A Common Fan’s Sports Diary

In the 1985-86 season of the Eredivisie (the highest rung of Dutch Professional Football), Ruud Gullit scored 24 goals in 34 league games for PSV Eindhoven. This is a stunning achievement because Gullit played in the sweeper position that season. This is probably the joint highest tally netted by a defensive player in a single season in one of the prominent football leagues in the world. This aggregate is matched by the 24 goals Daniel Pasarella scored for River Plate in 35 matches( one more than Gullit) in the Argentine Primera Division in 1976. Other noted goal scoring achievements by defenders include Ronald Koeman’s 21 in 32 games for PSV in the 1987-88 season and Fernando Hierro’s 21 goals in 37 matches for Real Madrid in the 1991-92 Primera Liga season.

This is an example of goal scoring excess- such numbers are usually the exclusive domain of strikers and attacking midfielders.

Now to an example of the exact opposite nature – one of goal scoring abstinence.

In the 1993-94 Serie A season, AC Milan emerged champions, despite scoring a mere 36 goals in 34 league matches. This tally was only one more than the number scored by Atalanta and Udinese, who finished 16^th and 17^th in an eighteen team league. All the other sides in the top five scored more than fifty, with third place Sampdoria netting 64. Guiseppe Signori scored 23 goals on his own and ten different clubs had more prolific goal scorers than Milan’s leading poacher Daniele Massaro.  Milan owed their success to an outstanding defence manned  by Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini which conceded a mere 15 goals all season. Their per match goal scoring average is probably the lowest managed by a title winning side in one of the top football leagues. Milan’s didn’t lack for attacking prowess – they boasted the likes of Papin, Boban and Brian Laudrup.

Milan’s ultra-defensive tactics were responsible in some part for the Italian Federations decision to introduce three points for a win from the next season onwards.

Ex-Milan player and our star goal scoring defender Ruud Gullit made his presence felt in the 1993-94 Serie A season as well. Now playing as an attacker, he was the leading goal scorer in the attack-minded Sampdoria  side. He finished sixth overall with 15 goals.

This information comes courtesy of Musa Okwonga’s interesting  book, “A Cultured Left Foot”.

To the football editor,

You guys have done a decent job of providing a lot of football information. It has helped bring a lot of not- so -diehard fans up to speed with whatever has happened in the history of the FIFA World Cup so far.

You guys also think that it’s a great idea to have Mandira Bedi write a regular column on the football world cup. If cricket fans can benefit from her insights then why should football fans be denied the same pleasure.

And based on the football analysis that you guys have been providing, I have good reason to believe that the services of Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra have also been employed by your publication for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Because proper football people couldn’t have come up with such mind blowing analysis.

A few samples

“The Jabulani was given to all countries in Feb for practise. It’s not used in the English Premier League, which has a contract with Nike for 9 years, but is used in US Major League Soccer. Could that be why England failed to beat the US?”

The genius behind this observation choose to ignore ( or probably didn’t have the brains to think) a few facts .

The Jabulani is not used in Major League Soccer. There are other footballs made by Adidas which are used. Most of the American players in the national side including Clint Dempsey, Jonathan Spector, Jozy Altidore and Landon Donavon actually play in the premiership. The player most affected by the random flights of the Jabulani is the goalkeeper and the American custodian, Tim Howard, also plays in the premiership. The MLS season runs from March to November which means it was long over before the ball was handed to the teams and there was no way American players in the MLS could have practised with it.

TOI obviously thought that they had hit pay dirt with this observation and decided to print it on the front page.

The other piece of analysis which would have left the world’s greatest football tacticians stunned appeared in the 24th June edition.

GROUP E EQUATION
Netherlands (Points 6; Goal Difference +3): They are already through. A win or a draw would help them top the group.
Japan (Points 3; GD 0): They need a victory for outright qualification. In case of a draw, they need to outdo Denmark in goal difference.
Denmark (Points 3; GD -1): They need a victory too. In case of a draw, they need to better Japan’s goal difference to qualify.

My intelligence isn’t up to the challenge of understanding the equation explained above. I always thought that if two teams drew a game then there would be no change in their goal difference. But the people at TOI ( Rakhi or Sherlyn) obviously know better. Now, if only they could explain this to the Danish coach.

I have a feeling that very soon football teams from across the world would be vying for the services of the TOI football analysts. After all, their current strategists haven’t managed to come up with such revolutionary ideas. However, I don’t think the TOI will let go of them. They need Rakhi and Sherlyn to continue to be the world leader in football analysis.

