Issue 324 | September 27 2013

Old flameIs the fire back in Liverpool’s eyes?

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F13_SPORTSWEEK_DPS_v1.indd 1-2 06/09/2013 13:56

06

Issue 324, September 27 2013

Radar

06 FIFA 14

Been battling into work despite GTA

V’s availability at home? EA’s latest

release means it’s time to surrender

08 Social climber Cycling writer Daniel Friebe picks

out some of Europe’s undiscovered

ascents for us from his new book

13 Ronaldo: scores goals But you knew that. We compare

how many, and how often, from his

spells in Manchester and Madrid

o this coming weekFeatures

20 Liverpool: A Study It’s 23 years since the Liver Bird last

sat atop its league perch. Is the club

ready to challenge again, or is there

another false dawn on the horizon?

29 Ryder Cup 2014 With one year to go, we pick out

the rookies who Paul McGinley and

Tom Watson may be studying closely

34 Chris Robshaw On leading Quins back to domestic

glory, their Heineken Cup opponents

and being England captain – for now

38 Santi Cazorla The man Arsenal fans call the Little

Magician on his club’s chances of

lifting silverware this season

Extra Time

52 Grooming Smile like Henry Cavill with Oral-B’s

sparkling new ‘superbrush’

54 Gadgets The best on-ear headphones for

listening to whatever it is you like

56 Kit What’s that you say about Jonny

Wilkinson’s new clothing brand?

60 Entertainment Hugh Jackman’s latest role takes

several dark turns in Prisoners

20

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| September 27 2013 | 05

06 | September 27 2013 |

Radar p10 – Colin McRae’s legacy explored in a new book

p08 – Become king of Europe’s extreme, undiscovered mountains

TA V has incapacitated half the

population with its addictive

gameplay and, like a secondary

missile strike, FIFA 14 is here to finish

the job. There are some neat new features,

including a 2v2 Seasons mode online and the

addition of legendary former players to the

popular yet baffling Ultimate Team mode.

The gameplay feels looser, thanks to more

realistic first touches, so it’s pleasing when

you do manage to string some quick passes

together. There are lots more of what Martin

Tyler would call ‘comings together’ – a new

impact engine means players react to such

clashes in news. Overall, it’s a small but

satisfying step forward before the big leap

that will arrive with the next-gen consoles.

game on

G

FIFA 14 is out today

on Xbox 360 and PS3.

The next-gen versions

(pictured, top) will be

released in conjunction

with the Xbox One and

PS4 later this year

08 | September 27 2013 |

Radar

Bealach na Bà from Tornapress

Scotland

Height: 626m

Length: 9.5km

Average gradient: 6.5 per cent

A British climb to rival the giants of

the Tour de France in beauty and, if

the wind blows, difficulty. The old

drovers’ road is best attacked from

the deserted shores of Loch

Kishorn in the east; there, it begins

its ascent into the jaws of a deep,

dark corrie and natural wind tunnel

that presents an evil ordeal.

Port de Larrau from Logibar

France/Spain

Height: 1,585m

Length: 14.8km

Average gradient: 8.14 per cent

The scene of five-time Tour de

France winner Miguel Indurain’s

final abdication in the 1996 race.

The Port de Larrau straddles the

Franco-Spanish border and, from

the French side, is rated by some as

the hardest climb in the Pyrenees.

It is certainly one of the most

eye-catchingly gorgeous.

Grüntenhütte from Kranzegg

Germany

Height: 1,477m

Length: 4.3km

Average gradient: 14.6 per cent

A climb so steep that it takes us

into the realm of extreme sports,

for no ‘normal’ pro road race would

ever brave gradients this severe.

At the top, an overwhelmingly

beautiful view of the Allgau Alps

awaits from a hut selling the finest

local Bavarian lager Prost to anyone

who makes it that far!

Secret ascentsF

or every d’Huez or Ventoux,

there’s a forgotten climb

that’s just as brutal.

In Mountain High, cycling scribe

Daniel Friebe and photographer Pete

Goding documented the better-

known two-wheeled tests in Europe.

The sequel, Mountain Higher, looks

at some of the lesser-known

’undiscovered’ climbs from across

the continent. We asked Friebe to

select three of his favourites.

Mountain Higher: Europe’s Extreme

Undiscovered and Unforgettable

Cycle Climbs (Quercus, £25)

is out now

Miguel Cabrera

Detroit Tigers

Won the triple crown in 2012

and has continued in a similar

vein with a remarkable 2013,

hitting for .350 average, 44

home runs and 137 RBIs (runs

batted in). Miggy, still only 30,

has hit more than 30 homers

in nine of his past 10 seasons.

Chris Davis

Baltimore Orioles

King of the long ball in 2013:

Davis has slugged 52 home

runs, 37 of them by the

All-Star Break. He has joined

only two players – Babe Ruth

and Albert Belle – in hitting

more than 50 home runs and

40 doubles in a single season.

Yasiel Puig

LA Dodgers

Puig arrived on June 3 and

took the Majors by storm.

At the start of July, the

Dodgers were bottom of the

NL West. They have now won

the division, partly thanks to

his batting average of .327

and 18 home runs.

Mariano Rivera

NY Yankees

At the season’s end, Rivera,

43, will retire as the greatest

closer in history. He returned

from a torn ACL in 2012 to

claim 44 saves, making his

career record 652 – more than

300 ahead of the next closest

active player, Joe Nathan.

Jose Fernandez

Miami Marlins

The rookie jumped from

A-League baseball (three

leagues below the Majors) to

start for Miami. Currently has

the second-best ERA (earned

run average) in the Majors,

and has held opponents to a

.182 batting average.

e’ve picked out five of the best performers*

from the MLB regular season, which comes

to an end this weekend Top marks

All

pic

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© 2013 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Offi cial FIFA licensed product. © The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. The Premier League Logo © The Football Association Premier League Limited 2006. The Premier League Logo is a trade mark of the Football Association Premier League Limited which is registered in the UK and other jurisdictions. The Premier League Club logos are copyright works and registered trademarks of the respective Clubs. All are used with the kind permission of their respective owners. Manufactured under licence from the Football Association Premier League Limited. No association with nor endorsement of this product by any player is intended or implied by the licence granted by the Football Association Premier League Limited to Electronic Arts. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

we are entertainment@hmvtweets/hmv

FIFA 14 freeFFFFII FF AA 1144 ffffrrrr ee eewhen you buy an Xbox 360 250GB console*

£199.99

*Buy an Xbox 360 250GB Console and get FIFA 14 on Xbox 360 for free. Available at participating stores while stocks last, for a limited time only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Prices correct at time of print. Offer applies only to the standard solus 250GB Xbox 360 console. Prices of other console options may vary.

££££1111 99 99 9999 99999999

10 | September 27 2013 |

Running the city

ome of the biggest names in business

(and Sport) took to the slightly sodden

streets of London last Thursday, to take

part in the annual Bloomberg Square Mile Relay.

Modesty and a subtle sense of Corinthian

spirit prevents us from reporting on a heroic

Team Sport display (oh okay then, we finished

73rd of way more than 73 teams), but we can

reveal that a wiry bunch of Barclays bankers

came home first in the scandalously rapid time

of 56 minutes and 21 seconds (far right).

Commerzbank provided the evening’s fastest

individual, with Nicholas Torry flying round the

course in under five minutes. Mighty impressive,

we’re sure you’ll agree, but still not as cool as

the collection of London 2012 stars on hand for

the evening. Namely, from left to right: Nicola

Adams, Jade Jones, Sophia Warner and Louis

Smith. Heck, some of them even ran it, too.

S

Radar

ritain’s first World Rally Championship

winner and the youngest ever driver to

claim the prize, Colin McRae would have

turned 45 this year. And he would surely have

helped maintain public interest in a sport that has

slipped off the radar somewhat since his tragic

death in a helicopter crash in 2007.

McRae captured the imagination of the British

public in a way few drivers can, with a reputation

for out-and-out speed and a win-at-all-costs

approach that helped him secure the 1995 World

Rally Championship title. He was also instrumental

in introducing new fans to the sport through the

series of video games that bore his name.

A new coffee table book, Just Colin, explores

McRae’s legacy. Authors Colin McMaster and David

Evans have pulled together more than 50,000

words of rare interviews with friends and family,

and hundreds of photographs to tell the story of

the Scot’s life in the astonishing depth it deserves.

B

Rally king

Just Colin, by Colin McMaster and

David Evans, out now (McKlein,

£39.99). Visit mcraebook.com

for more information

Gre

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Goals per game | 0.41 Goals per game | 0.91

ormer Manchester United

coach Rene Meulensteen

traces Cristiano Ronaldo’s

transformation from frustrating

winger into complete forward back

to a three-game ban in 2007, when

he and the Portuguese forward

worked on effective finishing instead

of trying to score the ‘perfect goal’.

“I told him: ‘It doesn’t matter how

you score, as long as the ball goes

in the net,’” Meulensteen told The

Telegraph. Ronaldo has acted on that

advice since his move to Real Madrid,

and his rise to the top of the world

game is the focus of a documentary

on ITV4 on Tuesday, which features

interviews with colleagues, coaches,

and the man himself. We’ve crunched

the numbers on Ronaldo at both

international and club level over the

past 10 seasons – they show that his

freakish scoring record in Spain is

partly because he takes a lot more

shots, but also because more of the

ones on target result in goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Footballing

Superstar, Tuesday 10pm, ITV4

| September 27 2013 | 13

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F

Shots per game | 3.75

Goals | 140 Goals | 222

Games | 344 Games | 244

Shots per game | 5.89

On target | 1.68 On target | 2.44

Off target | 2.07 Off target | 3.45

Justadd

goals

Man Utd* Real Madrid** In

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14 | September 27 2013 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Acting editor

Tony Hodson

@tonyhodson1

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc

18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ

Telephone: 020 7959 7800

Fax: 020 7959 7942

Email: firstname.lastname@sport-magazine.co.uk

EditorialPublisher: Simon Caney (7951)

Acting editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers:

Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915)

Staff writers:

Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914)

Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Designer: Matthew Samson (7861)

Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: David Lawrenson, Lee Tiplady,

Daniel Friebe

Commercial Head of Sales: Iain Duffy (7991)

Advertising Managers:

Steve Hare (7930), Graeme Pretty (7908)

Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904)

Creative Solutions Account Manager:

John Cole (7967)

Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852)

Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913)

Sales Director: Adam Mills

Managing Director: Calum Macaulay

Office Manager: Deborah Dilworth (7826)

Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd

Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2013

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content

of advertisements placed in Sport magazine

£1 where sold

Hearty thanks to: Tim Stedman, Sarah Stade,

Imogen Gaunt

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

2008

Total Average Distribution:

305,684 Jan-June 2013

www.sport-magazine.co.uk

@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmagazine

As bad as Manchester United were at the Etihad

on Sunday – and they really were dreadful –

you had to be impressed with the pace, panache

and raw physicality of a Man City side that had no intention

of doing anything but winning the Manchester derby.

