I Scored, My Bike Worked, And The Sun Is Out, Almost

So another goal after a week of blogging, I better keep this up for the rest of the season!
I reckon if it keeps up we might win promotion, I might even hit 10 goals which was pretty unlikely 3 weeks ago. Things might be looking up.
I even managed a 40k cycle yesterday out towards Roslin chapel and my tyres remained pumped up the whole way, what a relief. Mind you, it was a relatively nice day so I wouldn't have minded changing it so much. One thing that did happen though was that some guy on a much more expensive and lighter bike passed me like I was hardly moving on the way home up Comiston Road. I didn't feel like chasing him after 35km of cycling already, but to be honest I'd never have been able to anyway. I'll just blame it on the bike, it seems like the sensible thing to do.

Tuesday was by far the nicest day of the year in Edinburgh with the sun out all day. It coincided with Karen Anna's birthday which was ideal as we had a wander along the canal into town and had a coffee on the roof terrace on top of the National Museum. We have been to that museum 4 or 5 times now, and if anyone hasn't been to it since it got converted then go and have a look. It is on Chambers Street in town and is free obviously. You could basically spend a whole day in there and not see everything, so it is well worth a visit, and also the coffee is very nice. Showing my age a bit here.

Bubba gets his jacket from Adam Scott

After my blog last week talking about The Masters and predicting a big week for 3 players, it was Jordan Spieth who went as close as anyone with a fantastic debut at Augusta. He looked like he belongs at the top of Major Championship leaderboards and I'm sure he will be a name to look out for in the remaining 3 majors of the year. Bubba Watson was the eventual winner, and even though his swing is unconventional, he gives himself a lot of birdie opportunities because of the distance he hits the ball. He is, more often than any other player, hitting short irons into the greens which gives him a huge advantage around a course like Augusta. It wasn't the most exciting finish we have seen in a major with Bubba cruising the last few holes, but it was an impressive performance from the man from a small town in Florida called Bagdad. I'm willing to bet he is the most successful sportsman to come from that town. The next major of the season is The US Open which starts on 12th June, the same day as the World Cup starts, so that isn't great timing. It takes place at Pinehurst, North Carolina.




The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group B

Group B (FIFA Rankings)
Spain(1)
Netherlands(15)
Chile(14)
Australia (59)

Diego Costa on his Spain debut

Spain - The reigning champions and winners of the last 2 Euro championships have to be the favourites going into this World Cup, but I think they are more vulnerable to being beaten than previously. They had to qualify even as defending champions, but came through their group with France, Finland, Georgia and Belarus, unbeaten. Stars like Puyol and Xavi are ageing and losing their influence, whilst the younger players still need time to develop into world class stars, and potential trophy winners. Players like Koke and Isco will be stars in the future, but I am not sure if they will be good enough yet to take Spain to another major trophy. I wouldn't write them off, but I think there are maybe 1 or 2 teams in slightly better positions. They still have players like Iniesta, Silva, Pedro and Xabi Alonso that are good enough to win any game, so we will see how they do when the competition gets towards the Quarter Final, if they get safely through what is a tough group. 
Key Man - Diego Costa, he might only have 1 cap, but the Brazilian born striker is going to be crucial for Spain this summer. With Torres out of form and Villa not quite where he was 4 years ago the Athletico Madrid striker will be likely to lead the line. He is tall, quick, strong and a good finisher, he should have a good World Cup with the service he will get from midfield. He has scored 33 times in 37 appearances this season, so confidence is high and he is in my top 3 for the Golden boot.

 Netherlands - In a repeat of the 2010 final, Netherlands will play Spain in the groups and they will be out for revenge. Add in Chile, and this group becomes very difficult to predict. They qualified by winning 9 of their 10 games, in a group containing Turkey, Romania and Hungary, so they get here full of confidence. The Dutch have a decent looking squad, but they don't look strong defensively, and they are without their star central midfielder Kevin Strootman through injury, so they look light in there. They have a lot of quality going forward with Wesley Sneijder, Robin Van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but in this heat and looking through their squad, I don't see them getting to another final. 
Key Man - Arjen Robben, his form will be crucial to how the Dutch get on. His pace and trickery running with the ball are as good as anyone in the world and he can cause defenses no end of problems. He has played a lot of games this year however, and he will be asked to do a lot more than what is needed at Bayern where he is amongst a host of stars. 

