Hugh Jass

It probably won't happen, and Nadal is looking too strong on this surface at the moment, but this would be a great time for the Stanimal to re-appear again. I would love it if he continued this current streak of red-lining and winning one grand slam each year. He beat Fognini pretty convincingly yesterday. The all French 3rd round battle between Monfils and Gasquet sounds intriguing. I will try to catch it when it resumed today. I find Monfils both exciting and frustrating to watch. His athleticism is incredible and he makes some retrievals and hits winners from the most impossible positions on the court. But then again with his size and power, he should play far more aggressively than he tends to do.

I don't like Bayern (I tend to dislike the dominant clubs in the top leagues and very much root for the underdog), but I certainly respect them a lot more than Real Madrid, Barcelona and the other European giants. Off the pitch they do the things the right way, having made a profit for 24 consecutive years and counting, not having a penny of debt, and treating their fans to the lowest ticket prices out of the any truly big club in the top European clubs (I believe their ticket prices are lower than Dortmund's). They don't benefit from an unfair distribution of TV money or state aid either. I won't contribute much on this thread so I thought I'd get that out there!

Both Juve and Milan could have won even more Champions League titles in the 90s, they both lost multiple finals in the decade. Milan were generally the best team in Europe from early to mid 90s, and Juve were generally the best team from the mid to late 90s. I imagine that Juve would have been the heavy favourites to win both the 1997 and 1998 finals. As weird as it may sound, it can be argued that 'only' 3 Champions League titles for Serie A clubs in the 90s, when the league was by far the strongest in the world with none of the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga coming close, was actually an underachievement for the league. Of course though their clubs utterly dominated the UEFA Cup in that decade, and also won a few Cup Winners' Cups.

Muguruza has the ability to become the dominant force on clay from her generation, and win this tournament multiple times. If Sharapova can win 2 RG titles in 3 years, she can definitely top that, and it helps that there aren't exactly a whole of contenders on the surface. She has the shots, the power and she moves pretty well considering her height. Generally clay has never been a great surface for women's tennis, it has usually been the worst surface to watch the girls on. On the other than I used to find the WTA European indoor events more enjoyable than the men's ones. There have always been very ew female players that have looked comfortable on the surface compared to the men's game, where there have been stacks of players from mainland Europe and Latin America born and bread at perfectly at home on clay.

He has his ideals and his football principles and how he wants his teams to play, i.e. expansive, possession based attacking football, but he has shown some flexibility as well and I did see games where Las Palmas could mix it up and heaven forbid hit some long balls when necessary. During his playing career his main mentor was Aragonés I believe. It's no surprise that the Las Palmas fans love him and were continually chanting his name even after he announced that he was leaving. They have been treated to some very entertaining football under him. The midfield trio of Mesa, Gómez and Vieira in particular were a treat to watch. The 3-3 draw between Las Palmas and Berizzo's Celta team bac in October was definitely one of the matches of the season, especially for purists. That's an interesting point you raised about his teams always ending seasons badly, but you're right that he has always worked with shoestring budgets. I strong Betis team would be great for Seville and La Liga in general. I doubt they'll hold on to Ceballos for next season but we'll see.

