Sports Ladder 2013

UP - Andy Murray - I know it's an obvious choice, but realistically he is one of the main reasons 2013 will be remembered as a sporting year. His Sport's Personality of the Year award from earlier this year was never really in doubt following his Wimbledon title. His men's singles title was the first won by a Brit in 77 years, exception not only for the achievement, but also the way he dispatched the World number one Djokovic in just three sets. He also reached the Australian Open final and will be looking to add to his Grand Slam titles in 2014

UP - Mo Farah - I think his achievements went quietly under the radar this year but what he achieved was simply breathtaking. By winning both the 5,000 and the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Moscow he achieved the double-double following his victory at the London Olympics. This year was more challenging as, following his Olympic golds, he became the hunted member of the field. Despite this he still managed to walk away with the golds, and also Steve Cram's European 1500m record. Let's all do the MoBot.

UP - Ben Ainslie - It is hard to find words to describe the incredible nature of the comeback orchestrated by Ben Ainslie in this years America's Cup is something that will go down in, not only Sailing legend, but sporting legend. With the American team having succumbed to an 8-1 deficit against the Kiwis, Ainslie's recent appointment as a tactician was founded to be an inspired decision.. The Cup was turned around as Ainslie guided them to a 9-8 victory overall. Certainly gives Liverpool's 2005 Champions League final a run for its money.

UP - Chris Froome - I spoke about Farah's achievements going under the radar but sadly I think Froome's went even lower. Froome suffered from the fact that Sir Bradley Wiggins won it a year before; a victory that would not have been achieved without his help. This year, not only did Chris win, but he annihilated the rest of the field, blowing them away in numerous mountain stages. What we all want to see in 2014 is Froome vs Wiggins as the Tour starts in England.

UP - Tai Woffinden  - Many people will not have heard of Tai Woffinden, but this year he became only the 8th Brit ever to win the Speedway World Championship. For many he was a surprise exclusion from the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist but sadly this highlights the decline of Speedway's popularity. Nevertheless, Tai's achievements cannot be understated, as he became the first Brit to win since 2000. Hopefully his victory will increase popularity in the sport.

DOWN - Luis Suarez - In the 2013-14 season Luis Suarez has been simply incredible. Scoring goals left, right, center and just about every other way possible. However, let us not forget that Suarez committed the downright bizarre at the tail end of last season when he took a mouthful of Branislav Ivanovic's arm leading to a ten match ban. As much as I admire Suarez for his outstanding footballing ability, he is hardly the model professional and that must not be forgotten.

DOWN - Formula One - Sebastian Vettel won this years title and he must be commended for that but the car changes for next season cannot come soon enough. Formula One really did hit a low point in terms of viewer interest this year. Vettel's dominance is fine if everyone is racing on a level field but the Pirelli tires have meant that the drivers have not been able to race. Outstanding drivers such as Hamilton have been unable to drive at their fluent best and it is damaging the sport. Roll on 2014 and an F1 shake-up.

DOWN - Stephen Lee - Match-fixing was a prominent concern throughout 2013. It struck Football, Cricket and NASCAR during this year but the most widely reported was that of Snooker player Stephen Lee. Despite still professing his innocence, Lee was found guilty and sentenced to a twelve year ban from the professional snooker circuit. It is obviously a problem throughout a number of sports, but hopefully with its increased presence in the media it will become less of an issue in the coming years.

DOWN - Lance Armstrong - The Lance Armstrong affair made my list despite largely happening last year although my interest in it stems from my current reading of Wheelman by Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell. However it is relevant to this year as it was in January when he first confessed to drug-use in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. It is one of sports greatest ever controversies and will remain so for many years to come. On a more personal note for me, it certainly ruins his 'inspirational' scene in the film Dodgeball.

DOWN - Oscar Pistorious - I don't think I will ever forget the morning I awoke to the news that Oscar Pistoroius had shot his girlfriend. Whether it was intentional or not we may never know but it was a truly shocking moment. Pistorious was a role model for a number of disabled athletes and has left a huge whole in the hearts of idolising fans. It will be really quite intersting to see what the verdict is of the 2014 trial.