They are clearly a work in progress, but Manuel

Pellegrini’s men were irresistible – as irresistible, in fact,

as they were dismal away at Stoke the previous weekend.

That would be the very same Stoke, of course, who were

the victims as Arsenal recorded a fourth straight Premier

League win to move top of the early-season table. Seems a

long time ago that Arsene Wenger’s men were being made

to look like boys at home to a rampaging Aston Villa – who

have won two from three away yet remain pointless at

home after defeats to both Liverpool and Newcastle.

On the subject of Liverpool, Newcastle and home defeats,

who saw those two respectively losing to Southampton

and Hull last Saturday? Not I, for sure, but then I wouldn’t

have called Everton as the last surviving unbeaten team in

this season’s Premier League. I certainly wouldn’t have

predicted John Obi Mikel – one of my least favourite players

in the division – to be one of Chelsea’s scorers at home to

Fulham on Saturday, and I definitely wouldn’t have picked

Paulinho as the matchwinner Tottenham needed to move

themselves up to second with a win over Cardiff.

My point? It might not offer the best football in the world

(right now, it’s nowhere near), but the Premier League

does still offer unpredictability in the extreme. Apart from

Paolo Di Canio being a crackpot just waiting to be sacked,

that is – but we can’t get everything wrong, can we?

While I’m on football, a much-deserved shout-out to the

mighty Leyton Orient. Russell Slade’s men won 2-0 at

Brentford on Monday night to make it eight wins from eight

at the start of the new League One season. That is some

effort in what is always a tough and competitive league

– their likely top-of-the-table clash away at Peterborough

in early November could be a belter.

So Sam Tomkins will quit the Warriors of Wigan for those

of New Zealand at the end of the Super League season.

The 24-year-old could yet star for England at the upcoming

Rugby League World Cup, but he is a rare talent and the

sport in this country will miss him greatly.

Anything can happenThe Premier League is currently as unpredictable as it ever has been – and that’s why we love it

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Reader comments of the week

New mantra: “You don’t

want to finish a race like

you’ve got more left in the

tank” Super to see

@rachelatherton in

@Sportmaguk

#worldchamp

@SophieCallender

Well done @tonyhodson1 for

celebrating @NonStanford

becoming world champ in

@sportmaguk, perfect

riposte to @simonjenkins4’s

ignorance of it

@jruskin1

Left my keys at the office,

now sitting outside apt

with @Sportmaguk and

a Peroni... not ideal

Fri night but could be

a lot worse

@GField17

Downhill is slowly getting

the coverage it deserves,

Thanks @Sportmaguk,

honoured to be in it! :-)

@rachelatherton

Reading abt & remembering

R Fowler’s 5 goals v Fulham

on home debut in ’93. What

a way to introduce yourself

and what a player!

@robertwfawdon

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Another #FF goes to

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Get in touch @sportmaguk info@sport-magazine.co.uk

Serging ahead: yet only a week

earlier Manuel Pellegrini’s

team were terrible at Stoke

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16 | September 27 2013 |

Radar Opinion

Flats on Friday

There’s a new definition of ‘crisis’. Previously, ‘crisis’ has been accurately deployed

to describe the world being brought to the edge of

nuclear armageddon (Cuban Missile Crisis), the collapse

of the international banking system (Global Financial

Crisis) and Simon Cowell (Midlife Crisis), but it now seems

to be sportswriter shorthand for just losing a game.

A manic depressive caller to talkSPORT this week, a

Liverpool fan, sounded like he had been meaning to get

through to the Samaritans but speed-dialled the wrong

number. “Has Brendan Rodgers lost the plot?” he wanted

to know. Wow! Before Saturday and last time I looked,

Liverpool hadn’t lost a game for almost six months.

At the Stadium of Light there may well have been

bloody insurrection as Paolo Di Canio was overthrown

(sample piss-poor headline: “A Casualty of Wear”) – but

five games into the season and Sunderland are just six

points behind Manchester United. Crisis? Sack the

manager with nobody lined up to replace him. That’s

bound to help. Dumb? Yes. But not a ‘crisis’.

Jose Mourinho, in his new chillax mode, was wrong to

come back to Chelsea. Apparently. Last week the whole

enterprise had been a ‘disaster’ (which traditionally

comes after warnings of a crisis have gone unheeded).

The bookies were slashing the odds on him being the first

Premier League manager to lose his job this season. His

team win 2-0 against Fulham, and briefly go top of the

table. A Daily Mirror reader tweets: “The crisis is coming.”

He continues: “[Abramovich] will hate watching Chelski

going back to ugly football days… [Mourinho] sacked

before the end of the season.” Note the use of the definite

article: ‘the’ crisis is coming. No it isn’t, you silly man.

If Chelsea are off the pace at the turn of the year, they

will make a couple of major signings and be right there

come May. Not a crisis. And certainly not ‘the’ crisis.

Arsene Wenger, under fire from all corners and

reflecting on the loss to Aston Villa in the first game of

the season, put it best after Arsenal went top on Sunday:

“Look, we lost one game since the beginning of March.

That’s why it was a shock. But we won in the Champions

League at Bayern. We won at Fenerbahce. The media in

general has brainwashed a little bit the fans.”

Okay? So everybody calm down. The only person who

has a ‘crisis’ to deal with right now is David Moyes, as

his dispirited, ageing team – soon-to-be Chelsea player

Wayne Rooney aside – cannot even raise their game for

a Manchester derby. Now that’s what I call a ‘crisis’.

@billborrows

Plank of the WeekDavid Haye, London

Thanks for the interview in last week’s mag and all, but

have you any idea how inconvenienced I am by your inability

to get out of the way of a sparring partner’s right hook?

And why weren’t you wearing a headguard? There was

a weekend planned around a trip to the Manchester

Arena, and now there isn’t. Some people are so selfish.

It’s like this…Bill Borrows

By the time this article is published, Paulo Di Canio might well have been given another job

and sacked again. Sounds silly, I grant you,

but not implausible. Football’s revolving managerial

door has long been labelled ridiculous, but the effect

it has runs far deeper than simply making the big

clubs look ruthless – and it’s all to do with culture.

Look at the big clubs in football or rugby, and they

all seem to have a culture set in concrete; we could

describe their ethos from our armchair and not be

far wrong. Barcelona approach the game in a way

different from the rest – and, seeing as they’ve

been so successful for so long, many sides try to

copy them. In rugby union, Leicester Tigers are

known for breeding tough blokes in a no-nonsense

environment. These are clubs whose cultures have

been crafted and maintained over long periods

of time. So established are these blueprints for

success, in fact, that any player, coach, marketeer

or groundsman joining the club knows exactly what

they must live up to. Ergo, the culture comes first.

The first thing I think when I see clubs bringing

in new managers and sacking them before their

new email address has even been set up is that it

makes awful business sense. The wedge they must

fork out in pay-offs would make you wince. But I also

see something else. I see the soul being ripped out

of the country’s biggest, best football clubs.

You see, when football managers arrive, they

often bring with them the fitness and coaching staff

with whom they’re used to working. This makes a

good deal of sense, often linguistically as much as

anything else, but they also bring with them an

entirely fresh approach to winning – and that, as

odd as it sounds, is part of the problem. Of course

a coach will arrive with new ideas on how to run

team meetings, what formations to use, what the

weekly schedule should look like. This is fine, but it

has to be tightly managed from the very top of the

organisation, because it can ultimately lead to a club

effectively swapping cultures manager by manager.

When a manager joins Barcelona, he works to

fit in with and live up to an established culture.

He is given permission to alter training techniques,

but not to revolutionise the club. Admittedly,

a chicken-and-egg situation arises when a club

needs a culture – a soul – to call its own, but

those parameters must be set by the club and a

manager signed to fit that bill. Signing a bloke and

hoping he sets one for you rarely works, and is a

frighteningly short-term approach – with sackings

now so common, why would a manager bother to

think more than a week ahead?

What does it say about your cultural ambition

when you sign a loose cannon like Di Canio? It says

you haven’t really thought about it. Terrifying.

@davidflatman

Da

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Culture before personality

Tatts oot for the ladsThe Stadio Olimpico hasn’t seen stomachs like this

since Gazza swapped shirts 20 years ago. Still, when

in Rome and all that, as these Legia Warsaw fans

obviously thought. Sadly for them, they travelled all

that way just to watch their boys lose 1-0 to Lazio in

the Europa League. Mighty impressive tattoos, mind.

18 | September 27 2013 |

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Frozen in time

| 19

Liverpool

20 | September 27 2013 |

| 21

The date was February 22 1991.

For Liverpool Football Club, it was two

mornings after the night before – a night

on which they had contrived to four times

throw away the lead in an FA Cup replay against

neighbours and rivals Everton at Goodison Park.

The nature of the goals they had conceded in a

dramatic 4-4 draw – defensive lapses at the heart of

a traditionally resolute rearguard – had not gone

unnoticed, but there remained little to concern the

Anfield faithful. A side managed by the club’s greatest

ever player, Kenny Dalglish, were defending league

champions; they were in a strong position to retain

their title; and, of course, they were still in the cup.

“Kenny didn’t show any signs that night, but two

days later he resigned,” recalled legendary Liverpool

striker Ian Rush some years later. “I think it just

happened that morning. We had all come in for

training, and were told to meet in the dressing room.

Kenny walked in and said he was leaving. It was

complete shock and surprise. He couldn’t say too

much, but there were tears in his eyes as he spoke.”

In purely footballing terms, Liverpool has been a

club in mourning ever since. Dalglish’s departure

precipitated a sharp dip in form from a squad that

was to endure almost two months of uncertainty

before a full-time successor, the former captain

Graeme Souness, was named. The subsequent FA

Cup replay against Everton was lost, while their

league championship was eventually ceded to

Arsenal in disappointingly tame fashion. More than

two decades on, the club that towered over English

football throughout the 1980s is yet to win it back.

But is the tide about to turn, finally, back in their

favour? Five games into the new Premier League

season, and Liverpool sit fifth, just two points adrift

of leaders Arsenal. They were top going into last

weekend, when Brendan Rodgers and his side

suffered the setback of a home defeat to Southampton,

but the signs are that this will be as open a Premier

League campaign as there has been in its history –

an opportunity, perhaps, for the fallen giants to rise.

To fully comprehend the challenge facing the

modern Liverpool, it is useful to understand where

it all went wrong in the first place. For David Usher,

editor of The Liverpool Way magazine and website,

Dalglish’s departure represents the point at which

Liverpool’s longstanding dominance of the domestic

game started to diminish.

