was the resilience and determination Wales showed in coming within a score of snatching a win in a game that, at one stage, England threatened to dominate. Gatland will hope his side can build on these in the return fixture at the Millennium Stadium next weekend.
Neither team was at full strength, and most English focus was on debutant Manu Tuigilagi. The twenty year-old centre made an instant impression on the international stage, dancing through the Welsh defence for England’s second try to the delight of the majority of the 81,000 crowd.
Wilkinson’s form will have pleased home supporters, too. The outside half scored thirteen points, and his 100 percent goalkicking record will give hope that he can emulate his achievements in the last southern hemisphere World Cup, in 2003.
Perhaps, though, England’s back line today is even more electric than eight years ago; along with Tuigilagi, Delon Armitage was solid at full back and Matt Banahan made solid yards with every touch. Martin Johnson will surely be satisfied that he has players of sufficient quality to call on throughout the backline. That said, however, the pack does not have the same kind of experience or class that propelled England to glory in Australia.
For their part, Wales will not be too disheartened with the result considering the relatively makeshift side they fielded. Outside half Stephen Jones was injured just prior to kick off; his place was taken by Rhys Priestland, and Morgan Stoddart came into the side at fullback to replace Priestland.
It was to be an afternoon of contrasting fortunes for the Priestland and Stoddart. The former was excellent in kicking both from hand and at goal, and looked strong and confident at stand off. Stoddart, however, was stretchered off in obvious pain with a suspected broken leg, and his place in New Zealand now looks under serious doubt.
Winger George North continued to demonstrate his talent, scoring two tries and looking powerful facing Mark Cueto. North and Priestland are excellent prospects for the Welsh for the coming years. Captain Sam Warburton, too, impressed, and in spite of the defeat there is plenty to encourage Wales coach Warren Gatland. Not least amongst these factors was the resilience and determination Wales showed in coming within a score of snatching a win in a game that, at one stage, England threatened to dominate. Gatland will hope his side can build on these in the return fixture at the Millennium Stadium next weekend.
New Zealand 30-14 Australia
New Zealand continued their ominous pre-World Cup form with a comfortable win over Tasman rivals Australia in Auckland, and in form like this - combined with the home advantage the tournament will give them - it is difficult to see who can deny them the chance to reclaim the William Webb Ellis trophy.
Today's triumph over Australia, which followed a crushing defeat of South Africa in Wellington last weekend, gives New Zealand a clear lead in this season's truncated Tri-Nations tournament. More importantly perhaps, it has given a psychological boost to the favourites, who have been perceived as having choked at every World Cup since they won the inaugural version in 1987.
Dan Carter, who regained his international point-scoring record from Jonny Wilkinson last weekend, appears - still - to be at the peak of his game. Ma'a Nonu, too, seems to have regained the form of his prime, and combined well with former Hurricanes centre partner Conrad Smith to rip through the Australian backline.
Lock Ali Williams was solid in his first appearance for the All Blacks for three years, and despite his traditional frosty glare, New Zealand coach Graham Henry will have been satisfied with the display at the redeveloped Eden Park.
For their part, the Wallabies might feel aggrieved with the scoreline, which failed to reflect the pressure that they exerted on their hosts for large periods. Australia dominated territory and possession in the first half, and coach Robbie Deans will have been disappointed that they headed in for the interval 17-0 in arrears.
Australia - particularly through scrum-half Will Genia and wingers Digby Ioane and James O'Connor (despite missing three penalties) - have an exciting backline, and if they all click, they could tear almost any team apart with stylish ease. The Wallabies' main box office attraction Quade Cooper, however, had a poor game, attempting simply to be too clever.
Cooper's apparent loss of rugby intelligence was epitomised by an offload he made out of the back of his hand when facing down three All Blacks on his own tryline; the pass, in the general vicinity of O'Connor, landed dangerously in the in-goal area, and only O'Connor's smart reactions, hacking the ball away, prevented Conrad Smith from falling on the ball for what would have been a gifted score.
Cooper is one of the potential stars of this tournament, but if he insists on trying to force plays, he risks undermining all that he is undoubtedly capable of achieving. His sublime mispass in the build-up to Rocky Elsom's score underlined his talents, but he threw numerous forward passes, at times kicked loosely and his reckless flip pass illustrated that, if he is not allowed space to be creative, he turns from Australia's spark to something of an Achilles' heel.