There’s only one piece of advice that I have for the TOI. Indian sports fans don’t just want to hear and read the expert views of the likes of Mandira Bedi, Shonali Nagrani and the other equally endowed women who grace the world of Indian sports. They also want to see them in their full splendour. Therefore, it would be a good idea to publish super size glossy pictures of the contributing writers ( in their attractive best) next to their brilliant articles.

First a list of all the things this book is not about

This won’t give you all the records and statistics of Dutch football.

Doesn’t have a chronological history of the game in the country. Doesn’t talk in detail about all their great players, great matches or great clubs. To sum it up, this book isn’t the best preparatory material for a quiz on Dutch football. You might even end up in last place.

In that sense, it is quite unlike most of the books written about a country or a club’s football history and culture. In fact, the writer often goes on for pages without even talking about football, forget Dutch football. And yet, it is in my humble opinion ( as well as that of most people who write reviews on Amazon.com and goodreads.com) quite easily the best book on Dutch football.

Because David Winner’s book deals with something much more profound and goes much deeper in its investigation.

It talks about the mental makeup of the Dutch nation – why they are what they are?

It does a very good job of explaining a lot of other Dutch peculiarities – and I use that word because the Dutch are the antithesis of a conformist regular normal world. And in doing so it answers the questions about Dutch football. Why and how the Dutch came up with Total Football? Why the Dutch lose all the important matches? Why the players always get into fights? Why it is wrong to call the Netherlands the Brazil of Europe? The Dutch concept of nationalism and patriotism? And the Dutch definition of a good footballer?

If Dutch football was a living person then this book makes it very clear that the head is the most important organ; more valuable than the feet. And then it does what Freud would have tried to do – study the person’s head.

And that ways, the book is very aptly named. And David Winner has written a book unlike any other.

Two of the fascinating concepts that this book deals with are individualism and space – and explains that both are as much a part of the national fabric as of their approach to football. Individualism is not the freedom to do whatever he feels like but to retain a strong sense of the self while still keeping the collective in mind. And space is to create space where there is none – something the country below sea level does on an ongoing basis.

A special mention must be made of a very fine introduction by Franklin Foer who makes a very interesting analogy that the richness of football is like a cultural Galapagos.

This book is like a fine meal. You need to eat slowly and savour every morsel. It might bore the casual fan as he looks to read about the feats of the all conquering Ajax side of the early seventies. The least he is expecting is a chapter on the three consecutive European triumphs. But all he gets is bits and pieces, here and there.

But if he can soldier on, he will have the pleasure of reading one of finest books written on football. He will see the Dutch in a new light and might just become an Oranje supporter for life (The Dutch have been one of my favourite teams but after this book, I got an Orange jersey to wear during the World Cup)

You will not win the quiz but you will surely win the paper writing competition on Dutch football.

Rating – Five out of Five all the way.

Have always wanted to do a running diary or to live blog or tweet a sporting event. This is my first attempt. Please provide feedback. Hope to do this more often. The internet deserted  me at the worst possible time and the tweeting only began thirty minutes into the game. Please read from reverse ( as in start from the bottom and go up). You can follow the CommonFan’s tweets at @acommonfan on Twitter. Cheers

That’s all for this game. We will be back soon with another Live Tweet.

Argentina were dazzling in attack and that bodes well for all fans 9:32 PM Jun 12th

One lemon each in defence(Gutierrez), midfield(Veron) and attack (Higuain) for Argentina. Hopefully Maradona will get his combination right now 9:29 PM Jun 12th

Argentina 1-0 Nigeria. Full time. Fine attacking display from both sides. The Nigerians could well go through from this group 9:24 PM Jun 12th

All three Argentine strikers on the left. Nice interplay between the three. 9:23 PM Jun 12th

And now Lars Lagerback is suddenly all charged up. 9:21 PM Jun 12th

We need a special camera just to cover Maradona. Fully animated 9:20 PM Jun 12th

Gutierrez  slots in on the left of midfield now. Relief at last for him 9:18 PM Jun 12th

Argentina’s strikers don’t have their striking boots on. All of them have missed good chances 9:16 PM Jun 12th

Great effort. Yakubu. A little more dip and Romero would have looked like an idiot 9:15 PM Jun 12th

Looks like relief is at hand for Jonas. But no. Extra defenders as Burdisso comes on fro Angel Di Maria 9:14 PM Jun 12th

And now Uche misses a great chance on the other side. End to end action. 9:11 PM Jun 12th

Messi misses a one on one chance. Ekayema’s agent just got a call from Spain 9:10 PM Jun 12th

Typical pile driver from Martins. The Argentine goalie is shit scared 9:08 PM Jun 12th