Chile - Chile qualified through the super competitive South American qualifying in 3rd place, just behind Argentina and Colombia. They recently showed their quality by beating England 2-0 in a friendly at Wembley, and they are definite dark horses heading to Brazil. They will be used to the heat and humidity more so than their European counterparts, so this gives them a slight advantage. Their last game in Sau Paulo against The Netherlands could be a decider for qualification with Spain. They might not have many household names, but they have a very experienced squad who are all generally aged between 25-30. They have amassed a lot of caps between them, and played together a fair amount so they will be dangerous. Arturo Vidal is the star midfielder who plays for Juventus will play alongside one of Chile's stars from the 2010 WC, Jean Beausejour from Wigan. 
Key Man - Alexis Sanchez might not play every week at Barcelona, but his blistering pace and eye for goal means he will be a massive player for Chile this Summer. At 25, he already has 65 caps and is well on his way to becoming their most capped player. He has played enough games this season to stay sharp, but not too many, so he will be fresh for Chile, and this is a big bonus for them as they try to improve on their last 16 appearance in 2010. 

Australia - The Socceroos are definite outsiders in this group having qualified through Asian qualifiers by finishing second in a group with Japan, Jordan, Oman and Iraq. It's hardly the same quality as Spain, Netherlands and Chile. Looking at their squad it is hard to see how they can cause trouble to the big boys. Tim Cahill is now 34, and their main striker Robbie Kruse looks set to miss the tournament through injury. I think they will be going home with 0 points and find it hard to pick out a key man.
Potential Key Man - Mile Jedinak the Crystal Palace midfielder has been in good form this year for the Eagles team which has thrived under Tony Pulis. If he can maintain his form he could influence the Australian team, but with a lack of cutting edge upfront and not looking strong at the back, it is a step up too much for the Socceroos. 

 Teams to Progress - Spain and Chile

World Cuts 

Thanks to my unsporting mates for the feedback on last weeks preview, I will be doing a look back on the best and worst hair cuts from previous World Cups. In this weeks edition the featured picture is the Romanian team from France '98. 
Sporting identical bleached blonde barnets against Tunisia, after they had beaten England in the groups, they went on to lose in round 2 against Croatia. They wanted to promote togetherness and in fairness, they look fantastic...

GK Bogdan Stelea was the only man left out as he was bald

 

Blogging proven to help goal scoring

It's been 3 goals in 2 games since I started blogging again, this can't be a coincidence surely. I like to think not, so here I am again on a Wednesday blogging away. This edition will feature a preview of group A in the World Cup and a bit on The Masters which starts tomorrow.

After an important win last week at Annan we somehow scraped another 2-1 win at home to Berwick on Saturday. Against 10 men for all of the second half we finally got an equaliser in the 89th minute followed by a winner in injury time. It was tough on Berwick, but that is football sometimes, and I'm sure it has happened to my team before. In the game, the red card was something I personally have never seen before. A player was sent off for aggressive celebrating(allegedly). Apparently some sort of aggressive gesture was made to the crowd, but I didn't see it as I was too busy shouting at defenders. Pretty standard really.
Anyway, with that win under our belt we moved 5 points clear from 5th place in our playoff spot. With 4 games to go it puts us in a good position now and we need to probably win 2 of our remaining games to make sure. Hopefully we are coming good at the right time of the season, personally I'd like to score a few more goals before the Summer.

The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group A

Group A (FIFA rankings)
Brazil(9)
Croatia(16)
Mexico(20)
Cameroon(50)

Brazil - Brazil have a fantastic selection of playmakers and attacking midfielders to choose from but they can be vulnerable at the back with the attacking football they play. Players like Ramires and Fernandinho will be crucial to the balance of the team in midfield if they play. They have fantastic attacking full backs in Marcelo and Dani Alves, and should have strong central defense pairing with 2 of Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Dante. They might lack a top class striker, but Fred performed well in last years Confederations cup and can provide goals. They are one of the favourites.
Key Man - Neymar, he is the star of the team with his skill and pace. He will be the pin up boy for Brazil this year and they are relying on a big tournament from him. He needs to have a good WC to prove to the world he is as good as the Brazilians have been saying. 