“That really set us back at that point in time,” he

explains. “Kenny went and we brought Souness in;

that didn’t work out, and I wouldn’t say we’ve ever

really fully recovered. The Premier League started,

which brought with it a new financial aspect, and

other teams – especially Manchester United – got

a jump on us. They got it right off the pitch, and we

didn’t. We’ve never really got back to where we were.”

Power shiftIt’s a fact that causes misery enough among Liverpool

fans, were it not to be compounded, as Usher implies,

by the Liver Bird being knocked off its perch k

Sleepdisorder

Illustration by Noma Bar

After an encouraging start to the Premier League season, could English football’s deepest-sleeping giant finally be showing signs of waking? Sport examines the history of Liverpool’s slumber and asks whether they are once again ready to play among the big boys

22 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

by a certain rampaging Red Devil. While Liverpool

were relinquishing their league title in 1991,

Manchester United were following up the previous

season’s FA Cup success with victory over Barcelona

in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Two years later, Sir Alex Ferguson would lead them

to a first league title in 26 years. But, we ask, was the

shift of power from Liverpool to Manchester mainly

about football or finances?

“It was both, really,” says Usher. “It’s all too easy

now to say that they’ve just got more money than us,

because United have always had money. Even when

we were winning titles, they often had the more

expensive team. It’s about what you do with the

money. Ferguson had a difficult start at the club, but

once he got it right on the pitch there was a snowball

effect and they became a bit of a juggernaut, which

in turn brought in even more money. Because they

got it so right off the pitch, in terms of marketing

and everything else, they just grew out of our league.”

Under the chairmanship of Martin Edwards,

United not only floated on the stock market; with the

advent of the Premier League, and the associated

growth in marketing potential of English clubs on an

international stage, they developed themselves into a

worldwide brand capable of generating huge revenues,

much of which could be spent on the squad. But as

one footballing giant dragged itself out of an ancient

malaise, another was preparing to put itself to sleep

with a particularly strong dose of complacency.

“Honestly, I think Liverpool just took things for

granted,” says Usher. “It’s often said that Manchester

United were run like a global empire, and Liverpool

like a corner shop. If we’d have got it right and done

it properly, there’s no reason why we couldn’t have

made the same success of it. I’d argue that we have

just as many supporters around the world as United,

but they just did a much better job of marketing

their brand and bringing in the money. I believe

Liverpool are getting it right now, but you’re talking

about a club needing to make up for 20 years of not

doing so. That’s not going to happen overnight.”

False dawnsEqually, it’s going to take more than four league

games unbeaten at the start of a season to convince

fans that Liverpool are once more ready to challenge

for the honours that came so easily for so long.

The poor display at home to Southampton on

Saturday served only as a reminder that this is a

club that has flattered to deceive for more than two

decades. Trophies have been won, most notably in

Istanbul eight years ago, but the reality is that the

league championship has been little more than a

distant flicker on the horizon ever since Dalglish left

his beloved Anfield (the first time) in February 1991.

“We went close a few years ago, when we came

second under Rafa Benitez,” says Usher of 2008-09,

when the team lost only twice and amassed 86 points,

yet still fell four short of their old tormentor Ferguson.

“But I think the time was under Roy Evans; it was the

whole Spice Boy era, we played great football and

looked like we were going to do great things. If we

could have managed to win a title then [the closest

they came under Evans was third, in 1995-96], then

you don’t know how things might have turned out.

But that team always found a way of shooting itself

in the foot, and things started to get away from us.

We’ve been close, but we’ve never managed a

sustained challenge over a number of seasons. To win

titles, you’ve got to be doing it year in, year out.”

Study Liverpool’s Premier League finishes in the

past two decades, and a pattern emerges: whether

under Evans, Benitez or Gerard Houllier in between,

the team has shown steady progression building up

to something nearing a genuine title challenge.

Both Houllier and Benitez managed to finish second

once, before their respective reigns wilted under

the strain of not quite returning the club they had

come to love to the pinnacle of English football.

The former’s health suffered, while the latter’s

departure came during a period of turmoil under

the ownership of the American leverage buyout

merchants Tom Hicks and George Gillett. k

“It’s often said that Manchester United were run like a global empire, and Liverpool like a corner shop”

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24 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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The subsequent four seasons have seen Liverpool’s

worst run of finishes since the Premier League began.

“Hicks and Gillett (right) must take the bulk of the

blame, but a lot of factors have gone into it,” explains

Usher. “You can make excuses for him, but towards

the end of his time at the club Rafa definitely took his

eye off the ball. [Former managing director] Christian

Purslow has to shoulder some of the blame; Roy

Hodgson was not a good appointment and did not do

well; and even though Dalglish did well as caretaker,

the new owners didn’t want him long-term and felt

forced into giving him the job because the fans

demanded it. A lot of things have combined, but the

majority of the blame for the past four years must lie

with Hicks and Gillett. Unquestionably.”

Problems at homeAnd their major failing, aside from saddling the club

with their own significant debts, was a failure to see

through the promise they made on the very day they

had their £435m offer accepted by David Moores in

February 2007: to build a new 60,000-seater stadium

in Stanley Park.

“They thought they were going to come in, borrow

more money to build the stadium after borrowing

(£185m) to buy the club, and then once the stadium

was built they thought they’d be raking it in,” says

Usher. “That was the plan, but the cost of steel went

up, so the stadium costs went right up, and it got to

the point where they couldn’t borrow the money to

build it. The debt piled up, and we were paying so

much in interest that it got out of hand. That’s where

it went wrong. They just couldn’t get the thing built.”

If Liverpool are indeed the sleeping giant of the

Premier League, then Anfield – and the club’s

protracted inability to either redevelop or move

away from it – is the ageing, outdated symbol of its

slumber. While Manchester United have spent the

Premier League years building Old Trafford into the

75,000-capacity monster that represents (or at least

used to) the club’s huge financial potential, and

Arsenal keep the balance sheet healthy with the

imposing 60,000-seater Emirates, Liverpool continue

to operate from within the four walls of a stadium that

holds few more than 45,000 spectators. While other

clubs make huge strides forward, Liverpool appear to

be standing still – despite recent claims from owner

John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group that the

finance is now in place to finally redevelop Anfield.

“Staying at Anfield and expanding is what I wanted

us to do all along,” says Usher, lamenting the £49.6m

the club wasted on the aforementioned failure to

relocate away from their current home. “Gillett and

Hicks said it wasn’t possible, as did Rick Parry and

David Moores before them. They all said we needed

a new stadium, but this has been going on for so long

– and, to me, we’re no closer to a resolution now than

we were back then. The owners can say what they want

about the finances being in place, but until something

actually happens I’ll be taking it with a pinch of salt.

We’ve been down this road many times before.”

If Liverpool are to redevelop their venerable old

ground, then it is the roads around an increasingly

derelict Anfield area – and the few houses that

remain inhabited within them – that hold the key.

There have long been questions over the club’s

long-term project to buy up the properties around

the stadium so as to facilitate expansion, and Usher

agrees that it remains a controversial issue.

“A lot of the remaining properties are owned by

private landlords who know the club is desperate to

buy them, so they’re asking for a lot more than

they’re worth,” he says. “But then you have people

who actually live there, and loads of the houses in

the streets are boarded up. It needs to be sorted out,

but the club’s attitude is that they’re not going to pay

over the odds for what these houses are worth.

“It’s all relative though, isn’t it? They might end up

having to do so, but it’s still peanuts compared to the

kind of money they’ve been splashing out on players

contributing next to nothing. I’m not necessarily

talking about players FSG signed, but at the same

time they were still paying Joe Cole £90k a week.

They’ve got to give these people a decent amount of

money so they can find somewhere else to live.”

Missed opportunityThere is no question as to the impact a redeveloped

Anfield could have on the fortunes of the team it

hosts, but matters on the pitch remain as important

as those off it. In that respect, did Liverpool make

the most of a summer in which last season’s top three

all changed manager, Tottenham sold their best player

and Arsenal once more floundered in the transfer

market before the late signing of Mesut Ozil?

“This summer was the time for the owners to

invest significantly in the playing squad, to take

advantage of uncertainty elsewhere, but it didn’t

really happen,” says Usher. “They’re not loading the

club with any of their debt, which is the main thing,

and they have made money available for transfers in

the past – but it wasn’t spent well and they’ve since

tightened the purse strings. Mamadou Sakho came

in for £15m, and Simon Mignolet for £9m, but

they’re the only ones who you would say might

improve the team rather than the squad.

“We missed out on our really high-profile targets

[most notably Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Shakhtar

Donetsk playmaker who instead opted to join k

“The bulk of the

blame lies with

Hicks and Gillett”

26 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund],

and with the players leaving the club I think we ended

up with a net spend of £16m. That’s not a massive

outlay, particularly as we’re reducing the wage bill.

“The new owners are running the club like much

more of a tight ship, and it needs that because down

the years we’ve spent ridiculous money on players

on stupid contracts. I’m not going to criticise them

for that, but then they have all this television money

coming in and they’ve just put season-ticket prices

up in certain parts of the ground – so nor am I going

to praise them from the rooftops for a £16m net spend.

They’ve not gone over and above the call of duty.”

Liking LuisDespite a strong start to the season, the depth of the

current squad has already been tested – and, at times,

found wanting. The shoulder injury sustained by

Philippe Coutinho against Swansea left the team

desperately short on midfield fluency in the 2-2 draw

at the Liberty Stadium, while the loss to Southampton

exposed a dearth of alternatives in the full-back

areas Rodgers often looks to utilise in attack.

With Glen Johnson injured and regular left-back

Jose Enrique struggling for full fitness, Liverpool

looked vulnerable in defence and lacked options

going forward – something that doesn’t augur well

for a genuine tilt at the top four. The return of Luis

Suarez could prove timely, at least, and Usher believes

the fans will be glad to see him back.

“He seriously annoyed me over the summer,”

he says. “Nobody would have had a problem had

Real Madrid come in for him and he’d told us he had

to go. No one could have blamed him, and we’d have

wished him luck. But that he actually wanted to go

to Arsenal? It was like, hang on a minute, how much

better are they than us? It’s not like he’d have been

going there to win titles and the Champions League,

is it? For all our problems, we’ve won more trophies

than Arsenal in the last seven or eight years.

“I just think he’s not the sharpest tool in the box,

and the advice he was given over the summer was

horrendous – but the one thing about Suarez is that

he only knows one way to play. Fernando Torres was

awful for a good 12 months before he left, but Suarez

is a street footballer who is genuinely desperate to

win – and by now he’s probably desperate to get

back playing, too. For now, that can only work in

our favour.”

