POOR Sian Massey.
The 25-year-old assistant referee is seemingly the biggest loser out of the furore which has called time on the SkySports careers of Andy Gray and Richard Keys.
As if running the line was not a nerve-wracking enough experience in the first place, Gray and Keys' comments have made Massey's next appearance even more unsettling.
Undoubtedly, the performance of Massey in her next match will come under even greater scrutiny - and that is not a pressure which she deserves.
Perhaps, it is this reason why Massey's next appointment is as a referee in the rather lowly surroundings of a Conference North match between Corby Town and Eastwood Town.
It was certainly wise of the referees' association, the PMGO, to withdraw Massey from Tuesday's clash between Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City in League One.
For, at that stage, this sexism row was still in full flow after further details emerged of Gray and Keys' indiscretions.
Former Scotland international Gray and broadcasting veteran Keys really only have themselves to blame.
There was nothing actually wrong with them pointing out there would be a female official in the televised top-flight clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool match on Saturday.
After all, it is still an unusual enough occurrence to be worthy of comment.
The duo might have even got away with a rap on the knuckles if their comments about women's understanding of the offside rule had been made in jest.
However, their tone expressed a complete lack of faith in the competency of Massey herself - and for no other reason than that she was female.
As it happened, Massey proved her detractors wrong by keeping her flag down, allowing the onside Raul Meireles to cross to Fernando Torres who gave Liverpool the lead.
But it was clear that the recriminations of Gray and Keys' assessment would last far beyond the 90 minutes at Molineux.
Gray was sacked on Tuesday from his £1.7m-a-year job after footage emerged of a separate incident which showed the former Everton and Aston Villa striker asking co-presenter Charlotte Jackson to tuck his mic into his trousers.
At this stage, it was unclear why Keys had seemingly been reprieved but the former GMTV man would soon fall on his sword.
Following a bizarre apology on TalkSport, in which he said "dark forces" were at work, Keys was also caught out by a leak from the archives which was actually far worse than anything that had gone before.
This time, the tape showed Keys talking to pundit Jamie Redknapp about a former girlfriend.
First, Keys asked: "Would you smash 'it'?" before he then went on to surmise, "That's a stupid question - if you were anywhere near 'it', you definitely smashed 'it'.
"You could have gone round there any night and found [Jamie] Redknapp hanging out the back of 'it'."
This matter will not end here. Gray has called in law firm Schillings to deal with the severance of his contract at Sky while Keys' references to "dark forces" may be related to the phone tapping scandal in the News of the World.
Even before the sexism row began, Gray had fallen out with the top brass at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp after he announced his intention to sue the News of the World over allegations his phone was tapped.
Murdoch's News Corp owns a majority shareholding in Sky and News International which produces the Sun, the Times, the Sunday Times and the News of the World.
As stated previously on this blog, the News of the World claimed that any phone tapping was the work of a rogue reporter, the jailed Royal correspondent Clive Goodman.
But, last week, former NotW editor Andy Coulson resigned as Government Director of Communications after the paper's former private investigator Glenn Mulcaire destroyed the 'rogue reporter' defence by implicating former head of news Ian Edmondson.
Edmondson was sacked and the Metropolitan Police have re-opened their investigation after confirming they have received new information.
It looks as if 2011 could turn into an annus horribilis for Murdoch's News Corp - and, certainly, Gray and Keys have spoiled any sense of celebration around SkySports' 20th birthday.
But, while it is hard to feel any sympathy for Gray or Keys, or - on a separate issue - anyone found guilty of tapping the phones of Gray and others, my thoughts go out to Massey.
For her part, Massey will understandably want to move on from the whole furore and prove herself to be a top official.
And, given her strength of character to have already come so far in the male-dominated game of football, there is a good chance she will.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
The Season 2010/11: Berbatov hits another treble
Premier League
Table
DIMITAR BERBATOV hit his third hat-trick of the season as Manchester United thrashed Birmingham City 5-0 at Old Trafford to maintain their two-point lead at the top.
The Bulgarian had previously scored a hat-trick in the Red Devils' 3-2 win against Liverpool in September and he hit five goals in the 7-1 mauling of Blackburn Rovers in November.
Berbatov now joins Alan Shearer and Ruud van Nistelrooy as the only players to have scored more than two hat-tricks in a single Premier League season. Shearer scored five of them as he helped Blackburn win the title in 1994-95.
The evergreen Ryan Giggs and Nani added to Berbatov's strikes to keep Sir Alex Ferguson's men unbeaten in the league on 48 points after 22 games.
United are two points clear of Arsenal who also had a hat-trick hero in Robin van Persie as they beat Wigan Athletic 3-0 at the Emirates to move into second place.
The Gunners benefited from Manchester City's latest slip-up after Roberto Mancini's men were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa.
Darren Bent enjoyed a dream debut and scored the winner at Villa Park to provide some much-needed relief for Gerard Houllier's struggling outfit.
But City's fifth league defeat of the season leaves them three points adrift of their great rivals having played an extra two matches. United play the first of these games in hand on tonight at Blackpool.
Last night, Chelsea returned to their ruthless best to beat Bolton Wanderers 4-0 at the Reebok Stadium and increase their stranglehold on fourth place.
Goals from Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka and Ramires gave the Blues their first back-to-back league wins since October.
For Bolton, though, the year has not begun so well and four defeats out of five games has dropped Owen Coyle's men from sixth on Boxing Day to tenth position.
Sunderland have strode into the Trotters' top-six place after taking 10 points from their first four league games of 2011.
However, it has not all been good news on Wearside with the surprise departure of Bent for up to £24m leaving a hole in the Black Cats' attack.
Still, the news is worse at Upton Park where West Ham United still prop up the rest of the league on 21 points from 24 games after they conceded late on in a 2-2 draw at Everton.
Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers are second-bottom on the same points from just one game fewer after a 3-0 mauling at Molineux by a Fernando Torres-inspired Liverpool.
Torres scored twice and Raul Meireles got the other goal as the Reds won their first game since Kenny Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson on FA Cup Third Round weekend.
Meanwhile, it does not get any easier for Wolves in the next few games as they face Manchester United and Arsenal in two of their next three matches.
Wigan Athletic complete the bottom three on 22 points after just one win in their last 10 league games - back on Boxing Day at Wolves.
Like Wolves, the three clubs just outside the drop zone hail from the West Midlands for which this has not been a classic season.
Birmingham City, on 23 points, are in the most immediate danger after that 5-0 loss at Old Trafford with Villa and West Bromwich Albion on 25 points.
Of the three, the Baggies are in the worst form with six defeats in their last seven league games sending Roberto di Matteo's men plummeting down the table.
It is not as if West Brom fans do not know what relegation from the Premier League feels like - the Albion have already gone down three times in the past eight seasons.
The Championship
Table
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE scored a late goal on his return to Loftus Road to help Queens Park Rangers complete a comeback win against Coventry City.
Winger Routledge, who is back with Rangers on loan from Newcastle United, took down a fine pass from Adel Taarabt before firing low past Coventry keeper Keiran Westwood.
Moroccan Taarabt had earlier equalised on the stroke of half-time after Marlon King's early goal for the Sky Blues.
The victory gives QPR 52 points from 27 games - and that is five points clear of a trio of clubs in Cardiff City, Norwich City and Swansea City.
Cardiff brought to an end Watford's fine recent run with a 4-2 win in which Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd and Gabor Gypes all scored to make it seven points out of their last nine.
Norwich are in even better form with 20 points from their last 27 in a sequence that stretches back to the end of November, after Saturday's 2-1 win at Sheffield United.
But, at nearby Barnsley, Swansea were forced to rescue a point as Scott Sinclair scored his 17th goal of the season with a late penalty.
Leeds United, in fifth on 45 points, also had to come from behind - twice, indeed - to make their point at Fratton Park against Portsmouth.
Luciano Becchio and Davide Somma scored for the Yorkshire side whose form since Christmas has tailed off somewhat with just one win in six since Boxing Day.
By contrast, the two teams immediately behind Leeds are the division's form clubs.
Sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, who finished third last season, are now just four point adrift of an automatic promotion spot after five wins and a draw from their last six league games.
The run included two derby wins over their East Midlands rivals Derby County, the Reds completing the Double at the weekend with a 1-0 win at Pride Park thanks to Robert Earnshaw's late goal.
However, the earlier derby will live on longer in the memory, Forest demolishing the Rams 5-2 at the City Ground after two goals each from Earnshaw and Marcus Tudgay.
Billy Davies' men remain the only Championship side unbeaten at home this season and they have two or three games in hand on all of the sides above them.
But, while Watford, in seventh, cannot match that, they can point to a recent run of six successive league wins - a sequence which has propelled the Hornets into the promotion picture.
That run may have come to a grinding to a shuddering halt at Cardiff in a 4-2 defeat on Saturday but Malky Mackay's men may yet finish in the top six by the end of the season.
At this stage, of course, some sides are just hoping to stay in the division and the situation looks most bleak at Deepdale where Preston North End are in deep trouble.
With just one win in their last 13 league games, the Lancastrians are rooted to the bottom of the Championship with 21 points from 24 matches, six adrift of safety.
The appointment of Phil Brown, in place of the sacked Darren Ferguson, has not seemed to have much effect and Preston face a massive game against second-bottom Scunthorpe United on Saturday.
After a reasonable start, Scunthorpe have also slipped into trouble on the back of claiming just four points from their last 10 games.
At least the 0-0 draw with Burnley brought to an end a devastating run of six successive home league defeats but the Iron have still only won once at Glanford Park in the league this season.
That came back in August against Crystal Palace who have unsurprisingly struggled all season.
The cash-strapped Eagles are third-bottom with 26 points, two ahead of Scunthorpe and one behind Sheffield United who remain in dreadful form.
Micky Adams' Blades have taken just five points from their last nine games and, along with the bottom three, they are threatened with being cut adrift.
That is because Tony Mowbray has seen an upturn in form at Middlesbrough who are unbeaten in their last five league games with three wins and two draws.
Boro now sit in 20th position with 30 points from 27 games, and they can breathe a little easier - unlike the patrons at Preston, Scunthorpe and Crystal Palace.
League One
Table
MANAGERLESS AFC Bournemouth closed the gap to Brighton & Hove Albion to three points after beating the Seagulls 1-0 in the top-of-the-table League One clash.
The Cherries showed no signs of missing Burnley-bound former boss Eddie Howe as Liam Feeney's volley earned a vital win for caretaker manager Lee Bradbury at Dean Court.
Gus Poyet's Brighton remain top with 46 points from 24 games despite suffering their fourth league defeat of the campaign, all of which have come away. Bournemouth are second with 43 points but having played two more matches.
However, neither third-placed Huddersfield Town nor fourth-placed Southampton took full advantage of Brighton's slip-up.
Lee Clark's Terriers could only manage a 0-0 home draw with Colchester United while the Saints were beaten 2-0 at struggling Tranmere Rovers.
Like Bournemouth, Huddersfield have 43 points from 26 games while Southampton have 41 points from 25 games.
Not far behind the front-runners are Peterborough United and Milton Keynes Dons on 39 points, and Charlton Athletic and Oldham Athletic on 38 points.
All four teams tasted victory at the weekend. Posh thumped Hartlepool United 4-0, MK Dons won 1-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge, Charlton beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 and Oldham beat Brentford 2-1 to make it three wins out of four.
At the bottom, Walsall continue to be cut adrift after another defeat - this time 2-1 at Exeter City - means the Saddlers have failed to win a game in 2011 from six attempts.
The men from the Bescot Stadium have just 19 points from 25 games, already 10 adrift of safety.
League One also looks a step too far for Dagenham & Redbridge who are second-bottom with 21 points after their 1-0 loss to MK Dons made it four defeats in five.
But third-bottom Yeovil Town, on 26 points, and fourth-bottom Bristol Rovers, on 27, will carry more hope of survival into the second half of the season.
It certainly helped that Rovers won 3-1 on Saturday against the team immediately outside the bottom four, Swindon Town.
Remarkably, the Pirates' victory was their first in the league since mid-October but it takes them to within a point of last season's playoff finalists, Swindon.
For the Robins, this was a third successive defeat and that day out at Wembley in May must now seem like an age away.
League Two
Table
LEADERS Chesterfield ground out a 0-0 draw against Shrewsbury Town as the top four met over the weekend in League Two.
The Spireites stay top in a healthy position with 49 points from 24 matches, fully 10 points clear of their visitors.
Meanwhile, second-placed Wycombe Wanderers sneaked a vital win over third-placed Rotherham United at the Causeway Stadium thanks to a solitary goal from veteran Gareth Ainsworth.
The win for the Chairboys takes them to 46 points from 25 games, and they are now five points ahead of Rotherham though the Yorkshire side have a game in hand.
Behind the three automatic promotion places, the division is very tight with six teams separated by just two points.
Shrewsbury and Port Vale are fourth and fifth on 39 points with Crewe Alexandra in sixth place on 38 points.
There is then a trio of clubs on 37 points, namely seventh-placed Bury, who are in the last playoff spot for now, Gillingham in eighth and Cheltenham Town in ninth.
Bury may be in that top-seven spot at the moment but the Shakers do not look like holding onto it for much longer, given that they have had just three draws in the league in six games since November.
Gillingham look best-placed to pounce now that they have sorted out their away form.
Having failed to win away from Priestfield all the way through last season, Andy Hessenthaler's men then took until November this term to win on their travels - a total of 34 games across 18 months.
After the spell was broken with a 1-0 win at Oxford United, the Gills have since won away at Barnet 2-1, Macclesfield Town 4-2 and Stockport County 5-1.
And put together with three consecutive home wins over Port Vale, Stevenage and Northampton Town, the results have propelled the Kent club from 22nd in November to their current placing of eighth.
Still down at the wrong end of the table, however, are the likes of Lincoln City, Hereford United and Stockport.
Lincoln are bottom with 22 points from as many games, while Hereford are just above them on the same points from 23 matches.
But it is actually third-bottom Stockport who look in most desperate shape after Lincoln beat them 4-3 at Sincil Bank on Saturday thanks to an Ashley Grimes hat-trick.
The result leaves the Hatters only two points clear of the bottom two but having played four games more than Hereford and five more than Lincoln.
Fourth-bottom Barnet, alongside Stockport on 24 points, are in a similarly vulnerable position to Stockport having played three more matches than the Bulls and four more than the Red Imps.
But, unlike Stockport, the Bees have seen a slight upturn in form with five points from their last three games.
Stockport have just one win in their last 11 league games, and they have conceded no fewer than 61 goals, a Football League high for this campaign.
Table
DIMITAR BERBATOV hit his third hat-trick of the season as Manchester United thrashed Birmingham City 5-0 at Old Trafford to maintain their two-point lead at the top.
The Bulgarian had previously scored a hat-trick in the Red Devils' 3-2 win against Liverpool in September and he hit five goals in the 7-1 mauling of Blackburn Rovers in November.
Berbatov now joins Alan Shearer and Ruud van Nistelrooy as the only players to have scored more than two hat-tricks in a single Premier League season. Shearer scored five of them as he helped Blackburn win the title in 1994-95.
The evergreen Ryan Giggs and Nani added to Berbatov's strikes to keep Sir Alex Ferguson's men unbeaten in the league on 48 points after 22 games.
United are two points clear of Arsenal who also had a hat-trick hero in Robin van Persie as they beat Wigan Athletic 3-0 at the Emirates to move into second place.
The Gunners benefited from Manchester City's latest slip-up after Roberto Mancini's men were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa.
Darren Bent enjoyed a dream debut and scored the winner at Villa Park to provide some much-needed relief for Gerard Houllier's struggling outfit.
But City's fifth league defeat of the season leaves them three points adrift of their great rivals having played an extra two matches. United play the first of these games in hand on tonight at Blackpool.
Last night, Chelsea returned to their ruthless best to beat Bolton Wanderers 4-0 at the Reebok Stadium and increase their stranglehold on fourth place.
Goals from Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka and Ramires gave the Blues their first back-to-back league wins since October.
For Bolton, though, the year has not begun so well and four defeats out of five games has dropped Owen Coyle's men from sixth on Boxing Day to tenth position.
Sunderland have strode into the Trotters' top-six place after taking 10 points from their first four league games of 2011.
However, it has not all been good news on Wearside with the surprise departure of Bent for up to £24m leaving a hole in the Black Cats' attack.
Still, the news is worse at Upton Park where West Ham United still prop up the rest of the league on 21 points from 24 games after they conceded late on in a 2-2 draw at Everton.
Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers are second-bottom on the same points from just one game fewer after a 3-0 mauling at Molineux by a Fernando Torres-inspired Liverpool.
Torres scored twice and Raul Meireles got the other goal as the Reds won their first game since Kenny Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson on FA Cup Third Round weekend.
Meanwhile, it does not get any easier for Wolves in the next few games as they face Manchester United and Arsenal in two of their next three matches.
Wigan Athletic complete the bottom three on 22 points after just one win in their last 10 league games - back on Boxing Day at Wolves.
Like Wolves, the three clubs just outside the drop zone hail from the West Midlands for which this has not been a classic season.
Birmingham City, on 23 points, are in the most immediate danger after that 5-0 loss at Old Trafford with Villa and West Bromwich Albion on 25 points.
Of the three, the Baggies are in the worst form with six defeats in their last seven league games sending Roberto di Matteo's men plummeting down the table.
It is not as if West Brom fans do not know what relegation from the Premier League feels like - the Albion have already gone down three times in the past eight seasons.
The Championship
Table
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE scored a late goal on his return to Loftus Road to help Queens Park Rangers complete a comeback win against Coventry City.
Winger Routledge, who is back with Rangers on loan from Newcastle United, took down a fine pass from Adel Taarabt before firing low past Coventry keeper Keiran Westwood.
Moroccan Taarabt had earlier equalised on the stroke of half-time after Marlon King's early goal for the Sky Blues.
The victory gives QPR 52 points from 27 games - and that is five points clear of a trio of clubs in Cardiff City, Norwich City and Swansea City.
Cardiff brought to an end Watford's fine recent run with a 4-2 win in which Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd and Gabor Gypes all scored to make it seven points out of their last nine.
Norwich are in even better form with 20 points from their last 27 in a sequence that stretches back to the end of November, after Saturday's 2-1 win at Sheffield United.
But, at nearby Barnsley, Swansea were forced to rescue a point as Scott Sinclair scored his 17th goal of the season with a late penalty.
Leeds United, in fifth on 45 points, also had to come from behind - twice, indeed - to make their point at Fratton Park against Portsmouth.
Luciano Becchio and Davide Somma scored for the Yorkshire side whose form since Christmas has tailed off somewhat with just one win in six since Boxing Day.
By contrast, the two teams immediately behind Leeds are the division's form clubs.
Sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, who finished third last season, are now just four point adrift of an automatic promotion spot after five wins and a draw from their last six league games.
The run included two derby wins over their East Midlands rivals Derby County, the Reds completing the Double at the weekend with a 1-0 win at Pride Park thanks to Robert Earnshaw's late goal.
However, the earlier derby will live on longer in the memory, Forest demolishing the Rams 5-2 at the City Ground after two goals each from Earnshaw and Marcus Tudgay.
Billy Davies' men remain the only Championship side unbeaten at home this season and they have two or three games in hand on all of the sides above them.
But, while Watford, in seventh, cannot match that, they can point to a recent run of six successive league wins - a sequence which has propelled the Hornets into the promotion picture.
That run may have come to a grinding to a shuddering halt at Cardiff in a 4-2 defeat on Saturday but Malky Mackay's men may yet finish in the top six by the end of the season.
At this stage, of course, some sides are just hoping to stay in the division and the situation looks most bleak at Deepdale where Preston North End are in deep trouble.
With just one win in their last 13 league games, the Lancastrians are rooted to the bottom of the Championship with 21 points from 24 matches, six adrift of safety.
The appointment of Phil Brown, in place of the sacked Darren Ferguson, has not seemed to have much effect and Preston face a massive game against second-bottom Scunthorpe United on Saturday.
After a reasonable start, Scunthorpe have also slipped into trouble on the back of claiming just four points from their last 10 games.
At least the 0-0 draw with Burnley brought to an end a devastating run of six successive home league defeats but the Iron have still only won once at Glanford Park in the league this season.
That came back in August against Crystal Palace who have unsurprisingly struggled all season.
The cash-strapped Eagles are third-bottom with 26 points, two ahead of Scunthorpe and one behind Sheffield United who remain in dreadful form.
Micky Adams' Blades have taken just five points from their last nine games and, along with the bottom three, they are threatened with being cut adrift.
That is because Tony Mowbray has seen an upturn in form at Middlesbrough who are unbeaten in their last five league games with three wins and two draws.
Boro now sit in 20th position with 30 points from 27 games, and they can breathe a little easier - unlike the patrons at Preston, Scunthorpe and Crystal Palace.
League One
Table
MANAGERLESS AFC Bournemouth closed the gap to Brighton & Hove Albion to three points after beating the Seagulls 1-0 in the top-of-the-table League One clash.
The Cherries showed no signs of missing Burnley-bound former boss Eddie Howe as Liam Feeney's volley earned a vital win for caretaker manager Lee Bradbury at Dean Court.
