With the Airtricity league kicking off this week, Sam Geoghegan and Daniel Keegan preview the Students’ prospects this season and assess their opposition

UCD have a mammoth task ahead of them this forthcoming season. Their one and only goal will be to stay in the top tier of Irish football. UCD exceeded all expectations last season by consolidating their position in the Airtricity Premier Division one year after being promoted. However, the question is can they avoid dropping down a division this season?

At the beginning of last season, UCD were hopeful, excited and eager for the new season to commence. The Students bounced straight back to the Premier Division as First Division Champions, overcoming a late surge by former giants Shelbourne. Buoyed by their first silverware in a generation, they started last season brightly and surprisingly well, with the 3-0 demolition of former champions Drogheda United being an obvious example.

However, it was impossible to maintain their overachieving form and predictably they began to fall down the table. If it wasn’t for the brilliant results at the start of the season, the Students could have be preparing for life in the First Division this term.

Credit where credit is due, Martin Russell and his staff did a fantastic job last season but the task ahead is arguably harder. Will the Students suffer from the dreaded “sophomore slump?” It will be difficult to stay up to say the least; their squad has been completely decimated by player departures and one can only wonder if they have the talent and experience to avoid relegation.

Russell’s job is therefore the most important element of the upcoming season. How can they cope with the core of the team departing? The McMillan brothers have gone onto pastures new with St Patrick’s Athletic, while top goalscorer Ciaran Kilduff has joined league champions Shamrock Rovers. Other notable departures include Keith Ward, Greg Bolger and Chris Mulhall. With a team so inexperienced and youthful, Russell has a tough job ahead.

It hasn’t been all one-way traffic on the transfer front, however, as James Kavanagh, Deen Marshall and Darren Meenan have signed for the Students in recent weeks. One has to ask the question where the goals will come from in the wake of Kilduff’s absence. His presence will be sorely missed and his goals provided the Students with a prolific striker who always seemed to come up with the goods just when UCD needed him to.

If a goal drought ensues in Belfield over the course of the season, it’ll be up to the defence to ensure it won’t be leaking too many goals. Former captain, Evan McMillan, will be sorely replaced missed and finding an adequate replacement is paramount.

This is a completely new UCD team that, come opening day against Drogheda United, will be almost unrecognisable from the team that finished last year. It is a vastly inexperienced squad. Russell will have to prove why such faith was put in him following UCD’s relegation in 2008. This is his toughest task. He will have to convince his fledgling stars that they have nothing to fear.

The Students must play with a certain fearless naivety to overcome their lack of talent, just as Blackpool are doing in the Premiership. But like the Seasiders, a fast start is crucial before the inevitable mid-season slump develops and threatens to derail the season.

Pre-season form has been encouraging with the goals flowing, notwithstanding the goalless bore draw against Lisburn Distillery in the Setanta Sports Cup. Superior fitness due to a younger squad might be the explanation, although this superiority must be utilised during the early stages of the season.

Meanwhile Derry City fans can look forward to a return to the top flight after a season in the second tier. Despite how impressive they were last year, the northern club will know the difficulties of the step up and will hope not to get bogged down in a relegation battle with the likes of Galway City and Bray Wanderers.

Bray have been camped at the bottom end of the table for several seasons and were saved from relegation in 2009 only because of financial problems in Derry and Cork City. They have opted for youth by signing three players under the age of 20, including Ireland U-19 International Conor Murphy, as well as retaining their entire squad from last season.

If Bray hope to stay up, they will need a much better start to the season than last year, which saw them pick up just one win from their first 20 games. They kick off their season away to last year’s runners-up Bohemians, in what will be a very intriguing encounter, after Bohs’ off-season from hell.

After suffering financial turmoil over the past few months, almost resulting in the club being liquidated, it is difficult to see Bohemians challenging for the league title, as they have done over the past three seasons. A winding-up order was placed in the High Court against Bohs in January, in a dispute over unpaid wages and a debt that they have since cleared.

Brian Shelley and Steven Gray were the two players to take legal action against the Dalymount club, after neither had been paid since November. Gray has been released, while Shelley, Bohemian’s sole representative in the PFAI Team of the Year last season, has left for Australian club Ballarat Red Devils.

Shelley is just one of a number of high-profile Bohemians players to leave, along with the likes of Paddy Madden, Paul Keegan and Jason Byrne. Despite their financial difficulties, they have managed to recruit seven new faces to amend for the nine who have left, but still don’t look to have the squad capable of mounting a serious challenge for a league title.

Shamrock Rovers rightfully start off as favourites for the league, having retained the services of 2009 and 2010 top goalscorer Gary Twigg. Defenders have struggled to deal with the ex-Derby County man’s aerial ability since his arrival to the league two seasons ago, and he has consequently bagged 44 goals in 63 appearances.

The signing of six players during the off-season, including Kilduff, has also bolstered their ranks. Rovers only won the league title on goal difference last season and with Kilduff and Twigg up front, you can be guaranteed that they will have quite a sizeable goal difference at the end of this season.

Looking at the squads, Sligo seem the only club capable of challenging Shamrock Rovers for first place. They have steadily improved over the past four seasons, culminating in an FAI and League Cup double last season, and a third place finish, just four points off the leaders.

PFAI player of the year Richie Ryan will be central to Sligo’s success. The ex-Sunderland man was outstanding last season, and was unable to play in the FAI Cup final, which he missed through suspension.

