November 2008 Archives

So I talked about it pretty much every day at work, wrote my column on it, and even ranted about it on my video blog, and after all the hype, it was great to See Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton deliver on Saturday night/stupid o'clock on Sunday morning.

After all the talk about him training with Floyd Mayweather Snr, and the comparisons I drew with Rocky 3, it couldn't have played out more the way I predicted (I know I am blowing my own trumpet, but someone has too!) as the new technical Hatton absolutely destroyed Malignanni in his light-welterweight showdown at the MGM grand.

here's my next video blog as I talk sport with Johnny Greatrex from the Mercury - enjoy!

So with another Video Blog up later in the week to go into more depth, here is my review of the big weekends sporting action, starting with the Curse of the Aston Villa!

It was only on Friday that I paid a visit to Villa's training ground to chat to Ashley Young and Martin O'Neill, and confidence was high amongst the villa players and management team ahead of the clash at the Emirates even though MON had never beaten arsenal in all his attempts trying. I knew I was tempting fate, why did I have to visit them this week ahead of their match against my beloved Arsenal??

I joked about the "Curse of Bodymoor Heath" with my colleagues on Friday, saying wouldn't it be funny, if they now went and beat the Gooners? And damn it they did, those pesky Villans, and if it wasn't that man Ashley Young who had a stormer as well, winning a pen and setting up the first goal.............D'agnabbit!

What does this say about Arsenals title credentials as they are now 9 points behind the leaders Liverpool, and more importantly can't seem to find any consistency, and the Emirates is becoming a very easy place to go to and come away with some points. My solution is simple, Wenger, play the kids, put Vela, Ramsey and Wilshere in, and just sit back and watch them dominate the premiership for the next 14 years...................go on!

As for Villa, there are lots of positive sto take from this weekends game after last weeks damp squib with 'Boro, although I feel Milner has a point to prove, and you wonder what will happen to their first team if a few injuries occur to key players......maybe MON should buy up the Arsenal reserves?? There is a credit crunch on after all; maybe he could get the players on some sort of 3 for 2 deal??

So with Arsenal losing, at least I would have the rugby to cheer me up, as England looked to continue their winning ways under the new Johnson era against an Australian team desperate for revenge after their unceremonious dumping out of the World Cup against us a year ago.

Another 72 hours of weekend living has passed, and I know I say this most weekends, but wow, once again there was simply an amazing amount of sporting action to absorb, and absorb I did (like the incredible sport absorbing man that I am)!!!

Sunday afternoon saw the heavens open, but despite the deluge, I was pumped about seeing my first Villa home game, and thanks to the lovely people at Villa Park who sorted out my press passes (and free coffee and cakes at half time........sweet!), because it was an amazing experience.

Sure Villa didn't play that great, in fact, they were terrible in possession, lacking any urgency in the final third, although this may have been down to the dreadful weather conditions, and they were made to regret it by clinical finishing from Sanli Tuncay, who only had two sniffs at goal (courtesy of some comical Villa defending) but took them both.

That's right I am on camera again, I did my second video blog for the Sunday Mercury this week chatting to video journalist Jonny Greatrex - check it out!

Wow, I have felt some highs and lows in sport over the years, but nothing has come close to the low I felt when the cheeky Vettel decided to overtake Lewis Hamilton on Sunday with two laps to go at the Brazilian Grand Prix, and condemn Lewis Hamilton to a heartbreaking second place in the Formula One World Championships once again.

But then my new Hero Timo Glock, who decided against changing to wets, and was slipping and sliding all over the shop, offered Hamilton back the Championship on a platter at the very last corner, and Lewis wasn't going to miss out!

I felt sorry for the Ferrari guys as they celebrated thinking they had defeated the Englishman, but it would have been a travesty if Lewis had not emerged victorious, as he is the future of Formula One, and there is no one out there with anywhere near as much talent as the incredibly brave Brit!

This weekend also saw the Stanford Series come to an end in a complete farce, with England being destroyed by a team who were solely interested in the money, it brought an end to a farce of a tournament that I actually had quite high hopes for, and hopefully signals the end of these kind of "Packer Circus" style distractions......... although it does make you wonder what does motivate the English players, it's obviously not money!

And finally my beloved Arsenal came unstuck against a dogged Stoke side in the footy, as one man shone above all others, but not for his tackling, speed, skill or ability to finish, but his ability to chuck a ball 40 yards!

I am not complaining, at the end of the day you play to your strengths, but Rory Delap is a one off, and it will be interesting to see how many clubs might try and buy him in the January transfer window, because if he carries on like this, (he has 8 assists already) he will actually finish up as the Premierships top Playmaker by the end of the year!!

This week I am mostly excited about going to see Villa on Saturday, thanks to the lovely people at Villa Park who have invited me along, and I also met Feeder today ahead of their gig at the Academy, here is me with Mark and Taka, as Grant had a sore throat, but I wore a Welsh shirt to make up for it.................ughhhhhhhhhhhhh.............time for a shower!!!!