For this skills test, I was required to shoot a MCU video of my interviewee on a subject of my choice.
I shot a 30 second clip of a football fan debating whether Newcastle FC's stadium name change was a good thing for the club or not.
I inserted a title on a video editing application, in this instance Windows Movie Maker, and edited it where possible.
I also uploaded the clip to video sharing website Youtube.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
An example of the news process diamond, in action
I chose to analyse Lewis Hamilton's success in the Abu Dhabi Grand prix by using Paul Bradshaw's news process diamond as a framework for my findings.
The diamond is established through various different stages in the process that, ultimately, produces news in a digital format.
I will study BBC reporter Sarah Holt's analysis of the race to find good or bad examples of each respective stage, represented at the time the event took place.
Alert - "Stat/weather fans! Here's an interesting snippet. Track temperatures will drop by 8 degrees in the race which will impact on tyres."#bbcf1 courtesy of @sarahholtf1 on Twitter.
The stat she opts to use just prior to the race immediately attracts an audience as they are able to see a depth of knowledge and will therefore be more inclined to follow her tweets.
Draft: Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button#bbcf1 again taken from Sarah's twitter page. This short summary provides the audience with the fine details, before then going on to construct her article.
Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9638444.stm - the article has stemmed from Sarah Holt's initial tweets, which have formed her research throughout the race to gain a knowledgeable account of proceedings, she can even include her stat about the weather to make her report stand out.
Context: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/ a context can be established behind Sarah's social graph and her credibility as a reporter by studying the quality of her blogs.
Analysis/Reflection: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15714124.stm this article was posted the day after the event took place and gave Sarah the opportunity to take a more personal account on the race, having interviewed Lewis. She takes the limelight away from the race and now makes it into a story, rather than solely a report.
Interactivity: Sarah's interactivity is solely through her use of the mentioned blog and her twitter page. She has managed to establish an interactive rapport with her audience, without the use of podcasts or forums.
Customisation: The customisation of Sarah's social network profile is substantial. Her social graph is credible as she has several followers, is following fellow credible journalists and also has an RSS feed integrated to her blog.
The diamond is established through various different stages in the process that, ultimately, produces news in a digital format.
I will study BBC reporter Sarah Holt's analysis of the race to find good or bad examples of each respective stage, represented at the time the event took place.
Alert - "Stat/weather fans! Here's an interesting snippet. Track temperatures will drop by 8 degrees in the race which will impact on tyres."
The stat she opts to use just prior to the race immediately attracts an audience as they are able to see a depth of knowledge and will therefore be more inclined to follow her tweets.
Draft: Lewis Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button
Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9638444.stm - the article has stemmed from Sarah Holt's initial tweets, which have formed her research throughout the race to gain a knowledgeable account of proceedings, she can even include her stat about the weather to make her report stand out.
Context: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/ a context can be established behind Sarah's social graph and her credibility as a reporter by studying the quality of her blogs.
Analysis/Reflection: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15714124.stm this article was posted the day after the event took place and gave Sarah the opportunity to take a more personal account on the race, having interviewed Lewis. She takes the limelight away from the race and now makes it into a story, rather than solely a report.
Interactivity: Sarah's interactivity is solely through her use of the mentioned blog and her twitter page. She has managed to establish an interactive rapport with her audience, without the use of podcasts or forums.
Customisation: The customisation of Sarah's social network profile is substantial. Her social graph is credible as she has several followers, is following fellow credible journalists and also has an RSS feed integrated to her blog.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Data Skills Test
For my Data skills test, I chose to analyse data from the Guardian's Data store, which reported on how Premier League broadcasting revenues are distributed.
The story stemmed from the news that Liverpool FC have called for overseas broadcasting deals to be changed. The data outlines who, in the Premier League, receives what in financial terms.
My graph shows the difference between various factors in the TV revenue category, including equal shares between clubs, the facility fees received, merit and overseas payments, and the totals for each respective club, in pounds.
I obtained my data from the following web address: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/12/football-broadcasting-deal-liverpool
I also used a couple of other links to support my graph, and in doing so, offer a more in-depth account about what it means:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8822989/Liverpool-TV-revenue-demands-how-European-leagues-compare.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15269831.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15269831.stm
Monday, 10 October 2011
Maps Skills Test
I chose four different stories from the Lancashire Evening Post and inserted the stories into the respective areas they took place, on a Google Map.
I wrote a brief summary for each article and attached links from both the LEP and external websites to the stories. I also obtained images from the internet that were relevant to the story and used them as icons for the story.
View Maps Skills Test in a larger map
I wrote a brief summary for each article and attached links from both the LEP and external websites to the stories. I also obtained images from the internet that were relevant to the story and used them as icons for the story.
View Maps Skills Test in a larger map
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Deepdale Photo Edit
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Deepdale - the home of Preston North End FC
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Deepdale - edited to 400x300 pixels
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Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Mourinho 2?