Overall, the Airtricity Premier League has never been anything short of dramatic, whether it’s action on the field or off-field turmoil. Fans can look forward to a very open season at both ends of the table and they are in for a treat if the last day of action is anything like last season’s climax, which was arguably the most exciting finale of any league in Europe.

And as for UCD football fans specifically, intriguing times are ahead of them. Will this be the last year of Premier Division at the Belfield Bowl or will Martin Russell direct another masterclass and conjure up the great escape? Only time will tell.

Following the university’s basketball triumph, Sam Geoghegan and Daniel Keenan spoke to UCD Marian coach Fran Ryan and point-guard Conor Meany about their success

Following UCD Marian’s triumph over Killester in the National Cup two weeks ago, Coach Fran Ryan is feeling fantastic right now. Ryan explains that the team “had set out a target at the beginning of the previous season to win a national title within three years”. These are exciting times for UCD Marian and Ryan is hopeful for the future.

Ryan is a man who is on top of the world. Not surprisingly, he is ecstatic about the team’s progress in recent seasons and their success in the previous weeks, and supremely confident about the students’ continued success: “At the moment, part of that evolution is to continue improving the guys both individually and collectively.”

The coach’s words to the players with five minutes left in the final had a huge impact and Ryan explains how “we always felt that if we are about five points down with five minutes to go, the entire psychological pendulum would completely swing against them and completely for us, which is exactly what happened”.

One of the stars of UCD Marian’s Superleague National Cup run was Conor Meany. To win in their first final is a massive achievement in itself, but is made all the more remarkable when looking at the odds they faced.

At 9.5/1, press and bookies alike gave them little chance of even challenging Killester, never mind beating them. However, strong mental resolve and self-belief is obviously a trait that Meany and his teammates possess in spades, as they always believed that they could upset the odds.

“I don’t think we believed that we were as big an underdog as everyone made us out to be,” says Meany. “We’re one of the top four teams in the country so far this year, and we’ve beaten Killester pretty much once a year for the last few years.

“It wasn’t as if this was some sort of freak result. We knew we could play against the big teams, but we just had to get to the big stage to have the opportunity to play.”

The camaraderie in the squad is evident. Ryan explains that the team is very close both on and off the court. “There’s a tremendous friendship within the group. They socialise together,” Ryan notes.

While producing some big performances throughout the season, Meany admitted to feeling the nerves in the games leading up to the final, but felt calm going into the game. Former Armagh footballer Enda McNulty helped them thrive under the added pressure of TV cameras and media attention, and taught them to ‘love the battle;’ to enjoy the game by channelling the pressure into a performance. Meany took the advice to heart, and certainly looked like he enjoyed his game.

Meany is very modest when asked about his own performance: 12 points in the final, and an average of 15.6 points for the month, led to him being named January Basketball Player of the Month, alongside other individual awards. But the point-guard prefers to focus on a fantastic team performance.

“I came up with some big shots, but everybody really stepped it up, and we just played really well. It’s nice to get individual recognition, but all of us put in so much work. For James (Crowder) to get MVP in the final was great, and Fran [Ryan] getting Coach of the Month was brilliant.”

The future looks bright for UCD Marian basketball club. Ryan expects the core of the team to remain intact for the next seven years. “The average age of this team is 22; the average age of the opposition was 28-29.” Killester, the supposed powerhouse of Irish basketball, appear to be on the wane and perhaps the students can take this opportunity to become accustomed to silverware.

The club has been building towards this success for years, and Meany believes their success is in no small part due to the amalgamation of the old Marian club and UCD. Players like Conor, and his brother Niall, among others, played underage ball for Marian, while coach Fran Ryan is one of the original Marian coaches.

“Our original club, Marian, was a bit smaller, but with UCD we have people coming up from all over the country, and there are scholarships now,” says Meany. “We also wouldn’t have access to high performance equipment without UCD.”

The scholarship programme that is currently in place which was implemented by John Landy and has been, according to Ryan, “a cornerstone of what’s happened.” However, Ryan is well aware that UCD Marian’s success is related to their recruitment policy, especially of Americans. James Crowder is one such American who was arguably the most valuable member of the team throughout this season.

The camaraderie in the squad is evident. Ryan explains that the team is very close both on and off the court. “There’s a tremendous friendship within the group. They socialise together,” Ryan notes.

He felt that the experience of the final is “hugely beneficial” to the players and he begins to sing his praises of the team, “They demonstrated in the most pressurized and unexpected way that was imagined, because the pressure these guys were under going into that cup final was extreme. It was painted as David vs. Goliath.” The final did more than just lift spirits; it brought a massive psychological boost now that, in Ryan’s words, the “monkey is off our back as an organisation”.

The effects, he believes will be long-lasting as “now they know that if they put enough into something they can get the return and when they’re going into another final, it’ll be easier for them to believe that they can win it.”

The decision to amalgamate UCD and Marian nine years ago is one that has obviously developed the team immensely, an element that Ryan acknowledges as crucial. “In Marian [there’s] a tremendous skill set and history in basketball and youth programme aligned to the facilities and the support of the entire college sports system through Brian Mullins and his team.”

“Our original club, Marian, was a bit smaller,” explains Meany. “But with UCD we have people coming up from all over the country, and there are scholarships now. We also wouldn’t have access to high performance equipment without UCD.”

After such a dramatic win in the cup, many teams might take their foot off the accelerator, but Meany isn’t letting the success go to his head, and says he wants to push on with the league. They still have a good chance of making the play-offs – they currently sit in 3rd place – but need to avoid the inconsistency that has plagued them over the last few seasons.

