D-Day Desperation

The targets had no defense to the huge monoliths of the mighty. And as those on the hit list were powerless to resist their advances...

I am of course talking about transfer deadline day. The biannual drama that sees 24 hours of movements and madness, rumours and revelations. As the window slammed shut at 11pm last night, the usual last minute deals were tied up and a couple of transfers totally out of the left field transpired.

Much of yesterday's action was a result of the exit of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri from the Emirates but it wasn't just Arsenal in the thick of it. Everton made two astute loan signings and QPR seemed to be trying to buy anyone and everyone.

For Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger, it was a change of tactics. A required one at that, after losing their captain and another of their shining stars. Not to mention a certain 8-2 scoreline. So, in come Andre Santos (£6.2m), Per Mertesacker (£8m), Yossi Benayoun (loan) and Mikel Arteta (£10m). Wenger usually goes for youth and some of the media have called this spending spree desperation. That it may be, but this mix of Premier League experience and defensive reinforcements could reinvigorate the Gunner's season.

As a Norwich fan, this summer's deadline day was a bit like knowing a party was going on but someone had forgotten to post the invite. Out of the three promoted sides, it was QPR, now under the ownership of Tony Fernandes, to spend big and they now look to have a squad capable of beating the drop.

For the others it was a case of scrambling around to pick up some quality players being left on the fringes of other Premier League clubs. Stoke spending £10m on Peter Crouch is a case in point and the England striker could well benefit from the style of football Tony Pulis' side play.
Whether it's because of Premier League rules restricting squads to 25 players or whether it's another wave of clubs owned by the mega-rich, there's one thing for sure. Deadline drama is here to stay.

So near but yet so Far-ah

The wait for the first British gold medallist at the World Athletics Championship continues. Jessica Ennis missing out today after Mo Farah's near miss in Sunday's 10,000 metres.

Whilst Ennis was expected to come away with the top prize, Farah's success has been the highlight for British athletics in Daegu thus far.

The fact that Farah himself viewed that silver medal as a disappointment says a lot about how Britain's best distance runner positions himself in comparison to the African elite. The Somalian-born Brit now believes he should be winning world titles and he will get another chance in the 5k later in the week.

Farah's progress has been staggering. I had the chance to meet up with the 28 year old in his new base of Portland, Oregon earlier this year and Farah was his usual easygoing, cheerful and friendly self. There was no expectancy upon his shoulders (despite victory in the New York half marathon) but nine races and nine wins later, he has become a firm favourite for Olympic medals next year.

That is down to his new training base, new regime, and most importantly, new coach. Alberto Salazar, himself a three-time winner of the New York marathon, has moulded Farah from raw talent into true contender. A diet of 120 miles a week, combined with constant technique tweaking and even some weird science in an underwater treadmill, have seen Farah take 45 seconds off his 10,000 metres personal best. The British record has become his too.

Farah's disappointment with silver shows his mentality for winning now. But you wouldn't bet against him becoming Britain's golden boy in London next year.

Better Late than Never

So as Arsenal's season collapses, it signals the end of the Premier League title race in all but maths. And whilst the relegation battle still continues apace, Armchair Athlete is now looking towards the Championship to see who will be taking part in the top flight next season.

Now this nugget of information must be released immediately - Armchair Athlete is a Norwich fan. There it is. I've said it. This post will try not to get bogged down in all things Delia, but the Canaries are flying high (sorry) and are now favourites to join QPR in automatic promotion.

Cardiff are an excellent side. When they played Norwich at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this season, they were by far the best outfit I'd seen in the division. With a strike force containing Premier League experience in Craig Bellamy and England's latest striker Jay Bothroyd, they would even be a threat to many a side a league up.

But for all that, they still trail Norwich by a point with 2 games to go. So, why has Paul Lambert's side managed to amass 80 points in their first season back in the Championship? It could be Lambo's managerial prowess. It could be the Carrow Road faithful. But in the end it has come down to the team's ability to bag late on.

