Sport magazine - issue 288

Issue 288 | January 11 2013

ThirTeen QuesTions

The burning issues of 2013

18

issue 288, January 11 2013 radar 05 Arenacross

The most entertaining way to risk life and limb on a bike – if you’re watching someone else – comes to the O2 this weekend

08 Knuckleball!

The documentary showcasing baseball’s most unpredictable pitch arrives in the iTunes store

12 Flats’ entertainment

The ‘best man we ever knew’, David Flatman, returns to these pages, proffering forthright opinion – and no little charm

oFeatures this coming week

18 Thirteen Questions for 2013

We tackle the most potent of posers for the year ahead – from Froome’s hopes for the Tour de France through to captain Cook’s chances of an Ashes double

36 Premier League

A bumper weekend of fixtures features ‘Arry against his old club and the grandaddy of them all: Manchester United v Liverpool

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extra Time 40 Gadgets

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46

Strap on a GoPro Hero 3 and hurl yourself down a mountain – this camera will be fine and your pictures will be perfect

42 Kit

If you will insist on getting down the gym, we will insist on providing a list of supplements as long as our... well, it’s long

44 Grooming

Pushed it too hard and fast on the treadmill? Well, we have some answers to that as well

BOW LANE LONDON 48 - 51 BOW LANE EC4M 9DL

46 Entertainment

No need to wait one day more: Anne Hathaway dreams a dream and Sacha Baron Cohen is master of the ‘ouse in Les Mis | January 11 2013 | 03

Walking in the air

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p06 – Sporting simulator for your home, sir? p08 – Pitch perfect: the tale of baseball’s dying breed

ere, in an exclusive deleted scene from The Hobbit (yes, they left some stuff out), we see a young Bilbo Baggins trying his hand at freestyle motocross, pulling tricks high above the rolling green hills of the Shire. If only he’d passed this skill on to his nephew – it might have made the latter’s three-film trek to Mount Doom feel a bit less interminable.

Still, if you’d like to see some regular-sized people pull larger-than-life tricks of their own, you don’t need to venture into a mystical realm – just head to the grassless dome that is the O2 Arena this weekend, for Arenacross.

Like a lot of engine-based extreme sports, Arenacross has its roots in the all-American desire to risk life and limb with potentially grisly consequences. It takes the most

spectacular elements of outdoor freestyle motorcycle racing, but compresses it all into a purpose-built indoor dirt track.

Tomorrow night, London hosts the first leg of a four-date national tour showcasing some of the biggest names in freestyle motocross, including former world champion Andre Villa (actually pictured above), and UK favourite Dave Wiggins.

As well as acrobatic tricks, there’ll be good old-fashioned racing closer to the ground, with riders in action including defending British indoor 450cc champion Tom Church and hot prospect Josh Gilbert, a 15-year-old from Cornwall who should surely be concentrating on his science homework.

Arenacross, January 12 at O2 Arena.

Adults £19; children £10; family tickets £49.

Visit arenacrossuk.com for more information

| January 11 2013 | 05

Cameron Baird

Radar

p06 – Kevin Keegan flashes back to a United-Liverpool classic

Radar

head of the northwest derby on Sunday, we asked former Liverpool striker Kevin Keegan about facing Manchester United in the 1977 FA Cup final.

“It might have been classic for you, but it wasn’t for us. It was my second last game for Liverpool, and it was the game that stopped us winning the treble. We’d won the league, and we were going to Rome on the following Wednesday to play Borussia Mönchengladbach [in the European Cup Final] with that game in the middle, so it was disappointing for us.

We knew we had the European Cup the next week, so maybe that was playing on our minds

A

as remembered by kevin keegan

Virtual insanity T

he three best sporting simulators that you can have installed in your home (at great expense)

06 | January 11 2013 |

1977 FA Cup FinAl

liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

– we didn’t think it was, but we didn’t play well on the day. I remember Jimmy Case scoring a great goal. It was one of those finals that could have really gone either way, but we didn’t really do ourselves justice on the day.

You go in with all the dreams; we wanted to play well and win like we did against Newcastle in 1974, but it just didn’t happen for us. We just couldn’t get going – I don’t know why.

Had we been anything like our best, we were major favourites to win. But fair dues to United; they were very determined, they fought hard, they hung in there and they got a result when a lot of people didn’t expect it.

The fans must have got back on the train to Liverpool and in their cars and thought: ‘Wow, is it really worth going all the way out to Rome and spending all that money?’ And I think a lot of them thought: ‘They can’t be that bad again, they’ll do it this time.’ And, of course, we did.

The rivalry wasn’t like it is now – that’s come because United have caught Liverpool up in terms of winning trophies.

Rivalry comes when teams are challenging.

It won’t fade away now, it’s there forever.”

Watch ESPN for live coverage of the FA Cup, Barclays Premier League and other top European football. espn.co.uk/tv

pack up the ornaments

sit like sebastian

no snow? no problem

The tech from Urban Golf’s simulator centres can now be installed at home. Smashing.

From £20,000, urbangolf.com

Using the Playseat for gaming is just like being at the wheel of a Red Bull, if you don’t eat in it.

From €929, playseat.com

The SkiGym is the latest addition to the growing ‘look like an arse in front of the TV’ category. $4,500, ski-gym.de

Peter Robinson/Empics Sport

<<Flashback<<

Radar

A dying breed

F

orget polar bears and giant pandas. For a really endangered species, you need look no further than the Major League knuckleballer. When done right, the knuckleball deviates from mound to plate in an entirely unpredictable manner and can, at times, be literally impossible to hit. Despite that, just one player – Toronto Blue Jays pitcher RA Dickey (below) – throws the peculiar delivery in baseball’s premier competition this season. And his route to the top has been as torturous and unpredictable as one of his deliveries.

Insightful documentary Knuckleball!, which has just been released for iTunes in the UK, tells Dickey’s story.

He started out as a conventional pitcher before turning to the knuckleball at the age of 31 in an attempt to prolong his professional career. It worked – Dickey’s delivery, in which the ball is pushed out of the hand with minimal spin, saw him rocket back into Major League Baseball, and in 2012 he was presented with the Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in the MLB’s National League) after a stellar streak for the New York Mets.

Even for non-baseball fans, it’s well worth watching for a tale of sporting uniqueness triumphing over the ordinary.

Knuckleball! Available to rent and buy from iTunes Store

Keep in touch

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Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images, Patrick Eagar/Patrick Eagar Collection via Getty Images, Lutz Bongarts/Bongarts/Getty Images, Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

ary Neville’s punditry on Monday Night Football is streets ahead of the competition, thanks in part to the giant tactical touchscreen that allows him to highlight salient points from each game instead of just describing exactly what we’ve just seen – like they do on Match of the Day. Sky Sports’ updated app (pictured above) brings some of that tactical intelligence to your iPad, with Opta live data, so you can settle fierce debates down the pub in a more peaceful fashion than usual.

BBC Sport have also updated their app (below) – it’s now much easier to keep track of fixtures and live scores.

Which, if we’re honest, is going to be a bit more useful day to day than knowing how many times Robin van Persie touched the ball last weekend.

Sky Sports and BBC Sport apps, free on iTunes Store, out now

Three more physics-defying sportsmen

1. Shane Warne

2. Roberto Carlos

3. Phil Taylor

The Aussie spinner delivered the ‘ball of the century’ to Mike Gatting in a 1993 Ashes Test. It pitched outside leg before turning savagely to dislodge the bewildered England batsman’s off-stump.

The Brazilian full-back belted the majority of his free-kicks straight into the wall. But, when he got it right, they took on a life of their own – with a famous goal against France in 1997 the highlight.

The Power is unique in the darting world, and not just because he has a fitness regime. The 16-time world champion’s darts enter the board pointing upwards, which makes stacking darts in one area easier.

08 | January 11 2013 |

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Radar Editor’s letter Messi: a fourth Ballon d’Or – and he plays in the best league in the world. No, we’re not talking about the Prem

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Sport magazine Part of UTV Media plc 18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ Telephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942 Email: firstname.lastname@ sport-magazine.co.uk Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952) 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) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: Sophie Hurcom

Sport’s marvellous soap opera continues apace – and we all need to keep up here is something about a new year in sport that never fails to set the pulse racing. It’s probably because sport never fails to disappoint. We know, without question, that some of our favourite moments of 2013 will happen in sport.