Much like his coach, Conor Meany is reluctant to look beyond this season, such is his focus on the league, but is optimistic about the future of this young team. He was sure that they would eventually win something – the cup win was a year earlier than he had expected – and with such a sublime pool of talent and resources at their disposal, few would question his optimism.

Can they win the Superleague this year? Ryan is not as certain as before. His answer represents a quiet confidence but also a diplomatic response. He’s adamant that a playoff berth must be secured before the team can even think about winning another trophy. If the team make their way into the post-season, he feels any team can win it all, as “the doubt of who’ll win it is a great reflection of the infrastructure that’s there with a playoff structure.”

So what lies ahead for the future of Irish basketball? Ryan believes that UCD Marian winning was a “healthy thing for the sport” and “an association with the NBA would be a very healthy way of stimulating interest in basketball”. With Ryan’s experience combined with a talented group of young players coming through the ranks, the future of UCD basketball is very bright.

In the build up to this weekend’s Six Nations opening fixtures, Gordon O’ Callaghan, Sam Geoghegan and Kevin Beirne sat down to discuss the upcoming event

This year’s Six Nations tournament has been tipped by many to be the most open in years. England, Wales and Ireland are going into their first fixtures with injury problems in the back row, front row and back three respectively. Scotland and Italy are improving and are no longer viewed as the whipping boys. The French seem to be in a state of continuous change under coach Marc Livermont. But with this being a World Cup year, all of the national coaches will be keeping one eye on September, and hoping to build on a potential grand slam with World Cup success.

Gordon: Should we sacrifice not winning a grand slam to breed some of the squad players for the World Cup?

Sam: I don’t think we are going to win a grand slam if we wanted to. I don’t think we are talented enough.

Kevin: I think that we have a chance of winning a slam, but I don’t think that we will.

Gordon: Are France the favourites then?

Kevin: Yeah.

Sam: It depends on what French team shows up.

Gordon: On paper are they the favourites?

Sam: Yeah, but I don’t think that you can discount England either.

Kevin: England? I see them coming third or fourth.

Gordon: I think that we could win a slam if we get some of our injured players back after the Italian game.

Kevin: Yeah that’s my worry that there are so many people out.

Gordon: With all the injuries, is there a possibility they could lose against Italy?

Sam: Yeah, of course there is, and especially in Rome.

Kevin: We haven’t lost to them yet, but we have come close a few times.

Gordon: If we are not going to win a slam, where are we going to lose it?

Kevin: At home to France.

Gordon: Badly?

Kevin: I can see it being within a try, being painstakingly close again and failing.

Gordon: Are we a worse team or better team than when we won the slam two years ago?

Kevin: I think we have better players in some positions, but I am not sure if we have a better team.

Sam: I would say we have a worse starting 15, but we are a better squad.

Gordon: Who is going to be the stand out player for Ireland?

Sam: Johnny Sexton

Kevin: Jamie Heaslip, and potentially Sean O’Brien to make a mark.

Sam: It’s going to be a Leinster player. I think that Cian Healy could make huge strides.

Gordon: Is there a dark horse this year?

Kevin: Wales are a weird team, you never know what you are going to get.

Gordon: Can Scotland or Wales win the six nations?

Kevin:  I don’t think Scotland can, Wales might be able to, just because they have been there and done it before.

Gordon: Who is going to be the player of the tournament, outside of Ireland?

Kevin: Whoever plays scrum half for France?

Sam: Johnny Wilkinson

Gordon: I’m saying Kelly

Under Eddie O’Sullivan, it seemed as though it was harder to lose your place in the Ireland team than it was for a Fianna Fáil TD to lose their seat. Oh how times have changed. Declan Kidney has shown he is not afraid to blood young talent, something he must continue to do in this Six Nations with the World Cup waiting at the end of the year. His team selection for the next five tests will tell us a lot about his vision for Ireland in the autumn, but don’t expect him to stray too much from the old-guard.

Gordon: So looking towards the first game, we’ve got Heaslip out and Flannery too.

Sam: We’re missing Hayes as well.

Gordon: Would Hayes have started anyway? For now, is it Mike Ross or Tom Court in the front row?

Kevin: I’d have Ross. Court is a handy player to have on the bench because he can play either side, but he’s not a starter.

Sam: And Court just turned 30 the other day. On the other side, Healy is developing but his scrummaging needs to improve.

Sam: Is Best going to be fit?

Kevin: Cronin might have to come in, and I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

Gordon: Even with the question marks over his throwing?

Kevin: Well he just offers so much in every other aspect of his game – ball-carrying, hitting rucks and he’s so fast!

Gordon: How about Leo Cullen or Donnacha O’Callaghan?

Kevin: On form it has to be Cullen. I’d like to see Toner in there, even just against Italy and Scotland.

Gordon: Well Toner’s been at Leinster since 2005, is he really the future for Ireland, or do we just lack depth at that position?

Kevin: Well recently I’ve seen a lot more in him. I just think O’Callaghan is dipping.

Sam: I’d keep Donnacha in there, just because he’s tried and tested.

Gordon: Half-backs?

Sam: Reddan has played with Sexton for longer than any of them. I also think Reddan’s more experienced and can speed up the tempo.

Kevin: Yeah, with Boss on the bench.

Gordon: Will we see Sexton for the whole tournament?

Sam: Well he’s such a confidence player.

Kevin: At centre, it’s D’Arcy and O’Driscoll

Gordon: Does that partnership still have the quality at the highest level? Is there an argument for including McFadden?

Kevin: I can’t see that happening. One of them would have to be missing an arm and a leg to be taken out.