Gus Poyet's Brighton remain top with 46 points from 24 games despite suffering their fourth league defeat of the campaign, all of which have come away. Bournemouth are second with 43 points but having played two more matches.
However, neither third-placed Huddersfield Town nor fourth-placed Southampton took full advantage of Brighton's slip-up.
Lee Clark's Terriers could only manage a 0-0 home draw with Colchester United while the Saints were beaten 2-0 at struggling Tranmere Rovers.
Like Bournemouth, Huddersfield have 43 points from 26 games while Southampton have 41 points from 25 games.
Not far behind the front-runners are Peterborough United and Milton Keynes Dons on 39 points, and Charlton Athletic and Oldham Athletic on 38 points.
All four teams tasted victory at the weekend. Posh thumped Hartlepool United 4-0, MK Dons won 1-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge, Charlton beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 and Oldham beat Brentford 2-1 to make it three wins out of four.
At the bottom, Walsall continue to be cut adrift after another defeat - this time 2-1 at Exeter City - means the Saddlers have failed to win a game in 2011 from six attempts.
The men from the Bescot Stadium have just 19 points from 25 games, already 10 adrift of safety.
League One also looks a step too far for Dagenham & Redbridge who are second-bottom with 21 points after their 1-0 loss to MK Dons made it four defeats in five.
But third-bottom Yeovil Town, on 26 points, and fourth-bottom Bristol Rovers, on 27, will carry more hope of survival into the second half of the season.
It certainly helped that Rovers won 3-1 on Saturday against the team immediately outside the bottom four, Swindon Town.
Remarkably, the Pirates' victory was their first in the league since mid-October but it takes them to within a point of last season's playoff finalists, Swindon.
For the Robins, this was a third successive defeat and that day out at Wembley in May must now seem like an age away.
League Two
Table
LEADERS Chesterfield ground out a 0-0 draw against Shrewsbury Town as the top four met over the weekend in League Two.
The Spireites stay top in a healthy position with 49 points from 24 matches, fully 10 points clear of their visitors.
Meanwhile, second-placed Wycombe Wanderers sneaked a vital win over third-placed Rotherham United at the Causeway Stadium thanks to a solitary goal from veteran Gareth Ainsworth.
The win for the Chairboys takes them to 46 points from 25 games, and they are now five points ahead of Rotherham though the Yorkshire side have a game in hand.
Behind the three automatic promotion places, the division is very tight with six teams separated by just two points.
Shrewsbury and Port Vale are fourth and fifth on 39 points with Crewe Alexandra in sixth place on 38 points.
There is then a trio of clubs on 37 points, namely seventh-placed Bury, who are in the last playoff spot for now, Gillingham in eighth and Cheltenham Town in ninth.
Bury may be in that top-seven spot at the moment but the Shakers do not look like holding onto it for much longer, given that they have had just three draws in the league in six games since November.
Gillingham look best-placed to pounce now that they have sorted out their away form.
Having failed to win away from Priestfield all the way through last season, Andy Hessenthaler's men then took until November this term to win on their travels - a total of 34 games across 18 months.
After the spell was broken with a 1-0 win at Oxford United, the Gills have since won away at Barnet 2-1, Macclesfield Town 4-2 and Stockport County 5-1.
And put together with three consecutive home wins over Port Vale, Stevenage and Northampton Town, the results have propelled the Kent club from 22nd in November to their current placing of eighth.
Still down at the wrong end of the table, however, are the likes of Lincoln City, Hereford United and Stockport.
Lincoln are bottom with 22 points from as many games, while Hereford are just above them on the same points from 23 matches.
But it is actually third-bottom Stockport who look in most desperate shape after Lincoln beat them 4-3 at Sincil Bank on Saturday thanks to an Ashley Grimes hat-trick.
The result leaves the Hatters only two points clear of the bottom two but having played four games more than Hereford and five more than Lincoln.
Fourth-bottom Barnet, alongside Stockport on 24 points, are in a similarly vulnerable position to Stockport having played three more matches than the Bulls and four more than the Red Imps.
But, unlike Stockport, the Bees have seen a slight upturn in form with five points from their last three games.
Stockport have just one win in their last 11 league games, and they have conceded no fewer than 61 goals, a Football League high for this campaign.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Resignation season
GOVERNMENT Director of Communications Andy Coulson became the second major political figure in under 24 years to resign after Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson quit yesterday.
Mr Coulson stood down today having endured months of speculation over claims that phone-hacking took place at the News of the World while he was editor.
Yesterday evening, Mr Johnson left his post from the Opposition front bench "for personal reasons", amid allegations that his wife had an affair with a policeman assigned to protect him.
And, while both resignations come in rather different circumstances, it is much harder to spot the difference between the lack of judgement of the two main party leaders.
Resignation #1: Andy Coulson
Government Director of Communications (until today at 11:37GMT today)
Prime minister David Cameron first appointed Mr Coulson as Director of Communications in 2007 while the Conservatives were still in Opposition.
However, even back then, the arrival of the former News of the World editor caused a stir and the decision by Mr Cameron was questioned.
After all, these phone-hacking allegations, which have since stunk out the Wapping offices of the News of the World, were prevalent then.
And Mr Coulson was only able to take up his post at Conservative Central Office because he had resigned from the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper after Royal correspondent Clive Goodman was jailed for plotting to intercept phone messages.
For his part, Mr Coulson has always denied any knowledge of the phone-hacking scandal - and, indeed, the newspaper has always maintained the practice was down to a single rogue reporter in Goodman.
However, that claim is in danger of unravelling after the paper's hired private investigator Glenn Mulcaire told a court this week that the head of news Ian Edmonson commissioned him to access voicemail messages.
Of course, Mr Mulcaire's claim does not corrupt Mr Coulson in itself - but it is fair to say that the former editor now has some questions to answer.
And, undoubtedly, Mr Coulson would find it much easier to answer to the allegations without somehow having to deal with the press on a daily basis.
Bafflingly, Mr Cameron does not seem to understand this, claiming that Mr Coulson has been "punished for the same offence twice".
True, Mr Coulson has had to resign twice but then it was a surprise he got the chance in the first place, given the allegations hanging over him.
As Mr Coulson today said himself: "When the spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to move on", echoing a line used in September by The Thick Of It writer Armando Iannucci.
Surely, Mr Cameron must realise this.
Resignation #2: Alan Johnson
The Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor (until yesterday at 17:00GMT)
While Mr Coulson's resignation has perhaps been coming for some time, Mr Johnson's departure "for personal reasons" was a genuine bolt from the blue.
Several newspapers now carry the story that his resignation relates to his wife's affair with a policeman employed to protect him while he was Home Secretary.
From this, Mr Johnson appears to be blameless and the popular former postman's promising political career has crashed around him through little fault of his own.
However, Labour party leader Ed Miliband must take a share of the blame - not for the affair, of course, but for a poor political strategy which left Mr Johnson flailing.
Mr Miliband appointed Mr Johnson as Shadow Chancellor in order to temper the influence of Brownite economist Ed Balls.
But Mr Johnson was ill-suited to job, admitting on his first day that he needs an "economics primer".
The MP for West Hull and Hessle was subsequently caught out by not knowing the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions or the rate of VAT on food.
However, given Mr Johnson's overall appeal to voters, it was likely that he would have been given time to grow into the position - and so his resignation was still a shock.
Now, Mr Balls is back and in a stronger position than before as Mr Miliband cannot afford to lose another Shadow Chancellor.
In other words, it could be said that Mr Balls has his party leader by the... er, balls.
Of course, the Conservatives will hardly find it difficult to associate Mr Balls with the size of the deficit left by Mr Cameron's predecessor Gordon Brown.
Mr Balls was in as an adviser to Mr Brown for 13 years between 1994 and 2007 until he became Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
Much now depends on the relationship between Mr Miliband and Mr Balls - and the ability of the latter to land hefty blows on his opposite number, George Osborne.
All in all, a rather messy end to the week in Westminster - and a week which has left both main parties shuffling their pack and scratching their heads over just what might happen next.
Mr Coulson stood down today having endured months of speculation over claims that phone-hacking took place at the News of the World while he was editor.
Yesterday evening, Mr Johnson left his post from the Opposition front bench "for personal reasons", amid allegations that his wife had an affair with a policeman assigned to protect him.
And, while both resignations come in rather different circumstances, it is much harder to spot the difference between the lack of judgement of the two main party leaders.
Resignation #1: Andy Coulson
Government Director of Communications (until today at 11:37GMT today)
Prime minister David Cameron first appointed Mr Coulson as Director of Communications in 2007 while the Conservatives were still in Opposition.
However, even back then, the arrival of the former News of the World editor caused a stir and the decision by Mr Cameron was questioned.
After all, these phone-hacking allegations, which have since stunk out the Wapping offices of the News of the World, were prevalent then.
And Mr Coulson was only able to take up his post at Conservative Central Office because he had resigned from the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper after Royal correspondent Clive Goodman was jailed for plotting to intercept phone messages.
For his part, Mr Coulson has always denied any knowledge of the phone-hacking scandal - and, indeed, the newspaper has always maintained the practice was down to a single rogue reporter in Goodman.
However, that claim is in danger of unravelling after the paper's hired private investigator Glenn Mulcaire told a court this week that the head of news Ian Edmonson commissioned him to access voicemail messages.
Of course, Mr Mulcaire's claim does not corrupt Mr Coulson in itself - but it is fair to say that the former editor now has some questions to answer.
And, undoubtedly, Mr Coulson would find it much easier to answer to the allegations without somehow having to deal with the press on a daily basis.
Bafflingly, Mr Cameron does not seem to understand this, claiming that Mr Coulson has been "punished for the same offence twice".
True, Mr Coulson has had to resign twice but then it was a surprise he got the chance in the first place, given the allegations hanging over him.
As Mr Coulson today said himself: "When the spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to move on", echoing a line used in September by The Thick Of It writer Armando Iannucci.
Surely, Mr Cameron must realise this.
Resignation #2: Alan Johnson
The Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor (until yesterday at 17:00GMT)
While Mr Coulson's resignation has perhaps been coming for some time, Mr Johnson's departure "for personal reasons" was a genuine bolt from the blue.
Several newspapers now carry the story that his resignation relates to his wife's affair with a policeman employed to protect him while he was Home Secretary.
From this, Mr Johnson appears to be blameless and the popular former postman's promising political career has crashed around him through little fault of his own.
However, Labour party leader Ed Miliband must take a share of the blame - not for the affair, of course, but for a poor political strategy which left Mr Johnson flailing.
Mr Miliband appointed Mr Johnson as Shadow Chancellor in order to temper the influence of Brownite economist Ed Balls.
But Mr Johnson was ill-suited to job, admitting on his first day that he needs an "economics primer".
The MP for West Hull and Hessle was subsequently caught out by not knowing the rate of employers' National Insurance contributions or the rate of VAT on food.
However, given Mr Johnson's overall appeal to voters, it was likely that he would have been given time to grow into the position - and so his resignation was still a shock.
Now, Mr Balls is back and in a stronger position than before as Mr Miliband cannot afford to lose another Shadow Chancellor.
In other words, it could be said that Mr Balls has his party leader by the... er, balls.
Of course, the Conservatives will hardly find it difficult to associate Mr Balls with the size of the deficit left by Mr Cameron's predecessor Gordon Brown.
Mr Balls was in as an adviser to Mr Brown for 13 years between 1994 and 2007 until he became Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
Much now depends on the relationship between Mr Miliband and Mr Balls - and the ability of the latter to land hefty blows on his opposite number, George Osborne.
All in all, a rather messy end to the week in Westminster - and a week which has left both main parties shuffling their pack and scratching their heads over just what might happen next.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Miliband makes his breakthrough in Oldham
Oldham East & Saddleworth by-election result Lab hold
Debbie Abrahams Labour 14718 (42.1%, +10.2%)
Elwyn Watkins Lib Dems 11160 (31.9%, +0.3%)
Kashif Ali Conservatives 4481 (12.8%, -13.6%)
Paul Nuttall UKIP 2029 (5.8%, +1.9%)
Derek Adams BNP 1560 (4.5%, -1.2%)
Peter Allen Green 530 (1.5%)
Other candidates 452 (1.2%)
Total votes: 34930 Turnout: 48.1% Majority 3558
ED MILIBAND enjoyed his first major success as Labour leader after his party won an easy victory in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.
Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams received 14718 votes (42%) for a majority of 3558 over second-placed Liberal Democrat hopeful Elwyn Watkins.
Mr Watkins defied the national polls to increase the Lib Dem share of the vote slightly from the General Election in May but this was no doubt a tactical by-product of the big collapse in the Conservative vote.
Of course, an opposition party winning a by-election should come as no great surprise - and, indeed, this was a seat which Labour held despite a dreadful result in May.
The last time a governing party gained a seat in a by-election was back in 1982 when Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives took Mitcham and Morden from Labour at the height of the Falklands war.
But the circumstances in which this by-election was convened should have given the Tories and the Lib Dems a fighting chance.
In what was a genuine three-way battle at the General Election, Labour feared that they may be punished at the polls for the actions of former Immigration minister Phil Woolas.
This by-election was caused by Woolas being found guilty of publishing lies, some of them malicious, about the Lib Dem candidate Mr Watkins.
Woolas was thrown out of the Labour party and barred from standing in elections for three years, though this probably signalled the end of his political career anyway.
With Woolas off the scene, it was the timing of this by-election which became so important with all the leaders from the three main parties wanting to get off to a good start in 2011.
Prime minister David Cameron even broke with convention to visit the constituency while his deputy, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, made three separate appearances in Oldham.
Despite Mr Cameron's visit, the Tories seemed to run a half-hearted campaign in the hope that their coalition partners could gain the seat by benefiting from tactical voting.
But, whatever tactics were indeed employed, they were not enough to stop Ms Abrahams taking the seat with a bigger majority than Woolas achieved in the 1997 Labour landslide.
Of course, the by-election did not come at a great time for the coalition government.
The Lib Dems' troubles following policy U-turns on VAT and tuition fees have been well-publicised but, in recent days, the pressure has been turned onto the Tories and their friends in the City.
During the General Election campaign, Mr Cameron called for banks in which the taxpayer owns a large stake not to give bonuses of more than £2000.
Yet, this week, the BBC reports that Lloyds Banking Group chief Eric Daniels is in line for a £2m bonus.
The previous Labour government bailed out Lloyds after it took over HBOS in 2008 but the taxpayer still holds a 41% stake now.
Bank bonuses running into the millions do not sit well with the electorate, especially along side the first wave of cuts to public sector jobs. It is a queasy juxtaposition, to say the least.
However, this by-election result and the coalition's troubles do not put Labour in the clear.
Polls show a plurality of the general public still blame the need for the coalition's cuts on Labour's mismanagement of the economy.
Indeed, after 13 years in power, Mr Miliband's party are perhaps unsurprisingly struggling to shrug off mistakes made during that time.
The expenses scandal also continues to rear its ugly head.
This week, Labour MP Eric Illsley forced to resign after admitting he claimed £14000 for insurance, repairs, utility bills and council tax at his second home between 2005 and 2008.
Mr Illsley's resignation will prompt another by-election, this time in his seat of Barnsley Central.
Labour will be expected to take the seat again but, given the dubious circumstances of the by-election, that cannot be said with certainty.
So, with none of the three main parties looking particularly appealing at present, it was no surprise to see turnout in Oldham East & Saddleworth drop by 13%.
Tellingly, this took the turnout to below 50% - thus, it was the apathy party which really won the race.
Debbie Abrahams Labour 14718 (42.1%, +10.2%)
Elwyn Watkins Lib Dems 11160 (31.9%, +0.3%)
Kashif Ali Conservatives 4481 (12.8%, -13.6%)
Paul Nuttall UKIP 2029 (5.8%, +1.9%)
Derek Adams BNP 1560 (4.5%, -1.2%)
Peter Allen Green 530 (1.5%)
Other candidates 452 (1.2%)
Total votes: 34930 Turnout: 48.1% Majority 3558
ED MILIBAND enjoyed his first major success as Labour leader after his party won an easy victory in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.
Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams received 14718 votes (42%) for a majority of 3558 over second-placed Liberal Democrat hopeful Elwyn Watkins.
Mr Watkins defied the national polls to increase the Lib Dem share of the vote slightly from the General Election in May but this was no doubt a tactical by-product of the big collapse in the Conservative vote.
Of course, an opposition party winning a by-election should come as no great surprise - and, indeed, this was a seat which Labour held despite a dreadful result in May.
The last time a governing party gained a seat in a by-election was back in 1982 when Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives took Mitcham and Morden from Labour at the height of the Falklands war.
But the circumstances in which this by-election was convened should have given the Tories and the Lib Dems a fighting chance.
In what was a genuine three-way battle at the General Election, Labour feared that they may be punished at the polls for the actions of former Immigration minister Phil Woolas.
This by-election was caused by Woolas being found guilty of publishing lies, some of them malicious, about the Lib Dem candidate Mr Watkins.
Woolas was thrown out of the Labour party and barred from standing in elections for three years, though this probably signalled the end of his political career anyway.
With Woolas off the scene, it was the timing of this by-election which became so important with all the leaders from the three main parties wanting to get off to a good start in 2011.
Prime minister David Cameron even broke with convention to visit the constituency while his deputy, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, made three separate appearances in Oldham.
Despite Mr Cameron's visit, the Tories seemed to run a half-hearted campaign in the hope that their coalition partners could gain the seat by benefiting from tactical voting.
But, whatever tactics were indeed employed, they were not enough to stop Ms Abrahams taking the seat with a bigger majority than Woolas achieved in the 1997 Labour landslide.
Of course, the by-election did not come at a great time for the coalition government.
The Lib Dems' troubles following policy U-turns on VAT and tuition fees have been well-publicised but, in recent days, the pressure has been turned onto the Tories and their friends in the City.
During the General Election campaign, Mr Cameron called for banks in which the taxpayer owns a large stake not to give bonuses of more than £2000.
Yet, this week, the BBC reports that Lloyds Banking Group chief Eric Daniels is in line for a £2m bonus.
The previous Labour government bailed out Lloyds after it took over HBOS in 2008 but the taxpayer still holds a 41% stake now.
Bank bonuses running into the millions do not sit well with the electorate, especially along side the first wave of cuts to public sector jobs. It is a queasy juxtaposition, to say the least.
However, this by-election result and the coalition's troubles do not put Labour in the clear.
Polls show a plurality of the general public still blame the need for the coalition's cuts on Labour's mismanagement of the economy.
Indeed, after 13 years in power, Mr Miliband's party are perhaps unsurprisingly struggling to shrug off mistakes made during that time.
The expenses scandal also continues to rear its ugly head.
This week, Labour MP Eric Illsley forced to resign after admitting he claimed £14000 for insurance, repairs, utility bills and council tax at his second home between 2005 and 2008.
Mr Illsley's resignation will prompt another by-election, this time in his seat of Barnsley Central.
Labour will be expected to take the seat again but, given the dubious circumstances of the by-election, that cannot be said with certainty.
So, with none of the three main parties looking particularly appealing at present, it was no surprise to see turnout in Oldham East & Saddleworth drop by 13%.
Tellingly, this took the turnout to below 50% - thus, it was the apathy party which really won the race.
Monday, 10 January 2011
The Season 2010/11: Club-by-club half-time verdict
1 MANCHESTER UNITED P20-W12-D8-L0 F43/A19 Pts 44
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Top scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (14)
Cup progress: Manchester United beat their great rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup Third Round on Sunday but they are out of the League Cup after a 4-0 defeat at West Ham in the QF. In Europe, Ferguson's men eased through a group featuring Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor to book a second round tie against Marseille.
Highlight of the season: The Red Devils really turned on the style in the 7-1 home thrashing of Blackburn Rovers in which Dimitar Berbatov scored five, becoming only the fourth man after Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe to do so.
Verdict: Manchester United are still unbeaten at Christmas and, with games in hand on all their rivals, they are in great shape to land their 19th league title despite rarely playing their best football. A series of away draws looked damaging early on as Chelsea opened a gap but, just as the Blues have wobbled, the Red Devils have hit top form. If the Old Trafford club win another league title, they will go clear on their own ahead of Liverpool who remain on 18.
Original prediction: Champions
2 MANCHESTER CITY P22-W-12-D6-L4 F33/A16 Pts 42
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Top scorer: Carlos Tevez (12)
Cup progress: Manchester City were forced into a replay after their FA Cup Third Round tie against Leicester City finished 2-2, and in the League Cup, Mancini's men were eliminated at just R3 by West Bromwich Albion. City have fared better in the Europa League where they topped a group featuring Lech Poznan, Juventus and Salzburg to set up a second round tie against Aris Salonika of Greece.
Highlight of the season: The Blues played some brilliant football to lead 3-0 against Fulham at Craven Cottage inside half an hour. The match eventually finished 4-1 with Tevez scoring two of the goals.
Verdict: Manchester City have rarely sparkled like they did in that match against Fulham with the recent 0-0 draw against title rivals Arsenal dropping them further behind city rivals United. The stalemate at the Emirates was City's fourth 0-0 of the season and Mancini's penchant for playing two defensive midfielders and just one up front already looks like it may cost the Blues silverware. Much of the responsibility of scoring rests with Tevez although that may be eased by the arrival of Edin Dzeko as City splash the cash again. Still, this season has seen some progress on last year when City failed to qualify for the Champions League - that aim looks a lot more like being achieved this time.