Andre Villas Boas is set to complete a switch to Chelsea after in the next few days, which will complete a whirlwind 20 months for the Portuguese.
Before his first spell in charge at Academica he was a protege to Jose Mourinho, who is renowned worldwide as one of the best coaches in the sport. Villas Boas' role was to scout the opposition during Mourinho's tenures at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively. Mourinho often mentioned how in-depth his colleague's reports were as he trawled through pages of facts and figures.
At just 33, Villas Boas is of the same tender age as his players Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He decided from an early age that he wanted to be a coach and took several risks during his teenage years by travelling to Glasgow to earn his UEFA coaching badges before taking charge of the British Virgin Islands in two international matches in 2000. Both ended in defeat.
Having studied many of Mourinho's tactics and strategies, he then went on to coach Academica. Joining halfway through the season, the relatively inexperienced Portuguese managed to mastermind a stunning recovery which saw the Coimbra-based outfit move out of the relegation zone to mid-table and secure a Portuguese Cup semi-final appearance.
This attracted the attention of Porto who saw many similarities with him and Mourinho, but even the most optimistic could not have foreseen the amazing transformation of the club with Villas Boas at the helm.
Benfica had won the previous year's league title and appeared to be in a promising position to do so again, despite the departure of the influential Angel Di Maria. But having amassed an astonishing 84 points from just 30 games without tasting defeat, the title was reclaimed at the Estadio do Dragao. Porto also added the Portuguese Cup and Europa League titles with wins over Vitoria de Guimaraes and Braga respectively to complete a remarkable season for the 'rookie' manager.
More inevitable comparisons with Mourinho were made - he won a treble in his first full season as Porto manager - and links with Chelsea began to appear. Despite the perhaps anticipated arrival of Guus Hiddink, it appears that Abramovich has gone for someone who could bring a touch of 'je ne sais quoi' to the three-times champions, proven by the £13.3m compensation package paid by the Russian to bring him to the club.
Mourinho and Villas Boas will naturally be compared but their footballing philosophies are slightly different. The former prefers a clinical, counter-attacking brand of the game but focuses heavily on the importance of defending. The latter however, emphasises much more on the use of possession and using his wingers more prominently in a much more attack-minded style. Chelsea fans can expect to maintain the same 4-3-3 formation which they have used frequently since Mourinho's reign, as Villas Boas deployed Hulk and Cristian Rodriguez alongisde the much-coveted Falcao in his system last season. Porto's record this season of 73 scored and 16 conceded proves that his side were efficient at both ends of the field, which will be welcome news to Abramovich. Despite always being successful under his ownership, the side have never played the same brand of football that is perhaps more associated to Arsenal and Manchester United. He wishes to find a manager who shares his vision for the club. Villas Boas was recently quoted as saying how he admires the Barcelona philosophy and how he apologised for winning the Europa League final with a 'scrappy game', which can only bode well with the players and supporters at Stamford Bridge alike.
I personally feel he is the perfect choice for the west-Londoners as they seek to win back the Premier League title and the thus-far elusive Champions League crown. He's young, hungry for success and wants to play football how it should be played. He's a modest fella too...
Before his first spell in charge at Academica he was a protege to Jose Mourinho, who is renowned worldwide as one of the best coaches in the sport. Villas Boas' role was to scout the opposition during Mourinho's tenures at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively. Mourinho often mentioned how in-depth his colleague's reports were as he trawled through pages of facts and figures.
At just 33, Villas Boas is of the same tender age as his players Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He decided from an early age that he wanted to be a coach and took several risks during his teenage years by travelling to Glasgow to earn his UEFA coaching badges before taking charge of the British Virgin Islands in two international matches in 2000. Both ended in defeat.
This attracted the attention of Porto who saw many similarities with him and Mourinho, but even the most optimistic could not have foreseen the amazing transformation of the club with Villas Boas at the helm.
Benfica had won the previous year's league title and appeared to be in a promising position to do so again, despite the departure of the influential Angel Di Maria. But having amassed an astonishing 84 points from just 30 games without tasting defeat, the title was reclaimed at the Estadio do Dragao. Porto also added the Portuguese Cup and Europa League titles with wins over Vitoria de Guimaraes and Braga respectively to complete a remarkable season for the 'rookie' manager.
More inevitable comparisons with Mourinho were made - he won a treble in his first full season as Porto manager - and links with Chelsea began to appear. Despite the perhaps anticipated arrival of Guus Hiddink, it appears that Abramovich has gone for someone who could bring a touch of 'je ne sais quoi' to the three-times champions, proven by the £13.3m compensation package paid by the Russian to bring him to the club.
