Sports Ladder (15th - 21st July)

UP - Germany - It seems like weeks ago that the World Cup came to an end but alas it was just last weekend that Germany claimed their first trophy as a unified state. They were hardly inspiring from start to finish but when it mattered they came up with the goods, stuffing Brazil in the semis before grinding out a narrow 1-0 victory in the final. It won't go down as a classic final but Goetze and co won't care one little bit.

UP - Rory McIlroy - It's been coming for a while. It may well have taken over a year for the Northern-Irishman to sort himself out, both on and off the course, but his marvelous display on the grass of the Royal Liverpool ensured he cements his position as one of the top golfers in the world. Rory led from day one after some scintillating golf and managed to conquer his phobia of Fridays which has consumed him throughout this year. Onwards and upwards for the new world number two.

UP - Nico Rosberg - The German Grand Prix had it all. Crashes on turn one, Hamilton storming through the field, collisions and overtakes left, right and occasionally centre. Yet the forgotten man from the weekend was the actual winner Nico Rosberg. The German, at his home Grand Prix, drove such a calm, cool and collected race that he barely made it onto our screens on Sunday. Now fourteen points ahead of Hamilton, Nico will be relishing this weekends Hungarian Grand Prix.

UP - Kylie Walker - In all the excitement of this weeks British Open a magnificent golfing record went very quietly under the radar on the Ladies Tour. Scotland's Kylie Walker made history this week with the lowest ever score after 54-holes of a tournament after she shot three consecutive 64s to end 24 under par going into the final round. Amazingly after a final round of 71 she needed a play-off to beat promising youngster Charley Hull but she did eventually prevail to win the German Open. Yes, Germany gets another mention.

UP - Takuya Eizumi - Okay, so if you have actually heard of this Japanese mixed martial arts fighter then award yourself a gold star because I certainly had not. To be honest, his sporting achievement wasn't even that impressive as he simply won a fight. But that isn't why he makes this weeks ladder. Clearly it is the absolutely stunning troll face that he pulls after the victory. I just don't understand how he has contorted his face in that position but would love to see this in other sports. Perhaps Rory should have tried this when he sunk his final putt on Sunday.

DOWN - Blackburn Rovers - So the football season is nearly back upon us (its only been away a week!), and domestic clubs have started to reappear on twitter. This week potentially the worst promotional video appeared from the murky depths of Blackburn depicting superfan Alan Birkbeck and his journey to get the new kit. Entitled 'Birdy's Date' the poor fan is seen dressing up appearing to go for a date before it emerges his only date is with a rather hideous new blue and white kit. Haven't Blackburn embarrassed themselves enough in recent years? To watch the video go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2692169/Blackburn-launch-new-home-strip-strangest-kit-advert-time.html.

DOWN - Katarina Johnson-Thompson - Britain's new athletics superstar will be absolutely devastated this week as she learned she could not compete in this years Commonwealth Games. The young heptathlete has leapt out of Jess Ennis-Hill's shadow as she set the best score of the year last month. She was heading into the Games as one of the favourites but a last minute foot injury has left her watching agonizingly from the sideline. Remember her name though. She will be the next big thing.

DOWN - Tiger Woods - There has been a lot of talk recently about who will replace Tiger Woods as the big name at the forefront of golf but Woods was determined to prove that he is not done just yet. Unfortunately he proved absolutely nothing as he barely made the cut at the British Open, eventually finishing 23 shots off Rory McIlroy's winning score. The veteran looked well off the pace and barely cracked a smile all weekend. Plenty of work is needed if he is to win another major.

DOWN - Felipe Massa - The poor Brazilian just cannot catch a break at the moment as, once again, he was wiped out of another Grand Prix before being able to complete a lap. Massa did not help himself by blaming Magnussen as it was a pretty obvious racing collision but nevertheless the Williams driver just seems to have run out of luck. With his team mate, Bottas, winning his third consecutive podium, Felipe will really be hoping to have a good weekend in Hungary. Or at least finish the first lap.