Original prediction: 3rd
3 ARSENAL P21-W12-D4-L5 F42/A22 Pts 40
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Top scorer: Samir Nasri (9)
Cup progress: The Gunners face a replay against Leeds United in the FA Cup but they have made it through to the semi finals of the League Cup where they will face Championship club Ipswich Town. They are also through to the knockout stages of the Champions League but face a tough test against Barcelona after finishing behind Shakhtar Donetsk in their group.
Highlight of the season: Arsenal overcame a psychological barrier by beating Chelsea 3-1 at home, having lost 11 of the previous 12 matches against the Blues. Alexandre Song gave the Gunners the lead on the stroke of half-time before Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott made it 3-0 soon after the interval. Although Branislav Ivanovic then pulled a goal back, Arsene Wenger's men had successfully kept Didier Drogba quiet for once.
Verdict: Arsenal's quest for a first trophy looks set to be concluded if they justify their favourites tag in the League Cup against lesser opposition in Ipswich and West Ham or Birmingham. In the Premier League, too, Arsene Wenger's men are handily placed having overcome a significant psychological barrier in beating Chelsea 3-1. But, if they are to win a fourth Premier League crown, the Gunners' will need to avoid being beaten at home as regularly as they have been in the first part of the season. Ultimately, defeats at the Emirates to a Spurs comeback and newly-promoted pair Newcastle and West Brom will be what costs Wenger's men the title.
Original prediction: 4th
4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR P21-W10-D6-L5 F31/A25 Pts 36
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since October 2008)
Top scorer: Rafael van der Vaart (9)
Cup progress: Spurs eased through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic but collapsed in extra time to go out of the League Cup in R3, 4-1 to Arsenal. However, their achievements in the Champions League have more than made up for that. Having overturned a 3-2 deficit in the qualifiers by thumping Young Boys 4-0 in the home leg, Redknapp's men continued to score at will in the group stages. In all, Spurs scored 18 goals on their way to winning the group, beating Inter (3-1), Werder Bremen (3-0) and FC Twente (4-1) at home to set up a last 16 tie against AC Milan.
Highlight of the season: For all Spurs' efforts in European games this season, it does not get sweeter for Spurs fans than coming back from 2-0 in the North London derby to beat Arsenal 3-2 away. Rafael van der Vaart was at his inspirational best, setting up goals for Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale and scoring a penalty.
Verdict: This has been a memorable campaign so far for Spurs, their free-scoring side taking on all-comers in Europe and just about staying in the title race on the domestic front. Every now and then, though, their attacking approach can leave Spurs open at the back, causing them to lose unexpectedly. For instance, this season would look even better but for defeats at home to Wigan Athletic (who they beat 9-1 last season) and away to bottom team West Ham United.
Original prediction: 7th
5 CHELSEA P21-W10-D5-L6 F36/A19 Pts 35
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Didier Drogba (9)
Cup progress: Chelsea returned to some of their best form of the season to beat managerless Ipswich 7-0 as they look to win a third FA Cup in a row. Meanwhile, their League Cup campaign ended prematurely in a 4-3 home defeat to Newcastle United in R3 but the Blues topped their Champions League group with five wins out of six, and they face FC Copenhagen in the second round.
Highlight of the season: The Blues began the season with successive 6-0 wins - at home against West Bromwich Albion and away at Wigan Athletic, and their good form continued until the end of October by which point they had already opened up a five point gap...
Verdict: ... Then, all of a sudden, Chelsea stopped playing, and their last 11 league matches have seen the west London club take just 10 points with defeats to Liverpool, Sunderland, Birmingham City, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers leaving Carlo Ancelotti's position uncertain. Chelsea have gone from a five-point lead to a nine-point deficit and it is hard to see the Blues hauling back that position. Indeed, given the way they have played recently, Chelsea will do well to retain their top-four place.
Original prediction: 2nd
6 SUNDERLAND P22-W8-D9-L5 F25/A22 Pts 33
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Darren Bent (8)
Cup progress: Hopes of a decent Cup run this season have been dashed by early defeats in the both domestic competitions. In the FA Cup, Sunderland lost 2-1 at home to Notts County and they also lost at home in the League Cup, 3-1 in R3 to West Ham United.
Highlight of the season: A 3-0 thumping of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge came just two weeks after a horrendous derby loss at Newcastle United as Nedum Onouha, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck gave the Black Cats a memorable day.
Verdict: Sunderland used that win against Chelsea as a springboard to launch a surprise challenge for a top six place, shedding their early season tag as draw specialists. After Bent was isolated during the awful derby loss to Newcastle at St James Park, manager Bruce switched to playing two up front with Gyan forming part of a £23m strikeforce. Add in Welbeck, playing on the wing, and the Black Cats have much more bite about them than previously although they probably still need more goals from elsewhere in the team.
Original prediction: 13th
7 BOLTON WANDERERS P22-W7-D9-L6 F34/A29 Pts 30
Manager: Owen Coyle (since January 2010)
Top scorer: Johan Elmander (9)
Cup progress: Bolton beat non-league side York City 2-0 in the FA Cup Third Round but only after two late goals. Meanwhile, in the League Cup, manager Coyle made an unhappy return to his former club Burnley which he left amid acrimony in December of last season. The Clarets were eventually relegated in 2009-10 but gained some measure of revenge by winning their R3 tie 1-0.
Highlight of the season: Bolton showed great character to complete a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers despite being reduced to ten men after Kevin Davies was sent off. Rovers looked like they had nicked a point with a late equaliser to Fabrice Muamba's goal but the ten men went up the other end and secured three points through Stuart Holden's strike. It was the first time since 2000 that Bolton had come out on top in this Lancashire derby.
Verdict: Sometimes a change in manager really does work for a club. Heading nowhere under Gary Megson, Bolton have not looked back since Coyle replaced him midway through last season. First, Coyle secured the Trotters' top flight status with some comfort in the second half of last season - and since then, he has crafted Bolton into being just about the 'best of the rest'. Bolton have lost just once at the Reebok all season and Wanderers fans may have to locate their passports for a European adventure next season.
Original prediction: 14th
8 NEWCASTLE UNITED P21-W8-D4-L-9 F34/A31 Pts 28
Manager: Alan Pardew (since December 2010)
Top scorer: Andy Carroll (11)
Cup progress: Stevenage gained revenge for their Cup defeat of 13 years ago by embarrassing Newcastle with a comfortable 3-1 win at Broadhall Way in this year's Third Round. Earlier in the season, Newcastle were dumped out of the League Cup after a 4-0 home loss to Arsenal in R4 having beaten Chelsea 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in R3.
Highlight of the season: The 5-1 thumping of Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland will live on long in the memory of Magpies fans with Kevin Nolan hitting the first hat-trick in the match since Peter Beardlsey in 1985 and Shola Ameobi continuing his decent record against the Black Cats by scoring the other two.
Verdict: A microcosm of the Premier League season as a whole, Newcastle have pulled off some stunning wins, beating Aston Villa 6-0, Sunderland 5-1, West Ham United 5-0, and Arsenal and Everton away. However, home form has been more of a concern with defeats to Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, and draws against Fulham and Wigan Athletic. Perhaps it was this lack of success at St James Park which cost Chris Hughton his job but that decision still seemed incredibly harsh on a dignified man. Nevertheless, despite a lukewarm welcome, new man Pardew has enjoyed early wins over Liverpool, Wigan and West Ham - and when the Magpies put their first XI on the pitch, they seem more than capable of holding their own in this division.
Original prediction: 16th
9 BLACKBURN ROVERS P22-W8-D4-L10 F29/A35 Pts 28
Manager: Steve Kean (since December 2010)
Top scorers: Nikola Kalinic, Morten Gamst Pedersen (4)
Cup progress: Aston Villa, who beat Blackburn 7-4 over the two legs of last season's League Cup semi final, were again Rovers' conquerors in the competition, winning 3-1 at Villa Park in R3. Remarkably, Blackburn's reward for beating Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup Third Round is yet another tie against Villa!
Highlight of the season: The 3-1 home victory over Liverpool, which proved terminal for Reds boss Roy Hodgson, came as a great relief to Rovers fans, by contrast, as they saw their players publicly back new manager Steve Kean with a fine display. Martin Olsson struck the first goal before Benjani scored twice to put Rovers 3-0 ahead at the hour mark before Steven Gerrard netted a late consolation.
Verdict: Blackburn Rovers' new Indian owners, the Venkys, caused a stir by sacking Sam Allardyce, bringing to an end his two year reign at Ewood Park. In that time, Allardyce had rescued Rovers from the desperate situation in which they had been left by previous manager Paul Ince before reaching a League Cup semi final last season. However, though results had improved, the style of Allardyce's football had not and Allardyce was hardly helped by two of his last three results being a 7-1 mauling at Old Trafford and a 2-1 defeat to 10 men against Bolton Wanderers in a derby. Still, the Venkys took a risk in appointing the unheralded Steve Kean in Allardyce's place but the players have responded with a couple of wins to put Rovers in the top half. There have also been fanciful rumours of the arrival of Ronaldinho and David Beckham at Ewood but for now Rovers fans will just be concerned that this current squad is more than good enough to avoid the relegation scrap.
Original prediction: 8th
10 STOKE CITY P21-W-8-D3-L10 F26/A26 Pts 27
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Top scorer: Kenwyne Jones (5)
Cup progress: The Potters' last trophy was the 1972 League Cup but they will not be winning the competition this season after going down to a 3-1 defeat at West Ham after extra time in R4. In the FA Cup Third Round, Stoke face a replay at Cardiff City after a 1-1 home draw.
Highlight of the season: 1-0 down in their fourth match of the season with 80 minutes gone, Stoke were facing the prospect of failing to put a single point on the board. But, at half time, manager Pulis arrived, having expected to miss the match after the death of his mother. Pulis inspired Stoke to score twice late on to turn around the match and - at that early stage - their season.
Verdict: A model of inconsistency, Stoke City began the season with three defeats before the Villa comeback helped them take 10 points out of the next 12. Then, another worrying run of four successive defeats followed before another unbeaten run of five matches included three wins in a row. Indeed, it looks as if it could continue like this throughout the season though the Potters will get enough results to maintain their top flight status for a third year in a row - even if their style of play continues to leave a lot to be desired.
Original prediction: 10th
11 EVERTON P21 W5-D10-L6 F23/A25 Pts 25
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Top scorer: Tim Cahill (9)
Cup progress: With no European football to distract the Toffees, a domestic cup run looked to appeal. But, despite disposing of Huddersfield 5-1 in R2, Everton were dumped out the Cup by League One Brentford in R3 on penalties as part of their dreadful start to the season. In the FA Cup Third Round, Everton again handed out a thumping, winning 5-1 at Scunthorpe United, but they face Chelsea in the next round in a repeat of the 2009 Final.
Highlight of the season: The 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby was a rare bright spot of the season as Everton found a club from the city in even worse form than themselves. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta got the goals against a pitiful Reds opposition.
Verdict: Everton have performed poorly in the first half of the season and they deservedly sit in the bottom half of the table. Slow starts are nothing new at Goodison and David Moyes' men lost three of their opening five league fixtures. Three wins and three draws followed to suggest signs of a recovery but, with too many draws, the Merseysiders have won just twice since late October. There is a lack of cutting edge up front the obvious weakness and it will not help the Toffees that their best player Tim Cahill will miss several fixtures in the New Year due to Australia's participation in the Asian Cup. More encouragingly, though, those recent victories came against two of the current top-four, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and they have also drawn against Manchester United and Chelsea this season.
Original prediction: 6th
12 LIVERPOOL P20-W7-D4-L9 F24/A27 Pts 25
Manager: Kenny Dalglish (since January 2011)
Top scorer: Fernando Torres (6)
Cup progress: Kenny Dalglish did not enjoy a dream start at Old Trafford as Manchester United won a dubious penalty within a minute and Giggs' conversion proved to be the only goal of the FA Cup Third Round tie. Earlier in the season, Liverpool were beaten 2-1 after extra time at Anfield by Northampton Town in one of Roy Hodgson's most embarrassing results. But at least the former Fulham boss continued to get results in his favoured competition to Europa League as the Reds finished above Napoli, Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht to set up a second round tie with Czech champions Sparta Prague.
Highlight of the season: Results on the pitch have generally been so few and far between that nearly all Reds fans would suggest that the appointment of Kenny Dalglish, almost 20 years after he last managed at Anfield, was the highlight of the campaign so far.
Verdict: The Hodgson experiment has failed, long live King Kenny! It has been an extraordinary first half to the season for Liverpool which has seen the return of Dalglish to the Anfield hot-seat after 20 years away. Hodgson's departure was not a surprise - he had a poor away record of just one win from 10 league games and he had overseen home defeats to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolves during his turbulent tenure. Indeed, it was the Wolves defeat which spelled the end for the former Fulham boss after he claimed to much consternation he had never had the backing of the Anfield faithful. Some backtracking was done by Hodgson but Reds fans felt they needed a hero in the run-up to successive matches against Manchester United and Everton after a woeful defeat to Blackburn Rovers. Dalglish duly arrived but could not prevent Liverpool from losing at Old Trafford in an uneven contest which shows just how far the Reds have fallen behind. It will take more than a Dalglish appointment to restore the confidence around Anfield and scraping into the top half seems like Liverpool's best bet.
Original prediction: 5th
13 BLACKPOOL P17-W7-D4-L8 F27/A32 Pts 25
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
Top scorer: Dudley Campbell (6)
Cup progress: The fact that the cups were not a priority for Blackpool this season was demonstrated by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup Third Round and a 4-3 defeat at Milton Keynes Dons in R2 of the League Cup. On both occasions, Holloway opted to field a much-changed side.
Highlight of the season: The stunning 2-1 win at Anfield against Liverpool thanks to goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney confirmed Blackpool were not just in the league to make the numbers up.
Verdict: Blackpool have been a real credit to the Premier League, playing with a refreshing attacking bravery that belies their resources. Derided in pre-season for their failure at one stage to capture any signings, the Seasiders have proved the doubters wrong from the start. The 4-0 win at Wigan Athletic was a dream re-introduction to the top-flight after 39 years and it got better with further wins at St James Park and, of course, Anfield. Since then, Holloway's men have continued to gain results with wins against Wolves, Stoke and Sunderland but the manager now faces a test to keep the momentum going after three successive defeats in league and cup. Blackpool remain just four points off the relegation zone, although with games in hand - and more home games than any of their rivals - the Seasiders should make it to the safety mark.
Original prediction: 20th
14 FULHAM P21-W4-D10-L7 F22/A24 Pts 22
Manager: Mark Hughes (since July 2010)
Top scorer: Clint Dempsey (6)
Cup progress: The Cottagers put six past Peterborough in the FA Cup Third Round as a 6-2 win earned the Cottagers a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham had already hit six in the League Cup this season with a 6-0 win over Port Vale but this was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in R3.
Highlight of the season: While the 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion was Fulham's best result of the season, an early 2-2 home draw against Manchester United represents the only time the Cottagers have bloodied any of the big boys' noses this season. It looked as if the match against the Red Devils might end in defeat after Brede Hangeland's late own goal but he made amends with an even later goal at the other end to rescue a point.
Verdict: Fulham had only won twice in their opening 18 Premier League games, drawing on 10 occasions. But Mark Hughes' men have won twice since Christmas, including a rare away win at Stoke City. However, it was the 3-0 home win over West Brom which showed Fulham back to the best as a Simon Davies strike on the stroke of half time gave the Cottagers the confidence to produce a dominant second half display in which Clint Dempsey and Hangeland added further goals. It looked at one stage as if Roy Hodgson's decision to move to Liverpool would not work for either party but, while Hodgon has already gone from Anfield, Fulham have finally begun to look upwards.
Original prediction: 11th
15 BIRMINGHAM CITY P20-W4-D10-L6 F20/A25 Pts 22
Manager: Alex McLeish (since November 2007)
Top scorer: Craig Gardner (4)
Cup progress: Blues won their first derby against Aston Villa in seven attempts to reach the League Cup semi finals where they will face West Ham United over two legs. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Birmingham had no problems in disposing of Millwall 4-1 at the New Den.
Highlight of the season: Birmingham fans cherish any victory over Aston Villa but their first win in the second city derby since 2005 was extra special as it qualified them for a League Cup semi final, just a two-legged tie away from Wembley. It is a shame then that certain 'supporters' spoiled the occasion with both Blues and Villa fans guilty of violence after the full-time whistle.
Verdict: Birmingham City were never likely to repeat last season's fine top-half finish and that has been reflected in the first part of this campaign. Every single one of the Blues' 13 wins in 2009-10 were by a single goal and so it is no surprise to see McLeish's men drawing exactly half their league games this time around. After all, there is often not much between a one-goal win and a draw in a game. What Birmingham have retained is some decent home form, with 14 of their 22 points coming at St Andrew's. That could prove vital for them as, due to a lack of goals and no great flair up front, it appears that they will be in a scrap for most of the rest of the season.
Original prediction: 12th
16 WEST BROMWICH ALBION P21-W6-D4-L11 F26/A39 Pts 22
Manager: Roberto di Matteo (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Peter Odemwingie (6)
Cup progress: Their 1-0 defeat at Reading in the FA Cup Third Round was the Baggies' sixth successive loss - worrying times at the Hawthorns. Earlier, West Brom reached the QF of the League Cup but missed out on a big chance to make into the last four by losing with a reserve side to Championship strugglers Ipswich Town.
Highlight of the season: West Brom pulled off an extraordinary result to win 3-2 at the Emirates against Arsenal with a performance which was more dominant than the final score suggests. After a goalless opening half, di Matteo's men stunned their hosts when Odemwingie and Gonzalo Jara scored within seven minutes of the restart. Earlier, Chris Brunt had missed a penalty but Jerome Thomas scored a third with 17 minutes left and the Baggies then survived an Arsenal comeback as Samir Nasri struck twice.
Verdict: If this blog had been written a month ago, West Bromwich Albion would have received a largely positive reception as, at the start of December, the Baggies sat in eighth having just convincingly beaten Everton 4-1 away and Newcastle United 3-1 at home. Even earlier in the season, di Matteo's men had deservedly earned plenty of plaudits for that 3-2 win at the Emirates and a fine comeback at Old Trafford to come from 2-0 behind at half-time to draw 2-2 with Manchester United. But the recent 3-0 defeat to Fulham was West Brom's fifth consecutive league defeat and alarm bells are ringing as Hawthorns' regulars worry about an attack too reliant on Odemwingie and, more generally, a return of the Baggies' soft underbelly which has caused so much Premier League woe in past seasons. Di Matteo must turn this terrible run of form around quickly but West Brom have shown more than enough in the first half of the season to suggest it can be done.
Original prediction: 18th
17 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS P21-W6-D3-L12 F21/A34 Pts 21
Manager: Mick McCarthy (since July 2006)
Top scorers: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Steven Fletcher (4)
Cup progress: Wolves drew a topsy-turvy FA Cup Third Round tie with Doncaster Rovers 2-2 meaning there will be a replay at Molineux next week. In the League Cup, they were beaten by Manchester United for the second successive season. While last year they went out 1-0 at Old Trafford in R3, this time the McCarthy's men were defeated 3-2 at the same venue in R4.
Highlight of the season: There haven't been too many highs in a season of just six league wins but a deserved first victory in 26 years at Anfield against Liverpool courtesy of a neat Steven Ward finish gives Wolves plenty of hope for the second half of the season.
Verdict: This has been a tough second successive Premier League season for Wolves with only two stunning 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Chelsea since Christmas now putting their heads above water. However, a wider look at their recent form is more encouraging with four of their six league wins coming in the last seven games. The fixtures now take another turn for the worst, though, and McCarthy's men will have to be at their best against the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal within the next month. If Wolves survive that horrid little run without falling too far away from the safety line, then they should avoid the worst effects of second season syndrome.
Original prediction: 17th
18 ASTON VILLA P21-W5-D6-L10 F23/A28 Pts 21
Manager: Gerard Houllier (since September 2010)
Top scorer: Stewart Downing (5)
Cup progress: Villa began their FA Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United in the Third Round. However, their League Cup run ended in a huge disappointment as they lost a second city derby for the first time in seven attempts in the QFs. The match was then marred by violence from both set of supporters on the full-time whistle. Villa's progress in Europe was halted early on as Rapid Vienna beat the Villans in the Europa League qualifiers for the second season in a row.
Highlight of the season: Villa showed some rarely seen desire to take a point from Stamford Bridge in a brilliant 3-3 draw. After Frank Lampard's spot-kick made it 1-0 to the champions, Villa scored either side of half time through Ashley Young's penalty and Emile Heskey. Chelsea then turned the match on its head again as Didier Drogba and John Terry scored to put the home side 3-2 up but Ciaran Clark's stoppage time goal proved to be the final twist of a pulsating game.