Setien new Betis Coach New Real Betis Coach Quique Setien has promised the club he will maintain his attacking and possession philosophies as he was unveiled by the club. The 58-year-old was appointed on a three-year deal by Los Verdiblancos having left Las Palmas and added Dani Ceballos, Ruben Castro and Antonio Adan will all have important roles in his team. "Everyone knows who I am, how I see the game," Setien told his unveiling press conference. “You all know my philosophy of playing the game with the ball, of keeping possession and to forge close relationships with my players to help in this regard. "I don't think it is going to take much for me to convince them regarding my proposal for playing the game, we want to grow gradually in one direction. “When I arrived at Lugo, in the third tier, they said that they couldn't play football which is something I had to address immediately. “I make this promise to Beticos that this will be the case with our club, I guarantee attacking, possession-based football. “I don’t want to make any promises in terms of achievements for next year but this is a big club who need to be ambitious. “By signing a three-year deal here it gives security for the players, for me and for the club – it benefits everyone. “I see Dani Ceballos as a ‘benchmark’ player, we can build a team around him, as for Antonio Adan and Ruben Castro – I want them both to play big roles here. “In terms of transfers and how we will form our squad, there will be a consensus between me and the sports management "What I must do is to thank the President, the sporting director for the fact that I have been given this wonderful opportunity.” https://www.football-espana.net/64295/setien-promises-betis-attacking-football Hopefully Setién's arrival can re-vitalise Betis. I've always preferred them over Sevilla, and they have one of the most passionate fanbases in Spain. He has had a good track record, getting Lugo promoted to the 2nd tier and keeping them there. With Las Palmas he led them to a mid-table finish last year, and they made a good start this season and were briefly threatening to challenge for Europa League qualification. But amidst his constant disputes with the board, he announced a couple of months ago that he was leaving, and their form dropped sharply with them picking up just 1 point from their last 7 games. To me he is one of the most intriguing coaches in Europe, and his Las Palmas team generally played fluid attacking football and were a lot of fun to watch.

So Roland Garros is underway. Nadal is the overwhelming favourite to win the men's tournament and complete La Decima. The women's tournament is up in the air. Halep would be the favourite but it remains to be seen whether she has shaken off her ankle injury. Great to see Kvitova back playing again and winning her first match back after being stabbed in her dominant left hand by a robber just before Christmas last year. The world no. 1 Kerber has had a terrible year and unsurprisingly was bounced out of the first round. Hopefully some of the younger players can make some noise and progress to the latter stages of the men's draw.

Cheers mate that makes sense. Even his year at Roma in 2011-2012, with their notoriously demanding and hostile ultras constantly protesting and complaining, will have been incredibly draining. And in terms of pressure his 3 year stint leading that Barcelona B team won't have been stress-free either. It's no surprise that he would want a long break from football and focus on other things. As a Sporting fan (they've been my favourite Spanish team since 2008), I would love to see him coming home one day after he has re-charged their batteries. God knows that would give the club such a lift. However it's difficult to see that happening.

In-spite of the criticism that he has received for tactics, lack of rotation etc, you definitely cannot argue with that trophy haul. Are there any thoughts or rumours on where he is likely to go next? 3 years at a club like Barcelona would be exhausting for anyone.

The guy has always been dodgy to the core, so no surprise to hear there. In addition to the Neymar deal saga and his feud with Laporta, on my main memories of his time as Barcelona president was him publicly gloating after they beat Real Madrid 3-1 at the Bernabeu in 2011-2012. Firstly it is something that a club president just shouldn't do, and secondly it riled and geed up Real Madrid who then won their next 11 league matches.

Following on my last post, a fantastic storyline in Rome this week with the 20 year old German Alexander Zverev beating Djokovic to win the title. This is the first time that a player born after 1988 has won a big title, finally, at long last. Hopefully he can build on this and became a major force on the tour. God knows that the sport desperately needs the young guns to step up to the plate and challenge for the grand slam titles. Speaking of Djokovic, he will coached by Agassi at Roland Garros. Agassi is the latest former great to try his hand in coaching, after Connors, Lendl, Becker, Edberg and McEnroe.

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't read any of John Carlin's pieces before so I'll check them out. Yes I would love to see an Asturian derby next season. At least a silver lining of Sporting's relegation is that they will be the same division as Real Oviedo next season, for the first time since 2002-2003. Of course that's unless Real Oviedo manage to sneak into the play-off places in the Segunda División (I think they are a couple of points behind with 3 games left) and get promoted. Yes the fall and rise again of Real Oviedo has been an incredible, roller-coaster story. It was certainly a feel-good moment in football when the clubs's fans and notable former players like Mata, Cazorla and Michu all put their hands in the pocket to save the club from bankruptcy a few years ago.

Yes I agree with earlier comments that Arsenal don't play particularly beautiful football any more. For me it is too slow and ponderous. Now the fast-paced pass and move football than they played when they had Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Ljungberg, Vieira etc, is definitely the most entertaining and exciting football that I'v seen from any team in my lifetime.