Editor-in-chief True, this year has a hard act to follow.

Simon Caney We all fell into some kind of hypnotic trance @simoncaney last year, as glory heaped on glory. And, with the best will in the world, 2013 is going to be different. But it may be equally good, in its different way. So, in this issue, we ask the big sporting questions that may be answered this year.

One of them centres on English football, and its boast to have the best league in the world: something that may be sorely tested if our involvement in this season’s Champions League comes to an end several weeks before the clocks have changed.

Only this week, the naming of the annual FIFA team of the year saw all 11 players coming from La Liga. That may be harsh on Robin van Persie, but few would argue with the

T

final make-up of that team of the best players in the world. Think of your own Premier League XI and ask how many would walk into Barcelona or Real Madrid – the answer is, sadly, very few.

Still, not many people predicted a Champions League triumph for Chelsea at this point last year, so all is not lost.

And, while Man Utd continue to use their Relegation Defence system (’just score more goals than the other lot’), the Premier League is certainly an exciting product, as I think they say in certain parts.

Football won’t be the main sporting highlight of the year, though: that will come in the shape of two almighty clashes with Australia. The Ashes (in fact, two lots of Ashes, with the return leg beginning in November) and the Lions Tour down under will give us plenty to marvel at. Indeed, I’ve already had a couple of quid on Jimmy Anderson being named Sports Personality of the Year. A fool and his money, etc.

Don’t despair, then – 2012 is gone, but not forgotten. New adventures await.

Luis Suarez is nothing if not newsworthy.

Almost every week, it seems, he manages to do something that gets people talking. Last week’s handball was just the latest in a long line of perceived misdemeanours that have polarised football fans – Liverpool supporters can see no wrong in him, yet to others he’s almost a footballing devil incarnate. It’s daft, however, to suggest he should have owned up to handling the ball last week against Mansfield: footballers in the heat of the moment always think they’re right. The trouble with Suarez is that he has too much previous to ever get the benefit of the doubt. A fine footballer, but not one to inspire a great deal of affection.

Delighted to welcome David Flatman back to the Sport fold as a regular weekly columnist. A one-time England prop forward and stalwart at Bath, he had to retire from professional rugby because of injury in the summer – but he assures us that’s not diminished his ability to write an amusing column every week.

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Radar Opinion

David Lyttleton

Flats on Friday

2013: The year I revert to being a fan

Y

es, it’s been a while, gang, but the chaps at Sport did indeed eventually run out of things to talk about. So, here I am: a washed-up old dog, looking for a place to call home. I’ll be the best friend you ever had, if you’ll have me. If not, then sorry – but I am likely to bite. They call me a ‘contributor’, but I prefer the term ‘best man we ever knew’. Semantics.

So, after a somewhat uncomfortably long absence and by literally no public demand, I am back. And I am here – unashamedly – to discuss the big issues. With this quill, I will cut through the tosh and dissect what sport really is all about. None of this airy-fairy fence-sitting; it’s not what you want, and you don’t deserve it.

No, this time it’s for real. I am no longer a professional rugby player – that dream ended back in June – but I have emerged from a trancelike state, and I have never felt so motivated.

I’m like Rocky Balboa training in the Russian hills. I even have a beard, for God’s sake.

At the beginning of a new year, it’s always healthy to give oneself a goal or two. Despite the

12 | January 11 2013 |

fact that most of mine revolve around my next meal, I do like to dream sporting dreams. And, after the England rugby team passed through a period of uncertainty, inconveniently hyped misdemeanours and, well, a few average showings, I now feel like a fully-fledged fan again. I always was, really.

But what Stuart Lancaster and his comrades have done is make brutal decisions, put faith in young men and absolutely backed them to deliver. Success won’t arrive immediately, and it would indeed have been awkward had England been cleaned up by the Big Three in the autumn – but they weren’t.

We have seen, by watching the Welsh, how things can change over the course of a year, and the next World Cup is a long way off. For now, I would love to see England win the Six Nations, and I really believe they can do it. There are some difficult assignments in there, chief of which is a trip to Dublin. So a Grand Slam looks perhaps a little tough in the short term. Okay, I’ll admit it – I’ll be happy if they just do a number on the French.

Then comes the Lions tour in Australia.

They’re a funny team, the Wallabies, in that they

never look quite like world-beaters on paper, primarily because one rarely looks at their pack and feels shivers running down one’s spine.

However, they do have an inherent competitiveness and an infuriating knack of performing in the big games – lest we forget, it was they who denied the All Blacks a chance of achieving a world-record winning streak last year. So, the Lions will have their work cut out, but they can win this series. A huge amount hinges on the forward pack eating their milk and bananas and playing with ferocious intent – and even more will hinge on the composure of Jonny Sexton, who will surely line up at 10.

I don’t want for much this year, then – only total domination of the world. Oh, and I’ve signed up to ride a bike across Britain over nine days in June. I obtained the bike only last month, I am asthmatic and I currently weigh 20 stone. If I finish that particular challenge alive, then England and the Lions have absolutely no excuse whatsoever. Game on. @davidflatman

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Frozen in time

14 | January 11 2013 |

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The sand gets everywhere You don’t have to be mad to work here, but it helps.

So says the sign in the workshop of every rider taking part in this year’s Dakar Rally. Once upon a time, a band of plucky devils would set off from Paris and wind up in Dakar a week or two later. These days, they don’t start in Paris any more – and, in a strange twist of events, the Dakar Rally goes nowhere near Dakar either. This year’s race began in Lima – here we see one unnamed rider desperately hoping to see a friendly face somewhere in the Peruvian desert. Like we say, you don’t have to be mad, etc.

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ThirTeen QuesTions

The burning issues of 2013

How to follow the sporting year that was 2012? A first ever British winner of the Tour de France, a first British Grand Slam champion since the world was black and white, and an Olympic Games that screamed 'Rule Britannia' at every turn. It's not going to be easy, but sport is a relentlessly rolling stone – and 2013 offers us an Ashes series, a British Lions tour and a World Athletics Championships to name but three major events to complement the usual feast of annual attractions.

Here, we address the 13 key questions that could come to define the next 12 sporting months – starting with the next big thing on two wheels...

18 | January 11 2013 |

Britain’s Chris Froome finished second in last year’s Tour de France, but in 2013 he’s aiming to go one better. Sport talks to cycling’s coming man A Tour de France victory, Olympic gold and national adulation: 2012 seemed a flawless year for Bradley Wiggins. But it wasn‘t totally without drama. At one point, the biggest threat to his Yellow Jersey triumph seemed to come from within his own team. Less heralded Team Sky rider Chris Froome had a breakout Tour. At times on the mountain stages – such as Stage 11, in which he briefly surged away from Wiggins before dropping back – some insinuated Froome was sending hints to the team suggesting he could push harder and faster than his more esteemed teammate.

The press questioned whether he was still a team player at the time, but the softly spoken 27-year-old is quick to clarify things when Sport asks him. “What I found frustrating was that the media played on this notion that there was this rivalry between us, saying that we were racing each other,“ he says. “That was certainly not the case.

I can understand why they did, because there were moments when it certainly looked like that. But I think anyone who knows me knows that‘s not who I am.

“I would never maliciously go and try and take Bradley‘s Yellow Jersey, or try to put him in a difficult position. I was trying to do my job to the best of my abilities. Going into the Tour, I was always a back-up duty rider.

So I had to be as close to the front of the race as possible, while looking after Bradley.

“Obviously, as soon as I heard that Bradley was in difficulty, I dropped back to stay with him. People need to remember that cycling is a team sport; all of us have a job to do.“

History beckons Things are a little different going into 2013.

Dave Brailsford, the hugely influential director of British Cycling and general manager of Team Sky, backed Froome to focus on this year‘s historic 100th Tour de France – while indicating May‘s Giro d‘Italia course could suit Wiggins‘ strengths better.

Even Wiggins was originally ambiguous about

Team factions It‘s happened in sports such as Formula 1, however, that when two teammates push for the title without a recognised number one, it can cause fractious relationships within the team. And, more importantly, it can dent the chances of both. Isn‘t there a danger of that happening with Team Sky? “It‘s by no means an easy situation to be in,“ Froome admits. “It‘s something that the team‘s going to have to manage and plan for accordingly. But I believe we‘re all professional enough to follow the plan and do what‘s required of us.“ Froome‘s 2012 certainly went to plan, featuring an Olympic bronze medal, a stage win at the Tour de France and a secondplaced Tour finish overall. However, the move from second to first is often the hardest to achieve. Improvement is something Froome has given thought to.

