Dusting off the Cobwebs....

....I cannot believe how quickly time has disappeared. I made a post a few weeks before going off on various travels in May including Russia for the Champions league final.

Suddenly it is July and I have not troubled the post count on the blog.

So, what the hell have I been up to then?

I have seen Lenin in State which was the mix of occasion and solemnity that you can imagine, but even so, seeing a man that basically MADE history, silenced the mind.

Apart from the fact that before you go in you are meant to hand in your cameras to a holding place in another building in Red Square. I did not want to be parted from my Sony so hid it in a trouser pocket. However seeing the former Bolshevik leader did lead me to weigh up whether to whip the camera out and take a picture....*

....meanwhile outside Lenin's Mausoleum was undoubtedly one of the strangest contrasts I am ever likely to see. Red Square played host to the Champions Park, the celebration of Champions League football. Watching the history of the competition bought some events I had only read about vividly to life. The highlight for me though was something I had seen. The presentation of Zidane's goal in the final of 2002 against Leverkusen. Inside a tent of air to look like the UEFA globe there were not one, not two, but three cinema style screens. The goal sequence was split in three with each third shifting from left to right across the screens. The rest of the film also used the three screens for various similar effects, but the magic of that goal was exquisitely recreated using the technique.

Since my return I have done some freelance/work experience, including for a sports agency, having the opportunity to meet and film Sir Trevor Brooking, Maria Sharapova and James Toseland. When I was not working on sports I was watching sports, particularly Euro 2008. Spain were worthy winners, at last. With the appointment of Vicente Del Bosque, two time Champions League winning manager of Real Madrid, I believe Spain have their best chance of a World Cup assault. Initially the loss of Aragones worried me, because I think Spain, like Holland need a strong unifying coach at the helm. Del Bosque, if anything, is a better manager than Aragones.

Chelsea thoughts:

I was not a fan of Avram Grant. Yet his performance won my respect and I felt he should have been given at least a full season to prove himself. If it was not for John Terry's miss he would surely still be manager. Talking of which, if the reports of Anelka's words after the match are to be believed, I have nothing but admiration for Terry who probably stepped up when others were falling over stepping back. Drogba did himself no favours getting sent off.

Now Scolari. Pedigree in his native Brazil and in international matches. No arguments. Ballack however has pointed out just how hard the English Premier League is. Expectations for the season:-a repeat of last season would be fantastic but there is scope for big omelette's on some very big faces.

Robinho-yes please. I have always liked Robinho, maybe because in every management sim I own I end up buying him and he is sublime. I would love to see him play live and fit that billing.

Deco-will have to get used to rainy away fixtures up north, which one will turn up-Champions league Porto and Barca Deco or last season's edition? Hopefully the former.

Frank Lampard-still believe he will go like I said last January. I just did not realise how much Inter were obsessed with the Champions League enough to sack a Serie A winning manager. Carlo Ancelotti's previous achievements surely saved him after AC's campaign last season.

I have also sent countless emails on various topics and spent time with friends and family. Now though more articles are ready to be researched and written along with a possible left turn career wise.

*....an idea which was swiftly quashed due to the presence of several armed, stern looking guards. The picture in my head will suffice, of a man looking like he has just gone to sleep meditating on his next piece of political treatise. What Lenin would have thought of Sepp Blatter's comments about footballers and their 'chains' I can imagine. Russian, and very rude, probably. Which would also have been his response to all the t-shirts bearing his name!

My Player of the Year Awards

Goalkeeper of the Year:

David James.

David James has put in some sterling performances this term which has been an undoubted key element in Portsmouth's fantastic season. A season in which he could yet win an FA Cup Winner's medal. One of his defining moments came in the FA Cup, back in the fifth round at Preston North End. Preston have a penalty and James seems to just fill out the goal before glowering menacingly at the ball. It does the trick and Preston's penalty taker Simon Whalley hits a tame effort to James' right. Easy save. Pompey play on.

Defender of the Year:

Rio Ferdinand.

It pains me to say it, as a Chelsea fan, but Ferdinand has been impressive at the back. I thought it was partly to do with the presence of Vidic but even when Vidic was injured Man United have barely flinched. Ferdinand has matured this season and as long as he puts his petulance, which rose again at the end of the Chelsea game, behind him I will be a grudging admirer if he gets the England captaincy.

Midfielder of the Year:

Cristiano Ronaldo

There can be no arguments here. Forty goals for a midfielder is beyond sublime. Part of the reason why Man U are in the position they are in. His free kick against Portsmouth summed up his incredible season. Skill, desire, goals in abundance.

Striker of the Year:

Fernando Torres:

Again, no argument here. 32 goals in his debut season having moved from his home country and a different kind of football is phenemenonal. One wonders where Liverpool migh have been but for his goals this season. His goal against Arsenal in the white hot atmosphere of an Anfield Champions league night was arguably the pick of the bunch.

Player of the Year:

Fernando Torres

Okay. Now the arguments start! Everyone else has plumped for Cristiano Ronaldo. As a self confessed detester of .... no, not Ronaldo, but hyperbole, I decided to attempt to make a case for Torres. Do not forget, I support Chelsea and am sick to the sight of Liverpool as well. Here goes:

Player of the Year is an individual award in a team sport. As such I believe it is more than just goals which should define the Player of the Year. Indeed, this consideration saw a goalkeeper picked in the actual shortlist. I believe it should be about contribution to the team, work ethic and one or two other considerations.

