Sport magazine 320

Issue 320 | August 30 2013

Aguero The Man City hitman talks exclusively to Sport

Contents

22

Issue 320, August 30 2013 Radar 08 Which manager are you?

We reference The Manager: Inside the Minds of Football’s Leaders and create a flowchart to find out

10

The history book The original 13 Laws of Football, as penned by Ebenezer Cobb Morley – and now worth £2.5m

12

Bolt v Farah over 600m The science says this is the perfect distance for them to race: but who would come out on top?

oFeatures this coming week

22 Sergio Aguero The man who fired Manchester City to Premier League glory is enjoying life under Manuel Pellegrini

29 Zinedine Zidane By sheer coincidence, we sit down with the former Real Madrid star and have a chat about Gareth Bale

Cover image and main image this page: Tom Oldham Photography. Johannes Eisele/AFP/GettyImages, Phil Cole/Getty Images

32 Cal Crutchlow MotoGP comes to Silverstone this weekend – which means a chat with Britain’s swiftest biker

12

29 32

36 American Football The NFL returns next Thursday, so we take a look at the numbers that count in the run to Super Bowl XLVIII

Extra Time 46 Gadgets If you liked Etch A Sketch, you’ll love Wacom’s new graphics tablet

48 Kit In a desperate bid to stave off the autumn, a page of summer footwear

50 Grooming A cycling-inspired travel kit from Ted Baker... guess what they’ve called it

54

54 Entertainment Mark Wahlberg continues his quest to star in every film released in 2013: this week, Pain & Gain | August 30 2013 | 07

Radar

p10 – The Rules of the Game: as written

by Ebenezer Cobb Morley in 1863

p12– Bolt v Farah: we ask the author of The Sports Gene who will win over 600m

START

1 2 3

Are you committed to playing attractive football?

No

Yes

Is tactical discipline important?

4 5

Are you a control freak?

Brendan Rodgers

No

Do you care about the club’s financial stability?

Yes

Is the team more important than individual talents?

Yes

No

JosÉ Mourinho

No

“I have to say we are speaking about men. We are speaking about human beings and human sciences. So is football a sports science? I think it is probably a human science and not a sports science.”

Yes

“My philosophy is about playing attacking and creative football to win, but always with tactical discipline.”

No

No

Yes

Sir Alex Ferguson

Arsène Wenger

Harry Redknapp

“He is committed to internationalism, to youth, to fairness, to high-quality nutrition, to sustainable transfer and wage policies, to entertaining and attacking football and to the purity of the game.”

“He is committed to attacking football and builds entertaining sides. He is an uncomplicated man who despairs of trends in modern football, which he sees as eroding the values of the simple and beautiful game.”

Yes

9

Sam allardyce “Perhaps his most telling attribute is the manner with which he welcomes change.

From new technology to new psychologies, Allardyce wants to be at the cutting edge.”

Do you need the best players to win?

Yes

Roberto Mancini

No

Do you embrace new technologies and theories?

6

“Sir Alex has a simple philosophy of leadership in football: that no one is bigger than the club.

This hard-fought principle, often quoted in football circles, is at least in part responsible for the consistency of Manchester United.”

Carlo Ancelotti “The only way to bring this idea to life is to explain the idea to other people and they have to go on the pitch and show this idea. For this, the relationship between manager and players has to be the best.”

Motivation

“I have good players because you can’t win if you don’t have top players.”

Yes

7

Is it important that the manager has a close personal relationship with his players?

No

8

Before a game, will you focus on preparing your team tactically or motivating them?

Which I manager are you?

n The Manager, Mike Carson examines the personality traits and philosophies of successful football managers, with illuminating quotes and insight from the likes of José Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers. Read on to find out which manager you would most match up to if you were in charge of a football club.

The Manager: Inside the Mind’s of Football’s Leaders

by Mike Carson, out now

08 | August 30 2013 |

Roy Hodgson “I concentrate for the most part on the team – making sure they are prepared for the challenge ahead.”

All pictures Getty Images

Tactics

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Radar

By the book A

couple of weeks ago, we featured some classic sports writing, but this probably tops the lot. The 1863 FA Minute book was handwritten 150 years ago by Ebenezer Cobb Morley at the Freemasons’ Tavern in London, and contains the 13 original laws of football – including old favourites such as “no tripping or hacking”, as well as forgotten classics such as the ‘fair catch’ rule (nothing in there about not taking your shirt off in celebration, weirdly).

Valued at £2.5m, the book is now on display at the British Library in Euston, where it forms the centrepiece of its first ever football display to mark the FA’s 150th birthday.

Find out more at thefa.com/foundingfathers

Team GB won their first gold medals of the London 2012 Paralympic Games one year ago today. And, with the first National Paralympic Day taking place at the Olympic Park on September 7, Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, told Sport the excitement of 12 months ago is about to come flooding back next weekend.

What will National Paralympic Day involve?

“We have four top-class international matches going on throughout the day at the Copperbox Arena in the Park, with wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, boccia and table tennis all playing internationals. It’s a free event, but the tickets have now been snapped up. There’s plenty going on elsewhere in the park, though, with the disability sport festival Motivate East [which promotes sports for disabled people living in east London] giving anyone who comes along the chance to try the sports – and there’s the Mayor’s Liberty Arts Festival going on as well.”

10 | August 30 2013 |

One year on from the Games, how has London 2012 changed things for Paralympic sport?

“London gave the Paralympic Games more profile than ever before, and the performances of the athletes proved that the sport is of the highest quality. That has been a hugely powerful shift.

We saw with the recent coverage of both the swimming and athletics World Championships, and the Anniversary Games, that there is an appetite for the sport. And I’ve seen evidence of how, across the world, more countries, more sports and more athletes are coming to the fore – so the competition in Rio will be tougher than ever. Non-disabled people particularly have started to think differently about disability. They had their perceptions challenged and changed by what they saw in London.”

We’ve seen first Oscar Pistorius and now Alan Oliveira pushing the boundaries between Olympic and Paralympic sport. Do you see that as positive or negative for the future of the Paralympics?

“It will only ever be in a few cases where that will be possible, because of the nature of the athletes’ impairments. Although they aren’t the only ones – South African swimmer Natalie du Toit has competed at the Olympics, and Dame Sarah Storey is a world cycling champion on the track in non-disabled sport.

That demonstrates the standard of Paralympic sport is very high, so it is only a good news story.

It also shows there is a similar ambition in all athletes – they just want to be the best they can be. None of the athletes we’ve mentioned are anything other than very proud Paralympians.”

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

A year in the making

Radar

Farah v Bolt

Who will have the genetic edge when Mo Farah races Usain Bolt?

Answered by David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene

L

ast month, the athletics world was put in a tizzy when Usain Bolt suggested his willingness to accept the 600m charity race challenge posed by Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champ Mo Farah. If this face-off of the world’s pre-eminent distance runner and the greatest sprinter of all time happens, where to wager one’s charity money?

Bolt and Farah represent opposite extremes of human physiology – a match-up of power versus efficiency. Bolt’s legs are dominated by fast-twitch muscle fibres, the sort that contract explosively and do not rely primarily on oxygen for energy production. Because Bolt’s main energy pathway needn’t wait for the blood to deliver oxygen, his body can produce the energy needed

for violent muscle contraction extremely rapidly.

The trouble for Bolt is that this route of energy production causes a build-up of chemical byproducts that bring the muscles to a screeching halt in short order. Bolt sprints on borrowed time, but because he rarely runs longer than 20 seconds, it makes no difference when he’s in his element.

Farah, on the other hand, has a greater proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibres that rely on large quantities of oxygen delivered by the blood to produce energy. Farah’s muscles don’t contract as forcefully as Bolt’s, but the upside is that he can make energy this way for hours without tiring.

The 600m should be close to the perfect distance for these two extreme humans to meet. Sports scientists have found that athletes in the 400m race rely on Bolt’s primary method of energy production (anaerobic) for about 60 per cent of the energy used in the race; 40 per cent comes from aerobic production.

At 800m, that is exactly reversed: 60 per cent aerobic and 40 per cent anaerobic energy production.

