UFC 137: So What??

What have we learned from UFC 137? I'm struggling. Still struggling. Nope, can't think of anything. You could have predicted the results perfectly before they happened. Diaz beating Penn and Cro Cop losing to Nelson. The attraction of the fight card was more than halved when GSP pulled out with an injury, and the fights themselves didn't do anything to add more glamour to the situation. Penn was beaten without any problems, and Cro Cop was TKO'd, even though he did put up some resistance.

It's sad to see the decline and retirement of two great fighters in Mirko Cro Cop and BJ Penn. In his prime, Cro Cop could knock you out cold with his left kick. As he says, "right kick hospital, left kick cemetery". Cro Cop hit Nelson with a left kick, but it didn't really affect him. It just shows how much, unfortunately, the Croatian has gone downhill. He would have won that fight easily had he been 10 years younger. No question.

As for BJ Penn, once a lightweight legend, it's sad to see that he can no longer compete with the very best. He is reduced to fighting guys in his situation, like Matt Hughes, and these are not always the most exciting fights.

UFC 137 has disappointed me in almost every way, but I have to admit that part of it is down to GSP'a injury. Having said that, I also think the UFC could have done a much better job of rescheduling it: Diaz vs Penn, as I said in a previous post, is not worthy of a main event. Condit vs Koscheck would have been much much better.

Longest NBA shot ever!!

It seems the NBA season won't be under way for quite a long time due to some rich idiots who don't appreciate basketball, so instead, here is a clip of Baron Davis sinking what is the longest NBA shot ever recorded. 92ft. Pretty crazy. Enjoy!!!

Best result in a long long time...

Phenomenal. Over the moon, Ecstatic. Incredible. Awesome. In fact, I can't really describe what I'm feeling right now. Arsenal slaughtering Chelsea 5-3 at Stamford Bridge is probably Arsenal's best result in 2 or 3 years. Robin Van Persie is absolutely unbelievable, scoring yet another hat trick. He really really needs to be offered a new contract. Walcott's goal was class, Santos proved his critics wrong, and John Terry ended up on his arse!! Can it really get any better for an Arsenal fan?

This win will give us huge confidence going forward. It's the first time we have really beaten an in form top 4 team for 2 or so years, so it is a huge achievement. This has sent a message to all the haters of Arsenal: PISS OFF. I rarely use foul language in posts, but this has got to be an exception. Arsene Wenger is building his team back up again, and I regret saying a while ago that he should leave. He has completely proved me wrong, but now he must continue to build on this.

On Chelsea's side, the pressure is now beginning to build on AVB. A loss at QPR, a loss to Man Utd, now a loss to the Gunners. He won't be allowed to many more slip ups. They could drop down into fourth if Newcastle win on Sunday, and we all know that Chelsea have a tendency to get on losing runs. I honestly thought Chelsea would win the Premier League this season, but the problem is that AVB had changed. He's not the same manager he was in Porto, and it looks like a pretty big waste of 13 million on Abramovich's part.

This has been a totally crazy Premier League season so far, and I leave you with one of my favourite Arsenal supporter songs:

“One team in London! There's only one team in London! One team in London! There's only one team in London!”

Best football statistics website?

This is probably the best football statistics site I have found, whether it be for trying to play fantasy football or trying to win on Football Manager. I have taken a great interest in statistics recently after reading Moneyball (see previous post), so this is to follow up on my interest. It ives team stats of every team in almost every division, from clean sheets to winning trends. If you want individual stats I would recommend looking in fantasy football as that is the best place. But for team stats, this is easily the best as it gives you complete breakdowns of winning trends, who scored first, which team leads most often at half time etc... Enjoy!! Link is below (I will also out it on my links page)

http://www.soccerstats.com

Moneyball: What a Story

I'm currently reading the book, and boy do I want to see the film as well. Moneyball is the phenomenal story of the Oakland A's who, with practically no budget, became division champions 3 times is a row. They completely rethought the idea of scouting players in baseball. The book is really of of the best I've ever read, and I can't wait for November 25th when the film comes out in the UK. Above is the trailer to give you a taste of what the story's like, but I really recommend you go out and buy the book. Your money could not be better spent.

Enjoy and comment!!!

Why has Zidane bothered to retire?

After watching this video, you will ask yourself the question. Terrible for the goalkeeper.

Enjoy!!!

What's with all the racism?