As mentioned above, imagine Liverpool without Torres. Indeed, Jamie Carragher has pointed put Torres did not actually miss that many games. But it FELT like Torres had. Why? When he was not playing he was missed by Liverpool and thus the media immediately. Now, imagine Man U without Ronaldo. Yes, they would have struggled a bit more admittedly. Not by much though, it is hard to see Man U struggling at the worst of times, but with a team boasting Carrick, Hargreaves, Rooney, Tevez, Giggs, Nani, Andersen, Scholes etc, Man United would have almost certainly been up there. Again compare with Liverpool, of the players at such a high level week, in week out, only Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso could come close. Babel is still too young and the rest are too inconsistent. Voronin anybody?

Which team is likely to afford a player more space? The one where the opposition cannot focus on one or two players. In this light 32 goals in Torres' first season I would suggest compares favourably with Ronaldo's 40. Remember the service Torres is relying on compared to Ronaldo for some of those goals? Mostly one man, Gerard. Ronaldo has a whole outfield ten. Torres has also played two games less. He was unlikely to score four in two but his tally may have been slightly closer still. In addition two of Ronaldo's goals were against an abject West Ham side who, for his first, almost begged him to waltz through and tap it in.

Coming to the next plank of my case, I refer to the fact that Torres is in his first season at a new club, in a new country, playing a different style of football. Ronaldo has been here several seasons already and is following on from a stellar season last year. Torres had everything to prove and everything to lose. As evidence I would call Witness A, Andriy Shevchenko, Witness B, Michael Ballack as well as several others who have not exactly shined in their first season in the Premier League. Some still have yet to rediscover their previous world class form and are contemplating an embarrasing withdrawal. In such a case I would suggest the greater pressure was on Torres to prove himself. Ronaldo, even more so next season, could relax, in the knowledge that regardless of how he plays, he can be forgiven for not reaching such heights every season.

You are, of course, welcome to still support Ronaldo. I just hope that an appreciation of Torres has been restored amongst the swamp of ink spilt over the man from Portugal.

DLL HELL.....

.....and other matters.

This was meant to be added to a few weeks ago but my computer, which in human years is just about ready for a pension and a bus pass, had a fit and descended into what is known as DLL Hell.

For those that do not know and have not experienced this form of computer illness-less virus or worm but rather akin to electronic alzheimers, I shall explain.

DLL hell is a colloquial term for the complications that ensue when working with dynamic link libraries (DLLs) in Microsoft Windows.

It takes a number of forms, the most common often shows up in a Windows alert window that reports: "A Required DLL File, xxxx, was not found" when users try to run an application.

Well, mine was slightly more serious. My DLL problems started on logging into Windows. Therefore, it was not a case of just removing some rogue applications. The whole registry had to go. Which meant reformatting my C drive. A bit of a pain in the proverbial but it was overcome. After some pianful hours reloading the base OS, Windows, programs.... you get the picture, last week

For those with post Windows 2000 you have little to fear supposedly as the problems for the most part have been fixed but the DLL problems bring me on to

VISA HELL AVERTED.

Since the DLL Hell problem and its repair Chelsea have made it to Moscow. Which posed a problem. With the current political situation between Russia and pretty much everybody else from its western border outwards to say I was concerned would be putting it mildly. Throwing in the wait and cost of trying to get hold of a VISA was also somewhat vexing.

Well, take it from me, the whole army of supporters marching on the Luzhniki stadium has breathed a whole sigh of relief, contributing to our carbon emissions significantly, when the Russians made a pact with UEFA that as long as the fans are in, out, not shaking it all about within 72 hours, the match ticket will be our VISA.

I'll toast some Dovgan to that.

Hopefully not so much that I cannot add some more thoughts on football tomorrow. Luzhniki Stadium Picture Source: Flickr User: Sauri

For Blu-Ray read MiniDisc

MiniDisc, a Recap.

Sony’s ability to make technologically perfect own goals is remarkable. Sometimes a fickle public boots one of the Japanese giant’s invention marvels into touch. Sony introduced the MiniDisc in 1992 with JVC, Panasonic and others granted licences, a legacy of Betamax’s failure. MiniDisc’s ‘killer application’ saw a CD’s worth of music fit on a disc smaller than a coaster. Except MiniDisc was not portable music’s future. Record company support, including pre-recorded MiniDisc albums, was minimal, strangling MiniDisc at birth. As MiniDisc gurgled its death rattle, MP3, P2P and digital downloads arrived. Sony’s latest Magnum Opus was consigned to tech history.

Blu-Ray.

Only enthusiasts and audio professionals now use MiniDisc, but it does have another purpose: - a warning to Blu-ray. Sony fixed the external support issue with Blu-ray backed by Hollywood big guns Twentieth Century Fox among others. With the emergence of Internet Protocol TV, whopping Terabyte hard drives and movie digital downloads, Blu-Ray’s time may already be borrowed though. One CEO of a hard disk firm has already stated the war is not between HD-DVD and Blu-ray. That was just a battle to see who would be the flag bearer for physical distribution. The war is between that method of audiovisual distribution and electronic downloading. Already Blu-ray is shooting itself in the foot with launch players, apart from PS3, not compatible with new developments such as downloading Internet content. These features will come with machines known as profile 2.0 to be released later this year. This however adds to the confusion, which will put mass consumers off adopting the format. In the meantime with Terabyte drives now available and Microsoft’s plan to launch HDTV and HD movie downloads, the infrastructure is already being built to provide a knockout blow for electronic distribution against physical media. The killer punch will come when the Internet has the power to cope with simultaneous movie downloads, ISP’s get a cut of the profits and therefore remove bandwidth caps and Apple or another company creates eMovies. That day has not come yet but as more and more people get swept up in digital downloading, surely physical is so last century?

As for those who argue against digital downloading: - have an iPod? Throw it out. Buy your CD players back.