“I think it‘s a year in which I‘m going to have to step up to the bar and learn how to be a leader more than anything else,“ he says.

“I need to speak my mind a lot more and say what I need help with from within the team, instead of basically just doing the job I‘ve always been asked to do. There‘s a big leadership responsibility, and getting the troops to buy into it is important. You have to get the guys behind you.“ He‘s not as outgoing as Wiggins, but there‘s a quiet, grounded determination that radiates from Froome. He finishes our interview by flashing a smile and telling Sport that “this year ahead… it‘s exciting times“.

With two riders targeting the Yellow Jersey – and Mark Cavendish back in the mix for Green – this is one point that everyone in British cycling can definitely agree on. >

| 19

Pascal Pavani/AFP/Getty Images

1. Can Chris Froome capture Bradley Wiggins’ crown?

whether he‘d aim for consecutive Yellow Jerseys, before telling the BBC in December: “I‘m probably going to try and win a second Tour de France.“ Froome speaks in no such uncertain language about his teammate‘s goals. “It‘d be hard for someone not to go and defend the Tour, so he [Wiggins] will go with the aim of being the best,“ he says. Not that Froome appears fazed at the prospect of taking on the reigning champion: “I‘m going to target the Tour and the team has said that they will support me 100 per cent in that. The course is going to be favourable to my riding style.

There‘s fewer time trials, more mountains in 2013. It plays to my strengths.“ So will we see a situation in which Team Sky looks to support two riders, both vying for the Yellow Jersey? “Most definitely, I expect that to be the case,“ says Froome.

“In some teams, you even find four guys going for the GC [General Classification, the overall winner] because if more of you are in the competition for it, there‘s obviously more chance that you‘re going to get a result. If you bet on just one guy, there‘s a lot that can go wrong – especially because the first week of the Tour is really dangerous. It puts us in a really strong position, having two guys with an ability to contend.“

13 Questions for 2013

2. Can the Premier League prove it really is the best in the world?

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid stand in the way of Arsenal and Manchester United in the Champions League’s last 16 Chelsea‘s astonishing run to Champions League success last year was just paper over the cracks – because, on the continental stage as a whole, English football is not in good health. The self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world‘ has just two representatives remaining in this season‘s premier club competition – the lowest number to make the last 16 since the competition was expanded to 32 teams, and one that could easily drop to zero after tough draws for both Arsenal and Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger‘s spluttering Arsenal side face Bayern Munich, who lost the final on penalties last season but have been tearing up the Bundesliga this time round – after 17 games, they‘re nine points clear, with a ludicrous goal difference of +37. In Europe‘s five major leagues, only Barcelona (61), Real Madrid (45) and Manchester United (54) have scored more than Munich‘s 44 – but the Germans have conceded just seven, compared with United‘s 28.

United‘s own hopes for progression hinge on how well they can nurse that leaky defence through 180 minutes of merciless reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, as they take on Real Madrid in what could well prove the games of the year (preceded, most probably, by the mind games of the year from Fergie and Jose Mourinho). The wheels have already come off

3. Will England qualify for the 2014 World Cup?

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images, Michael Regan/Getty Images

In a year of post-Olympic comedown, the nation’s sporting expectations will once more rest on the England football team...

And that means all eyes on Roy Hodgson and his squad as they face up to six crucial qualifiers in the calendar year. It is in the manager‘s favour that said matches are split into three lots of two, and indeed that the first of them is the penalty kick of an away game in San Marino in March – but four days later comes the first pivotal tie of 2013, as the team heads east to play current Group H leaders Montenegro.

Regardless of what happens in that fixture, it is likely that the destination of the group‘s one automatic qualifying spot for Brazil in 2014 will be decided in October‘s final round of games. Assuming that England are still in contention, it should again be in their favour that two potentially difficult fixtures – the reverse against Montenegro and then Poland – are both at Wembley. Ukraine may have left the

20 | January 11 2013 |

home of football with a richly-deserved point last September, but that was against an England team without Wayne Rooney, and one that struggled to grab control of the game in midfield.

The return to both form and fitness of Jack Wilshere – and captain Steven Gerrard, who has looked revitalised in an improving Liverpool side this season – augurs well for England‘s hopes, although Hodgson will be hopeful that Gary Cahill enjoys a continued run in the Chelsea team, and that goalkeeper Joe Hart loses the jitters that have affected his game in recent times.

Back to the original question, though. We‘ve done some typically rough maths, and it is our opinion that a still unbeaten England will take 19 points into that final home tie against Poland – who will arrive at Wembley with 18 of their own, meaning that a draw would do it. Almost 40 years to the day that Jan Tomaszewski‘s man-of-the-match goalkeeping heroics denied England a spot at the 1974 World Cup, it may finally be time for revenge. >

the Madrid title train – they‘re 16 points behind Barcelona – so expect Mourinho to throw everything at the Champions League in what will likely be his last season in the Spanish capital.

Some hope for these battered isles could come from an unlikely source in Celtic, who pulled off what manager Neil Lennon called “one of the greatest nights in the club‘s recent history” in beating Barcelona, and have been rewarded with a tie against a resurgent Juventus. If Celtic manage to tear their eyes away from Andrea Pirlo‘s magnificent beard long enough to progress, they‘ll be the first Scottish side to make the last eight of the Champions League for 20 years.

It would be crass sensationalism to suggest that English football is in danger of going the same way, but the truth is that the very best players in the world no longer play in the Premier League. FIFA‘s World XI for 2012 doesn‘t feature a single English-based player, and Athletic Bilbao‘s dismantling of United in last year‘s Europa League deflated the oft-stated argument that La Liga lacks the strength in depth to be considered the best. The best way of proving that the Premier League‘s overinflated ego doesn‘t deserve a similar puncturing would be for Manchester United and Arsenal to safely negotiate the toughest of knockout ties in 2013.

Real Madrid v Manchester United: February 13, return leg March 5 Arsenal v Bayern Munich: February 19, return leg March 13

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13 Questions for 2013

4. Will the Usain Bolt Show still top the ratings?

With the World Championships in Moscow this summer, Runner’s World senior writer Kerry McCarthy weighs up whether the planet’s fastest man can be caught by his closest rival, Yohan Blake Motivation Having lost his 100m world title to Yohan Blake in Daegu, Usain Bolt will have all the motivation he needs to regain it in Moscow. Bolt is in the position he is precisely because of his extraordinary levels of self-motivation. He is constantly aware of a) his duty of care towards his fans, b) how lucky he is to be in that position and c) how scared he is of coach Glen Mills. Plus, he has that ability to ignore what he‘s already achieved. He might come across as cocky when he says “I‘m a living legend” and such, but that‘s him very much playing to the cameras. I think he‘ll have already forgotten London last year, and will be fully focused on what he has to achieve in 2013.

As for Blake, he didn‘t manage to beat Bolt when it really mattered, but he still had an awesome 2012. There‘s no doubt he got a lot closer to Bolt, as he showed in beating him over 100m and 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials and in setting a new 100m best of 9.69s after the Games. But I think Bolt‘s experience, his mental strength and his motivation levels are just a bit higher than Blake‘s at this time.

Distance

Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Blake would say that his strongest distance is the 200m, but Bolt is traditionally a slow starter. By the time he unfurls those long legs to approach full speed, he‘s already covered 60 or 70 metres. So, over 100m, Bolt can‘t afford to have too bad a start and hope to recover from it – certainly not with someone like Blake on his tail.

In the 200m, Bolt could have a disastrous start and probably still be able to claw it back. So if you had to put your house on Bolt winning just one sprint final in Moscow, it would be the 200m. Blake has a marginally better chance of winning the 100m, simply because there are more variables – more things can go wrong.

22 | January 11 2013 |

Age Blake is three and a half years younger than Bolt, and has that youthful exuberance in his legs that Bolt perhaps doesn‘t. But Bolt has more experience – particularly in championships, where it‘s about going through the rounds without expending too much energy and keeping your tank full for the final. It‘s also worth remembering that Linford Christie won the 100m final in Barcelona at the age of 32.

I think Bolt has another two or three years before he starts to fade. I can see him becoming a triple-triple Olympic champion in Rio – although I‘d be amazed if he carried on after that. In terms of this summer, I don‘t think age is a factor at all.