Van Gerwin Hits the Jackpot

Michael Van Gerwin stormed into the New Years Day final of the PDC World Darts Championship with a breathtaking 6-0 whitewash of defending Champion Adrian Lewis.

Both players flew out of the blocks and Van Gerwin secured a couple of tight opening sets. With Lewis struggling to hit doubles and looking increasingly anxious Van Gerwin capitalised, storming to take the next few sets to give him a 5-0 lead.

Lewis fought back from two legs down in the final set as the Dutchman looked to be suffering from some finishing line nerves, but it was not to be as MVG stuck double eleven to complete the whitewash.

Wright and Van Gerwin will meet in Wednesday's Final

Despite the brilliance of Van Gerwin, Lewis by no means played badly. In fact, both players had 53 scores of 100+. It was the confident finishing of MVG, who hit 58% doubles compared to Lewis' 28% that crushed any chances he had of getting back into the game. 'The Jackpot' will come away from this a confused man after an average of 99.19 which resulted in not a single set, almost unheard of in darts.

In the evening's other semi-final Peter 'The Snakebite' Wright took control of a shaky Simon Whitlock to reach his maiden PDC World Darts Championship final.

Wright looked in command from early on, racing to a 3-0 lead before Whitlock grabbed a leg back. Yet with Wright converting 60% of his doubles and Whitlock failing to respond it was only a matter of time before 'the Snakebite' finished his opponent, chewing him up and spitting him out for a 6-2 defeat.

Wright will take on Van Gerwin on what promises to be an enthralling match between the two in-form men at the Ally Pally on New Years Day. Both men will be looking to start 2014 in style as they seek their maiden PDC World Championship title.

Tim Sherwood – The Chance of a Lifetime

Something taught from an early age is to make the most of your opportunities. Tim Sherwood certainly heeded this advice, his persistence and passion earning him a contract lasting until the end of the 2014/2015 Premier League season as Head Coach. Sherwood, relatively unheard of two weeks ago, has burst onto the managerial circuit. With his bold approach and never-say-never attitude he has impressed a great deal of neutrals, as well as Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

His appointment comes as a breath of fresh air in a League which has been plagued by clubs constantly searching for the highest profile manager available. There have been few times in recent years where a Premier League club has given a young English coach a shot at management, the last example being the short-term reign of Alan Shearer at Newcastle, but even he had not been a coach beforehand. The other example is the Scot, Steve Clarke, recently sacked after less than a year at West Bromwich Albion.

And yet Sherwood seems to be a different kettle of fish to Shearer and Clarke. Both Shearer and Clarke came into their clubs from outside whilst Sherwood has been promoted from within. First signed as a coach in 2008 under Harry Redknapp, Sherwood has spent his years as a technical co-ordinator, working especially closely with the younger players.

His knowledge of the players in the development squad was emphasised by his decision to bring on the impressive 19-year-old Habil Bentalib for his senior debut against Southampton. Sherwood said in his post-match news conference that he had “no hesitation” in bringing on Bentalib. A new manager would not have gambled on playing him, but Sherwood’s inside knowledge meant he was able to make a decision which ultimately played in his favour.

Perhaps his biggest success in his first two games is dragging Adebayor back from the wilderness to great effect. Three goals in three games from the Togo international suggests that the answer to Tottenham’s goalscoring problems this season was hidden in plain sight. Adebayor looked a menace against Southampton, working hard for the team and sounding professional and prepared in his post-match interview. With Defoe’s departure to the MLS looking more and more likely, Sherwood will be relying on him to work alongside Soldado in creating one of these infamous strike partnerships that seem to be so popular this season.

His early managerial successes do not end there, with Danny Rose speaking of how Sherwood has established himself as a no-nonsense coach but one with an already close relationship with many players. Rose was quoted as saying “People may think that Tim is not a big name or doesn’t have a big CV, but you know he will take no nonsense from anybody, His first training session, a couple of lads rolled out on to the training pitch late and he got us in a circle and said it was unacceptable.”