Mourinho and Villas Boas will naturally be compared but their footballing philosophies are slightly different. The former prefers a clinical, counter-attacking brand of the game but focuses heavily on the importance of defending. The latter however, emphasises much more on the use of possession and using his wingers more prominently in a much more attack-minded style. Chelsea fans can expect to maintain the same 4-3-3 formation which they have used frequently since Mourinho's reign, as Villas Boas deployed Hulk and Cristian Rodriguez alongisde the much-coveted Falcao in his system last season. Porto's record this season of 73 scored and 16 conceded proves that his side were efficient at both ends of the field, which will be welcome news to Abramovich. Despite always being successful under his ownership, the side have never played the same brand of football that is perhaps more associated to Arsenal and Manchester United. He wishes to find a manager who shares his vision for the club. Villas Boas was recently quoted as saying how he admires the Barcelona philosophy and how he apologised for winning the Europa League final with a 'scrappy game', which can only bode well with the players and supporters at Stamford Bridge alike.
I personally feel he is the perfect choice for the west-Londoners as they seek to win back the Premier League title and the thus-far elusive Champions League crown. He's young, hungry for success and wants to play football how it should be played. He's a modest fella too...
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Survival Sunday..
The Premier League is over. And with it, goes the majority of my time. It has arguably been one of the best seasons we have ever experienced as football fans, with goals galore. 2.80 goals on average per game, tells you all you need to know.
The last day of the season, will stay in my heart for a long time. I cannot recall a fixture programme packed with so much drama and constantly changing emotions. The relegation battle was tense, with five teams from 15th to 19th separated by just a solitary point. West Ham, were already relegated. I wrote in April about my tips for relegation. As it turns out, I only got one team wrong, the Hammers!
Instead, I thought Wigan would drop. They battled against the odds and secured a famous victory over Stoke, showing a resilience and grit that has been lacking on many occasions this season at the DW Stadium.
Blackpool fans went on the biggest rollercoaster. At one point they were leading, YES LEADING, Manchester United at Old Trafford by two goals to one. Sadly, for the Seasiders, it was a tale of familiar flaws, as their defence was exposed on three occasions as United hit back.
That left Wolves and Birmingham. Being an Arsenal fan, still mad about the Blues' win over us, I was happy to see the latter finish in the bottom three. Wolves 3-2 loss to Blackburn meant they faced a worrying wait to see if Birmingham could muster a winner at White Hart Lane. It didn't materialise, and instead, Roman Pavlyuchenko crashed home the goal that means the Second City-based club will play European football from the second tier next year.
With Carlo Ancelotti sacked just an hour after his side's 1-0 defeat at Everton, West Brom clawing back a 3-0 deficit to draw courtesy of Somen Tchoyi's hat-trick and plenty of other goals to enjoy; the Premier League proved why it is the best division in the world.
The last day of the season, will stay in my heart for a long time. I cannot recall a fixture programme packed with so much drama and constantly changing emotions. The relegation battle was tense, with five teams from 15th to 19th separated by just a solitary point. West Ham, were already relegated. I wrote in April about my tips for relegation. As it turns out, I only got one team wrong, the Hammers!
Instead, I thought Wigan would drop. They battled against the odds and secured a famous victory over Stoke, showing a resilience and grit that has been lacking on many occasions this season at the DW Stadium.
Blackpool fans went on the biggest rollercoaster. At one point they were leading, YES LEADING, Manchester United at Old Trafford by two goals to one. Sadly, for the Seasiders, it was a tale of familiar flaws, as their defence was exposed on three occasions as United hit back.
That left Wolves and Birmingham. Being an Arsenal fan, still mad about the Blues' win over us, I was happy to see the latter finish in the bottom three. Wolves 3-2 loss to Blackburn meant they faced a worrying wait to see if Birmingham could muster a winner at White Hart Lane. It didn't materialise, and instead, Roman Pavlyuchenko crashed home the goal that means the Second City-based club will play European football from the second tier next year.
With Carlo Ancelotti sacked just an hour after his side's 1-0 defeat at Everton, West Brom clawing back a 3-0 deficit to draw courtesy of Somen Tchoyi's hat-trick and plenty of other goals to enjoy; the Premier League proved why it is the best division in the world.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Ryo Miyaichi - a future star?
Whilst Arsenal were practically surrendering the Premier League crown to Manchester United, the North London club's very own Japanese prodigy was scoring, and assisting twice, against Willem II in a 6-1 win.
Miyaichi, 18, is on loan at Feyenoord while he seeks to secure a work permit. After another impressive performance for his temporary club, it begged the question: why do you not get him back as soon as possible Arsene Wenger?!
Signed in January after trialling at the club in the summer, Miyaichi is Japan's next big thing. He has represented his country at both U17 and U21 level and is being tipped by many for a call-up sooner rather than later.
I watched the clip of Feyenoord's convincing victory yesterday and for all the highlights shown, I studied "Ryodinho's" performance. It seems that his key attributes are his pace and his dribbling technique - exemplified by his 100 metre running record. His first goal was taken with aplomb, with a fine strike to finish off a neat passing move and his second was a formality as he stroked the ball into an empty net. We could certainly have done with someone who could shoot yesterday!