Today's triumph over Australia, which followed a crushing defeat of South Africa in Wellington last weekend, gives New Zealand a clear lead in this season's truncated Tri-Nations tournament. More importantly perhaps, it has given a psychological boost to the favourites, who have been perceived as having choked at every World Cup since they won the inaugural version in 1987.
Dan Carter, who regained his international point-scoring record from Jonny Wilkinson last weekend, appears - still - to be at the peak of his game. Ma'a Nonu, too, seems to have regained the form of his prime, and combined well with former Hurricanes centre partner Conrad Smith to rip through the Australian backline.
Lock Ali Williams was solid in his first appearance for the All Blacks for three years, and despite his traditional frosty glare, New Zealand coach Graham Henry will have been satisfied with the display at the redeveloped Eden Park.
For their part, the Wallabies might feel aggrieved with the scoreline, which failed to reflect the pressure that they exerted on their hosts for large periods. Australia dominated territory and possession in the first half, and coach Robbie Deans will have been disappointed that they headed in for the interval 17-0 in arrears.
Australia - particularly through scrum-half Will Genia and wingers Digby Ioane and James O'Connor (despite missing three penalties) - have an exciting backline, and if they all click, they could tear almost any team apart with stylish ease. The Wallabies' main box office attraction Quade Cooper, however, had a poor game, attempting simply to be too clever.
Cooper's apparent loss of rugby intelligence was epitomised by an offload he made out of the back of his hand when facing down three All Blacks on his own tryline; the pass, in the general vicinity of O'Connor, landed dangerously in the in-goal area, and only O'Connor's smart reactions, hacking the ball away, prevented Conrad Smith from falling on the ball for what would have been a gifted score.
Cooper is one of the potential stars of this tournament, but if he insists on trying to force plays, he risks undermining all that he is undoubtedly capable of achieving. His sublime mispass in the build-up to Rocky Elsom's score underlined his talents, but he threw numerous forward passes, at times kicked loosely and his reckless flip pass illustrated that, if he is not allowed space to be creative, he turns from Australia's spark to something of an Achilles' heel.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Otago’s new stadium: finally, some character
Dunedin’s new Forsyth Barr Stadium, opened today by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, is a ground purpose built for next month’s Rugby World Cup, at which it will host four matches. It replaces Carisbrook, the (in)famous arena known as ‘the House of Pain’ because of the physical nature of its residents, the Highlanders and the Otago regional team.
And it is quite a feat of architecture. Most new stadiums, in the UK at least, are taken from the same mould, soulless, faceless, bland – and the same. Look at the (relatively) recently-opened stadiums in Cardiff, Swansea, Leicester, Derby, Sunderland, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Southampton…
Stadiums need character. The House of Pain had that, and, albeit for different reasons, the Forsyth Barr Stadium will, too. Admittedly, it has succumbed to the other scourge of modern stadia – namely, the need to include a sponsor in its name.
Its plastic roof is made of the same substance as that of the Water Cube of Beijing Olympics fame, which gives a futuristic look to the ground that might seem somewhat out of place in its hilly surroundings. The translucency might also hinder the watching of the game, as the connectors will cast all sorts of lined shadow on the pitch.
And it remains to be seen whether the atmosphere will suffer from the closed-off, set-back nature of the stands, particularly those behind the goals. But even these concerns cannot detract from my appreciation of it as an arena – its unique nature might be something of a risk, but it also allows supporters to actively appreciate and admire the stadium, rather than see it as yet another generic, identikit piece of engineering.
The turnstiles at Carisbrook have worked their last shift
And it is quite a feat of architecture. Most new stadiums, in the UK at least, are taken from the same mould, soulless, faceless, bland – and the same. Look at the (relatively) recently-opened stadiums in Cardiff, Swansea, Leicester, Derby, Sunderland, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Southampton…
Stadiums need character. The House of Pain had that, and, albeit for different reasons, the Forsyth Barr Stadium will, too. Admittedly, it has succumbed to the other scourge of modern stadia – namely, the need to include a sponsor in its name.
Its plastic roof is made of the same substance as that of the Water Cube of Beijing Olympics fame, which gives a futuristic look to the ground that might seem somewhat out of place in its hilly surroundings. The translucency might also hinder the watching of the game, as the connectors will cast all sorts of lined shadow on the pitch.
