Paul Harrison December

SPORT DECEMBER PAUL HARRISON As I sit down to write this month’s musings can get on board with them. Scotland fans I can’t help but feel a bit detached from have just experienced the first international the thrills of sport. There’s no domestic break they’ve ever enjoyed, beating Serbia football this weekend because of another on penalties to qualify for their first major international break – personally, North tournament since 1998. I don’t want to Macedonia v Estonia in the Nations League imagine the tension that the Scots felt when doesn’t grip me. But this break feels they conceded a 90th minute equaliser to particularly out of place at the moment. After the Serbs, as all those doubts started to a COVID-19 interrupted 2019-20 season, it creep back in – had they been cursed to seems ridiculous that an already-congested never qualify for the Euros ever again? But 2020-21 fixture list has to make room for they held their nerve in the shootout to book glorified international friendlies. Just looking a spot in the same group as England next at England, clubs throughout the Football summer – a mouth-watering tie at Wembley League are working flat out with two league awaits. And if the COVID-19 vaccine has games most weeks; the Premier League been as successful as projected, perhaps it isn’t far off that either. Throw in the League could be a Wembley stadium packed out with Cup, the EFL Trophy, and the FA Cup – English and Scottish fans. England have just competitions which many smaller teams tasted success against another of the Home rely on to boost revenue – and the physical Nations, with a 3-0 win over the Republic of strain on squads is obvious. Injuries that Ireland at Wembley. I have to say that the occur on international duty hurt clubs more Three Lions are playing well at the moment, so, with Liverpool centre back Joe Gomez with plenty of new Premier League stars potentially out for the season courtesy of turning up for club and country. Everton’s a knee tendon rupture during an England Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a throwback to training session. The defending Premier the hard-working goal-poaching number 9 League champions are going through the of yesteryear, Jack Grealish controls games wars, with talismanic defender Virgil van against the very best midfielders in the Dijk also expected to be side-lined until at world, whilst Chelsea’s Reece James and least April. Not just that, but the international Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka are only adding to break is tedium too – I wonder if UEFA the massive selection headache for Gareth created the “competitive” Nations League to Southgate in the wing back positions. And make these barren weekends seem worth they’re just a few names I’ve picked off our while. They might be trying to market the top of my head – it definitely feels like the competition as the “mini-Euros, between young English players are getting regular the Euros and World Cups”; instead they’ve minutes and proving their worth in the simply re-created those banal qualifiers Premier League once again. We could be but with the good teams like England not a real threat at the Euros, particularly with having to play the minnows (San Marino, all three group games at Wembley (plus Andorra, etc.). the semi-finals and final, if we go that far). Although our chances of success will be a Having said all that, if the Nations League lot higher if we can avoid perennial bogey helps England prepare for the major team Belgium, who lead the Three Lions 2-0 tournaments then I can bear with it for a in the Nations League as I write. few weekends every year. If an international break allows Gareth Southgate’s side to Continuing with this column’s football create magical memories next summer flavour, the Premier League has remained at the Euros - and push the 15 years of spicy deep into the winter months. Leicester disappointments prior to Russia 2018 further into the dark recesses of our minds - then I continued on p54 52 THE DIARY-LYME BAY DECEMBER 2020 T: 01297 561141 SPORT (cont from p52) PAUL HARRISON City sitting top – could they shock the finalists PSG 2-1 and whooping RB Leipzig world again? Southampton gunning for 5-0 to top what has been dubbed the “Group the Champions League – has gaffer Ralph of Death”. And it’s those two performances Hasenhuttl imported a footballing revolution that are arguably the only tethers keeping from Germany to the South Coast? Even Solskjaer inside Old Trafford. seeing Tottenham near the top is unsettling, and Mourinho’s track record of second Looking down at the Football League, my season success suggests a strong season Brentford are … doing ok. Yes, we’re in a ahead for Spurs. Liverpool certainly won’t better position (11th) after 11 games than have it as easy as last season if they’re going we were last season (17th) – and look how to retain the title, especially now that they that ended up. But it feels like the Bees can’t find themselves in the mires of a defensive gather any momentum. Perhaps it’s down injury crisis. Meanwhile Manchester City are to the congested fixture list, or maybe it’s struggling to capitalise despite splashing the glaringly empty new stadium. Either another £150m on shiny new players over way we are statistically playing better than summer – Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty miss the points we’ve earned, so hopefully our against Liverpool could prove to be a costly luck will turn around. The squad is definitely two points dropped come May. One team strong enough to mount another promotion who have impressed me in recent weeks are challenge, and this time it might happen in Chelsea. The new signings are, as hoped, front of some fans! starting to gel; it looks like Frank Lampard is getting consistent top-drawer performances It hasn’t just been football that’s grabbed out of his players across all competitions. my attention this month though. In fact The arrival of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy October and November have been from Rennes has to be their signing of the enthralling, and highly successful for the summer, ousting the £72m butter-fingered Brits. Exeter Chiefs beat Wasps 19-13 in the flop Kepa with immediate and spectacular Premiership Rugby final to secure a historic effect. Along with the arrival of experienced double, whilst England just about managed Brazilian defensive stalwart Thiago Silva and to scrape a Six Nations title thanks to England’s first-choice left back Ben Chilwell, France beating Ireland in the final round of Mendy has improved the Blues’ defence no fixtures. In cycling, relatively-unknown Tao end. Midfielder Hakim Ziyech has caught my Geoghegan-Hart caused an upset by riding eye the most though – in the limited minutes to victory in the Giro d’Italia, becoming the he’s had since recovering from injury he’s UK’s eighth Grand Tour winner in history. looked fantastic. In particular his set-piece Meanwhile Primoz Roglic overcame his delivery, with his free-kicks and corners Tour de France disappointment to win the consistently whipped into dangerous areas Vuelta a Espana – although his Slovenian that defences are struggling to cope with. It’s rival Tadej Pogacar wasn’t competing, so great to see that in amongst the mass influx make of that what you will. And finally I must of megastars Lampard is still managing to mention Lewis Hamilton. Not long after play the young lads – a trademark of his passing Michael Schumacher’s record for albeit-short managerial career. most Grand Prix victories, he secured his 7th F1 championship to equal the great Let’s face it – Manchester United have been German. Even though he has been blessed woeful in the Premier League this season. with a superior car, Hamilton is definitely the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, if he stays in charge, greatest racing driver of this generation and will do well to guide the Red Devils into one of the best of all-time. Surely another contention for the Europa League places. Sports Personality of the Year beckons? They’ve fared better in the Champions [email protected] League though, squeezing past last year’s © Paul Harrison November 2020 54 THE DIARY-LYME BAY DECEMBER 2020 T: 01297 561141.

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