Oh finally. Looks like Milito will come on. Bye Higu 9:06 PM Jun 12th

And now Haruna picks up a yellow. Super stretch for him. Surely living it up as Essien’s replacement 9:05 PM Jun 12th

100 corners in practise for Haruna for hitting that poor corner 9:04 PM Jun 12th

Messi free kick. Too high. Nigeria make their final substitution 9:03 PM Jun 12th

Another bad pass from Veron. Not the best day for him 9:01 PM Jun 12th

That was close. Nigeria almost had an equalizer. Jonas at fault again. Is there no replacement for him? 8:59 PM Jun 12th

Veron attempts to get an all time great goal and misses badly 8:57 PM Jun 12th

That was poor joke from the English commentator. ” First time Diego Maradona handles the ball in the world cup”. Get over it guys 8:56 PM Jun 12th

The Nigerian substitute loses control of the ball and misses a great chance and for some reason screams at his mates 8:55 PM Jun 12th

Finally a good attempt from Higuain and a fine save from the goalkeeper. 8:54 PM Jun 12th

Oooooh. Messi misses a great chance. That was a typical Tevez run from inside his own half 8:53 PM Jun 12th

Another free kick for Nigeria on the left. What’s the plan with Jonas Gutierrez 8:51 PM Jun 12th

Obasi goes off. Now that’s a surprise. Was probably their best player 8:48 PM Jun 12th

Argentina need a second goal quickly to ice this game. 8:47 PM Jun 12th

Tevez dives and gets up quickly when the referee ignores him 8:46 PM Jun 12th

Wonderful tackle by the Nigerian captain. Higuain could have been away 8:44 PM Jun 12th

My friend @Spinstripe responds @acommonfan On Lars Lagerback – Or probably they told him that he is to pay $50 into a bank account, when they will pay him the full amount 8:43 PM Jun 12th

Lars Lagerback looks pretty relaxed. Guess the Nigerian FA have already paid him 8:41 PM Jun 12th

Obafemi Martins come on. Let’s see if he puts Jonas in more trouble 8:40 PM Jun 12th

Maradona looks great prancing around in a suit. Like a kid wearing a uniform for the first time to school 8:39 PM Jun 12th

Don’t think we will get any more half time analysis. The broadcaster takes revenge for not being to air any ads during the game 8:31 PM Jun 12th

5 percent of voters vote that Higuain has been the best player in the game so far. What game have these guys been seeing 8:27 PM Jun 12th

Thank God we don’t have Mayanti Langer for this one. Mayanti is better than Mandira but can we have proper football people ( John Dykes) for the World Cup please 8:21 PM Jun 12th

Super first half from Argentina although the defence stuttered more than once, mostly on the right. Finally the world cup comes alive 8:19 PM Jun 12th

Maradona surely can’t wait to get to the dressing room. Guess he has lots to say 8:18 PM Jun 12th

Foul throw in. Elementary . Where has this guy come from. Is like the Indian batsmen who don’t drag their bats while running 8:14 PM Jun 12th

Another free kick conceded on the Argentine right. Gutierrez is sure to get a mouthful from Maradona at half time 8:13 PM Jun 12th

The Nigerians can play. They aren’t disgracing themselves for sure 8:11 PM Jun 12th

The Nigerian goalkeeper could soon find a job in the Primera Liga. Super saves to keep Messi from scoring so far. Not many goalkeepers in La Liga can do that 8:10 PM Jun 12th

One thing is already clear. Leo Messi has arrived on the international stage. 8:07 PM Jun 12th

Damn the internet connection. Conked off at the worst time. Now from the mobile. Already 35 mins gone. But it’s never too late 8:07 PM Jun 12th

First live blogging(or tweeting) attempt from CommonFan 7:40 PM Jun 12th

As articulated by Malcolm Gladwell in the introduction, Bill Simmons has the best job in the world – one that all of us would want to have. He is a huge sports fan who watches sports for a living.  That fan comes alive every now and then in his writings. He is not the high priest of sports writing.  He is the kind of writer that sports fans want to be – one who creates hypothetical situations and debates them to death. If you have the remotest interest in basketball, American football, baseball or ice hockey, then you absolutely have to read his column. He is funny and witty and the likes of Ravi Shastri and Krish Srikkanth  must thank their stars that he doesn’t follow cricket.

The right hand bar has a link to Bill Simmons’ writing.

Now for the good stuff about the book.

The book is wonderful and gives you a lot of information about the NBA. Its a must have for any basketball fan. The foot notes are funny and there is enough content there to write a book on them. The three most interesting features of the book are the what-if debates ( almost all of them are here) , the pyramid of greatest players – which according to Simmons should replace the Hall of Fame because all players in the Hall of fame cannot be equal and  there has to be different levels of greatness and finally the various all-time squads for different situations.