Bolt would surely win at 400m and Farah at 800m, but 600m is a meeting in the middle, with around 50 per cent of the energy required for each man coming via his biological strong suit.

Though Bolt is known to the world as a 100m and 200m champion, he was a 400m whizz long before he moved to short sprints. He still holds Jamaica’s national high school 400m record of 45.35s. But Bolt is much bigger – now 207 pounds – than in his long-sprinting prime, and Farah is extraordinary even by the standards of champion distance runners. His 3:28.81 for 1,500m in July gives Farah the greatest range of any runner in history – and he is also better accustomed to pacing races of more than one lap. Thus, I give Farah the edge over Bolt in any race longer than 500m.

The Sports Gene: What Makes the Perfect Athlete by David Epstein is published in hardback by Yellow Jersey Press at £16.99, eBook available

Virtual Clubhouse

12 | August 30 2013 |

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

P

laying golf in a large group? Well, no longer will you have to ruin the restful idyll of the course by bellowing your scores across it to your fellow players. The VPAR real-time scoring app provides you with a virtual scoreboard, just like the pros use, and accessible by anyone in your group with an iPhone – all you have to do is choose what format and course you’re playing, and input the players (no lewd names, please. This is a golf course, not a bowling alley).

What’s more, it also uses GPS technology to provide you with knowledge of the course, and can help you decide which clubs to use and which shot to take. It won’t carry your clubs or abuse you, but the days of the caddie still appear numbered.

Available on iOS, annual subscription £4.99

Radar Editor’s letter Walk the line: Moyes remains unbeaten in his new job, but the pressure is already on www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine

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The ghost of Fergie It’s not his fault, but David Moyes is already resembling a man haunted by his predecessor

Acting editor Tony Hodson @tonyhodson1

television cameras chose to focus on David Moyes striding purposefully down the Old Trafford touchline.

As I watched him go, two things struck me: one, that I could not recall ever seeing Moyes walk down a touchline before; and two, that it looked very odd seeing anyone other than Sir Alex Ferguson followed in such a way.

There is no great mystery to either, of course. Such is the configuration of Old Trafford, where the tunnel disappears down a corner of the stadium rather than halfway along a main stand, that the managers have a half-time walk almost unique among those they take at Premier League grounds.

The result, though, is that every time United play at home, Moyes will take the same stroll we have become used to seeing Ferguson take every other week for the past two decades. Following in the old boy’s footsteps, if you will.

It’s labouring the point to claim that this serves to increase the pressure Moyes – a proud and self-assured man – will feel in the Old Trafford hotseat. But the fact is that, regardless of how invisible Ferguson remains for the moment, his successor is surrounded by ghosts. On Monday

evening, for example, as the game drifted to the stalemate José Mourinho so meticulously planned for, Martin Tyler made specific reference to United’s propensity for late winning goals under their former manager. He went on, in fact, to suggest that he no longer felt the belief from the Old Trafford faithful that such a strike was now as likely.

That, in the new man’s very first home game in charge against serious opposition, was quite some claim.

There was no mention of the fact that Ferguson’s record against Mourinho’s Chelsea was pretty ordinary, just that Moyes had still never beaten his new adversary in the away dugout. That may well change in time, of course, but for now it is the memories residing in the home dugout that continue to haunt him. He had better get used to them.

Lots of chat during the week about the fact that the spine of England’s victorious Ashes team is being rested for the ODI series that kicks off next Friday. It is a shame that we will be deprived of the skills of Messrs Cook, Bell, Swann, Broad and Anderson for what remains an important series – but if their absence increases our chances of retaining the Ashes this winter, then surely it’s the correct call?

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A

t half-time in Manchester United’s 0-0 bore draw with Chelsea on Monday evening, the Sky

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Radar Opinion

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

W

Little point in Big Ron

W

hat the hell do you think you are doing, man? Hang on! Wait a minute. What the hell do I think I’m doing? One minute I’m watching the football (Cardiff City were beating somebody – can’t remember who) and now, after a period of frantic channel surfing, I’m actually watching Celebrity Big Brother.

Last time I found myself doing this I was ill in bed, and Bez was in it. The show, that is, not the bed.

It was a reflex action that caused me to stop on Channel 5 – I thought I’d just seen ‘Big Ron’ Atkinson. Further investigation revealed that I had, in fact, just seen ‘Big Ron’ Atkinson – and, bugger me sideways, he was in the ‘Big’ Brother house.

I vaguely recognised some of the other ‘celebrities’ on the show – I was once out drinking irresponsibly with Les Battersby, for example – but here, indisputably, was the former manager of West Brom and Manchester United. On Big Brother.

He had, apparently, already been nominated for eviction and was adrift in a sea of no-marks who (former Corrie stars and Carol McGiffin aside) had no idea who he was. That must be a living death for someone like Big Ron: no amusing football anecdotes to retell; no insider knowledge to impart; and nothing other than sub-cruise ship crooning to deliver to a largely unappreciative audience.

The poor old boy could not have been more out of his comfort zone if he had inadvertently ended up presenting the MOBOs. This was car-crash TV by appointment.

16 | August 30 2013 |

Why is he on it? It’s hardly going to enhance his career as a pundit. That ended, quite rightly, when he called Marcel Desailly something he really shouldn’t have in an unguarded moment – and, let’s be honest, Gazza has more chance of a return to management. Just in the brief time I watched, Ron managed to ask a woman with a jumper on her head: “You’re not carrying a bomb with you, are you?”

As a man who did more than any other post-war football manager to pioneer the integration of black players into the British game – before destroying his reputation in the time it takes to strike a match – why doesn’t he just retire? He doesn’t need to embarrass himself any more, and he can’t need the money.

Truth be told, I don’t feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for the younger me who used to respect him, even when he managed United, because of what he did to bring through black players at a time when racism in the game was sickeningly prevalent. It’s time to call it a day, Ronald. You’re becoming a clown. @billborrows

Plank of the Week Jose Mourinho, Old Trafford Is anyone going to tell him that the fans chanting “Rooney, Rooney, Rooney” were not just Man Utd fans? The ‘Special One’ might well think United are a ‘Special Club’, but he should know that supporters of his own club were taking the ‘Special Piss’.

ith the rugby season about to begin, there will be sighs of relief coming from professional players up and down the country. You see, this means that pre-season training is over for another year, and that can only be a wonderful thing. Pre-season training is not something I miss terribly. Generally around 10 weeks long, it is a period designed to be uncomfortable in the extreme – and, from memory, plenty of coaches took that too far.

The best pre-season I had was the simplest of all.

We met up in June, got flogged thrice daily for five weeks, went to Portugal to get flogged somewhere hotter, then came home and continued where we’d left off. What the coaches did, though, was treat us like grown-ups.

We started at around 9am, and most afternoons saw us sipping lemonade together in town by 3.30pm.

The hours in between were savage, but our lives didn’t end because we were getting fit. Oh, and they gave us every Friday afternoon off, which meant we got to enjoy the odd glass of rosé as the summer evenings closed in. We worked hard, but we enjoyed it as mates.

The worst I ever did still makes me shudder. Seven days and seven nights in Aldershot. No, not the title for Paris Hilton’s latest special movie, but our punishment for playing at a club where the coach didn’t get it. The instructors (military types) called their work ‘Mindset Evolution’; we called it pointless hammerings. In seven nights we slept for 15 hours total. We were woken almost hourly, screamed at while running in the dark and told to do push-ups on the gravel until we dropped.

Then, at 3am most nights, we were put through stress positions. These were quite simple: stand up, bend your knees so you’re in a half-squat position, extend your arms to the front, pump your fists open and shut, and close your eyes. Sounds easy, but we did it to exhaustion and beyond. Why? To test our mettle, apparently.

The result was broken bodies and regretful minds.

I lost a lot of weight that week, but I had arrived fit – so it was likely useful muscle bulk that had dissolved. And on the mental side... well, they prepared individual reports on each man’s psychological prowess. I had thought the week destructive and pointless but, due to my relative silence, was declared mentally fit to play professional rugby. Being five years into my career, this wasn’t big news. Tom Shanklin – the Welsh centre who looks like an albino version of Gareth Thomas – received a somewhat less glowing report: “Tom is not cut out for this life; he is lazy, has awful body language and is not a team player.