And it remains to be seen whether the atmosphere will suffer from the closed-off, set-back nature of the stands, particularly those behind the goals. But even these concerns cannot detract from my appreciation of it as an arena – its unique nature might be something of a risk, but it also allows supporters to actively appreciate and admire the stadium, rather than see it as yet another generic, identikit piece of engineering.
New Zealand general election: is the contest already over?
This (southern hemisphere) spring, New Zealand will host the biggest international event in its history. Tens of thousands of foreign fans are expected to descend on the Land of the Long White Cloud for the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off next month. There is a growing wave of optimism amongst Kiwis that that the All Blacks, seemingly perennial favourites for the tournament, can reclaim the trophy for the first time since 1987. Bookmakers see New Zealand as the favourites, but as has been proved time and again, in such a competition the overall winner is difficult to predict.
That cannot be said about another national event taking place later this year. Less than five weeks after the World Cup final – and timed, surely, to take advantage of what is hoped to be feelings of national pride and contentment that will fill New Zealanders as a result of that match – sees a general election in which Prime Minister John Key is expected to consolidate his position at the head of government. Three years after ending a run of three consecutive electoral wins for the Labour Party under Helen Clark, Key’s National Party looks set to be surging towards victory – and has his sights firmly set on achieving the first majority government since Jim Bolger’s 1993 triumph.
National, a party very similar in ideology to the British Conservative Party (indeed, John Key and David Cameron share a warm personal friendship; Key was one of the first world leaders to phone with congratulations for Cameron on his entry into 10 Downing Street last year), has held comfortably held off any Labour challenge throughout this Parliament. Indeed, Labour, under former Defence Minister Phil Goff, has been consistently around 20 percentage points in arrears of National.
Admittedly, one poll published on 22 July put National just ten points ahead, on 37.7 percent. That, however, appeared to be an outlier; National has not had any other poll rating of less than 48 percent since December 2008, while Labour has not polled higher than the mid-thirties since well before its defeat three years ago. The latest Herald Digipoll survey, published last Saturday in the New Zealand Herald newspaper, makes typical grim reading for Goff. His party sits on 33 percent, with National hardly visible in the distance on 52 percent.
Such poll ratings invoke the prospect that Key can overcome the hindrances of the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system (the future of which is dependent on the result of a referendum to be held on the same day as the election) that operates in New Zealand. To ensure that an overall majority of the new parliament’s 120 MPs are coloured National blue, Key requires a majority barely larger than he attained three years ago. At that election, National won 58 seats, three short of an overall majority, on less than 45 percent of the vote. With the party polling higher than that, this could well turn out to be an era-defining election.
National, if the vast majority of the polls are to be believed, look on course to become the first party to win more than half of votes cast since the party polled 54 percent sixty years – and twenty elections – ago.
Politics in New Zealand over the last decade has, in many ways, mirrored events in the UK. Both countries had three-term Labour governments during the late 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Both National and the British Tories elected young, charismatic and telegenic leaders who undertook rebranding exercises; both fell just short of parliamentary majorities. New Zealand’s current deputy prime minister, Bill English, has overcome leading the party into a landslide defeat in 2002 to become a key member of the government, in much the same way as David Cameron’s unofficial party deputy, William Hague, put behind his disastrous loss in 2001.
There, however, the similarities seem to end. New Zealand Labour dreams of a poll showing it with only a single-digit deficit; British Labour holds a relatively consistent lead over the Tories. Cameron has negative approval ratings; John Key appears to have had a honeymoon of record length and remains enormously popular.
The problem for Labour is that their leader remains politically toxic. In the ‘preferred prime minister’ stakes, Goff is suffering even more obviously than his party. While Key got the thumbs-up from 70 percent of voters, Goff’s score of 9 percent barely beat the rating received in the same poll by Helen Clark.
And even when voters express a preference for many Labour policies over those of National – as has been the case in recent weeks, for example, with the electorate expressing a general preference for Labour’s proposed capital gains tax over the government’s desire for increased privatisation – this trend does not translate into increased support for the party.
Perhaps, then, the largest obstacle for Labour is one that they have little power to shift: the stubbornly elevated level of approval for the Prime Minister and the government in general. Both have ridden out their share of controversies with no more than superficial damage, and the New Zealand public looks set to endorse overwhelmingly their three years in office.