Verdict: An awful season for Aston Villa sees a club more accustomed in recent seasons with a top six finish actually struggling in the bottom three. Villa's season began with a bombshell announcement from Martin O'Neill that he was leaving and it was clear early season confidence was dented by this. Villa lost 6-0 to Newcastle United under reluctant caretaker boss Kevin McDonald but, if anything, results have got even worse under new permanent coach Gerard Houllier. The former Liverpool boss has taken just four points from his last eight games and caused a fuss by lauding the Liverpool fans at Anfield without mentioning the Villa faithful in a pitiful 3-0 defeat. Villa's backline has really suffered this season - only West Brom have conceded more - and Richard Dunne appears to be playing without any confidence. In fairness, that is a statement which could apply to numerous Villa players - a long second part to the season awaits.
Original prediction: 9th
19 WIGAN ATHLETIC P21-W4-D9-L8 F18/A33 Pts 21
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Hugo Rodallega (5)
Cup progress: Wigan were always in control of their FA Cup Third Round tie against Hull City despite the final score of 3-2. The Latics face Bolton in round four having earlier enjoyed their best run in the League Cup since they reached the Final of the competition in 2006. Martinez's men reached the QFs before bowing out 2-0 to a strong Arsenal side at the Emirates.
Highlight of the season: Wigan revisited White Hart Lane in their third league match less than one year on from their 9-1 mauling having lost their opening two games 4-0 and 6-0 respectively. Remarkably, Rodellega's goal with just 10 left on the clock gave Wigan a truly unexpected 1-0 win in a much improved defensive performance.
Verdict: Wigan Athletic stayed up last season despite conceding 79 goals, including 17 in just two games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. This season also began in atrocious fashion with a humiliating 4-0 home defeat on the opening day to Blackpool being followed up by another thrashing, this time 6-0, at Stamford Bridge. However, since those first two league games, the Latics' problem has not actually been their defence and their attack seemingly utterly reliant on Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia has scored just 18 goals all season. Wigan have always possessed the canny knack of picking up a draw or a win every now and then but a lack of goals throughout the team and a still creaky defence point to this being the season in which the Latics cannot surely survive again.
Original prediction: 19th
20 WEST HAM UNITED P22-W4-D8-L10 F20/A33 Pts 20
Manager: Avram Grant (since June 2010)
Top scorer: Frederic Piquionne (5)
Cup progress: Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole both scored twice as West Ham United beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup QF to set up a two-legged semi final tie with Birmingham City in the New Year. FA Cup progress was also made with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Barnsley in the Third Round - Nottingham Forest are up next in round four.
Highlight of the season: Approaching half time in their Boxing Day match at Fulham, West Ham were 1-0 down and manager Grant possibly heading for the exit door. But in the last 10 minutes before the break, front pairing Cole and Frederic Piquionne turned the match around with a goal each before Cole added a third goal with under 20 minutes left for his first ever Premier League brace. Victory lifted the Hammers off the bottom for the first time since September.
Verdict: Having sacked Gianfranco Zola for finishing 17th, the Hammers have endured an even worse league campaign this time around. Zola's replacement Avram Grant seems determined to retain his position as a cup run and relegation specialist beyond his reign at Portsmouth. Israeli Grant may have guided the Hammers to the League Cup semi finals but he has also overseen a series of dispiriting defeats with just one away win from 11 league games. Their latest loss, a 5-0 hammering at Newcastle United, has undone all the Hammers' good work over the festive period when they took eight points from four matches. Defeat at St James Park sent the Hammers tumbling back to the bottom of the table where they had resided since September before their decent run either side of Christmas, a run which undoubtedly saved Grant from the chop. It is hard to see Grant surviving another loss of form while West Ham have given themselves an almighty task to survive this season.
Original prediction: 15th
All W-D-L statistics and named managers correct as of 11-01-2011. Top scorers feature league goals only. Current Premier League table here, original predictions blog post here.
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (since November 1986)
Top scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (14)
Cup progress: Manchester United beat their great rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup Third Round on Sunday but they are out of the League Cup after a 4-0 defeat at West Ham in the QF. In Europe, Ferguson's men eased through a group featuring Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor to book a second round tie against Marseille.
Highlight of the season: The Red Devils really turned on the style in the 7-1 home thrashing of Blackburn Rovers in which Dimitar Berbatov scored five, becoming only the fourth man after Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe to do so.
Verdict: Manchester United are still unbeaten at Christmas and, with games in hand on all their rivals, they are in great shape to land their 19th league title despite rarely playing their best football. A series of away draws looked damaging early on as Chelsea opened a gap but, just as the Blues have wobbled, the Red Devils have hit top form. If the Old Trafford club win another league title, they will go clear on their own ahead of Liverpool who remain on 18.
Original prediction: Champions
2 MANCHESTER CITY P22-W-12-D6-L4 F33/A16 Pts 42
Manager: Roberto Mancini (since December 2009)
Top scorer: Carlos Tevez (12)
Cup progress: Manchester City were forced into a replay after their FA Cup Third Round tie against Leicester City finished 2-2, and in the League Cup, Mancini's men were eliminated at just R3 by West Bromwich Albion. City have fared better in the Europa League where they topped a group featuring Lech Poznan, Juventus and Salzburg to set up a second round tie against Aris Salonika of Greece.
Highlight of the season: The Blues played some brilliant football to lead 3-0 against Fulham at Craven Cottage inside half an hour. The match eventually finished 4-1 with Tevez scoring two of the goals.
Verdict: Manchester City have rarely sparkled like they did in that match against Fulham with the recent 0-0 draw against title rivals Arsenal dropping them further behind city rivals United. The stalemate at the Emirates was City's fourth 0-0 of the season and Mancini's penchant for playing two defensive midfielders and just one up front already looks like it may cost the Blues silverware. Much of the responsibility of scoring rests with Tevez although that may be eased by the arrival of Edin Dzeko as City splash the cash again. Still, this season has seen some progress on last year when City failed to qualify for the Champions League - that aim looks a lot more like being achieved this time.
Original prediction: 3rd
3 ARSENAL P21-W12-D4-L5 F42/A22 Pts 40
Manager: Arsene Wenger (since October 1996)
Top scorer: Samir Nasri (9)
Cup progress: The Gunners face a replay against Leeds United in the FA Cup but they have made it through to the semi finals of the League Cup where they will face Championship club Ipswich Town. They are also through to the knockout stages of the Champions League but face a tough test against Barcelona after finishing behind Shakhtar Donetsk in their group.
Highlight of the season: Arsenal overcame a psychological barrier by beating Chelsea 3-1 at home, having lost 11 of the previous 12 matches against the Blues. Alexandre Song gave the Gunners the lead on the stroke of half-time before Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott made it 3-0 soon after the interval. Although Branislav Ivanovic then pulled a goal back, Arsene Wenger's men had successfully kept Didier Drogba quiet for once.
Verdict: Arsenal's quest for a first trophy looks set to be concluded if they justify their favourites tag in the League Cup against lesser opposition in Ipswich and West Ham or Birmingham. In the Premier League, too, Arsene Wenger's men are handily placed having overcome a significant psychological barrier in beating Chelsea 3-1. But, if they are to win a fourth Premier League crown, the Gunners' will need to avoid being beaten at home as regularly as they have been in the first part of the season. Ultimately, defeats at the Emirates to a Spurs comeback and newly-promoted pair Newcastle and West Brom will be what costs Wenger's men the title.
Original prediction: 4th
4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR P21-W10-D6-L5 F31/A25 Pts 36
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since October 2008)
Top scorer: Rafael van der Vaart (9)
Cup progress: Spurs eased through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic but collapsed in extra time to go out of the League Cup in R3, 4-1 to Arsenal. However, their achievements in the Champions League have more than made up for that. Having overturned a 3-2 deficit in the qualifiers by thumping Young Boys 4-0 in the home leg, Redknapp's men continued to score at will in the group stages. In all, Spurs scored 18 goals on their way to winning the group, beating Inter (3-1), Werder Bremen (3-0) and FC Twente (4-1) at home to set up a last 16 tie against AC Milan.
Highlight of the season: For all Spurs' efforts in European games this season, it does not get sweeter for Spurs fans than coming back from 2-0 in the North London derby to beat Arsenal 3-2 away. Rafael van der Vaart was at his inspirational best, setting up goals for Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale and scoring a penalty.
Verdict: This has been a memorable campaign so far for Spurs, their free-scoring side taking on all-comers in Europe and just about staying in the title race on the domestic front. Every now and then, though, their attacking approach can leave Spurs open at the back, causing them to lose unexpectedly. For instance, this season would look even better but for defeats at home to Wigan Athletic (who they beat 9-1 last season) and away to bottom team West Ham United.
Original prediction: 7th
5 CHELSEA P21-W10-D5-L6 F36/A19 Pts 35
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Didier Drogba (9)
Cup progress: Chelsea returned to some of their best form of the season to beat managerless Ipswich 7-0 as they look to win a third FA Cup in a row. Meanwhile, their League Cup campaign ended prematurely in a 4-3 home defeat to Newcastle United in R3 but the Blues topped their Champions League group with five wins out of six, and they face FC Copenhagen in the second round.
Highlight of the season: The Blues began the season with successive 6-0 wins - at home against West Bromwich Albion and away at Wigan Athletic, and their good form continued until the end of October by which point they had already opened up a five point gap...
Verdict: ... Then, all of a sudden, Chelsea stopped playing, and their last 11 league matches have seen the west London club take just 10 points with defeats to Liverpool, Sunderland, Birmingham City, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers leaving Carlo Ancelotti's position uncertain. Chelsea have gone from a five-point lead to a nine-point deficit and it is hard to see the Blues hauling back that position. Indeed, given the way they have played recently, Chelsea will do well to retain their top-four place.
Original prediction: 2nd
6 SUNDERLAND P22-W8-D9-L5 F25/A22 Pts 33
Manager: Steve Bruce (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Darren Bent (8)
Cup progress: Hopes of a decent Cup run this season have been dashed by early defeats in the both domestic competitions. In the FA Cup, Sunderland lost 2-1 at home to Notts County and they also lost at home in the League Cup, 3-1 in R3 to West Ham United.
Highlight of the season: A 3-0 thumping of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge came just two weeks after a horrendous derby loss at Newcastle United as Nedum Onouha, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck gave the Black Cats a memorable day.
Verdict: Sunderland used that win against Chelsea as a springboard to launch a surprise challenge for a top six place, shedding their early season tag as draw specialists. After Bent was isolated during the awful derby loss to Newcastle at St James Park, manager Bruce switched to playing two up front with Gyan forming part of a £23m strikeforce. Add in Welbeck, playing on the wing, and the Black Cats have much more bite about them than previously although they probably still need more goals from elsewhere in the team.
Original prediction: 13th
7 BOLTON WANDERERS P22-W7-D9-L6 F34/A29 Pts 30
Manager: Owen Coyle (since January 2010)
Top scorer: Johan Elmander (9)
Cup progress: Bolton beat non-league side York City 2-0 in the FA Cup Third Round but only after two late goals. Meanwhile, in the League Cup, manager Coyle made an unhappy return to his former club Burnley which he left amid acrimony in December of last season. The Clarets were eventually relegated in 2009-10 but gained some measure of revenge by winning their R3 tie 1-0.
Highlight of the season: Bolton showed great character to complete a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers despite being reduced to ten men after Kevin Davies was sent off. Rovers looked like they had nicked a point with a late equaliser to Fabrice Muamba's goal but the ten men went up the other end and secured three points through Stuart Holden's strike. It was the first time since 2000 that Bolton had come out on top in this Lancashire derby.
Verdict: Sometimes a change in manager really does work for a club. Heading nowhere under Gary Megson, Bolton have not looked back since Coyle replaced him midway through last season. First, Coyle secured the Trotters' top flight status with some comfort in the second half of last season - and since then, he has crafted Bolton into being just about the 'best of the rest'. Bolton have lost just once at the Reebok all season and Wanderers fans may have to locate their passports for a European adventure next season.
Original prediction: 14th
8 NEWCASTLE UNITED P21-W8-D4-L-9 F34/A31 Pts 28
Manager: Alan Pardew (since December 2010)
Top scorer: Andy Carroll (11)
Cup progress: Stevenage gained revenge for their Cup defeat of 13 years ago by embarrassing Newcastle with a comfortable 3-1 win at Broadhall Way in this year's Third Round. Earlier in the season, Newcastle were dumped out of the League Cup after a 4-0 home loss to Arsenal in R4 having beaten Chelsea 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in R3.
Highlight of the season: The 5-1 thumping of Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland will live on long in the memory of Magpies fans with Kevin Nolan hitting the first hat-trick in the match since Peter Beardlsey in 1985 and Shola Ameobi continuing his decent record against the Black Cats by scoring the other two.
Verdict: A microcosm of the Premier League season as a whole, Newcastle have pulled off some stunning wins, beating Aston Villa 6-0, Sunderland 5-1, West Ham United 5-0, and Arsenal and Everton away. However, home form has been more of a concern with defeats to Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, and draws against Fulham and Wigan Athletic. Perhaps it was this lack of success at St James Park which cost Chris Hughton his job but that decision still seemed incredibly harsh on a dignified man. Nevertheless, despite a lukewarm welcome, new man Pardew has enjoyed early wins over Liverpool, Wigan and West Ham - and when the Magpies put their first XI on the pitch, they seem more than capable of holding their own in this division.
Original prediction: 16th
9 BLACKBURN ROVERS P22-W8-D4-L10 F29/A35 Pts 28
Manager: Steve Kean (since December 2010)
Top scorers: Nikola Kalinic, Morten Gamst Pedersen (4)
Cup progress: Aston Villa, who beat Blackburn 7-4 over the two legs of last season's League Cup semi final, were again Rovers' conquerors in the competition, winning 3-1 at Villa Park in R3. Remarkably, Blackburn's reward for beating Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup Third Round is yet another tie against Villa!
Highlight of the season: The 3-1 home victory over Liverpool, which proved terminal for Reds boss Roy Hodgson, came as a great relief to Rovers fans, by contrast, as they saw their players publicly back new manager Steve Kean with a fine display. Martin Olsson struck the first goal before Benjani scored twice to put Rovers 3-0 ahead at the hour mark before Steven Gerrard netted a late consolation.
Verdict: Blackburn Rovers' new Indian owners, the Venkys, caused a stir by sacking Sam Allardyce, bringing to an end his two year reign at Ewood Park. In that time, Allardyce had rescued Rovers from the desperate situation in which they had been left by previous manager Paul Ince before reaching a League Cup semi final last season. However, though results had improved, the style of Allardyce's football had not and Allardyce was hardly helped by two of his last three results being a 7-1 mauling at Old Trafford and a 2-1 defeat to 10 men against Bolton Wanderers in a derby. Still, the Venkys took a risk in appointing the unheralded Steve Kean in Allardyce's place but the players have responded with a couple of wins to put Rovers in the top half. There have also been fanciful rumours of the arrival of Ronaldinho and David Beckham at Ewood but for now Rovers fans will just be concerned that this current squad is more than good enough to avoid the relegation scrap.
Original prediction: 8th
10 STOKE CITY P21-W-8-D3-L10 F26/A26 Pts 27
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006)
Top scorer: Kenwyne Jones (5)
Cup progress: The Potters' last trophy was the 1972 League Cup but they will not be winning the competition this season after going down to a 3-1 defeat at West Ham after extra time in R4. In the FA Cup Third Round, Stoke face a replay at Cardiff City after a 1-1 home draw.
Highlight of the season: 1-0 down in their fourth match of the season with 80 minutes gone, Stoke were facing the prospect of failing to put a single point on the board. But, at half time, manager Pulis arrived, having expected to miss the match after the death of his mother. Pulis inspired Stoke to score twice late on to turn around the match and - at that early stage - their season.
Verdict: A model of inconsistency, Stoke City began the season with three defeats before the Villa comeback helped them take 10 points out of the next 12. Then, another worrying run of four successive defeats followed before another unbeaten run of five matches included three wins in a row. Indeed, it looks as if it could continue like this throughout the season though the Potters will get enough results to maintain their top flight status for a third year in a row - even if their style of play continues to leave a lot to be desired.
Original prediction: 10th
11 EVERTON P21 W5-D10-L6 F23/A25 Pts 25
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002)
Top scorer: Tim Cahill (9)
Cup progress: With no European football to distract the Toffees, a domestic cup run looked to appeal. But, despite disposing of Huddersfield 5-1 in R2, Everton were dumped out the Cup by League One Brentford in R3 on penalties as part of their dreadful start to the season. In the FA Cup Third Round, Everton again handed out a thumping, winning 5-1 at Scunthorpe United, but they face Chelsea in the next round in a repeat of the 2009 Final.
Highlight of the season: The 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby was a rare bright spot of the season as Everton found a club from the city in even worse form than themselves. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta got the goals against a pitiful Reds opposition.
Verdict: Everton have performed poorly in the first half of the season and they deservedly sit in the bottom half of the table. Slow starts are nothing new at Goodison and David Moyes' men lost three of their opening five league fixtures. Three wins and three draws followed to suggest signs of a recovery but, with too many draws, the Merseysiders have won just twice since late October. There is a lack of cutting edge up front the obvious weakness and it will not help the Toffees that their best player Tim Cahill will miss several fixtures in the New Year due to Australia's participation in the Asian Cup. More encouragingly, though, those recent victories came against two of the current top-four, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and they have also drawn against Manchester United and Chelsea this season.
Original prediction: 6th
12 LIVERPOOL P20-W7-D4-L9 F24/A27 Pts 25
Manager: Kenny Dalglish (since January 2011)
Top scorer: Fernando Torres (6)
Cup progress: Kenny Dalglish did not enjoy a dream start at Old Trafford as Manchester United won a dubious penalty within a minute and Giggs' conversion proved to be the only goal of the FA Cup Third Round tie. Earlier in the season, Liverpool were beaten 2-1 after extra time at Anfield by Northampton Town in one of Roy Hodgson's most embarrassing results. But at least the former Fulham boss continued to get results in his favoured competition to Europa League as the Reds finished above Napoli, Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht to set up a second round tie with Czech champions Sparta Prague.
Highlight of the season: Results on the pitch have generally been so few and far between that nearly all Reds fans would suggest that the appointment of Kenny Dalglish, almost 20 years after he last managed at Anfield, was the highlight of the campaign so far.
Verdict: The Hodgson experiment has failed, long live King Kenny! It has been an extraordinary first half to the season for Liverpool which has seen the return of Dalglish to the Anfield hot-seat after 20 years away. Hodgson's departure was not a surprise - he had a poor away record of just one win from 10 league games and he had overseen home defeats to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolves during his turbulent tenure. Indeed, it was the Wolves defeat which spelled the end for the former Fulham boss after he claimed to much consternation he had never had the backing of the Anfield faithful. Some backtracking was done by Hodgson but Reds fans felt they needed a hero in the run-up to successive matches against Manchester United and Everton after a woeful defeat to Blackburn Rovers. Dalglish duly arrived but could not prevent Liverpool from losing at Old Trafford in an uneven contest which shows just how far the Reds have fallen behind. It will take more than a Dalglish appointment to restore the confidence around Anfield and scraping into the top half seems like Liverpool's best bet.
Original prediction: 5th
13 BLACKPOOL P17-W7-D4-L8 F27/A32 Pts 25
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
Top scorer: Dudley Campbell (6)
Cup progress: The fact that the cups were not a priority for Blackpool this season was demonstrated by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup Third Round and a 4-3 defeat at Milton Keynes Dons in R2 of the League Cup. On both occasions, Holloway opted to field a much-changed side.
Highlight of the season: The stunning 2-1 win at Anfield against Liverpool thanks to goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney confirmed Blackpool were not just in the league to make the numbers up.
Verdict: Blackpool have been a real credit to the Premier League, playing with a refreshing attacking bravery that belies their resources. Derided in pre-season for their failure at one stage to capture any signings, the Seasiders have proved the doubters wrong from the start. The 4-0 win at Wigan Athletic was a dream re-introduction to the top-flight after 39 years and it got better with further wins at St James Park and, of course, Anfield. Since then, Holloway's men have continued to gain results with wins against Wolves, Stoke and Sunderland but the manager now faces a test to keep the momentum going after three successive defeats in league and cup. Blackpool remain just four points off the relegation zone, although with games in hand - and more home games than any of their rivals - the Seasiders should make it to the safety mark.
Original prediction: 20th
14 FULHAM P21-W4-D10-L7 F22/A24 Pts 22
Manager: Mark Hughes (since July 2010)
Top scorer: Clint Dempsey (6)
Cup progress: The Cottagers put six past Peterborough in the FA Cup Third Round as a 6-2 win earned the Cottagers a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham had already hit six in the League Cup this season with a 6-0 win over Port Vale but this was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City in R3.
Highlight of the season: While the 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion was Fulham's best result of the season, an early 2-2 home draw against Manchester United represents the only time the Cottagers have bloodied any of the big boys' noses this season. It looked as if the match against the Red Devils might end in defeat after Brede Hangeland's late own goal but he made amends with an even later goal at the other end to rescue a point.
Verdict: Fulham had only won twice in their opening 18 Premier League games, drawing on 10 occasions. But Mark Hughes' men have won twice since Christmas, including a rare away win at Stoke City. However, it was the 3-0 home win over West Brom which showed Fulham back to the best as a Simon Davies strike on the stroke of half time gave the Cottagers the confidence to produce a dominant second half display in which Clint Dempsey and Hangeland added further goals. It looked at one stage as if Roy Hodgson's decision to move to Liverpool would not work for either party but, while Hodgon has already gone from Anfield, Fulham have finally begun to look upwards.
