Gorgeous George is Shooting Blanks.

George Washington is back in training. Apparently he was firing blanks or just couldnt get it up or something along those lines. Whatever the reason, he is back in training now and a return to the track looks imminent.
With this news in mind I think it would be interesting to see if a price could be got for him in th QE2 stakes and the Breeders Cup mile as I would imagine these would be the kind of races he would be targeted at. Quirks aside, he is a supremely talented horse and the best miler around last season. It would be a pleasure to see him back racing.
Christiano Ronaldo has pledged his future to United which will be music to the ears of the Old Trafford faithful. I believe he is making the right choice as joining one of the Spanish giants would result in his blossoming career turning into a mediocre one.
I had a lesson with Gus today and I ironed a few small kinks in my swing. He is filling me with confidence and telling me I can go places with the way I hit the ball. For this reason I am going to set myself a target. I want to qualify for the West Of Ireland Championship before I am 35. I feel like I have the ability to be a very good golfer if I keep working hard at my game and if I can achieve this goal, I will be the proudest man ever. I do think its achievable.

Depressing Internationals

International football is losing all its appeal for me. Would you believe that I was more interested to see how England got on as opposed to Ireland. The FAI have robbed the Irish people of having pride, hope and belief in our national football team and it sucks.
Following the England game it has become even more apparent that Wayne Rooney needs anger management classes or something. He should spend some time with a sports psycholigist because at times his frustation is actually visible. He needs to learn how to enjoy his football. I cant wait for the premiership to start again.
I am going to start playing the golf now in earnest and I hope to bring my handicap down by atleast 5 shots come the end of the summer. I am hitting the ball fairly well and if I can get some consistency into my game I can go even lower. Please the Good Lord, that will be the case.
The start of the flat season at the Curragh signals the winding down of the national hunt season with the exception of Punchestown and Aintree. I intend to follow the Sunday and group racing and maybe have a few wagers in some of the bigger races but that will be as far as it goes.

Ranting on

I was happy with Uniteds performance on monday night and I thought Carrick and Giggs were immense in midfield. Middlesboro were determined not to concede anything and always had ten men behind the ball. I felt we wer comfortable though and a goal was always coming for us. To be honest, I thought Ronaldo went down easy enough for the penalty and if it was given against us I probably would be pissed. Having said that, there was contact and thats all there is needed.
Chelsea didnt have it as tough as I thought they would and look like certs for the finals now. They seem to be finding some form again but hey have to face a stern test yet and they will soon enough. As I said before, Watford, Newcastle and Arsenal (which is a bit of a grudge match now) will be tough games for them and I can see them dropping points in two of them.
On a different note I am an employee of Freshways/Kerry Foods and I some times find myself troubled by my employers actions. Since I have joined the company two years ago there have been 3 or 4 price increases. All this at a time when smaller competitors are able to sell a better quality product at a substantially cheaper price andyou have to wonder what the company is all about. As opposed to trying to find innovative ways of cutting costs or delivering newer, superior quality and better value products to their customers, they simply hike the price and give two fingers to everybody. Their greed is astonishing and beggars belief to be honest. Their attitude is symptomatic of alot of what is wrong in this country today and I find that I'm in conflict with myself for working with them as their ideals represent evrrything I hate about modern Ireland. It seems to me in Ireland today big companies like Tescos and Kerry Foods, publicans and hoteliers, banks and property developers are determined to squeeze every penny they can out of the Celtic Tiger until the wheels fall off and the country is hit with a recession. When this happens they will have their pockets and those of their shareholders well and truely lined and it will be left for the humble tax payer to cary the can and try and rebuild the economy again. It is ironic that they are one of the major driving factors to the economic crash which will inevitably hit us because of their greed. Ia am reminded of the poem of W.B. Yeats, September 1916. "Romantic Irelands dead and gone, its with O'Leary in the grave".