Blu-ray is MiniDisc part two. MP3 is a lossy audio format, near CD quality but not the pinnacle. Even so that is a red herring argument as most people do not notice or indeed care about a pinnacle of performance in audio and the same is with visual. Yes, you might be able to see a blade of grass in Run Fatboy Run clearer than you could before, or on 1080p compared to 720p, but the fact is if you are noticing that you are not really watching the film. You are fiddling with your pants at your tech set up and how mass market is that? None. MiniDisc was the same, better quality than MP3 but nobody bit. iTunes = mass market. Digital downloads. The very thing too complicated for the mass market according to some commentators. Right. So Apple has invested a small sum in iTunes and the iPhone for what? Japes? MP3 players fit in your pocket. No moving parts. Connect to your computer. Oh wait what about viruses? Another potential argument against movie downloading, well anybody running scared of viruses with audio downloads. Nope. What I will agree with is the net infrastructure and an iTunes type interface is not there yet. But the hard disks are.

1TB. A year ago unfathomable. So who knows, next year 2TB plus? Take 100 movies round somebody’s house (as if), they will be the same size if not more than a HDD. One last thing on this reliability of HDD versus discs. Discs scratch. How reliable is that? HDD have no moving parts, surely less to go wrong and therefore more reliable than a machine that has optical drives and spinning discs? I have had several viruses on my computer but my data has survived, why? Different drives;- rebooted from disc, wiped the C drive, sure, but my data was on a partition drive or external drive. So come on, who wants to make money out there tech heads? Sort out movie downloading and you can relax in the Cayman Islands.

MiniDisc Credit: Jon Dowland/flickr

Blu-ray Credit: everyone's idle/flickr

Terabyte drive Credit:elliotcable flickr

A Quantum Leap into Tomorrow’s World

Hands up those who do not use computer technology. Ok, put them down, I can see you took your hands off the keyboard…. or your mouse. Computer technology has grown exponentially. Life without a computer or a device with computer applications is unthinkable. A day without a mobile phone or email can leave a poor person feeling baffled and confused. Some say this is a condition known as MAD COWS (Mobile Distress and Computer Operator Withdrawal Symptoms)…With a suitable phone and digital television set-up you can even record your favourite programs whilst in the car.

This growth may seem alarming. However this is not the case. Computer specifications from RAM storage to hard drive capacity have increased along the same graph that predicts the ability for computer chip makers to double the number of transistors on an integrated circuit board every two years. Commonly known in the computer industry as Moore’s Law this growth in computing ability is actually predictable. Recently though, there have been murmurs that the Law might become a busted flush. As an industry commandment such an event is unthinkable and has led to more extreme ways to keep pace. One method using conventional technology is chip-stacking. Essentially, this moves chip layout from a flat plane into three dimensions and by grouping chips together like tower blocks, reduce the distance information travels between them 1000 times. This method of compacting allows a smaller chip size whilst increasing performance. These 3-D chips are due to be in production this year.

Yet still Silicon Valley tremors with the fear that the Law will run out, either due to the inability to get small enough, or innovations finally being exhausted. In addition to chip-stacking there are five more avenues being explored to keep to the self-fulfilling target of exponential transistor growth. One of these is straying into nanotechnology with the potential endgame identified by Moore himself, as the atomic level in three or four generations.

This is where everything twists and divergent paths emerge. The holy grail of many tech heads is the all-in-one device. Some could point to the iPhone as the grandfather of such a pocket marvel. A phone, computer with wireless access and full office applications, portable entertainment including Digital TV, camera and video recorder all the size of a credit card. The problem with Moore’s Law is it is a theoretical ideal. Translated into the real world most people struggle to keep up, as indeed does software and usage of all those circuit components. That’s why multi function devices are on the rise. They tap into the rest of the components on an integrated circuit board that are usually passive within the system under Moore’s Law.

There is the other path. Which stands, akin to Kilimanjaro, over the current plane of computer physics. Scientists are already working on versions of the behemoth in their labs. Terrifyingly, one of the scientists involved in the experimental builds said that if one of these new computers were operational now, on the Internet, nothing would be safe as the encryption algorithms would be next to useless. They are quantum computers. By harnessing the power of quantum mechanics bits become qubits. Where a bit used to be 1 or 0 a qubit can be 1, 0 or 1/0, unleashing computing power that can solve problems, which take an almost infinite time on current computers, in seconds.

However, those of you suddenly closing your Paypal accounts relax. A practical quantum system is in the time scale of decades away and home quantum computers will be some time after that. So those missing pounds from your account really were spent on buying some late night, alcohol induced, must have off eBay.

The gauntlet has been thrown down as to what to do with all the power possible. 1TB hard disk space is now available so in the future a convergence of quantum technology applications and multifunctional systems…

… leaves a headache, trying to imagine the kind of machine humming away in our pockets or indeed what we would need it for. The advertising campaign could be simple though: Technology beyond our evolutionary capability.

Formula FAMILY

“Racing, competing, it's in my blood…”

Ayrton Senna’s words were a reflection on his magical ability to dispatch an F1 car around a circuit at a level beyond most of his competitors. Yet the mercurial Brazilian’s words could also reflect another motorsport phenomenon. One that has been bought sharply into focus in F1’s close season with the departure of Ralf Schumacher and the arrival of Nelson Piquet Junior. For while motorsport can be a strain on family life with long trips abroad, racing on circuits in some far flung pit paddock of the globe, racing can also be a family affair. There are some well-known examples such as the aforementioned luminaries Senna, Schumacher and Piquet. Across the ‘pond’ legendary surnames synonymous with speed such as Earnhardt, Andretti and Unser reach out with a V8 guttural roar. Rallying takes a sweeping left-hand swipe back with McRae and Solberg. Here is a presentation of some of the fast and furious families, from disciplines such as F1, Indycars, sportscars, touring cars and NASCAR.