Sporting Gijón sent tumbling into the abyss by Deportivo and Leganés Sporting’s relegation was all their own work, a result of institutional crisis, social divide and financial limitations. Survival, then, for Depor and Leganés There were two minutes left on the penultimate night when Fernando Amorebieta approached the bench one last time. Any news? He would have heard if there was and deep down he knew what they were going to say, but he had to ask. By the touchline at Ipurua they waited, phones and radios at the ready, and the scene was repeated in the corner of the ground where 300 fans stood. On the pitch, their minds were drawn to San Mamés or El Madrigal, clinging to a hope they couldn’t see. This time, though, there was no miracle, no one riding to their rescue. “Anything?” Nothing. Time was slipping away and so were they. Sporting Gijón were on course for a second successive victory; they were also on course for the second division, their fate finally decided 50km west and 600km south. On this given Sunday, at least. No fate but what you make – and Sporting’s relegation was their own work. Institutional crisis, social divide and financial limitations had brought them here, the “revolution” run aground, revealed as but a brief rebellion against their reality; they had never expected to get up to primera in the first place and had enjoyed two seasons there but now they were heading down again, just when they seemed to have been given the chance to secure a little stability, their very survival no longer in doubt; the club had been saved by the team, their coach insisting: “Let’s see if we can build a bit so we don’t have to suffer again.” Instead, they went down. If the league’s second lowest salary cap limited them, it was the culmination of long mismanagement and they could only blame themselves. More immediately, footballers who might have helped them left for free, their contracts run down, and others who did not help arrived, in great quantity and questionable quality. After two years in which their hands were tied – earnings embargoed because of debts to the taxman and players – Sporting signed 13 players. They picked up seven points from their first three games but the decline was unstoppable. Five defeats took them into the relegation zone and although two draws meant they briefly lifted their head above the water, they then started sinking. They lost seven of eight and never raised their heads again. They changed coach: out went Abelardo, in came Rubi. They changed players: three more arrived in the winter window, including Lacina Traoré. But it didn’t help. Some suffered but others disengaged, unaffected by what was going on around them. Two wins in 19 games in 2017 brought them here. Or, more accurately, left them here. They have been in the relegation zone for 26 weeks. Still, there was hope. As the season came to a conclusion, they thought there might be help, too. For the last two years, Sporting had done it on the final day, aided by outsiders. They came up with a late Lugo goal against Girona, and then stayed up thanks to victory over a Villarreal side whose manager Marcelino, a former Sporting player, manager and fan, had to defend himself against accusations that he had thrown the game, and thanks to Betis beating Getafe. This time, things appeared to have fallen nicely, too: their final three games would be against Las Palmas, Eibar and Betis, all teams with nothing to play for. Meanwhile, although they only needed a point, this weekend Leganés and Deportivo la Coruña had to go away to Athletic and Villarreal, two sides fighting for fifth. Sporting beat Las Palmas and against Eibar they won 1-0, the first time they had won two in a row all season – and most expected a third Sporting win to follow against Betis. But this time was different; they didn’t get to that final day. Having taken themselves to the edge of the abyss, this time Sporting had no one to pull them back. Instead, when the penultimate weekend kicked off, everyone who had anything to play for beginning at the same time, they had two teams waiting to send them tumbling in. All Leganés and Deportivo needed was a draw and it would be definitive but for Sporting the news was initially encouraging. They had been overrun to begin with but were now 1-0 up through Burgui, who scored after half an hour. They knew it was still 0-0 between Villarreal and Deportivo but the home side were on top. And as for Leganés, they were losing at San Mamés, for whom Aritz Aduriz had scored on 15 minutes. “Sí, se puede!” Sporting’s fans chanted. Yes, we can. No, they couldn’t. Well, they could but it was too late now, no longer in their hands. And, after 62 minutes, Gabriel scooped a gorgeous ball over the defence to Alex Szymanowski to score. It was 9.18pm; 1-1 in Bilbao. In Villarreal, it was still 0-0. “When they told me Leganés had scored I knew it was over,” Burgui admitted. Time raced or crawled, depending on where you were and who you were. The three cities were connected; up in Eibar, Sporting were comfortable but what mattered