Gordon: Well, most of our injuries are in the back three

Sam: Tommy Bowe, Trimble, Horgan, Murphy and Kearney are out, so no full back.

Gordon: But we’ve still got Earls as a good try-scorer on the left wing.

Kevin: I don’t think much of Earls. I feel he’s taken a few steps backwards in the past season or two.

Gordon: I’d agree that he gets exposed in the centre because of his size, but on the left wing he’s got pace.

With the World Cup kicking off in New Zealand next September, this year’s Six Nations tournament is once again a major factor in Ireland’s ambitions and a rich insight into the team’s readiness for the challenge. The question, therefore, is whether Ireland should use the Six Nations as preparation for the biggest tournament in world rugby, or should Declan Kidney’s men look to the short term and aim for Grand Slam glory. The long-term plans and preparations of countries such as France and Australia, which have been in place since 2007, suggest that both may not go hand-in-hand.

Gordon: Should we potentially sacrifice a Grand Slam to breed some of the squad players in for the World Cup?

Sam: This time next year, Kidney has to take away most of that squad as the World Cup will be over and we’ll hopefully be building for 2015.

Kevin: We’ve picked a bad time for it, every team seems to build for a World Cup but our progression is two years off.

Gordon: Are these guys coming up, excluding O’Brien, like Ryan, O’Malley, McFadden, Johnnie Murphy, Sean Cronin, as good as we think they are or are they being carried a little by the players around them? Will McFadden be as good as D’Arcy was at his peak? Will Fitzgerald be as good as Hickie was when he was in his prime?

Kevin: I think it’s very hard to compare because there are so many intangibles that go into it. D’Arcy was a flop at wing until they moved him to centre and suddenly he’s the golden boy. Heaslip came into an established Irish team and now he’s considered world class.

Gordon: O’Driscoll came in so soon after professionalism, so too did Stringer and O’Gara. They knew what it was like to struggle in an underperforming Irish team. Do the younger guys need to have that experience to give them that hunger and drive?

Kevin: Maybe, but you could say winning is a mentality.

Gordon: Would you swap a semi-final for a Grand Slam?

Sam: I’d take a Grand Slam because what good is a semi-final? What good is losing to one of the powerhouses in the semis? It would be great for the team to have another Grand Slam and/or trophy. It’s the last chance for the Golden Generation to win a World Cup. They’ve got the Heineken Cups and the Grand Slam; why not try to complete the set?

Gordon: Are we in a better position to win the World Cup if we win the Six Nations?

Kevin: There’ll be a lot more pressure and expectations

Gordon: We’ve never dealt with that before

Kevin: We’d be targeted a lot more

Gordon: Is it better to come in under the radar into the World Cup rather than winning a Grand Slam?

Sam: I’d rather us not win the Grand Slam but only if that made us more prepared and equipped to cope with the pressure of a World Cup.

Kevin: I’d love to win the Grand Slam and use that as a platform for the World Cup but it’ll be difficult.

The National Football League, with all of its glitz and glamour, could not have hoped for a better Superbowl. The Superbowl, now in its 45th year, will be played in the impressive new Cowboys Stadium of Arlington, Texas, this Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

These two teams are the most storied franchises in the NFL and arguably in US sports. Pittsburgh have won a record six Super Bowls, while the men from Wisconsin have three titles to their name, with the Superbowl trophy named after their most successful coach – Vince Lombardi. This is a game of the ultimate champions.

Pittsburgh’s quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is a man who has been there and done that. “Big Ben” was drafted in 2004 and since then he has established himself into one of the top quarterbacks in the league as he has led the Steelers to two Superbowl titles in the last five years. However, his off-field activities are not befitting of a franchise quarterback and a $102 million contract. Following his second season where Pittsburgh became World champions for the first time since their “Steel Curtain” team of the 1970s, Roethlisberger was involved in a serious motorcycle accident which threatened his career, just when he was trying to emerge as a toptier NFL quarterback.

The accident hampered Pittsburgh’s 2006 season as they failed to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh won their second title in four years in 2008 under new coach Mike Tomlin and Roethlisberger’s play was noticeably better than in previous seasons. Following this success, Big Ben was accused of rape in the summer of 2009. The charges were eventually dropped but these allegations were still very much fresh in the minds of many when Roethlisberger was accused a second time in March 2010.

This time the story was more believable and people began to wonder how an NFL superstar could be so stupid. Roethlisberger was not charged on either count and that has to be clear, but there are many unanswered questions especially about the second allegation. It was demonstrated that many had doubts when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Roethlisberger for the first six games of this season. In a land where a person is “innocent until proven guilty”, this shocked many as Roethlisberger hasn’t been legally charged with anything. The suspension was later reduced to four games.

In Roethlisberger’s absence, Pittsburgh were 3-1. Upon his return, Pittsburgh finished 12-4 and secured the number two seed in the playoffs. They’ve defeated the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets en route to Dallas and a battle with the ‘cheeseheads’. Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay quarterback, is a completely different style of triggerman to Roethlisberger, both on and off the field. While Roethlisberger tends to make plays with his feet by running out of the pocket, Rodgers is your typical pocket quarterback who can make all the throws – though also demonstrating pace when necessary. Rodgers entered the NFL in 2005 after a very impressive college career at California. He was a potential top five pick in the draft but he slid all the way down to 24th and into the hands of Green Bay. The 2005 draft will forever be remembered, as Rodgers had to wait alone in the green room for hours until he finally heard his name called.