It's fairly clear that every once in a while, the Premier League goes through trends. For example last winter it was the snood that captured the imagination of players and newspapers, but now, it's something slightly more serious. Racism allegations. For some reason, God knows why, there have been two racism allegations from players within the past week. First it was the Evra vs Suarez incident and now it's John Terry vs Anton Ferdinand.

The first thing to note about Patrice Evra is that he has a huge history of winding people up and creating controversy. He always comes out before big games and says how the other team are not title contenders, and he sometimes likes to fight groundsmen for a bit of fun. Luis Suarez is new to the Premier League so, you would assume, he does not know this. Seemingly this incident has passed now, but the fact that it took up the front pages of the sports sections in newspapers shows how silly the whole incident was. Everybody has forgotten about it now, but Evra achieved what he wanted to do in creating a bit of controversy and tension.

Racism row two: Anton Ferdinand vs John Terry. Terry allegedly called him a "something black something". Also let's just point out that this wouldn't have escalated had some fan put a video up on Youtube accusing Terry. Honestly, I think this has been blown way out of proportion, along with with Evra incident. What sense would it make for Terry to racially abuse somebody he knows quite well?

It's time for football to find a new trend. I'm bored of this one already, it wasn't amusing at all and quite honestly racism is a term coined way to easily today. Practically everything's racist. In the 60s/70s/80s, these incidents would have been completely overlooked. They happened all the time.

My World Cup XV

It seems like everybody is making their own at the moment, so I figured I'd also go ahead and make mine. Below is my World Cup XV with explanations as to why I picked the players I did. Comment on what you think of my team and what your World Cup XV is.

1. Tony Woodcock (New Zealand): The prop was immense for New Zealand and he scored the winning try in the final. The New Zealand pack would have really struggled without him, and was ever-present in the scrums and rucks. Nobody else came close to having the impact he had in this position.

2. William Servat (France): For every good line out there's a good hooker, and William Servat was that man. France's line out was phenomenal at this World Cup, and Servat was a big part of that. He was also huge in the scrum, and there is no doubt that without him, France would not have been as strong in line outs and scrums. Keven Mealamu was also good, but Servat just has the edge in my opinion.

3. Adam Jones (Wales): When he came of injured against France, it was the start of Wales' decline. And it's not a coincidence. Jones was already established as one of the best props in the world before the tournament, and he solidified that reputation while he was in New Zealand. He was a key part of Wales' pack, not only being effective in the scrum but also in rucks and at the breakdown. France's Nicolas Mas comes very close to getting on my team, but Jones' experience and overall good performance tips the balance.

4. Brad Thorne (New Zealand): He is the All Black man mountain. A huge presence in the line out, he delivered some very solid performances in the tournament and his experience was invaluable the Kiwis. Luke Charteris of Wales comes close to challenging him, but the fact that New Zealand went all the way is what separates them.

5. Lionel Nallet (France): France's second row was a crucial part of France getting so far. Partnered with Imanol Harinordoquy, France's line out was almost unbeatable. They made catches under high pressure, and Nallet's experience was also a massive driving force for the French.

6. Thierry Dusautoir (France): Man of the match in the final, world player of the year, incredible performances against Wales and England, need we say anymore? Thierry Dusautoir had an incredible World Cup and there is absolutely no doubt about his place in this team.

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand): Does this really need any justification?

8. Viliami Ma'afu (Tonga): Easily Tonga's best player of the world cup and a huge surprise. He was absolutely phenomenal against France, constantly causing Les Bleus problems, sand he also scored a well deserved try against Japan. I doubt many many people will agree with this choice, but he is as good as any other number 8 to have played at the world cup. Harinordoquy was phenomenal in the knockout stages, but in the group stages he failed to deliver, and that's what cost him his place on my team.

9. Dimitri Yachvili (France): Was the heartbeat of the French team, and created everything. Great box kicking ability, and also his kicking was as good as anyone's. Without him, France's would have been nowhere, and he scored some crucial kicks that allowed France to win games. Mike Phillips also did really well, his try against France especially, but Yachvili just gets it for his overall performance.

10. Rhys Priestland (Wales): Priestland was unknown before this tournament. Now he is practically a rugby superstar. He is what you'd call a playmaker: he links the forwards to the backs and really gave Wales a fluid game. Priestland was the reason Wales played such attractive rugby. Instead of just kicking, he looked for clever passes and helped his backs score. That's what traditionally the fly-half is supposed to do, and it's good to see it again. No real other contenders for the fly-half spot in my opinion, but Aaron Cruden, Dan Carter and Morne Steyn did play well and put it some good performances.