Our advice: look elsewhere.” Shanks, a great mate of mine, went on to become Wales’ most capped centre of all time. He was crap at army camps, but so what?

Pre-season has to be grim. That will never change.

The chubby ones will be put into Fat Club, where they will endure repetitive and unpleasant extra sessions at antisocial times. But, for groups of athletes, this can be the best bonding they ever do. And if the squaddies are swapped for cider, it can even be fun, too. @davidflatman

Frozen in time

18 | August 30 2013 |

Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Double header Some sporting combatants would actually be more successful with no head. Imagine Audley Harrison without the weakness of his great, big, crystal jaw. He’d be unbeatable. Probably.

However, one of these two judoka from this month’s Asian Youth Games has taken it to the next level and looks to be competing without head, shoulders or torso, while his rival is merely sans noggin. Unfair! That is, unless it’s just the camera angle obscuring their straining faces.

On second thoughts, it’s probably that. | 19

Sergio Aguero

All About the gAme Tom Oldham Photography

Sergio Aguero speaks exclusively to Sport about his new club manager, La Liga v the Premier League and Argentina’s World Cup hopes for Brazil 2014

22 | August 30 2013 |

| 23

Sergio Aguero

S

Michael Regan/Getty Images, Dani Pozo/AFP/Getty Images

ergio Aguero is exceptional in many ways. Though still only 25, his professional career is already 10 years old, with his debut for boyhood club Independiente coming at the ludicrously young age of 15.

It made him the youngest player ever to debut in Argentina’s top flight, breaking a record held by Diego Maradona, and was the first in a series of career benchmarks that include an Olympic gold medal, Atletico Madrid’s first major European trophy since 1962 and – most recently – a strike that won Manchester City their first league title in 44 years.

When Sport meets him, Aguero’s role in Manchester City’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle is less than 24 hours old, but he is already back on the pitch and playing his part in another match. Two young City fans (and one more sheepish observer sporting a Barcelona top) have been waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of one of football’s elite, and eventually their wish – and a whole lot more besides – is granted.

The Argentinian sets up a game of two against two: himself and one kid against the Barcelona boy, who he calls ‘Messi’, and his friend. Only after the kickabout reaches its conclusion is he prepared to begin our interview. This is a man who evidently still loves football for football’s sake. He is equally enthusiastic about his new boss, Manuel Pellegrini – a man who reportedly allows his players more room to improvise on the pitch than other managers. So, is that true?

“Yes, he speaks with every one of the players to see how they like to play,” says Aguero. “In my case, he wants me to play with freedom and to be calm on the pitch, so that I can get in on goal. But also so that I enjoy myself.”

After working with him for a little while, has Aguero noticed anything else particularly distinctive about Pellegrini’s methods?

“Every coach has his way of doing things – his tactics,” he reveals. “We’re very happy with the new arrival and now we just have to try and adapt to the new ideas that he wants to put in place. Against Newcastle, we not only played very well, but carried out his tactics and the way he wants to play.”

We suggest it must be nice to see the new boss favouring a system with two strikers, especially after Aguero had such success in tandem with Diego Forlan (also a former Independiente player) at Atletico.

“Yes, I really like playing with other strikers,” he agrees. “It means there are 24 | August 30 2013 |

“AGAiNST NEwcAST lE, wE NOT ONlY plAYEd vERY wEll, bUT cARRi Ed OUT pEllEGRiNi’S TA cTicS ANd ThE wAY hE wA NTS TO plAY”

Pointing in the right direction: Aguero and Diego Forlan at Atletico Madrid in 2010

more players getting in on goal regularly and getting involved – that’s why I like it. Since I started out, I’ve always played with another striker. In Independiente I played with one other. In Atletico with another, with Argentina I play with two strikers... or, rather, three in total. And here, with two. It’s much better because there are more opportunities to attack and try and score goals. That said, it’s the coach who will decide how he structures his line-up to make sure we play the way he wants us to.”

That use of two strikers is a key facet of Pellegrini’s preferred 4-2-2-2 – a system he used effectively at Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga, and one he has now brought to the blue half of Manchester. Though not commonly used in Europe, it is a particularly South American system – surely something that suits Ageuro?

“It’s easy to adapt to because he has a South American style,” he confirms. “He hasn’t changed his style since he was in Villarreal, or Malaga, and he’s conveying it here. He’s happy with the way it’s working; we have the ball more, and we move the ball towards the goal much quicker.”

S TA RT A S Y OU MEA N TO GO O N

It’s still very early in the season, and not everything went to plan in last Sunday’s 3-1 reversal in Cardiff – but, based on City’s display against Newcastle, that South American style is going down well at the Etihad. As are the arrivals of Jesús Navas and Fernandinho. Their introduction, coupled with the newfound competitiveness they bring to the squad will, Aguero believes, help City challenge on all fronts this season.

“I think we reinforced well,” he says. “They will certainly give a lot to the club. I think there is a really good level here in order to compete for the Premier League, the Champions League and the other cups. I hope we continue in the way we started, and we’ll see at the end of the year how everything goes...”

The Champions League may not hold good memories for City, but their new manager is something of a specialist in the competition.

When we ask Aguero if progress beyond the knockout stages, at the very least, is a key goal for City this year, he is quick to give us a definite answer: “Yes. The first goal is to progress, yes.

Get to the knockout stage. Afterwards? >

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Sergio Aguero in the 2011-12 campaign (losing the Copa del Rey final to Barca), Argentinian managers are, we suggest, particularly sought after in Europe.

“There are good, bad and average Argentinian coaches, like coaches from any country,” says Aguero. “But the good ones are in Europe, and that’s great for Argentina, our people and for our football too. So I’m happy.”

“Yes, mess i should c om e to manchest er cit Y. then we’ll defi nit elY plaY toG ether! cit Y should buY him ” and Madrid can strengthen with top-level players, and the others can’t reinforce well.

The logical thing would be if it was more like here in the Premier League – that the money was shared to everyone more equally, and that every team could strengthen in order to try and stay in the league, or win titles.

It makes the league better, too. These are problems for the Spanish league to deal with, but evidently it favours Barca and Madrid, rather than the other teams. That’s clear.”

That said, Atletico Madrid have enjoyed themselves since Aguero’s departure, winning a second Europa League in three seasons by trumping Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the 2012 final. They followed that with a Copa del Rey victory in the Bernabeu in May, beating city rivals Real 2-1 in extra time, with Aguero’s compatriot Diego Simeone overseeing it all.

“He’s doing a good job, and obviously I’m happy because he’s Argentinian and things are going well,” says Aguero. “He’s getting the chance to become well known in Europe and across the world, so I’m pleased it’s going well for him, and for the club.”

With Tata Martino, Barcelona’s new boss, also hailing from Argentina, and Marcelo Bielsa taking Athletic Bilbao to two cup finals

Brothers in arms: Messi celebrates with Aguero after scoring against Switzerland in a friendly last year. But will the two ever link up at club level?

Argentina are currently top of the CONMEBOL qualifying table for the 2014 World Cup, and look stronger than they have in years. Can they be considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Brazil?

Aguero doesn’t think so: “No... favourites?

No. I think that we have a great team, though.

I really hope we have a good World Cup, and getting as far as possible is the most important thing. If we can bring it home, even better. But there are other countries that are even more difficult to beat waiting ahead, so it’s all left to play for. World Cups aren’t easy, it all comes down to what happens there in that moment. We have to prepare well, be in good shape, and mentally believe that we are capable of winning it. But it’s very difficult.”

Would lifting the trophy on Brazilian soil be particularly sweet for an Argentinian?

“First and foremost it would be important for an Argentina team to win the World Cup in any place – for the players, for the country,” he says. “It happens only once in a lifetime, so obviously winning a World Cup would make any Argentinian player extremely happy. And, moreover, the people.”

Playing for his country also presents Aguero with a rare opportunity to play alongside Lionel Messi. Could that be a possibility at club level, one day?

“Yes, he should come to Man City,” he says with a smile. “Then we’ll definitely play together! City should buy him!”