That the team looks set to lean so heavily on a

player who spent the entire summer trying to

engineer a move away doesn’t smack of an imminent

return to the big time. Similarly, Rodgers still looks

far too reliant on a spine of players to whom any

long-term injury could be catastrophic: Mignolet in

goal, the classy centre back Daniel Agger, talismanic

captain Steven Gerrard, midfield anchorman Lucas

and livewire striker Daniel Sturridge.

This doesn’t compare favourably with the teams

they will need to eclipse in order to secure a top-four

spot, let alone win that elusive first league title since

1990. But then, maybe that’s just where Liverpool

Football Club is right now – a fact Usher, a man who

bleeds redder than most, seemingly accepts.

“I don’t complain too much about the past 20

years, because most fans would kill to have had the

success we’ve had,” he says. “Yes, we haven’t won the

league, but we’ve still been winning trophies, seen

some great football and had some great players.

Manchester United went 26 years without winning

the title; we may go 26 or more, but we’ve had some

great times in between. Winning the league all the

time in the 1980s is one thing, but even since the

titles have dried up, it’s not like we’ve fallen apart.

I don’t think we have too much cause for complaint.”

The Liver Bird is far from back on its perch, then,

but there are signs that the sleeping giant is slowly

rising from its slumber. One eye is partially open,

and the fire within still burns.

Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

David Usher is author of Like I Say: The Story of the

2012-13 Season, amazon.co.uk

“Suarez only knows one way to play – he’s a street footballer”

| September 27 2013 | 29

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The Ryder Cup is a year away

this weekend. Will it come

close to matching the drama

and excitement of Medinah in

2012? Can Europe continue

their dominance? Crucially,

who will actually tee it up at

Gleneagles in September

2014? We analyse the top

young talent emerging on the

European and PGA tours >

THE GREATEST SHOW IN GOLF

Ryder Cup 2014

| September 27 2013 | 31

Ryder Cup 2014

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HERE COME THE ROOKIESA glance at the World Golf Rankings suggests

that the tide could be turning in the Ryder Cup.

Europe have eight players in the world’s top

30, while the USA have twice that number.

Captains Paul McGinley and Tom Watson

both have three wild cards at their disposal,

and they will need to use them wisely.

For Europe, the core of the team – McIlroy,

Westwood, Donald, Rose, Poulter, McDowell,

and Garcia – are certainties to play, but

McGinley could well need to call on rookies

with his wild cards.

Here are six who will be getting attention

from the captains for the next 12 months...

MaTTEO ManaSSERO (ITaly)World ranking: 31Age: 20If he continues at his current rate of

progression, there is little doubt

that the Italian wonder boy will make

his Ryder Cup debut at Gleneagles.

Having won the British Amateur

aged 16, he won on tour the next

year, and moved his game to another

level when capturing the prestigious

BMW PGA Championship this year.

He’s not the longest off the tee, but

Manassero has a terrific short game

and appears to have ice running

through his veins.

THORbjORn OlESEn (DEnMaRK)World ranking: 49Age: 23Finished tied for second in his first

tournament as a fully fledged player

on the European Tour in 2010, and

has continued to progress ever

since. He finished ninth in the 2012

Open, and followed that with a tie

for sixth place – the best of any

European player – in this year’s

Masters. When Olesen’s hot, he’s

a birdie machine, and would be a

huge asset for McGinley to unleash

in the fourballs.

jOOST luITEn (nETHERlanDS)World ranking: 55Age: 27Like Manassero, Willibrordus

Adrianus Maria Luiten – Joost

for short – isn’t huge off the tee,

averaging under 290 yards this

season, but he is naggingly accurate.

He has won twice this season,

including under the pressure of

home support in the Dutch Open.

He may force his way into the team

by virtue of his European Tour

performances, but McGinley will

want more evidence of his ability to

perform in big tournaments before

handing him a wild card.

jaMIE DOnalDSOn (WalES)World ranking: 43Age: 37Donaldson has been doing the

rounds for some time now, having

turned pro in 2000, but has taken his

game up a notch in the past year.

He landed the Irish Open in 2012

before heading a strong field to land

the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

in January (and also recorded a

top-10 at last year’s US PGA).

His all-round game is strong and,

while he has struggled for form

recently, he could easily figure in

McGinley’s thinking.

jOnaS blIxT (SWEDEn)World ranking: 35Age: 29Big-hitting Blixt is a real wild card

– notably because he needs to ensure

he’s a member of the European Tour

before he’s even eligible. And, for

a man who plays most of his golf in

the States, that means a change

of schedule. He’s won twice on the

PGA Tour and was paired with Lee

Westwood during this year’s US PGA.

“He asked what the qualifications

are for being a European Tour

member,” said Westwood. “I said:

’You want to join because if you don’t

you can’t be in the Ryder Cup team.’”

DavID lynn (EnglanD)World ranking: 50Age: 39Lynn is a curious golfer: a real

journeyman who has finished inside

the top 100 on the European tour

every year since 2000, but never

higher than 18th, with just one win

(the 2004 Dutch Open). Yet out of the

blue he came second at last year’s

US PGA, which earned him a PGA

tour card, and he almost won the

Wells Fargo Championship in May,

only losing in a playoff to Derek

Ernst. He’s earned $1.6m this

season, mostly by virtue of his

very hot putter. >

| September 27 2013 | 33

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Jordan SpiethWorld ranking: 21Age: 20The youngest player to win on the

PGA tour in 82 years when he landed

the John Deere Classic in July, Spieth

has enjoyed an unbelievable rookie

season. Next week he makes his debut

in the Presidents Cup, and Watson

will watch his progress carefully. His

game has no apparent weaknesses

(he’s third in the all-around stats

category, behind Tiger Woods and

Steve Stricker) and – much like Ian

Poulter – he has the ability to string

birdies together out of nowhere.

Kevin StreelmanWorld ranking: 37Age: 35Quietly, Streelman has become one

of the most consistent players on

tour, finishing the season a very

creditable 13th in the FedEx Cup

standings. He makes his money by

hitting the ball straight, and is one

of the better putters on tour – the

modern version of Jim Furyk, if you

will (not that there’s much wrong

with the original). Streelman

will probably need a big Major

performance to force his way

into Watson’s reckoning, but

that is certainly possible.

Bill haaSWorld ranking: 29Age: 31Haas certainly has the breeding for

the Ryder Cup – his dad Jay played in

three, including as recently as 2004,

and is a nine-time PGA Tour winner

(and great uncle Bob Goalby won the

1968 Masters). Now Haas Jnr is

ready for the biggest stage – he has

clocked up five wins (with career

earnings in excess of $17.5m) on

the PGA tour, including the 2011

FedEx Cup. He will play in his second

Presidents Cup next week, having

won four and a half points from

a possible five in 2011.

Billy horSchelWorld ranking: 34Age: 27A year ago, Horschel was ranked

250th in the world; now he is 34th

and rising. A fine run in the spring,

when he had three top-threes in four

weeks (including a win in the Zurich

Classic), has propelled him into the

mix. If he makes the team it could get

feisty: Horschel and Rory McIlroy

had a public spat at the 2007 Walker

Cup. “He was so loud and obnoxious,”

said McIlroy, who has enjoyed more

success as a pro, though Horschel

has had a better 2013. Bring it on.

nicK WatneyWorld ranking: 27Age: 32Watney can count himself unlucky

not to have played in the Ryder Cup

before now, but he narrowly missed

out on a wild card in 2012. A five-time

winner, he has finished this season

in great form, and is one of the best

ball-strikers on tour – and, curiously,

often saves his best golf for this

time of year. The high point of his

career to date was winning the

2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship,

but he still needs to convince Watson

that he is genuinely ready for the

Ryder Cup cauldron.

luKe GuthrieWorld ranking: 88Age: 23A real dark horse for this Ryder Cup,

which may come too soon for him.

But Guthrie seems destined for the

big time and, if he continues at

his current rate, he has a chance.

He began 2013 – his first full season

on tour – with a bang, notching six

top-30 finishes in his first eight

events, enough to secure his 2014

playing rights. He also played a

practice round with Watson at this

year’s Open, so the skipper has seen

first-hand what he can do. Whether

that’s enough remains to be seen.

acroSS the pondThe USA have gone for experience with their

captain – Tom Watson is a legend in the game

and will be as well received in Scotland as

any European next September. But he has

a tough job melding together a team that

can win back the cup. Watson has opted to

reduce his number of wild cards from four

to three, intending to give players an extra

chance to make the team on merit. But, like

Paul McGinley, he may find himself turning

to rookies to make up his 12. We pick six

who are making a noise on the PGA tour –

time will tell whether they make it to

Gleneagles under Captain Watson.

34 | September 27 2013 |

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| 35

Benjamin Disraeli once said: “There is no

education like adversity.” If that’s the case,

then Chris Robshaw could well be the most

educated sportsman in England.

Overlooked for the World Cup in 2011, despite

leading the performance records in all the pre-

tournament camps, Robshaw bounced back to lead

his side to a Premiership title – winning player of

the year in the process – and take captaincy of a

new-look England in 2012. Two defeats to Wales are

all that has stood between his side and Grand Slams

in two Six Nations campaigns, while the back-row

star also led his country to a famous victory over

New Zealand late last year. Yet once again the

headlines are negative, as Robshaw found himself

overlooked for the Lions Tour and rested by England

this summer. Now he faces doubts over whether he’ll

captain his country in the Autumn Internationals this

November, with Tom Wood waiting in the wings.

The endearing thing about Robshaw, though, is that

you won’t find him complaining. The Harlequins man

prefers to do his talking on the pitch, cue a standout

performance in last Friday’s 37-13 win at Worcester.

London rivals Saracens are next up tomorrow, and

Robshaw is refusing to look too far beyond that.

LONDON PRIDE Snubbed by the Lions, rested by England and with his international captaincy coming into question, it’s been a tough few months for Chris Robshaw. As such, this weekend’s showdown with Saracens might just prove the perfect distraction

After two below-par performances, how good was

it to get a big win against Worcester last weekend?

“Very. It was awesome to get back to the way we

want to play. Obviously the Northampton game [which

Harlequins lost 6-13] was hindered by the weather,

but even considering that, both teams played well

– and, actually, there weren’t as many errors as

there probably should have been in those conditions.

Against Wasps [a game Harlequins edged 16-15],

though, we were pretty sloppy, which we just put

down to it being the opening game. We got away with

a win in the end, pretty luckily. But to get a win like

we did last Friday was great – and to play the way we

did and get a bonus-point score was great as well.”

Saracens are in town tomorrow. Can we presume

you’re expecting a slightly tougher test?

“Definitely. We know it’s going to be tougher against

Saracens, and especially their defence. We know they

pride themselves on that. And, at the other end,

they’ve scored three bonus-point tries in three

games. It’s fair to say they’re in a bit of form!”

Does the fact it’s a London rivalry add some edge?