11. Shane Williams (Wales): What a player!!!! 34 and he was still Wales' main try scorer. George North came onto the scene with a bang, but I think Williams' performances were just phenomenal. He always scores when it really matters, and just seems to cut through every defence in the world like butter. I honestly think he's getting better with age. Now he's retired from international duty, it just won't ever be the same for Wales. Other people like George North and Richard Kahui played well, but the brilliance of Shane Williams is unique and is something that is almost impossible to beat.

12. Jamie Roberts (Wales): He is the Welsh battering ram. He runs at defences, and more often than not, gets through. He played superbly against France in delivered solid performances in the other matches. One of the best centres in the world full-stop. Conrad Smith and Rougerie played well, but I think that Roberts is just the class above.

13. Ma'a Nonu (New Zealand): If Roberts is the Welsh battering ram, than Nonu is the All Black version. A player who's incredibly hard to bring down, he scored a well deserved winning try against Australia in the semi-final and was an important part of the All Blacks' success. No doubts as to whether he deserves a place on this team.

14. Vincent Clerc (France): For me, Vincent Clerc and Shane Williams are easily the two best wingers in the world. The Frenchman had a really top quality world cup, scoring the crucial try against England and playing very well against Wales. He can beat any defence on his day, and has been France's best winger for several years now. He confirmed this at the World Cup.

15. Maxime Medard (France): Last but not least, the full back. I really like Medard. He's an exciting player and his counter attacks are breathtaking. He can cut through a defence just like Shane Williams and he looks to play the ball, not just kick it unlike many other full backs. Israel Dagg is also a strong contender here, but I just prefer the explosive style of Medard. Dagg is more traditional, whereas Medard just brings something new to the table.

Why do some athletes not play for their actual countries?

Something that really frustrates me when I look at certain sports teams is how many players they have who are not really the nationality of the team they play for. Two examples are pictured above. Manu Tuilagi, who is completely Samoan, nothing to do with England whatsoever, not even born there, but just because he's lived there a certain amount of time he gets the right to play for the English rugby team. There is also Danny Welbeck, who is completely Ghanian (he is born in England) and yet he plays for the English national team.

I really don't want to seem racist here, but this is incredibly unfair on the smaller countries like Ghana and Samoa. They produce talent, and yet it gets taken away from them by the bigger national sides. This then affects their performance on the pitch.

There are many other surprising examples of this: take for instance the New Zealand rugby team. Let's run through some of the great names of "New Zealand" players. Jonah Lomu has two Tongan parents, and spent his childhood in Tonga, yet he is born in Auckland and so can play for NZ. Tana Umaga has Samoan immigrant parents, and like Lomu, he is only eligible to play for NZ through being born there and having lived there. Joe Rokocoko is Fijian. Born in Fiji to Fijian parents, only migrated to New Zealand aged 15. And there are many more examples of so called "New Zealanders", like Keven Mealamu.

There are so many cases like this across sport, it's really frustrating. How different would it have been if Jonah Lomu had played for Tonga. They would be a rugby power, as Lomu's talent would not doubt have attracted other good Tongans who would otherwise have played for New Zealand.

If Manu Tuilagi had chosen to play for Samoa at the world cup, he could have partnered his brother in what would have been a scary backs lineup.

I've been focusing too much on rugby (it is the most affected sport), but other sports also have this feature. Eoin Morgan in cricket for example, plays for England but he is totally Irish and like all the others only gets his dual nationality through residency. Elena Baltacha in tennis plays for England but all her family is Ukranian. The list could go on and on.

It's obvious that all these athletes are just searching for success, but it could have been so different. If one of these people decided to stay loyal to their actual nationality, arguably many would have followed, and this could have built up the smaller country into a good team in the sport.

New Zealand Champions: Deserved?

So New Zealand are world champions. But only just. Their 8-7 win was close, and France were 1 point away from a different story. Woodcock was the try scorer for New Zealand, while Dusautoir went over for the French. In a match that was so close, did New Zealand deserve to win?

Yes and no. France, for me, were the better side. They really dominated some passages of play and had they been more accurate with the boot they could have won. More importantly though, it was clear that the referee's judgement was swayed by the crowd. All 50/50 decisions, whether it be for high tackles or anything else were given in the All Blacks' favour, and I think had this final been played in a different country, we could have had a very different result.

However, you can't deny with what's happened to New Zealand as a country this year that they needed something like this to cheer the country up. Also, if there is one side that hasn't won the World Cup enough, it's New Zealand, so they really deserved it in the long run.