Miyaichi may have been offered a chance to earn his work permit earlier than anyone could have dreamt. In the wake of the tragic tsunami in Japan, the country opted to pull out of the Copa America. They had been invited to play but complications over their own new domestic season has meant they will have to enter a team based on solely Japanese representatives playing in Europe.
Calls have been made for a shake-up of players at Arsenal this summer. I would happily take Miyaichi based on his current form for the Rotterdam-based club. You can doubt Wenger's transfer policy, but he certainly knows a player when he sees one.
Miyaichi, 18, is on loan at Feyenoord while he seeks to secure a work permit. After another impressive performance for his temporary club, it begged the question: why do you not get him back as soon as possible Arsene Wenger?!
Signed in January after trialling at the club in the summer, Miyaichi is Japan's next big thing. He has represented his country at both U17 and U21 level and is being tipped by many for a call-up sooner rather than later.
I watched the clip of Feyenoord's convincing victory yesterday and for all the highlights shown, I studied "Ryodinho's" performance. It seems that his key attributes are his pace and his dribbling technique - exemplified by his 100 metre running record. His first goal was taken with aplomb, with a fine strike to finish off a neat passing move and his second was a formality as he stroked the ball into an empty net. We could certainly have done with someone who could shoot yesterday!
Miyaichi may have been offered a chance to earn his work permit earlier than anyone could have dreamt. In the wake of the tragic tsunami in Japan, the country opted to pull out of the Copa America. They had been invited to play but complications over their own new domestic season has meant they will have to enter a team based on solely Japanese representatives playing in Europe.
Calls have been made for a shake-up of players at Arsenal this summer. I would happily take Miyaichi based on his current form for the Rotterdam-based club. You can doubt Wenger's transfer policy, but he certainly knows a player when he sees one.
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Relegation battle in the Premiership
With just over a month to go until the football season comes to a close, there are issues to be sorted at the top of the table with the title and European slots to fight for, but it is at the bottom of the division where I focus my blog this week.
It is billed as possibly the tightest relegation battle in Premier League history with several teams still looking nervously over their shoulder at the impending, financially-destroying drop down to the Championship. Realistically, as many as eight teams could lose their status in the top division. I aim to give my verdict on the teams that will fare best when it comes to the crunch clashes in the final few weeks.
West Brom - The Baggies have enjoyed somewhat of a revival of late. Roy Hodgson was appointed manager in February and has lead his team three draws and two wins in his short spell in charge and looks to have lifted the gloom that for so long hung over the Hawthorns. Despite some tricky games against Chelsea and Tottenham to come, I think they will just have enough in the tank to remain in the Premier League.
VERDICT: Survival.
Blackburn - Rovers have been the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde team this season with great performances one week, and terrible ones the next. Wins against Liverpool and at Newcastle have been coupled with thrashings at Sunderland, Aston Villa and, most notably, Manchester United. Their results against the bottom teams of late have also been a cause for concern, with a rather fortuitous draw against Blackpool and a loss to Wigan rather summing up their form of late. I feel that Blackburn have got too much quality to go down. It may be a dangerous cliché but they have players that can win matches single-handedly against lower opposition.
VERDICT: Survival.
Birmingham - The Blues' relegation troubles have brought them crashing back down to earth after their famous Carling Cup victory over Arsenal. They have picked up only four points from their last five matches and sit in a rather precarious position with tough upcoming fixtures. Before the end of the season they must travel to Stamford Bridge and Anfield, before a daunting last-day trip to Tottenham, who could still have Champions League aspirations at this point. I sense that the Midlands' outfit may have to pick up at least one win on the road before the end of the season, in order to avoid a third relegation in five years from the top tier of English football.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
Aston Villa - a side that should never be associated with relegation. To use that 'dangerous cliché' again, Villa really are too big a team to go down. Then, saying that, we all thought that about Newcastle too. I personally think Villa will be fine. They were unlucky not to win at Bolton in a unfortunate 3-2 defeat before leaving Goodison Park with only a point on Saturday, after conceding in the 84th minute. With players of the calibre of Bent, Downing and Young, I cannot see them not picking up points. Players with experience such as Robert Pires and Richard Dunne as well, will be able to guide the youngsters through this poor run of form. They have only won one of their last seven in the league, but have an arguably easier run-in than some of the other relegation candidates.
VERDICT: Survival
Blackpool - seen as the probable whipping boys when they secured promotion to the top flight last season, the Seasiders have upset a few on the way. They achieved the double over Liverpool and also gave Manchester United a scare as they surrendered a two-goal lead to eventually lose 3-2. Their performances, and most importantly, their form during the opening months left a lot of people wondering whether they would upset the pre-season odds. The second half of their seasons has been far from convincing though and has highlighted several weaknesses they possess at the highest level. The Tangerines' fixture list does provide a few tests such as Arsenal and United, but perhaps importantly, they have five games remaining at home.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
West Ham - Had you asked me prior to Thomas Hitzlsperger's introduction, I would have put my house on West Ham to go down. Their collapse against Man United at the weekend aside, the Hammers' form has been brilliant of late. The new 4-3-3 formation is working wonders for Avram Grant's men, with Noble, O'Neil and Parker all pulling the strings in midfield alongside the, now seemingly talismanic, German. With 7 points from 10 and key fixtures against mid-bottom table teams to come, it is in their hands..