more was that at El Madrigal, Cedric Bakambu passed up a great chance and that Deportivo defended; what mattered most was that Leganés, too, held on, a third centre-back introduced. Athletic approached, the ball flying into the area, over and over. High at San Mamés, almost 1,000 fans screamed for the whistle to go. In Eibar, Sporting’s fans willed it not to. They pleaded for a goal. Just one. Their game was won but the game was elsewhere. Amorebieta went to the bench. Still no sign. And then, at 9.49pm, Sporting slipped away. They were down; Depor and Leganés had done it. With 33 and 34 points respectively, survival had been cheap; for Sporting relegation may be costly – but at least not as costly as if it had happened last season when survival really might have meant survival. Not that it came as much consolation. They were crying at Ipurua. “It hurts,” Rubi said. “This tastes awful. We hoped to at least make it to the final week; we thought that we might have one last bullet then but if [Depor and Leganés] could get a point against teams as good as that we have to congratulate them. I absolve the players: we have worked day and night, they have worked, run, fought. If we lacked something, it wasn’t that.” “We feel like fucking shit,” Xavi Torres said. “This is the other side of football and it’s hard to live it.” The other side was down at El Madrigal where Depor’s players were dancing in a circle; they hadn’t expected to get dragged into it but they had been dangerously close. “This points leaves us where we’re supposed to be,” Pepe Mel said. Over in Bilbao, Leganés were celebrating, too, embracing in tears, bowing down before their supporters. Their case was different to Depor’s. An unexpectedly welcome addition to the top flight, Leganés always thought they would be in a relegation fight. They hoped to be, in fact: some anticipated them being down ahead of time. Instead, they had survived with a week to spare. Back home to the south of Madrid, those who had stayed behind were dancing in the streets. “I don’t like to over-celebrate survival, getting carried away, as it makes you a small club,” the coach, Asier Garitano, insisted. “We’re very happy but civic receptions? Bus rides …” Maybe not but this was something to celebrate. “This is what you play football for,” Garitano rightly said. Leganés had done it and at the best possible place, too – “somewhere historic, the cathedral of football,” as Szymanowski put it. Like his team-mates, the former pizza delivery boy who is now a first division player, the man who scored the goal that kept them up, was wearing a T-shirt that read “mission accomplished” on the front. It had been some mission – impossible, most said – but here they were. Here they are. Before the game, the Leganés captain, Martin Mantovani, had laid flowers at the bust of Pichichi, as tradition dictates. This was the first time Leganés had been to San Mamés, after all. It won’t be the last. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/may/15/sporting-gijon-sent-tumbling-into-abyss-by-deportivo-and-leganes I do like Sid Lowe's columns. He is far more knowledgeable about Spanish football in general and way more balanced in his views than Graham Hunter, who seems to focus a lot more on writing about Barcelona or Real Madrid and less about the other clubs. He hits the nail on the head about Sporting's problems this season. There was too big an upheavel of players coming in and going out last summer, and there has far too much financial mismanagement off the pitch for too long. Defensively they were all over the place. It's going to be very tough task for them to try and come straight back up again, but it's true that the promotion in 2015 was a pleasant surprise in the first place.

In addition to achieving La Decima at Roland Garros (after already doing so at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona), Nadal looks to be on track to complete the most successful European clay court season of his career, by winning the quintuple of Roland Garros, all 3 masters 1000 events at Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Roma plus Barcelona where the centre court is now named after him. He has won 4 out of those 5 events (substituting Hamburg for Madrid from 2005-2008) in a remarkable 7 different seasons (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013) but this season he could top that by winning 5 out of 5. The resurgence of Federer and Nadal this season has been remarkable. Nadal is the overwhelming favourite at Roland Garros in a few weeks time, while Federer will be the favourite for a record 8th title at Wimbledon, especially considering Murray's struggles this season and the fact that he has won their last 5 matches. I wouldn't mind if Thiem and the other young guns prove me wrong in today's Madrid final and beyond though. The youngest player to have won a grand slam title or masters 1000 title is Cilic, who was born in the September 1988. That is disgraceful. The 90s born players are definitely weakest 'next generation' in tennis history.