And with that, Aguero takes his leave, probably in search of another impromptu game of football. The kid from Quilmes is quite clearly all about the game. And if things go well this year for City and Argentina, the game itself could end up being all about him.

Lee Roden @LeeRoden89

Sergio Aguero wears PUMA evoSPEED football boots. Go to pumafootballclub.com to join the PUMA FC community

Gone, but not forGotten

W

hen talk turns to the topic of Aguero’s boyhood club, Independiente, the striker’s face lights up instantly. And that, despite the club being relegated to Argentina’s second division this year for the first time in their history. So, has he managed to follow the early steps of their first ever campaign in the second tier?

“I’m following them, yes,” he says. “They didn’t start well [one loss and two draws so far], but they’ve only played three games. There’s a long way to go. I hope that they’ll achieve the most important thing, to return to the top

26 | August 30 2013 |

flight, and the financial situation calms down. It’s not easy at all to play in the second division in Argentina, it’s a tough league, but Independiente have a team worthy of the top flight. We need to support the team, and the people that are working to make sure this team goes up.

“That’s why I took part in a video campaign asking the club’s fans to continue to back the team despite difficult times. Because, as well as being a player, I was a fan.

So I’m happy the campaign to raise support went well, and that people have liked it a lot. It’s great, really.”

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Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images, AP Photo/Daniel Luna

We’ll have to look at who we cross paths with, and then try and do everything possible to get as far as we can. The most important thing is to perform well in the group stage to get to the last 16.”

Since Aguero’s arrival at City two years ago, a wave of players from La Liga have followed the same path to England. Could this influx of players who honed their trade on the Iberian peninsula have an impact on the style of football played in the Premier League?

“I don’t know,” he speculates. “They’ll always play the same in the Premier League.

But as more players from La Liga come, the Premier League is getting better technically, and that’s good for the English game. It’s nice that there are quality players coming, because it draws attention from across the world.”

And what of the league he has left behind?

The exodus of stars from La Liga to England is seen by many as a consequence of the unfair distribution of TV money in Spain, with Barcelona and Real Madrid able to negotiate their own deals individually and earn much more than their competitors. Does that, we wonder, damage La Liga, preventing it from being as competitive as it should be?

“That’s exactly what it’s like,” Aguero agrees. “It damages the league. Only Barca

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The Real deal

Zinedine Zidane

The finest player of his generation spoke to Sport about his own stellar career, his favourites for next year’s World Cup, and why Gareth Bale could be so important in the Spanish capital >

| August 30 2013 | 29

Zinedine Zidane inedine Zidane is – should you need reminding – a World Cup and European Championship winner, and a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. He has been declared the best European footballer of the past 50 years by UEFA; he has held aloft the Ballon D’Or, and won the Champions League, two Serie A titles and one La Liga; and he is the one-time most expensive player in the world whose image has been projected on to the Arc de Triomphe.

In short, Zidane is some role model – and exactly the man you’d want on your side at the Bernabeu if you were, say, a 24-year-old joining the grandest of European clubs for a world-record fee.

We meet Zizou at his Z5 five-a-side centre in the middle of the rolling countryside of Provence, where he is promoting adidas’ new Team Five range in his role as an adidas bodycare ambassador.

“What is really interesting is that the ingredients that go into the Team Five fragrance are a really nice reflection of this southern area of France,” he says of the new range. “They’ve encapsulated the spirit of the area, but also the spirit of five-a-side, the dynamism and the speed.”

Those last two qualities, monsieur, we’d like to know more about – as embodied by Gareth Bale. Just what is it about him that led Zidane to label him the best player in Europe?

“I want to say ‘everything’, because he’s a player who’s different,” he says, through a translator. “You have players like Ronaldo or Messi, and he is very different from those two. I saw him play a lot last season, and in a way I wasn’t surprised because I knew he had great qualities. But I was surprised by his ability to score at key moments of a game.

He is a player who started [his career] playing left-back, and now he plays everywhere.”

“C’est incroyable,” Sport suggests in our best French, in reference to Bale’s previous defensive position. Zidane breaks out into a grin before answering, in English: “Incredible.” Then back to French.

“There are lots of excellent players, but the one that really caught my attention this season is Gareth.”

Since our interview Zidane, who at 41 is now assistant coach and sporting director at Real Madrid, has said that he knows what it is to be the most expensive player in the world – and that he can hopefully offer Bale advice and mentor him.

“There’s always a lot of attention with a big transfer fee,” he told The Sunday People.

“As a player you don’t even think about the fee, but there is hysteria that comes with it... we are looking at a guy who can be the best in the world for the next four or five years.”

Madrid’s ambitions, Zidane tells us when we ask what his club can achieve this season, are always the same: “They just want to win everything. The principles and values of this

Z

club are always the same, and that is what is so wonderful for a player when you join this team. For a player who doesn’t really know what it is like to win, when you join Madrid, then you learn exactly what it is about.”

THE SPECIAL ONES

And what of his time at Madrid – what does he miss about playing? “The green rectangle – I’ll always miss it. The adrenaline, the pressure just before the match, the fans.”

And the best player he ever played with?

“Ronaldo. The Brazilian Ronaldo. He was simply the best player in the world.”

It’s no surprise Zidane selects that Madrid team, which also included Luís Figo, Raul and David Beckham, as the best in which he played. “Even though I played in very, very good teams everywhere I went, Madrid is really special,” he says.

The quality of that team aside, was there an opposition defender he found toughest?

“There wasn’t any,” he replies, before breaking out into laughter. “Just joking.

Maldini. Paolo Maldini.” What about British players – is there one he can single out?

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Adidas’ Team Five is represented by international football superstar Zinedine Zidane. The adidas Team Five range includes EDT, shower gel, body spray and deodorant and is priced from £2.03, available nationwide

“I will tell you a small story,” Zidane says.

“In 2004, during the European Championship in Portugal, I scored a goal in the semi final, and I made this gesture after I scored, to salute Alan Shearer [he lifts an arm, palm flat, in classic Shearer fashion] because he was a great goalscorer, and every time he scored he made the same gesture. So, with my friend Christophe Dugarry, I promised him if I scored, I would celebrate with the Alan Shearer gesture.”

The goal Zidane is actually referring to was a penalty against Portugal in the 117th minute of the Euro 2000 semi final in Belgium, to give France a 2-1 lead. Faux pas, but when you’ve notched as many crucial goals as Zizou, you can’t expect to remember the details of every one. Having played in six major international tournaments (and won two), we’re keen to know who his favourites are for next year’s World Cup. Germany, comes the reply. Why? “Because they have a game that I’m starting to really enjoy,” says Zidane. “It’s a game that’s very different from the football that the Germans have played so far. The German game has always been very serious, a little bit predictable – particularly in the final phases of a tournament. But now more and more foreign players are playing for German teams, they have brought something different to German football, and they [the national side] have started to integrate it into their game... that foreign influence.”

We eschew the temptation to mention Zidane’s final contribution to the World Cup as a player: his sending-off for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final. We ask instead if he has any regrets.

“No,” he replies. And, a gentleman to the dénouement: “Merci beaucoup.”

Graham Willgoss @grahamwillgoss | August 30 2013 | 31

Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images

“EvEN THOugH I PLAyEd IN vEry, vEry gOOd TEAmS EvErywHErE I wENT, mAdrId IS rEALLy SPECIAL”

Cal Crutchlow al Crutchlow sounds a bit annoyed. We have just asked the MotoGP rider if he thinks he can find his maiden race win before the end of this season, his third at this level, and his answer is blunt: “I have no idea. People say: ‘Which race are you going to win, blah, blah blah?’

But I have no idea. I try and win every race and sometimes – well, most of the time – it doesn’t happen, so the only race I’ve won this year is a go-kart race, same as last year. It’s not easy, and most of the grid haven’t done – there are only four riders on the grid who have won races in MotoGP.” The 27-year-old British rider is adored by fans for his never-say-die attitude. That was typified by his performance at Silverstone last year, when he broke and dislocated his ankle in final practice on Saturday, but still raced on the Sunday. Starting at the back of the grid because he missed qualifying, he still managed to finish as high as sixth.