Verdict: Survival
Wolves - Another team, who I would have previously backed to go down before a recent resurgence. That said though, they are still leaking goals as Newcastle's 4-1 destruction of them proved. Mick McCarthy's men have secured famous victories against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea AND Manchester United but have struggled against their fellow relegation rivals. With the ammunition of Matt Jarvis, and players like Kevin Doyle up front; Wolves will score goals. It just depends if they can keep it out of their own net..
VERDICT: Survival
Wigan - The Latics' stay in the Premier League looks to be over. After narrowly avoiding relegation in the past few years, they have finally found themselves to be just a bit out of their depth. They play lovely football at times and have some quality players in the ilk of N'Zogbia and Rodallega, but they do not have the players to have that resilience to drag them out of the mire. Players like Hendry Thomas and Ronnie Stam symbolise just how desperate a situation it has got at the DW. Farcical goals conceded, a lack of creativity summed up by their lowest tally of goals in the division (29) and no leadership will cost Wigan dear and will surely put an end to their six year stint in the top flight.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
So there goes, and if you were curious, I think it'll end up looking something like come the end of the season...
16th: West Ham
17th: Wolves
18th: Birmingham
19th: Blackpool
20th: Wigan
It is billed as possibly the tightest relegation battle in Premier League history with several teams still looking nervously over their shoulder at the impending, financially-destroying drop down to the Championship. Realistically, as many as eight teams could lose their status in the top division. I aim to give my verdict on the teams that will fare best when it comes to the crunch clashes in the final few weeks.
West Brom - The Baggies have enjoyed somewhat of a revival of late. Roy Hodgson was appointed manager in February and has lead his team three draws and two wins in his short spell in charge and looks to have lifted the gloom that for so long hung over the Hawthorns. Despite some tricky games against Chelsea and Tottenham to come, I think they will just have enough in the tank to remain in the Premier League.
VERDICT: Survival.
Blackburn - Rovers have been the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde team this season with great performances one week, and terrible ones the next. Wins against Liverpool and at Newcastle have been coupled with thrashings at Sunderland, Aston Villa and, most notably, Manchester United. Their results against the bottom teams of late have also been a cause for concern, with a rather fortuitous draw against Blackpool and a loss to Wigan rather summing up their form of late. I feel that Blackburn have got too much quality to go down. It may be a dangerous cliché but they have players that can win matches single-handedly against lower opposition.
VERDICT: Survival.
Birmingham - The Blues' relegation troubles have brought them crashing back down to earth after their famous Carling Cup victory over Arsenal. They have picked up only four points from their last five matches and sit in a rather precarious position with tough upcoming fixtures. Before the end of the season they must travel to Stamford Bridge and Anfield, before a daunting last-day trip to Tottenham, who could still have Champions League aspirations at this point. I sense that the Midlands' outfit may have to pick up at least one win on the road before the end of the season, in order to avoid a third relegation in five years from the top tier of English football.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
Aston Villa - a side that should never be associated with relegation. To use that 'dangerous cliché' again, Villa really are too big a team to go down. Then, saying that, we all thought that about Newcastle too. I personally think Villa will be fine. They were unlucky not to win at Bolton in a unfortunate 3-2 defeat before leaving Goodison Park with only a point on Saturday, after conceding in the 84th minute. With players of the calibre of Bent, Downing and Young, I cannot see them not picking up points. Players with experience such as Robert Pires and Richard Dunne as well, will be able to guide the youngsters through this poor run of form. They have only won one of their last seven in the league, but have an arguably easier run-in than some of the other relegation candidates.
VERDICT: Survival
Blackpool - seen as the probable whipping boys when they secured promotion to the top flight last season, the Seasiders have upset a few on the way. They achieved the double over Liverpool and also gave Manchester United a scare as they surrendered a two-goal lead to eventually lose 3-2. Their performances, and most importantly, their form during the opening months left a lot of people wondering whether they would upset the pre-season odds. The second half of their seasons has been far from convincing though and has highlighted several weaknesses they possess at the highest level. The Tangerines' fixture list does provide a few tests such as Arsenal and United, but perhaps importantly, they have five games remaining at home.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
West Ham - Had you asked me prior to Thomas Hitzlsperger's introduction, I would have put my house on West Ham to go down. Their collapse against Man United at the weekend aside, the Hammers' form has been brilliant of late. The new 4-3-3 formation is working wonders for Avram Grant's men, with Noble, O'Neil and Parker all pulling the strings in midfield alongside the, now seemingly talismanic, German. With 7 points from 10 and key fixtures against mid-bottom table teams to come, it is in their hands..