ANDRETTI Along with the Unser name, Andretti is one of the largest motorsport dynasties. Andretti fortunes are almost completely entwined with Indycars although not solely so. Mario Andretti still outshines the rest of his family, partly by virtue of his successful F1 championship victory in 1978. He remains the last American to win an F1 race. Mario Andretti is the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and the F1 championship. Juan Pablo Montoya is the only other driver to accomplish the feat. Andretti Senior’s other achievements included four Indycar titles and a race-winning career spanning five decades. Michael Andretti endeavoured to follow in the paternal path and won his sole Indycar title in 1991. Michael failed to win an Indy 500 as part of the ‘Andretti Curse’ and his foray into F1 in 1993 failed to ignite in the way his father’s had. Michael does however have the distinction of being the third highest in the all time Indycar championship car racing victories list (42). Only his illustrious father (52) and A.J.Foyt (67) have more. Michael’s brother Jeff Andretti never recovered from the “Andretti Curse” coined after Mario Andretti’s failure to win more than one Indy 500 in 29 attempts. Jeff, hoping to win in his second Indy 500, crashed violently into a wall after a right rear wheel came off, smashing his legs. He retired two years later. John Andretti, Michael and Jeff’s cousin won only one Indycar victory but his place in history is assured. Along with Mario, Michael, and Jeff, John was part of the first family to have four relatives in the same series and along with Mario and Michael the only family to record a 1,2,3 finish. The feat with John in a Michael (1) and Mario (3) sandwich took place at the Milwaukee Mile in 1991. The Andretti name continues to race with Michael’s Andretti Green Racing team and Michael’s son Marco who races for the team. Marco has one win in two seasons so far. The victory did not come at the Indy 500, with the record for the family being 53 entries and Mario’s sole 1969 victory. The curse lives on.......	UNSER As steeped in motorsport tradition as the Andretti family the Unser name started racing back in 1926 when Jerry, Louis and Joe Unser competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The relationship would continue for seventy years with Robby Unser, an eight-time winner setting an open wheel division record in 1994 that still stands today. Jerry Unser’s son Al Unser won the Indy 500 four times and holds the record for most laps led in the event with 644, as well as picking up three Champcar titles. Al Unser succeeded his brother Bobby Unser as the oldest winner of the 500. Bobby Unser was not completely overshadowed by his younger brother. He won the Indy 500 three times. Bobby’s son, Robby Unser, has moved on from Pikes Peak glory in pursuit of drifting honours in Formula D. Al and Bobby’s brother, also called Jerry was the first to compete at Indianapolis but died in a practice crash before the 1959 Indy 500. Jerry left behind two sons, one of whom Johnny Unser competed in Indycars without victory and is now Champ Car’s race director. Al Unser’s son Al Unser Junior would go on to come close to emulating his father picking up two Indy 500 victories, two Champcar titles and a Daytona 24 hours. Al Unser Jr, has a son, called, wait for it, Al Unser III, who is currently competing in Indycar feeder series Indy Pro.
EARNHARDT As Andretti/Unser is to American open wheel racing so Earnhardt is to NASCAR. The most prolific of the Earnhardt family, Dale Earnhardt, won seven Winston Cup Series, (now Sprint) and is credited as the only man in NASCAR history to win Rookie of the Year and the following season’s Cup. A Daytona 500 winner, Earnhardt tied Richard Petty in the all time Cup Series Champions list. Dale Earnhardt’s combative style earned him many nicknames including ‘The Intimidator’ ‘The Man in Black’ and ‘Darth Vader’. His aggressive racing garnered him a ‘marmite’ reputation-you either loved him or loathed him but Earnhardt could never be ignored. Tragically Earnhardt died after a crash at turn 4 at Daytona in 2001 with his iconic number three being retired. Such was his reputation an outpouring of shock reverberated throughout the sport and beyond. Dale Earnhardt’s father Ralph Earnhardt won the 1956 Sportsman Championship but never finished higher than 17th in the major series. The son of Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Junior has yet to win a Sprint Cup championship but has 17 wins and a 3rd place finish in the series. He continues to race but has left his father’s team Dale Earnhardt Inc. to race for Hendrick Motorsports. Dale Earnhardt Jr’s nephew Jeffrey is currently competing in the Busch Series, following in his father Kerry Earnhardt’s footsteps whose career best finish in the NEXTEL (now sprint) series was 17th at Talladega .	PETTY Like open wheel racing in America two families more than any other have come to symbolise NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt tied with Richard Petty in terms of Cup Championships but in other respects Petty is Mr NASCAR, with a record 200 race wins and the Daytona 500 seven times. Those were just the highlights of numerous records amassed over a 35 year 1, 184 race career. Richard’s father was put firmly in the shade, despite being no NASCAR no-hoper. In fact, Richard’s father Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959 and the NASCAR championship three times. Lee Petty and his son are seen as the founder and builder of NASCAR with Lee pioneering the sport and his son’s sterling work off the track paving the way for the multimillion-dollar transformation of a former dirt track sport. Richard Petty’s son Kyle followed the family ‘trade’ but never succeeded in replicating his relatives’ feats finishing a career best 5th in the Cup series consecutively in 1992 and 1993. Still racing in NASCAR his last win was in 1995. Kyle’s son Adam would have been the next Petty to take up the NASCAR mantle but he died in a catastrophic accident in practice for a Busch series race in 2000. Kyle now races the number 45 in his son’s memory.