Rose went on to say “Tim’s backed me for a good three or four years now and I know if I’m fully fit that I’ll play. And I know if I do things wrong, he’ll pull me to the side and tell me it’s unacceptable.” Rose’s statement exemplifies the support he has from inside the club, especially from the younger players who have known him for a number of year. With four of the clubs seven summer signings aged 24 or younger, they will be impressed with the praise he has received from their peers and will be looking to make their mark in the team in the recent weeks.

More than anything Sherwood provides hope. His appointment as a young coach with no managerial experience but the backing of a number of key figures sends a message to others in similar positions. Hiring domestic coaches as managers is nothing unheard of out on the continent, but an English preference for coveted, successful managers means this is a rare opportunity, one which Sherwood must grasp with both hands. And who knows? If this goes well maybe the floodgates will be opened with increased opportunities for other young pretenders.

Boxing Day Victory for Fortunate United

Manchester United came back from 2-0 down to defeat Hull City 3-2 at the KC Stadium in an encounter lacking much festive cheer.

United, looking to win their fifth consecutive game in all competitions, started poorly conceding two goals within the opening twelve minutes, a corner converted by James Chester followed by a deflected goal for David Meyler.

Chester sends Hull into an early lead.

However, United hit back through a Smalling header before Rooney equalised on the 26 minute mark, burying from outside the box. United's Boxing Day sucker punch came in the 66th minute through a Chester own goal. Antonia Valencia was sent off with minutes to go for receiving a second yellow card.

Hull started the game at breakneck speed, scoring withing four minutes from a controversially awarded corner. Huddlestone's deep delivery was headed back across goal by Bruce before his centre-back partner James Chester jabbed in for the opening goal.

United showed little signs of recovery and  Hull struck again less than ten minutes later. David Meyler pounced first on a loose ball to fire a shot into the back of the net, courtesy of a deflection off of Jonny Evans.

Rooney scores a wonderful half volley

The second goal was the kick in the teeth that United needed. They began to take more control of the game, a glancing header from Valencia flashing past the far post. It didn't take long for them to get a foothold in the game, with Chris Smalling rising to head home a Wayne Rooney free-kick.

Tom Cleverley then went close with a curling effort as United ramped up the pressure. Soon after they struck, Rooney latching onto a loose ball before striking a half-volley past McGregor from outside the box.

The early pace of the game began to decline and the remainder of the first half passed by largely uneventfully, players perhaps feelings the effects of the previous days festivities.

United emerged after the interval full of festive fluidity, pressing Hull in their own half.  However, Hull's centre backs continued to trouble United's defence, Curtis Davies heading narrowly wide from a corner.

The welcome return of Darren Fletcher to the United starting line-up for the first time in over a year was a boost as he controlled the midfield, looking neat and tidy in possession. He received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters as he departed for Hernandez mid-way through the second half.

A despairing Chester heads into his own net.

United were lucky to survive going behind for a second time, again defending poorly from a corner as Alex Bruce thundered a header against the crossbar. However, United completed the comeback minutes later, a distraught James Chester heading the ball past substitute keeper Harper after Young produced a dangerous cross from the right wing.

Hull pressed for an equaliser of their own, the goal-shy Danny Graham heading into the arms of De Gea at the far post. Moments later De Gea was lucky to not concede as he flapped at a long ball. The game ended more fiery than a Christmas pudding, Antonio Valencia receiving his marching orders for rashly kicking the ball away after conceding a free kick.

Chester should have made amends for his own goal, lashing a one-on-one straight at De Gea in the dying moments before Bruce pulled a shot wide from inside the box for the final attack of the game.

The victory sees United move to within four points of the top four as they travel to Norwich at the weekend, Moyes stating after the game that he believes they can challenge for the title. On the other hand, Hull remain 12th as the teams around them also lose on a busy boxing day. Hull entertain a rejuvenated Fulham at the weekend as they seek to remain clear of the relegation zone.