Like most participants in this often insane sport, Crutchlow speaks matter-of-factly about the various body parts he’s smashed, grazed and otherwise abused in his racing career.

“Yeah, I’ve had some bad injuries,” he says. “Broken collarbones, wrists, been cut up quite badly from abrasions. But this is racing – motorcycle racers defy the odds all the time. That’s what keeps us coming back, I suppose.”

If it’s hard racing with a broken ankle, it’s even harder when you don’t have the same level of equipment or financial support as your competitors.

Crutchlow is the best-performing rider from any of the so-called ‘satellite’ teams, regularly challenging for podium finishes with Tech3 Yamaha. Although he and the team enjoy a degree of support from the manufacturer, Crutchlow doesn’t get the full financial or technical backing enjoyed by the factory racers – in Yamaha’s case, that’s Jorge Lorenzo (three wins this season) and Valentino Rossi (one).

However, he will soon get his first taste of racing for a factory team – from next season, he will be >

C

“The only raCe I’ve won ThIs year Is a go-karT raCe”

32 | August 30 2013 |

SUNday MOTOGP | HERTZ BRITISH GRAND PRIX | SILVERSTONE BBC TWO 1PM | 33

Cal Crutchlow leaving Tech3 to join Ducati, who are on a winless run of their own stretching back to 2010. With his career seemingly on an upward trajectory – he’s already finished on the podium more times this season than in his first two years combined – we’re interested to find out why Crutchlow wants to join a team that has seen a series of talented riders struggle in their red leathers...

What was behind your decision to join Ducati from next year?

“I was very interested in the project, very interested to continue my career with them. That’s one of the reasons. The other reason is that what I was being offered from Yamaha was not a factory ride – the package was not guaranteed, and there was no room for me to improve or move up within Yamaha in the next few years. So I took the decision based on that.”

Seven-time champion Valentino Rossi did not do well after he moved to Ducati in 2010 – is it a bit of a gamble for you to join a team that have been labelled ‘career killers’?

“Everything’s a gamble. Staying where I was would have been a gamble because I was not guaranteed to have a factory ride this year. Going to Superbikes would have been a gamble. Riding my bicycle is a gamble because I could get knocked off. At the end of the day, I don’t see it as a gamble. I believe my 100 per cent is good enough to challenge. For sure, they need to make some improvements with the bike. I think they know that, but the guys at Ducati are gonna give 100 per cent and try their best as well.”

Can you keep that upward trajectory going?

“I hope so. Obviously my career at the moment is going up and up and up, and people would say that maybe this won’t carry on – but who’s to say? I can’t comment because I haven’t ridden the bike, I haven’t been with the team.”

What will you miss from your current team when you leave?

“I don’t like to leave the team. I don’t want to leave the team – my guys are fantastic. This has really become like a family, and they’re very close friends as well as my colleagues. To leave Tech3 is very difficult. And, you know, Hervé [Poncharal, Tech3 team principal, who has described Crutchlow as “a man I really appreciate and love”] sat down with me and discussed my decisions. He told me that this was the best option for me, but that the door is always open to come back in the future.”

You must be looking forward to having a factory ride, though?

“Yeah I think having a manufacturer behind you...

I know they’re not as big as the others on the grid, but there are more people actually involved with the team – so I look forward to that. I’ve always said a factory rider has so many fewer worries than a satellite rider, and a lot of people don’t understand that. You have to look at their everyday lives – they have somebody running around for them a lot more than what I have. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way – it’s just that going to a factory team makes things a lot easier, and I think I deserve to be a factory rider.”

“riding in motogp is tough. people don’t get how tough it is”

How long will it be before you can challenge for race wins with your new team?

“I think it’ll take a while, for sure. I’m not expecting to go and win the first race by 20 seconds, but you know it’s gonna be a long process. I really can’t say.

I can’t comment on what the guys are doing on the bike now, so for sure it’s going to be more difficult than riding the Yamaha in the first moment. But that’s why we’re going there – that’s what I obviously want to try and develop.”

It’s been said that the way the bike handles will be well suited to your riding style. Do you agree?

“People say that you need to ride the bike like this or like that, but I don’t understand why they say this when they don’t ride the bike. The only guys that can comment are the guys who are racing the bike, not anyone who has previously rode it. Everyone says my riding style will be good for it because I can manhandle a motorcycle, but that doesn’t mean that suddenly everything is going to be perfect. We need to improve as a team, and I need to improve my riding style and my experience of MotoGP.” Switching back to this season, you’ve picked up four podium finishes so far. Is that better or worse than you’d hoped for at the start of the year?

“I think it’s going as expected. I’m not over the moon, but I’m not... under the moon. We’ve had some good podiums and some very strong finishes, but I’ve also had some bad finishes. I crashed in Barcelona and I had a bad result in Laguna [where he qualified fifth and finished seventh – his worst result of the season before last weekend in the Czech Republic, where he finished 17th, rejoining the race after crashing out on lap eight], and I wasn’t too pleased with how I rode at Indianapolis. But that’s racing – riding in MotoGP is very tough. People don’t understand how tough it is.

They really don’t, and it’s a big step up from anything I’ve rode in previously.”

When Casey Stoner retired, it opened a gap at the top that you must have been confident of stepping into. Is it galling to find a resurgent Valentino Rossi [currently fourth in the championship] and rookie rider Marc Marquez [first] in front of you this year?

“No... I think it was as expected. We know Rossi is still a fast motorcycle racer, and we know Pedrosa and Lorenzo were the best two in the world last year, along with Casey. Marquez is gonna be, or is at the moment, by far the best rider. He’s riding incredibly.

But he’s not just beating me – he’s beating everybody.

He’s come in and embarrassed a lot of riders. For sure, he’s gonna be one of the best riders in the world for a long, long time. But he is not unbeatable.”

You have your home race coming up this weekend, at Silverstone. You haven’t had the best of times in your two MotoGP races there [he did not start in 2011, having crashed out in qualifying], but are you still looking forward to it?

“Yeah, of course – going to your home Grand Prix is always something special. Sure it hasn’t always gone the way I’d like, but last year we had a strong result coming from the back of the grid. Unfortunately, I’ve had some bad crashes there over the past few years, but it doesn’t change my attitude to racing at home.

I look forward to going home, and to trying to do my best at home for me and for the fans.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

34 | August 30 2013 |

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American Football

1,964

NFC North

Receiving yards by wide receiver Calvin Johnson (right) of the Detroit Lions, breaking a record set by Jerry Rice in 1995. The Lions have upped the ante for the 2013 season by signing running back Reggie Bush, improving their running game and giving more options to quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Green Bay Packers were divisional champions in 2012, and will be the team to beat once again this season.

Although quiet in the offseason, they will be improved defensively by first-round draft pick Detone Jones. The Minnesota Vikings will push the Packers all the way – in 2012, star running back Adrian Peterson ran for a staggering 2,097 yards, the second most in NFL history.

NFC East

All pictures Getty Images

102.4

The passer rating of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the highest ever rating by a rookie in NFL history.

The Redskins finished last season with seven consecutive wins, clinching the division. Their continued success this season may well depend on the fitness of star quarterback RG3 as he returns from both LCL and ACL surgery on his right knee. The Redskins also topped the league in rushing, with rookie Alfred Morris breaking the franchise rushing record.

Losing the last game of the season to the Redskins meant a third straight year without playoff football for the Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile. To counteract that, they have appointed a new defensive co-ordinator in Monte Kiffin and also re-signed talented quarterback Tony Romo to a $108m, six-year contract.

36 | August 30 2013 |

7

NFC wEst

1,242

NFC south

Career receptions by Atlanta Falcons running back Tony Gonzalez (above), second only to Jerry Rice. The Falcons lost the NFC Championship to the San Francisco 49ers, so Gonzalez put his retirement on hold as they look to go one better this time. The return of coach Sean Payton to the New Orleans Saints, after a year’s suspension, will be a boost after a disappointing 7-9 record in 2012. The Saints offense, led by quarterback Drew Brees, were the most effective passers of the ball, completing more than 5,000 yards, but they also had the NFL’s worst defense.

