Clubs That Have Fallen...

It is the worst nightmare for fans: when you see your club relegated, then relegated again. You can't recover, and your club loses all it's former glory. Here are my top five clubs to who that has happened.

5) Nottingham Forest

The team now is nothing compared to Clough's team in 70s and 80s, and their fall has been pretty brutal. They were in League One 2 or 3 years ago but are now in the Championship. And they were doing well in it: they got in the playoffs and almost got back into the Premier League but this season they are in a relegation battle and they could be heading back down.

4) RC Lens

I am now a Lens supporter, so it's sad to see club in its current state. They are currently 15th in Ligue 2, having previously been in Europe and one of the best French teams in the early 2000s. Hopefully, like all the teams on here, they will recover, and even regain their European status, but that's going to be tough. Still, they do have a big stadium and that might appeal to a rich foreign investor...

3) Charlton

Even though they are now first, they are still in League One and are a shadow of the team that was in the Premier League 5 or 6 years ago. They seem to be on the road to recovery but it will still a brutal fall and their standards have gone down immensely.

2) AS Monaco

What a tragic situation this is. They were relegated last year to Ligue 2, the second division in France, and they are now rock bottom. They are in 20th position and if they don't get their act together, they could be relegated two divisions in two years. It would be especially troubling as in 2003 they were paying in the Champions League final. Football is a funny game, clubs can slip so far.

1) RC Strasbourg

It cannot really be anyone else. I've looked at many contenders when making this list but this is the saddest story of them all. Start of the decade, they were a top ten team in Ligue 1, the top division. Not really relegation contenders. Now, they are in CFA 2, the equivalent of the Blue Square Premier. Imagine Stoke ten years from now playing in the Blue Square Premier. That's what happened to Strasbourg. It is down to financial troubles a series of bad managers, and it doesn't look like they will sort themselves out anytime soon.

Lesnar vs Overeem: An Earthquake in the Octagon

For me, this type of fight is what the U in UFC stands for. Two of the most hard hitting heavyweights, if not the most hard hitting, will take each other on in a fight that is guaranteed to make the Octagon and the MGM Grand shake like never before. Lesnar needs to prove himself again following his humiliation at the hands of Cain Velasquez, and Overeem needs to enter the UFC with a bang.

Overeem has a huge reputation to maintain after coming over from Strikeforce, so he will be under equal pressure. Lesnar will want to bounce back and get a rematch for his world title against Dos Santos.

It's a tough one to predict, but I'm going to go Lesnar by stoppage (TKO, KO, or submission). When you look at who Overeem's fought in the past, he's lost to all the good UFC fighters (Rua, Nogueira and Werdum). He did beat Victor Belfort, but nevertheless, his record isn't great against fighters in the UFC. Lesnar on the other hand was really seen as tough to beat before the Velasquez fight. I think that's still the case.

Velasquez is a top fighter who made KO'ing Lesnar look easy, but it really isn't. Lesnar will win. Overeem won't be able to control him.

Thierry Henry: The Return?

He was the reason I started supporting Arsenal. In fact, he was the player who got me interested in football. Henry was my favourite player until he moved to Barca, but if he rejoins Arsneal on loan, he might just regain that title.

The man is a living legend, and possibly the best striker to ever play in there Premier League. Yes, I think he's better than Alan Shearer. At his peak no defender could stop him. He ran like the wind and was completely unstoppable.

Even through he might be 34 and slower than he used to be, he's still a great player and if Arsenal get him on loan it will be like another Christmas present. I would be absolutely delighted and would put his name on the back of my Arsenal shirt immediately.

I beg you Arsene, please bring him back!! Even if it's for two months, I'm sure he'll make a huge difference and help the squad hugely. His influence would be second to none: it would be great if were to be made captain if he came.

And of course, seeing as this will be my last post before Christmas Day: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Disgraceful...

Now this is wrong for many reasons. Firstly the fan should not have been on the pitch running around like a hooligan and trying to assault the goalie. Second, the referee should not have sent him off, Esteban, the keeper, was only acting in self-defence and thirdly, even if your player as been sent off unfairly, it's not reason to call your players off the pitch. Talk about it after the game and continue. Almost everyone was in the wrong apart from the goalkeeper. What do you make of it? It's pretty crazy.

NO BOXING DAY FOOTBALL????

Boxing day football is one of the central pieces of Christmas in England. For a man, anyway. SO to even think of trying to stop it taking place is outrageous. But because of public transport strikes in London, Arsenal and Chelsea's games are under threat.

It's funny how the people who strike always deliberately choose the most popular moments to do so. Why on earth can't they just strike in summer for 2 weeks, instead of striking in December for one day.