Key’s down-to-earth attitude, his attempts to distance himself from the widely denigrated habits of the typical politician and his anti-waste austerity drive have played well with New Zealanders, and he is seen as somebody the electorate can easily relate to. Even his cringe-worthy comedic performance on the Late Show with David Letterman, when he announced the top 10 reasons to visit his country (including having the ‘loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim’) was hailed by supporters to demonstrate Key’s likeability.
Ignoring the personal reasons behind support for Key and his party, the political implications for New Zealand and beyond are significant. For a party to be riding so high in the polls, in spite – or even because of – its announcement of spending cuts of NZ$1bn (around £500m) over the coming year perhaps bodes well for British Conservatives and Republicans in the Unites States who have supported similar plans. The New Zealand model of deficit reduction with the retention of political popularity may well be studied closely by David Cameron and George Osborne, as well as Republican presidential candidates and, indeed, fiscal conservatives throughout the West.
This article was originally published at The Vibe
That cannot be said about another national event taking place later this year. Less than five weeks after the World Cup final – and timed, surely, to take advantage of what is hoped to be feelings of national pride and contentment that will fill New Zealanders as a result of that match – sees a general election in which Prime Minister John Key is expected to consolidate his position at the head of government. Three years after ending a run of three consecutive electoral wins for the Labour Party under Helen Clark, Key’s National Party looks set to be surging towards victory – and has his sights firmly set on achieving the first majority government since Jim Bolger’s 1993 triumph.
National, a party very similar in ideology to the British Conservative Party (indeed, John Key and David Cameron share a warm personal friendship; Key was one of the first world leaders to phone with congratulations for Cameron on his entry into 10 Downing Street last year), has held comfortably held off any Labour challenge throughout this Parliament. Indeed, Labour, under former Defence Minister Phil Goff, has been consistently around 20 percentage points in arrears of National.
Admittedly, one poll published on 22 July put National just ten points ahead, on 37.7 percent. That, however, appeared to be an outlier; National has not had any other poll rating of less than 48 percent since December 2008, while Labour has not polled higher than the mid-thirties since well before its defeat three years ago. The latest Herald Digipoll survey, published last Saturday in the New Zealand Herald newspaper, makes typical grim reading for Goff. His party sits on 33 percent, with National hardly visible in the distance on 52 percent.
Such poll ratings invoke the prospect that Key can overcome the hindrances of the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system (the future of which is dependent on the result of a referendum to be held on the same day as the election) that operates in New Zealand. To ensure that an overall majority of the new parliament’s 120 MPs are coloured National blue, Key requires a majority barely larger than he attained three years ago. At that election, National won 58 seats, three short of an overall majority, on less than 45 percent of the vote. With the party polling higher than that, this could well turn out to be an era-defining election.
National, if the vast majority of the polls are to be believed, look on course to become the first party to win more than half of votes cast since the party polled 54 percent sixty years – and twenty elections – ago.
Politics in New Zealand over the last decade has, in many ways, mirrored events in the UK. Both countries had three-term Labour governments during the late 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Both National and the British Tories elected young, charismatic and telegenic leaders who undertook rebranding exercises; both fell just short of parliamentary majorities. New Zealand’s current deputy prime minister, Bill English, has overcome leading the party into a landslide defeat in 2002 to become a key member of the government, in much the same way as David Cameron’s unofficial party deputy, William Hague, put behind his disastrous loss in 2001.
There, however, the similarities seem to end. New Zealand Labour dreams of a poll showing it with only a single-digit deficit; British Labour holds a relatively consistent lead over the Tories. Cameron has negative approval ratings; John Key appears to have had a honeymoon of record length and remains enormously popular.
The problem for Labour is that their leader remains politically toxic. In the ‘preferred prime minister’ stakes, Goff is suffering even more obviously than his party. While Key got the thumbs-up from 70 percent of voters, Goff’s score of 9 percent barely beat the rating received in the same poll by Helen Clark.
And even when voters express a preference for many Labour policies over those of National – as has been the case in recent weeks, for example, with the electorate expressing a general preference for Labour’s proposed capital gains tax over the government’s desire for increased privatisation – this trend does not translate into increased support for the party.