Regular season starts by new star quarterback Colin Kaepernick (above).

Seemingly from nowhere, Kaepernick led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl last season. His ability to run the read option offense makes him a dual threat QB – he threw for 1,814 yards in his seven starts, but also rushed for 415 yards. The 49ers have also boosted their squad with receiver Anquan Boldin.

Also running the read option to great effect in Seattle was rookie QB Russell Wilson. The Seattle Seahawks finished 11-5, but lost to the Falcons in the divisional round of the playoffs. Wilson was named Rookie of the Year, but his team will have to wait until Thanksgiving for the return from injury of new wide receiver Percy Harvin.

StatS afc South

22.5

Number of sacks by Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt (above), equal sixth for single-season sacks in NFL history. The Texans initially made light work of the AFC South, going 11-1 before losing three of their final four.

They still won the division, but lost in the playoffs to the Patriots.

The Indianapolis Colts, who traded away Peyton Manning, found a new hero in rookie quarterback Andrew Luck – he threw for 4,374 yards and led the team to the playoffs. Coach Chuck Pagano is also back at the helm after his battle with leukaemia in 2012.

11/2

Sport StackS up the numberS that matter ahead of thurSday’S return of the nfl

afc north

120.6 mIllIon

What the contract handed to quarterback Joe Flacco (above) is worth in dollars after he led the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl and was named the MVP for the game after three touchdown passes. The Ravens return with changes to their roster in 2013, with several players leaving as free agents and Ray Lewis retiring. Revamped by general manager Ozzie Newsome, they will have to scrap it out in the tough AFC North with a Cincinnati Bengals side that has reached the playoffs in both 2011 and 2012, and a Pittsburgh Steelers team that will always be a force if QB Ben Roethlisberger remains healthy after an injury-hit 2012.

Odds on the Denver Broncos winning Super Bowl XLVIII, making them favourites to lift the Vince Lomardi trophy in 2014. They finished last season 13-3, but went out of the playoffs in an amazing double overtime loss to the Ravens.

Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning returned from neck surgery to throw for 37 touchdowns, and this year the

afc weSt Broncos will be boosted by the arrival of receiver Wes Welker from the Patriots. The Kansas City Chiefs had the equal worst record in 2012, going 2-14 – but they have a new general manager in John Dorsey, from the Packers, and a new coach in Andy Reid from the Philadelphia Eagles. They signalled their intentions by signing quarterback Alex Smith from the 49ers.

10

afc eaSt

The number of times the New England Patriots have won the AFC East division in the 13 years Bill Belichick (above) has been coach. The Patriots will begin 2013 favourites to triumph once again.

Quarterback Tom Brady is now 36 and knows time is running out for him to add to his collection of three Super Bowl rings. The Pats also lost Wes Welker (a free agent) to the Broncos, replacing him with Danny Amendola from the St Louis Rams – but he will need to stay healthy, having played only 12 games in the past two years.

Perhaps their biggest challenge will come from the Miami Dolphins. They have overhauled their team, adding, among others, receivers Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline, and spending $146m on free-agent contracts.

Julian Wait | 37

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

AUG 30-SEP 5 HIGHLIGHTS » Football: Premier League » p40 » UEFA Super Cup: Bayern Munich v Chelsea »p42 » Rowing: World Championships » p42 » Rugby League: St Helens v Warrington » p44 » Motorsport: World Superbikes Round 10 » p44

THURSDAY > GOLF | OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS | CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, SWITZERLAND | SKY SPORTS 2 3.30PM

He loves this place: so much so that he's playing in this

as Crans-sur-Sierre, the location for next week's

event for the 25th consecutive year. He won in 2010

Omega European Masters.

and has 10 top-10s at Crans – and, as he showed at the

Perched 5,000 feet above sea level in the Swiss mountains, it provides a unique test on tour, with

There will be plenty of challengers, though. Danish

balls flying much further at altitude than they usually

veteran Thomas Bjørn is another former champion

would. That means big hitters can easily lose their

who enjoys playing here, while Italian wonderboy

range here, while the smarter golfers get the

Matteo Manassero – who took his game to another

job done.

level when he won the BMW PGA in May – has the

Step forward everyone's favourite player: the cigar-smoking, rioja-drinking Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

38 | August 30 2013 |

Open last month, he is still playing as well as ever.

course management and short game to add this title to his roll of honour.

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Mount pleasant

Few golf courses in the world are quite as stunning

7 Days

Premier League

sunday arsenal v tottenham emirates stadium | sky sports 1 4pm

There’s a quiet affair at Anfield on Sunday lunchtime, while north London neighbours get together at the Emirates and Manchester City thrash Hull. Probably sunday liverpool v manchester united | anfield | sky sports 1 1.30pm

Arsenal’s 100th London derby win in the Premier League last weekend was important, but not as important as getting number 101 against Spurs would be. The more free-spending north Londoners have won their opening league games thanks to two penalties from Roberto Soldado, while the more free-scoring side is starting to see the best from Olivier Giroud. It has finished 5-2 at the Emirates for the past two seasons.

It couldn’t happen again, could it?

saturday man city v hull city | etihad stadium bt sport 12.45pm

Liverpool’s solid start to the season – two wins, two

goals to their name from two games played, although

Manchester City were undone by

clean sheets, two goals – faces its biggest test yet on

Sturridge’s eight goals in his last seven appearances in

two corners and some shaky

Sunday, with the arrival of Manchester United at Anfield.

the league beat van Persie’s tally (seven from seven) by

goalkeeping in Cardiff. Vincent

a single goal.

Kompany’s injury left Manuel

Brendan Rodgers’ side lost home and away to the champions last season, with the game at Anfield hinging

United’s star man was kept fairly quiet against Chelsea

Pellegrini with Joleon Lescott and

on a first-half red card for Jonjo Shelvey and a late penalty

on Monday night, as he took a back seat to the Wayne

Javi Garcia at centre half – a pairing

from Robin van Persie (who has scored six goals in his

Rooney saga that may or may not still be running by the

he’s likely to change, with Matija

past seven games against Liverpool). It was a win former

time you read this. The first goalless draw Old Trafford

Nastasic fit again. Hull’s only goal in

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted they were lucky

has seen in the league in 77 games saw United struggle to

the league so far has been a penalty,

to get, with the home side dominating for long periods.

create too many clear-cut chances, with just three shots

but Steve Bruce believes it’s their

on target. Against a Liverpool side that is yet to concede,

defensive stability that will keep

met at Old Trafford, as was Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge.

van Persie and Rooney might have to get their games in

them up. If they can keep City at bay

This time, both strikers go into the game with two league

sync to break them down.

for 90 minutes, he could be right.

Van Persie was on the scoresheet again when the sides

40 | August 30 2013 |

saturday cardiff v everton | cardiff city stadium | 3pm

saturday newcastle v fulham | st james’ park | 3pm

saturday norwich v southampton | carrow road | 3pm

Everton drew 15 games last term

Incroyable! That’s the only way to

He might not be a Wolf in Lamb(ert)’s clothing quite yet, but Ricky van

– more than every other team,

describe the luck compounding

Wolfswinkel is trying his best to do for Norwich what his counterpart has

except Stoke. Despite the change in

Monsieur Pardieu’s opening to the

been doing for Southampton’s goal tally for some four years now.

manager, they’re following the same

season, after his side failed to hit

pattern this season, with two draws

the target with any of their 14

conjured a total of 15 shots in two games), scoring one and forcing a blinding

from two in the league. It’s a far cry

attempts last week – including a

save with the other. Memo to Chris Hughton – get the ball to this man.

from Cardiff’s rip-roaring start to

Yoan Gouffran effort that will have

life in the top flight – lulling others

had Nick Hancock salivating. As if

but remains Southampton’s major threat, especially in the closing stages.

into a false sense of security with a

that’s not enough, the very man they

The Saints’ two goals this season have both arrived in the final two minutes.

lifeless display at West Ham before

wanted to sign to provide goals is in

Neither side managed a win from their two meetings last term, with the game

submitting Man City to a show of

town – Darren Bent is already finding

at Carrow Road ending goalless and both teams scoring once at St Mary’s.

passion and belief nobody was

his feet at Fulham. Still, we’re sure

Hughton says he wants Norwich to be “hard to beat” this season. And that’s

expecting. Whatever next?