Simmons also does a good job of comparing different eras of the sport and that creates the ground for comparing players from different times. There is a lot of research which has gone into the book and it is advisable to read the book with youtube as a contant refernce tool. You will need to watch the videos to fully appreciate the point Simmons is trying to make.

Now for the criticism.

My favourite basketball writer lets us down with some of his arguments. He is continuously trying to prove that he is not a Boston homer but in the end he fails to do so.

The problem with his arguments is that he is not consistent in giving importance to the same parameters across the board.

An example to highlight the point.

He argues that Wilt Chamberlain’s team mates were just as good as Bill Russell’s and hence the former Laker cannot be given the benefit of having inferior team mates. In comparing how good the players were, he looks at all-star appearances and hall of fame status. But then he creates a new pyramid which debunks the logic used for hall of fame selections.

Most of Russell’s team mates sit high up in the pyramid, whereas Wilt’s team mates are way below. If the Pyramid rankings are used to judge which superstar had better team mates, then Russell’s mates are way superior to that of Wilt. And that nullifies the arguments used by Simmons to settle that debate of ” which player was better” in Russell’s favour.

But in Simmons’ defense, it is his passion and his being a Boston homer which makes his writing so special. Therefore, it is worth bearing with the book’s weaknesses and cheering it for being a wonderful guide for any NBA fan.

Final Rating – Four out of Five

England’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of minnows USA in the 1950 World Cup is one the most talked about games in World Cup history. It’s been hailed as one of the biggest “David Vs Goliath” upsets ever and continues to linger in the memory of English football fans. I am not sure though about the importance it’s given in American sporting folklore, considering that football isn’t very popular like baseball or basketball. For the inventors of the game, however, it’s the starting reference point for a litany of ‘unfortunate’ World Cup exits.

This game’s immortality stems from England’s status as overwhelming favourites, not just for the game per say but for the tournament itself. This was England’s debut in the World Cup and it was an opportunity for them to legitimize their claim as the greatest footballing nation in the world.

This game was dominated by England, and therefore it’s becomes rather convenient to mark the defeat as an unlucky one and bemoan the World cup winning opportunity gone abegging.

What is often forgotten, or more likely not well known, is the result of England’s other games. England could still have qualified for the next round and continued their quest for Wold Cup glory had they won their other two games in the group. They beat Chile but lost to fellow Europeans Spain 1-0. They had their fate in their own hands but couldn’t rise to the occasion. You cannot be unlucky two times out of two.

It should also be noted that the eventual runner-up Brazil hammered the Spanish 6-1; clearly proving that England’s other conquerors weren’t such a great side either. Spain weren’t even the highest place finisher from amongst the European nations, losing 3-1 to Sweden. The tournament had also been weakened by the sanctions on Italy, Austria and Germany – two of whom were very strong teams before the war and the third was to become a force in the next World Cup.

Argentina’s defeat against Cameroon in the opening game of Italia 90 was an upset of even bigger proportions (as the Argentines were the defending champions). But Maradona’s side picked themselves up and went all the way to the final. And that is why they were a great team and deserving of the favourites tag . France in 2002 were shocked by Senegal and never re-grouped. They went out in disgrace.

France’s upset at the hands of lowly Senegal was also a bigger upset than England’s shock defeat in 1950. Yet, the French don’t continue to lament their defeat. That is probably the reason, why, they recovered to reach the finals in the next World Cup. England can’t seem to get over all their supposed missed opportunities, constantly bemoaning 44 years of bad luck.

The England side of 1950 was clearly over-rated. They lost two games and none of their vanquishers was a great side. On paper they had a great side but so did the French in 2002. In fact the French had proven international credentials, whereas the English had largely made a name for themselves in their domestic league. They went out because they couldn’t beat the Spanish in a must-win game and not because they lost to the Americans. They would have gone out even if they had won against the Americans. It wasn’t the great upset that we have been making it out to be for the last 60 years.

The English need to stop fretting over 1950 because contrary to what they believe, they weren’t really dealt a cruel blow by the gods of fortune. They weren’t the world beaters that they thought they were. They were simply not good enough.

A large number of people have criticized the BCCI’s Asian Games decision but an equal number have come forward in support of it. While BCCI’s argument was based simply on a clash of dates with the New Zealand tour, the other supporters of their decision have tried to explain BCCI’s action with a variety of other reasons; some of which – I am sure – even the BCCI mandarins hadn’t thought about.