United Triumph at Home to West Ham

Manchester United's improving form continued as they beat West Ham 3-1 at Old Trafford to record their fourth consecutive win in all competitions.

West Ham's mid-week turnaround at Tottenham could not provide the momentum to carry them through this test at Old Trafford as goals from Welbeck, Januzaj and Young sealed West Ham's fifth defeat in seven Premier League matches, despite a second half consolation from Carlton Cole.

Manchester United started strongly, Adrian making a fine point-blank save from Tom Cleverley, denying the midfielder his second goal in two games. Adrian made another good save from Valencia, tipping a low shot around the post.

Welbeck tucks the ball away to give United the lead.

However it did not take them long to take the lead as they struck in the twenty fifth minute after capitalising on a quick free kick. The ball broke with Rooney teeing up Welbeck for a sweet finish across the front of keeper Adrian.

United's lead was doubled ten minutes later through youngster Adnan Januzaj. Only moments after correctly being denied a penalty, the winger completed a one-two with Welbeck on the left before cutting back and burying the ball in the far corner of the net.

Their first half domination continued after the second goal with a lighting fast counter attack, narrowly put over the bar by Valencia. Januzaj was then booked for a poor dive highlighting how this youngster still has a long way to go.

Januzaj scores a composed goal.

The second half started much the same; Manchester United looking solid with West Ham lacking any sort of cutting edge. However an injury to in-form Welbeck will be a blow for United. West Ham looked slightly improved in the second half, Rooney having to clear a corner off the line after a couple of dangerous headers.

United had a goal ruled out incorrectly for offside when Valencia played in Hernandez. However, this was made up for minutes later when Ashley Young lashed home a third from the edge of the box after another assist from Rooney, Young's second goal in two games.

As with the lunch-time kick off the away team scored a consolation goal, Carlton Cole tucking the ball beneath De Gea with a calm finish. However, they could not expand on this goal as the game ended 3-1, despite a flurry of late chances for United.

Cole tucks away a consolation goal.

The win sees Moyes' team move above Tottenham to 7th in the League although that could change tomorrow when Tottenham take on Southampton. West Ham were lucky to avoid dropping further down the table as the teams around them also either lost or drew so they remain in 17th position, only one point above the drop.

Liverpool Victory Sends Them Top

An outstanding first half display ensured Liverpool won 3-1 against Cardiff and moved to the top of the Premier League.

A brace from in-form Luis Suarez and a tap in from Raheem Sterling in the first half ensured that Liverpool had killed off the game in the first half, despite a second half consolation goal from Jordan Mutch..

Cardiff fans protest after the final whistle.

However, the game will largely be remembered for the fantastic support from both sets of fans for Cardiff manager Malky Mackay in his ongoing dispute with chairman Vincent Tan. Cardiff fans remained after the final whistle for a prolonged period of time to chant their disagreement with Tan's attempts to remove Mackay from his job.

Liverpool began the game strongly, Suarez hitting the side netting within two minutes. Down the other end of the pitch, Noone then forced a save from Mignolet fourteen minutes in. Suarez was again causing problems for the Cardiff defence, a deflected shot inching wide of the far post.

However Liverpool's dominance in possession paid off when Suarez volleyed home from a Henderson chip from the left flank. The captain celebrated signing a new four and a half year contract with his eighteenth premier league goal in just twelve appearances.

Suarez volleys Liverpool into the lead.

Cardiff's response was brief, a dangerous Whittingham free-kick well gathered by Mignolet before Liverpool regained control, Coutinho thundering a shot off the near post from an obscure angle. Moments later Skrtel put a free header over the bar as Liverpool ramped up the pressure.

Both Flanagan and Sterling had shots saved as Liverpool pushed to double their lead before half time, Flanagan in particular testing out the hawk-eye system. Their lead was double a few minutes before the interval, when Suarez selflessly squared it for Sterling to tap in from close range.