Joe Kinnear has a plan.

fine, but the winning bit will need to happen at some stage, too.

saturday west ham v stoke | upton park | 3pm

saturday crystal palace v sunderland | selhurst park | sky sports 1 5.30pm

The new man has had two chances in yellow and green (in a side that has

Rickie Lambert meanwhile, drew a blank against Sunderland last week,

sunday west brom v swansea | the hawthorns | 1.30pm

Premier League tabLe P

W D

Pts

L

F

A

1

Chelsea

3

2

1

0

4

1

7

2

Liverpool

2

2

0

0

2

0

6

3

Tottenham

2

2

0

0

2

0

6

4

Man Utd

2

1

1

0

4

1

4

5

West Ham

2

1

1

0

2

0

4

6

Southampton 2

1

1

0

2

1

4

7

Man City

2

1

0

1

6

3

3

8

Arsenal

2

1

0

1

4

4

3

9

Aston Villa

3

3

1

0

2

4

4

10 Stoke

2

1

0

1

2

2

3

11 Cardiff City

2

1

0

1

3

4

3

12 Fulham

2

1

0

1

2

3

3

13 Hull City

2

1

0

1

1

2

3 2

14 Everton

2

0

2

0

2

2

Five shots on target from 24

Marouane Chamakh’s first Premier

While the majority of the football

15 Norwich

2

0

1

1

2

3

1

attempts so far – are West Ham

League goal in 707 days was a

world is focused on Anfield, last

16 Sunderland

2

0

1

1

1

2

1

missing Andy Carroll, even if four

welcome sight for Ian Holloway,

season’s surprise packages will be

17 West Brom

2

0

1

1

0

1

1

points from a possible six hints

but zero points from two games is

trying to kickstart their season.

18 Newcastle

2

0

1

1

0

4

1

otherwise? Modibo Maiga has been

not – the Eagles are now the only

Defeats to Man Utd and Tottenham

19 Crystal Palace 2

promoted side still chasing a win.

are hardly panic-inducers, but a lack

Big Sam could blood Ravel Morrison,

For Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio,

of bite has left Swansea at the foot

who he has described this week as

a point against Southampton was

of the table – and Cardiff’s shock win

an “exceptional talent” – even if he

frustrating after they led the game

over Man City won’t have helped. A

does wear gloves in August. Mark

for 85 minutes. Given that they had

win against a side that failed to find

Hughes’ side, meanwhile, bagged a

lost six of their past seven league

the net against both Southampton

league brace last weekend for the

games on the road, they’ll travel to

and Everton is a must – and that in

first time since last December.

London with a bit more belief.

itself is quite a worry for West Brom.

3

2

0

0

2

1

3

0

0

0

2

1

5

0

All pictures Getty Images

the man they’ve looked to so far, and

20 Swansea

Goalless draws in the Prem last weekend – that happened only twice in the whole of last season

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| 41

7 Days FRIDAY FOOTBALL | UEFA SUPER CUP: BAYERN MUNICH v CHELSEA | EDEN ARENA, PRAGUE | SKY SPORTS 1 7.45PM

Know-it-all in for another Pep talk?

“In this room [the press room], he’s the f***ing chief, the f***ing man, the person who knows everything about the world and I don’t want to compete with him at all.” Pep Guardiola’s f-word-laden description of José Mourinho, as uttered during their spells managing Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, could come back to haunt him on Friday evening, as he goes head to head with his old foe once more.

Now settled into their new roles at Bayern Munich and Chelsea, Guardiola and Mourinho will be competing in Prague’s Eden Stadium for the honour of being named the champions of the champions (of Europe). Catchy.

It’s Chelsea’s second consecutive appearance in the UEFA Super Cup, coming 12 months after they were on the receiving end of a 4-1 pasting from 2012 Europa League winners Atletico Madrid. One sacking and one interim manager later, the Blues are back. This time, they go into it as underdogs (or Europa League winners, if you will) against a Bayern side that won the treble last year – and then brought in one of the most highly regarded managers in the world. They lost the German Super Cup to Borussia Dortmund in their season-opener, but have since won three out of three in the league.

Neither manager was in situ for the previous meeting between these sides in May 2012, when the Bundesliga champions missed their chance to win the Champions League on home turf thanks to a late Didier Drogba equaliser and the ensuing carnage of a penalty shootout. But it’s clearly something that still rankles Bayern’s players, with Thomas Müller claiming this week: “We have a score to settle... we will try to win this title with a vengeance.”

FRIDAY > ROWING | 2013 WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS | CHUNGJU, SOUTH KOREA | BRITISH EUROSPORT 7AM

The week-long World Rowing Championships reach their

ahead of the trip to Korea. The result? A mild rejig of the crew

conclusion this weekend, with most of the finals taking

order in the men's eight, as well as small tweaks to the women's

place over the final three days of competition.

eight and quad.

The GB crews picked up a wealth of medals in the first two

It's the pair of Polly Swan and Olympic gold-medallist Helen

World Cups of the 2013 season in Sydney and Eton Dorney – but,

Glover (pictured) who head to the championships with most

at the third and most recent regatta in Lucerne, they left with a

expected of them, having already completed a hat-trick of wins

largely disappointing haul of just three medals. The squads

in this year's World Cup series. Not bad for a pair who are very

headed off to an altitude training camp for final preparations

much the new kids on the block in their boat class this season.

42 | August 30 2013 |

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Dani Pozo/AFP/Getty Images, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

GB rowers hunting more gold

A SWARM IS COMING GO TO WASPS.CO.UK OR CALL 020 8993 8298 TWITTER.COM/WASPSRUGBY

FACEBOOK.COM/LONDONWASPS

#EVERYFANCOUNTS

7 Days FRIday Rugby League | SupeR League: ST HeLeNS v waRRiNgToN woLveS | LaNgTRee paRK | SKy SpoRTS 4 8pM

Down to the deuce With just two rounds of the Super League left, the top eight might have been decided – but some fierce fighting remains for the final playoff placings. Warrington must win their final two games if they have any hope of replacing Huddersfield at the top of the table, and the first of those is a very awkward fixture at St Helens.

The Saints have had their worst ever Super League campaign, but have strung together five successive wins and sit fifth.

Saints are also one of only two teams to have won at the Halliwell Jones this year.

For Warrington, Stefan Ratchford (left) is maturing into a fine stand-off, hooker Mickey Higham is in the form of his life and England back-rower Ben Westwood will make his presence felt. Saints have already welcomed back big-hitting Sia Soliola, while England hooker James Roby is scheduled to make his long-awaited return after a two-month absence. These two never fail to serve up a thrilling contest – expect the same again tonight.

SUNday MoToRSpoRT | woRLD SupeRbiKeS RouND 10: NuRbuRgRiNg, geRMaNy | bRiTiSH euRoSpoRT 2 11aM

Euro dash While Cal Crutchlow aims to become the first racer from these Paul Thomas/Getty Images, Mirco Lazzari GP/Getty Images

shores to win a MotoGP race in years at Silverstone on Sunday, over in Germany a British win is a much more likely prospect.

Jonny Rea, Chaz Davies and Tom Sykes (right) have shared eight race wins between them in the 2013 World Superbikes season, and with just four rounds remaining after this weekend at the Nürburgring, Sykes in particular (with 249 points) is hot on the heels of Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (on 262).

The 31-year-old Guintoli has been using the month-long summer break to recover from a dislocated collarbone sustained while cycling (dangerous pursuit). But he will start favourite to be back atop the podium in Germany.

44 | August 30 2013 |

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Extra timE Making the most of your time and money

P54 mark Wahlberg gets his pump – and his chainsaw – on in Pain & Gain

Gadgets

Drawn together Wacom Cintiq 13HD Graphics tablet

A shrunk-down version of the drawing equipment used by illustrators and designers, the 13HD is designed to take up less desk space than its big brothers while still providing pressuresensitive drawing capability.