DOWN - Alastair Cook - Dear Alastair. On behalf of the Nation could we please ask you to resign as England cricket captain? Yours sincerely, every Englishman everywhere. That is all.

Sports Ladder (8th - 14th July)

UP - Lewis Hamilton - Last weekend's British Grand Prix has reopened the race for the Championship after a mesmerising drive from Lewis Hamilton coupled with a gearbox failure for Nico Rosberg left the Mercedes pair just four points apart. Hamilton worked his way from sixth up to first after an excellent start before the red flags emerged following Kimi Raikkonen crash. This leaves a very tasty looking second half to the season.

UP - Novak Djokovic - A second Wimbledon title and a sixth Grand Slam ensured that Novak Djokovic had a week to remember. What he may lack in the elegance of Roger Federer or the relentlessness of Rafael Nadal he more than makes up for with his gritty determination and is more of a complete player than either of those two. He is perhaps yet to fully win the support of the British public but if he keeps going at this rate it can only be a matter of time.

UP - James Anderson - In a period of instability and disappointment in English cricket it was welcoming this week to see a moment of brief, record-breaking success. Jimmy Anderson alongside Joe Root set the record for the highest last wicket stand as the pair of them made 198 runs, including 81 from Anderson himself, also a record for an English closing batsman. Could this be the start of a change in fortune? It seems unlikely, but we may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

UP - Horse-Racing Seagull - I just couldn't ignore the cheeky antics of an audacious seagull in Brighton this week. In a photo-finish between Jewelled and Sagesse it emerged that there was in fact a third competitor when a seagull photo-bombed, sticking his neck out and just losing to Jewelled by a few beaks. It is not known whether the animal is merely confused about its origins or fancies himself as a bit of a racer but unfortunately the bookmakers refused to pay out on any bets on the unfancied bird.


UP - Rory McIlroy - Considering his sporting prowess it does surprise me how rarely, if ever he has actually made my weekly ladder. The Northern Irishman has had mixed success in recent times but this week shot a phenomenal round of 64 to break the course record in the first round of the Scottish Open at Aberdeen. As well as they he also took advantage of a strong tail wind to slog a drive 436 yards to set the record for this year.

DOWN - Rory McIlroy - And yet sport is a world of swings and roundabouts and just the next day Rory undid all his good work by carding a shocking 78 to plummet down the leaderboard. More depressing is the fact that this is the second time he has collapsed this year after an astounding first round where he shot a 63 then a 78 at the Memorial Tournament in May. With the youngster struggling for consistency and struggling off the course after ending his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, should he take a break from golf?

DOWN - Blackpool - The recruitment staff at Blackpool seem to have been spending too much time watching the World Cup and not enough time finding some players to don the tangerine kit next year as they currently have just eight registered first team players. Now for those of you with any knowledge of football you will be aware that eleven players are needed just to field an actual team so probably you see the dilemma. I'll keep my phone on loud for the next few days waiting for the call from Barry Ferguson.

DOWN - Chris Froome - After the recent Tour de Triumphs of Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins in the last two years we have become accustomed to success in the greatest cycling race on the planet. However after the loss of Mark Cavendish last week we were treated to more disappointment as defending champion Chris Froome also departed with multiple wrist injuries. Very sad to see him go but Bradley Wiggins must be gutted he wasn't given the call by Team Sky. Will they live to regret not including him?

DOWN - Paris Saint-Germain - Don't you hate it when you pay over the odds for something such as a t-shirt or a pint? Well imagine how Paris Saint-Germain feel after watching the simply shocking performances of everyone's favourite Sideshow Bob lookalike, David Luiz, their £50 million summer acquisition. The 'defender' has a tendency to wander aimlessly and was largely at fault for numerous of the ten goals conceded in Brazil's last two games. Let's hope they've kept the receipt somewhere safe.


DOWN - Brazil - A record-breaking 7-1 loss in the semi-finals of your home tournament. No more words are needed.



Disclaimer: This was written before the finale of that football tournament that everyone seems to be talking about.