Croatia - Croatia qualified by beating Iceland in the playoffs as they struggled through a group containing Belgium and Serbia. They aren't as good as they once were, but they do still have some top players that on their day can make the difference. Mario Mandzukic is the top scorer in Bundesliga this season and is a big threat upfront with his strength and aerial ability. Nikica Jelavic might not be in his best form, but getting games for Hull will make sure he is match fit going into the tournament.Ivan Rakitic has been in great form for Sevilla this season also, as has Dejan Lovren for Southampton. They could spring a surprise, but they would need to improve drastically on their qualifying performances.
Key Man - Luka Modric, the little play maker makes things tick at Real Madrid alongside Xabi Alonso, he will have a huge part to play in this Croatia team, if he is on form he is a fantastic midfielder. He can make things happen and get Croatia out their group.

Mexico - Mexico just scrapped into the WC virtue of a playoff against New Zealand, after they were beaten by USA, Costa Rica and Honduras in qualifying. They lack any real stars with their stars of previous years, Rafael Marquez and Gerardo Torrado, both ageing. I'd be surprised if the get through the groups as they don't have stand out performers, although the 100 capped Andres Guardado(Bayer Leverkusen) could provide a threat from the left wing. They have plenty experience at the back with Salcido and Marquez, but they will be vulnerable to any pace from opposition.
Key Man - Javier Hernandez, the Man Utd striker hasn't had many games this season, but when he does play he is a pure goalscorer. He has good pace, and makes great runs in behind. He knows where the goal is and that is important in a tournament. Needs to service, might not get it in this Mexico team.

Cameroon - After winning a group with Libya, Congo DR and Togo, Cameroon went on to beat Tunisia in a 2 legged playoff to qualify for the WC. 'The Indomitable Lions' were always known as the biggest threat from Africa, but not anymore and I struggle to see them making an impact this year. They don't have many names that are familiar to British football fans, but Alex Song is one who can play holding midfield and will be comfortable on the ball and strong against his opponents. Stephane Mbia is a strong defender, but he isn't great, and unfortunately he might be their best. Maxim Choupo-Moting is a regular goalscorer in the Bundesliga, so he could provide a threat upfront, but Cameroon will need to play well as a full team if they have any chance of progressing.
Key Man - Samuel Eto'o is still the talisman of Cameroon. He is 33 now and has amassed 115 caps scoring 55 goals. He was one of the best strikers in the world, but not anymore. If he can find his form of old he could provide Cameroon with a spark, but Mourinho will tell you he hasn't been at it this season, and he might be 36, so I think it's too late for him to lead his country to a great WC.

Teams to progress - Brazil and Croatia 

 
The Masters

The golf season begins for real this weekend with the players heading to Augusta for the first major of the year. The green jacket is the thing everybody in golf is after, it is so iconic and winning at Augusta is every childhood golfers dream.
With Tiger Woods out injured and nobody really dominating golf in the way he used to this is a wide open championship. Rory Mcilroy will start as favourite but there are so many golfers who can win it that it makes the betting market wide open.
Avoiding the obvious, here is my 3 players to look out for this weekend!

Patrick Reed - At 23 this is his first Masters, but he doesn't lack confidence and he went to university at Augusta State and therefore he has played the course before. He won the WGC Cadillac earlier this year at Doral which is a big tournament at which he proclaimed afterwards that he is one of the top 5 golfers in the world. He has won 3 times in the last year, and goes into this confident he can compete. Don't be surprised to see him up there. Odds - 55/1

Jordan Spieth - Another youngster who burst onto the PGA Tour last year with victory at the John Deere Classic. He also lost a playoff at the Wyndham Championships against the aforementioned Patrick Reed. He finished 10th on the money list and finished the year 23rd in the World rankings, after starting the year at 810. All this and he is only 20. Confidence will be high, he has the right game for the course setup at Augusta, and the fans will be behind him. Watch out for his name in the leaderboard, it won't be a surprise. Odds - 40/1