With Cardiff chairman Tan watching from the stands, Malky Mackay was under heavy pressure to perform and conceding a third would not have done him any favours. However Suarez was in a mood to party, bending in a third from outside the box after a lovely back-heal from Jordan Henderson. This goal meant that Suarez became the first ever player to score ten goals in one month in the Premier League.

Suarez has now scored 19 goals in 12 Premier League games.

Liverpool continued where they left off after the interval, bombarding the Cardiff goal as they sought to score more. Suarez, Coutinho and Henderson all came close before Cardiff began to come back into the game. After weathering the early storm, Cardiff struck back, Mutch grabbing a headed goal after a lovely Peter Whittingham dead ball delivery.

The goal gave Cardiff a second wind, and they continued to have the better of play, Mignolet forced to make a save on the line from Turner. Cardiff continued to press Liverpool back in their own half but a swift counter attack led to Suarez having to wait for his hat-trick after his shot re-bounded off the post.

Despite trailing by two goals Cardiff continued to press, the danger noted by Rogers' decision to bring on Agger for Coutinho to try and sure up the defence. This proved successful, with Liverpool shutting down the Cardiff attack and ending the game 3-1.

This win means Liverpool move to the top of the table for the first time since early October and will stay their until Monday at least when Arsenal take on Chelsea. Cardiff on the other hand remain in fifteenth just four points above the drop zone and with internal discrepancies this loss may see the end of Malky Mackay's reign.

Sunderland Beat Wasteful Chelsea in Extra-Time

Sunderland produced a shock in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup as they battled to a 2-1 victory against Chelsea in extra-time.

Ki celebrates his extra-time winner

Chelsea were dominant throughout much of the game, taking the lead straight after the interval courtesy of a Lee Cattermole own-goal. However, Fabio Borini struck late to take Poyet's team to extra-time. The late goal gave Sunderland a second wind, and they dominated the second half of extra-time, scoring the eventual winner through Ki Sung-Yueng with only minutes remaining.

It was a quiet first half at the Stadium of Light as both teams failed to create any clear-cut chances. Chelsea were on top for large portions but lacked penetration in the final third whilst up the other end, Sunderland had a penalty shout correctly turned down for a handball against Azpilicueta, after a Dossena cross struck him on the armpit from only a matter of feet away.

The second half started in disaster for Sunderland as Cattermole scored an own goal just 40 seconds after the restart, referee Anthony Taylor having to refer to Hawk-Eye to confirm that the ball had indeed crossed the line. The ball was bundled over by Lampard and Cattermole together after an excellent ball from Azpilicueta on the right hand side.

Mannone claws at the Cattermole own-goal

Sunderland didn't look like responding as Eto'o turned a chance narrowly around the post before having a shot deflected into the side netting. Du Bruyne also had a shot beaten away by Mannone after Lampard knicked the ball from Larsson. Only moments later Lampard struck a shot narrowly over the bar as Chelsea piled on the pressure.

A break in play resulting from an Azpilicueta injury and a pitch invader sparked life into Sunderland, with Cattermole testing the Chelsea goalkeeper with a fierce drive from outside the box. Yet Chelsea remained on top with Shurrle having a shot well parried by Mannone and substitute Ba volleying narrowly wide.

With only two minutes of normal time remaining Sunderland made Chelsea pay for not converting their chances, as Fabio Borini pounced on a loose ball to equalise for the Black Cats. After Schwarzer took the ball away from Altidore in the box, Borini struck from a tight angle, leaving Mourinho furious on the
touchline.

Borini capitalises on the loose ball to equalise

Cahill prevented Borini from grabbing a second in stoppage time with a fantastic last ditch tackle after Giaccherini played him through on goal, forcing the game into extra time.

Luiz had a shot blocked on the line by Mannone and Borini mishit a volley wide of the far post as both teams looked to win it in extra-time. A dangerous Larsson free-kick had to be cleared twice by Chelsea as the free-kick and follow up from Ki both went close. The best save was still to come, as Schwarzer produced a fantastic diving save to prevent Ki from scoring a free header inside the box.