It's really tough to say if it was deserved, but if you look at the match it definitely wasn't as I mentioned before. France can be hugely proud of their performance. They are world champions in every way but one: they don't have the Webb Ellis Cup.

Who is the Best Manager Ever?

This is a really tough question to answer, as there are so many possible names you could consider. Brian Clough, Arrigo Sacchi, Sir Alex, Arsene Wenger, Bob Paisley, Jose Mourinho and Herbert Chapman to name but few. However, there is one person who I think just edges all of them. Guy Roux.

The man is a legend, and none of the managers on that list has achieved what he has done. Taking a regional club, with no pedigree and no money to European heights and winning the main league of the country several times. Roux did this with Auxerre, and it was truly remarkable. He took the equivalent of a Blue Square North/South team and turned them into the best in the country.

Bob Paisley is very close to challenging Roux for the honour of best ever though. He is the only manager to have ever won 3 European Cups and was one of the main reasons Liverpool were so good in 70s and 80s. Clough is also great, winning the European Cup with Nottingham Forest, but what Guy Roux did you cannot put into words.

He transformed Auxerre from top to bottom: financially, on the pitch, staff, youth academy, everything changed. His life was Auxerre when he managed there. He built up some of the best players to ever play the game: Laurent Blanc and Eric Cantona are some examples. Djibril Cisse, Phillipe Mexes and Basile Boli also all come from the academy.

This is a really debatable question, but for me Guy Roux stands out above the rest. Who do you think was the best ever? Comment below.

Worst own goal ever?

As a Celtic fan, watching this video makes me despair, but is Cha Du Ri's failed back pass the worst own goal ever? Leave a comment.

Hopkins gets his belt back!!!

It was one of the most disgraceful decisions I had ever seen in a boxing ring, and thankfully, it has now been overturned. When Chad Dawson was given the world title after body slamming Bernard Hopkins to the mat, it was an outrage. Hopkins dislocated his shoulder and could not continue, and the ref said it was a TKO.

Today though it has been announced that he is getting his world title back. The ruling of the fight has been overturned, it is now a no-contest, and so Bernard Hopkins can finally feel a sense of justice about what happened. How the referee could have made the original decision is beyond my understanding, but at least it now no longer stands.

Bernard Hopkins is a phenomenal boxer, and even at 45, he manages to keep up with people half his age. He is the Ryan Giggs of boxing, no doubt. He will never retire. So he remains champion, and it will be interesting to see who wants to step forward to take him on. Will we see a Dawson vs Hopkins rematch or another opponent step up to the plate?

Which is your favourite war dance?

We all know that Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Fiji all have their different war dances that they perform before playing. New Zealand have the Haka, Tonga the Sipi Tau, Samoa the Sivi Tau and Fiji the Cibi. You can see them all below. Which one is your favourite? Post a comment!!!

New Zealand:

Tonga:

Samoa:

Fiji:

GSP INJURED!!!!

Dana White announced via Twitter that Georges St. Pierre is out of UFC 137 with a knee injury and that the new main event is Diaz vs Penn. This really is a massive hammer blow to the UFC, especially on such short notice. The prospect of seeing GSP is arguably what made thousands of fans buy tickets and now they are left with a slightly crummy Penn vs Diaz fight.

UFC 137 will undoubtedly be less watched because of this. With GSP gone, the fight card honestly isn't that interesting a part from Cro Cop's last fight against Roy Nelson (that should have been the main event in my opinion). Nick Diaz taking on BJ Penn is not exactly going to be the most entertaining fight, and will be no where near the magnitude of a GSP vs Condit clash.

What's more, Condit will wait until GSP is fully recovered. It's not as if they are just finding him another opponent, the whole fight has been wiped off the card. Carlos Condit beat Dan Hardy so he deserves something, but WHY ON EARTH WON'T THE UFC TAKE THIS CHANCE TO PUT ON A SILVA VS GSP BOUT (when they can)???

Carlos Condit can wait. The fight that will break all records, the fight that will easily make the most money for the UFC is Anderson Silva against GSP so why are they not taking this opportunity to say that Condit will fight somebody else (Josh Koscheck said he was up for it) and that GSP's next fight will be a mega blockbuster against The Spider? Only Dana will know the answer to that question.

I hope you're watching Chris Ashton...

I've decided on a change of strategy for this blog. Instead of posting one long post every two days, I will post several things every day. Now this could mean videos I find that are funny/cool, normal posts or anything else I find interesting. So you will getting a lot more content on this blog from now on. Expect at least 2-3 posts a day.