PIQUET The Piquet name is about to be unleashed once again on Formula One with Nelson Piquet Junior piloting R28, Renault’s 2008 challenger. Nelsinho has won the South American Formula 3 championship and become the youngest winner of the British Formula 3 championship two years later in 2004. At 19 years and two months he went on to test for the then BMW partnered Williams team. In 2006 he finished runner up to Lewis Hamilton in his second GP2 season. Quite what will happen between Piquet Jr and Fernando Alonso is a mouth-watering subplot to the forthcoming season. Expect one of them to have some Latin style shenanigans. His famous father put the Piquet name into the record books first time around. Nelson Piquet Senior won the F1 World Championship three times in a 13-year career which coincided with that of other greats such as Nike Lauda, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna. He also broke Jackie Stewart’s record of most wins in British Formula 3 before his entry into F1. A bad decision to follow Honda to an ailing Lotus team in 1988 for two seasons might have cost Piquet the chance to add more wins and titles to his tally.	ROSBERG Unlike the American dynasties European racing families tend to be smaller and more widespread. A case in point is a ‘Back to the Future’ rerun of the 1980’s clash between Piquet and Rosberg. First time around Piquet won 3 to 1 with Keke Rosberg’s sole Championship victory coming in 1982 with consistent drives. Saddled with uncompetitive machinery and retiring after just eight seasons Rosberg admits he left the sport too soon. His son Nico Rosberg won the inaugural GP2 championship before his step up to F1, currently making it 1 to nil in the young Rosberg’s favour compared to the young Piquet. In addition Rosberg stepped straight into an F1 drive and grabbed fastest lap honours in his first race becoming the youngest driver to do so. Piquet Junior meanwhile had to make do with a year testing at Renault.
SENNA “If you think I'm good, just wait until you see my nephew Bruno." The Senna name could be on its way back to Formula One possibly as early as 2009. Ayrton’s nephew Bruno, of whom Ayrton held in high regard, has signed for last year’s GP2 champion team iSport. A championship win could see the 24-year-old follow Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Timo Glock straight into an F1 seat. A welcome return to the name which departed F1 in such tragic circumstances. His famous uncle won three F1 titles and an army of fans for his ability to transcend his peers by touching the limit and going beyond it. His win at Donington 1993, in which he passed four cars on the opening lap in the wet, enshrined his legend as unrivalled in such conditions. Ayrton was also the pole king. The number of times he cropped up at the end of qualifying and beat what his rivals had considered unbeatable, requires more than the fingers on both hands.	MCRAE There are so many ways to describe Colin McRae, the man who arguably more than anybody put the World Rally Championship into focus of the wider public. Enigmatic, focused, speed demon…Colin was also a rare man who became the figurehead for the sport, like MotoGP and Rossi and F1 and Schumacher. When Colin’s 555 liveried Impreza exploded into view with his 1995 WRC championship victory Britain had their first Champion for decades. His success paved the way for a series of games bearing his name, further spreading the word of the World Rally Championship. More than any of these things it was his high-octane ability to place the car exactly on the limit and push that envelope harder than anybody else earned him a legion of fans. In that respect, he was a cross discipline ‘brother’ of Ayrton Senna who also had the same ability to transcend what others thought was possible. Colin’s cheeky humour and imperious control of a rally car will be sadly missed. Colin, a two time British Rally Champion was the son of Jimmy McRae, a five time British Rally Champion, who was eventually eclipsed by his son’s success in the WRC. Colin’s brother Alister also won the British Rally Championship in the same year as his brother’s World title. Alister took Colin’s place in the 2007 Race of Champions after his death. With Johnny McRae, Colin’s son also tragically losing his life in the helicopter crash that took Colin, hopes for the McRae name featuring in the WRC in the future are slim.
FITTIPALDI Emerson Fittipaldi won two F1 titles, an Indycar Title and the Indy 500 twice in a 26-year career. He was the younger brother of Wilson Fittipaldi Junior who never reached the heights of Emerson though they were the first brothers to compete in the same race and score points in the same race. Wilson’s son Christian Fittipaldi similarly failed to light up F1 but has a Daytona 24 hours title to his name.	VILLENEUVE Gilles Villeneuve was the archetypal racer’s racer. His epic duel with Rene Arnoux at Dijon in 1979 has gone down in the annals of F1 as one of the all time spectacular classics. Villeneuve simply refused to believe when he was beaten. The catastrophic accident at Zolder robbed the sport of one of its most ardent and gifted drivers. Gilles’son Jacques would go on to win the Indianapolis 500, the F1 title, the Indycar title, one of only three drivers to do so. He may yet go on to add the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup to his achievements.
SCHUMACHER This brother duo first caught the attention of the F1 world when the astute Eddie Jordan picked Michael as a replacement for Bertrand Gachot at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. Michael, despite only cycling around the track beforehand qualified seventh. His dream debut was thwarted by clutch problems on the opening lap. Typically as ever, the German shrugged off the setback to become the first seven times F1 Champion and breaking almost every record in the F1 stats book. Michael also became noted for his ability to push his car around crucial pit windows and his mastery of wet race conditions. His brother Ralf appeared at his brother’s former team Jordan to great expectation in 1996. Ralf was destined to live in the shadow of older brother Michael, winning six races to Michael’s 91. IN THE PADDOCK Some more families that could create their own family only teams: Hill, Brabham Nakajima, Busch Toivonen, Solberg, Gronholm, Franchitti, Pilette, Lazier, Ickx, Campos, Rossi, Mansell, Wallace, Rodriguez, Brambilla and Winkelhock.	STEWART Jackie Stewart won the F1 title 3 times but it was his work as a safety pioneer that also elevated him to elder statesman status. After a crash at Spa, which saw help take twenty-five minutes to remove him from the car, the help being two other drivers, Graham Hill and Robert Bondurant, Jackie had plenty of time to reflect on safety standards. The fact his ambulance got lost on the way to hospital did little to improve his mood. Today many of the safety features he campaigned for, run-off areas, full-face helmets and dedicated medical facilities, would prohibit a race or driver from starting if missing. His elder brother Jimmy took part in the 1953 British Grand Prix. "It don't mean shit right now... Daddy's won here 10 times." - Dale Earnhardt Jr on winning his fifth Talladega 2004.