His first three years as a pro didn’t make up for that embarrassment either. Green Bay already had an all-star quarterback in Brett Favre. After the confusion about Favre’s retirement persisted in 2008, a bitter divorce ensued culminating in Favre being traded to the Jets and Rodgers became the starter.

Rodgers finally had his chance at Lambeau Field to make the Packers his team. Although it is almost impossible to forget Favre who was at the helm since 1992, Rodgers handled the pressure considerably well. He has led Green Bay to the Superbowl as the first NFC number six seed after impressive wins on the road against the Eagles, Falcons and Bears.

Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have dominated American football over the last decade. It’s now Rodger’s time to stake his claim as the NFL’s best quarterback, and he has the potential to hold that title for years to come. However, Rodgers and Green Bay must win this Sunday in Dallas if he ever wants to be mentioned as the Packers’ third great quarterback behind Favre and Bart Starr and not just as number four’s replacement.

When former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Steve Young, won the Superbowl in 1994, he said the monkey was off his back as he had replaced possibly the greatest quarterback of all time in Joe Montanna. Rodgers needs to get the monkey off his back too and Superbowl XLV is the perfect opportunity for him to do just that.

The Australian Open began yesterday and it promises to be an exciting and exhilarating tournament to signal the new season of tennis. It’s the first Grand Slam of the year, hosted in Melbourne Park over the course of the next two weeks. Switzerland’s Roger Federer is the defending champion in the men’s draw, while Serena Williams of the United States will not be defending her crown or adding to any of her five previous titles as she was forced to withdraw due to a foot injury.

Rafael Nadal is traditionally Federer’s main threat and this tournament will prove to be no exception. Nadal is the number one seed even though Federer is the defending champion. The Spaniard has won the previous three Grand Slam titles, albeit last season.

If Nadal were to claim his second Australian Open title, it would be a remarkable achievement that would see him hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. This feat has not been accomplished since Rod Laver did it in 1969. It is so difficult because the four Grand Slams of the year are played on three different surfaces and it is almost impossible to be a master on all three.

Nadal has proved to be the undisputed “King of Clay” with five French Open titles to his name and he finally broke the grass domination of Federer at Wimbledon in 2008. He has already won the Australian and US Open – both of which are played on hard courts.

Back in September, Nadal became only the seventh man to have won all four Grand Slams when he beat Novak Djokovic in Flushing Meadows, New York, at the US Open. The Spaniard was the youngest man to have achieved this feat in the Open era and his fierce rival, Federer, had only joined that elite group of players the previous year, having always been denied at Roland Garros by Nadal.

For Federer, this tournament could prove to be a monumental shift in not only his career, but also male tennis as a whole. If he were unable to defend his title over the next two weeks, it would be the first time since 2003 (the year of his first Grand Slam) that he has not held at least one of the four Grand Slams. Federer may even re-assess his career and consider whether retirement would be the logical decision, to avoid fading away gradually and unfittingly for a man of his brilliance.

Federer has achieved everything you can in the game. He has won all four of the Grand Slams and his 16 titles are the most by any male ever to play the game, eclipsing the 14 titles of Pete Sampras. Nadal still has a lot more to win if he is to equal Federer’s record and it could be hard for him to win seven more considering the problems he has with his knees.

The 2011 season could be the turning point of male tennis and herald a new era of champions. Djokovic, Robin Soderling of Sweden and Scotland’s Andy Murray are all in a wonderful position to capitalise on any dip in the form from Federer or Nadal.

For Murray especially, a drop in Federer’s form would be most welcome. Murray carries the hopes of British tennis into every Grand Slam and in the two finals in which he has appeared Federer has stood in his way (at the 2008 US Open and at last year’s Australian Open).

If Murray is ever to win a Grand Slam and be the first British male tennis player since Fred Perry to do so, he needs to get the monkey off his back very soon. If he doesn’t, he’ll just become another Tim Henman and nobody wants that to happen.

On the women’s side of the draw, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark is the number one seed with Russian Vera Zvonareva and Belgium’s finest Kim Clijsters right behind the Dane at number two and three respectively. Venus Williams hopes to keep the title in her family and is well placed, being the number four seed.

Many questions will be answered over the next two weeks. This event may be pivotal in the make-up of men’s tennis for years to come, or Nadal and Federer could continue to dominate. Either way, it will be worth watching, with the finals of both ladies and men to be played in just under two weeks.

English Premier League

Competition for a Champions League spot in the Premiership is more intense than any other league in Europe. Every year, La Liga is just another dog fight between Barcelona and Real Madrid while Serie A has been more like a runaway freight train than a league, with Inter Milan winning the past five titles.

The Premiership has had different clubs competing every year. Chelsea and Manchester United consistently challenge for the top spot, while Arsenal and Liverpool have made exciting title races in recent seasons.

However, this season is demonstrating that the Premiership’s ‘Big Four’ are not what they once were. United’s 2010/11 squad is less than impressive, while an ever aging Chelsea side look vulnerable after a strong start to the season. Arsenal are as inconsistent as the offside rule, and the less written about Liverpool’s start to the season the better. The wealth of talent has finally spread.

Manchester City now bolster a side bursting with quality, Tottenham are finally fulfilling their potential after years of mediocrity – their place in the last 16 of the Champions League is well deserved.

There can be no doubt that the Premiership has a hierarchy, but competition is growing. Four Champions League places are there, but it’s anyone’s guess who will occupy them, maybe even this year’s surprise package Bolton.