Original prediction: 11th
15 BIRMINGHAM CITY P20-W4-D10-L6 F20/A25 Pts 22
Manager: Alex McLeish (since November 2007)
Top scorer: Craig Gardner (4)
Cup progress: Blues won their first derby against Aston Villa in seven attempts to reach the League Cup semi finals where they will face West Ham United over two legs. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Birmingham had no problems in disposing of Millwall 4-1 at the New Den.
Highlight of the season: Birmingham fans cherish any victory over Aston Villa but their first win in the second city derby since 2005 was extra special as it qualified them for a League Cup semi final, just a two-legged tie away from Wembley. It is a shame then that certain 'supporters' spoiled the occasion with both Blues and Villa fans guilty of violence after the full-time whistle.
Verdict: Birmingham City were never likely to repeat last season's fine top-half finish and that has been reflected in the first part of this campaign. Every single one of the Blues' 13 wins in 2009-10 were by a single goal and so it is no surprise to see McLeish's men drawing exactly half their league games this time around. After all, there is often not much between a one-goal win and a draw in a game. What Birmingham have retained is some decent home form, with 14 of their 22 points coming at St Andrew's. That could prove vital for them as, due to a lack of goals and no great flair up front, it appears that they will be in a scrap for most of the rest of the season.
Original prediction: 12th
16 WEST BROMWICH ALBION P21-W6-D4-L11 F26/A39 Pts 22
Manager: Roberto di Matteo (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Peter Odemwingie (6)
Cup progress: Their 1-0 defeat at Reading in the FA Cup Third Round was the Baggies' sixth successive loss - worrying times at the Hawthorns. Earlier, West Brom reached the QF of the League Cup but missed out on a big chance to make into the last four by losing with a reserve side to Championship strugglers Ipswich Town.
Highlight of the season: West Brom pulled off an extraordinary result to win 3-2 at the Emirates against Arsenal with a performance which was more dominant than the final score suggests. After a goalless opening half, di Matteo's men stunned their hosts when Odemwingie and Gonzalo Jara scored within seven minutes of the restart. Earlier, Chris Brunt had missed a penalty but Jerome Thomas scored a third with 17 minutes left and the Baggies then survived an Arsenal comeback as Samir Nasri struck twice.
Verdict: If this blog had been written a month ago, West Bromwich Albion would have received a largely positive reception as, at the start of December, the Baggies sat in eighth having just convincingly beaten Everton 4-1 away and Newcastle United 3-1 at home. Even earlier in the season, di Matteo's men had deservedly earned plenty of plaudits for that 3-2 win at the Emirates and a fine comeback at Old Trafford to come from 2-0 behind at half-time to draw 2-2 with Manchester United. But the recent 3-0 defeat to Fulham was West Brom's fifth consecutive league defeat and alarm bells are ringing as Hawthorns' regulars worry about an attack too reliant on Odemwingie and, more generally, a return of the Baggies' soft underbelly which has caused so much Premier League woe in past seasons. Di Matteo must turn this terrible run of form around quickly but West Brom have shown more than enough in the first half of the season to suggest it can be done.
Original prediction: 18th
17 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS P21-W6-D3-L12 F21/A34 Pts 21
Manager: Mick McCarthy (since July 2006)
Top scorers: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Steven Fletcher (4)
Cup progress: Wolves drew a topsy-turvy FA Cup Third Round tie with Doncaster Rovers 2-2 meaning there will be a replay at Molineux next week. In the League Cup, they were beaten by Manchester United for the second successive season. While last year they went out 1-0 at Old Trafford in R3, this time the McCarthy's men were defeated 3-2 at the same venue in R4.
Highlight of the season: There haven't been too many highs in a season of just six league wins but a deserved first victory in 26 years at Anfield against Liverpool courtesy of a neat Steven Ward finish gives Wolves plenty of hope for the second half of the season.
Verdict: This has been a tough second successive Premier League season for Wolves with only two stunning 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Chelsea since Christmas now putting their heads above water. However, a wider look at their recent form is more encouraging with four of their six league wins coming in the last seven games. The fixtures now take another turn for the worst, though, and McCarthy's men will have to be at their best against the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal within the next month. If Wolves survive that horrid little run without falling too far away from the safety line, then they should avoid the worst effects of second season syndrome.
Original prediction: 17th
18 ASTON VILLA P21-W5-D6-L10 F23/A28 Pts 21
Manager: Gerard Houllier (since September 2010)
Top scorer: Stewart Downing (5)
Cup progress: Villa began their FA Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United in the Third Round. However, their League Cup run ended in a huge disappointment as they lost a second city derby for the first time in seven attempts in the QFs. The match was then marred by violence from both set of supporters on the full-time whistle. Villa's progress in Europe was halted early on as Rapid Vienna beat the Villans in the Europa League qualifiers for the second season in a row.
Highlight of the season: Villa showed some rarely seen desire to take a point from Stamford Bridge in a brilliant 3-3 draw. After Frank Lampard's spot-kick made it 1-0 to the champions, Villa scored either side of half time through Ashley Young's penalty and Emile Heskey. Chelsea then turned the match on its head again as Didier Drogba and John Terry scored to put the home side 3-2 up but Ciaran Clark's stoppage time goal proved to be the final twist of a pulsating game.
Verdict: An awful season for Aston Villa sees a club more accustomed in recent seasons with a top six finish actually struggling in the bottom three. Villa's season began with a bombshell announcement from Martin O'Neill that he was leaving and it was clear early season confidence was dented by this. Villa lost 6-0 to Newcastle United under reluctant caretaker boss Kevin McDonald but, if anything, results have got even worse under new permanent coach Gerard Houllier. The former Liverpool boss has taken just four points from his last eight games and caused a fuss by lauding the Liverpool fans at Anfield without mentioning the Villa faithful in a pitiful 3-0 defeat. Villa's backline has really suffered this season - only West Brom have conceded more - and Richard Dunne appears to be playing without any confidence. In fairness, that is a statement which could apply to numerous Villa players - a long second part to the season awaits.
Original prediction: 9th
19 WIGAN ATHLETIC P21-W4-D9-L8 F18/A33 Pts 21
Manager: Roberto Martinez (since June 2009)
Top scorer: Hugo Rodallega (5)
Cup progress: Wigan were always in control of their FA Cup Third Round tie against Hull City despite the final score of 3-2. The Latics face Bolton in round four having earlier enjoyed their best run in the League Cup since they reached the Final of the competition in 2006. Martinez's men reached the QFs before bowing out 2-0 to a strong Arsenal side at the Emirates.
Highlight of the season: Wigan revisited White Hart Lane in their third league match less than one year on from their 9-1 mauling having lost their opening two games 4-0 and 6-0 respectively. Remarkably, Rodellega's goal with just 10 left on the clock gave Wigan a truly unexpected 1-0 win in a much improved defensive performance.
Verdict: Wigan Athletic stayed up last season despite conceding 79 goals, including 17 in just two games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. This season also began in atrocious fashion with a humiliating 4-0 home defeat on the opening day to Blackpool being followed up by another thrashing, this time 6-0, at Stamford Bridge. However, since those first two league games, the Latics' problem has not actually been their defence and their attack seemingly utterly reliant on Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia has scored just 18 goals all season. Wigan have always possessed the canny knack of picking up a draw or a win every now and then but a lack of goals throughout the team and a still creaky defence point to this being the season in which the Latics cannot surely survive again.
Original prediction: 19th
20 WEST HAM UNITED P22-W4-D8-L10 F20/A33 Pts 20
Manager: Avram Grant (since June 2010)
Top scorer: Frederic Piquionne (5)
Cup progress: Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole both scored twice as West Ham United beat Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup QF to set up a two-legged semi final tie with Birmingham City in the New Year. FA Cup progress was also made with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Barnsley in the Third Round - Nottingham Forest are up next in round four.
Highlight of the season: Approaching half time in their Boxing Day match at Fulham, West Ham were 1-0 down and manager Grant possibly heading for the exit door. But in the last 10 minutes before the break, front pairing Cole and Frederic Piquionne turned the match around with a goal each before Cole added a third goal with under 20 minutes left for his first ever Premier League brace. Victory lifted the Hammers off the bottom for the first time since September.
Verdict: Having sacked Gianfranco Zola for finishing 17th, the Hammers have endured an even worse league campaign this time around. Zola's replacement Avram Grant seems determined to retain his position as a cup run and relegation specialist beyond his reign at Portsmouth. Israeli Grant may have guided the Hammers to the League Cup semi finals but he has also overseen a series of dispiriting defeats with just one away win from 11 league games. Their latest loss, a 5-0 hammering at Newcastle United, has undone all the Hammers' good work over the festive period when they took eight points from four matches. Defeat at St James Park sent the Hammers tumbling back to the bottom of the table where they had resided since September before their decent run either side of Christmas, a run which undoubtedly saved Grant from the chop. It is hard to see Grant surviving another loss of form while West Ham have given themselves an almighty task to survive this season.
Original prediction: 15th
All W-D-L statistics and named managers correct as of 11-01-2011. Top scorers feature league goals only. Current Premier League table here, original predictions blog post here.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
The Season 2010/11: FA Cup Third Round - Ronnie f*cking Radford, Immortalised
TIME to roll out the cliches once more... it's FA Cup Third Round day!
Last season, in this post 'The magic of the Cup...', I wrote about the hackneyed phrases which commentators fall back upon on this particular weekend.
Yet, amazingly as a Newcastle United supporter, I failed to mention what has perhaps become the biggest cliche of the FA Cup Third Round - Ronnie f*cking Radford.
Radford, of course, was the man who scored this absolute screamer to level the replay for Hereford United at Edgar Street before Ricky George fired in an extra time winner.
Newcastle became only the second top division club since the war to lose to non-league opponents after north-east neighbours Sunderland had lost to Yeovil Town in 1949.
But the BBC has never allowed Newcastle to forget their nightmare on Edgar Street in 1972.
It did not help that John Motson was on one of his first assignments and basically made his name from it, going on to be one of the BBC's top commentators for over 30 years.
Perhaps, last season, I had somehow managed successfully to block the whole episode from memory but this year seems more appropriate than any to bring the whole thing back up.
For, in their wisdom, the FA have now decided to immortalise Radford by creating a new award named after him which recognises the most impressive giant-killing act of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have been drawn against another current occupant of League Two which caused them a shock as a non-league outfit - Stevenage.
In their previous tie in 1998, Newcastle eventually prevailed against the then-named Stevenage Borough on their way to the FA Cup Final but only after a replay and an unsavoury build-up.
The pre-match spat centred on where to stage the tie with Stevenage originally poised to move it to St James Park over safety concerns about a big crowd at Broadhall Way.
But then SkySports stepped in and offered the Boro money and exposure if they played the match at home.
The then-Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish, perhaps over-sensitised by the Hillsborough disaster less than a decade earlier, questioned the morality of Stevenage's decision.
However, as the dispute even hit the BBC's Newsnight programme, Dalglish bizarrely commented: "We'll play you anywhere, Hackney Marshes, anywhere."
Eventually, relations between the two clubs became so frosty that the FA stepped in and ruled in Stevenage's favour and the then-Conference club duly erected a rickety temporary stand outside the ground to house the away fans.
Alan Shearer, in his comeback match after a long layoff, opened the scoring after just two minutes with a header but Stevenage showed no signs of lying down.
Giuliano Grazioli wrote his name in FA Cup folklore with the equaliser as Newcastle, in a roundabout way, got their wish as the tie moved to St James Park.
The Premier League club found it no easier there with only an Alan Shearer brace including a disputed goal sparing the blushes of Dalglish's men in a 2-1 win.
Thankfully, the run-up to this year's match has not seen any barbs exchanged between the two sides.
Stevenage are now in the Football League with a vastly improved ground which Newcastle should have no problem visiting.
But Dalglish is back on centre-stage elsewhere as he takes charge of Liverpool for the first time in 20 years - at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
This morning, the limp reign of Roy Hodgson at Anfield finally came to an end by mutual consent after just six months.
The former Fulham boss had overseen home defeats to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and had recorded just one away league win out of 10.
When Dalglish was last in charge of the Reds, they were the undisputed top club in England with 18 League Championships to Manchester United's seven.
But, since then, the Red Devils have evened up the score with 11 titles since the inauguration of the Premier League in 1992-93.
In the FA Cup, Liverpool won the last tie between the two sides in the Fifth Round in 2006 when Peter Crouch netted the only goal at Anfield while Alan Smith was carried off with a horrific leg injury.
However, Manchester United have held the upper-hand otherwise with victory in the seven previous ties before that, including the 1977 and 1996 Finals.
There is another grudge match with Leeds United taking on Arsenal, a repeat of the 1972 Final which the Yorkshire club won 1-0 through an Allan Clarke diving header.
A classic top division tie in days of yore, Leeds have fallen on hard times recently, of course, but Simon Grayson's men stunned Manchester United at Old Trafford last season with a 1-0 win.
That win came as a League One club - now Leeds are in the stronger position of being a Championship team - who knows what they will achieve at the Emirates this time around?
In the other ties selected for television coverage, Manchester City will have their work cut out against a Leicester City side that has only lost once at home since former City boss Sven Goran Eriksson took charge in October.
And Leicester's fellow East Midlanders Derby County will have to be watchful on their visit to Blue Square Premier high-flyers Crawley Town on Monday night.
FA Cup Third Round 2011
Televised ties:
Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United (12:45, ITV)
Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle United (5:30, ESPN)
Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool (1:30 Sunday, ITV)
Leicester City 2-2 Manchester City (4:00 Sunday, ESPN)
Crawley Town 2-1 Derby County (8:00 Monday, ESPN)
Other matches (3:00 Saturday unless stated)
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Bolton Wanderers 2-0 York City
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Portsmouth
Bristol City 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday
Burnley 4-2 Port Vale
Burton Albion 2-1 Middlesbrough
Chelsea 7-0 Ipswich Town (3:00 Sunday)
Coventry City 2-1 Crystal Palace
Doncaster Rovers 2-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fulham 6-2 Peterborough United
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Dover Athletic
Hull City 2-3 Wigan Athletic
Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City (1:00 Saturday)
Norwich City 0-1 Leyton Orient
Preston North End 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Reading 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
Scunthorpe United 1-5 Everton
Sheffield United 1-3 Aston Villa
Southampton 2-0 Blackpool
Stoke City 1-1 Cardiff City
Sunderland 1-2 Notts County
Swansea City 4-0 Colchester United
Torquay United 1-0 Carlisle United
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Charlton Athletic (1:30 Sunday)
Watford 4-1 Hartlepool United
West Ham United 2-0 Barnsley
Wycombe Wanderers 0-1 Hereford United (7:45 Tuesday)
Replays: (7.45 Tuesday 18 January unless stated)
Cardiff City 0-2 Stoke City [after extra time]
Leeds United 1-3 Arsenal (8.00 Wednesday 19 January, ITV)
Manchester City 4-2 Leicester City (ESPN)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-0 Doncaster Rovers
FA Cup Fourth Round
Saturday 29 January:
Aston Villa 3-1 Blackburn Rovers (1:00)
Birmingham City 3-2 Coventry City
Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Burnley 3-1 Burton Albion
Everton 1-1 Chelsea (12:30, ESPN)
Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Hereford United
Southampton 1-2 Manchester United (17:15, ITV1)
Stevenage 1-2 Reading
Swansea City 1-2 Leyton Orient (12:50)
Torquay United 0-1 Crawley Town (3:15)
Watford 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Sunday 30 January:
Arsenal 2-1 Huddersfield Town (12:00, ESPN)
Fulham 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur (16:30, ESPN)
Notts County 1-1 Manchester City (14:00, ITV1)
West Ham United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (14:00)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Stoke City (13:00)
Replays:
Chelsea 1-1 Everton (Sat 19 Feb, 12:30). Everton won 4-3 on penalties.
Manchester City v Notts County (Sun 20 Feb, 14:00)
Wigan Athletic 0-1 Bolton Wanderers (Wed 16 Feb, 19:45)
FA Cup Fifth Round Draw
West Ham United v Burnley
Notts County/Manchester City v Aston Villa
Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday
Leyton Orient v Arsenal
Everton v Reading
Manchester United v Crawley Town
Fulham v Bolton Wanderers
Ties to be played on 19-20 February (except Notts County/Manchester City v Aston Villa and Everton v Reading, due to delayed Fourth Round replays)
Last season, in this post 'The magic of the Cup...', I wrote about the hackneyed phrases which commentators fall back upon on this particular weekend.
Yet, amazingly as a Newcastle United supporter, I failed to mention what has perhaps become the biggest cliche of the FA Cup Third Round - Ronnie f*cking Radford.
Radford, of course, was the man who scored this absolute screamer to level the replay for Hereford United at Edgar Street before Ricky George fired in an extra time winner.
Newcastle became only the second top division club since the war to lose to non-league opponents after north-east neighbours Sunderland had lost to Yeovil Town in 1949.
But the BBC has never allowed Newcastle to forget their nightmare on Edgar Street in 1972.
It did not help that John Motson was on one of his first assignments and basically made his name from it, going on to be one of the BBC's top commentators for over 30 years.
Perhaps, last season, I had somehow managed successfully to block the whole episode from memory but this year seems more appropriate than any to bring the whole thing back up.
For, in their wisdom, the FA have now decided to immortalise Radford by creating a new award named after him which recognises the most impressive giant-killing act of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have been drawn against another current occupant of League Two which caused them a shock as a non-league outfit - Stevenage.
In their previous tie in 1998, Newcastle eventually prevailed against the then-named Stevenage Borough on their way to the FA Cup Final but only after a replay and an unsavoury build-up.
The pre-match spat centred on where to stage the tie with Stevenage originally poised to move it to St James Park over safety concerns about a big crowd at Broadhall Way.
But then SkySports stepped in and offered the Boro money and exposure if they played the match at home.
The then-Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish, perhaps over-sensitised by the Hillsborough disaster less than a decade earlier, questioned the morality of Stevenage's decision.
However, as the dispute even hit the BBC's Newsnight programme, Dalglish bizarrely commented: "We'll play you anywhere, Hackney Marshes, anywhere."
Eventually, relations between the two clubs became so frosty that the FA stepped in and ruled in Stevenage's favour and the then-Conference club duly erected a rickety temporary stand outside the ground to house the away fans.
Alan Shearer, in his comeback match after a long layoff, opened the scoring after just two minutes with a header but Stevenage showed no signs of lying down.
Giuliano Grazioli wrote his name in FA Cup folklore with the equaliser as Newcastle, in a roundabout way, got their wish as the tie moved to St James Park.
The Premier League club found it no easier there with only an Alan Shearer brace including a disputed goal sparing the blushes of Dalglish's men in a 2-1 win.
Thankfully, the run-up to this year's match has not seen any barbs exchanged between the two sides.
Stevenage are now in the Football League with a vastly improved ground which Newcastle should have no problem visiting.
But Dalglish is back on centre-stage elsewhere as he takes charge of Liverpool for the first time in 20 years - at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
This morning, the limp reign of Roy Hodgson at Anfield finally came to an end by mutual consent after just six months.
The former Fulham boss had overseen home defeats to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and had recorded just one away league win out of 10.
When Dalglish was last in charge of the Reds, they were the undisputed top club in England with 18 League Championships to Manchester United's seven.
But, since then, the Red Devils have evened up the score with 11 titles since the inauguration of the Premier League in 1992-93.
In the FA Cup, Liverpool won the last tie between the two sides in the Fifth Round in 2006 when Peter Crouch netted the only goal at Anfield while Alan Smith was carried off with a horrific leg injury.
However, Manchester United have held the upper-hand otherwise with victory in the seven previous ties before that, including the 1977 and 1996 Finals.
There is another grudge match with Leeds United taking on Arsenal, a repeat of the 1972 Final which the Yorkshire club won 1-0 through an Allan Clarke diving header.
A classic top division tie in days of yore, Leeds have fallen on hard times recently, of course, but Simon Grayson's men stunned Manchester United at Old Trafford last season with a 1-0 win.
That win came as a League One club - now Leeds are in the stronger position of being a Championship team - who knows what they will achieve at the Emirates this time around?
In the other ties selected for television coverage, Manchester City will have their work cut out against a Leicester City side that has only lost once at home since former City boss Sven Goran Eriksson took charge in October.
And Leicester's fellow East Midlanders Derby County will have to be watchful on their visit to Blue Square Premier high-flyers Crawley Town on Monday night.