Perfectly Bittersweet Irony from a Forward

My marathon effort has ended. I set myself the task of making a transfer window blog on Boxing Day and finally it is complete with this last entry: the Forwards. Countless hours of poring over form books, tipster sites, videos.....anybody need a new upcoming scout? Seriously though I hope somebody has enjoyed it and maybe learnt something new, or rediscovered an old gem.

Once again I shall begin with a little story. On my final leg of research I was popping by the FIFA website. I know, UEFA yesterday, now FIFA. Anyway I spotted an interesting headline:

Eto'o demands results over style

Er yes. Quite. The Barcelona forward, aptly enough, has decided winning is sometimes more important than pure football. The Cameroonian international has had this epiphany after finding Barcelona seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid. The maxim is eerily familiar to students of Jose Mourinho and his verbal philosophys. Samuel Eto'o's take on the situation was

"We haven't always done things well. At times we are obsessed with passes and maintaining the ball. But if you do not score, it does not matter what else you have done,"

Mourinho's maxim of course was the succinct "Look, we're not entertaining? I don't care; we win."

Perhaps Eto'o has some insider knowledge.......

Ahem, back to the forwards:

Ewerthon

26 year old Brazilian international currently on loan at VfB Stuttgart who have the option to sign him permanently this January. Real Zaragoza holds the player’s registration but his loan was nothing to do with his ability; Ewerthon scored 12 goals in his first 37 league games for Zaragoza. That left him alongside Fernando Torres in the scoring charts for the 2005/06 season. Ewerthon was simply pushed out as Sergio Garcia hit form; the sublime Pablo Aimar was signed by the club and then along came Oliveira. A return to the Bundesliga would certainly bring back fond memories. Ewerthon spent four seasons at Borussia Dortmund, scoring 47 goals in 119 league games and winning the Bundesliga along the way. However, he might wish to chance his arm in the Premiership and would certainly interest a few clubs. Sunderland are said to be interested but with Jeremie Aliadiere’s stuttering form and injury woes Middlesbrough could be tempted. Portsmouth, Man City and Bolton could also be in the running particularly if the latter sell Anelka.

David Odonkor

Lightning quick German international wing forward who is currently at Real Betis since his £4million pound move from Borussia Dortmund in 2006. He has not had the best of times in La Liga with only 20 appearances due to injuries. However he should be back to his best come the middle of January after an op back in November kept him out for two months. Odonkor, still only 23 is surely too fast for the more technically minded Spanish league. He was once reported as running 100 metres in 10.9 seconds. A move to the Premiership may suit his talents as a flying winger who can cut inside. While the big four might be reluctant to angle for him Everton could certainly add him to the team of youthful attacking effervescence David Moyes is beginning to erect. Odonkor might also interest Manchester City, Newcastle United and Portsmouth. Real Betis would be reluctant to sell and Odonkor might want to finish the season to prove himself in Spain first. The big plus for any interested team though is Betis are down in 18^th in the table and a £6million pound bid could land one a most promising young international.

Njazi Kuqi

The younger brother of Fulham’s Shefki Kuqi, Njazi has some Premiership experience albeit a bad one. Signed by Birmingham in 2005 he left in 2006 after failing to dislodge Mikael Forsell and Emile Heskey. Kuqi is still 24 but his temperament still seems on the immature side, which has led him to be dismissed by Groningen in August 2006. Kuqi currently plays for FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the second Bundesliga but has failed to settle. He would be a cheap addition too as a squad player at a bottom Premiership or top Championship side. Fulham could pair the brothers together. With his brother guiding him and Roy Hodgson, a former Finnish manager, not to mention fellow countryman Antti Niemi, Njazi Kuqi might settle down. The Finnish striker can then show why he was Finland’s under 21 player of the year a mere three years ago.

Maksim Shatskikh

Uzbek international forward who has been voted as one of the top three Asian players in 2005. Shatskikh, besides being a nightmare for commentators to pronounce, scored 27 goals in 35 internationals. He has also scored 87 times in 186 league games (47%) for current club Dynamo Kyiv. That compares fairly well with Kyiv’s most famous export Andriy Shevchenko, who scored 60 times in 117 league games (51%). Shatskikh was ironically the man who replaced Shevchenko when the Ukrainian left for Ac Milan. The 29 year old has also equalled Serhiy Rebrov’s goal scoring record for a season with 22 in the 2002/03 season. The question mark is whether he would move, but at 29 he still has the time to play for several seasons and a chance to play in a top European league might be hard to resist. The 6ft 1.6-inch striker was once coveted by West Brom in 2005 but Uzbekistan’s ranking made a work permit impossible. With Uzbekistan being as high as 45 in December 2006 the Uzbek forward would be eligible this time round for a fee of around £4million. Birmingham, Derby and Sunderland take note.

Giuseppe Sculli.

A 26-year-old Italian on loan at Genoa from Juventus. A former U-21 star he is unlikely to feature for the Juventus first team. However, good positional sense to create space and a powerful header of the ball should see him as a good buy for a promotion chasing Championship outfit. With QPR’s Italian connections they would be in pole position to land Sculli but Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic could start nosing around.

Future Transfers but unlikely in January.

Dean Ashton

Originally I would not have mentioned the former Crewe and Norwich striker. Recent speculation has suggested that Ashton might be heading out of the Boleyn ground and on to pastures new. The spectre was raised after the West Ham player began to feel restless after coming back from injury and not starting as often as he liked. West Ham’s manager Alan Curbishley has dismissed talk of a rift with the player. Chances are the tension, if any, between club and the 24 year old would be full England international will be smoothed over during this transfer window. The situation will be monitored closely though and if Ashton continues to play cameo roles the vultures might swoop in the summer.