Verdict: Survival
Wolves - Another team, who I would have previously backed to go down before a recent resurgence. That said though, they are still leaking goals as Newcastle's 4-1 destruction of them proved. Mick McCarthy's men have secured famous victories against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea AND Manchester United but have struggled against their fellow relegation rivals. With the ammunition of Matt Jarvis, and players like Kevin Doyle up front; Wolves will score goals. It just depends if they can keep it out of their own net..
VERDICT: Survival
Wigan - The Latics' stay in the Premier League looks to be over. After narrowly avoiding relegation in the past few years, they have finally found themselves to be just a bit out of their depth. They play lovely football at times and have some quality players in the ilk of N'Zogbia and Rodallega, but they do not have the players to have that resilience to drag them out of the mire. Players like Hendry Thomas and Ronnie Stam symbolise just how desperate a situation it has got at the DW. Farcical goals conceded, a lack of creativity summed up by their lowest tally of goals in the division (29) and no leadership will cost Wigan dear and will surely put an end to their six year stint in the top flight.
VERDICT: RELEGATION
So there goes, and if you were curious, I think it'll end up looking something like come the end of the season...
16th: West Ham
17th: Wolves
18th: Birmingham
19th: Blackpool
20th: Wigan
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Problems at Arsenal towards the end of the season?
Arsenal have performed well this season. But not quite well enough. The onus is on them to claim a trophy that has eluded them since 2005. Since seeing off Manchester United in the FA cup final that year, Arsenal have reached two major finals, but have lost both of them. And despite a lot of early-season optimism, this season has recently become something of a disaster for my beloved team.
Samir Nasri, Marouane Chamakh and Theo Walcott all had tremendous starts to the season, but with their form rapidly dipping, so has the team's. Despite often being blighted with injuries at key moments during the past few seasons, the club simply cannot keep churning out the same excuses year after year.
Many can also point to the fact that Manchester United have been quite fortuitous to pick up some vital wins on the road. In each of their wins, there has been a controversial moment which has gone in their favour. Even still, United's form has been far from convincing at times this season, but Arsenal just have not capitalised. But why, with the season reaching it's dawn, have we let trophies slip out of our hands once again?
With defeats in the Carling Cup final, the FA cup quarter finals, at the hands of United, and a comprehensive Champions League second-round exit, we have pushed the self-destruct button. At times this season, we have shown the form of Champions. Late winners, ground-out results and a new steely side seemed to reflect all of the praise that Arsene Wenger showers on his youngsters.
There is evidently something fundamentally wrong in the team. Without Johan Djourou in defence, we have no organisation at the back. Without Cesc Fabregas in the middle, we have no talismanic presence that can lift us in tight games. Without Samir Nasri, we lack a player who can turn a game on it's head with one piece of magic. Too many players are out of their depth. Squillaci, Fabianski, Denilson and Bendtner are all good footballers, but they're not players that win you league titles, not players that can stand up when the going is tough and be counted for.
Perhaps the most heart-wrenching defeat of the season came in that Carling Cup final. To lose to a team as techincally poor as Birmingham is one thing, but to concede the goals in the manner we did is simply inexplicable. That competition, undoubtedly, represented our best chance in these six long trophyless years of success. With a mediocre Premiership side to face, we were quite rightly favourites. We dominated, as we tend to do, but conceded a goal as farcical as a Basil Fawlty German walk.. It epitomised our luck, our concentration (or lack of it) and our inability to see out matches. All in one.
With lacklustre draws with Sunderland, West Brom and Blackburn in our last three games it seems as if the race for the title is all but over. We have a tricky run-in and Wenger has no hiding place now for our demise. I do not doubt his credentials as a manager, he is arguably our best ever. His frugalness gets the better of him though, his chequebook probably has as much dust as our trophy cabinet right now. Trust me, we are not far from being the best team in the league. In my opinion, we need: a centre-half, a tricky winger, and a clinical striker. But they need to be proven, world-class stars. We cannot keep waiting year after year for the next batch of youngsters. WE NEED A TROPHY NOW. To evoke memories like this...
Samir Nasri, Marouane Chamakh and Theo Walcott all had tremendous starts to the season, but with their form rapidly dipping, so has the team's. Despite often being blighted with injuries at key moments during the past few seasons, the club simply cannot keep churning out the same excuses year after year.
Many can also point to the fact that Manchester United have been quite fortuitous to pick up some vital wins on the road. In each of their wins, there has been a controversial moment which has gone in their favour. Even still, United's form has been far from convincing at times this season, but Arsenal just have not capitalised. But why, with the season reaching it's dawn, have we let trophies slip out of our hands once again?
With defeats in the Carling Cup final, the FA cup quarter finals, at the hands of United, and a comprehensive Champions League second-round exit, we have pushed the self-destruct button. At times this season, we have shown the form of Champions. Late winners, ground-out results and a new steely side seemed to reflect all of the praise that Arsene Wenger showers on his youngsters.