FA Cup Replays

Quarter final replays tonight for the FA Cup tonight and I dont see any major shock in store for United. Following the first game at the Riverside I got the distinct impression Middlesboro felt that they had lost their chance. In an interview after the game Boateng was quoted as saying that the ref had cost them their place in the semi finals. A defeatest attitude and one that is hard to escape from. I am hoping for a relatively straight forward victory fo us tonight, providing our attitude and team selection is right.
I think Chelsea will find things more difficult however. Spurs were unlucky the last time out and are playing with great flair and confidence at the moment. They will be looking for some domestic trophy to appease their fans and this is their only chance. They will be up for the game tonight having already beaten Chelsea at White Hart Lane this season. Chelsea on the other hand may have their eyes on other prizes and may be content not to exert themselves too much tonight. This has the makings of a classic cup tie and I think I might just side with Spurs after extra time.
I hope I am right.

No Luck Of The Irish This Year

I am absolutely deflated after Cheltenham. Although I probably ended up winning it was disappointing for me personally to see so many fancied Irish runners turned over. Well there is no point crying over spilled milk and I hope that next year will be kinder to us. An Irish winer of the National would ease the pain somewhat and I am putting Garvivonnian forward as an each way chance.
I hope United can put away Bolton today with the minimum of fuss. Rumour has it Giggs will play up front with Rooney and Park and Ronaldo will play down the wings with Carrick and O'Shea i midfield. We will Edwin but we should be able to cope.
Chelsea will take three points from Sheffiled United today but I will be more interested in seeing how thet perform against Watford and Newcastle. I can see them dropping points in one or both these games.
We wil have to see I suppose but I saw them against City and they were poor. The only shot they had on target was the penalty and I honestly dont believe they deserve to win tnis year.
I think 'boro have defeated themselves in advance of the FA cup replay on Monday. Boateng has come out and stated that the ref cost them their place in the semis and an attitude like this suggests they have lost the game already. I hope Im right.
Happy Paddys to one and all

Winners At Last

Some reprieve today to what has been a tough few days at the festival. After a particularly rough day yesterday I had the winner of the first at a tastey price of 20/1. The horse was given a brilliant ride by Graham Lee who sat patiently and produced his run up the straight to win well. At last some welcome relief to the heomarrage.
I did Our Vic in the second who was unlucky to fid one better in Taranis. At least he gave me a good run for my money and optimism was beginning to creep in again.
I fancied Inglis Drever for the world hurdle for some time now and he was my banker for today.With questions over Black Jack Ketchum and Fair Along not quite good enough in my eyes, there was only one horse in the race. Black Jack came down at the fist which made things easier but Paddy Brennan still had plenty of work to do. To make a long story short, he gave the horse a brilliant ride and Inglis Drever ran out a comfortable winner in the end.
I backed McCoy in the next and he was nowhere so I decided to quit while I was ahead and left it at that. At last some rewards for my hard work.
I know what I will be backing tomorrow but I wont tell a soul as it seems to put a hex on my selections. Im happy enough now anyway.
I see Madrid are 'confident' of signing Ronaldo in the summer. I hope their confidence is misplaced. I will only believe what the player himself has been qouted of saying and Christiano has pledged his forseeable future to us. Why he would want to join Madrid in the state they are in at the moment is beyond me and I hope it doesnt happen
Chelsea were desperate last night and were outplayed by City. Kalou dived for the penalty as the replay clearly showed and that was the only effort they had on target all night. Then we saw the amateur dramatics of Robben and Drogba and the game turned into a bit of a farce. Chelsea are a cynical side and dont deserve a thing this season. Im sure that will never happen but lifes like that. All United can do is focus on themselves. Our destiny is in our own hands.

More poxy Cheltenham tips

I fancy Newmill in the Champion chase today. The horse is supposed to be in great shape and has course and distance form. I like really Well Chief and I wouldnt be upset to see him win but I fear he will 'bounce' after his last awesome performance.
Denman obviously has a great chance today but I believe Cailinn Ailinn represents better value. She has a weight concession for being a mare and ran very well before falling in top class company last time out.
Aran Concerto has been hugely impressive this season and is my banker for today. He could be anything.
I got word today from a connection of Ravens Run in the bumper. They fancy him to run a big race and the way the race will be run will suit. They just dont know what to expect from the opposition. At 25/1 he could be worth a punt each way.
I had a luckless day yesterday with only one winner but that was only one battle in a week long war.
Good but meaningless win for United last night. I was happy to see Rooney score again and if he hits top form we could be laughing all the way to the end of the season