Norwich have gained 20 points this season by scoring a goal in the last 5 minutes of a game. The latest late show against Derby ensure they remain second. And given the Championship promotion race is set to go to the very last game, they might need more of that to see a return to the Premier League.

Dutch Courage Doesn't Hide Mismatches

Phew! It nearly happened again. After being humbled by the Netherlands two years ago, England were almost beaten again. We're talking cricket here by the way. And however well the Dutch played yesterday, it doesn't mask what has been a first week of mismatches at the Cricket World Cup.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer of "every dog has his day" - in fact, look no further than this very competition four years ago when Ireland stunned Pakistan - but Kenya getting bowled out for 69 and Canada getting thrashed by 210 runs is no good for this tournament. And no good for the associate members taking part.

Yes, they have earned their right to be in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by qualifying, but the imagination is hardly captured by watching teams get a hiding. In sport, tension and competition is what provides entertainment.

This is a much maligned tournament and rightly so. 42 days it goes on for. If I didn't shave for that long, I'd have a beard longer than Santa's. And the longer it continues, the nearer Christmas gets.

Teams like Canada and the Netherlands do learn by playing the Test playing nations, but why not play them in one day internationals yearly? Otherwise cricket's showpiece event becomes just a bit of a farce.

Twitter Trouble

Social networking sites provide us journalists with opportunities to gain an insight to those involved in sport - even when we can't get an interview. They also provide an opportunity for players to slip up and tell us things the clubs or authorities don't want us to know.

Ryan Babel has become the latest player to fall foul of the Twitter revolution. After Liverpool's FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford, the Dutchman posted a doctored image of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt. It was accompanied by the Tweet "And they call him one of the best referees. That's a joke" (@RyanBabel) The joke's on Babel now though as it has landed him in trouble with FA. The game's authorities charging the forward with improper conduct.

Of course, it's not the first case of a player landing himself in deep water because of Twitter. Darren Bent (@DB11TT) did himself no favours with the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy when he posted: "Do I wanna go Hull City NO. Do I wanna go stoke NO do I wanna go sunderland YES so stop f****** around Levy..." It caused outrage, but for Bent the post worked. He was transferred to the Stadium of Light shortly after.

Phil Hughes (@PH408) gave the game away that he wasn't to be selected for the Third Ashes Test back in 2009 when he tweeted "Disappointed not to be on the field with the lads today , will be supporting the guys, it's a BIG test for us..." Cricket Australia were not happy details of the team had been leaked before the match, but this is becoming more common. Rio Ferdinand Tweeted he would be rested before Manchester United's match with Stoke. Team selection issues are a far cry from libel though.

Babel has become the first player to be charged by the Football Association for comments on a social networking site. For tweeters and us journalists it sets a dangerous precedent. It means players' mangers and agents will be monitoring their actions ever closer. And behind the closed doors of the Premier League, this will make it that bit tougher for us journalists (or the tech savvy) to be informed of what's really going on behind the scenes.

Winter of content for England

So in the end it was a glorious victory for England down under. A first win against Australia on their own turf since 1986-7 and three Test matches won by an innings. But who were the winners and who needs to prove themselves in England's Test match squad? Here's my half term report of England's team ahead of the one day series and World Cup.

ALISTAIR COOK
756 runs - average: 127.66
Before the Ashes many, including Armchair Athlete were questioning keeping Cook in the squad. But the opener has proved everyone wrong with a series of the very highest quality. Records galore, three centuries and a winter where the Essex batsman came of age. And at only 26 years old, he's surely a future England captain.

ANDREW STRAUSS
307 runs - average: 43.85
The first captain to lead England to Ashes success in Australia for 25 years. That in itself says enough but it's the manner of the victories that impresses most and that comes from fine leadership. After the huge defeat in Perth, England teams of the past would have disintegrated. But Strauss got the troops going back in the right direction.