Sunderland's relentless pressure in extra-time paid off as they struck with two minutes to go for the second time in the match, this time for the winner. A cross from the right was brought down well by Borini before laying the ball off to Ki who finished well into the bottom left corner.

The win takes Sunderland through to the semi-finals of the tournament which they have never won. Poyet will now turn his attention to the must win game against Norwich as they seek to move out of the relegation zone. Mourinho will be furious with his team, who had numerous chances to finish the game off in normal time, but perhaps had one eye on this weekend's clash with league leaders Arsenal.

In the other Capital One quarter-final match, Manchester City overran a plucky Leicester City side 3-1 to progress to the semi-finals.

Sports Ladder: (18th-24th November)

UP - Jason Day - A hugely emotional week for the Australian as he captured the World Cup of Golf, beating the Dane Thomas Bjorn by two shots. As well as winning the individual event, Day and compatriot Adam Scott also claimed the World Cup for Australia for the first time since 1989. The week was given added emotion by the death of eight relatives in Typhoon Haiyan. A touching victory for Day in the circumstances.

UP - Mark Webber - As the Formula 1 season draws to a close we say goodbye to one of the sports great servants. Mark Webber departs in traditional fashion, finishing second behind his partner Sebastian Vettel, nevertheless it is with great sadness we say goodbye to Mark. With three third place finishes in the overall championships over eleven years he has been a truly great addition to the sport.

UP - George Groves - It seems strange to include a man who lost a boxing match, but George Groves announced himself on the World boxing stage this week after a controversial loss to super-middleweight champion Carl Froch. Groves had Froch on the canvas in the first round and, had it gone to a points decision, would have definitely won. Re-match please?

UP - Gibraltar - This week Gibraltar became the latest team to join the UEFA family, drawing their first game 0-0 with Slovakia. This is an outstanding achievement from a team whose nation consists of around only 30,000 people, making it the smallest population of any UEFA member. They begin their first serious competition in the Euro 2016 qualification.

UP - Phil 'The Power' Taylor - It's nearly Christmas which can mean only one thing, it's darts time! Phil Taylor laid down a warning to his competitors (as if they needed one) when he surged to the Grand Slam of Darts title last weekend. He didn't have it all his own way mind, with an outstanding semi-final clash against Adrian Lewis. Roll on next months World Championship.

DOWN - Kevin Friend - Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. An absolutely awful decision by Friend at the weekend to send off West Brown. Brown appeared to get the ball cleanly and no Stoke players complained but in a moment of madness Friend decided to show Brown red. An explanation is definitely required for this one.

DOWN - England Football Team - After the end of World Cup qualification, with two impressive wins under our belt, we were in euphoria. Could we actually win the World Cup? Last week brought us back down to Earth, with consecutive Wembley losses to Chile and Germany, the first time we have lost back-to-back there for 36 years. On that display we'll be lucky to reach the last sixteen.

DOWN - Tottenham - How do you prove that you're a title contender after spending over £100 million on players in the summer? One way to disprove your credentials would be losing 6-0 to fellow contenders Manchester City. AVB has received mild criticism all season but yesterday marked a whole new chapter as his management is bound to come under question after this humiliating defeat.

DOWN - Formula 1 - As Formula 1 shuts down for the winter, some serious questions need to be asked of the sport. As a long term Formula 1 fan, this season has been the dullest in living memory. Not even because Vettel won it comfortably again, but because the current situation with tyres has meant it is too tactical and there is not enough racing. Changes are needed for next year to regain interest.

DOWN - England Cricket Team - If we thought the national football team were bad, the cricketers took it to another level. Failing to make 200 runs in either innings and eventually losing by 381 runs, the team have a lot of thinking to do going into the second test. That said, take nothing away from Australia, who were outstanding across the field.

