mkjones

I love snooker. I love to watch the game and I love to play the game even though I am absolutely terrible at it.

This years World Championship title was a great event with Ronnie’s performance in the Semi-Final against Stephen Hendry going down as one of the best displays of the game ever witnessed.

Commiserations to Ali Carter who was trounced 18-8 in the final. He never really got the chance to get going. At least he has reached his first major final after years in ‘top-16′ wilderness.

Its all over now and the Snooker calender is now empty for another year. I hope Ronnie can go on and win more world titles. His form this season has been hit and miss but he came out when it really mattered.

Other than Ronnie, Liang Wenbo was a big highlight for me this year showing that there is more to China than Ding Junhui. And Joe Perry, an old favourite of mine, played the form of his life to reach his first Semi and thus finally proving that he can compete with the best.

Other new players showing promise this year were Mark Allen and Jamie Cope. Both were knocked out in the first round but their rough and unfinished style brought an exciting freshness to the event.

Lets hope these players can keep it up for next season and bring some new faces to the top-16.

Barnsley beat Chelsea

See you at Wembley then!

Managed to make it to the City of Manchester Stadium last night for the Manchester City v West Ham FA Cup replay.

I managed to take a photo with my old, battered, cameraphone:

Sadly the quality of the picture really doesn’t put across the quality of this modern, polished stadium.

The game was somewhat lacklustre. Fortunately the stadium, excitement of the tie and the ease of the journey made it an enjoyable trip.

Russia 2-1 England, a bad result which puts Euro 2008 qualification practically to bed.

It was a good game, invigorating in a way after the past few walkovers, but the result hurts.

Nothing else can be said

Match Report (BBC)

What with an England match a few days ago and another tomorrow I feel as if I should write something.

Problem is. There really is nothing to say??

England won convincingly (boringly) at the weekend (link) and even though Owen was stifled by the return of Rooney and they booed Frank I have yet to find the strength or spirit to really pour some words out on the matter.

The next game is tomorrow afternoon and I have other things to worry about as I have a BIG day Thursday (more about this later).

So rather than regurgitate the spewings of pundits I will instead simply list a series of links:

England 3-0 Estonia

Lawro’s predictions

England’s pitch battle

Barnes angered by Lampard booing

Frank Lampard in the cold as Steve McClaren goes bold

England superstars have to find their feet back in the schoolyard

(Keep reading)

I feel shocked and saddened today as I find out that the special one has existed Chelsea.

He leaves with an unbelievable record which I very much doubt his successor will emulate.

I can’t really say much more on the matter as I am on a Sharepoint course during the first Coffee break of the day.

Link Dump:

• Goodbye Jose Mourinho: manager leaves Chelsea after Roman Abramovich row
• Mourinho makes shock Chelsea exit
• Official Chelsea Statement

So Emile Heskey is back in the England Squad.

Not sure what I feel about this yet. I have in years gone by come to despise the donkey-footed-forward and his love affair with the previous England manager.

But, it appears that Michael Owen, England’s brightest goalscoring hope asked for Heskey by name. Is this a good idea? Should we pander to our only really fit strikers demands??

As I am currently on the fence over here, so time will have to tell.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer announced his retirement from football today, seems rather harsh for a 12yr old.

I’m by no means a Man U fan but always held Solskjaer in high regard as one of the most talented pure strikers the game has ever seen. I can only imagine how different his career would have been without the constant bind of knee injuries.

Blimey it was a bad game for Robbo and not a great match all round. It was also a nightmare match for McLaren, no matter what he or the pundits say when England loose to Germany, it hurts.

Smith and Owen played half-decently. Smith showed real promise as a play maker and Owen lapped up the very few chances given to him but lacked the sharp finishing of years gone by. Both players need more 90-minutes to their name this season before they can shine like they used to. Thankfully Sam Allardyce is well known for getting the best out of players that are showing career fatigue.

Elsewhere on the pitch Micah Richards again showed how he is quickly becoming the golden boy of the back 4 and Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and David Beckham all shined at times.

Game shame

After a great start the game became painfully inconsistent. The 2nd half was a shambles and a torment to watch with only the inclusion of Shawn Wright-Phillips giving fans anything to get excited about.

On the plus side England did play the better football over the full 90 and had the most chances. Plus it was good to see David James getting a re-call, if only as a faith card from the manager.

I can’t help but dwell on the game where others will say “Wait for Israel in 2 weeks time”.

Sure it was a friendly, but it was at the new Wembley and against our longest standing football adversaries. We should have grabbed the game by the horns and beat the opposition into submission. The feeling of morale coming out of such a result would have done wonders in the England camp and made the weight on McLaren’s shoulders just that little bit lighter.

Its England time again! And under my recent title of Kimb Jones - England Fan I feel a great duty to comment on the current issues cropping up in the English national side.

Lets get this straight shall we. Michael Owen and Alan Smith are excellent up-front players. They have both proven in the past that they can score goal after goal and as new Newcastle team members should already have a good idea of how to play together.

It should not and will not be a problem playing these two up front in a 4-4-2 situation no matter what the press are saying.

Both players have been hit with long spells of injury. Smith was out for a year with a horrendous knee and ankle mashing and Owen’s foot and knee problems have been the focus of many England fans woes.

This period of downtime will haunt these five-star players and should force them to push that extra mile while playing for their country in what is the best new stadium in the world.

And if they do well? What should happen? Should Rooney, Crouch, Bent etc be sidelined to leave room for what could an international strike partnership of epic goal scoring proportions!?

Why yes.

The England Quagmire

Its a big problem being England manager at the moment. The players available are just too GOOD.

McLaren has to please not only the team but the nation and the FA in selecting players with hi-profiles and great track records in their domestic guise that may or may not play well together.

The current injury situation will, if handled correctly, bring the English team together and bind them as a real unit.

Players not normally called into action such as Smith and the Premier Leagues new golden boy Micah Richards will have to play exceptionally well to bridge the gaps in the team. They will have to rely on playing as a team and not on the performance of a small set of high-profile-poster-boy-superstars.

And if it works. It should stay that way. (Keep reading)