The chasers I can‘t see anyone beating Bolt or Blake over either distance in Moscow. Justin Gatlin is getting on a bit and, in the 200m, Warren Weir is still quite green in terms of his senior career. Christophe Lemaitre is fast, but his sprinting form is still pretty ropey. If Tyson Gay is fully fit, I‘d see him as more of a threat than Gatlin, but he seems to have lost some faith in his own robustness – his body has developed certain frailties, and that can mess with an athlete‘s head.

Seven out of eight guys ran under 10 seconds in the 2012 Olympic final, suggesting the 100m is in a strong position. And it is – but the gap between Bolt, Blake and the remaining six athletes remains wide as ever. >

13 Questions for 2013

6. How can Paralympics GB build a true legacy?

Former GB wheelchair basketball star Ade Adepitan explains the steps that those involved in disability sport need to take Increased access

5. Which British athletes will excel at the World Championships?

Sport assesses whether the stars of London 2012 can repeat their heroics in Moscow this summer – and whether those who disappointed can bounce back The winners

The losers

dai Greene, 400M Hurdles

Grassroots growth

The Sheffield athlete turns 27 later this month, and after a prolonged period of celebration in the wake of London 2012 arguably begins the year at the peak of her powers. The Olympic heptathlon champion is a world-class sprint hurdler waiting to happen, but Ennis is desperate to retain the world title she yielded to Tatyana Chernova in 2011. “Having got so close to 7,000 points in London, and with it being a World Championships year, I think it‘s right for me to push on with the heptathlon,” she told Sport before Christmas. This is not a girl with defeat on her mind.

Perhaps harsh, given that he finished fourth in an Olympic final, but Greene – the reigning world champ – was never in contention for gold and made little attempt to hide his own dismay at finishing out of the medals. That his winter had been disrupted by a knee injury must have had an impact on a gruelling Olympic schedule, but Greene enters 2013 fit, hungry and ready to renew his rivalry with the Puerto Rican Javier Culson. That both disappointed in London (Culson won only bronze) should only serve to strengthen their respective determination to shine in Moscow.

Mo FaraH, 5,000M & 10,000M

Holly Bleasdale, pole Vault

Britain‘s long-distance hero was already well into his winter training when we spoke to him last month, his focus very much on repeating his double-Olympic gold in Moscow. The way in which Farah won both 5,000m and 10,000m in London suggests he is more than capable of doing so again, although you can bet your life that the Kenyans and Ethiopians will be back with a bang in 2013. Another double could be a big ask.

A world indoor bronze-medallist with bags of potential, Bleasdale‘s eighth place at London 2012 – at the age of 20, in her first Olympics – reads well on paper.

But the nature of her display in the pole vault final, in which she looked nervous and emotional before largely falling apart, is a huge concern going into 2013.

A medal in Moscow might be asking a lot, but a more composed and confident Bleasdale could yet surprise.

The big events get the headlines and allow us to raise interest, but it‘s the week-in, week-out support that needs to increase.

When I was playing, the Wheelchair Basketball League was at its peak, whereas 90 per cent of competitors now play abroad because that‘s where the money is – and this is happening across too many Paralympic sports. We need companies and people to get involved in supporting or investing at the grassroots level; then we can start to rebuild that local following. Without that, we‘ll get these one-off peaks every so often, but face a steady decline and lose the interest levels in the long term.

GreG rutHerFord, lonG JuMp

pHillips idowu, triple JuMp

No Olympic gold-medallist milked the limelight quite like Rutherford in late 2012, but that shouldn‘t detract from a year in which he also equalled the British record and topped the world rankings. The 26-year-old will have his work cut out to add world gold to his Olympic gong, with defending champ Dwight Phillips due back from an Achilles injury. He has bundles of talent, but expecting gold is probably expecting too much.

A mystery man for much of 2012, when injury and intrigue limited his competitive appearances, Idowu entered his home Olympics as an enigma but left it a huge disappointment. The Londoner is now 34 and, in all honesty, unlikely to improve – but, if he can get himself fit and in the right frame of mind, Moscow could represent a chance for him to bow out in a blaze of glory. Don‘t bet the mortgage on it though, eh?

Jess ennis, HeptatHlon

All pictures Getty Images

The major job for everyone involved in disability sports is to increase the accessibility to these sports, and make people aware of how and where they can get involved. The biggest thing I experienced after the Games was parents or kids contacting me to say that their nearest club or nearest facility to get involved in a chosen sport was 15 or 20 miles away – and that‘s not good enough. The other important thing is coaching. More people need to understand how to coach Paralympic sports, teachers in particular, and how the different classifications work. Starting these kids playing these sports at a young age needs to be done in schools.

Screen time Channel 4‘s Paralympic coverage was fantastic, but now they need to start showing more events. There are world championships in both athletics and swimming this year, not to mention pretty major events going on across other sports.

People are looking at the raw statistics of what was achieved at the Paralympics, and realising the standard is incredibly high. The basketball shooting stats are up at around 50 per cent, the wheelchair tennis serves are coming in at over 100mph. Now it‘s up to all of us to ensure the fans who have discovered Paralympics sport keep on watching. >

| January 11 2013 | 25

13 Questions for 2013

7. What next for the Team GB boxing stars?

Nicola Adams tells us about her plans for 2013 and beyond, as we assess the future for the London 2012 boxing medal-winners After the excitement of 2012, have things returned to normal a bit more for you yet?

“Yeah, we were back in camp a month and two weeks after the Games, but now we‘ve got into full-time training. I‘m quite determined to concentrate on my boxing.

Anything else, if it fits around the boxing, I‘ll be happy to do it – but the main thing for me is being back into my routine.”

What are the main events you are going to be involved in this year?

“My main tournament is going to be the European Amateur Boxing Championships, which is going to be in October. The men have the World Championships this year – we have the Europeans.”

So will you be a marked woman now you‘re the Olympic champ?

“Yeah, definitely. I‘m going to have to train a lot harder than I did before. The thing with boxing is that there‘s always areas you can improve in. I always think I can be that much faster, I can be more technically sound, I can always be stronger.”

Scott Heavey/Getty Images, Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

Success at London 2012 was a huge goal for the squad. Will you struggle for motivation without it?

“We all feel just as motivated. I have my goals for the future: I want to win in the World Championships; I‘ve had three silvers in the worlds so far, so I really want a gold; I‘ve got a chance to make another first in winning the Commonwealth Games [women‘s boxing is introduced for 2014]. Also, we‘ve never had a double-Olympic champion in Great Britain for boxing, so I really want to achieve that too.”

The World Championships is a notoriously difficult one to win, isn‘t it?

“Yeah, if you don‘t get a bye, it‘s six fights in maybe eight days to win gold. I had only three fights in the Olympics to get gold. So it is really tough – and because it‘s our [Olympic] qualifying event as well, you know that everybody is going to be giving their all.”

But beyond that, the aim for you is still the 2016 Olympics, right?

“Definitely. I‘ve always wanted to go to Rio, and that plan hasn‘t changed. So far, I‘ve had a lot of firsts, and I want to make this another first: double-Olympic champion. I think I‘d be able to retire on that!”

26 | January 11 2013 |

Your Ali shuffle was a great London 2012 memory. Will you break it out again in 2013?

“I‘ll definitely be putting in the Ali shuffle – maybe I can make mine even better or create my own thing. I‘ll have to get to work on that one and see what I can come up with!”

And London’s boxing best of the rest...

AnThOnY JOShuA, heAvYWeighT gOLd Big Josh has spoken of his desire to win gold at this October‘s World Championships, improving on his silver in 2011. Whether he does or not, professional offers will roll in for the 6ft 6ins 23-year-old whose punch-power makes him a natural for the pro game.

Luke CAmpBeLL, BAnTAmWeighT gOLd No British boxer has won both world and Olympic gold, so Campbell aims to make history in 2013. Providing his fingers survive Dancing on Ice in tact, he has the class to do it – and an Olympic double in 2016 is possible.

Fred evAnS, WeLTerWeighT SiLver Evans is currently involved in the World Series of Boxing, which allows amateur boxers to fight without headguards in five-round bouts. He‘s won both of his fights so far, and the Welshman – still only 21 – has time on his side in deciding whether he aims for gold at Rio 2016 or turns professional.