Sports Ladder (June 29th - July 6th)

UP - Surprise Packages - So the semi-finals are decided and we have a heavyweight bunch with Brazil against Germany and Argentina versus Holland but it really was the performance of certain 'minnow' teams that captured the imagination of the public. Costa Rica were the last to fall after an outstanding qualification from a 'group of death' but there was some sensational stuff from Colombia, USA and Algeria to name just a few. If we could have some of that passion for our England boys in four years then that would be fantastic.

UP - Susie Wolff - Okay, so it only lasted one racing lap. Okay, so it was a bit disappointing that the car suffered an oil pressure issue. Besides that it was great to see Susie Wolff become the first female driver to step into a Formula One car on a race weekend in twenty-two years. So the actual practice session was a disaster as she suffered a technical issue beyond her control and finished second last in the session. Yet Susie will get another chance in Hoffenheim and I for one look forward to seeing her get a proper crack of the whip.

UP - Nick Kyrgios - If you had not heard of the tenacious Australian before this week then you will have now. Kyrgios, who I met just last month at the AEGON Trophy in Nottingham, took the tennis world by storm as he blew apart Rafael Nadal on route to his first Wimbledon quarter-final at just nineteen years old. He may have lost to Milos Raonic but the youngster certainly proved why many are considering him to be the next big tennis sensation.

UP - Jordanne Whiley - Whilst British eyes were fixed on Andy Murray this week, (well until Wednesday at least), there was another Brit who walked away with a title as Jordanne Whiley and her partner Yui Kamiji won their third Grand Slam Wheelchair Doubles title of the year, meaning they need just the the US Open to complete the set. The pair have been playing some magnificent stuff over the last 12 months or so and now sit proudly at the top of the global rankings.

UP - Aberystwyth Town - With the World Cup coming towards a sparkling end it will not be long before we return to the regularity of everyday football. For some however, that has already started and I couldn't help but chuckle at the sly dig made by Aberystwyth Town to Manchester United when they messaged the Red Devils saying 'we are all off to Europe... are you?'. Unquestionably funny but perhaps United will have the last laugh as Aberystwyth were only travelling to Derry and lost 4-0 in the first leg.

DOWN - Massimo Cellino - So it's official, we have another Vincent Tan on our hands. We all knew from his time at Cagliari that Cellino was a little bit bonkers but he stepped it up this week by refusing to allow Paddy Kenny to join the first team because his birthday is on the 17 May. Seventeen is considered an unlucky number in Italy and Cellino's deep suspicion of it has now left Kenny looking for a new club. People like this should not be allowed to own football clubs.

DOWN - Mark Cavendish - Poor Mark. You wait your whole life to cycle the most prestigious event on the cycling calender right past your own doorstep but the Manxman had it taken away from him when he unfortunately crashed barely 200 metres from the end of the first stage. The resulting shoulder injury has ruled Cavendish out of the rest of the Tour after he was just a little too desperate to wear that coveted yellow jersey at home.

DOWN - Luis Suarez - Why? Just why? I cannot help but laugh at the calamity that is Luis Suarez. He has the potential to be one of the absolute best players in the world but is constantly impeded by his vampirical tendencies. I'm not sure what was worse though, the fact he bit someone for the third time in his career or his excuse that he tripped and fell teeth first into Chiellini's shoulder. I'm concerned that if he does it again he will emerge from the ban in the 'twilight' of his career. Terrible vampire joke quote ticked.

DOWN - Serena Williams - Well it looks like the Queen of women's tennis has now well and truly lost her grip on the thrown. Suffering her third early exit in Grand Slams this year Serena will now have a monumental job on her hands to retain her US Open title. Luckily her grip on the number one ranking is well in tact as Li Na also lost early but others are catching fast and it may only be a matter of time before Serena loses in tennis' game of thrones.

DOWN - Match Fixing - Whichever direction you turn your head in the sporting world there seems to be problems with match fixing at the moment. Lou Vincent, the self-proclaimed cricketing cheat, was littered on the back page of the papers this week for his confession and then we were treated to a number of stories about match-fixing at the World Cup. As if that wasn't enough, there is now an investigation into Aberdeen in the Europa League. It has become an epidemic that needs to be killed sooner rather than later.