Anyways we will now try and repudiate each of them

The WADA issue. Participation in the games will come at the cost of compliance with the WADA norms. And by disclosing their whereabouts in advance, the players stand the risk of terrorist attack.

First, WADA isn’t going to post this information on their website. We can expect them to do a good job of protecting this information. And any which ways, it’s not that the terrorists are waiting for cricketers to release this information to attack them. They are just as susceptible with or without releasing the information.

Secondly, the BCCI and ICC’s decision not to be WADA compliant is also unjustified. When the biggest sport stars in the world ( cricketers aren’t the biggest sports stars in the world) have agreed to give information on their whereabouts, then why do the cricketers have a problem. And it’s not that international athletes reside in Fort Knox or don’t travel to countries which are on terrorist alert. Usain Bolt lives in Jamaica and has been seen playing in local exhibition cricket matches with hardly any commandoes around.

Cricket is a sport where performance enhancing drugs can make a huge difference and therefore the ICC should make its sport WADA compliant; unless they can think of a better way to keep the menace in check.

The clash of dates issue. It does not make sense to send a sub-standard team to the Asian Games.

BCCI is the godfather of world cricket. They can schedule, re-schedule and cancel a series anytime they want. So this is a bogus argument.

But then again, as Dileep Premachandran has argued, New Zealand is a fine side and playing them at that time will be the best practise for the World Cup which will happen two months later. Therefore, the series should not be rescheduled.

Fine. But don’t we also realize that even after selecting the strongest test side, there will be enough top quality Twenty -20 players to spare. The likes of Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan aren’t going to make the test side by a long shot, but they the finest Twenty-20 players around. We might not have our strongest Twenty-20 squad but will have a good one nevertheless.

And actually, if you come to think of it, the Asian games cricket event will be over in a week’s time. So even if you had to spare the likes of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh for Guangzhou, it will be for a maximum of one test or a couple of one-days – that’s all. They can get enough practise in the remaining tests and one-days. It’s simply a small matter of optimizing your playing resources.

The final argument is based on the importance of the Asian Games or even the Olympics for the world of cricket. To paraphrase Dileep Premachandran again, it means more to a cricketer to score a century at the Eden Gardens or take a fiver in the Ashes then win an Asian Games or Olympic medal. He takes a shot at the Olympic event by reminding us that the last time it was played in the Olympics, ‘mighty’ France finished second.

I will rebut his argument by taking examples from the world of cricket and tennis- two sports which are similar to cricket in terms of how much an Olympic medal matters in their sport – not much. There are far more prestigious events to be won outside the Olympics.

But even before I do that, I will like to remind him that a bilateral series against New Zealand also doesn’t mean much to most cricket fans. The only series that matter today are the ones against Pakistan, Australia and South Africa. And if cricket fans would rather watch the Indian batsmen make merry against prodding Kiwi medium pacers on flat tracks than see the Indian team win an Asian Games gold by beating Pakistan or Sri Lanka in the final, then may god give them an endless supply of such ‘exciting and riveting’ action.

In tennis, everyone is chasing the grand slams and the ranking points. The Olympic events mean even less to the likes of Federer and Nadal than the Indian cricketers. Their countries aren’t hard pressed to win medals and are not counting on them to open their account. More ever, tennis has a far more rigorous schedule and players could do with whatever rest they could get. And the Olympics don’t matter in the rankings race either. But still these guys take great pride in taking part in the Olympics. Nadal doesn’t say that I’d rather rest and prepare for the US Open which means so much more than an Olympic medal.

Similar for the footballers. We all remember how Gabriel Heinze and Carlos Tevez put their club seasons aside to lead Argentina’s challenge in the Olympics. Heinze had just been signed by Manchester United and risked the wrath of Alex Ferguson by putting the Olympics ahead of his premier league duties. These guys didn’t say that I’d take the league title over the Olympic medal. Heinze and Tevez ended up winning both.

The profile of the tennis and football event in the Olympics has gone up because of the participation of these world class athletes. Indian cricket can stay away from such events and keep saying that aren’t important enough. Or they can participate and help make it a more important event.

I also don’t understand why someone would have to let go of the chance to make a century at the Eden or take a fiver in the Ashes by participating in the Asiad or the Olympics. It is possible to do both. Indian cricketers will not miss out on World Cup glory by participating in the Asiad.

We are a country thirsting for success at the Olympics and the Asiad. Leander Paes has won more than ten grand slam doubles titles. But nothing gave him as much joy or pride than winning the bronze at Atlanta. I would take the bronze any day over all the doubles titles. If I were to inspire a young kid to take up tennis, I would tell him the story of Leander’s heroic performance in the 1996 Olympics.