AnThOnY OgOgO, middLeWeighT BrOnze The charismatic Ogogo is the first of the squad to turn professional, having signed with US promoter Golden Boy. He‘ll make his debut this year, but a word of warning: Ogogo has heart, but isn‘t the most gifted of the London 2012 crop. Reaching the top of the paid ranks will take more than a Subway sarnie. >

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13 Questions for 2013

8. Will Andy Murray rule the world?

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Independent’s tennis correspondent, Paul Newman, is certain the Scot can pick up where he left off in 2012 Andy Murray has everything to play for – he can achieve an awful lot in 2013. Winning a slam has to be good for him, mentally. I remember talking to him in Tokyo a month after the US Open; he said, before he won it, every time he went on court he felt as if he had something to prove, either to himself or other people. Mainly to himself, I think.

Now he‘s climbed the mountain, it will take a lot of pressure off. He is going to be in with a big chance of winning Melbourne, Wimbledon and New York. A colleague always said Murray would start winning more once Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were past their peak.

I think he‘s right. The US Open will be the first of many Grand Slam victories for Murray.

The conditions and surface suit him very well in Melbourne, particularly. In the past three years, he‘s got to two finals and a semi final – and he always plays well in the first month of the year. He‘s defending US Open champion, loves the tournament and he even won the

28 | January 11 2013 |

boys‘ title there in 2004. You‘d expect him to be right in the mix, and likewise with Wimbledon.

I wouldn‘t rule him out of the French, either. Murray always says clay is his most difficult surface. And it is, undoubtedly, but we‘ve seen other players adapt. Maria Sharapova won the women‘s title last year; five years ago, you‘d never have imagined she could have done that.

He didn‘t do very well last season [losing in four sets to David Ferrer in the quarters], but given the right draw and the right conditions, he could have a very good tournament.

Murray wants to be more consistent outside the Grand Slam events. He didn‘t have a particularly good year in terms of the Masters Series events, and I think he would definitely like to do better there. I can see him doing well in some of the tournaments where he‘s done well in the past: Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati, Canada, Shanghai.

A lot depends on who follows, of course – whether players like Milos Raonic and Bernard Tomic develop like they promise to – but in the interim I can see Murray building on what he‘s done. He‘s fantastically committed.

Nobody works harder. He will give it everything.

Paul Newman is tennis correspondent for The Independent, Independent on Sunday and i newspapers

9. Can Rory win the McIlslam?

Ewen Murray of Sky Sports assesses the world number one’s chances of a clean sweep of majors Winning majors is difficult. You have only four chances a year, and you have to be fit, in form and mentally prepared every time – and hope your competitors are not. I‘d be surprised if Rory didn‘t win at least one major in 2013, but winning more than one is a very tall order indeed.

Of course, he is such a top player that he will have a great chance of winning every time he plays.

Tiger Woods did it over a long period of time, and Rory needs to do it consistently to be compared to him. It‘s actually the confrontation between Rory and Tiger that I‘m looking forward to. We‘ll see more

battles between these two than we have done previously – there may be 12 to 15 tournaments in which Rory and Tiger are going at each other on the final day. That‘d be very exciting.

But golf has never been healthier.

There are a lot of very high-quality players, any of whom could win a major. Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are world-class; Justin Rose is progressing with every season and is ready to win a major.

Ian Poulter could challenge for one, then there‘s Jason Dufner, Bubba Watson, Nicolas Colsaerts... and none of them have the scar tissue of being battered by Tiger every week.

Rory‘s only 23. He‘s only going to get better. He won‘t win four majors in 2013, but he‘ll be the one to beat.

Sky Sports will show more than 200 golf tournaments in 2013, with extensive live European and PGA Tour coverage, including three Majors >

| 29

13 Questions for 2013

10. Home sweet new home for Lewis?

Clive Mason/Getty Images, Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

We asked Sky Sports F1 pundit Johnny Herbert how Lewis Hamilton will settle into life at Mercedes He has a good opportunity to cement himself in the team very early on. If he can carry his form from the end of last season through, then he‘s in a very good situation to be able to lead that team and possibly lead it to winning ways. That‘s not just going to be down to Lewis, but down to what they can produce for him in a car and their development work mid-season, which is something they‘ve lacked. That‘s probably the biggest thing Lewis has got to push – to have the right people there.

Can he win the championship this year? Yes, I believe he can. Can he do it the way the team was last year?

Absolutely not. And if it‘s not working straight away, he needs to jump on it and say: ‘Hey, we need to change this.‘ I don‘t think anyone has moved with him from McLaren. That‘s always something Michael Schumacher was very good at doing – taking with him people with whom he felt comfortable. That‘s the only negative side I see. But if they have the right people, he will fit in without a problem.

Although Lewis was with McLaren for a long time, he wasn‘t always with the F1 team, so he‘s had to forge a bond with different teams and get various relationships going. Everybody knows how good he can be; if they produce the right car for him, those relationships will bond much quicker.

Lewis will be the number-one driver, because he knows he‘ll be the one who will produce the goods. Consistency will be key from the team in the development of the car – and that‘s one thing we have to see from Lewis too.

Sky Sports F1 HD has full live coverage of every race of the 2013 season

30 | January 11 2013 |

11. What now for horse racing’s favourite son?

Channel 4 presenter Mick Fitzgerald on whether Frankie Dettori can return to the top after his drugs ban It is not easy for a jockey of Frankie‘s quality to spend so much time away from the sport he loves. I can only speak from personal experience, but when I broke my neck in 2005 and was off for four months, it gave me something of a regeneration. It made me look underneath my skin and find out if that‘s what I still really wanted to do.

And I think doing something like Celebrity Big Brother will make him realise that what he does best is ride racehorses. Frankie is a great character who more than anything has been embarrassed by what‘s happened to him, but I think he‘ll find that he does still have the hunger for it – otherwise all he can do is turn his back on the sport completely. This time away from riding will make him question whether he really wants to come back; I am absolutely sure that it will regenerate him, and that he‘ll come back hungrier than ever.

Yes, when he comes back he will no longer have his retained job with Godolphin. Listen though, and I‘m not just saying this: Frankie Dettori is still one of the very best jockeys in the world. On the big stage, on a big day, he is one of the top men out there. You ask me if he may have a problem finding top rides in the big races? None at all.

Channel 4 is the new home of horse racing – live every Saturday, plus midweek Festivals >

Completely free every Friday.

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13 Questions for 2013

12. Which Ashes captain will rule the roost?

With 10 England v Australia Tests in the coming months, a lot is riding on two dynamic young skippers. We crunch the numbers to see who has the edge

1,595 1,249

Captain’s log alastair Cook

17% 17%

Test runs in 2012

michael Clarke

alastair Cook

Only three players have ever scored more Test runs in a year than Clarke did in 2012. Cook was second on the 2012 list, still 346 runs behind the red-hot Aussie

66%

key: Wins DraWs Losses

michael Clarke

19% 24%

57%

Ashes averages

50.56 45.50 alastair Cook

michael Clarke

A poor 2010-11 Ashes pulls Clarke’s average v England below his epic career tally of 52.53. Cook’s 50+ average against Australia is what we’d call ‘quite handy’

13. Who lines up for the British Lions against Australia?

Our returning columnist David Flatman selects his Lions XV to take on the Wallabies this summer

6 stePHen Ferris (ire) Freak. He must be kept fit and put on the field.

11 tommy Bowe (ire)

7 CHris roBsHaw (eng)

Hugely capable around the field and now a top-class scrummager to boot.

Again, most will pick Sam Warburton.

They will have a case, but Robshaw has come of age, is an emerging leader, has proven himself at the breakdown by totally outplaying Richie McCaw and will outwork every other man on the field.

Not a huge man, but technically supreme, massively competitive and in possession of a monstrous work rate.

3 Dan Cole (eng) Most will pick Adam Jones. I see their point, but Cole offers a team so much that he should be first choice.

4 Paul o’Connell (ire) If – and it’s a big if – he gets fit in time, O'Connell is a leader among men.

Massive work rate, inspirational presence and lineout force.

5 Joe launCHBury (eng) I know, he’s just a kid. But the Aussies won’t know him, and he has the ability

32 | January 11 2013 |

10 Jonny sexton (ire) If he can translate his provincial form and confidence to the world stage, he could dominate the series.