Disclaimer - This was written before the finish of the Wimbledon Men's Final and before I have watched the British Grand Prix so that's why neither are mentioned.

Dutch Courage or Krul Antics?

So there we have it. Holland's penalty shoot-out triumph over Costa Rica last night confirmed a star-studded semi-final against Argentina whilst in the other match hosts Brazil play Germany. Europe vs South America is the theme and we are in for an a couple of cracking matches. But it could have been completely different were it not for the mind-boggling decision of Louis Van Gaal to bring on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul solely for the penalty shoot-out.

The rest is history. Krul dived the correct way for all five of the Costa Rican penalties, saving two and ultimately sending his team through to the semi-final, as well as ensuring the first Dutch penalty shoot-out success in five attempts. However, there were two consequential outcries following the game; 1) that Tim Krul's antics before each kick were unsporting and disgraceful and 2) that Louis Van Gaal is a tactical genius.

Let's start with the latter. So the incoming Manchester United manager is supposedly a tactical wizard. There can be little question that the introduction of Krul was a masterstroke. Clearly his height and preparation gave him an edge over Jasper Cillessen although his Premier League record of just two saves in twenty attempts leaves a lot to be desired. However, for me the real stroke of genius was the message it sent to Costa Rica. Van Gaal basically said, 'We've got this weapon on our bench. We're going to use it. What have you got?'. The simple answer was that they had nothing. Keylor Navas, unquestionably one of the goalkeepers of the tournament, failed to even get his fingertips on any of the four Dutch penalties whilst his Dutch counterpart did the business.

So undoubtedly Van Gaal made the correct decision in bringing on Krul and must be applauded for that. Yet it would be foolish to ignore the other 120 minutes where the Dutch failed to break down Costa Rica. In their defense neither did Italy or England but a team with Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder leading the line should realistically pick apart a Costa Rican side ranked 27th in the highly accurate and credible FIFA rankings. When you consider that Van Gaal also threw Huntelaar and Lens into the fray later in the game then questions have to be asked as to how outstanding the tactical nous of this man actually is. Surely a fully fledged tactical genius would have finished this quarter-final match in regulation time rather than having to rely on a penalty shoot-out to complete the job. So Van Gaal reacted to the situation well, but don't be too quick to hurl praise at him. We'll see if he deserves that praise if they're still around this time next week.

So what of Tim Krul. Well in my opinion the only crime he is guilty of is theft. His penalty heroics stole the headlines from another remarkable performance by Keylor Navas but it was his gamesmanship which received the most criticism during his brief stint on the pitch. The wily substitute ensured he patrolled the box as the Costa Rican players wandered from the half-way line, demonstrating his control of the box and sending a message that 'I'm in charge'. Then when they reached the penalty spot he walked right up and told them that he knew exactly where they were going, going right up to the faces of each individual player.

Now this is the part that garnered criticism and I ask you what he actually did wrong. As an ex-goalkeeper myself, (albeit for the third team in my college - a high standard indeed), I can only applaud the Newcastle man for getting inside the mind of the opponent. He told them where they would go and ultimately got all five right, even if he didn't save each and every penalty. But the main question is whether his behaviour was sporting. Is it fair to go towards the penalty taker and talk to them before they take it? Well I don't really see the harm. Players do it all the time around the pitch for free-kicks and just generally in open play so why when it happens in a penalty shoot-out did it receive such negative criticism. It's not like he committed a deliberate handball to prevent a last minute winner or bit someone (hint: a certain banned Uruguayan footballer). Also, its in the World Cup quarter-final. You want to do absolutely everything within the letter of the law to distract your opponent and as the referee did nothing about it then clearly it was within the confines of the law.

So I abhor you to reassess your praise and criticism and actually just have a think about last nights action. I am by no means saying I don't understand the argument behind Krul's criticism and Van Gaal's praise, I'm just saying perhaps a bit more thought and perspective ought to go into both circumstances. All of that said, a special mention to the much unfancied Costa Rica who did not actually lose a single game in normal time during this World Cup. Who had money on that before the tournament? Yeah I thought not.