“Yeah, I think so. It’s always a bit bigger whenever

you play another London side, and at the same time

it’s always bigger whenever you play a potential

top-four side. We’ve both been in the top four for

a few seasons, so the two things come together

and make it a game we always look forward to –

but one where we expect a bit of extra bite.”

It’s sure to be a tight game. How important is it to

keep your composure and watch the penalty count?

“Whenever you play the best teams in the league,

you probably don’t get as many chances as you would

playing someone lower down the league, so we’re

focusing on our game and taking our chances.

No matter who you’re playing, though, you identify

their strengths – and one of their big ones is Owen

Farrell and his kicking. We know that if we give him

an opportunity, he’s likely to take it, so of course

discipline is a massive thing. Whenever you play

someone with a key kicker, you have to be aware.” > Da

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Your old teammate David Strettle is on form for

Saracens, and James Johnston is in a black shirt

now too. Are you looking forward to facing them?

“Yeah, definitely. Stretts has obviously been back

here a couple of times now, and it’ll be good to see

JJ again. We’ll welcome him back, and I’m sure he’s

looking forward to coming back and seeing the

Stoop faithful. Hopefully we can make it tough!”

Do you still look forward to big games like this?

“Yeah, definitely. The weather’s a bit better this

week as well, which helps. So hopefully it will stay

that way for Saturday. We had a good result last week,

but we’ve got to back it up now. We lost our first

game at home this season, so it’s time to rectify that.”

The Heineken Cup starts in two weeks, too.

You must be pretty upset with your group?

“No, we relish it. It’s good, because they’re the teams

you want to test yourselves against. That’s what the

Heineken Cup is – playing the best teams and best

players in Europe. At the moment, they don’t get too

much better than the likes of Clermont, Racing Metro

and the Scarlets. It’s a tough pool, but that’s why

we play the competition – to find out where we stand

as a group.”

Is this squad in a good place right now?

“Yeah, I think so. It’s been lovely to have a bit of a

rest this summer, which helped. Conor [O’Shea] was

pretty good and gave us the full six weeks off to

go away and allow the body to recover and all that.

We were fresh for pre-season, so hopefully we can

take that freshness on and not burn out.”

You’ve said previously that you were knackered by

the end of last season. Did a summer off help?

“Yeah, I think so. It’s allowed me to let the knocks and

niggles recover, which you don’t get to do throughout

the season – you’re playing so much that any knock

sticks with you. To have that time off was brilliant for

me physically, and it helped me to switch off, relax

mentally and come back refreshed for this season.”

Does the Lions snub still hurt, or does it motivate

you to push on again this season?

“Neither, really. It’s in the past. It’s time to look

forward. It’s all about Harlequins now, and I want

to take the team back to where we want to be.”

What did you get up to over the summer?

“I had a bit of a break abroad and just relaxed

a lot, but I also opened up a coffee and wine shop

with a friend from school. It’s called Black White

Red down in Winchester – get on down there!”

Nice. How are your barista skills?

“They’re quite good, actually. I did a couple of barista

and wine-tasting courses in the summer, so I know

what I’m doing a bit better now. It’s just a bit of fun

really, but it’s great to have something outside of

rugby that allows me to do something different.”

You’re playing seven for Quins, but Tom Croft’s

injury means England need a six more. Have you

spoken to Stuart Lancaster about positions?

“No, England tends to be a bit of a topic at the

moment, but it isn’t about them too much right now.

Saracens have started the season on fire,

with 13 tries and a maximum 15 points in

their three games to date, as their more

expansive gameplan is coming to fruition.

And with four tries to his name so far, David

Strettle is reaping the benefits – the former

Harlequin is a man the home side needs to

keep an eye on tomorrow.

The hard running of Joel Tomkins is

another threat in the backs, while the

front-three clash – whether departed Quins

man James Johnston starts or not – will be

fascinating. For Harlequins, last week's win

against Worcester showed how dangerous

they are when things 'click', and the likes

of Danny Care and George Lowe look

reinvigorated. It's up front where they look

dangerous, though, with Chris Robshaw's

refreshed body inspiring those around him

to step up to the level they set themselves

two season ago. Quins' tight carrying, quick

offloading and high-tempo game is where

they really thrive; that’s what they will

hope to use to tire and expose Saracens

down the shortside.

Expect to see tries at the Stoop, but

we can't see beyond a tight margin –

with a losing bonus point a certainty.

Familiar faces

“The Lions are in the past. I want to take Quins back to where we want to be”

The November internationals are still five or six

weeks away, and we’ve seen with the injuries to

Brad Barritt [corrective ligament surgery in his foot]

and Manu Tuilagi [torn pectoral] that anything can

happen. I’m just planning to go out there and play

my own game, and get Harlequins off to the best

possible start in the Premiership and in the Heineken

Cup too. When we get to October and November,

we’ll start chatting about England and see where

we are.”

Does it annoy you, though, that after all you’ve

done as England captain, people are questioning

your role again?

“No, it’s what we’re used to. Stuart always said

he’s going to pick players on form and fitness, and

nobody’s safe. He’s been very open with me about

that, and it’s something I just can’t think about right

now. We have a massive few weeks coming up at

Quins, so we’ve got a tough ask before we even

get to November. These are the games you want

to play in, so there’s no point looking beyond

them just yet.”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

Saturday AvivA PremiershiP: hArlequins v sArAcens | The sTooP | BT sPorT 1 3.15Pm

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38 | September 27 2013 |

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Mention Santi Cazorla to those who have

managed and played alongside him, and

their faces almost instantaneously light up.

“I don’t remember anyone else I have worked

with who was as two-footed,” said Arsene

Wenger with a joyous grin after the Arsenal

midfielder put on a sparkling display against

West Ham last season, while German giant Per

Mertesacker describes him simply as “the perfect

footballer”. Meanwhile Manuel Pellegrini, who was

Malaga coach at the time of the Spaniard’s transfer

to the Premier League, called Cazorla’s sale to

Arsenal for £12m in August 2012 an “unthinkable

gift” – though that was almost certainly uttered

through gritted teeth, rather than with a smile.

The man himself is beaming from the minute he

arrives for our interview, despite the presence of

a protective boot weighing down his right foot.

He points to it and grimaces.

“Ankle ligaments,” he says by way of explanation,

before that smile returns. “But boot is coming off

on Monday.”

The 28-year-old has been missing from Arsenal’s

line-up since a 1-0 win at the Emirates against

Tottenham, with Wenger initially predicting he would

be absent until after the next international break

in October. But the man Arsenal fans have labelled

the ‘Little Magician’ has healed quicker than first

hoped and could be back on the pitch – in the right

kind of boots – sooner than first expected.

IMpact playerCazorla has been itching to join new boy Mesut

Ozil on the pitch, having seen the German fill the

creative void left by his absence with apparent ease

since arriving from Real Madrid. “He has so much

quality on the pitch,” says Cazorla, admiringly. “That

is why him coming to Arsenal was so important,

because Ozil is a top player. And I think for the fans

it’s more – I don’t know how to explain – more happy,

no? Because such a good player coming to the club

means it’s possible to win trophies.”

Was he surprised, then, that Ozil was deemed

surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu?

“Yes, a little,” he replies. “It’s difficult to

understand why Madrid let him come to Arsenal.

But for us it’s good.” He chuckles at the thought that

Arsenal have received another ‘gift’ from La Liga,

albeit a considerably more expensive one.

With comparisons already being made between

Ozil and former Arsenal ‘Invincible’ Dennis

Bergkamp, the Emirates is buzzing with discussion

about how the team will play once Cazorla returns

from injury. “I’m lucky because I can play on the left

or on the right or as a second striker,” he says.

“So for me it’s no problem whatever system we

play. I speak with the coach and tell him I can play

wherever you want. My preference is to start

on the left but then [as the game unfolds] go to

the middle.

“Wenger speaks with me before every game and

he’ll say: ‘You play on the left, but only left when we

don’t have the ball. When we have the ball, you can

come in – you are free.’”

Chosen as Arsenal’s player of the season by

the club’s fans after his first year in English football,

Cazorla admits that “in the first season in a new

team, and with a new language, it can be difficult”.

But, he says, his team are a good fit for him.

“Because Arsenal play in the same way as Malaga

and Villarreal,” he explains. “And it suits my game.

Every coach is different, but the philosophy between

Wenger, Pellegrini and Vicente del Bosque [manager

of Spain’s national side] is similar. Pellegrini says

control the ball. Wenger: control the ball. Del Bosque:

control the ball. For me, it’s easier that they all

value the same things.”

Able to control the ball – not to mention deliver

a defence-splitting pass of the highest quality –

effortlessly off both feet, Cazorla says his technical

ability is his best quality on the pitch. He names

Diego Forlan, a former teammate at Villarreal,

as the only other player he has seen who >

Santi Cazorla

| 39

HIs second season In englIsH football MIgHt Have been Interrupted by Injury, but arsenal MIdfIelder santI cazorla Is stIll sMIlIng.

sport fInds out wHy He’s tHe HappIest Man In nortH london

MagIc Man

40 | September 27 2013 |

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possesses the same talent. It’s hardly surprising,

then, that before Arsenal came calling, Real Madrid

did. Twice. “Yes, there was an opportunity,” he says.

“But in football, every day the negotiation changes.

And in the end there was no possibility to go to

Madrid. But it’s no problem for me now.”

Having played alongside former Arsenal favourites

Robert Pires (at Villarreal) and Cesc Fabregas

(for Spain), Cazorla could consult with two star

names who had first-hand experience of life in the

Premier League before he made the decision to up

sticks to England.

“I spoke with them both when Arsenal came to

me, and their opinions were very important,” he

explains. “Fabregas spoke with me and told me it’s

a top club with a great history and maybe you can

win trophies there. That was a big change for my

career, because at Villarreal and Malaga it’s very

difficult to win trophies.

“I had always watched Arsenal, though, because

I loved the Premier League. It’s good football, good

stadiums, atmosphere... I remember Bergkamp and

Thierry Henry especially, because they were top

players in a good team. Why Bergkamp? He had so

much technical quality – I loved watching him play.”

Indeed, it’s the Dutchman’s name that comes up

again when we ask Cazorla how he feels about his

Little Magician moniker.

“Mag...what?” he asks, baffled by a word he’s

clearly not heard much during his first year

in England. “Ah, El Mago!” When the Spanish

translation is offered, he laughs it off modestly:

“It’s difficult, no? For me, other players are –

like Bergkamp then, and now Ozil. But I don’t see

myself as El Mago.”

LittLe by LittLeThe prefix is indisputable. At 5ft 6ins, Cazorla is

one of the smallest players in the Premier League.

“When I was younger, my size was a problem

because the teams were all full of strong players,”

he recalls. “Now it has changed: Messi, Iniesta, me.

