I was watching an interview yesterday. My favourite newsman was interviewing my favourite cricketer. Arnab Goswami interviewing Sachin Tendulkar. He said what he has been saying for the last five years. I ll retire when I stop enjoying the game. For twenty years this man has served India; at the tender age of 16 he took on Pakistan fearsome pace battery, at 17 he won the hearts of the British people with a gallant century in Manchester. He then went on to tame the Aussies, on their home grounds. Remember Perth and Sydney? Each drive was sublime, each push elegant, each pull exactly right and each flick perfect. He was the messiah. He is the messiah.

He always will be. He was not the best captain, but he still was a great leader. They way he has headed India’s batting line up for over 15 years, the way he got us numerous victories away from India was extraordinary, to say the least.

Sachin Tendulkar, simply put, is Sachin Tendulkar.  Extraordinary technique and amazing talent was something he has in common with his friend and counterpart Vinod Kambli. Many experts argue that Kambli was actually much more talented than Tendulkar, I personally feel that might not be true, but it supplements what I wish to say. Tendulkar is not the most naturally talented batsmen of this age. Md. Azharuddin and Dravid I believe, were more gifted. But Sachin Tendulkar with sheer grit, determination and hard work dwarfed them all.  Sachin even at the age of 17 batted with such extraordinary calm , which even the greatest of batsmen do not have. He according to me the greatest student of the game. Always looking to improve, never getting complacent, eternally looking to better his achievements. That attitude is what has made him what he is. Because talent is nothing at all without the right attitude. Sachin was not as gifted as say Dravid, but he still was more gifted than an ordinary mortal, add  to that superhuman will-power and determination and you will understand why Sachin is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers ever.

I will not talk about his records, for enough has been said. The world knows what this little man has done. I will not talk about the way he bats, for there are no words good enough, there are no words that can describe that perfect drive down the ground, or that six over extra cover, or that front foot defense . Those who feel that they can do so, are kidding themselves. Such brilliance can not be simply put into words.

Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986), commonly known as Nani is a Portuguese player who currently plays for Manchester United. He once played for Sporting and was bought for a whopping 25 million pounds. He is a right footed winger and can play on either flank. He made his international debut in September 2006 and has gone  on to make 62 appearances for the Portuguese national team, scoring thirteen goals.

To a United fan,  Nani was a beacon of hope. Ronaldo was gone, but we had Nani. The fact that he played at the same position,  and had some of the same qualities heightened the comparison. Nani lived up to the hype for some time churning out some great passes, scoring a few long rangers with Alex Ferguson saying, “Maturity is why we’re seeing the best of him now, his last three games have been absolutely first class but today was his best.” When at his best, Nani is one of the better players in the world. He is a brilliant classical winger, a faster and crisper version of West Brom’s Chris Brunt. He can run down the flank, he can give a lot of trouble to full-backs , he can deliver a great cross, play the one-twos and even score goals.

But that is, when he is at his best. He is not consistent, does not contribute to the defense, and when the going gets tough he seems disinterested. All that is completely all right. We have seen him play such glorious football that we could tolerate some mediocrity, but his massive ego and the fact that he believes himself to be better than everyone else, make him too arrogant for United.

The recent “accident”  involving Nani in which he allegedly punched David Pettrucci might be the last accident he will have at United. For Sir Alex Ferguson will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. If what the Daily Mail is saying really happened, then it just might be curtains for Nani. Nani is no stranger to controversy, He has been accused of “show-boating”, and “having a big head ” by some players. Also, his extraordinarily large wage demands and extraordinarily poor form will not help him lengthen his stay at Old Trafford. The gaffer has sold Beckham and Ronaldo at their respective primes and would not hesitate to sell Nani off if the accusations are proved and Nani’s game does not improve.

Then there is the fact that Sir Alex who will have to retire in a couple of years and would like to bring in as many wonder-kids as he can so that the future remains secure. And Nani, unfortunately, is not getting any younger. Unless and until he realizes that there are 10 other men in the team, there is very little hope for him. SAF is not known for tolerating, well, anything. As long as he is there, the club will be run the way he wants it to be run. If David Beckham could be sold because the boss did not like his attitude than Nani should also have no illusions about his future.

Agreed, that losing Nani will be a big blow. A very big blow, as Ashley Young is not as good as Nani and equally inconsistent as well as injury prone. But that does not mean that we are short of options. Buttner, for one, can be groomed to play at left wing. And Robbie Brady is a star in the making.