I hope games are not cancelled, as I would be extremely disappointed and it would ruin Christmas tradition. Normally all teams play on Boxing Day, and to have two of the biggest missing in Arsenal and Chelsea would be good at all. PLEASE DON'T STRIKE.

Lionel Messi: Easily The Best Player Ever

Yes. In a word. I have long believed that it was Zinedine Zidane who deserved that accolade, but Messi for me is the now the best ever for several reasons. The main one is his age: he's 24. Let repeat that: 24. He's already rivalling the all time greats and he's barely half way through his career.

I have absolutely no doubt that by the time he's thirty, Messi will be better than Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and Zidane combined. He's a phenomenon. It's as simple as that. For him to achieved what he has in the period of time he did it in is beyond real. I could see him finishing his career with about 10 Ballon d'Ors to his name, and many more accolades.

Secondly, the ball just sticks to his foot. He never loses control. It's as simple as that. Like Maradona but 50 times better. He almost always beats his man and his low centre of gravity means it's incredibly hard to push him over.

Thirdly, and also very important: he's a playmaker. This is something he has developed immensely in his time at Barca, and it's something that Maradona didn't have. The latter was a scorer and dribbler, not a passer. Messi, amazingly, is both.

And that's what really sets him apart. Whereas the players that came before him fit into one category: Zidane and Cruyff playmakers, Pele and Maradona goal scorers, Messi fits into both and is better at both than anyone ever before.

It's an honour to live at the time he is playing. Thank you, Leo.

NBA: IT'S TIME!!

Well, the lockout definitely frustrated many, but that's over and now we have a full (well, half) season of NBA basketball to look forward too. With the Mavericks do a two-peat? Will the Lakers recover from last season's humiliation? Will the Clippers make some noise with Chris Paul? What will happen to Dwight Howard?

The questions could go on and on, but hopefully they will all be answered in the coming months. I'm personally hoping the Nets do well ahead of their move to Brooklyn for next season, and it will also be very interesting to see who the surprise package of next season will be. I reckon that the Thunder could cause some problems. They are a young team with loads of quality players, Westbrook and Durant to name but few.

It will also be interesting to see how the Spurs get on. Nobody pays them a great deal of attention, but they have always finished with one of the best records and consistently made the playoffs. Is there team to old to compete? We will have to see.

Dwight Howard: Coming Soon to a Brooklyn Arena Near You?

So, Dwight Howard is definitely on the move, and hopefully to the Nets. The latest official rumour is that he will be involved a multi team trade, with the Nets giving up Brook Lopez and draft picks to the Magic, the Trail Blazers giving up Wallace to the Magic and the Magic sending Howard to the Nets and draft picks to the Trail Blazers.

It is all very complicated, but hopefully it will be resolved soon, with the Lakers another possible destination. As a Nets fan, I would be over the moon if he joined us, but the fact of the matter is that the Lakers potentially have more to offer if they don't trade for Chris Paul in Pau Gasol and Andre Bynum.

The Magic would be stupid not to accept it over the Nets offer if proposed, so hopefully for me that won't happen.

The other thing that will happen if Howard arrives at the Nets is that we will see the arrival of glory hunters, rather like last year with the Miami Heat. I HATE GLORY HUNTERS. They are the worst kind of fan. Absolutely no loyalty to their team whatsoever. They go for the winners, and they don't deserve respect. That's my rant over for now...

George Foreman: The Hardest Puncher Ever

A while ago, while I was writing my Joe Frazier tribute, I listed my top 5 boxers of all time. I included Mike Tyson, but when writing I totally forgot Foreman. He's got be considered one of the greatest ever, possibly even the second best behind Ali. He had one of, if not the, hardest punch of all time, and beat Joe Frazier twice. Here's a highlight reel of his best moments. And of course, he launched the infamous George Foreman grill. The man's a legend.

Amir Khan: Shock Loss

Nobody expected that. Lamont Peterson beating Amir Khan narrowly on points. Khan was the overwhelming favourite before the fight, and Peterson has pulled off something pretty extraordinary by beating Khan. The Sports Personality of the Year candidate managed to knock Peterson down but he recovered and came back stronger.

Peterson has offered him a rematch but Khan is reportedly cross at the refereeing. He was deducted what would turn out to be crucial points for trying to push Peterson away, as Peterson, according to Khan, kept coming in low.

Who knows what will happen next for Khan, as before this fight he was one of the most in-form boxers around. A rematch could be in the making or Khan might set his sights higher. A fight with Pacquiao would be phenomenal, even though it seems that Mayweather could get there first.

Luis Suarez: How Stupid Can You Get?

I always thought that Luis Suarez was a reasonably respectable player, but after what's happened recently, I've completely changed my mind. He's now not only on a racism charge with Patrice Evra, he's also under investigation for showing the middle finger to Fulham fans as he walked off the pitch at Craven Cottage.