It’s easier now. But when I started playing football,

it was hard because the players were all big and

strong. Luckily, every year it has changed a bit –

and now it’s more about technical skill rather

than physicality.”

According to Luis Sánchez – one of Cazorla’s

coaches at his first club, Oviedo – his size never was

and never will be an issue. “Santi stood out

immediately, not least because he was tiny,” he told

The Guardian’s Sid Lowe last year.

“But I never feared that size was going to be a

problem. He could already kick a ball wonderfully with

both feet, and technically he was miles better than

everyone else: he was prodigious. He could go past

you on either side, and he was the top scorer by

miles. He was dynamic, different. His talent is innate.

And besides, he got stronger: he looks little now,

but he is tough.”

Anyone who starts 37 of 38 Premier League

games in their first season certainly is that. But the

silverware promised by Fabregas and Pires didn’t

follow, and Wenger came under intense pressure

as, one by one, trophy-winning opportunities

slipped away.

“I was surprised,” says Cazorla of the questions

that were raised over Wenger’s future at the club.

“Because he has been at Arsenal for 17 years, no?

It’s a long time, and for me he’s a top, top coach –

I think the best coach in Arsenal’s history. He’s so

important in my career too, because he’s helping me

to become a better player every day.”

ConsistenCy is keyCan Cazorla put his finger on why Arsenal endured

another barren season last time round, though?

“I think the main problem is that last year we had

a good team, but we did not get regular results,”

he says. “For simple [sic], I remember one game

at home against Fulham when we were 2-0 up, then

it was 2-2; 2-3; 3-3. This year it’s important we

don’t have results like this – we need to win

every game to become champions of the Premier

League. That’s what it takes to become

champions: consistency.”

In explaining the principal reason behind that

requirement, he pinpoints the main difference

between the top flight of English football and its

Spanish equivalent. “In Spain now, it’s more tactical,

I think – more boring,” he says. “For me, Barcelona

and Madrid are so far ahead from the rest. But in

England it’s more level, more competitive. For me,

it’s better.

“It is possible, for example, that Manchester City

play against Cardiff and lose. In Spain, it’s normal

that Real Madrid play against Real Mallorca and win,

win, win – it’s very difficult for other teams. So the

Premier League is more fun, I think. But I still watch

Spanish football – I always will, because Villarreal and

Malaga are teams that I love.”

For now, Cazorla is enjoying life in north London,

where he lives with his wife and two young children.

“One boy and one girl – the girl is just five months old,

but my son is crazy for football,” he says. “All the time

it’s: ‘Daddy, football! Daddy, football!’”

His team is ticking along nicely too, sat as they are

at the top of the league. Last weekend’s victory

against Stoke was their seventh win in a row –

the club’s longest winning run since 2007.

If consistency is, as Cazorla says, the key, then the

Gunners are on course for some silverware at last.

They just need El Mago back in the team to provide

the magic to make it happen.

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Santi Cazorla wears PUMA evoSPEED boots,

see www.pumafootballclub.com

CazorLa's magiC first season

49 appearances

started 37 of 38

premier League games

scored 12 goaLs

Laid on 14 assists

Won 55.7 per cent of

votes to be arsenaL’s

pLayer of the season

“footbaLL is easier now. it’s more about teChniCaL skiLL rather than physiCaLity”

Ad

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7 DaysSEP 27-OCT 3

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: Premier League » p44

» Football: Champions League » p46

» Artistic Gymnastics: 2013 World Championships » p48

» Rugby League: Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos » p50

» Golf: Presidents Cup » p50OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

SUNDAY NFL | MINNeSOTA VIKINGS v PITTSBURGH STeeLeRS | WeMBLeY STADIUM | SKY SPORTS 2 5.30PM

42 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

In the first of two NFL fixtures coming to Wembley

Stadium this year, the Minnesota Vikings take on the

Pittsburgh Steelers. For both teams, escaping their

regular environments may be beneficial – both have

0-3 records so far this season, and sit bottom of their

respective divisions (AFC North and NFC North).

The Vikings are the designated 'home team', and

come to London on the back of a dismal 31-27 loss to

the Cleveland Browns, who even started third-choice

quarterback Brian Hoyer. The Vikings were poor on

both offense and defense, and their special teams

allowed a touchdown from a fake field goal.

Quarterback Christian Ponder was sacked six times

and booed throughout the tie, as the Vikings' passing

game failed and their offensive line couldn't create the

room for star running back Adrian Peterson to exploit.

The Steelers lost 40-23 to the Chicago Bears last

week, but they at least showed resolve in battling

back from a 21-point deficit to bring themselves to

within four points in the fourth quarter, before the

Bears scored two touchdowns. If they lose at Wembley,

it will be their worst start to a season since 1968.

When NFL bigwigs chose this fixture to be played

in London, they wouldn't have expected two winless

teams to run out. It should make for a fascinating clash,

though – neither side can afford to return home 0-4.

Loss leaders

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44 | September 27 2013 |

7 Days

A master/pupil relationship gone wrong at White

Hart Lane in the early Saturday kick-off, as smirking

Machiavelli Jose Mourinho brings his fourth-placed

Chelsea to face wronged former protege Andre Villas-

Boas and his Tottenham team. Keep an eye out for the

former walking across the pitch, laughing and holding

Willian’s hand, while grinning provocatively at the latter.

Chelsea’s signing of the Brazilian wasn’t motivated

solely in order to spite Villas-Boas, but the Spurs boss was

livid at how he was snatched away to west London at the

last minute. It adds an extra frisson of tension to this

already intriguing capital clash. The approaches of the

pragmatic Mourinho and the more expansive Villas-Boas

may differ, but both have shared similar league starts:

generally, decent results have masked deficiencies.

Spurs are predictably taking time to integrate many

new attackers – a particular frustration being the lack of

service to Roberto Soldado, clearly an adept finisher.

Chelsea have not yet adapted to Mourinho’s plans, as he

himself admits. Whisper it quietly but, at this very early

stage, they also appear a less exciting team than the one

Rafa Benitez built around Juan Mata and David Luiz (both

of whom appear persona non grata around Mourinho).

Both clubs have controlled games well, though, and

whoever wins that midfield battle may take the honours.

Expect this one to be tighter than Neil Ruddock’s Speedos.

Aston Villa are a dangerous

counter-attacking team whose

league results illustrate perfectly

how they set up better away from

home (six points from a possible

nine) than at home (none from six).

There are also doubts over the fitness

of their biggest weapon, Christian

Benteke. All welcome news to a City

side full of attacking options and

with Vincent Kompany (pictured)

showing his most imperious form

against Man Utd last weekend.

saturDaY Aston VillA v MAnchester city

VillA PArk | 3PM

A match to have fans masticating

their pre-match pies with hungry

delight, as arguably the league’s two

easiest-on-the-eye teams clash.

Swansea have avoided a second

season drop-off and look as lethal as

they did last year, yet with a deeper

squad. For Arsenal, all eyes are on

Mesut Ozil and his slick adaptation

to English football – but key to them

winning this tricky tie lies in Aaron

Ramsey (pictured). Is there a player

in the league in better form?

saturDaY swAnseA city v ArsenAl | liberty stAdiuM

sky sPorts 1 5.30PM

Suave Portuguese men square up to one another in north London, as Totteham attempt to assert control over their traditional bogey team: Chelsea

Premier League

saturDaY tottenhAM v chelseA | white hArt lAne | bt sPort 1 12.45PM

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

saturdaY hull v west ham | the KC stadium | 3Pm

| 45

To the neutral, booing the likeable

Martin Jol seems cruel – but look at

things through the eyes of Fulham

fans, who’ve watched their side coast

along in neutral for too long. That

promising first half against Chelsea

doesn’t hide the fact Fulham look

less than the sum of their creative

parts right now. Cardiff, obdurate

and with keeper David Marshall

(pictured) in superb form, won’t be

easy marks, but this is the kind of

fixture Jol knows requires a win.

saturdaY manChester united v west brom

old trafford | 3Pm

Mark Hughes started this season

with one muscular arm tied behind

his back: tasked with evolving

Stoke’s style, yet not being given a

lot in the way of new recruits. He’s

made a fine fist of it, Stoke looking a

fresher, more free-flowing side than

last season. Norwich boss Chris

Hughton is a man under pressure,

however. A fit-again Gary Hooper

(pictured) aids attacking options,

but Hughton’s conservative tactics

are not impressing Norwich fans.

sundaY stoKe v norwiCh | britannia stadium

sKy sPorts 1 1.30Pm

Unemployed psychopath Paolo Di

Canio may not be feeling too bad

about life if he eyes Sunderland’s

upcoming fixtures. Liverpool,

Manchester United and Swansea

away make up their next three – and

caretaker gaffer Kevin Ball’s tough

challenge is to get the Black Cats

scoring without the injured Stephen

Fletcher. If Brendan Rodgers

continues his curious, all-centre-

back defensive experiment, it may

help Ball (pictured) out.

sundaY sunderland v liverPool

stadium of light | sKy sPorts 1 4Pm

After that wretchedly timid opener

against Chelsea, Hull have settled

well this season. Tom Huddlestone

and Jake Livermore have helped

them control midfield battles, while

Sone Aluko offers a touch of magic.

West Ham are light on quality strikers

– witness Modibo Maïga’s anaemic

display against Everton. They at

least showed attacking verve in that

match: the form of Ravel Morrison

(pictured) has some whispering he

may yet fulfil his gargantuan talent.

Their midfield was taken apart last

weekend, but Manchester United at

least know that there’s no big, scary

Yaya Toure-types in the West Brom

team. Rather, the Baggies’ midfield

star from last season Claudio Yacob

has – like his team – started this term

sluggishly. Stephane Sessegnon

(pictured) has the quality to open

up defences, but the smarting

champions should have too much

for WBA. Assuming their midfield

actually passes to their forwards.

P W D L F A Pts

Premier League tabLe

He’s played just two

Premier League games, but

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil already

leads the league’s assist

table outright on three3

Arsenal 5 4 0 1 11 6 12

Tottenham 5 4 0 1 5 1 12

Man City 5 3 1 1 12 4 10

Chelsea 5 3 1 1 6 2 10

Liverpool 5 3 1 1 5 3 10

Everton 5 2 3 0 6 4 9

Southampton 5 2 2 1 3 2 8

Man Utd 5 2 1 2 7 6 7

Swansea 5 2 1 2 7 7 7

Stoke 5 2 1 2 4 5 7

Hull 5 2 1 2 5 7 7

Newcastle 5 2 1 2 5 8 7

Aston Villa 5 2 0 3 6 6 6

West Brom 5 1 2 2 4 4 5

West Ham 5 1 2 2 4 4 5

Cardiff City 5 1 2 2 4 6 5

Norwich 5 1 1 3 3 6 4

Fulham 5 1 1 3 3 7 4

Crystal Palace 5 1 0 4 4 8 3

Sunderland 5 0 1 4 3 11 1

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saturdaY fulham v Cardiff City | Craven Cottage | 3Pm

The sight of Steve Bruce shaking

his moneymaker on the touchline

last week as Newcastle lost to Hull

left Geordies queasy, and a visit to

Goodison for some sticky Toffees

may not settle the stomach. Everton

have Ross Barkley and Leighton

Baines in rich form, but the debut of

Romelu Lukaku (pictured) was the

real highlight of last week’s win

against West Ham. Newcastle’s

shaky defence could be ripe for

a bullying from the Belgian.

mondaY everton v newCastle | goodison ParK

sKy sPorts 1 8Pm

saturdaY southamPton v Crystal PalaCe

st mary’s stadium | 3Pm

“I can’t see a positive thing.