There is evidently something fundamentally wrong in the team. Without Johan Djourou in defence, we have no organisation at the back. Without Cesc Fabregas in the middle, we have no talismanic presence that can lift us in tight games. Without Samir Nasri, we lack a player who can turn a game on it's head with one piece of magic. Too many players are out of their depth. Squillaci, Fabianski, Denilson and Bendtner are all good footballers, but they're not players that win you league titles, not players that can stand up when the going is tough and be counted for.
Perhaps the most heart-wrenching defeat of the season came in that Carling Cup final. To lose to a team as techincally poor as Birmingham is one thing, but to concede the goals in the manner we did is simply inexplicable. That competition, undoubtedly, represented our best chance in these six long trophyless years of success. With a mediocre Premiership side to face, we were quite rightly favourites. We dominated, as we tend to do, but conceded a goal as farcical as a Basil Fawlty German walk.. It epitomised our luck, our concentration (or lack of it) and our inability to see out matches. All in one.
My favourite personal essay
Introduction:
From the days of merely hitting the ball with ones hand, Tennis has undergone an impressive transformation since the 19th Century. Many rules have been introduced to increase the regulation of the sport - for example the introduction of the racquet - conforming to the theory of ‘sportization’.
Elias proposed that a process occurs whereby the framework of rules in sport becomes stricter which, in turn, provides equality in sport as a whole. The theory stemmed from the political confliction of the time between various European societies, relating to the imbalance of power between the ruling classes of the time. This thus reflected the need for a structure to politics, as well as in a sporting sense, with rules seemingly becoming a necessity for stability. Regulation of the sport served to abolish the idea of inequality in sport as the leisured class and the poorer working classes were able to, essentially, play the same sport.
Background Information:
Tennis formed one of the major sports in the second-wave of sportization of pastimes, with the modernised version of the sport primarily emerging in the 19th century. Elias concluded that sports like tennis had become an integral factor of the civilisation process, suggesting that other games followed tennis’ role of becoming more regulated to avoid high levels of violence, which were evident in Greek and Roman sports such as ‘Folk’ Football, boxing or wrestling.
An argument about the theory:
One critique of Elias’ figurational sociology theory is the argument that the perception of modernity is too narrow-minded. It seemingly refuses to acknowledge the idea of capitalism in society at the time, tying in with Berman’s proposal that modernity was primarily concerning “a Promethean vision of human possibilities based on the necessity for constant growth and continual revolutionizing of production."
This theory would appear to be a clearer indication of the link between different types of tennis and different social classes. For example, the poorer, working classes would have been forced to play on an ad hoc basis in the 19th century, as opposed to the wealthier contingent, who were able to afford the correct equipment and use the correct courts freely on a regular basis. This links in with the idea of capitalism playing a vital part in tennis, as it is still seen, even today, as a predominantly upper-class man’s game.
Conclusion:
The idea of the development of sport can be typified through tennis. From basic court markings to wooden tennis balls, the 19th century version of the game reflects the idea of a lack of standardisation and regulation. Through the ‘sportization process’, tennis and other sports have been able to establish themselves as a proper force in the sporting infrastructure and ultimately lead to a more commercialised sporting age.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Wesley Hoolahan - My Favourite NPower League Footballer
Assisted by the likes of Arsenal loanee Henri Lansbury and ex-Wolves winger Andrew Surman in midfield, the 28 year old Irishman has contributed heavily this season with 10 goals and numerous assists to his name. What I particularly enjoy about Hoolahan is his technical ability.
In a division not particularly renowned for pace, passers or poachers, the winger has a certain aura about him in the Norwich side and is quite often instrumental to most of their flowing attacking moves. Manager Paul Lambert said of his winger recently: "He has been excellent for me in the 18 months and has done lots of good things, helping us to pick up a lot of points."
In my opinion Hoolahan doesn't get the credit he often truly deserves. Whilst Holt will quite rightfully grab the headlines for his goalscoring exploits, Hoolahan's all-round game makes him stand out to me as a creative genius.
His passing, his vision, his dribbling skills and his set pieces all prove how wonderful a player he is to watch. Being an Arsenal fan, I enjoy to watch a decent standard of football by technically astute individuals. Hoolahan certainly falls into this bracket and if Norwich are successful in a second consecutive promotion to the top flight, the diminutive Irishman will be crucial to their hopes.
Monday, 14 March 2011
How do we like the FA Cup?
Since the FA have introduced proposals to 'revamp' this glorious competition, people have began to question whether these changes are for the good or, indeed, for the bad. Perhaps more importantly, whether these potentially radical decisions will genuinely revamp or ruin the Cup?
Some of the ideas include:
- Seeding teams from the third round in order to prevent the 'big' clubs from facing one another early on.
- Scrapping replays
- Playing all ties in midweek
- And giving the winner a Champions League Spot (if UEFA grant a fifth spot to the Premier League, that is...)