Cheltenham Tips

The ground is beginning to dry at Prestbury Park and it is more then likely that some of the more fancied runners may oblige. Having studied the form I am predicting a good day for the Irish tomorrow, even though I am biased and I will give you my views on all the races.
The first race is the supreme novice hurdle and hot favourite is Ameretto Rose. Impressive in her recent races, she rightly respected but at the price, I believe there is better value in the race. Wins Now is a progressive sort who easily disposed of the useful Montana Bay last time out and will relish the ground. Trained by Niall Maddden and ridden by AP McCoy, he will be staying on when the others have cried enough and I believe he can give the Irish a flying start.
The Arkle is an intreuging race and I am torn between two. Gemini Lucy is a classy front running mare whos second to Nickname last time out is solid form. She will run from the front and may catch a few behind her out. The drying ground will also be in her favour and at 16/1 she represents each way value. However, I believe Dont Push it looks like the winner of this one. His brave second ti Denman, who Ruby Walsh has heralded as best ride for the festival, is the best form on offer in the race and he will be a tougfh nut to crack.
There is one horse in the champion hurdle and that is Brave Inca. Detroit City is far too short for my liking and either has had races run to suit or hasn't beaten much. It is well known that if McCoy had a choice this would be his ride and the horse is supposed to be in rude health. Ruby would also have the choice between Brace Inca and Asian Maize and the fact that he has opted for the selection is a big pointer. Brave Inca will not be found wanting going up the hill as he has proven in the past and is the one for me.
King Harald has yet to show his true form this season but the drying ground will suit and he has course and distance form. He could be worth a punt each way.
I have heard a whisper for Never Comprimise in te ross country and the shrewd Ted Walsh must always be respected around here.
Gaspara was a ready winner on saturday and is with the right stable to follow up on that success here.
Mick Fitzgearald has a huge chance to be top jock for the festival.More to follow tomorrow.

Renewed Confidence

Well I for one was happy with uniteds performance against Boro last night. We made two mistakes at the back and we were punished badly for them. Having said that, we controlled the ball brilliantly, our pasing and movement was sublime at times and we shoul have scored at least one more goal. It was a very positive performance, especially in light of our run of dodgey games and the absence of Scholes and I am now becomming renewed in confidence.
On a positive note, if the replay occurs between the Blackburn and Bolton games, does this mean that Scholes wil be back a game earlier then expected. If that is the case, that will be a huge boost for us. Negatively however was news that Van Der Sar injured himself before the game. Not good news at all.
As for me, I am heading out the door to play the 'Captains Drive' in my new golf club, Ballinrobe, this morning. It will be my first everclub competition there and I hope I give a good account of myself.

Poison Chalice

On a political note I wonder if Fine Gael and Labour get into office will it be a poison chalice. I have been of the opinion for some time now that the country is in a poorer state then our leaders would have us believe and news of 900 job losses in the past three days confirms my biggest fears.
In an era of unprecedented prosperity in this country it appears to me that the gap between the richest and the poorest citizens is widening all the time. What does the country have to show for the current governments term of office? Nothing.
House prices are so high now that the only way first time buyers can get a mortgage is if they work every hour God sends them. And that is while interest rates are where they are at the moment. What happens when(and i mean when) a recession hits? Does the current government care? Not as long as they get their stamp duty.
And what about inflation? have the government done anything to try to control the spiralling rate of inflation in this country. Not a bit of it. We are living in the second most expencive country in Europe but as long as the they can hear they tills ringing they are happy.
Investors and big business men like Denis O Brien and John Magnier can live in this country without paying tax while my parents, both of whom worked hard all through their lives, are means tested for a carers grant for minding my granny. they didnt get the grant by the way.
What about infastructure and regional development. Our road and rail network must be amongst the worst in Europe espite our hefty road tax charges and years of EU grants. As for the NDP. I read a couple of years ago that it was over budget 700 million for Dublin and under budget 700 million inthe BMW region. Do you se a pattern forming.
For the past number of years our economy has been mismanaged by a shower of muppets in office. They have treated tax payers money as though it was monopoly money and it beggars belief that they are still in office. Their list of cock ups is endless and I honestly believe tat in the fullness of time, the full extent of their incompetence will be revealed. The Celtic Tiger is having a heart attack. Who will have the misfortune of being in office when it kicks the bucket.