We were awful,” was Ian Holloway’s

commendably honest assessment

after Crystal Palace’s loss to

Swansea. His team are struggling to

find a cohesive system with many

new signings in midfield and attack,

while Southampton – despite flying

high in seventh – have scored just

three league goals. Daniel Osvaldo

(pictured) and Rickie Lambert are

yet to gel, but the Eagles might give

them time and space to do just that.

46 | September 27 2013 |

7 Days Champions League

If, as Arsene Wenger claims, 10 points will be

sufficient to see Arsenal through one of the toughest

groups in this year’s Champions League, then the

battling 2-1 victory in Marseille a fortnight ago was

a huge step in the right direction.

However, Rafa Benitez’s Napoli side will offer

a much sterner challenge. Under the Spaniard’s

control, I Ciucciarelli (or the Little Donkeys, if you will)

rediscovered some of the attacking verve with which

they wowed Europe under Walter Mazzarri two years

ago. Dortmund, last year’s beaten finalists, couldn’t

cope with the directness of the Italians’ attacking play

in the first group game, with young forward Lorenzo

Insigne a constant threat – his superb free-kick made

him the first Neapolitan to score in the Champions

League for his hometown club.

The midfield trio of Gokhan Inler, Marek Hamsik

and Valon Behrami bossed the game, although

admittedly they were helped by the Germans being

a man and a manager down, Jurgen Klopp having

been sent off after raging at the fourth official.

Arsenal’s biggest concern, though, might be the

man they tried to sign in the summer. Gonzalo Higuain

has enjoyed a fine start to his career in Naples, netting

four in five appearances, including a header against

Dortmund. Marseille’s Andre-Pierre Gignac found

space in the Gunners’ penalty area on several

occasions in their last European outing, and Higuain

will be less forgiving than the big Frenchman.

There will be chances for Arsenal, although they

will need to be wary of Napoli’s ability on the break.

Dortmund threatened despite their numerical

disadvantage (with nine shots on goal, the same as

Napoli), and the Italians gave away several free-kicks

in dangerous areas. Another opportunity, perhaps,

for Mesut Ozil to show off his set-piece skills?

The two sides met in the pre-season Emirates Cup,

where they fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw. With

both teams better going forward than they are at

the back, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar

scoreline on Tuesday night.

Danger man

Having helped his country to the final of the U21

Euros in Israel and bagged one against Arsenal

in that Emirates Cup tie over the

summer, Lorenzo Insigne has been

likened by the Neapolitan press to

Gianfranco Zola. The diminutive

attacker is a clever passer, and

will surely run at a Gunners

defence that has given

away three penalties already

this season.

Stubborn test for Gunners

All

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TUESDAY Group F: ArsenAl v nApoli | emirAtes stAdium | itV 7.45pm

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

WEDNESDAY Group D: Manchester city v Bayern Munich

etihaD staDiuM | sky sports 2 7.45pM

| 47

If Chelsea can’t finish the chances they are going to

create against opponents like Basel in Group E, this

will be a short campaign. Jose Mourinho’s failure to

buy a genuine goalscorer could come back to haunt

him, with Samuel Eto’o the latest recruit to appear

a shadow of his former self up top. There remains

talent in abundance in the Blues’ midfield, however,

with Oscar the man most likely to provide a

matchwinning contribution having notched three

goals already this season.

Steaua, on the other hand, were unbeaten prior

to their 3-0 defeat to Schalke, and will take heart

from Basel’s win at Stamford Bridge. Federico

Piovaccari has started well in his debut season for

the Romanians on loan from Sampdoria, with five in

his first 10 games.

Man City and Bayern Munich both came away from

their opening encounters with 3-0 wins, against

Viktoria Plzen and CSKA Moscow respectively. Now

it’s business time in Group D. These sides traded 2-0

home wins in the group stage two seasons ago, but

Bayern have conceded just twice all season in the

Bundesliga, and the defending champions are a much

stronger proposition now.

That said, City look something like an irresistible

force again, after their neighbourly demolition last

Sunday. They will be wary of Bayern’s Croatian striker

Mario Mandzukic, who has bagged four in seven so far

and scored against City in pre-season. If DJ Campbell

can nab two against the Citizens, imagine what an

in-form Mandzukic can do. And then there’s Arjen

Robben. And Thomas Muller. And Mario Gotze…

TUESDAY Group e: steaua Bucharest v chelsea | arena nationala

sky sports 4 7.45pM

That England struggled to break down Ukraine in

their bore-draw in Kiev earlier this month was

(hopefully) down to them missing their one truly

world-class forward. That Wayne Rooney is back –

looking strangely reminiscent of one of Joe Pesci’s

most famous roles – and on form for Manchester

United meant David Moyes’ team brushed aside

Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 at Old Trafford two weeks ago.

“Wayne was in great shape just before he

damaged his hamstring in Thailand,” said Moyes in

a press conference last week, when asked about

Rooney’s recent form and the injury that forced him

to leave his club’s pre-season tour early. “I told you

that, but I don’t know if you all believed me.”

Belief is something United could do with more of

after their derby routing, but it’s not a problem for

Shakhtar, with Alex Teixeira also two goals to the

good in Europe after his team’s 2-0 victory at Real

Sociedad. In a squad full of Brazilian talent, striker

Luiz Adriano, playmaker Fred and former Arsenal

(and now Croatian) man Eduardo the dangermen.

This will be the first time these sides have met,

despite United’s ever-presence at Europe’s top

table. Should Rooney continue his current form, his

side will be favourites – and the star of the show will

certainly not be travelling home alone this time.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: BEST OF THE REST

WEDNESDAY Group a: shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester uniteD

DonBass arena | sky sports 4 7.45pM

If you’re left underwhelmed by the

challenges facing English clubs, we

suggest you reread the Arsenal v

Napoli preview. There are, however,

a few other games that might pique

your interest. In Group H on Tuesday,

Celtic will try to repeat their heroics

of last season against Barcelona,

who at the time of writing had

netted 18 goals in five games.

In Group G, Porto v Atletico

Madrid stands out, with both sides

having rebuilt after losing key

players over the summer. Both

also have proven goalscorers, with

David Villa at Atletico and the

in-form Jackson Martinez (five

goals in six games) at Porto.

Thirsty for more

Down to business

Oscar winner?

48 | September 27 2013 |

7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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THURSDAY > TENNIS | RakuTEN JaPaN OPEN | aRIakE TENNIS FOREST PaRk, TOkYO | SkY SPORTS 2 7aM

New world orderIt’s the first World Championships of a new

Olympic cycle and the British gymnastics

team is missing two of its biggest names,

with Louis Smith and Beth Tweddle both

moving on to other things – reality TV

shows, mostly. But they leave behind a

promising group with the potential to

match, if not better, their success.

The GB men’s squad features four of the

bronze-winning team from London 2012,

the star of which is now 20-year-old Max

Whitlock (pictured). Having added an

individual bronze medal on the pommel

horse to his team medal at the Olympics,

he has continued his good form in 2013; he

won the English and British all-around titles

this year, as well as capturing three medals

at the European Championships in April.

Whitlock is joined by 2012 teammates

Sam Oldham, Kristian Thomas and Dan

Purvis in Antwerp, with Ashley Watson and

European pommel horse champion Daniel

Keatings completing the six-man squad.

For the GB women’s team, 17-year-old

Ruby Harrold is the leading name, having

reached the all-around, bars and beam final

at the 2013 Europeans. She’s joined by

London 2012 gymnasts Rebecca Tunney

and Hannah Whelan, as well as Beijing

Olympian Rebecca Downie.

The championships begin on Monday,

but live coverage starts on the BBC Sport

Website on Thursday, with the men’s

all-around. It continues with the women’s

all-round on Friday (BBC Three, 7pm);

men’s floor, pommel and rings, and

women’s vault and uneven bars on Saturday

(BBC online from 1.30pm); and the rest of

the apparatus finals on Sunday (BBC Two,

1.30pm). Probably skip Strictly this week.

MOnDAY > GYMNaSTICS | 2013 aRTISTIC GYMNaSTICS WORLD CHaMPIONSHIPS | aNTWERP SPORT PaLaCE, aNTWERP, BELGIuM | BBC SPORT WEBSITE FROM THuRSDaY 7PM aND BBC CHaNNELS

Back trouble and little TokyoWith Andy Murray’s announcement that

minor back surgery is likely to bring a

premature end to his 2013 season, his spot

in November’s ATP World Tour Finals is up

for grabs. And at next week’s Japan Open,

there will be more than one man with his

eyes on the Emirates ATP Race to London.

A winner of both the singles and doubles

titles in Tokyo in 2011 (the latter alongside

his brother, Jamie), Murray failed to defend

his title last year, losing to Canada’s Milos

Raonic in the semi finals. It was Kei Nishikori

who triumphed in the final, however,

becoming the second Japanese man in the

41-year history of the event to lift the

trophy, after Toshiro Sakai in 1972.

The reigning champion (pictured) will

receive a hero’s welcome from his home

crowd, but a first-round exit at the hands of

Britain’s Dan Evans at the US Open suggests

his form is not where it was a year ago.

Nishikori is the world number 12, but 19th

in the Race to London rankings, making

Raonic (11th) a more likely contender.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – one place above

Raonic – is also back in action in Tokyo,

after recovering from the knee injury that

ruled him out of the US Open.

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l i v e o n s t a g e

Neither should anyone’s son.

Or Grandad. No cousins or nephews.

Not the boys from the rugby club or

the lads from the pub. No boyfriends

or husbands or father-in-laws. Not the

chap from the chip shop or the noisy

lads at the back of the bus. Not your

best mate. Not a single stranger.

No one whatsoever.

No one should face cancer alone.

With your support, no one will.

Text DAD to 70550

and donate £5 today.

Texts cost £5 plus your network charge. We receive 94p of every £1 donated in this way. Obtain bill payer’s permission first.