The leagues physicality gives it a biting edge that other leagues can’t match. Diego Forlan is one of La Liga’s best goal-scorers, but couldn’t take the hits the Premiership had to offer. The aggressive nature of English clubs has hindered them in European competitions though, as European referees often harshly penalize them. Despite this, there have been eleven English European Cup winners, just one short of Italy and Spain, which demonstrates the quality of the Premiership.

Tight competition, rising stars and physicality – not to mention the diversity of the league (with 66 nations represented at present) – combine to make the Premiership the best league in the world.

-Daniel Keenan

German Bundesliga

The German Bundesliga is never discussed in the same way as the Premier League of England or Spain’s La Liga. The Bundesliga doesn’t have the same allure as the other leagues on the continent.

What the Bundesliga can be proud of is that their clubs can still compete at the highest level without incurring massive debts. Throughout Europe, clubs are riddled with debt. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have been saddled with huge debts since being bought in the past decade.

Manchester City are spending colossal amounts of money that they simply don’t have and the same can be said about Real Madrid to fund their second Galactico experiment. There were fears earlier this year that Barcelona, one of the best clubs in the world, might be unable to sustain their current financial state. It’s worrying that the clubs that dominate the Champions League year after year can only do so by operating in the red.

It was refreshing to see Bayern Munich make the final of Europe’s premier club competition last season. Bayern, along with most clubs in Germany, are part owned by their supporters and have minimal, if any, debt. The Bundesliga had the highest average attendance last season in Europe.

If any club has debt, it is usually stadium debt that will be paid off within the next decade. Along with this, their youth structure is second to none, and was clear for everyone to see at last summer’s World Cup where Germany advanced to the semi-finals with the help of a host of bright young prospects.

Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern President, stated that Manchester United – pre-Glazer family takeover- were the club Bayern tried to emulate. With world-class players such as Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger at their disposal, Bayern look set to lead a German domination of European football for years to come.

-Sam Geoghegan

Serie A

Once the elite league in European football, the Italian Serie A is experiencing somewhat of a fall from grace in recent times. Despite Inter Milan’s success in last season’s Champions League, the top flight of Italian football has been struck by crippling football hooliganism and simply fallen behind the big-spending super-clubs of Spain and England.

Last season saw Jose Mourinho lead Internazionale to an unprecedented treble – winning the League title, Coppa Italia and the Champions League. However, this wonderful achievement was far from a demonstration of Italy’s return to its past glory. This dominance served as an example of the weaknesses in the Italian domestic scene.

Inter Milan have now won the last five league titles with relative ease. Their main opposition comes in the form of traditional big-hitters Juventus and Roma, and of course local rivals A.C. Milan, but this opposition is far from competitive when it comes to title ambition. These former giants of the game are reliant on players who are becoming noticeably too old to compete.

Milan has a particularly old squad. With veterans such as Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta still forming the core of their first-team, the Rossoneri are hardly planning for the future. In a way Milan encapsulate the problems of Italian football, as they simply continue deteriorate.

The source of this degeneration of Serie A is rooted in its fans. The last decade has seen a rapid increase of football hooliganism in Italian football. This culture of rioting and petty attacks has even led to the deaths of innocent fans and football officials.

The 2006/07 season was particularly grim. Constant fighting caused the Italian Football Federation to threaten the halt of league football, before eventually suspending all league fixtures after a policeman was killed while on duty at a Serie A match. This wave of ruthless violence has caused attendances at league matches to plummet and severely damaged the income and progress of Italy’s clubs.

Internazionale’s poor form this season under new manager Rafael Benitez is a clear representation that without Portugal’s Jose Mourinho, Inter Milan are simply another struggling Italian club.

-Ryan Mackenzie

La Liga

When you think of La Liga, you no doubt think of the glamour of both the play on the pitch and the off-field antics of the clubs. You picture the perfectly fluid football of Barcelona or the ‘Galácticos’ of Real Madrid. Even outside of the big two, La Liga boasts a wealth of talent in the form of teams such as Sevilla and Atlético Madrid.

Los Culés are arguably the greatest team on earth right now. With players like Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández it is no wonder why they are so feared. Barcelona’s slogan ‘Més que un club’, meaning: ‘more than a club’, exemplifies the passion within this exceptional club.

Madrid’s reputation has taken a bit of a knock in recent years with Barcelona’s superior style of play and the collapse of the first Galácticos, yet they are still the most successful club in the history of Europe. With 31 La Liga titles and nine European Cup/Champions League victories, Los Blancos remain the most successful and illustrious club in the world.

Their current crop of players would make any manger envious. Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká are just some of the weapons available to José Mourinho. With some of the best players in the world and possibly the best manager in the game, it would appear only a matter of time before Madrid becomes the first club to enter double-digits in European Cup titles.

Maybe domination is concentrated too greatly on the top two, but there is still some exceptional talent to be found in the other 18 challengers. Diego Forlán, Fernando Llorente and Sergio Aguero are tremendously exciting players to watch and proven match winners. For the most part, however, Spanish football is all about El Classico and undoubtedly boasts the most flair in European football.

- Kevin Beirne

The most open Ashes in recent memory got underway in Australia last Thursday in Brisbane. The Ashes is a five test cricket series between Australia and England. Australia have 31 wins compared to England’s 29 victories with five series’ emerging as draws. It is played every two years, hosting series alternatively in the two countries. This time, it is the turn of the Aussies to play host and force England to travel Down Under for the next six weeks.

While England are the on-form team at present, defending the Ashes on foreign soil will prove to be a difficult task. England have not won the Ashes in Australia since the 1986/87 series and have not won a meaningful test against the Aussies in Australia since that series.