Perhaps, then, the largest obstacle for Labour is one that they have little power to shift: the stubbornly elevated level of approval for the Prime Minister and the government in general. Both have ridden out their share of controversies with no more than superficial damage, and the New Zealand public looks set to endorse overwhelmingly their three years in office.
Key’s down-to-earth attitude, his attempts to distance himself from the widely denigrated habits of the typical politician and his anti-waste austerity drive have played well with New Zealanders, and he is seen as somebody the electorate can easily relate to. Even his cringe-worthy comedic performance on the Late Show with David Letterman, when he announced the top 10 reasons to visit his country (including having the ‘loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim’) was hailed by supporters to demonstrate Key’s likeability.
Ignoring the personal reasons behind support for Key and his party, the political implications for New Zealand and beyond are significant. For a party to be riding so high in the polls, in spite – or even because of – its announcement of spending cuts of NZ$1bn (around £500m) over the coming year perhaps bodes well for British Conservatives and Republicans in the Unites States who have supported similar plans. The New Zealand model of deficit reduction with the retention of political popularity may well be studied closely by David Cameron and George Osborne, as well as Republican presidential candidates and, indeed, fiscal conservatives throughout the West.
This article was originally published at The Vibe
Monday, 1 August 2011
Barton Affair: The Latest Episode in the SJP-enders Soap Opera
Returning from a holiday in Brittany – two weeks with no internet or television, and where the only contact I had with the sporting world was the French newspaper L’Equipe. Apart from its mournful updates on Hatem Ben Arfa’s latest injury – and the chance to note that Cabaye, Marveaux and Abeid were all signed from French clubs – there was very little news on English transfer activity.
When I returned to these shores yesterday I excitedly logged on, anticipating (admittedly naively) a flurry of transfers, with a striker atop my priority list (as is surely the case with nearly every other Newcastle fan).
So, naturally, I was somewhat dismayed to discover that there were no additions to the squad. My holiday fantasies (which got out of hand probably even before I reached Dimitar Berbatov) lay shattered.
However, I have tended to be more of a supporter of Alan Pardew than the average Toon fan, and decided that in the two weeks before Arsenal arrive at SJP (or at least before the closing of the transfer window), he would demonstrate why I have had faith in him so far. Please, Pards.
But today’s developments regarding Joey Barton’s transfer-listing has simply exposed us to more of the same ridicule that has dogged the club ever since Sir Bobby Robson’s sacking in 2004.
OK, so Barton might not be the easiest person to get on with, but the board’s heavy-handed reaction is just another instance of the powers-that-be cutting off the NUFC nose in order to spite its face. The departure of Kevin Nolan, top scorer in the last two seasons, was something of a disappointment. But for Newcastle’s crosser-supreme, Barton, to leave would be to go too far.
Some have said that Barton’s departure has been inevitable. Certainly, Newcastle are not short of midfielders. But the manner in which this affair is being played out does yet more damage to the club’s professional standing – and cannot do anything positive for any players (hopefully, surely) being courted by the club.
When I returned to these shores yesterday I excitedly logged on, anticipating (admittedly naively) a flurry of transfers, with a striker atop my priority list (as is surely the case with nearly every other Newcastle fan).
So, naturally, I was somewhat dismayed to discover that there were no additions to the squad. My holiday fantasies (which got out of hand probably even before I reached Dimitar Berbatov) lay shattered.
However, I have tended to be more of a supporter of Alan Pardew than the average Toon fan, and decided that in the two weeks before Arsenal arrive at SJP (or at least before the closing of the transfer window), he would demonstrate why I have had faith in him so far. Please, Pards.
But today’s developments regarding Joey Barton’s transfer-listing has simply exposed us to more of the same ridicule that has dogged the club ever since Sir Bobby Robson’s sacking in 2004.
OK, so Barton might not be the easiest person to get on with, but the board’s heavy-handed reaction is just another instance of the powers-that-be cutting off the NUFC nose in order to spite its face. The departure of Kevin Nolan, top scorer in the last two seasons, was something of a disappointment. But for Newcastle’s crosser-supreme, Barton, to leave would be to go too far.
Some have said that Barton’s departure has been inevitable. Certainly, Newcastle are not short of midfielders. But the manner in which this affair is being played out does yet more damage to the club’s professional standing – and cannot do anything positive for any players (hopefully, surely) being courted by the club.
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