Fernando Cavenaghi

24-year-old Argentine former starlet, scoring 57 goals in 84 league appearances for River Plate. Now at Bordeaux via Spartak Moscow Cavenaghi has scored 6 goals in 18 league games. Cavenaghi can play with both feet, with a good header. He has good positioning sense and a bit of pace but will need to keep an eye on the physical element of the game but certainly a fox in the box player. Cavenaghi also has that ability, like Eduardo for example, to stroke the ball home with finesse. The Argentinean’s next move may well be a big one.

Hugo Almeida

Pacy Portugese powerhouse at 6ft 3, Almeida plays for Werder Bremen. He has scored 7 goals in 12 league matches for Werder and could star at Euro 2008. Yet Almeida is only 23 and like Miroslav Klose may eventually move on to a European giant.

Hearts and Midfielders

Phil O'Donnell's death has bought the issue of heart safety sharply back into focus, five years after the shock loss of Cameroonian international Marc Vivien Foe. The Motherwell captain's collapse from heart failure at the end of December is also an untimely remider of why Uefa issued a statement back at the beginning of that month. In it, Europe's governing football body declared players at Euro 2008 will have to take mandatory cardiac tests before taking part. This was in response to deaths such as Foe's and it is unfortunate that O'Donnell's name will be added to that roll call. All players entering the game are routinely scanned at 16 but the Professional Footballers' Association has called, like UEFA, for more screening to be done at the national and club level.

Hopefully more cases such as two young Accrington players who have continued playing after post screening operations will be the norm and deaths like Phil O'Donnell's will be fewer, if not prevented all together.

Phil O'Donnell

1972-2007
God needed a Captain. He got the best.

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I came across the UEFA statement whilst researching players for my transfer window blog series and intended to write that up with Foe in mind. When I heard the tragic news of Phil O'Donnell's I could not believe that it had happened at first. After I realised it was a heart attack, that was even more disturbing. I hope UEFA and the PFA do succeed in making football safer in this area.

I also therefore dedicate the midfielders blog to Phil O'Donnell as one of the most honest of them all.

The midfielders that might impress this January:

Mika Vayrynen

A Finnish footballer who plays for PSV Eindhoven. The 26 year old can play as a defensive or attacking midfielder and can if needed play on the right. He has been capped 24 times for his country and has been linked with a move to Rangers. Vayrynen most recent attempt at a move was to Derby County under Billy Davies back in August. A £2.2 million transfer fee had been agreed when a calf injury quashed the move. Steve Bruce might sensibly try and resurrect the deal, as Davies would have done. Otherwise he might head for Fulham where his former manager Roy Hodgson has just taken charge.

Steve Sidwell

Former Reading midfield maestro who moved to Chelsea at the beginning of the season. Ostensibly signed as cover for the departures of Michael Essien and Mikel John Obi for African Cup of Nations duty appearances have been slim. The 25 year old seems to have been a casualty of the Mourinho fallout as Avram Grant often leaves him as an unused substitute and only gave him a 45-minute run out against Fulham. Sunderland have expressed an interest and Roy Keane will certainly admire his fighting qualities. As an admirer of Sidwell I hope any move would be a loan deal and only completed on the last day of the transfer window. For his career Sidwell may well take any opportunity to play consistent football.

Rafael Van der Vaart

A long admired talent throughout Europe Van der Vaart has been one of the focal reasons for Hamburg’s challenge for the Bundesliga this season. His move from Ajax for 5.5 million euro in 2005 was a shocker; most people believed he would choose one of the top European clubs. Now speculation is rising again the Dutchman might finally make that move. At just 24 years old he is already a seasoned international with fifty appearances to his name. Hamburg angered Van der Vaart by turning down a £15 million move to Valencia last summer. He had set his heart on a move to Spain. Despite claiming he will stay with Hamburg until the end of the season a January move for a player who has scored 87 goals in 201 games for club and country is likely. Chelsea have been said to have prepared a £20 million bid with Frank Arnesen and Henk Ten Cate having strong links to Rafael’s former club Ajax as player and coach respectively. Another manager who may move for him though is his former Ajax manager Ronald Koeman. Now at Valencia Koeman may decide to resurrect Valencia’s interest as he rebuilds Los Che. As for Van der Vaart himself, he has recently expressed a desire to move to the Stadio delle Alpi. Claudio Ranieri is known to be an admirer of the Dutch player. This could be the transfer saga of January.

Diego Ribas de Cunha (Diego)

One of several Brazilians with the shortened expression of Diego, de Cunha is a midfield magician of attacking flair. He has drawn lazy comparisons with his Argentine namesake and had interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid last season. Tottenham Hotspur however were interested in him as far back as 2003. Diego has gone on to prove their initial enquiry, turned down at the last minute by then club Santos FC was on the money. The 22 year old was the Bundesliga Player of the season for 2006-07 and has won many player of the month awards. Tottenham are looking to swoop for him again although an initial rumoured bid of £18million has been rejected. Diego’s refusal to sign a contract extension beyond 2010 though has raised transfer expectation with Liverpool also looking towards the Brazilian. With 22 goals in 50 games for Werder Bremen it is little wonder he is being linked with one of the top four. With a price tag of £18 million Diego looks likely to end up in hotter climes unless Levy does splash some cash, which he has ruled out thus far.

Johann Vogel

The Swiss international was earning his crust at Real Betis last season but has become a free agent after leaving the club by mutual consent. The 30 year old who got to the semi finals of the champions league with PSV in the 2004/05 season is a versatile defensive midfielder. Vogel’s range of passing and ball holding abilities make him a fantastic addition to any team for balance. At a high profile enough club he could rename his position the Vogel position, taking that honour from Makelele. As a free agent he can join any club he wishes. Having 90 appearances for his country, his international and European experience, add weight to a CV that includes a stint at AC Milan. Everton are the favourites to land the Swiss with most rumours suggesting he is a dead cert to sign. If he does not turn up at Everton, Tottenham might be interested, as he would make a great shield for a reorganised defence and a foil for Diego if Tottenham land the Brazilian.