Although Australia are struggling to find their form, the Ashes may provide the impetus to ignite passion back into cricket in Australia. Australia do not want to experience the embarrassment and humiliation of being the first Aussie side to lose an Ashes series on home soil in a generation and no home side has lost an Ashes since England were thrashed in 2001. After all, to both countries, the Ashes is bigger than the World Cup.

This year, England and Australia met each other in the Twenty20 final in May with England emerging comfortable victors. The two countries also played five one-day internationals in England during the summer, with England winning the first three ODIs and therefore claim the series with two ODIs remaining.

The fact that Australia won the last two games this summer shouldn’t be of any significance. Australia then lost to Pakistan in two ODIs and tied a test series 1-1 while England enjoyed a very successful summer following their defeat of their fiercest rivals.

England enjoyed a 2-1 defeat of Bangladesh in an ODI series and emerged victorious against Pakistan in three different series’ – 3-1 in the test series, 2-0 in the Twenty20 series and 3-2 in the ODI series. Prior to the Ashes, Australia played cricket in a more familiar setting at home against Sri Lanka and India and despite enjoying home-field advantage, they lost both series against the visitors.

On the English squad is Eric Morgan. Morgan is an Irish cricketer who switched allegiance and declared to play for England. He went to school in Dublin at CUS on Leeson Street and played for Ireland at under-15, under-17 and under-19 level. He played in two under-19 World Cups for his native country and captained his nation at his second World Cup. He enjoyed his greatest success with his adopted nation when he scored an unbeaten century in a test match against Pakistan at Trent Bridge that helped England win by a grand total of 354 runs.

In addition, Morgan currently plays cricket for Middlesex and has been selected for his first Ashes series. His first English cap was against Bangladesh earlier this year. When Morgan will be called upon, he will be batting for England in the middle order and can be a dangerous weapon that Australia have never faced before. While cricket may be alien to many Irish people and following England at any sport even more so, Morgan will surely have the support of every Irish cricket fan.

England are captained by Andrew Strauss, while Ricky Ponting is Austalia’s skipper. The series could come down to these two men. Both are excellent batsmen but many agree that Strauss is the better captain and his cool head and consistent batting will be needed if England are to successfully defend the Ashes. Strauss has thrived since being appointed captain and the added pressure has had a galvanising effect, which cannot be said for previous England captains with Michael Vaughn a prime example.

This is the most open Ashes in living memory. If England can win the five-game series or even tie it and thus successfully defend it, it could be the biggest news over the Christmas break. Look for the series to go down to the wire with the fifth test scheduled to take place from January 3rd to 7^th in Sydney.

The shortlist for the new FIFA Ballon d’Or was published last week, with FIFA choosing 23 players to feature on it.

The award represents the merging of the FIFA World Player of the Year award and France Football’s Ballon d’Or – otherwise known as European Player of the Year – and is the first of its kind.

The world’s superstars populate the list, although there are a few surprises, most notably Ghana international and Sunderland’s record signing Asamoah Gyan. While Gyan was impressive at the World Cup during the summer, at which he scored three goals, his form at club level has been inconsistent.

One of the favourites for the award, Xavi Hernandez

The shortlist is dominated by attacking players. Only four defenders have been selected and Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol is the only centre-back included. Puyol’s partner in central defence at club and international level, Gerard Piqué, strongly warrants selection.

FIFA and France Football seem to favour flair players, yet some nominees are probably undeserving of their place on the shortlist and made it on reputation alone. Cristiano Ronaldo springs to mind in this instance. The Real Madrid star had an atrocious World Cup for Portugal and failed to outshine Lionel Messi during their El Clásico encounters.

Arsenal’s creative force in midfield, Cesc Fabregas, made the list despite being injured for the last two months of the season and failing to start in any of Spain’s World Cup matches.

An argument could easily be made for England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney to be there in the Spaniard’s place. With 43 goals and PFA and the Football Writers Player of the Year awards, the gifted young player had a wonderful season worthy of recognition.

Spain dominate the shortlist, with seven Spanish internationals selected, and Barcelona have the highest number of players featuring on the list. However, it appears that FIFA have based their selection on the performances of the World Cup. No English, French or Italians feature, reflecting the disappointing performances of these countries in South Africa.

Truly, this decade of football looks set to be Spain’s. Since La Roja broke their championship hoodoo by winning Euro 2008, they entered the World Cup in the summer as favourites.

Although they may not have played the free-flowing football we have come to expect from their incredibly talented team, the Spaniards ground out results in a clinical and professional manner en route to a deserved first-ever title. Each shortlisted player merits selection, with the exception of Fabregas.

While Barcelona were unable to defend their European crown, they did retain their La Liga title by overcoming the galácticos of their big-spending arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Los Cules look capable of dominating European football for years to come. An exceptionally gifted young manager in Pep Guardiola leads them, and the majestic Lionel Messi spearheads their attack on the pitch. They have also added Javier Mascherano and arguably the favourite for the Ballon d’Or, David Villa, to an already star-studded squad.

Real Madrid will also be right there domestically and on the European front at the end of the season. The second generation of the galácticos is in place, and in two-time European Cup winner Jose Mourinho, they have a coach capable of handling the pressure and expectation of the unforgiving Real fans.

The Premiership has fallen behind La Liga in recent seasons, and the gulf appears to be widening. Manchester United and Liverpool are debt-ridden, Arsenal haven’t won a trophy in five years and Chelsea’s big spending budget has been curtailed significantly in recent years by owner Roman Abramovich.