Firstly the seeding of teams. In fairness to the FA these so-called 'big-clashes' can be often detrimental to the hopes of either team, but on the flip side of that why would we want to see potential thrillers be thrown aside? This is part of what makes the FA cup, the FA cup. So often have we seen a Chelsea vs Manchester United match fail to inspire in the latter stages of the competition when everything is to lose. Another key argument here, is how it denies the lower teams the right of a money-spinning trip to Old Trafford or the Emirates, to play against some of the world's best players. These sort of days can salvage football clubs, inspire players and make for a great spectacle. Sometimes even greater television.
Then there's the idea of scrapping replays. Astonishing, ridiculous, reckless. Those three words epitomise just how ludicrous this idea really is. The idea for this has presumably stemmed from the F.A.'s inability to put together a consistent, stable footballing calendar for the year. International friendlies should be playing second fiddle, when replays are being considered. For me, they in lie the spirit of the cup. Minnows pitting their wits against a strong, experienced side and earning a creditable 0-0 draw. Exhausted and drained from these 90 absorbing minutes, they are thrust into half an hour's worth of extra -time. As I previously mentioned, the idea of upsets in the cup should never be denied - even if a replay is required. The minnows will quite rightfully gain revenue and TV rights that they perhaps might not have with extra time. Yes, some may argue that the Carling Cup does just this. But for heaven's sake, the competition has changed names more times than I could possibly count. It has never had the aura, nor the status of the FA cup.
Midweek ties only. Wow, what are they smoking in the Soho HQ these days? Have they really thought through the traffic on the M25 at 6.30 on a Tuesday night? This is just preposterous to be quite frank. How are families expected to turn out in their thousands to midweek games with work the next morning or 'the school run' to contend with? Saturdays and Sundays are there for a reason! Weekends represent family value, and provide fathers with a chance to introduce their children to the magic that the cup evokes. Again, the Carling Cup provides midweek action, but then how will the FA really make any genuine changes to the calendar. Don't tell me there's a pact with UEFA to have all Champions League and Europa League Games at the weekend? Surely not...
I like the idea of the fifth spot from the Champions League, I really do. But will it empower our League too much? It could potentially anger foreign leagues, in particular France and Germany who are awarded just 3 in comparison. This point has to be taken into consideration before you assess the economic impacts that it will bring to our countries' clubs.
My views clearly represent a general consensus, as this following article suggests: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2900/fa-cup/2011/02/14/2351649/fa-blasted-by-football-supporters-federation-over-proposed
So there goes then, my analysis of the FA cup and whether it should be changed/revamped/revised/ whatever you want to call it. My opinion? Not a chance...
Friday, 11 March 2011
Why Phil McNulty is the best sports journalist writing today
I have admired this journalist for as long as I have wanted to become one. What makes him stand out from other journalists is his unique and imaginative way of reporting. The words he uses, and the way he uses them makes him even more impressive.
He regularly blogs on the BBC Sport website and his work usually centres on the biggest games in the country. Being the chief sports writer for the BBC, he is obviously very experienced and I feel that he is the perfect role model to any budding journalist. I, myself, strive to get into the print/online industry and wish to work either for a national newspaper or specialist Football magazine in the future.
Being socially active through the usage of Twitter and Facebook, McNulty establishes a rapport with his audience. We, as the general public, are able to actively engage with him through commenting on his blog or tweeting him etc.
His analysis of matches is thorough and detailed to give the audience an impression of a brilliant game, even if it might have been a drab 0-0. What he includes also in his reports are the implications behind the match, and what these particularly mean in the context. For example, he will look into the deeper meanings of what tactical issues there may have been, the manager's prospects in a job, the abilities of different players which all contribute to a fantastically written blog.
He always attends the biggest games in the Premier League, he is regarded by many as one of the finest writers for the BBC, his interactivity with a national audience and his writing is as interesting as they come.
That is why Phil McNulty is the best sports journalist writing today.
He regularly blogs on the BBC Sport website and his work usually centres on the biggest games in the country. Being the chief sports writer for the BBC, he is obviously very experienced and I feel that he is the perfect role model to any budding journalist. I, myself, strive to get into the print/online industry and wish to work either for a national newspaper or specialist Football magazine in the future.
Being socially active through the usage of Twitter and Facebook, McNulty establishes a rapport with his audience. We, as the general public, are able to actively engage with him through commenting on his blog or tweeting him etc.
His analysis of matches is thorough and detailed to give the audience an impression of a brilliant game, even if it might have been a drab 0-0. What he includes also in his reports are the implications behind the match, and what these particularly mean in the context. For example, he will look into the deeper meanings of what tactical issues there may have been, the manager's prospects in a job, the abilities of different players which all contribute to a fantastically written blog.
He always attends the biggest games in the Premier League, he is regarded by many as one of the finest writers for the BBC, his interactivity with a national audience and his writing is as interesting as they come.
That is why Phil McNulty is the best sports journalist writing today.
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