FA Cup Third Round 2011
Televised ties:
Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United (12:45, ITV)
Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle United (5:30, ESPN)
Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool (1:30 Sunday, ITV)
Leicester City 2-2 Manchester City (4:00 Sunday, ESPN)
Crawley Town 2-1 Derby County (8:00 Monday, ESPN)
Other matches (3:00 Saturday unless stated)
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Bolton Wanderers 2-0 York City
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Portsmouth
Bristol City 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday
Burnley 4-2 Port Vale
Burton Albion 2-1 Middlesbrough
Chelsea 7-0 Ipswich Town (3:00 Sunday)
Coventry City 2-1 Crystal Palace
Doncaster Rovers 2-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fulham 6-2 Peterborough United
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Dover Athletic
Hull City 2-3 Wigan Athletic
Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City (1:00 Saturday)
Norwich City 0-1 Leyton Orient
Preston North End 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Reading 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
Scunthorpe United 1-5 Everton
Sheffield United 1-3 Aston Villa
Southampton 2-0 Blackpool
Stoke City 1-1 Cardiff City
Sunderland 1-2 Notts County
Swansea City 4-0 Colchester United
Torquay United 1-0 Carlisle United
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Charlton Athletic (1:30 Sunday)
Watford 4-1 Hartlepool United
West Ham United 2-0 Barnsley
Wycombe Wanderers 0-1 Hereford United (7:45 Tuesday)
Replays: (7.45 Tuesday 18 January unless stated)
Cardiff City 0-2 Stoke City [after extra time]
Leeds United 1-3 Arsenal (8.00 Wednesday 19 January, ITV)
Manchester City 4-2 Leicester City (ESPN)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-0 Doncaster Rovers
FA Cup Fourth Round
Saturday 29 January:
Aston Villa 3-1 Blackburn Rovers (1:00)
Birmingham City 3-2 Coventry City
Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Burnley 3-1 Burton Albion
Everton 1-1 Chelsea (12:30, ESPN)
Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Hereford United
Southampton 1-2 Manchester United (17:15, ITV1)
Stevenage 1-2 Reading
Swansea City 1-2 Leyton Orient (12:50)
Torquay United 0-1 Crawley Town (3:15)
Watford 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Sunday 30 January:
Arsenal 2-1 Huddersfield Town (12:00, ESPN)
Fulham 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur (16:30, ESPN)
Notts County 1-1 Manchester City (14:00, ITV1)
West Ham United 3-2 Nottingham Forest (14:00)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Stoke City (13:00)
Replays:
Chelsea 1-1 Everton (Sat 19 Feb, 12:30). Everton won 4-3 on penalties.
Manchester City v Notts County (Sun 20 Feb, 14:00)
Wigan Athletic 0-1 Bolton Wanderers (Wed 16 Feb, 19:45)
FA Cup Fifth Round Draw
West Ham United v Burnley
Notts County/Manchester City v Aston Villa
Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday
Leyton Orient v Arsenal
Everton v Reading
Manchester United v Crawley Town
Fulham v Bolton Wanderers
Ties to be played on 19-20 February (except Notts County/Manchester City v Aston Villa and Everton v Reading, due to delayed Fourth Round replays)
Friday, 7 January 2011
The Ashes 2010/2011: Statistics show England dominance
WHEN England regained the Ashes with a 2-1 home series victory in 2009, there was something not quite satisfying enough about it.
Of course, it was well-established that the 2009 series did not have the lustre of the 2005 campaign when England won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years amid a dramatic series of matches.
Additionally, neither of the sides were as strong as they had been.
England were still rebuilding after the 2006-07 whitewash while Australia had only just begun to deal with the retirements of Justin Langer, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath among others.
But - whisper it gently - this post shows, the weakened Aussies actually dominated the statistics in the 2009 series.
Australia's batsmen made eight centuries in the five Tests as compared to England's two while the top three bowlers were all Australian with Ben Hilfenhaus leading the way on 22 wickets.
England had effectively scraped home on the strength of a last-wicket stand in Cardiff - though the overall result undoubtedly gave Andrew Strauss' squad the confidence to improve further.
Indeed, they have done - and, all the while, Australia have gone further and further backwards.
This 3-1 series win was the very definition of a thumping and, thankfully, England have the stats to back it up.
Man of the series Alastair Cook scored a remarkable 766 runs at an average of 127.66 and he was backed up by others in the batting order.
Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior all scored a century and averaged above 50 with the bat. Only Mike Hussey matched this standard for the Aussies.
The bowlers for England were just as dominant as the batsmen.
Four of the five top wicket-takers in the series were in the tourists' squad as James Anderson became the first English bowler since Frank Tyson in the 1950s to take 24 wickets in Australia.
In the early Tests, Anderson was backed up to good effect by Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Graeme Swann as England risked playing only four frontline bowlers.
Though Broad (through injury) and Finn were then replaced, the supposed stand-ins Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan did even better.
The risk also paid off as part-time bowlers Pietersen and Paul Collingwood chipped in with wickets at vital moments.
Pietersen dismissed Michael Clarke with the last ball of the fourth day of the second Test to set up a final day collapse while Collingwood claimed the wicket of Hussey with his final ever Test delivery.
With the exception of Perth, England batted brilliantly as a unit, making a record of score of 644 as part of four occasions when they topped 500 runs.
By contrast, Australia's score of 481 in the first innings of the first Test would be the only time in the series that they would score more than 309.
Even in Perth, where England were uncharacteristically out twice for less than 200, Australia had also struggled early on, finding themselves 69-5 in the first innings.
It was also notable that Australia had to bat 10 times in the five Tests while England only had seven innings in all.
And, despite batting on fewer occasions, such was their dominance that England still scored 233 more runs than their hosts.
Indeed, on average, each England wicket was worth 51.14 runs whereas Australian wickets fell every 28.91 runs - a huge difference of 22.23 per wicket.
For now, Australians only have the history records with which to console themselves.
They still show a fine record for them of 10 wins and two draws from the 17 post-war Ashes series in Australia.
RESULTS SUMMARY
England won the series 3-1
First Test (Brisbane): England 260 & 517-1dec drew with Australia 481 & 107-1 Report
Second Test (Adelaide): England 620-5dec beat Australia 245 & 304 by an innings and 71 runs Report
Third Test (Perth): Australia 268 & 309 beat England 187 & 123 by 267 runs Report
Fourth Test (Melbourne): England 513 beat Australia 98 & 258 by an innings and 157 runs Report
Fifth Test (Sydney): England 644 beat Australia 280 & 281 by an innings and 83 runs Report
BEST BATTING AVERAGES
127.66 Alastair Cook (England)
89.00 Jonathan Trott (England)
65.80 Ian Bell (England)
63.33 Mike Hussey (Australia)
60.00 Kevin Pietersen (England)
50.40 Matt Prior (England)
48.33 Shane Watson (Australia)
45.00 Brad Haddin (Australia)
43.85 Andrew Strauss (England)
BEST BOWLING AVERAGES [minimum 10 overs bowled]
19.54 Tim Bresnan (England)
23.35 Chris Tremlett (England)
25.54 Ryan Harris (Australia)
26.04 James Anderson (England)
33.14 Steven Finn (England)
34.57 Peter Siddle (Australia)
36.50 Paul Collingwood (England)
36.93 Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
39.80 Graeme Swann (England)
MOST RUNS
766 Alastair Cook (England) best score: 235* in the first Test, Brisbane
570 Mike Hussey (Australia) 195 in the first Test, Brisbane
445 Jonathan Trott (England) 168* in the fourth Test, Melbourne
435 Shane Watson (Australia) 95 in the third Test, Perth
360 Kevin Pietersen (England) 227 in the second Test, Adelaide
360 Brad Haddin (Australia) 136 in the first Test, Brisbane
329 Ian Bell (England) 115 in the fifth Test, Sydney
307 Andrew Strauss (England) 110 in the first Test, Brisbane
252 Matt Prior (England) 118 in the fifth Test, Sydney
MOST WICKETS
24 James Anderson (England) best inns: 4-44 in the fourth Test, Melbourne
17 Chris Tremlett (England) 5-87 in the third Test, Perth
15 Mitchell Johnson (Australia) 6-38 in the third Test, Perth
15 Graeme Swann (England) 5-91 in the second Test, Adelaide
14 Steven Finn (England) 6-125 in the first Test, Brisbane
14 Peter Siddle (Australia) 6-54 in the first Test, Brisbane
11 Tim Bresnan (England) 4-50 in the fourth Test, Melbourne
11 Ryan Harris (England) 6-47 in the third Test, Perth
7 Ben Hilfenhaus (Australia) 3-121 in the fifth Test, Sydney
TEAM SCORES BY INNINGS
644 England in the fifth Test, Sydney
620-5 dec England in the second Test, Adelaide
517-1 dec England in the first Test, Brisbane
513 England in the fourth Test, Melbourne
481 Australia in the first Test, Brisbane
309 Australia in the third Test, Perth
304 Australia in the second Test, Adelaide
281 Australia in the fifth Test, Sydney
280 Australia in the fifth Test, Sydney
268 Australia in the third Test, Perth
260 England in the third Test, Brisbane
258 Australia in the fourth Test, Melbourne
245 Australia in the fourth Test, Adelaide
187 England in the third Test, Perth
123 England in the third Test, Perth
107-1 Australia in the first Test, Brisbane
98 Australia in the fourth Test, Melbourne
POST-WAR ENGLAND ASHES TOURS RECORD
5 matches per series unless stated
1946-47 Australia 3-0 England
1950-51 Australia 4-1 England
1954-55 England 3-1 Australia
1958-59 Australia 4-0 England
1962-63 Australia 1-1 England (Australia retain the Ashes)
1965-66 Australia 1-1 England (Australia retain the Ashes)
1970-71 England 2-0 Australia (from six Tests)
1974-75 Australia 4-1 England (from six Tests)
1978-79 England 5-1 Australia (from six Tests)
1982-83 Australia 2-1 England
1986-87 England 2-1 Australia
1990-91 Australia 3-0 England
1994-95 Australia 3-1 England
1998-99 Australia 3-1 England
2002-03 Australia 4-1 England
2006-07 Australia 5-0 England
2010-11 England 3-1 Australia
By series: Australia 10 England 5 Draws 2
Test wins: Australia 41 England 23 Draws 24
Of course, it was well-established that the 2009 series did not have the lustre of the 2005 campaign when England won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years amid a dramatic series of matches.
Additionally, neither of the sides were as strong as they had been.
England were still rebuilding after the 2006-07 whitewash while Australia had only just begun to deal with the retirements of Justin Langer, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath among others.
But - whisper it gently - this post shows, the weakened Aussies actually dominated the statistics in the 2009 series.
Australia's batsmen made eight centuries in the five Tests as compared to England's two while the top three bowlers were all Australian with Ben Hilfenhaus leading the way on 22 wickets.
England had effectively scraped home on the strength of a last-wicket stand in Cardiff - though the overall result undoubtedly gave Andrew Strauss' squad the confidence to improve further.
Indeed, they have done - and, all the while, Australia have gone further and further backwards.
This 3-1 series win was the very definition of a thumping and, thankfully, England have the stats to back it up.
Man of the series Alastair Cook scored a remarkable 766 runs at an average of 127.66 and he was backed up by others in the batting order.
Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior all scored a century and averaged above 50 with the bat. Only Mike Hussey matched this standard for the Aussies.
The bowlers for England were just as dominant as the batsmen.
Four of the five top wicket-takers in the series were in the tourists' squad as James Anderson became the first English bowler since Frank Tyson in the 1950s to take 24 wickets in Australia.
In the early Tests, Anderson was backed up to good effect by Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Graeme Swann as England risked playing only four frontline bowlers.
Though Broad (through injury) and Finn were then replaced, the supposed stand-ins Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan did even better.
The risk also paid off as part-time bowlers Pietersen and Paul Collingwood chipped in with wickets at vital moments.
Pietersen dismissed Michael Clarke with the last ball of the fourth day of the second Test to set up a final day collapse while Collingwood claimed the wicket of Hussey with his final ever Test delivery.
With the exception of Perth, England batted brilliantly as a unit, making a record of score of 644 as part of four occasions when they topped 500 runs.
By contrast, Australia's score of 481 in the first innings of the first Test would be the only time in the series that they would score more than 309.
Even in Perth, where England were uncharacteristically out twice for less than 200, Australia had also struggled early on, finding themselves 69-5 in the first innings.
It was also notable that Australia had to bat 10 times in the five Tests while England only had seven innings in all.
And, despite batting on fewer occasions, such was their dominance that England still scored 233 more runs than their hosts.
Indeed, on average, each England wicket was worth 51.14 runs whereas Australian wickets fell every 28.91 runs - a huge difference of 22.23 per wicket.
For now, Australians only have the history records with which to console themselves.
They still show a fine record for them of 10 wins and two draws from the 17 post-war Ashes series in Australia.
RESULTS SUMMARY
England won the series 3-1
First Test (Brisbane): England 260 & 517-1dec drew with Australia 481 & 107-1 Report
Second Test (Adelaide): England 620-5dec beat Australia 245 & 304 by an innings and 71 runs Report
Third Test (Perth): Australia 268 & 309 beat England 187 & 123 by 267 runs Report
Fourth Test (Melbourne): England 513 beat Australia 98 & 258 by an innings and 157 runs Report
Fifth Test (Sydney): England 644 beat Australia 280 & 281 by an innings and 83 runs Report
BEST BATTING AVERAGES
127.66 Alastair Cook (England)
89.00 Jonathan Trott (England)
65.80 Ian Bell (England)
63.33 Mike Hussey (Australia)
60.00 Kevin Pietersen (England)
50.40 Matt Prior (England)
48.33 Shane Watson (Australia)
45.00 Brad Haddin (Australia)
43.85 Andrew Strauss (England)
BEST BOWLING AVERAGES [minimum 10 overs bowled]
19.54 Tim Bresnan (England)
23.35 Chris Tremlett (England)
25.54 Ryan Harris (Australia)
26.04 James Anderson (England)
33.14 Steven Finn (England)
34.57 Peter Siddle (Australia)
36.50 Paul Collingwood (England)
36.93 Mitchell Johnson (Australia)
39.80 Graeme Swann (England)
MOST RUNS
766 Alastair Cook (England) best score: 235* in the first Test, Brisbane
570 Mike Hussey (Australia) 195 in the first Test, Brisbane
445 Jonathan Trott (England) 168* in the fourth Test, Melbourne
435 Shane Watson (Australia) 95 in the third Test, Perth
360 Kevin Pietersen (England) 227 in the second Test, Adelaide
360 Brad Haddin (Australia) 136 in the first Test, Brisbane
329 Ian Bell (England) 115 in the fifth Test, Sydney
307 Andrew Strauss (England) 110 in the first Test, Brisbane
252 Matt Prior (England) 118 in the fifth Test, Sydney
MOST WICKETS
24 James Anderson (England) best inns: 4-44 in the fourth Test, Melbourne
17 Chris Tremlett (England) 5-87 in the third Test, Perth
15 Mitchell Johnson (Australia) 6-38 in the third Test, Perth
15 Graeme Swann (England) 5-91 in the second Test, Adelaide
14 Steven Finn (England) 6-125 in the first Test, Brisbane
14 Peter Siddle (Australia) 6-54 in the first Test, Brisbane
11 Tim Bresnan (England) 4-50 in the fourth Test, Melbourne
11 Ryan Harris (England) 6-47 in the third Test, Perth
7 Ben Hilfenhaus (Australia) 3-121 in the fifth Test, Sydney
TEAM SCORES BY INNINGS
644 England in the fifth Test, Sydney
620-5 dec England in the second Test, Adelaide
517-1 dec England in the first Test, Brisbane
513 England in the fourth Test, Melbourne
481 Australia in the first Test, Brisbane
309 Australia in the third Test, Perth
304 Australia in the second Test, Adelaide
281 Australia in the fifth Test, Sydney
280 Australia in the fifth Test, Sydney
268 Australia in the third Test, Perth
260 England in the third Test, Brisbane
258 Australia in the fourth Test, Melbourne
245 Australia in the fourth Test, Adelaide
187 England in the third Test, Perth
123 England in the third Test, Perth
107-1 Australia in the first Test, Brisbane
98 Australia in the fourth Test, Melbourne
POST-WAR ENGLAND ASHES TOURS RECORD
5 matches per series unless stated
1946-47 Australia 3-0 England
1950-51 Australia 4-1 England
1954-55 England 3-1 Australia
1958-59 Australia 4-0 England
1962-63 Australia 1-1 England (Australia retain the Ashes)
1965-66 Australia 1-1 England (Australia retain the Ashes)
1970-71 England 2-0 Australia (from six Tests)
1974-75 Australia 4-1 England (from six Tests)
1978-79 England 5-1 Australia (from six Tests)
1982-83 Australia 2-1 England
1986-87 England 2-1 Australia
1990-91 Australia 3-0 England
1994-95 Australia 3-1 England
1998-99 Australia 3-1 England
2002-03 Australia 4-1 England
2006-07 Australia 5-0 England
2010-11 England 3-1 Australia
By series: Australia 10 England 5 Draws 2
Test wins: Australia 41 England 23 Draws 24
Monday, 3 January 2011
The Ashes 2010/11: England win Ashes series after handing out another thumping
England 644 beat Australia 280 & 281 by an innings and 83 runs
Scorecard - BBC, Cricinfo
ENGLAND won their first Ashes series in Australia for 24 years - and they did it in style, completing another crushing innings win for a hugely deserved 3-1 victory.
Chris Tremlett provided the magic moment, bowling last man Michael Beer for two to spark off wild celebrations on and off the pitch.
Entry to the SCG for the final day was free and every Briton in New South Wales appeared to have joined the Barmy Army in the stands.
The crowd were frustrated at first as Steve Smith and Peter Siddle provided some resistance before a rain delay of about 40 minutes.
Siddle went on to produce his Test best score of 43, narrowly improving on his previous best of 40 which he had set only a week ago in Melbourne.
But he walked to the crease in an impossible situation on both occasions and he was unable to stop Australia from suffering successive innings defeats.
On the very first day of the series, Siddle took a hat-trick to mark his 26th birthday but it was telling that he was the man keeping out the hat-trick ball from Tremlett last night.
For, over the past six weeks, England have gradually cast off the chains of failure Down Under which have haunted them for more than two decades.
England comfortably drew the first Test, despite losing Andrew Strauss third ball to Ben Hilfenhaus and Siddle's subsequent heroics.
Man of the series Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott shared a stand of 329 runs in an England total of 517-1.
In doing so, they broke the previous record for any partnership at the Gabba which had been set just two days earlier by Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin in Australia's 481.
Significantly, that innings was the last time in the series that the Aussies scored more than 400.
In the second Test in Adelaide, England roared out the blocks as James Anderson smashed the Aussie top-order to leave the hosts on 2-3.
Although Australia recovered to be 245 all out, Kevin Pietersen found his form at the perfect time, hitting 227 as England declared on 620-5.
The Aussies did a little better in the second innings but, when Pietersen unexpectedly took the wicket of Michael Clarke with the final ball of day four, England sensed victory.
And a 1-0 series lead arrived within 90 minutes of the start of the final day as Graeme Swann's spin encouraged another Aussie collapse.
If the remaining batsmen had held out for just one more hour, unrelenting heavy rain would have rescued a totally unjustified draw for them.
As it was, England had deservedly condemned Australia to their first home innings defeat in 18 years. Little did anyone know there would be two more just around the corner.
First, though, the Aussies gained a foothold in the series by easily winning the third Test in Perth.
But it wasn't all plain sailing for Ricky Ponting's men and England looked to have won a good toss when opting to field having reduced the Aussies to 69-5.
However, the efforts of Hussey, Haddin and Mitchell Johnson helped Australia recover to 268 all out before Johnson then bowled a brilliant spell as England crumbled to 187 all out.
Set 391 runs to go 2-0 up at retain the Ashes by Christmas, the tourists collapsed again in the second innings, closing day three on 81-5.
Within an hour of play on day four, the match was over, England having only managed 123 all out to lose by 267 runs.
Johnson and Ryan Harris had bowled beautifully to take 18 of England's 20 wickets as the pendulum shifted in the Aussies' favour.
However, the momentum did not last long back on the east coast in the fourth Test in Melbourne as Australia suffered their blackest day of Ashes cricket in many years.
England again won the toss and asked Australia to bat but, having let their hosts off the hook in Perth, Strauss' men made sure not to make the same mistake.
Anderson and Tremlett picked up four wickets apiece, and Bresnan took the other two, as Australia were torn apart.
By the end of the first day, Strauss and Cook had scored 157 without loss, surpassing the Aussies' embarrassing total of 98 all out.
Trott added his second century of the series and Prior scored 85 as England batted through day two to be eventually all out for 513 on day three.
Australia fell apart once more to be all out for 258 and, but for some positive carefree batting from Haddin and Siddle, their eventual defeat by an innings and 157 runs could have been much worse.
Despite retaining the Ashes with that victory, England were not finished yet as Australia, led by stand-in captain Clarke, succumbed to 280 all out in the first innings in this final Test in Sydney.
In the response, Cook scored 189 to record the second highest aggregate of any England player in any series, behind only Wally Hammond who scored 905 in the 1928-29 Ashes campaign.
However, Cook did secure the record for having batted the longest of any England player in any series in history at 2171 minutes.
Ian Bell and Prior also made tons as England recorded a first innings total of 644, their highest ever score in Australia before reducing the hosts to 213-7.
Staring a third innings defeat in the face, Smith and Siddle today swung the bat before the weather briefly intervened.
But, once the clouds cleared enough for play to recommence and Siddle found Anderson in the deep off Swann, the end was nigh for Australia.
Hilfenhaus scored seven off 14 balls before falling to Anderson's swing - setting up the scene for Tremlett to apply the coup de grace by castling Beer.
Of course, Tremlett - alongside Bresnan - represent England's excellent current squad strength after gaining their starting places during the course of the series.
In the top order, only retiree Paul Collingwood failed to make at least one truly significant contribution with the bat.