With that out the way, here is a video that England rugby player Chris Ashton should watch: this is what happens when your swallow dive/showboating goes wrong. Argentina flanker Juan Leguizamon is the victim here, and this is a massive showing off FAIL.

Tour de France 2012: The Route Unveiled

We now know what the route will be for the 2012 Tour de France. The presentation is still going on as I write this, but they've already fully unveiled the route. At first glance, it seems easier that other years. No Alpe d'Huez, no Mont Ventoux, but look closer and it is actually quite tough.For starters, the organisers, ASO, have reinstated La Toussuire as a mountain top finish. This climb in the Alps was last used in 2006 when a testosterone filled Floyd Landis won at the summit. Because of this it is slightly tarnished, but it is a tough climb, and Contador and co will have their hands full.

The next thing to notice is obviously where the whole thing starts, and that's Liege in Belgium, which is a huge name in cycling. Liege is the hub of all the classics in Spring, and the arguably the most important one goes through it (Liege-Bastogne-Liege). The first stage itself will be a time trial, something this year's Tour lacked, and I think is needed in every Tour. Starting with a time trial is the best way to kick a cycling stage race off.

Another very challenging stage will be the mouton top finish in the Pyrenees at Peyragudes. It will test the main contenders, especially as the Pyrenees come after the Alps, unlike this year's Tour where it was the other way round.

So what about the sprint stages? The first two will be reasonably flat and there will be some transitional stages as always where Mark Cavendish can assert his authority, such as the stage to the Cap d'Agde. But you also have to remember what happened in 2009 with the massive side winds that the peloton have to face up to.

What is the stage I'm most looking forward to? This might be surprising but I will say the Besancon time trial. It won't be completely flat, and so Cancellara or Martin will probably not win it. It will be between Contador, Evans and Wiggins. It's the first mountainous time trial that's featured on the Tour in while, so it should be very exciting.

I can't wait for the whole thing to start.

World Cup Predictions...

New Zealand knocked out Australia this morning, setting themselves up for a mouth watering final with France. Many people are saying that France will be totally humiliated and crushed, but I couldn't disagree more. France are New Zealand's bete noire. They have beaten them twice in previous World Cups, and even though the All Blacks have already beaten France in this tournament, I'm pretty sure both teams would have forgotten about it.

I would like to see France win, even though I know that the vast majority of people would like to see the All Blacks triumph. France are being hailed as the worst team ever to have made a World Cup final, but that's not true. England in 2007 were just as bad as the France of 2011.

There third place final will therefore be between Australia and Wales, and for me, Australia win hands down. Warburton is suspended and he is arguably Wales' best player, and the team will be pretty down after going out the way that they did. Even though Australia haven't been brilliant, I rethink they'll have enough to see off a depleted Wales.

Top 5 UFC Fights I'd like to see

So Frankie Edgar retained his Lightweight belt by beating Gray Maynard at UFC 136. In light of this, I figured I'd make a post with the top 5 UFC fights I'd like to see happen soon. Comment below on which fights you would like to see.

5.Frankie Edgar vs Sean Sherk

This might be a bit of a surprise choice, but when Sherk is not plagued by injuries, he's a class act. Edgar showed his dominance by beating Maynard, but Sean Sherk would represent a completely different opponent: somebody who is good on the ground and somebody who is impossible to submit. It can't happen for a while because of Sherk's injuries, but when he recovers this fight is a must.

4.Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping

The man from Manchester is underrated. He's not got 3 victories in a row and if he beats Dan Miller in December, he deserves this fight. Even though he will almost surely not win, Bisping is a true fighter and he doesn't give up. Silva would have a different challenge on his hands and it would be a way more interesting fight than say Silva vs Okami.

3.Cain Velasquez vs Shane Carwin

The fight that everybody was asking for was Velasquez vs Dos Santos, and that is now going to happen at UFC 139. But assuming Velasquez wins, I would like to see him fight Shane Carwin. Even though he was beaten by Dos Santos, it really was a gritty, gutsy performance from Carwin and I think Velasquez would have his hands full. I pretty sure Velasquez would not be able to knock him out.

2.Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans

Jon 'Bones' Jones has beaten everybody there is to be beat in the light heavyweight division. Bar one man. Rashad Evans. Evans is plagued by injury, but the moment he is fit, this fight has to happen. He is the only man left who can beat Jon Jones. It really would be a blockbuster fight and a really close match up. Jon Jones has no rivals in the heavyweight division if you exclude Evans, and every fight is a bit boring, as you already know the outcome. A win for Jon Jones. A fight against Evans however would change that.