Hart Ache: How Manchester City's Golden Boy Lost his Sparkle.

Over the last few years Joe Hart has been head and shoulders (pun  intended) over the competition both for club and country. However today he finds himself having missed three consecutive match for Manchester City and his England position under question. An evident decline in form has left the goalkeeper feeling somewhat isolated in recent weeks but I want to question how he has got to this stage, both mentally and physically and where he goes from here.

Mentally

Joe Hart truly emerged on the scene during his loan spell at Birmingham, getting placed in the PFA Team of the Season before breaking through into the Manchester City first team. In the 2010-2011 season he was, perhaps controversially, picked ahead of Shay Given, although the gamble paid off as Hart went on to collect the Player of the Season award whilst Given moved to Aston Villa in search of first team football. In the same season he also broke into the international team. After the retirement of David James a battle for the number one jersey broke out, with Hart emerging victorious. Since then his position in the England team has never been questioned. Until now.

So why this change? The simple answer lies in the lack of competition. Since that season, three years ago, he has never been challenged and therefore has slipped into the mindset that he is untouchable. Sadly this is not the case. No one has a permanent place on a football pitch, and this fact is heavily emphasised by the Iker Casillas saga at Real Madrid. Last season he played under twenty league games for the first time in his senior career and Joe Hart should be vary wary of a similar issue at City if he does not eradicate his current mindset. The shattering of this subconscious feeling of being untouchable will have been a kick-in-the-teeth for Hart, and mentally he needs to eradicate this thought quickly, and realise that to maintain his spot a constant high level of concentration and determination is required.

In blooding Pantilimon, Pellegrini is doing the right thing for Hart. His complacency has led to a decline is his concentration levels during games for both club and country and this has led to a catalogue of errors over the last year or so. With the international friendlies fast approaching, it is vital that Hodgson does the same, giving Fraser Forster and John Ruddy a chance in goal, as if it comes around to the World Cup and Hart is still in this unreliable form, another keeper will be required. However, hopefully by that point, Hart will have adapted to the situation and will regain his composure through competition with Pantilimon,

Physically

On paper, Joe Hart has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League over the last three years, epitomised by his back-to-back Golden Glove award for most clean sheets. However, it is worth acknowledging that Manchester City have conceded the fewest goals in each of the last three seasons so a lot of credit for this has to go to the defence as well as the goalkeeper.

By studying the statistics, it is all too obvious that Joe Hart is a player in declining form. This season alone he has made 3 errors leading to goals off the back of 6 errors last year. Compare this with the 1 error over the three seasons before last and you see an issue. The other main issue in studying his decline is a huge decrease in his save percentage. In both the 2010-11 campaign and the 2011-12 campaign his save percentage was 77%, however last year this tumbled to 69%, dropping him out of the top ten keepers in terms of save percentage for the first time in his career. This season the decline has continued, currently lying at a lowly 63%. This is perhaps a reflection of the lapse in concentration as a result of mental complacency mentioned earlier. The most surprising statistic of all is that Hart claimed only 87% of aerial balls last season. This does not sound particularly poor until you compare it with David de Gea, a keeper who was constantly hounded in the press for his lack of physical presence and general weakness in the air, who claimed 88%. Make of that what you will.

It is also worth comparing Hart to the other three keepers that played every minute of every game for their team last season, Asmir Begovic, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Simon Mignolet to see how they faired in comparison. In terms of clean sheets Hart was way out in front on 18 whilst Begovic has 12 and the other two had 11, however this can be attributed largely to the defence rather than the goalkeeper. A more interesting statistic is that Hart runs out with the lowest save percentage at 69%. Begovic has 70% with Mignolet on 72% and Jaaskelainen on 76%. It is worth noting that Hart would have had the highest percentage if his statistics from any other season were used. This would also have been the case in regards to errors leading to goals but instead, Hart once again finished bottom with 6. Begovic and Jaaskelainen both made 5 whilst Mignolet made only 2. The purpose of these comparisons is to emphasise that Manchester City's strong defensive record has successfully hidden Hart's decline and it is only in deeper study that you realise the extend of his decline over the last year.