Larrsons departure a good thing

Last night was a tense game for United and the pressure of the situation manifested itself through their performance. As soon as I saw the line up I knew it would be a frustating night. Despite an opportunity to make a statement and destroy a poor team in Lille, Fergie opted for the give nothing away 451 formation which has seen us get into trouble on so many accasions it's not funny.
In my humble opinion, since the arrival of Larrson Uniteds performances have deteriorated greatly. At Christmas we were top of the table and renowned for playing incisive quick and attacking football. We were one of the best passing teams in the premiership and looked unstopable at times. Now we look like a nervous wreck about to have a serious nose bleed. Why? Because since the arrival of Larrson we have a clever player who can play on his own up front, make intelligent runs and as a result allow the gaffer to play a negative formation like 451.
The thinking behind this formation is to stop opposition playing and protecting what we have and maybe hit them on the break. As a result we loose our shape and free flowing attack and our forwards are fighting for scraps. Nobody seems to know exactly what their role is and dont look entirely happy with what their at. Its not easy on the eye and it is not what we are best at.
I think with the departure of Larrson Fergies hand may be forced. He will have to revisit the formula which brought him such success at the start of the season. We will have to do what we do best, attack attack attack. Our defence looks strong for the first time in ages and aren't giving much away. When we play 5 across the midfield I think it sends the wrong signal to the team and automatically puts them in a poor frame of mind. One thing is for certain, if we continue to perform like we did against Lille, we will nothing this season.
I do like Larrson but I dont think he had the legs for the role he was playing and he was being used as a kop out by Fergie. I also think it was his overuse which was instrumental in his departure as I dont think he envisaged playing so many minutes on the pitch. He has quality and a great football brain and I hope the likes of Rooney can learn from his professionalism. Its a pity he joined us so late.
As for the draw for the next round, I would like to avoid the other two English clubs and PSV. I really rate Kouman as a coach and he did a job on both Liverpool and ourselves last year.

a new direction

Believe it or not, I actually posted yesterday but for some strange reason it was never published. Alot of this technology is over my head so I cant explain why this happened but I will give you the jist of what I said.
Basically I am making a firm commitment to post atleast once every two days from now on. I also intend to widen the range of topics I comment on to all things I feel passionate about. I spoke in glowing terms of Uniteds gritty but gutsy victory over Liverpool(which I feel was an under-rated performance) and I also gave news of the horses I fancy for Cheltenham. They were Celestial Wave, Denman, Macs Joy, Aran Concereto, King Revo, Nickname, Luanos and Black Harry.
News today states that Louis Saha has sustained a muscular injury and will miss the CL game against Lille tomorrow night. Also anounced today was the revelation that Darren Fletcher will miss the rest of the season through ankle injury. The effects of a long hard season are starting to impact on Uniteds squad and I hope they can keep it together until the end of May. More on this tomorrow.
It has also been reported today that Celestial Wave has been found to be lame and will no longer contend the world hurdle in Cheltenham. This is unfurtunate for me as she was my banker for the festival and I fancied her sstrongly. It is hoped she will race before the end of the season which will be of some consolation to her followers.
As for the two games tonight My head says both Liverpool and Chelsea will progress without much fuss. However my heart does not agree. Chelsea will miss Terry tonight big time and should they go a goal down they could be in serious trouble. Having said that, they should qualify. Liverpool on the other hand are a different story. They face the current champions whom they defeated in their own back door in Barcelona. This plus the fact that they are in such poor domestic form should inspire the Spaniards to show that they are a better team then their recent performances suggest. This is the ideal stage for the boys from the Camp Nou to show their true quality. Their big players have experience of performing at the highest level and they will want to prove themselves tonight. Ihave a funny feeling this could be Barca's final and I expect them to win tonight but falter in the next round.