1 Cian Healey (ire)

2 rory Best (ire)

Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images, David Rogers/Getty Images

to cause them real problems with ball in hand.

8 niCk easter (eng)

If fit, of course. If not, then Alex Cuthbert and Chris Ashton will be close. And don’t rule out Bath’s Kyle Eastmond as the uncapped selection. This kid can really play.

12 manu tuilagi (eng) He’s a monster. Get him in there and tell him to smash anything in gold.

Too old for England, too good to leave out. Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip may get the nod because he has at least been playing international rugby of late – but, for me, Easter is the best out there.

13 Brian o’DrisColl (ire)

9 Danny Care (eng)

Big unit, loves to score, chases kicks hard and will be a handful if used wisely

by Sexton and company.

Yes, Quins are doing rather well. Care is just flying at the moment, and nobody else can really claim that. Electric at the base, classy basic skills, a suitably big mouth with which to guide his gorillas around the field and natural confidence make him my top number nine.

No explanation needed. If this guy (pictured, right) is fit, he plays every minute of the series.

14 george nortH (wal)

15 roB kearney (ire) Class, though it’s a tough call with Leigh Halfpenny also playing well in a recently struggling Wales side.

Cook has captained in just six Tests: two in Bangladesh, four in India.

Clarke’s 57 per cent win ratio in 21 Tests is still second best among current captains

7 Days OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

JANHIGHLIGHTS 11-JAN 17 » Football: Premier League Preview » p36 » Cricket: India v England ODIs » p38 » Snooker: Betfair Masters » p38 » Rugby: Heineken Cup, Round 5 » p39 » NFL: Divisional Playoffs » p39

sunDAY > TENNIS | AUSTRALIAN OPEN | MELBOURNE PARK | BRITISH EUROSPORT 12AM

World number one Novak Djokovic is bidding to become the first man to win three successive Australian Opens in the modern era at Melbourne Park next week.

Andy Murray has also taken his own dream down under, however – that of winning back-to-back Grand Slams, after he finally broke his duck in New York last September. The world number three enters the tournament as third seed, behind Djokovic and Roger Federer – but he is second favourite for the title, given the Swiss winner of 17 Grand Slam titles hasn’t played a competitive match since November.

Murray, meanwhile, goes into the first slam of the year with one trophy already in the cabinet. Last weekend, he defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov – who at 21 is the youngest player in the world’s top 50 – to defend his Brisbane International title.

But there were emotional scenes in the press conference afterwards, as Murray dedicated his win to a “sick friend” – later revealed to be British tennis player Ross Hutchins, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

The women’s draw is led by world number one Victoria Azarenka, who should hopefully have recovered from the infected big toe – the result of a ‘bad pedicure’, apparently – that forced her out of the Brisbane International last week.

Serena Williams was the eventual winner in Brisbane, extending her run to 35 wins in 36 matches. But with the seeding in Melbourne based on world rankings, the American – who has won the previous two slams, the Olympic title and the WTA Championships – is seeded only third, behind Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. You’re unlikely to find a bookie that has her as third favourite, though. If you do, get on it.

34 | January 11 2013 |

Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Murray dreams of a double

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7 Days

Premier League

sunday aRSEnaL v man CITy | EmIRaTES STaDIUm Sky SPORTS 1 4Pm

’Arry hosts his old club and Man City visit the Emirates, but there is still one fixture that gets the fires burning like no other sunday man UTD v LIVERPOOL | OLD TRaFFORD | Sky SPORTS 1 1.30Pm

A late equaliser from Laurent Koscielny meant the spoils were shared at the Etihad in September, that goal coming from a corner despite Arsenal having mustered the lowest ratio of goal attempts from set-pieces in the league so far, with 17.8 per cent. The Gunners have not lost in the league since going down to Swansea at the beginning of December, and Theo Walcott, Santi Carzola and Lukas Podolski looked devastating against Newcastle and Reading – but which Arsenal will turn up?

Against Stoke, City looked more like the efficient machine they were last season, with Edin Dzeko having rediscovered his scoring touch.

Talking of which, there has been a total of 32 goals in these sides’ past four league games put together. Expect more of the same.

Feeling blue

MOnday QPR v TOTTEnham | LOFTUS ROaD | SS1 8Pm

Back in September, Manchester United visited Anfield on the back of a 4-0 stroll over their regular whipping boys Wigan. Plus ça change, it would seem, as they now host Liverpool in the wake of the very same victory over the very same team. That there has been an FA Cup trip to West Ham in between is largely irrelevant to the Premier League juggernaut that is Sir Alex Ferguson – his side are seven points clear at the top of the table and show no sign of relinquishing that any time soon.

The league leaders will be encountering a very different Liverpool to the side they beat 2-1 in September, however. That day, the Reds bounced back from the first-half dismissal of Jonjo Shelvey to take a deserved lead through Steven Gerrard, only for United to set a tone for their season by coming from behind to win – a result that left Brendan Rodgers winless and in the bottom three after five games.

It has been slow progress for the Northern Irishman since – but, inspired by an irresistible Luis Suarez, Liverpool have won five of their last seven in the league and now sit a lofty (for

36 | January 11 2013 |

them) eighth. A run of games that also sees them travel to Arsenal and Man City in the next three weeks will do much to reveal just how far Liverpool can go this term, not to mention exactly how Rodgers plans to use new £12m signing Daniel Sturridge. The manager has suggested he will give the 23-year-old the central role he so craves, but whether he will do so in the (largely polite) cauldron that is Old Trafford must be open to question.

One certainty is that Wayne Rooney will not be fit in time to face the old enemy. But then, the striker also missed the game at Anfield in September, and it didn’t seem to do his team any harm. Some lad called van Persie got the winner – chances are he will again.

366

Shots taken

by Liverpool in the league this season – more than any other team and almost 60 more than United

’Arry’s great escape is on, then, with the QPR manager and fans alike getting proper giddy after their sensational win at Stamford Bridge.

Redknapp had perhaps surprised a few people after his team’s abject home defeat by Liverpool just three days earlier, when insisting he thought they could still get out of trouble – but Shaun Wright-Phillips’ late strike at the Bridge has everyone believing it might be possible.

And so to a visit from Redknapp’s old club, who were one of the late-season victims at Loftus Road in last season’s great escape. Then, madcap Moroccan Adel Taarabt scored and was sent off as Rangers scraped home 1-0. A repeat would do nicely for ‘Arry, but it won’t be easy – Tottenham are third in the table and playing some lovely stuff.

saturday EVERTON v SWANSEA GOODISON pARK | 3pM

Sixteenth plays seventeenth in this good old-fashioned relegation six-pointer.

Both Villa and Saints head into the game on the back of hard-earned points – respectively, away at Swansea and at home to Arsenal – but you suspect this is a more important game for Paul Lambert and his fragile kids. Namesake Ricky starred in Southampton’s 4-1 win in the reverse fixture in September – he could again prove a handful here.

Everton have lost just once in their past nine, and are two points from fourth.

Swansea have steadily climbed to ninth playing some of the most aesthetically pleasing football in the division, but remain vulnerable, as Villa and Norwich have shown in recent weeks. Leighton Baines – if he remains – will threaten: since August 2010, he’s scored (12) or assisted (15) 27 league goals, 10 more than any other defender in that period.

saturday READING v WEST BROM MADEJSKI STADIuM | 3pM

Of 147 players to have scored 10 or more Premier League goals since August 2008, Pavel Pogrebnyak has the best shot conversion rate, with 37 per cent. With two in two, big Pav is also Reading’s form man. West Brom took all three points thanks to Romelu Lukaku’s debut strike earlier in the season, and have ticked along nicely since – but Reading, with four points from their past two at home, will see this as a can/must win.

saturday STOKE v CHELSEA BRITANNIA STADIuM | 3pM

Two weeks after bringing Everton’s unbeaten home league record to an end, Chelsea attempt to do exactly the same to Stoke at the Britannia. The omens aren’t bad for the visitors, who haven’t lost a league game to the Potters since April 1975 – but that defeat at home to QPR and the ongoing saga of Frank Lampard’s uncertain future continue to loom large over the Blues. Three points would ease Rafa Benitez’s pain a touch.

saturday FuLHAM v WIGAN CRAVEN COTTAGE | 3pM

October 2006 was the last time Wigan beat Fulham in the Premier League.