Rio Antonio Mavuba

A true international from the moment of his birth, Mavuba, his passport says he was “born at sea”. Mavuba is now a French international, having become a citizen in 2004. His father was a player for Zaire at the 1974 World Cup and his abilities as a defensive midfielder have seen him touted as Makelele’s heir apparent for the French team. As a 20 year old he made his debut for Bordeaux and immediately became a fixture in the team before his move to Villareal in the summer. Mavuba, 23, has made six appearances for France since 2004 but only one for Villareal this season. This has prompted Mavuba to get itchy feet, desiring first team football in the run up to Euro 2008. Unsurprisingly Villareal want to hold onto the player, publicly to compete in the UEFA cup, Copa del Rey and Primera Liga. Privately the bean counters in charge of the Yellow Submarine know a good Euro 2008 for Mavuba will see his price rocket. Rio Antonio has been linked with Manchester United and Juventus in the past, but Fiorentina have moved into pole position in trying to sign Mavuba. Everton though might try to sign him as Lee Carsley and Thomas Gravesen are beginning to feel the effects of one too many midfield clashes. Portsmouth too might persuade Mavuba to help them challenge for European places particularly with Papa Bouba Diop and Sulley Muntari leaving for the African Cup of Nations. One problem could be the transfer fee; Villareal paid around £11million for Mavuba, they will want to at least recoup the outlay. Chelsea could always go and buy Makelele’s replacement. Then again they let Makelele’s ‘son’ Lassana Diarra move to Arsenal for peanuts.

Shao Jiayi.

27-year-old Chinese international who plays for Energie Cottbus in the Bundesliga. Jiayi has scored 8 goals in 35 internationals and is regarded as a dead ball specialist. Energie Cottbus are just a place off the bottom of the Bundesliga and Shao might be persuaded to move abroad. The attacking midfielder is a natural left footer and could be a decent squad player for one of the relegation threatened sides, Derby, Sunderland, Wigan Birmingham or Fulham. Alternatively he could move to one of the leading Championship sides for example Watford or Charlton. Jiayi should be available for around £3-5 million.

Stephen Appiah

A Ghanaian international constructive deep midfield player, who currently plays for Fenerbahce. Whilst on loan at Brescia in 2003 he scored 7 times in 31 matches and currently has 15 goals in 65 league matches for Fenerbahce in. Appiah has been capped by his country 53 times with 13 goals and was part of the Ghana side that made it into the second round at the World Cup. He was part of the Juventus team that won the scudetto for the 28^th time. Unfortunately this was later stripped due to the corruption scandal in Italian football. The Ghanaian captain is currently his country’s footballer of the year and has been linked with a move to Juventus. However West Ham, Everton, Arsenal and Portsmouth have all been linked to the 27 year old who would cost around £5-7 million. A knee injury has just been confirmed which means his move will probably be delayed if at all to the summer.

Future moves but unlikely in January.

Frank Lampard

Yes. I know, let’s start with a big one. Wow where does that come from? Well first of all, stranger things have happened in football. Thierry Henry professed his undying love forArsenal. After the Champions League defeat to Barcelona he was pretty adamant he was staying put. Fast-forward a year and Henry was involved in a £16 million move to Barcelona. So Lampard’s protestations that he wants to stay at Chelsea forever may be good intentioned but I’ll believe it when he retires from football still at Chelsea. Lampard’s agent claimed a deal had not been signed last summer because Peter Kenyon had not sat down with them. The same agent said a deal would be signed during that pre-season. The contract still appears to be in the briefcase without F.Lampard on it. At the end of this season Frank Lampard will be entering a phase where Chelsea can no longer be bullish about a transfer fee and could hold the club to high transfer demands. If they break down a host of European clubs could come calling like Barcelona and Juventus. Lampard’s decision to stay depends on two key factors and a third lesser one. Where Mourinho ends up next, how Fabio Capello picks his England team and his last big move; a chance to play in another top European League and prove himself? If Mourinho ends up at Barcelona, Frank Lampard will swiftly follow. If Mourinho ends up at AC Milan, which might be a possibility if AC make a hash of their games in hand, there will be a tug of war with Juventus. If Fabio Capello plumps for the favoured option among pundits-Gerrard no Lampard, Frank will see even less reason to stay. Indeed, it would be an incentive to show he can play abroad and win his place back that way. Next summer he could leave for £8 million. After all Pavel Nedved retires at the end of this season, Frank would be a good replacement.

Christoph Preuß

German defensive midfield player who can also operate in defence Preuß plays for Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite his defensive position he is renowned for a bicycle kick-winning goal against Bayern Munich. The 26 year old would be a good squad player for a team in the middle of the Premier League like Tottenham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Everton or a first team man for Wigan, Birmingham, Middlesbrough or Bolton. Preuß would command a relatively small transfer fee of around £1million.

Sergio Raul Torres

A real Boy’s Own story for this Argentinian. After 2 seasons at his hometown club, shrimps Banfield de Mar del Plata, young Raul Torres decided to up sticks and come to England and play professionally. Undeterred by a knock back from Brighton and Hove Albion he played for non-league Basingstoke. Here the then opposition manager John Gorman spotted him in a pre-season friendly against Wycombe Wanderers. He has since played 48 league games scoring two goals. Torres has extended his contract at Wycombe until the end of the season but will be aiming to help them get into League One. The 24 year old will be keen to test himself at the next level and if Wycombe fail to gain promotion might jump on a free to Leyton Orient.