Perfect for sporting artists such as Ian Holloway, David James and Jody Craddock (he retired, still at Wolves, in May), who all dabble with the brush. £750 | uk.shop.wacom.eu

alcatel One touch idol

A premium smartphone that’s expected to be released at an affordable price point, the One Touch Idol has everything you’d expect from top-of-theline phones: brushed metal finish, 4.75-inch screen and 8-megapixel camera that comes with the usual array of options. £TBC | alcatelonetouch.com 46 | August 30 2013 |

Orbitsound Soundbar SB60

Flatscreen televisions can lack something of the audio punch of their chunkier predecessors.

Designed to sit under 35-inch to 55-inch modern TVs, the SB60 boosts your audio without the need for a separate subwoofer – a valuable asset in today’s ever more cramped living areas. £299 | johnlewis.co.uk

Sigmo Voice translation Device

This crowdsourced device will break down language barriers by translating for you at the press of a button. Pair it with a smartphone and the Sigmo app and, when you speak, your words will be translated into your choice of 25 languages.

From £20 | buysigmo.com

Skullcandy Crusher Headphones

Released today, the Crusher headphones are designed to replicate the ear-splitting low-end you hear at gigs. They have a slider on the back that lets you adjust the powered bass boost to your liking, or turn it off completely if you’re a big wuss.

From £99 | skullcandy.com

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iPad edition on Newsstand now

ET

Kit

holding on To ThE summEr

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. We’re taking a similar approach to where we’d like to be right now – and beach shoes are right at the top of the list

Cushe Evo-lite loafer

Comes in brown, mid grey or tan, with premium suede upper and breathable canvas lining. Go nicely with shorts by day and jeans by night. £50 | amazon.co.uk

Animal Break Flip Flops

With Spandex lining and soft webbing toepost, they’re also available in blue. £16 | animal.co.uk 48 | August 30 2013 |

Espadrij Classic shoes

Stripes make you look thin. These, with flexible grip soles, will simply make you look ace. £20 | surfdome.com

o’neill Poseidon Flip Flops

Named after the god of the sea, and they’re the same colour as his fave hangout. Clever. £18 | O’Neill stores

h by hudson Cabana shoes

Want to look smart without socks?

These woven leather beauties will sort you out. £75 | surfdome.com

o’neill Esplanade

Cotton upper on a rubber sole ensures comfort and a cool look – available in five colours. £30 | O’Neill stores

havaianas Brasil Flag Flip Flops

No prizes for name originality, but the flip flop kings won’t send you far wrong. £18 | havaianasstore.com

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ET

Grooming

A sporTinG chAncE

The Vuelta a España began last weekend – how better to get on yer bike than with a tour-themed travel pack? Plus: Zizou cleans up

Leader of the Gc

Ted Baker Tour de Ted Body Maintenance Kit

A unique dash of tradition with state-of-the-art scents technology, Ted says of his new (be)spoke collection that will keep you as “fresh as a bright Yellow Jersey”. His Tour de Ted kit comes in two flavours: Omnium Orange, with eucalyptus, geranium and patchouli; and Racing Green, with bergamot, cedarwood, sandalwood and musk. Those scents can be found in a 50ml hair and body wash and body spray, each small enough to keep in your saddlebag. £12 | Boots stores nationwide

ZZ top adidas Team Five Limited Edition

“When you’re an athlete, you always need products like these,” says adidas bodycare ambassador Zinedine Zidane. His favourite? “The EDT (£4.99 for 100ml). It’s really nice to smell so fresh. You find the same fragrance in the shower gel (£2.54 for 250ml), with the same notes.”

They would be apple and lemon with basil, a heart of lavender and sage, and bottom notes of amber wood and pine. You can also find that scent in the antiperspirant spray (£2.64 for 200ml) and body spray (£2.64 for 150ml). C’est super. adidasbodycare.com/en 50 | August 30 2013 |

Fish head Fish Minis

Fish have crammed three of their best-selling styling products tighter than a tin of sardines into mini versions: Fishfingers Shape Defining Wax (suited to shorter, spikier hairstyles and will help mould, sculpt, define and shape), Fishshape Texturising Cream (combines the benefits of a gel and wax to hold your style without drying hard) and Stonefish Matt Texturising Clay (for short, choppy styles, providing a textured look with a matt finish). Mini, yet undeniably mighty. £2.99 each for 25ml | Boots stores nationwide Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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

Extra time Analeigh Tipton

Tip flop

52 | August 30 2013 |

CPLA Photo

P

eople who are destined for sporting success at a young age, only for nature or ill fortune to intervene, often end up as bitter, jaded individuals. Some sink so low as to get jobs in sports journalism. Not this path for Analeigh Tipton, however. A promising US pairs figure skater, it all went south when she shot north: a growth spurt took her from an optimum 5ft 5ins to over 5ft 9ins. So she quit the sport aged 16, went into modelling, and is now a burgeoning Hollywood actress.

Granted, this is one way of handling failure, but can starring alongside Ryan Gosling (as she did in 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love) really compete with being tossed into the air by some Christopher Dean type in a Blades of Glory-style unitard? We’d argue not.

| 53

eT

entertainment

Feel THe BrAwN

Marky Mark’s bodybuilders turn to crime, while Chevy Chase stretches his range in playing an egotistical millionaire

Film

Blu-ray

Star Trek Into Darkness

Mark Wahlberg displayed his comic touch with 2012’s Ted, but this year he’s dropped the cuddly bear and picked up The Rock. Michael ‘Transformers’ Bay is a divisive director, but he’s put his all into violent action/comedy Pain & Gain – based on the (supposed) true story of a gang of Miami gym muscleheads who kidnap one of their rich, repellent clients in order to extort cash from him. They set about living the high life, which goes predictably wrong – particularly for The

Film

Upstream Colour

Called both a striking, mysterious thriller and a pretentious mess, this US indie film has divided opinion. It begins with a woman being unknowingly drugged, then having her savings stolen. Soon after, she falls in love with a man who’s been through something similar, but in trying to rebuild their lives the pair are drawn into a bizarre and fractured world.

Out today 54 | August 30 2013 |

Rock’s confused former coke addict who’s found religion, Paul Doyle (sample dialogue: “Christ himself has blessed me with many gifts. One of them is knocking someone the f*** out”). It’s predictably light on subtlety and high on pumped-up action scenes, but the cast and crew approach the film with a sense of giddy abandon. In common with its central protagonists, Pain & Gain will never be famed for its brains, but it has guilty pleasure scribbled all over it.

Out today

Book

Northern Soul: An Illustrated History

The UK mod scene inspired more than just Paul Weller’s mutton chops. It also sparked this northof-England soul music, dance and fashion movement that maintains a cult following today.

This immersive new book mixes personal accounts and vibrant images to perfectly capture the rise of a cultural phenomenon.

Out Thursday

Music

The 1975 The 1975

DVD

The warbled, impassioned vocals are a tad Kooks-like, the songs painstakingly anthemic, but hyped indie newcomers The 1975 are saved from their own cliches by their brisk, bright stadiumsized hooks. Songs such as (risque title alert) Sex highlight the Manchester band’s strengths: slick, infectious, funky guitar pop.

Doesn’t go on too long, either.

Out Monday

Community Season Three

It features comedy heavyweights Chevy Chase (as moist towelette tycoon Pierce Hawthorne) and third-season guest star John Goodman, but this sitcom works thanks to its offbeat skewering of modern-day pop culture. Based around an eclectic group of adult students at a community college, it’s a mix of knowing self-parody backed by razor-sharp writing.

Out Monday

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Jaimie Trueblood, Zade Rosenthal

Pain & Gain

It wasn’t quite as thrillingly fresh as his 2009 reboot, but JJ Abrams’ second Trek feature is still a superb blend of dazzling sci-fi action and wry comedy. An area where it improves over its predecessor is the villain, Benedict ‘Sherlock’ Cumberbatch channelling Alan Rickman to deliver a sneering terrorist intent on destroying Starfleet. The strength of the film once more, however, lies in the bromantic chemistry between Chris Pine’s cocky Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s ruler-haired Spock, who eventually loses his rag to spectacular effect.

Out Monday

o & us n t t 1 Ploptio por e TS th s B s ce ac 2

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