1.Anderson Silva vs Georges St. Pierre

Could it really have been anything else? This is the dream fight EVERYBODY wants to see, and I hope to God it happens before Silva retires. GSP would have to move up a weight class, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. This fight would show who the best fighter in the UFC is. Simple as that. Anderson Silva is being called the G.O.A.T, but I think he can only genuinely be called that once he has fought and beaten GSP. THIS FIGHT HAS TO HAPPEN!!!

The English Rugby Team: A Disgrace

If you follow this blog, you'll know of my dislike for the England rugby team. Well, after their shenanigans in New Zealand, you can now say my hatred of the English rugby team. They did everything wrong: dwarf throwing contests, snogging an ex-girlfirend when you've only just got married to a member of the royal family, yes, I am talking about you Mr. Tindall. And to round it all off, Manu Tuilagi thought it would be really fun to jump off a ferry.

I really don't blame other countries for hating our national teams. I hate all English natonal teams. Football, rugby, you name it they are not well behaved. There needs to be some serious discipline put in place here: the English rugby team are a bunch of thugs. James Haskell knows only one word, and it begins with F, and Martin Johnson doesn't seem to care at all about what his players get up to.

If it doesn't affect the on pitch performance, it's more tolerable, but when it does, that's when it's really frustrating. Wales, for example, simply banned alcohol while at the World Cup, and they are now in a semi-final. The English really don't have any excuse, Martin Johnson should be sacked, and a disciplinarian should be brought in.

I really don't want to think about what the next rugby world cup is going to be like, seeing as it is being held in England. Let's hope, for their sake, that they sort themselves out really really fast.

Steve

This is a sports blog, but Steve Jobs was a revolutionary. A tribute.

Goal-line technology: Will it ever arrive?

It was announced today that goal line technology would not be appearing until at least the 2013-2014 season. Delayed yet again. And all I ask is why. WHY???

The times last season that goal line tech would have been useful is ridiculous. Apparently, they still have to test how accurate it is, as it is not fully up to scratch. Well, here's an idea, why don't the FA just buy the hawkeye technology in tennis (that definitely works) and use it in football? It really isn't that hard, and to be honest I,m pretty fed up with all the excuses.

The other problem of course is Michel Platini. The FA can do whatever they like. But as far as it being used in the Champions League and the Euro, we're still far off. Platini is strongly against the idea, for some inexplicable reason, and so he will need to leave before anybody can get anywhere with it on a European scale.

Having said that, seeing goal line technology at world cups is a possibility. Blatter isn't against the idea, but it would probably go down to a vote, and we know what happened last time there was some attempt at a vote in FIFA. CORRUPTION!!!

I hope to God it comes into practice soon. Waiting season after season for it is really frustrating, and while they're at it with goal line technology, they should introduce a 5th referee in the stands like in rugby, who has a computer and confirm/change all the ref's decisions. I'm sick of seeing rubbish referees, as is every single person in football.

Has The Professor failed the test?

Arsenal lost again at the weekend in the derby game against Tottenham. They lack confidence and experience. That much is obvious. Wenger refuses to buy players over 30. And I think that's part of the problem. Wenger was handed the experience he needed on a plate when he arrived with Tony Adams and Martin Keown. He has never bought anybody over 30, and got rid of Vieira when he would have been a great senior player.

You cannot win with a young team. You cannot win with an old team. You need a balanced team. I would suggest 2 players of over 33, 1 player between 30-33, 5 players between 25-30 and 3 players who are under 24. Arsenal have only the latter, and in key positions like centre back and goalkeeper, where they really need a 30+ year old cool head, they haven't got one. Mertesacker and Vermaelen are good players, but you need a player who will threaten to kick you up the arse if you don't do your job, like an Adams, or to use a modern day example, John Terry.

Ever since the 8-2 loss at Man Utd, I've said Wenger needs to go. Hr's made a decent attempt at signing some players to replace the departed, but it obviously hasn't been enough. Wenger should resign, because the board are not going to sack him, and somebody new should come in. The Professor is past his sell by date.

People who say that there isn't anyone who could replace him are pretty ignorant. When Rioch left, nobody predicted in a million years that Wenger would be appointed. There are many good managers out there in need of a job. I feel Rafa Benitez could be OK, he did reasonability well at Liverpool, winning two Champions Leagues, or you could even consider somebody like Mark Hughes, who did really quite well at Fulham. Something has to change, and by something, I mean manager.