JONATHAN TROTT
445 runs - average: 89.00
Three Test match hundreds in just 8 innings against the old enemy, Trott has been England's Mr Reliable ever since being the key to Ashes success at the Oval in 2009. His match winning 168 at the MCG capped another brilliant series for England's number 3, who has the attributes to step up to open the innings.

KEVIN PIETERSEN
360 runs - average: 60.00
KP looked weak against the turning ball in the prelude to the Ashes, but he delivered when it mattered. The mature double hundred, which was key to the win at Adelaide, showed Pietersen is capable of traditional shot making, rather than the reverse shots and slog sweeps of previous.

PAUL COLLINGWOOD
83 runs - average: 13.83

2 wickets - average: 36.50
A shame that Colly couldn't end his Test career with a successful series with bat or ball but his real legacy to England's test team will be in the field. The catch to dismiss Ricky Ponting at the WACA will go down as one of the best in Ashes history.

IAN BELL
329 runs - average: 65.80
This is a man who is in the form of his life. Bell is now a joy to watch bat and the fact he's managed over 300 runs batting at six (and mainly with the tail) shows just how good he now is. Bell isn't a guarantee to be in England's ODI side, but I urge Strauss and Flower to select a man who is seeing it like a football.

MATT PRIOR
252 runs - average: 50.40

23 dismissals
No questions over Prior's keeping on tour, but before Melbourne there was plenty of doubts over his batting. But two big knocks (and at good pace too) in the final two Tests leave the selectors a dilemma for the one day series and World Cup ahead.

JAMES ANDERSON
24 wickets - average: 26.04
The leading wicket taker in the series, Anderson led England's attack to great things. His burst in the opening throws of the Adelaide Test will live long in the memory, even if the Aussies recovered from 2 for 3. Fast swinging deliveries, the ability to reverse the ball and Glenn McGrath like accuracy are rapidly becoming Anderson's stock.

CHRIS TREMLETT
17 wickets - average: 23.35

The fear over Tremlett's selection was that his summer wickets had come in Division Two of the County Championship. But confidence is a powerful catalyst for success and Tremlett burst onto the Ashes scene with a wicket in his first over. From that he never looked back.

GRAEME SWANN
15 wickets - average: 39.80

88 runs - average: 22.00
Australia produced pitches to nullify Swann's impact - that's how much they feared him. And to some extent that worked. But Swann's ability to turn the ball even on benign surfaces is what's making him a truly great bowler. What also mustn't be understated is his influence in the dressing room. His video diaries showed morale was high throughout and the Sprinkler is now every cricket fan's favourite dance.

STEVEN FINN
14 wickets - average: 33.14

Finn is an exciting prospect there is no doubt. His strike rate is impressive (a wicket every 8 overs) but he was the most expensive bowler of the series. If he can maintain the threat whilst stemming the flow of runs Finn could be the tall quickie England need for the future.

TIM BRESNAN
11 wickets - average: 19.54

39 runs - average: 19.50
A brilliant return from the Yorkshire all rounder. Bresnan stepped in to replace Finn and with 6 for 75 at Melbourne the big man certainly delivered. Needs to back it up with another series of consistency to maintain the pressure on the selectors to pick him.

STUART BROAD
2 wickets - average: 80.50
Injury cut short Broad's involvement but given his impotency with bat and ball maybe this wasn't the worst thing. But at just 24, Broad can expect more chances against the Australians in the future.

And lest we forget the involvement of Andy Flower. His importance to the players was signified by every one of them giving the coach a big hug (with Trott going with a meaty handshake) when the Ashes were retained at Melbourne. The preparations were perfect and Flower would have been key in turning around England's fortunes after the Perth defeat.

Let's forget all the press about Australia being a weak version of their former self and let's focus on what has been a series of excellent all round cricket from England. It's now a realistic goal for the Test number one spot to follow. Keep it up boys.