Stephen Gallacher - The Scotsman is 39 now, but he is in the form of his life it would seem the last year. This will be his first experience of Augusta, but he should have a game that suits the course. He has already won this year, defending his title in Dubai. He won't be one of the favourites this weekend, and if I'm honest I'd be surprised if he wins, but a place isn't unlikely. He is one of the best long iron players which suits Augusta, so if he can get his putter hot you never know. It is a shame Martin won't be there to support, but I can support Stephen instead and hope he has a great 4 days. Odds - 200/1

Last year Adam Scott finally got himself a major championship by beating Angel Cabrera in a playoff, lets hope this year is as exciting as that come Sunday night!

The Season Started without Me!

So the football season started without me last week for the second time in 3 years, and it makes it very difficult on a Saturday afternoon watching the scores coming in and not playing. I find keeping myself busy instead of watching scores helps to keep my spirits up and doesn't let me get too down. I know a lot of footballers are in the same position as me, waiting on something happening or remaining undecided on what they want to do, so it is comforting knowing a lot of people are having the same feelings as me. It was good to see Falkirk, QOS and St Johnstone all winning at the weekend as my former clubs started the season well.

St Johnstone in particular have had a great start to the season. Defeating Rosenborg in the Europa League is a fantastic achievement, and it is testament to the hard work of the players over the Summer to get fit and ready to play games of that magnitude in the middle of July. The Norwegians aren't the team they used to be, but they are still a big club, so for a club in Scotland to beat them is great for the game and huge for the club. Now they look destined for the first round proper after a great 1-0 win away in Minsk, in the following round.

It is at times like these that it is good to have a supportive family and friends around you to help stay motivated and keep believing in yourself. Depression in football is often overlooked, and I am not saying I am depressed, because I'm not, but it is understandable at this time of year that somebody could start to feel depressed. Luckily for me I have girlfriend who keeps me going and believing that I am good enough, and also parents who have supported me throughout my footballing life.

At the opposite end of the football scale from me are the transfer sagas currently going on in the English Premiership. With Bale, Suarez and Rooney all seemingly wanting to leave for a combined total of more than £160m from their respective clubs, it is fair to say that this is a completely different world from the struggling game up in Scotland. Supporters inevitably become restless and start to vent their frustrations about their top players leaving for new clubs, but they are all understandable in my opinion. Bale can go to Real Madrid, who wouldn't want to go there? Suarez was one of the best players in the Premiership last year but he is at a club who have no Champions League football and no hope of winning the league. Rooney has been at Man United for 9 years and given everything he has for those years. Now he wants a new challenge and to play in his favoured position, so it makes sense to me.
One of my main gripes with football fans is when they say there is no loyalty in football anymore with players. The truth is that clubs have no loyalty either and as soon as a player has a bad season then he doesn't get his contract renewed or he is sold. I think sometimes the supporters forget that football is a job, particularly in the lower leagues and especially in Scotland. It is a job that can instantly be lost through serious injury, and since it is a game of opinions, all it takes is a new manager to not like you and you won't play and can end up without a contract. Therefore while it lasts it is important to make as much money as you can, and also prepare for the future(I'll discuss this in my next edition). Supporters always say they hate it when players move for the money, but honestly, who can say that they wouldn't switch companies to earn twice as much money than their current job doing the same thing?

The USPGA starts this week in Rochester, NY, and being the last major of the year, it is the last chance for eight months for someone to win a big one. Tiger Woods had a massive win at the Bridgestone at the weekend so that sets him up, again, to win his first major since 2008. He has won 5 times already this year, 4 of them being against all the top players(WGC Cadillac, WGC Bridgestone, Players Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational), but he hasn't managed to get a major, even though he has been in contention going into the weekend in more than one. The old Tiger used to be unbeatable and it was inevitable he would win on the Sunday, but nowadays he is beatable, and I don't think he will follow up last weeks win with another this week.
Mickelson will be high in confidence going in and will be right up there, but a first major win for Jason Day is my tip this weekend.
I hope Martin Laird has a good week for Scotland, and as usual I'll be betting on my cousin hoping he can win me money for a change. He has won 3 times on tour, none of which I have bet on, but I continue to bet on the majors and hope that his game comes together for that particular weekend.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy hasn't had a good year so he won't be one of the favourites, but if he plays the way he did last year he has a good chance. Unfortunately for Rory, the switch to Nike hasn't helped his golf, but he is too good a player to remain winless for long, so who knows, it could be this week.