As for the cricketers themselves, the likes of Anil Kumble – who was a part of the commonwealth games squad – have spoken highly of their experience.

The Asian games or the Olympics will also be a humbling experience for India’s over-pampered cricketers. And don’t tell me that they don’t need a dose of that. Additionally, they will get to bond with sportspersons from other disciplines. Non-cricketers are forever complaining about cricketers. The bonding will ensure that there is greater camaraderie in the future.

In terms of importance, the Asian Games – and I am sure, even Mr Premachandran will agree with that- are more important than the IPL. It was almost impossible to organize the second edition of the league last year. But the BCCI tried everything and finally took the unprecedented step of taking the league to South Africa. IPL-II was testimony to their sheer determination and indomitable will. Participating in the Asian Games will take a lot less than that. And do a lot more for the game of cricket. And we will still get to see the Kiwis grinding it out in the dust.

India do not go to the Asian Games

The International Olympic Committee takes note that the country with the biggest cricket market doesn’t care for such sporting events.

They will realize that there is no guarantee that India will send a team to the Olympics if the sport does become a part of the Olympic program.

Will considerably weaken cricket’s chances of joining the Olympic movement.

If India had gone to the Asian Games

Good TV ratings and attendance figures ( quite possible with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participating) would have given cricket’s Olympic chances a boost.

The fringe players get a chance to play an international tournament and that is never a bad thing.

An opportunity to win an Asian Games gold. We usually win only 4-5 of those at every event. So, another one would have meant a lot.

An opportunity for an Olympic medal if cricket was included in the Olympic program. And that would have been a huge deal. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar would’ve willingly agreed to play.

All expenses paid trip for Ratnakar Shetty and other BCCI mandarins for the Asian Games and possibly for the Olympics as well.

A chance to complete cricket’s domination of Indian sports. After all, the Asian Games and the Olympics were the only times when a majority of Indian sports fans paid attention to other sports.

The likes of Shashank Manohar and team would get to work with Suresh Kalmadi. They could share best practises and other trade secrets.

There are a few more but I guess the point has already been made.

Just when everyone else is trying to do whatever it takes to get cricket included in the Olympic program, the BCCI have decided to throw a spanner in the works.

The BCCI does not believe in the Olympic movement but they do seem to have borrowed from the Olympic Motto.

Their motto is Atius, Altius Altius.

Just when you think the BCCI can’t get any worse, they come back to dazzle you with a higher level of ineptness which in turn makes your anger levels go higher.

P.S – The BCCI could damage cricket’s chances further. They should bar any cricketer who plays in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or any such event from playing in the IPL. After all, these events like the ICL haven’t been sanctioned by the BCCI.

Enough has been written about the forward line. We are just going to concentrate on the mid-field.

We are not considering the out and out wing players for this post and that leaves out Nani and Valencia.

Owen Hargreaves – Had been pursued relentlessly by Ferguson to fill the void left by Roy Keane’s departure – a weakness cruelly exposed by Gennaro Gattuso and AC Milan in the Champions League Semis in 2007. Repaid the faith and part of the massive transfer fee with a fine 2008-09 season and then went missing. It’s surprising that the absence of Ronaldo and Tevez was brought up all the time but no one seemed to be missing Hargreaves. His presence could be a huge boost for 2010-11 especially against the bigger clubs.

Anderson – He was the reason why many united fans weren’t overly worried about missing Hargreaves (at the start of the season). The Brazilian had made a fine impression and had often relegated Hargreaves to the substitute’s bench. With the former Bayern midfielder out, Anderson was expected to start most of the games. But in the season his manager needed him the most, the Brazilian simply went missing; not even offering a semblance of competition for the starting role.

Darren Fletcher the destroyer – With Hargreaves out and Anderson struggling with form, Darren Fletcher’s continued excellence from last season came to Fergie’s rescue. As United’s sole ball-winning midfielder, he was always a guaranteed selection in the playing eleven. He had another fine season and made crucial contributions in many key games but didn’t take the next big step in his development. He still isn’t in the same league as Owen Hargreaves, especially when it comes to big European nights.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes – Even on their last legs, they had a lot to offer. Scored important goals and did more than enough to justify another contract extension. But they had stretches of poor form and cannot be counted on to play for 90 minutes. More like ‘Impact making players off the bench’ to borrow a term from the NBA.

Michael Carrick – Regressed beyond imagination. So much so that he is a contender for the worst United player of the season. Devoid of his usual creativity and cultured passing, he was also guilty of giving up possession in dangerous positions. His nadir was the Champions League semi-final against Bayern. Is surprising that Berbatov’s form and possible departure from Old Trafford is constantly being discussed but nobody is speculating Carrick’s future.