So What Next?

For me, Hart needs to get himself out of the spotlight. He has received plenty of scrutiny and negative press in the last few months and needs to stay out of the public eye for a while. Giving Pantilimon a run in goal and experimenting with keepers internationally should help take the attention away from Hart allowing him to regain focus. By keeping his head down and working hard in training he will regain both a physical and mental sharpness so that when he does get back into the starting eleven he will have less issues remaining there.

The reality is that, on his day Joe Hart is arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, but it hasn't been his day for a while. This will all be a learning curve for him and will only benefit him in the long term. When he returns we will see a more mature goalkeeper, one who has gained experience from his errors and one than can potentially go down as a footballing legend but in order for him to do this he has to grit his teeth and come back fighting.

Sports Ladder (23rd-29th September)

UP - Oracle Team USA - This week Sir Ben Ainslie's Oracle Team completed one of the greatest ever sporting comebacks, beating New Zealand 9-8 after recovering from an 8-1 deficit. Ainslie was drafted in when America was 4-1 down and turned it around to complete an outstanding victory. The next task for Ainslie is to get a British team in the next America's Cup.

UP - Wilson Kipsang - Kipsang ran away with a new world record this week after winning the Berlin Marathon in a new record time of 2:03:38, beating the last record by 15 seconds. This was his first marathon victory this year but his seventh in his three year marathon career. His next aim will probably be to win the Olympics but he'll have to beat our own Mo Farah amongst others.

UP - Aaron Ramsey - The butt of football jokes for the last few years, Ramsey has had an outstanding start to this season. Over the last few years he scored so infrequently that the 'Ramsey Curse' came into effect, meaning that whenever he scored a celebrity died. However, with eight goals in nine games this season, the showbiz world must be quaking in their boots.

UP - Women's Football - Women's football has had only good press this week. With Liverpool Ladies winning the League, stopping Arsenal Ladies from claiming their eight successful title and England thrashing Turkey 8-0 in a World Cup qualifier, perhaps it's time for the men to stop and take a leaf out of their female counterparts book; it seems to be working.

UP - Dominic Sibley - I don't know a lot about cricket but I can always appreciate a successful sportsman, especially one younger than myself. Dominic Sibley this week became the youngest double century scorer in the County Championship. An impressive performance from someone who had to skip school just to play. The next England opener?

DOWN - Jan Vertonghen - Vertonghen's reputation has suffered a bit of a knock this week despite his unquestionable ability. Labelled a disgrace by Mourinho after some weekend antics, he had a pretty pants start to the week when he rather bizarely 'cegged' Aston Villa's Andreas Helenius. Step it up Jan!

DOWN - Devis Licciardi - One of the strangest serious stories in sport I have ever heard. Licciardi got caught this week trying to pass a drugs test by using a fake penis filled with uncontaminated liquid but was found out when it was revealed a doctor had to watch him take the test. Doping in sport is a serious issue but at least Licciardi made us laugh whilst partaking.

DOWN - British Golfers - This doesn't apply to all, only the six golfers who pulled out of the Seve Trophy next week, the European equivalent to the President's Cup. The Cup was created by the late Seve Ballesteros and I completely agree with Paul Lawrie who said "I don't quite understand it and its extremely disappointing', when talking about their decision not to take part.

DOWN - Manchester - It's been an uninspiring start to the season for both Manchester clubs and that continued this weekend as both teams lost in the Premier League. Manchester United in particular have struggled, suffering their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign. Could the title be on it's way back to London for the first time in four years?

DOWN - Stephen Lee - A sad week for snooker as Stephan Lee is found to have committed seven counts of match fixing and has been given a 12 year ban from professional circuit, leaving the 39 year old's career in pieces. Despite continuing to plead his innocent, the reaction of the players suggests he is guilty. A tough day for Lee and his family but it's good to know the WPBSA have taken the offence seriously.