Dimitar Berbatov was in his first season in England back then, fast becoming Spurs’ pivotal force. The Demon Berba has swapped clubs, but his role hasn’t changed – when he fancies it, Fulham look like they can beat anyone. Wigan are in familiar relegation territory, but with Sunderland, Stoke and Southampton up next, could start their SOS run here.

saturday SuNDERLAND v WEST HAM | STADIuM OF LIGHT | 3pM

Sunderland shocked Man City, then gave Spurs a scare, but their form seems to have slipped back to indifferent after going down 3-0 to Liverpool. Kevin Nolan rescued a point for the Hammers in September and is all but undroppable from the attacking midfield berth in West Ham’s 4-5-1. A likely start as sub, then, for Joe Cole: he has completed a full 90 just 13 times in the league since the start of 2008-09 – Ligue 1 and all.

saturday NORWICH v NEWCASTLE CARROW ROAD | 3pM

The now departed Demba Ba got the only goal in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Norwich in September – but with the Senegalese striker now plying his trade in Chelsea blue, Canaries manager Chris Hughton will fancy his chances of revenge over the club that ruthlessly sacked him just over two years ago. A fit striker would help; Norwich struggled without both Grant Holt and Steve Morison in defeat to West Ham on New Year’s Day.

Premier League table 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

P Man Utd 21 Man City 21 Tottenham 21 Chelsea 20 Everton 21 Arsenal 20 West Brom 21 Liverpool 21 Swansea 21 Stoke 21 West Ham 20 Norwich 21 Fulham 21 Sunderland 21 Newcastle 21 Aston Villa 21 Southampton20 Wigan 21 Reading 21 QPR 21

5

W 17 13 12 11 9 9 10 8 7 6 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 5 2 2

D 1 6 3 5 9 7 3 7 8 11 5 7 6 7 5 7 6 3 7 7

L 3 2 6 4 3 4 8 6 6 4 8 8 9 9 11 10 10 13 12 12

F 54 41 39 39 35 40 29 34 31 21 24 24 32 21 27 17 27 22 23 17

A 28 19 27 19 26 22 27 26 26 20 24 34 37 29 39 41 38 39 40 36

Pts 52 45 39 38 36 34 33 31 29 29 26 25 24 22 20 19 18 18 13 13

Number of clean sheets Manchester United have kept in 21 Premier League games so far – the same as Aston Villa

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All pictures Getty Images

saturday ASTON VILLA v SOuTHAMpTON | VILLA pARK | 3pM

7 Days Friday cricket | india v enGland: 1St odi | SauraShtra cricket aSSociation StadiuM, raJkot | Sky SPortS 1 6.30aM

Ashley’s turn

Ashley Giles, England’s new limited-overs coach, couldn’t have picked a tougher start to his new role. England have won just one of their past 18 one-day internationals in India – and while the Indian team performed poorly in three recent ODIs against Pakistan (scoring less than 200 twice, while losing the home series 2-1), England have a depleted bowling line-up with which to exploit any weaknesses.

James Anderson and Graeme Swann are rested, while Stuart Broad remains injured, meaning the old wheelie bin Giles might be tempted to give himself a trundle out at some point in the five-game series. At least

England only have Jonathan Trott rested from the batting line-up. Much will depend on the experienced Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and skipper Alastair Cook to make runs on what’s likely to be a slow, low-bouncing pitch at Rajkot. Scoring will not come easy.

With Sachin Tendulkar retired from ODIs and ageing run-clubber Virender Sehwag dropped, MS Dhoni’s India side has a fresh yet inexperienced look. England may want to keep an eye on 22-year-old pace bowler Shami Ahmed, who impressed with his accuracy in giving away just 23 runs in nine overs (with one wicket) in his international debut against Pakistan this month.

Sunday > Snooker | Betfair MaSterS | alexandra Palace, london | BBc two 1PM Snooker’s most prestigious invitation event returns to ally Pally, with neil robertson (below) beginning the defence of his title against world number eight ding Junhui. it was Junhui who arrived as defending champion last year, but lost in the first round to ronnie o’Sullivan. the rocket’s self-imposed sabbatical means he won’t feature, but 16 of the world’s top players offer potting power aplenty in his absence. robertson, second favourite to retain his crown, beat Shaun Murphy 10-6 in last year’s final – and if he is going to claim the £175,000 top prize again he will have to negotiate his way past Mark allen or Mark davis in the quarters and one of ali carter, John higgins, Shaun Murphy and ricky walden in the semis. that could mean a potential – and potentially fiercely contested, given their previous spats – final with Judd trump. the ace is the 9/2 favourite, but has no easy path: Barry hawkins, Graeme dott, Mark williams and Mark Selby all lurk on his side of the draw. But world number one Selby, december’s uk open winner, is the man in form. the Jester from leicester put that victory down to confidence – and you can rely on this confidence trickster, at 7/1, to pick a pocket or two.

Pick a pocket or two

ThurSday > Golf | aBu dhaBi hSBc Golf chaMPionShiP | aBu dhaBi Gc | Sky SPortS 1 6aM

Rose gold?

Tom Shaw/Getty Images, Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images, Mark Nolan/Getty Images

The 2013 PGA European Tour season may have begun in 2012, but it won’t actually reach europe until the Spanish open in the middle of april. next week, though, sees the first meaningful action of the campaign (a prize pot of $2.7m) with the abu dhabi hSBc Golf championship, where world numbers one and three rory Mcilroy and tiger woods are the star turns. the man beneath woods in the world ranking, england’s Justin rose, is making his debut in the tournament – but he has developed into such a strong all-round player that he could well be the man to beat this week.

38 | January 11 2013 |

Saturday Rugby union | Heineken Cup: RaCing MetRo 92 v SaRaCenS Stade olyMpique yveS-du-ManoiR | Sky SpoRtS 1 3.40pM

Up for grabs

“ A WORLD SOAKED IN BLOOD AND Daily AGGRESSION ” Mirror

A STORY OF

FATHERS, SONS & FISTS! Refreshed after the Christmas break, the Heineken Cup is back on our screens – with the fifth round of pool matches likely to end qualification hopes across the continent. Of the six English clubs in the tournament, Harlequins are already through, two (Exeter and Sale) are all but out, leaving the other three with their destiny very much in their own hands.

Pool 1 grabs the attention, with Saracens, Racing Metro and Munster all within three points of each other.

Sarries’ visit to Paris tomorrow, then, will make or break their campaign.

Leading the pool by two points from the Frenchmen, victory will all but

guarantee a quarter-final spot. Defeat, however, would see Racing leapfrog the Londoners, most likely leaving them third entering the final round.

Five victories in their last six mean Saracens are the form side, though, with their strength in depth again coming to the fore in last week’s victory over Sale – the introduction of Charlie Hodgson (pictured) off the bench proving crucial.

Expect a tight game from the visitors, with Racing likely to punish any mistakes with Olly Barkley’s boot and carrying plenty of threat out wide.

Keep things error-free, and Sarries can get the win they need to progress.

Saturday nFl | diviSional playoFFS: San FRanCiSCo 49eRS v gReen bay paCkeRS | CandleStiCk paRk | Sky SpoRtS 1 1aM

David Rogers/Getty Images, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Green Bay look to send 49ers packing The Divisional round of the NFL playoffs begins on Saturday, with eight teams left in the hunt for Super bowl Xlvii. the pick of the games sees the San Francisco 49ers host the green bay packers. the 49ers beat the packers in the regular season, but will need to be at their best to stop a packers offense led by quarterback aaron Rodgers (left). the Seattle Seahawks – on a run of six straight wins – and their rookie qb Russell Wilson travel to (number one seeds) the atlanta Falcons in the other nFC game. elsewhere, the new england patriots host the Houston texans in their aFC playoff, while retiring legendary linebacker Ray lewis will hope to prolong his career by at least one more game as his baltimore Ravens take on the denver broncos.

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OUT TO BUY ON

DVD NOW!

Extra timE

P46 raul meireles steals bread and joins the revolution

Making the most of your time and money

Gadgets

Get ready for action

GoPro Hero3

The latest line of GoPro’s waterproof action cameras boasts a host of improvements that might make you actually want to film yourself falling off a mountain.

At the summit of the new range is the Black Edition, which has built-in Wi-Fi and weighs just 2.6 ounces – 25 per cent lighter than its predecessor and roughly equivalent to two packets of ‘Big Eat’ Monster Munch.