But the Durham man still managed to excel in the field and bowl out Hussey with his final ball in Test cricket.
By contrast, Australia are in a deep hole. At present, the team is rudderless, playing without a proper opener, a top-class spinner and a consistent strike bowler.
Despite the presence of Hussey, the Aussie middle order is vulnerable to a collapse while their supposed best bowler Johnson has taken his reputation as an enigma to new levels in the last six weeks.
Desperate on a flat pitch in the first Test, Johnson was dropped for the second match before regaining his hero status in Perth by taking nine wickets there.
In the final two matches, Johnson continued to take wickets but he also proved an expensive luxury who Australia could ill-afford given the struggles of the rest of their attack.
He also cut a fragile figure and suffered from repeated taunts from the Barmy Army in the stands.
However, it was hardly anything worse than what England players had been forced to put up with for years from the Aussie supporters.
The Barmy Army were rightly loving the strange feeling of superiority and this England team has given them plenty to cheer.
Indeed, too much of a focus on the Aussies' struggles fails to give England enough credit for their wonderful record-breaking performances in the series.
Cook found the form of his life to end up being spoken in the same breath as Hammond and Jack Hobbs while Anderson became the first English bowler to take 24 wickets in an away Ashes series since Frank Tyson in the 1950s.
As a unit, the England team recorded the highest-ever score of any England team in Australia in the final Test in Sydney.
And that was only a small part of England's efforts to hammer the Aussies with ruthless efficiency with a consistency which was rewarded by three innings victories.
Adelaide. Melbourne. Sydney. They will simply never be forgotten.
--
EARLIER REPORTS
Day four: England's history men on the brink of glory
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] & 213-7 v England 644 [Cook 189, Prior 118, Bell 115, Strauss 60]
ENGLAND made their highest ever score in Australia before taking seven wickets to put themselves on the brink of a glorious 3-1 Ashes series victory in Sydney.
Graeme Swann prodded the first delivery after lunch into the on-side for a single which meant England's previous best score Down Under of 636 was surpassed.
That mark had also been set at Sydney in a timeless Test in 1928 during which Wally Hammond scored 251 of his 905 series runs.
Of course, Alastair Cook yesterday fell short of Hammond's achievement of two double centuries in a single Ashes series but the Essex left-hander had already done more than enough to put England in control of this Test.
Cook eventually compiled 189 runs to take his aggregate for the series to 766, scored at an average of 127.66. Only Hammond had ever enjoyed a more productive Ashes.
But, while Cook will surely get the man of the series award when the gongs are handed out tomorrow, the whole of the current England team deserves credit for their performances this winter.
The Australians went into this final Test still harbouring hopes of escaping a series in which they have been totally outplayed with a 2-2 draw.
After a tight first two days in which England allowed the Aussies' tail in the first innings to wag, the chances of a frankly unfathomable series tie increased.
But Cook kept his cool and by the time he and Ian Bell had departed with centuries, England had gained the sort of commanding position with which they had grown accustomed over the previous few weeks.
Having gained control on day three, England - resuming on 488-7 - rubbed salt in Aussie wounds on day four.
This was humiliation upon painful humiliation for the hosts as Matt Prior batted with Tim Bresnan and Swann to become the tourists' ninth centurion of the series, another Ashes record for England.
Australia finally made a belated breakthrough shortly after Prior had reached his landmark as Bresnan nicked Mitchell Johnson behind to Michael Clarke for 35.
But, by then, Bresnan and Prior had put on 102 for England's highest ever eighth-wicket stand at the SCG.
More impressively still, England became the first ever team in Test history to have century partnerships for the sixth, seventh and eighth wickets in a single innings.
Even when Prior top-edged a poor Ben Hilfenhaus ball behind to Brad Haddin for 118, having 'only' added 20 runs for the ninth wicket with Swann, there was no sign of a declaration.
It seemed that, four years on from the devastating whitewash in the 2006-07 series, England were having too much fun grinding the Aussie noses into the dust.
Certainly, the last pair of Swann and Chris Tremlett would have taken great pleasure in scoring 20 off a single Johnson over, immediately after Prior had departed.
Indeed, Swann and Tremlett batted England beyond lunch but once Swann had scored the historic run, it seemed unlikely many more would follow.
That was in fact the case as - to the relief of the home crowd - Tremlett finally brought an end to the mammoth innings after 178 overs by edging Hilfenhaus behind to Haddin for 12. Swann was left unbeaten on 36.
Now the onus shifted back to Australia. With the Ashes lost in Melbourne, and the series lost on days three and four in this match, the Aussies really were playing just for pride.
Could Michael Clarke and his men bat out the best part of five sessions in an attempt to claim some sort of heroic draw?
It seems not, despite an encouraging start from opener Shane Watson who took out his frustration on the England bowlers, hitting 38 from 40 balls, including seven fours.
However, England had the last laugh once again after Watson caused one of the most comical run outs in international cricket history.
Fellow opener Philip Hughes stroked a shot into the leg-side off his pads and the Aussies looked set to pick up a comfortable single.
Then, despite a clearly audible wail of 'No' from Hughes, the oblivious Watson set off on a second run, meaning both batsmen wound up at the same end of the pitch.
It was amateurish tripe from the Aussies and the whole farce reinforced the notion that Watson, while a competent batsmen, is not worthy of being a Test opener.
As well as his inability to convert 50s into hundreds, Watson has a terrible reputation for running between the wickets - this was his seventh involvement in a run out in just 49 innings, although he has only been the victim twice.
Watson's wicket also left two relative youngsters at the crease for Australia, 22-year-old Hughes and 24-year-old debutant Usman Khawaja.
It was no surprise that neither coped particularly well. Hughes was out first for 13, edging Bresnan behind to Prior to leave Australia on 52-2.
And Khawaja fell shortly after tea for 21 as Prior picked up another catch, this time off James Anderson's bowling.
The innings then seemed to settle down for a while as Aussie stand-in skipper Clarke, desperate for a score, played in an almost competent fashion to contribute 41.
But there was to be a final twist in England's favour on day four as reverse swing began to take effect to the delight of Anderson, Bresnan and Tremlett.
Anderson sensed his chance and having earlier bowled a spell of 0-22 off four overs, he returned to the party with virtually unplayable figures of 1-4 off four overs.
Clarke was his sole victim as Prior took another catch behind the stumps. When the usually reliable Mike Hussey followed to Bresnan soon after, Australia were in tatters.
Even Hussey seemed utterly demoralised when he was out for 12, offering a simple catch to Kevin Pietersen at gully, and looking nothing like the player who compiled a stand of 309 in the first Test with Haddin.
Haddin has also suffered from spending hours behind the wickets with the gloves on and, not for the first time, the short ball caused him to lose his wicket as he nicked Tremlett behind to Prior for 30.
Tremlett then caused a real buzz around the SCG, putting himself on a hat-trick by bowling the fragile Johnson out first ball to leave Australia on 171-7.
England sensed another wave of momentum pushing them towards the finishing line and claimed the extra half hour in an attempt to take the final three wickets.
But Peter Siddle blocked the hat-trick ball and then made some attempt to defend the Aussies' honour by batting until the close with Steve Smith.
The players will return on day five to complete the formality of what looks like being yet another innings victory for England.
To put that into context - Australia had only suffered one home defeat by an innings in the past 18 years before this series. This could be their third in just over a month!
Finally, what are the odds Paul Collingwood will wrap the contest up with another spectacular catch after he announced his retirement from Test cricket today?
It would be no less than the Durham man deserves after a fine England career - and, along with the 12 other players for England in this series, he is a history man.
EARLIER REPORTS
Day three: Cook and Bell confirm England's superiority
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] v England 488-7 [Cook 189, Bell 115, Strauss 60, Prior 54*]
ENGLAND took control of the fifth Ashes Test as centuries from Alastair Cook and Ian Bell enabled the tourists to bat through the whole of the third day in Sydney.
Cook ended up falling just short of his second double-hundred of the series but, by the time he was out after tea, he had already picked up all sorts of records.
The Essex left-hander is guaranteed to average more than 100 this series having scored 766 runs in seven innings over the five Tests.
Only Wally Hammond, with 905 runs in the 1928-29 Ashes series, has scored more runs for England in a series - but Cook has batted for longer.
Indeed, the opener has been at the crease for 36 hours and 11 minutes or 2171 minutes, more than any England player in any series in history.
And such is the wonderment expressed at Cook's statistics that it is easy to forget England had another centurion on day three in Sydney.
Too often in this series, Ian Bell has had to scratch around for runs with the tail but here he staked a serious claim to bat higher up the order with a stylish ton.
With Cook, Bell put on 154 runs for the sixth wicket as England took the game away from their hosts in the afternoon session.
He then added a further 107 runs in a seventh-wicket stand with Matt Prior before the close.
England had started the day on 167-3 with Cook and nightwatchman James Anderson at the crease after the late wicket of Kevin Pietersen on day two.
Unsurprisingly, Anderson - who had already done his job just by being there this morning - put up little resistance, and Peter Siddle bowled him on middle- and off-stump for seven.
Anderson's exit hastened the appearance of Paul Collingwood to the crease but, while the Durham man has been a fine servant to English cricket, he may not be seen in Tests again after another failure.
Averaging just 15 from his previous 10 Test matches, perhaps it should come as that Collingwood was out for 13, lofting spinner Michael Beer high to Ben Hilfenhaus at mid-on.
It was a wasteful shot full of frustration at an innings in which he never looked at all comfortable in contrast to Cook at the other end, and it belatedly gave Beer his first Test wicket.
Beer thought he had made his own personal breakthrough on day two when Cook gave a catch to mid-on on 46.
But umpire Billy Bowden ruled that Beer had just over-stepped the popping crease and that it was a no-ball to which Cook could not be out.
If that was slightly unfortunate for the debutant Beer, then the Aussies' attempts to remove Cook on 99 on day three were just disgraceful.
Cook had played a rare false shot to a Beer delivery and the ball appeared to have given a catch to Philip Hughes at short leg.
Egged on by team mates, Hughes shamefully claimed the catch even though replays showed a clear bounce in front of him.
The replays rightly reprieved Cook and the whole situation made Hughes look more than a little bit desperate, and actually rather stupid that he thought he would get away with it.
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin at least emerges with some credit by refusing to celebrate with the others having seen the clear bounce.
But the Aussie team then seemed to snub Cook collectively by refusing to offer congratulations for his third century of the series.
That would not have bothered Cook so much - in fact, I am sure he was pleased to have got so far under the Aussies' skin having been identified as a supposed weak link before the series.
However, the lack of sportsmanship on display, for which Ashes series are famed, left a bitter aftertaste to the whole incident.
Of course, England fans would soon be drinking in the sweet success of their team as Cook and Bell confirmed the tourists' clear superiority.
It is strange to think that, just a day earlier, this match had been a close contest and England fans genuinely worried that the Aussies might escape from the series with a 2-2 draw.
Such a result would have been an injustice considering the respective displays of both sides throughout the contest and the fears are all irrelevant now anyway.
By the time Cook was caught by Mike Hussey off Shane Watson for 189 and Bell was caught by Aussie stand-in skipper Michael Clarke off Mitchell Johnson for 115, England were 487-7.
That gave England a lead of 207 runs, more than enough to negate the disadvantage of batting last on a turning Sydney pitch - if indeed they have to bat again at all.
For, with Prior at the crease alongside Tim Bresnan and then Graeme Swann, both of whom can wield a bat, more swift runs for England can be expected in the morning session.
Indeed, one further run was added before the close to give England an overnight lead of 208 and that leaves a demoralised Australia team fewer than six sessions to overhaul it and set their own target.
An Aussie comeback is hardly on the cards and the fat lady has already arrived at the SCG, simply awaiting her introduction to the crowd.
Perhaps, the only debate left in this Ashes series is whether England will win it 2-1 or, by gaining victory in this Test, 3-1.
And, given the classy performances of Cook et al, the latter would surely be a more deserving outcome.
Play on day four is again pushed forward to 11pm GMT to compensate for the rain on the opening day. Tune in to SkySports1 to see if England can make strides towards a 3-1 win.
Day two: Cook silences the echoes of Perth
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] v England 167-3 [Cook 61*, Strauss 60]
ALASTAIR COOK hit an unbeaten 61 to steady England's nerves as the tourists reached 167-3 in reply to Australia's 280 on an absorbing second day of fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
The series had been missing a close contest after an inevitable draw in Brisbane, two thumping England wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, and a comfortable Aussie victory in Perth.
But this final match is now set up to provide that hitherto unseen genuine nail-biter though only after England let Australia back into the game by allowing their tail to wag.
Andrew Strauss' men had reduced the Aussies to 189-8 but then Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus added 76 runs for the ninth wicket and Hilfenhaus and Michael Beer added a further 15 for the tenth.
In the Perth defeat, England had similarly allowed Australia to recover from 69-5 to 268 all out before collapsing from 78-0 to 187 all out themselves.
And, having repeated the first part by allowing the tail to add 91 for the final two wickets, the tourists threatened to reprise the collapse after the loss of Strauss and Jonathan Trott in quick succession.
But Cook is not the leading run scorer in this series for nothing, and his fifth half century from seven outings this series gives England a chance of a much-needed innings lead.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, Australia resumed on 134-4 after a rain-affected first day.
There was still plenty of cloud cover for England to exploit and they soon had the Aussies in trouble when Brad Haddin wafted a ball outside off stump behind to Matt Prior off James Anderson for just six.
England then seemed content to wait for the new ball to become available when they received an entirely unexpected bonus as Mike Hussey was bowled by Paul Collingwood for 33.
Collingwood had only just fallen short of taking Hussey's wicket in his previous over when a return catch off an inside edge failed to carry.
But Hussey then played another more costly inside edge onto the stumps via his pads to leave Australia on 171-6 and the tail facing the new ball.
This should be over quickly, most observers agreed, and it seemed everything was indeed going to plan as the wickets of Steve Smith and Peter Siddle followed shortly afterwards.
Smith was out for 18 edging Anderson to Collingwood in the slips and when Siddle departed for two by edging the same bowler to Strauss, Australia were 189-8.
It seemed only a matter of time before Strauss and Cook would be opening the batting for England but Johnson and Hilfenhaus had failed to read the script and took the hosts beyond lunch.
In contrast to the rest of Australia's innings, which had been compiled at a snail's pace, the pair began to throw the bat around and rack up a respectable score.
Johnson was eventually out for the Aussies' top score of 53 when, lining up another big shot, he lost his off-stump to Tim Bresnan.
And then, just as Hilfenhaus and Beer threatened to frustrate England further, the former nicked Anderson behind to Prior on 34, leaving debutant Beer on two not out.
Despite the wonderfully positive display by Johnson and the tail, Australia had failed to reach 300 for the fourth consecutive innings, the first time in 27 years that this had happened on home soil.
Their run rate also had been poor at just 2.64 an over whereas England, by contrast, began like an express train.
Aided by some generous bowling by Johnson and Hilfenhaus, the tourists scored 50 runs from the first 10 overs. At tea, England were 73-0 off 16 overs with Strauss dominating the strike on 49 and Cook on 19.
But, shortly after the interval, it all started to go a bit wrong. First, Strauss received an unplayable swinging delivery from Hilfenhaus to be clean-bowled for 61.
Then, in the next over bowled by Johnson, Trott dragged his shot onto his own stumps to depart for a duck.
England had gone from 98-0 to 99-2 but Cook and Kevin Pietersen ensured this was a blip rather than a fully-blown collapse by building a handy partnership of 66.
Cook was nearly out on 46 when he almost gave Beer his first Test wicket by heaving him straight to mid-on but replays showed that Beer had bowled a no-ball and the Essex left-hander was reprieved.
However, the Aussies did not have to wait much longer for their next breakthrough as Pietersen inadvisably hooked a bouncer from Johnson behind to Beer at fine leg to be out for 33.
Nightwatchman Anderson survived more short stuff before the close but his presence suggests the Aussies will take an early wicket on day three.
It will then be important for England's recognised batsmen - Ian Bell, Prior and out-of-form Collingwood - to repay Anderson for his protection by all joining Cook in scoring runs.
After all, the tourists still need plenty of them. No more than parity with the Australians after the first innings would give the hosts an advantage with England having to bat last when the Sydney pitch is at its most dangerous.
Indeed, only with a lead of 100-150 runs could Strauss feel comfortable - and a score of 400 or more still sounds a long way off at 167-3.
Play resumes tonight again at the earlier time of 11pm GMT due to rain on the first day.
Day one: Swann strikes before rain stops play in Sydney
(Close) Australia 134-4 v England
GRAEME SWANN took the wicket of debutant Usman Khawaja just before heavy rain caused play on the first day of the fifth Test in Sydney to be abandoned.
Khawaja's dismissal left England on top with Australia on 134-4 after the hosts had chosen to bat having won the toss.
The Aussies are playing for pride without injured captain Ricky Ponting as the Ashes have already been secured by England in a thumping fourth Test victory.
Of course, England are still looking to draw or even win this match to complete a 2-1 or 3-1 series victory, their first on Australian soil since Mike Gatting's men won 2-1 in 1986/87.
But it was Australia who started the fifth Test better as steady Shane Watson and an unusually watchful Philip Hughes looked to be guiding to Australia to lunch without loss.
However, Hughes failed in this objective, falling in the over before the interval after nicking Chris Tremlett behind to Paul Collingwood in the slips for 31.
After lunch, Watson was joined at the crease by Khawaja, the first ever Muslim to play for Australia, and the pair picked up from where Watson and Hughes had left off.
The scoring rate was painfully slow at times but at least Australia were making England work for their wickets in this innings and 100 was brought up for the loss of just one man.
But, shortly afterwards, Tim Bresnan picked up his first scalp of the match as Watson was caught at first slip by England captain Andrew Strauss.
Watson has been much-criticised for failing to convert half-centuries into centuries but he fell just short of the first target in this effort, falling on 45.
Rain then stopped play for about 90 minutes, which included an early tea break, but the Aussies probably wished they never had resumed.
For, in the third full over after the delay, stand-in skipper Michael Clarke continued his woeful run of form by slashing a wide ball from Bresnan straight to James Anderson at gully.
Clarke's score of four left his series average at 19.00 and his wild shot will have done nothing to improve his approval ratings in the Aussies' choice for captain - they are currently at just 15%.
Swann then struck to remove Khawaja who top-edged a catch to Jonathan Trott at square leg for 37 on the ball before the rain arrived again.
This time, the weather proved terminal and play was abandoned for the day with the start time of day two pushed forward to 11pm GMT.
However, a similarly unsettled forecast is expected and, at this stage, the weather and the Aussies' slow scoring is damaging their chances of squaring the series.
By contrast, England - with the little urn secured - will be more content with the fragmented nature of the play.
But Andrew Strauss' men need to be wary because, if or when the match makes progress, they will be faced with the prospect of batting last on a turning Sydney pitch.
Scorecard - BBC, Cricinfo
ENGLAND won their first Ashes series in Australia for 24 years - and they did it in style, completing another crushing innings win for a hugely deserved 3-1 victory.
Chris Tremlett provided the magic moment, bowling last man Michael Beer for two to spark off wild celebrations on and off the pitch.
Entry to the SCG for the final day was free and every Briton in New South Wales appeared to have joined the Barmy Army in the stands.
The crowd were frustrated at first as Steve Smith and Peter Siddle provided some resistance before a rain delay of about 40 minutes.
Siddle went on to produce his Test best score of 43, narrowly improving on his previous best of 40 which he had set only a week ago in Melbourne.
But he walked to the crease in an impossible situation on both occasions and he was unable to stop Australia from suffering successive innings defeats.
On the very first day of the series, Siddle took a hat-trick to mark his 26th birthday but it was telling that he was the man keeping out the hat-trick ball from Tremlett last night.
For, over the past six weeks, England have gradually cast off the chains of failure Down Under which have haunted them for more than two decades.
England comfortably drew the first Test, despite losing Andrew Strauss third ball to Ben Hilfenhaus and Siddle's subsequent heroics.
Man of the series Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott shared a stand of 329 runs in an England total of 517-1.
In doing so, they broke the previous record for any partnership at the Gabba which had been set just two days earlier by Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin in Australia's 481.
Significantly, that innings was the last time in the series that the Aussies scored more than 400.
In the second Test in Adelaide, England roared out the blocks as James Anderson smashed the Aussie top-order to leave the hosts on 2-3.
Although Australia recovered to be 245 all out, Kevin Pietersen found his form at the perfect time, hitting 227 as England declared on 620-5.
The Aussies did a little better in the second innings but, when Pietersen unexpectedly took the wicket of Michael Clarke with the final ball of day four, England sensed victory.
And a 1-0 series lead arrived within 90 minutes of the start of the final day as Graeme Swann's spin encouraged another Aussie collapse.
If the remaining batsmen had held out for just one more hour, unrelenting heavy rain would have rescued a totally unjustified draw for them.
As it was, England had deservedly condemned Australia to their first home innings defeat in 18 years. Little did anyone know there would be two more just around the corner.
First, though, the Aussies gained a foothold in the series by easily winning the third Test in Perth.
But it wasn't all plain sailing for Ricky Ponting's men and England looked to have won a good toss when opting to field having reduced the Aussies to 69-5.