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). MAC14175_07_13

50 | September 27 2013 |

7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

All the

Presidents menThe fact that the Presidents Cup does not have an

apostrophe (and therefore nor does our headline) should

not detract from it as a spectacle. This little brother to the

Ryder Cup – between the USA and Rest of the World

(excluding Europe) – might have been one-sided over the

years, but it still provides a welcome distraction from the

monotony of 72-hole strokeplay tournaments every week.

Since its inception in 1994, the US have won eight of the

nine matches (the exception being a remarkable thrashing

in 1998). On paper, that looks set to continue – American

skipper Fred Couples has a great team and was able to

eschew Dustin Johnson and Jim ‘59’ Furyk as he selected

Jordan Spieth (pictured) and Webb Simpson as his

wildcards. His opposite number Nick Price does not have such

strength in depth; he turned to Marc Leishman and Brendon

de Jonge, which gives you an idea of his team’s chances.

Still, ROW can look to Europe’s Ryder Cup performances

over the past 30 years to see that the game isn’t won on

paper. Muirfield Village was the scene of Europe’s great

triumph in 1987 (the 18th green has just recovered from Jose

Maria Olazabal’s flamenco) – can history repeat itself?

FRIday Rugby League | supeR League QuaLifying semi finaL: Wigan WaRRiORs v LeeDs RHinOs | DW sTaDium | sky spORTs 2 8pm ThuRsday > gOLf | pResiDenTs Cup | muiRfieLD ViLLage, OHiO | sky spORTs 1 4.30pm

Underdog with biteConventional wisdom would give

Wigan Warriors a massive advantage

going into Friday evening’s qualifying

semi final at the DW Stadium. Not only

will they be on home turf, but they also

had their feet up while Leeds were

locked in a bruising 11-10 encounter

with St Helens last weekend.

Some argue that teams can lose their

competitive edge, however, and that

playing every week often gives sides

an extra sharpness and competitive

edge. Look no further than the Rhinos

for proof of that particular theory:

they’ve won the title from fifth place in

the past two seasons, without the

luxury of having a week off. And they

can point to a 20-6 victory at Wigan

just three weeks ago in the final round

of the regular Super League season.

The Rhinos also beat them 18-14 at

Headingley earlier in the season, but

lost 20-16 to the Warriors at the Magic

Weekend. And the Rhinos have major

doubts over injured forwards Jamie

Jones-Buchanan and Brett Delaney.

Both sides have matchwinners, with

Wigan boasting the prolific try scorer

Josh Charnley (pictured) and Leeds

able to counter with the electric pace

of Rob Burrow. It could all come down

to the kicking, however: Matty Smith’s

boot saw him named man of the match

for Wigan in the recent Challenge Cup

final, while Leeds will be heavily reliant

on the evergreen Kevin Sinfield.

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Extra timEMaking the most of your time and money

P60

Danai Gurira

slices and dices

as michonne

in The Walking

Dead Season 3

Brush up

Grooming

Oral-B Limited Edition 5000“You no longer need to compromise on style or performance in

your wash bag,” says Oral-B of its new ‘super brush’. Which is

something of a relief for those of us who compromise heavily

on both in every other aspect of our grooming regime/lives.

For style, witness the sleek black handle and electric blue

lighting. For performance, see six cleaning modes – including

the new ‘tongue cleaning mode’, ‘polish’ for a longer clean and

‘sensitive’, which provides slower pulsations.

Slower than what? A total of 40,000 pulsations and 8,800

oscillations per minute (unless you switch down), which Oral-B

claims will move up to 100 per cent more plaque than a manual

brush. It also features a SmartGuide that uses microchips

embedded in the head and handle to monitor brushing activity,

providing real-time guidance via the wireless digital display.

Much like having your mother stand over you as a grown man

to make sure you brush properly. We’d imagine.

£199.99 | boots.com from October

52 | September 27 2013 |

iPad edition on Newsstand now

ET

54 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

chEck yoursElfAll of your friends have adorned themselves in check at some point in the past couple of years. Stop fighting it and get yourself on board

kit

o’Neill craftsman

Thought O’Neill only

did surf clothes? Think

again. This slimfit cotton

number is proof to the

contrary, and the neutral

colours mean it goes

with pretty much

anything. Result.

£50 | 01243 673 666

Alpinestars level

Long loved by petrol

heads, Alpinestars

keep on branching out,

and this flannel shirt is

another hit. Also, black

is a slimming colour, so

this is perfect for those

with a ‘fuller figure’.

£50 | surfdome.com

Animal sandbach

Coming in sage green

and with a soft fabric

finish (details you leave

out when your mates

ask), this cotton number

has popper fastenings,

twin pockets and a

mid-fit feel. We likey.

£45 | animal.co.uk

rohan sentinel

The warm clothing types

combine their fleecey

tech with the looks of an

everyday smart shirt to

produce this rugged

beauty. Not a fan of the

blue? Fear not: it comes

in four other colours.

£65 | rohan.co.uk

firetrap Ben

Long before they were

‘in’, check shirts were for

lumberjacks – and looked

like this. Well, this cotton

number is now definitely

‘in’, and lumberjacks

are now all called ‘tree

surgeons’. It’s cray cray.

£85 | firetrap.com

fineside Thompson shirt

Do not adjust your pages. Jonathan

Peter Wilkinson OBE has made the

fashion section. That’s because

Wilko has his own clothing brand.

And this smart cotton shirt, with

integral headphone loop in the

collar, is one of his ace new releases.

Buy it: the man won you a World

Cup, for Christ’s sake.

£85 | fineside.com

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56 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Sennheiser Momentum

A more mature and classy take

on the on-ear headphone than is

offered by various music artists,

the Momentums come

in a range of colours and the

earpads are finished with

Alcantara – a tough, water-

resistant fabric. Which is odd,

because we were sure he

played for Spain.

£170 | HMV stores

Panasonic Technics

Professional DJ Headphones

Beloved by disc-spinners

from Ibiza to Oceana, these

headphones have powerful

sound, gold-plated connectors

– and they’re hinged so you can

do that thing that DJs do where

they hold it to just one ear. Just

please don’t do it on the bus –

you don’t want to be ‘that guy’.

£230 | argos.co.uk

Parrot Zik by Philippe Starck

We’re generally totally overawed by minor

advances in trivial technology, so there was

one particular feature of these sleek and

sophisticated Bluetooth headphones that had

us gushing. They have a motion sensor built

in, so if your listening is interrupted and you

pull them down to sit around your neck,

they’ll detect this and automatically pause

your music. Literally hours of fun.

£250 | amazon.co.uk

winTer (ear) warMerS

eT Gadgets As the cold starts to bite, heat up your extremities with the

power of music – and our pick of the best on-ear headphones

Turtle Beach ear Force XO

FOUr Gaming Headphones

The ‘Ear Force’ sounds like a

shady government censorship

agency from an awful dystopian

future. These headphones are

the official audio companion

for the upcoming Xbox One.

So, fittingly, you can use them

when you’re playing that game

set in a horrific dystopian future.

£99 | Coming soon

Velodyne vQuiet

These active noise-cancelling

headphones from sub-woofer

makers Velodyne have been

designed to reduce background

noise by up to 90 per cent. We’re

going to put them on while

watching the football in the

hope they’ll make Niall Quinn 90

per cent less annoying. Still

pretty irritating.

£188 | UK release date TBA

Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear

we are entertainment

@hmvtweets/hmv

SSSSee nn nn hh ee ii ss ee rr

£169.99*

*Subject to availability, while stocks last. Not all colours may be available in all stores.

MOMENTUM ON-EAR

EASILY CONTROLS YOUR

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Available in 7 colours

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PROJECT NOISE

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58 | September 27 2013 |

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60 | September 27 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen’s late-career

resurgence continues with this

bittersweet drama starring Cate

Blanchett as Jasmine, a socialite

forced to turn to her sister for

help after her wealthy husband

(Alec Baldwin in suave form) is

exposed as a crook. Told part

in flashback, part with Jasmine

adjusting to her new life, it looks

set for some big Oscar nods.

Out today

One Summer: America 1927

Bill Bryson

Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Charles

Lindbergh and a president who

worked all of four hours a day

(and slept much of the rest of

the time) take centre stage in

this rip-roaring adventure from

the US travel writer. Focusing on

five eventful months in American

history, Bryson weaves in varying

stories with his typical wry wit.

Out now

PrisonersHugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal are

the handsome faces of this grisly but

riveting thriller about child abduction.

Jackman plays Keller, the father of

a six-year-old girl who goes missing

along with a friend. The only lead that

Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) and the

police have is a motorhome driven

by Alex Jones (Paul Dano), who they

arrest but release because of a lack of

evidence. An increasingly desperate

Keller takes a long look at Jones and

sees – yup – a social outcast with greasy

hair, thick glasses and a creepy voice,

and his mind is made up. He abducts

Jones and does everything he can

to make him talk, while the police do

their best by more legitimate means.

Part whodunnit and part bleak moral

quandary, Prisoners isn’t shy with either

the twists or the red herrings. However,

it’s the performances of the leads that

elevates it above potboiler status and

will hold you captive in your cinema seat.

Out today

The Making

of Return of

the Jedi

Gold bikinis,

giant sand

maws, Jabba

the Hutt and

Luke Skywalker transformed

from snivelling teen into badass

Jedi – the last of the original

Star Wars trilogy is sometimes

unfairly maligned. This latest,

weighty Making of... hardback

takes a peek behind the scenes

at its filming, and is packed with

photos and insight from the likes

of Harrison Ford, George Lucas

and director Richard Marquand.

The real treat, however, is the

film’s dazzling concept art,

showing off different versions

of the aforementioned Mr Hutt,

a Rancor and the Emperor in an

underground lava lair. The Force

is certainly strong with this one.

Out Tuesday

The Walking Dead

Season Three

After a slow second season, this

post-apocalypse zombie thriller

hit its stride again in its third run

by upping the action quotient.

Sheriff Rick and redneck antihero

Daryl Dixon (pictured) lead their

band of survivors to a fortified

town, but with a shady governor

in charge, the undead often seem

less of a problem than the living.

Out Monday

Days Are Gone Haim

Heavily hyped, sister-led indie

band release their debut and the

appeal is instant: impassioned

vocals, bluesy guitars and more

big hooks than a wounded pirate

convention. The Fleetwood Mac

comparisons certainly seem apt

– in a good way, but also because

they can sound curiously dated

at times. Still, the anthemic tunes

will ensure it rightly sells heaps.

Out Monday

Film Book

Film Book Blu-ray Music

STAR TuRnS

ET Entertainment Big-name casts excel in a pair of Hollywood dramas, while

a new Star Wars book helps you get inside the Sarlacc pit

AP

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© 2013 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Official FIFA licensed product. © The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. The Premier League Logo © The Football

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and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. 2 “PlayStation”, Ò, “PS3”, Ã, 7 and À are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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