Darren Fletcher the attacking force – Once again Darren Fletcher came to the rescue. Other than the duo of Giggs and Scholes, Fletcher was United’s only other goal scoring threat from midfield. Over the course of the season, he was United’s most consistent and effective attacking midfielder as well. And he managed to do so without significantly developing his attacking prowess. Quite simply, he was the only midfielder who was always available and always playing at an effective level.

Darren Gibson – Had a decent season with some fine long range strikes but showed nothing else. Didn’t raise any hope that he could be a regular in the United midfield of the future. Well, he could be if the likes of Anderson and Carrick continue to play at the same level. Otherwise, he could become the midfield version of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer – sent on to nick a goal in the end.

This was a difficult season where the United midfield got little or no contribution from three vital members of their squad – Hargreaves, Anderson and Carrick. As a result, the midfield was significantly lacking in both flair and steel. And thanks to that a very average player like Darren Fletcher was their outstanding midfielder of the year – offensively as well as defensively. He didn’t have an exceptional year; barely improving from the standards he set last year.

The only other competitors for the best midfielder mantle were Giggs and Scholes and as a result the Irishman was a runaway winner – clearly indicative of how bad United’s midfield was last year – no offense meant but the tirelessly hardworking Fletcher is at best a homeless man’s Roy Keane.

United were fortunate that their wing players including the excellent Patrick Evra did well to shoulder a lot of the offensive load.

So, what is the outlook for next year? Does Fergie need any reinforcements?

The positive outlook is that Hargreaves will return and Anderson and Carrick have already hit their lowest ebbs; meaning they can only do better next year. Such a scenario will once again give a very healthy and flexible look to United’s midfield. Will give Ferguson the leeway to sparingly use the likes of Giggs and Scholes and thereby extend their United careers further. In such a situation, the transfer kitty can be spent on strikers and a goalkeeper.

But there is also the possibility that Hargreaves will never fully recover and therefore never be the player he once was and Carrick and Anderson will also struggle to recapture their best form. This will lead to a multitude of problems – United will lose ground in the title race (don’t expect Chelsea to keep faltering like last year); Fergie will be forced to make a distress purchase in the January transfer window (fewer players available, inflated prices and possibly the player will just be a short term fix) and the market value of Anderson and Carrick will nosedive after another poor season.

Fergie like always will trust Carrick and Anderson to bounce back. But a signing or two will be a good contingency measure. And sooner or later replacements have to be found for Scholes and Giggs. Signing them now will give the players time to ease into the United system. A signing could have been avoided but none of the talented youngsters looks to be closing in on a first team breakthrough.

I rarely disagree with Fergie’s decisions. But I will be hugely disappointed if there are no additions to the United midfield. I cannot bear the thought of another season with Darren Fletcher as our best midfielder!!!

I have closely followed the career of LeBron James from the time he first made news as a high School star. Being a neutral NBA fan ( don’t have geographical allegiance to any team), I could not but fall in love with the player who had the potential to be the best ever.

As a sports fan, you always relish the prospect of seeing the boundaries of human excellence being stretched, and in the case of LeBron there was the possibility of having discovered a rare gem who could possibly surpass the greatness of Michael Jordan – himself one of the few sportspersons whose status as the greatest player to have played their sport is undeniable and universally acknowledged . Even the likes of Pele, Federer and Mohammed Ali do not enjoy that privilege.

The fandom grew as LeBron continued to improve as a player and shatter one record after another. His single-handed destruction of the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 conference finals was his first truly ‘Jordanesque’ performance and by now, sports writers were making a living out of comparing him with Jordan and the other greats of the game.

That he would win multiple titles was considered a given. What was more intriguing was to see if he could do it with the team which drafted him – the Cleveland Cavaliers. Doing so was considered by many to be a must in his quest to match and better Jordan – after all Michael managed to transform the mediocre Chicago Bulls into champions. He was man enough to overcome every obstacle that came in his way and did not have to move to a better situation to win the title.

The Cavaliers management did everything possible to help LeBron bring a title to the state which had last won a sports championship in 1964. They spent millions of dollars in luxary tax to strengthen the team. More importantly, especially for LeBron, every personnel decision was taken with their star’s consent. Other than owner Dan Gilbert, no one had more authority than LeBron; neither GM Danny Ferry nor coach Mike Brown. The star could do as he pleased. He could wear a Yankee cap and profess to be their fan and walk off the court after losing the Orlando Magic , without bothering to shake anyone’s hand. Everything was OK as long as he kept striding towards Mount Jordan.