The guy's mental: here you can see him trying to bite off the ear of an opponent while still at Ajax.

He's a great footballer, but Suarez sometimes takes it too far, and he just doesn't think. There are so many cameras around in football these says, somebody is bound to pick it up.

Ballon d'Or Winner Announced One Month Ahead of Time

For the next few years, the Ballon d'Or is a pointless competition to have. Why bother? We know who's going to win. Lionel Messi has no competition. The award should just be given to him with no shortlist. Who is going to vote otherwise?

Ronaldo and Xavi are good, but Messi is going to win. Their will be a total one sided vote and he'll get something like 99%. Well done Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or for a third year running. See you next year where if you remain injury free, you will win again.

If you play for an English club, the only prize you can potentially win is the PFA Player of the Year award, as Barcelona and Real will dominate. Wayne Rooney had and has no chance of winning the Ballon d'Or as long as Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo and Messi are playing. Same with other countries and talents like Neymar and Robin Van Persie, THE LATTER FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON NOT EVEN BEING ON THE PRELIMINARY SHORTLIST!!!

It's not that Messi doesn't deserve it because he does. He is easily the best player on the planet, and possibly the best ever depending on who you ask. It's just that the other top players are really unlucky to be playing at the same time and the three best players of the generation.

Dirk Nowitzki: The Best Power Forward in the NBA

The NBA is returning soon, and this is mix of the best PF in the NBA Dirk Nowitzki. Enjoy.

I claim no credit for the video.

Balloon d'Or!!

If you haven't seen this it's worth a look. Pepe Reina is completely fooled when Darren Bent's shot takes a deflection off a beach ball and goes in.

NBA Trade Rumours: Chris Paul and Dwight Howard

The NBA's return has only just been announced, but trade rumours have already started flying around, with Dwight Howard and Chris Paul at the centre of it all. Chris Paul has been linked with almost every team, including the Lakers, the Knicks and the Magic. Howard has been linked with the Nets and the Lakers among others.

I love reading trading trade rumours, especially as deadline day nears (which isn't for another few months, in any case it could be extended). I hope the Nets work something out to bring in Howard, but if they don't they still have a great big man in Brook Lopez, so whatever happens, it's good.

The Lakers have got a new coach following the retirement of Phil Jackson, and it will be interesting to see whether a change of ideology takes place. One thing's almost sure though, Chris Paul will not be at New Orleans for much longer, and neither will Dwight Howard in Orlando.

THE Best Basketball Shot Ever?

Absolutely phenomenal, taken from a college basketball game.

Euro 2012 Draw: What's Going to Happen?

It's the day national teams have been waiting for. The Euro 2012 draw. It could bring up some pretty interesting groups, and I'm looking forward to it. Here are the different pots:

Pot 1: Spain, Netherlands, Poland*, Ukraine*

Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia

Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden

Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

The death could potentially be Spain, Germany, Portugal and France. I can guarantee you that if that happens it will be explosive. Two big names will go home at the group stage. However, if the opposite happens, a super weak group, Poland, Russia, Greece and Czech Republic, it will also be very interesting.

I'll be supporting France, so hopefully they will get the easiest draw possible (Poland, Russia and Greece). Unlikely though, I'm pretty sure they will come up against some big names.

Neymar Better than Messi???

That's what Pele says. He claimed that Neymar was the best in the world and better than Lionel Messi. Do I agree? No. Of course not. Neymar is good, but he has never played in Europe and some Brazilians haver a knack for failing to adjust to the European style of play after coming over. Lionel Messi is still easily the most talented player, and I'm pretty sure Neymar will never be as good. Anyway, found this vid on Youtube. Enjoy.

Bruce Sacked, Who Will Replace Him?

As of yesterday, Sunderland have no manager. Steve Bruce was sacked by Ellis Short the owner, after a terrible run of form that leave Sunderland just above relegation. As always when a manager is sacked, the question is who will replace him?

The bookies odds on favourite is Martin O'Neill, but this morning the BBC were claiming Mark Hughes was the best placed to get the job. Other names mentioned have been Rafa Benitez and Guus Hiddink.

It's very unlikely, but if Sunderland were to appoint Hiddink, it would be a phenomenal coup, taking him right from under Chelsea's noses as a potential replacement to Villas-Boas. As for Rafa Benitez, I really want to see him managing in the Premier League again. I've changed my mind about him. He's not all that bad. If Sunderland were to appoint him, things would get better.

But it seems like either O'Neill or Hughes will get the nod. The first one would be very good, but I'm not a Mark Hughes fan. The way he walked out on Fulham wasn't good, and his time at Man City showed that he doesn't have the class to manage what was going to be and now is a big club.