No United faithful would like to lose Nani,  because on his day he can give any defense loads of problems and with his uncanny habit of creating chances for the strikers with great crosses, he is one hell of an asset. A dynamic player, in the true sense of the word. But the question remains, will his big head get in the way of his great feet? Will his ego be his downfall? Only time will tell.

I am a Manchester United fan, they are the only team I have ever supported. But I have never been able to hate Arsenal. They have simply been too entertaining to hate. Irrespective of the team you support, you must accept that Arsenal play the most attacking and entertaining football in England. They might lose a game, but they sure as hell will make it fun. They are not as good as they were in 2004, they have sold Song and Van Persie. Yet, I believe that Arsenal will still give a strong performance this season simply because they have Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger was born on 22nd October 1949. He played for four teams in his playing career: Mutzig, Mulhouse AVSP Strasbourg and RC Strasbourg, playing 67 games and scoring 4 goals. He was not a great player, but even then he had that ability to motivate his team mates that later turned him into one of the greatest managers of all time. He obtained an economics degree in 1974, got his football coaching diploma in 1981 and joined Nancy in 1984. He coached Monaco for a couple of seasons, won them the league, and a cup competition before leaving. He then led a Japanese team to success. He had focused on the youth even in his previous clubs but that ability to spot a raw gem and then make him a true star first came to light when he started coaching Arsenal.

BBC sports describes him as a coach who “has spent his career building teams that combine the accumulation of silverware with a desire to entertain and attack”. The Daily Mail says “a purist, dedicated to individual and collective technical quality”. My opinion is similar to them, yet different. I adore Wenger just  because whenever I watch his team play, it lifts my heart. All those slick touches, amazing passes and pretty goals make the world seem like a better place. Orgasmic at its best, I would rate Arsenal’s way of playing back in 2004 as good as today’s Barcelona. Some would say, that Arsenal waste chances when they look to score “pretty goals”. That is like saying RvP did not score any goals last season. Arsenal’s game is based on attack, which is helped by creative midfielders and a solid defense.

The second great thing about Wenger is that not only does he create great players, he stands by them when they need him the most. He stood by Tony Adams when he publicly admitted to alcoholism. He stood by RvP when he was plagued by injuries. He unearths unknown talent and then simply transforms them into great players. Viera, Fabregas, George Weah (when in Monaco), Alex Song are some examples. His scouting ability is unmatched. No manager has an eye for future stars the way Wenger does, which has led to some pretty funny trolls, but the fact that he scouts the best players is undeniable.

Some may argue that he lets go of his players too easily, but the thing is that he has always found suitable replacements. Arsenal sold Fabregas but that did not stop them from playing some extraordinary football in the later part of the season. He may have sold RvP but believe me when I say that Podolski and Giroud are great replacements because I wouldn’t really bet against the judgement of someone like Wenger.

Tony Adams (Arsenal captain in the 90s) when Arsene was appointed said ”At first, I thought: What does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher. He’s not going to be as good as George. Does he even speak English properly?” Two years later, Tony Adams confessed to being Arsene’s biggest fan. As they say these days, enough said.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/09/27/why-i-love-arsene-wenger/feed/ 3 353224 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/09/26/rohit-sharma-what-could-have-been/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/09/26/rohit-sharma-what-could-have-been/#comments Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:15:04 +0000 Sameer http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=771262

In 2007, Rohit Sharma was part of the Indian team that lifted the T20 World Cup. He made his ODI debut in the same year. He was then the next big thing in Indian cricket. Unfortunately for him as well as India, he still is just promising, and nothing else. The fact that he has enormous talent can not be denied, but the only thing that he lacks is temperament and consistency.

Sachin Tendulkar said a couple of years ago: “Rohit Sharma will score more than 10000 test runs.” Rohit Sharma however has not even made his test debut yet. Virat Kohli on the other hand is someone no one knew back in 2007, yet with sheer hardwork and determination has cemented a place in the Indian squad, while Rohit Sharma has watched from the sidelines. Virat Kohli is surely not more talented than Rohit Sharma. I, for one, think that Rohit Sharma is greatest talent we have had after the golden trio of Sachin, Laxman and Dravid. Therefore it pains me to see a player under-perform when I once thought that he would be our next Messiah.

He has got the technique and the reflexes, and can even field pretty well. All he lacks is the determination, and the grit that a sportsman must have. At times I feel that Rohit Sharma is plain lazy. But believe me, when he truly realizes his potential, the whole world will stand up and take notice.