Also during this time, talk of LeBron’s impending free agency in 2010 became a hotly discussed topic – Will he stay or not? The talk had been fuelled when he refused to sign the max extension and only a inked a deal to play for three more years. The experts argued that he would stay in Cleveland as long as the team could win a title. James loved his hometown and would have no reason to leave as long as made a fortune and won NBA titles.

The signs looked good in 2009 as the Cavs finished first in the Eastern conference and sailed through the first two play-off rounds. But it was not to be as the Orlando Magic exploited their match-up advantages to stun the Cavs. LeBron turned in a great performance and once again the Cavaliers management had to do something to get their superstar a team which could go all the way.

Dan Gilbert and his team responded to the challenge. At the behest of James and the cost of serious luxury tax bill , Shaquille O’Neal and Antawn Jamison were added to the squad. James and his team rolled to an impressive regular season; beating all their major rivals and finishing first overall. Everything looked ominous – James and the Cavs would finally win a title. This would also silence the free agent chatter which thanks to the impressive array of superstars becoming available in 2010 had become an industry in itself.

It all looked good till 2-2 in the Cavs- Celtics series in the conference semi-finals. Game 5 was at home where the Cavaliers were virtually unbeatable. But the Cavaliers went on to suffer one of the worst playoff collapses ever. LeBron was largely to blame stinking the joint just when his team were counting on him. With their season on the line, Game 6 was a must win. But the Cavs couldn’t even make it a close contest. LeBron played well but in a game of such importance, ‘played well’ isn’t good enough for someone who is being counted upon to become the greatest ever.

This is where LeBron’s career trajectory veered off the Jordan track. Jordan would never have lost two such games in a row. And forget Jordan, LeBron’s performance was so pathetic that some writers went to the extent of comparing him to Tracy McGrady ( in terms of their killer instinct and ability to raise their game in crunch situations ). Worse he again acted like a truant superstar after the loss. He had been relaxed and cocky all throughout the playoffs – even before game 6. He was probably trying to ape Jordan’s ice cool demeanour but when it came to being a Jordan on the court, LeBron James was found wanting.

While his reputation was damaged, it was not beyond repair. He could have salvaged it by putting an end to all the free agent gossip and declaring that he would stay and bring a championship to Cleveland. Instead, he stoked the free agent rumours by continuing to make ambiguity his PR strategy. Worse followed when coach Mike Brown was made a scapegoat for the defeat and sacked. Whether it was done at James’s insistence ( rumour mills were abuzz after the superstar was seen with John Calipari more than once) or to appease him, isn’t very clear. What is clear though is that James is unapologetic about his own shortcomings – his play and as well as his selection of the players he wanted on his team.

It seems increasingly likely that James will bolt for a better situation, where he will have a better set of team mates and a bigger market to parade his superstar skills. He might even have another superstar like Wade or Bosch (or even both) as his running mate. His actions after the playoff exit have been symbolic of cutting the umbilical cord that has tied him to Cleveland.

He will probably go on and win a clutch of titles with his new team mates. It could be more than the six that Jordan won or the eleven that Russell won. But even if he surpasses them in the title count ( as well as the money, MVPs, all-star appearances and PER count), he will never be as great as them as long as the accomplishments don’t come in Cleveland.

Because in addition to failing to deliver a Jordanesque performance when it mattered most, he would have also betrayed a franchisee and escaped from a situation of his own making. He wants to leave Cleveland because they couldn’t win a title. But he is conveniently forgetting that the Cavs lost because their superstar’s ( James himself) play was not up to the mark and the new additions ( selected by James himself) sucked. He is being an escapist. Is that an adjective that should be associated with the greatest player ever?

Jordan never had an owner who was willing to spend whatever it took to help his superstar get a title. And his general manager was never bullied into letting Jordan decide the composition of the team or the coach of the Bulls. Yet he persisted with Chicago and won 6 titles with them. James has had a much better situation and his franchise has done a lot more. Therefore, not being able to win with Cleveland (in spite of more favourable conditions) will considerably weaken his case to be compared with Jordan. Greatness isn’t measured by numbers alone. If that was the case Wilt and not Jordan would have been the greatest.

Someone who has a legit claim to being the best player of all time and is given a free hand to pick his team and his coach has absolutely no ground to justify moving to a new team. Except that he just isn’t good enough to deliver a championship on his own. And if can’t do that, then it’s time to stop making the Jordan comparisons.

LeBron James can take the easy way out or he can stay at Cleveland and continue to chase Jordan. If he isn’t doing that, then I am not interested anymore. We were interested in seeing (possibly) the greatest player ever. Not another wannabe Jordan who couldn’t stay the course.