However, the efforts of Hussey, Haddin and Mitchell Johnson helped Australia recover to 268 all out before Johnson then bowled a brilliant spell as England crumbled to 187 all out.
Set 391 runs to go 2-0 up at retain the Ashes by Christmas, the tourists collapsed again in the second innings, closing day three on 81-5.
Within an hour of play on day four, the match was over, England having only managed 123 all out to lose by 267 runs.
Johnson and Ryan Harris had bowled beautifully to take 18 of England's 20 wickets as the pendulum shifted in the Aussies' favour.
However, the momentum did not last long back on the east coast in the fourth Test in Melbourne as Australia suffered their blackest day of Ashes cricket in many years.
England again won the toss and asked Australia to bat but, having let their hosts off the hook in Perth, Strauss' men made sure not to make the same mistake.
Anderson and Tremlett picked up four wickets apiece, and Bresnan took the other two, as Australia were torn apart.
By the end of the first day, Strauss and Cook had scored 157 without loss, surpassing the Aussies' embarrassing total of 98 all out.
Trott added his second century of the series and Prior scored 85 as England batted through day two to be eventually all out for 513 on day three.
Australia fell apart once more to be all out for 258 and, but for some positive carefree batting from Haddin and Siddle, their eventual defeat by an innings and 157 runs could have been much worse.
Despite retaining the Ashes with that victory, England were not finished yet as Australia, led by stand-in captain Clarke, succumbed to 280 all out in the first innings in this final Test in Sydney.
In the response, Cook scored 189 to record the second highest aggregate of any England player in any series, behind only Wally Hammond who scored 905 in the 1928-29 Ashes campaign.
However, Cook did secure the record for having batted the longest of any England player in any series in history at 2171 minutes.
Ian Bell and Prior also made tons as England recorded a first innings total of 644, their highest ever score in Australia before reducing the hosts to 213-7.
Staring a third innings defeat in the face, Smith and Siddle today swung the bat before the weather briefly intervened.
But, once the clouds cleared enough for play to recommence and Siddle found Anderson in the deep off Swann, the end was nigh for Australia.
Hilfenhaus scored seven off 14 balls before falling to Anderson's swing - setting up the scene for Tremlett to apply the coup de grace by castling Beer.
Of course, Tremlett - alongside Bresnan - represent England's excellent current squad strength after gaining their starting places during the course of the series.
In the top order, only retiree Paul Collingwood failed to make at least one truly significant contribution with the bat.
But the Durham man still managed to excel in the field and bowl out Hussey with his final ball in Test cricket.
By contrast, Australia are in a deep hole. At present, the team is rudderless, playing without a proper opener, a top-class spinner and a consistent strike bowler.
Despite the presence of Hussey, the Aussie middle order is vulnerable to a collapse while their supposed best bowler Johnson has taken his reputation as an enigma to new levels in the last six weeks.
Desperate on a flat pitch in the first Test, Johnson was dropped for the second match before regaining his hero status in Perth by taking nine wickets there.
In the final two matches, Johnson continued to take wickets but he also proved an expensive luxury who Australia could ill-afford given the struggles of the rest of their attack.
He also cut a fragile figure and suffered from repeated taunts from the Barmy Army in the stands.
However, it was hardly anything worse than what England players had been forced to put up with for years from the Aussie supporters.
The Barmy Army were rightly loving the strange feeling of superiority and this England team has given them plenty to cheer.
Indeed, too much of a focus on the Aussies' struggles fails to give England enough credit for their wonderful record-breaking performances in the series.
Cook found the form of his life to end up being spoken in the same breath as Hammond and Jack Hobbs while Anderson became the first English bowler to take 24 wickets in an away Ashes series since Frank Tyson in the 1950s.
As a unit, the England team recorded the highest-ever score of any England team in Australia in the final Test in Sydney.
And that was only a small part of England's efforts to hammer the Aussies with ruthless efficiency with a consistency which was rewarded by three innings victories.
Adelaide. Melbourne. Sydney. They will simply never be forgotten.
--
EARLIER REPORTS
Day four: England's history men on the brink of glory
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] & 213-7 v England 644 [Cook 189, Prior 118, Bell 115, Strauss 60]
ENGLAND made their highest ever score in Australia before taking seven wickets to put themselves on the brink of a glorious 3-1 Ashes series victory in Sydney.
Graeme Swann prodded the first delivery after lunch into the on-side for a single which meant England's previous best score Down Under of 636 was surpassed.
That mark had also been set at Sydney in a timeless Test in 1928 during which Wally Hammond scored 251 of his 905 series runs.
Of course, Alastair Cook yesterday fell short of Hammond's achievement of two double centuries in a single Ashes series but the Essex left-hander had already done more than enough to put England in control of this Test.
Cook eventually compiled 189 runs to take his aggregate for the series to 766, scored at an average of 127.66. Only Hammond had ever enjoyed a more productive Ashes.
But, while Cook will surely get the man of the series award when the gongs are handed out tomorrow, the whole of the current England team deserves credit for their performances this winter.
The Australians went into this final Test still harbouring hopes of escaping a series in which they have been totally outplayed with a 2-2 draw.
After a tight first two days in which England allowed the Aussies' tail in the first innings to wag, the chances of a frankly unfathomable series tie increased.
But Cook kept his cool and by the time he and Ian Bell had departed with centuries, England had gained the sort of commanding position with which they had grown accustomed over the previous few weeks.
Having gained control on day three, England - resuming on 488-7 - rubbed salt in Aussie wounds on day four.
This was humiliation upon painful humiliation for the hosts as Matt Prior batted with Tim Bresnan and Swann to become the tourists' ninth centurion of the series, another Ashes record for England.
Australia finally made a belated breakthrough shortly after Prior had reached his landmark as Bresnan nicked Mitchell Johnson behind to Michael Clarke for 35.
But, by then, Bresnan and Prior had put on 102 for England's highest ever eighth-wicket stand at the SCG.
More impressively still, England became the first ever team in Test history to have century partnerships for the sixth, seventh and eighth wickets in a single innings.
Even when Prior top-edged a poor Ben Hilfenhaus ball behind to Brad Haddin for 118, having 'only' added 20 runs for the ninth wicket with Swann, there was no sign of a declaration.
It seemed that, four years on from the devastating whitewash in the 2006-07 series, England were having too much fun grinding the Aussie noses into the dust.
Certainly, the last pair of Swann and Chris Tremlett would have taken great pleasure in scoring 20 off a single Johnson over, immediately after Prior had departed.
Indeed, Swann and Tremlett batted England beyond lunch but once Swann had scored the historic run, it seemed unlikely many more would follow.
That was in fact the case as - to the relief of the home crowd - Tremlett finally brought an end to the mammoth innings after 178 overs by edging Hilfenhaus behind to Haddin for 12. Swann was left unbeaten on 36.
Now the onus shifted back to Australia. With the Ashes lost in Melbourne, and the series lost on days three and four in this match, the Aussies really were playing just for pride.
Could Michael Clarke and his men bat out the best part of five sessions in an attempt to claim some sort of heroic draw?
It seems not, despite an encouraging start from opener Shane Watson who took out his frustration on the England bowlers, hitting 38 from 40 balls, including seven fours.
However, England had the last laugh once again after Watson caused one of the most comical run outs in international cricket history.
Fellow opener Philip Hughes stroked a shot into the leg-side off his pads and the Aussies looked set to pick up a comfortable single.
Then, despite a clearly audible wail of 'No' from Hughes, the oblivious Watson set off on a second run, meaning both batsmen wound up at the same end of the pitch.
It was amateurish tripe from the Aussies and the whole farce reinforced the notion that Watson, while a competent batsmen, is not worthy of being a Test opener.
As well as his inability to convert 50s into hundreds, Watson has a terrible reputation for running between the wickets - this was his seventh involvement in a run out in just 49 innings, although he has only been the victim twice.
Watson's wicket also left two relative youngsters at the crease for Australia, 22-year-old Hughes and 24-year-old debutant Usman Khawaja.
It was no surprise that neither coped particularly well. Hughes was out first for 13, edging Bresnan behind to Prior to leave Australia on 52-2.
And Khawaja fell shortly after tea for 21 as Prior picked up another catch, this time off James Anderson's bowling.
The innings then seemed to settle down for a while as Aussie stand-in skipper Clarke, desperate for a score, played in an almost competent fashion to contribute 41.
But there was to be a final twist in England's favour on day four as reverse swing began to take effect to the delight of Anderson, Bresnan and Tremlett.
Anderson sensed his chance and having earlier bowled a spell of 0-22 off four overs, he returned to the party with virtually unplayable figures of 1-4 off four overs.
Clarke was his sole victim as Prior took another catch behind the stumps. When the usually reliable Mike Hussey followed to Bresnan soon after, Australia were in tatters.
Even Hussey seemed utterly demoralised when he was out for 12, offering a simple catch to Kevin Pietersen at gully, and looking nothing like the player who compiled a stand of 309 in the first Test with Haddin.
Haddin has also suffered from spending hours behind the wickets with the gloves on and, not for the first time, the short ball caused him to lose his wicket as he nicked Tremlett behind to Prior for 30.
Tremlett then caused a real buzz around the SCG, putting himself on a hat-trick by bowling the fragile Johnson out first ball to leave Australia on 171-7.
England sensed another wave of momentum pushing them towards the finishing line and claimed the extra half hour in an attempt to take the final three wickets.
But Peter Siddle blocked the hat-trick ball and then made some attempt to defend the Aussies' honour by batting until the close with Steve Smith.
The players will return on day five to complete the formality of what looks like being yet another innings victory for England.
To put that into context - Australia had only suffered one home defeat by an innings in the past 18 years before this series. This could be their third in just over a month!
Finally, what are the odds Paul Collingwood will wrap the contest up with another spectacular catch after he announced his retirement from Test cricket today?
It would be no less than the Durham man deserves after a fine England career - and, along with the 12 other players for England in this series, he is a history man.
EARLIER REPORTS
Day three: Cook and Bell confirm England's superiority
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] v England 488-7 [Cook 189, Bell 115, Strauss 60, Prior 54*]
ENGLAND took control of the fifth Ashes Test as centuries from Alastair Cook and Ian Bell enabled the tourists to bat through the whole of the third day in Sydney.
Cook ended up falling just short of his second double-hundred of the series but, by the time he was out after tea, he had already picked up all sorts of records.
The Essex left-hander is guaranteed to average more than 100 this series having scored 766 runs in seven innings over the five Tests.
Only Wally Hammond, with 905 runs in the 1928-29 Ashes series, has scored more runs for England in a series - but Cook has batted for longer.
Indeed, the opener has been at the crease for 36 hours and 11 minutes or 2171 minutes, more than any England player in any series in history.
And such is the wonderment expressed at Cook's statistics that it is easy to forget England had another centurion on day three in Sydney.
Too often in this series, Ian Bell has had to scratch around for runs with the tail but here he staked a serious claim to bat higher up the order with a stylish ton.
With Cook, Bell put on 154 runs for the sixth wicket as England took the game away from their hosts in the afternoon session.
He then added a further 107 runs in a seventh-wicket stand with Matt Prior before the close.
England had started the day on 167-3 with Cook and nightwatchman James Anderson at the crease after the late wicket of Kevin Pietersen on day two.
Unsurprisingly, Anderson - who had already done his job just by being there this morning - put up little resistance, and Peter Siddle bowled him on middle- and off-stump for seven.
Anderson's exit hastened the appearance of Paul Collingwood to the crease but, while the Durham man has been a fine servant to English cricket, he may not be seen in Tests again after another failure.
Averaging just 15 from his previous 10 Test matches, perhaps it should come as that Collingwood was out for 13, lofting spinner Michael Beer high to Ben Hilfenhaus at mid-on.
It was a wasteful shot full of frustration at an innings in which he never looked at all comfortable in contrast to Cook at the other end, and it belatedly gave Beer his first Test wicket.
Beer thought he had made his own personal breakthrough on day two when Cook gave a catch to mid-on on 46.
But umpire Billy Bowden ruled that Beer had just over-stepped the popping crease and that it was a no-ball to which Cook could not be out.
If that was slightly unfortunate for the debutant Beer, then the Aussies' attempts to remove Cook on 99 on day three were just disgraceful.
Cook had played a rare false shot to a Beer delivery and the ball appeared to have given a catch to Philip Hughes at short leg.
Egged on by team mates, Hughes shamefully claimed the catch even though replays showed a clear bounce in front of him.
The replays rightly reprieved Cook and the whole situation made Hughes look more than a little bit desperate, and actually rather stupid that he thought he would get away with it.
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin at least emerges with some credit by refusing to celebrate with the others having seen the clear bounce.
But the Aussie team then seemed to snub Cook collectively by refusing to offer congratulations for his third century of the series.
That would not have bothered Cook so much - in fact, I am sure he was pleased to have got so far under the Aussies' skin having been identified as a supposed weak link before the series.
However, the lack of sportsmanship on display, for which Ashes series are famed, left a bitter aftertaste to the whole incident.
Of course, England fans would soon be drinking in the sweet success of their team as Cook and Bell confirmed the tourists' clear superiority.
It is strange to think that, just a day earlier, this match had been a close contest and England fans genuinely worried that the Aussies might escape from the series with a 2-2 draw.
Such a result would have been an injustice considering the respective displays of both sides throughout the contest and the fears are all irrelevant now anyway.
By the time Cook was caught by Mike Hussey off Shane Watson for 189 and Bell was caught by Aussie stand-in skipper Michael Clarke off Mitchell Johnson for 115, England were 487-7.
That gave England a lead of 207 runs, more than enough to negate the disadvantage of batting last on a turning Sydney pitch - if indeed they have to bat again at all.
For, with Prior at the crease alongside Tim Bresnan and then Graeme Swann, both of whom can wield a bat, more swift runs for England can be expected in the morning session.
Indeed, one further run was added before the close to give England an overnight lead of 208 and that leaves a demoralised Australia team fewer than six sessions to overhaul it and set their own target.
An Aussie comeback is hardly on the cards and the fat lady has already arrived at the SCG, simply awaiting her introduction to the crowd.
Perhaps, the only debate left in this Ashes series is whether England will win it 2-1 or, by gaining victory in this Test, 3-1.
And, given the classy performances of Cook et al, the latter would surely be a more deserving outcome.
Play on day four is again pushed forward to 11pm GMT to compensate for the rain on the opening day. Tune in to SkySports1 to see if England can make strides towards a 3-1 win.
Day two: Cook silences the echoes of Perth
(Close) Australia 280 [Johnson 53] v England 167-3 [Cook 61*, Strauss 60]
ALASTAIR COOK hit an unbeaten 61 to steady England's nerves as the tourists reached 167-3 in reply to Australia's 280 on an absorbing second day of fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
The series had been missing a close contest after an inevitable draw in Brisbane, two thumping England wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, and a comfortable Aussie victory in Perth.
But this final match is now set up to provide that hitherto unseen genuine nail-biter though only after England let Australia back into the game by allowing their tail to wag.
Andrew Strauss' men had reduced the Aussies to 189-8 but then Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus added 76 runs for the ninth wicket and Hilfenhaus and Michael Beer added a further 15 for the tenth.
In the Perth defeat, England had similarly allowed Australia to recover from 69-5 to 268 all out before collapsing from 78-0 to 187 all out themselves.
And, having repeated the first part by allowing the tail to add 91 for the final two wickets, the tourists threatened to reprise the collapse after the loss of Strauss and Jonathan Trott in quick succession.
But Cook is not the leading run scorer in this series for nothing, and his fifth half century from seven outings this series gives England a chance of a much-needed innings lead.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, Australia resumed on 134-4 after a rain-affected first day.
There was still plenty of cloud cover for England to exploit and they soon had the Aussies in trouble when Brad Haddin wafted a ball outside off stump behind to Matt Prior off James Anderson for just six.
England then seemed content to wait for the new ball to become available when they received an entirely unexpected bonus as Mike Hussey was bowled by Paul Collingwood for 33.
Collingwood had only just fallen short of taking Hussey's wicket in his previous over when a return catch off an inside edge failed to carry.
But Hussey then played another more costly inside edge onto the stumps via his pads to leave Australia on 171-6 and the tail facing the new ball.
This should be over quickly, most observers agreed, and it seemed everything was indeed going to plan as the wickets of Steve Smith and Peter Siddle followed shortly afterwards.
Smith was out for 18 edging Anderson to Collingwood in the slips and when Siddle departed for two by edging the same bowler to Strauss, Australia were 189-8.
It seemed only a matter of time before Strauss and Cook would be opening the batting for England but Johnson and Hilfenhaus had failed to read the script and took the hosts beyond lunch.
In contrast to the rest of Australia's innings, which had been compiled at a snail's pace, the pair began to throw the bat around and rack up a respectable score.
Johnson was eventually out for the Aussies' top score of 53 when, lining up another big shot, he lost his off-stump to Tim Bresnan.
And then, just as Hilfenhaus and Beer threatened to frustrate England further, the former nicked Anderson behind to Prior on 34, leaving debutant Beer on two not out.
Despite the wonderfully positive display by Johnson and the tail, Australia had failed to reach 300 for the fourth consecutive innings, the first time in 27 years that this had happened on home soil.
Their run rate also had been poor at just 2.64 an over whereas England, by contrast, began like an express train.
Aided by some generous bowling by Johnson and Hilfenhaus, the tourists scored 50 runs from the first 10 overs. At tea, England were 73-0 off 16 overs with Strauss dominating the strike on 49 and Cook on 19.
But, shortly after the interval, it all started to go a bit wrong. First, Strauss received an unplayable swinging delivery from Hilfenhaus to be clean-bowled for 61.
Then, in the next over bowled by Johnson, Trott dragged his shot onto his own stumps to depart for a duck.
England had gone from 98-0 to 99-2 but Cook and Kevin Pietersen ensured this was a blip rather than a fully-blown collapse by building a handy partnership of 66.
Cook was nearly out on 46 when he almost gave Beer his first Test wicket by heaving him straight to mid-on but replays showed that Beer had bowled a no-ball and the Essex left-hander was reprieved.
However, the Aussies did not have to wait much longer for their next breakthrough as Pietersen inadvisably hooked a bouncer from Johnson behind to Beer at fine leg to be out for 33.
Nightwatchman Anderson survived more short stuff before the close but his presence suggests the Aussies will take an early wicket on day three.
It will then be important for England's recognised batsmen - Ian Bell, Prior and out-of-form Collingwood - to repay Anderson for his protection by all joining Cook in scoring runs.
After all, the tourists still need plenty of them. No more than parity with the Australians after the first innings would give the hosts an advantage with England having to bat last when the Sydney pitch is at its most dangerous.
Indeed, only with a lead of 100-150 runs could Strauss feel comfortable - and a score of 400 or more still sounds a long way off at 167-3.
Play resumes tonight again at the earlier time of 11pm GMT due to rain on the first day.
Day one: Swann strikes before rain stops play in Sydney
(Close) Australia 134-4 v England
GRAEME SWANN took the wicket of debutant Usman Khawaja just before heavy rain caused play on the first day of the fifth Test in Sydney to be abandoned.
Khawaja's dismissal left England on top with Australia on 134-4 after the hosts had chosen to bat having won the toss.
The Aussies are playing for pride without injured captain Ricky Ponting as the Ashes have already been secured by England in a thumping fourth Test victory.
Of course, England are still looking to draw or even win this match to complete a 2-1 or 3-1 series victory, their first on Australian soil since Mike Gatting's men won 2-1 in 1986/87.
But it was Australia who started the fifth Test better as steady Shane Watson and an unusually watchful Philip Hughes looked to be guiding to Australia to lunch without loss.
However, Hughes failed in this objective, falling in the over before the interval after nicking Chris Tremlett behind to Paul Collingwood in the slips for 31.
After lunch, Watson was joined at the crease by Khawaja, the first ever Muslim to play for Australia, and the pair picked up from where Watson and Hughes had left off.
The scoring rate was painfully slow at times but at least Australia were making England work for their wickets in this innings and 100 was brought up for the loss of just one man.
But, shortly afterwards, Tim Bresnan picked up his first scalp of the match as Watson was caught at first slip by England captain Andrew Strauss.
Watson has been much-criticised for failing to convert half-centuries into centuries but he fell just short of the first target in this effort, falling on 45.
Rain then stopped play for about 90 minutes, which included an early tea break, but the Aussies probably wished they never had resumed.
For, in the third full over after the delay, stand-in skipper Michael Clarke continued his woeful run of form by slashing a wide ball from Bresnan straight to James Anderson at gully.
Clarke's score of four left his series average at 19.00 and his wild shot will have done nothing to improve his approval ratings in the Aussies' choice for captain - they are currently at just 15%.
Swann then struck to remove Khawaja who top-edged a catch to Jonathan Trott at square leg for 37 on the ball before the rain arrived again.
This time, the weather proved terminal and play was abandoned for the day with the start time of day two pushed forward to 11pm GMT.
However, a similarly unsettled forecast is expected and, at this stage, the weather and the Aussies' slow scoring is damaging their chances of squaring the series.
By contrast, England - with the little urn secured - will be more content with the fragmented nature of the play.
But Andrew Strauss' men need to be wary because, if or when the match makes progress, they will be faced with the prospect of batting last on a turning Sydney pitch.
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