Keeping Motivated and Entertained

Sorry for the delay on blogging, but I thought I would wait on a few major sporting events finishing before I wrote about them in this edition.

The hardest part of being out of a club is keeping motivated and having the self discipline to keep yourself fit and live your life the right way. For me one of the most important factor in this is getting out of bed in the morning at a proper time. I have been going to the gym most mornings around 8.45am and doing my running and weights early so I am awake and ready for the day. Also this keeps my body used to getting up at a normal time and stops me from becoming lazy. Since KA gets up before 7 for work it is easier for me to stay awake from then and eat breakfast so I am prepared for the gym. The work at the gym is never easy on your own when you feel like you are getting nowhere with your career. But I know myself that it will pay off eventually, when I am signed and ready to play football again.
Eating correctly and drinking the right fluids is so important as well when you have no game on a Saturday. One good thing about having no income is at least i don't have the money to buy sweets and crisps as much, so I have definitely been eating healthier the last 2 months.

The offers of part time football have been keeping my mind busy for the last few weeks. As time goes by it seems more and more likely I will have to decide which part time club best suits me and would hopefully help me get back to playing the way I know I can. Another option which I have been seriously considering is going to Denmark, Norway or Sweden. I could go over and trial with teams from the 2nd leagues, but it is a difficult decision financially, and also personally. Leaving everything behind potentially could be a hard decision, but it could also be great for my career, personal development and could positively influence my football with a different culture being trained into me. It is something over the next week I will have to weigh up, and decide if it is worth pursuing.

Froome wins yellow on the 100th edition of the Tour de France

Chris Froome (left) won the 100th edition of the tour de France yesterday, rolling over the line at the Champs Elysees with his teammates and the rest of the peleton after a gruelling 3 weeks. His winning margin of 4minutes 20seconds was a huge margin from his nearest rivals, and underlined what was a dominant performance from him throughout the tour. Comparisons with Lance Armstrong have been made such was the sheer dominance in the mountains, but in my mind their is no doubt that Froome is completely clean. Cycling has suffered a lot because of the Lance Armstrong saga, but it has moved on, and the riders are standing up against doping and helping the sport get its image back. When Lance was dominant, he was the best rider in a peleton full of people doping. Landis, Ullrich, Heras, Hamilton, and many others have all since been caught or admitted to doping and they were all his main rivals. Nowadays, Froome is the best rider in a clean peleton, in my opinion, and he deserves all the credit he will receive. The fitness of all the riders is incredible, they are an example of supreme sportsmen with their recovery and energy they have every day. Only extreme dedication to the sport is possible as a cyclist to even finish a 21 stage race, and that is something I admire and have admired since I started watching it as a boy.

Mickelson lifts the Claret Jug at Muirfield

Phil Mickelson won The Open yesterday with an unbelievable 66 in the final round to win by 3 shots from Henrik Stenson. I was at Muirfield on Friday and Sunday watching my cousin(Martin Laird) playing and unfortunately for him he had a bad day on Saturday that ruined his chances. But on Sunday with the weather slightly cooler and the breeze up I sat and watched the field come through the par 3 16th. The drama was unfolding out on the course as several players took the lead. But I had money on Henrik Stenson so I was hoping he would come good for me. Unfortunately Neil and I sat at the wrong hole as we didn't see a birdie for 4 hours, but we did see a lot of good golf shots and some great scrambling. I know everyone loves big Phil, but I really don't, and I am sure he just puts on a nice face for the cameras. Fair play to him though, he played some great golf and deserved to win.



And in other news... Kate Middleton is about to have a baby! But who really cares about that...