It shoots stills and 8MP video, and the audio system has been redesigned to better capture screams of terror. £360 | gopro.com

Sony xBa-S65 Prestige Headphones

FitBit Zip Wireless activity tracker

Fear not, this isn’t a new version of the Tamagotchi. It’s much less annoying, and will simply track your steps, calories burnt and distance travelled – and will sync with an online profile and an iPhone app to keep you posted on how you’re doing.

It’s basically a really fancy pedometer. £50 | fitbit.com

40 | January 11 2013 |

If you’re struggling to get back into the swing of things after festive overindulgence, you might find music is the best medicine. Sony’s super-light sports headphones deliver precision audio and are water and sweat-resistant, with comfortable ear loop hangers that won’t fall off while you’re running. £79 | sony.co.uk

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Kit

Pills anD PowDers to builD a new you

A new year means a revamp of those exercise plans. Take a gander at this lot, then, because these supplements and drinks can help you make the most of your gym time

FGs sports recovery Powder

Pick your favourite flavour and make 20 500ml shakes, each of which aids muscle repair, metabolism and immunity levels. £32 | athletestore.co.uk

Matchday Hydration Drink

Maxifuel Viper boost Gel

With the fuel, caffeine and nutrient mix you need to keep going for longer, these gels are ideal for taking during long runs or workouts. £41 for 24 x 70g gels | maxishop.com

Maxifuel recoverMax sports recovery Drink

Take before, during or after exercise – handy for marathon runners in particular.

Energy-boosting carbohydrates and electrolytes provide the quick burst of energy you need to keep going.

Or get started! £20 for 1kg | thematchday.co.uk

optimum nutrition amino energy

Another recovery option, Maxifuel’s offering uses fast-digesting protein to help repair muscle damage.

Perfect for after an intense workout. £30 for 750g | maxishop.com

These dietary supplements, whether you prefer the powder mix or on-the-go chewables, deliver free form amino acids to boost your workout results. £25-£30 | onacademy.co.uk

sunwarrior raw Vegan Protein

This line of soy, allergen, gluten and dairy-free products continues to grow, and this offering is loaded with amino acids to help you lose fat, build muscle or boost fitness the natural(ish) way. £45 for 1kg | xynergy.co.uk

optimum nutrition Gold standard 100% whey

Whey protein isolates are the protein source here, meaning 24g of musclebuilding protein – and less fat and other add-ons – in each serving. £28, 74 servings | onacademy.co.uk

CnP Professional Meal replacement

Get all the nutrients of a meal – plus the amino acid, protein and peptides to grow your muscle – while only taking in 255 calories per serving. £3.60 per 42g pack | cnpprofessional.co.uk

42 | January 11 2013 |

lonsdale Protein Powder & thermo attack Capsules

Combined every day with your workout, these two can maximise muscle growth while helping weight loss with herbal extracts.

An ideal combo. £15-£18 | sportsdirect.com

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Rules of

A player who has experienced complete loss of sensation in his or her vital organs should play indoors. Half-price simulator hire for the whole of icy cold January.

Come inside, where it’s always warm and dry, and play any one of our 60 championship courses on our 18 state-of-the-art AboutGolf simulators (the one Luke Donald uses). For just £25 per hour. That’s half the normal price. Pick from one of our three London clubs - Royal Smithfield, Soho Golf & Country, or Kensington National. And remember the offers don’t end when January’s over. There are half-priced Mondays and half-priced Fridays (after 5pm) all year long, and even more perks if you go to the web site and become a club member, like free membership. www.urbangolf.co.uk/lostballs

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Grooming

Detox, recoVer, rePair

Some products to aid you with your New Year’s resolutions.

Because, let’s face it, you probably need it

Gym essential

VitaMan Sports Discovery Pack

You’ve probably given your creaking frame the shock of its life by throwing yourself with gusto at the mercy of the treadmill. But VitaMan will not stand idle while you do. Its Desert Muscle Rub (50ml), for use preand post-sports (and, presumably, desert) activity, relieves aches, pains and sore joints.

The antibacterial Foot Recovery Gel (50ml) soothes tired feet and calves, while also helping to soften cracked skin and eliminate foot odour (yep, we’re looking at you). The Paw Paw Skin Repair Cream (50ml), meanwhile, is a naturally antiseptic moisturising cream that helps heal small cuts and grazes and treat severely dry, damaged skin. Go on, discover it for yourself. £36.50 | vitamangrooming.co.uk

Haircare range Leo Bancroft For Men

TV hairdresser Bancroft has launched his range of seven salon-inspired products ‘working closely with Peter Crouch’, among others. We were rather taken by three of them: Leo’s Instant Recharge Hair and Body Wash (250ml, £4), with its conditioning qualities; his Intensive Detox Clarifying Shampoo (250ml, £5), with its blend of deep cleansing agents that remove build-up caused by products; and the mineral-enriched Style Paste Pliable Hold Putty (75ml, £5). Rinse. Repeat. leobancroft.com

44 | January 11 2013 |

Skincare range +rehab London

This new-look range, with moisturisers, a face scrub and shave gel, is full of natural ingredients and features words such as ‘cold turkey’, ‘detox’ and ‘revive’ in the names of its products. Prices start at £8.95 for the shave gel, but it’s all worth investing in for a revitalised visage. rehablondon.co.uk

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

eT

entertainment

MiSerAbLeS AT beST

Wolverine warms up his singing voice, while Monday brings two eagerly anticipated albums and a fresh helping of New Order

Film

Music

Long. Live.

A$AP. A$AP Rocky

The classic tale comes to the cinema – we’re ignoring the dreadful 1998 incarnation – and it’s been well worth the wait, as director Tom Hooper uses camera close-ups and grandiose location shoots to bring a new depth to the story. All this while losing none of the raw passion that makes Les Mis so great. Scrapping pre-recorded tracks for live singing, Hooper allows a star-studded cast – led by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe – to

DVD

Dredd

What a shame this bloody slice of sci-fi hokum was a global box office flop: it deserves a sequel.

The plot is basically ‘Dredd Hard’ – Judge and rookie trapped in a tower block, taking out numerous bad guys. What makes it work is the visual flair of the action and Karl Urban’s spot-on portrayal of Dredd, dishing out bullets, judgement but no mercy.

Out Monday

46 | January 11 2013 |

match superb vocals with monumental performances that may leave you pretending to have something in your eye. From Anne Hathaway’s haunting I Dreamed A Dream moment, through to Eddie Redmayne’s Empty Chairs lament – not forgetting Samantha Barks’ near film-stealing debut, nor Sacha Baron Cohen’s hilarious turn as the crooked landlord – Victor Hugo’s story has finally been given the epic big-screen outing it’s long deserved.

Out today

Music

The Lost Sirens New Order

This long-awaited eight-track mini-album comprises unreleased material from 2005’s Waiting for the Siren’s Call. It may not touch their finest work, but the Salford pop virtuosos have more tricks to recycle than most bands – plus, this will be their final album featuring the distinctive bass of Peter Hook. Oh well. At least there’s no John Barnes rapping.

Out Monday

book

Music

The Chess Men Peter May

Scottish crime novelist May concludes his popular Lewis trilogy, set in the wilds of the Outer Hebrides. Fin Macleod, an ex-Edinburgh DI living locally, is charged with investigating a spate of illegal game-hunting.

Before you worry this is all about the hunt for a pheasant poacher, know that things soon take a violent and sinister turn.

Out now

Arc Everything Everything

Most bands try to branch out with their second album, but indie-pop purveyors Everything Everything have simplified matters. They’ve branched in, if you will. There’s still a quirky, jerky quality to their rapid-fire tunes, but the melodies are more instantly apparent, which is no bad quality at all. Not a groundbreaker, but a toe-tapper.

Out Monday

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© Universal Pictures, Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Les Misérables

Lauded as the next big thing in the rap game way back in distant 2011, A$AP Rocky finally releases his major label debut this month. Despite being hailed as a fresh voice of the Big Apple, the 24-year-old’s actual strength lies in cherrypicking the best producers and styles. Take the title track, which sticks in your head thanks to the woozy beat and falsetto chorus, but features A$AP practising his southern drawl rather than sounding identifiably Noo Yoik.

He has an enjoyably breezy style and is unafraid to experiment, so there’s talent behind the hype, but this Rocky isn’t quite ready to be ranked alongside the hip-hop heavyweights just yet.

Out Monday