Spain’s clubs are at the top now, but it might not last. History has taught us that a national league’s domination of European football is cyclical. However, it may be some time before the rest of the continent catches up, while Spain’s international side are the real deal. It will take something special to knock them off their perch.

On a night when a Galway United loss gifted the Students another year of top flight football, UCD were dealt a loss of their own in the Belfield Bowl. Sam Geoghegan reports

One victory from their last three matches was needed for UCD to guarantee another year of Premier Division football at the Belfield Bowl. Friday night saw UCD host Dundalk and like UCD, Dundalk were not safe just yet, only needing two points from their final three games.

The visitors managed to secure victory, and therefore another year in the top flight with a hard-fought 2-0 win. Despite their loss, UCD will also remain in the upper echelon of Irish football as Sporting Fingal defeated Galway United 3-1, saving the Students from a relegation battle.

UCD dominated the early stages but were unable to find any sort of breakthrough. The match sprang to life after only eight minutes when an innocuous free-kick for UCD on the touchline incensed the vocal visiting support. At times during the match, it felt as if UCD were playing in Louth, such was the noise reverberating from the Lily-White section of the stand.

Dundalk keeper, Peter Cherrie, was in inspired form especially during a ten-minute spell in the first half. He twice denied striker David McMillan.

Cherrie came to the rescue once again after some fantastic build-up play culminated with Ciaran Kilduff squaring to right winger Chris Mulhall, who could only direct his shot straight at Cherrie.

Against the run of play, the Louth men took the lead. On the half-hour mark, Stephen Maher, who had only just come on a minute earlier, caused problems down the right. Slack defending and poor marking led to Fahrudin Kudozovic tapping into an empty net from close range. Dundalk were beginning to gain the upperhand.

However, their momentum was short lived. On the stroke of half-time, Dundalk defender Gary Breen was shown a straight red card for allegedly throwing an elbow at UCD midfielder Greg Bolger.

UCD emerged from the dressing room after the break ready to overturn the deficit. Two saves by Cherrie again in the opening two minutes suggested that the second half would be all UCD. The Students piled the pressure on throughout the half, with David McMillan coming close on a couple of occasions, only to be thwarted by the away keeper once again.

The bombardment on Dundalk’s goal was constant, yet their well-organised defence would not crack. UCD were forced into speculative long-range efforts as the visitors put everyone behind the ball.

Keith Ward had a shot on goal on the hour mark after a good build-up play, yet his shot was always rising. UCD’s numerical advantage was obvious for everyone to see, but they couldn’t make it count.

With 15 minutes to go, Greg Bolger skipped past the challenge of Dundalk full-back Shaun Kelly and raced down the left pulling the ball back for his fellow central midfielder, Paul Corry. The UCD man took a touch inside the box to take it around the defender before being taken down by Dean Bennett. The referee had no choice but to award the penalty, much to the dismay of the hostile Dundalk support.

Greg Bolger stepped up to take the penalty and equalise for his side. Unfortunately for the hosts, he smashed it straight at Cherrie who tipped it onto the crossbar. The ball then bounced back into the thankful arms of the goalkeeper. The crowd sensed that it was to be UCD’s best opportunity.

Dundalk were hanging on, visibly tired and longing for the full-time whistle. The Students would not relent. Chris Mulhall demonstrated impressive technique to volley a cross which had goal written all over it, only to be blocked by a defender. This was to prove UCD’s last chance of note.

Dundalk wrapped up all three points in the 85th minute when goalkeeper Billy Brennan made a mess of a routine back pass to allow substitute Johnny Breen to put the visitors two goals ahead. Fittingly, Breen and his teammates celebrated in front of their passionate travelling fans.

UCD’s four-match unbeaten run came to an end, yet manager Martin Russell must be congratulated for securing their safety from relegation with two games to go – a disappointing result then, but an excellent season.

The Students’ penultimate league match sees them take on third-placed Sligo Rovers in the Belfield Bowl this Friday in what will no doubt be a welcome break from the pressures of battling relegation.

The Ryder Cup is upon us once again, and Europe is desperate to avoid a second consecutive defeat at the hands of the United States. The sporting world will be glued to the dramatic, exciting, and very often painfully intense action from the moment the first ball is struck on the morning of 1st October.

This Ryder Cup is crucial for the Europeans. The pressure is on captain Colin Montgomerie and his team to reclaim the trophy that the US impressively won at Valhalla two years ago. Europe hasn’t lost back-to-back cups since 1993, nor has it been beaten on home soil since. To make matters worse, Montgomerie had the unenviable task of selecting three wildcards out of five deserving and talented stars.

The Scot chose three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Englishman Luke Donald and the Italian Edoardo Molinari, brother of Francesco Molinari, with whom he brought home their country’s first World Cup in China almost a year ago. While Francesco has failed to win on the tour this year, and joins Harrington in a spell of underachievement, his brother has two tour victories under his belt. The English duo of Paul Casey and Justin Rose were the unfortunate two who will have to watch the event from home.

All five of the players in question had compelling reasons for selection, so the issue here is not with Montgomerie and his vice-captains, but with the flaws of Europe’s selection process. Casey is ranked number seven in the world, yet he’s unable to earn a spot on the 12-man team.

Justin Rose won twice on the PGA Tour this year and is ranked higher than four of the selected team. Dubliner Harrington undoubtedly earned his spot due to his impressive double at The Open and not his Ryder Cup track record.

Montgomerie described his selection headache as “an embarrassment of riches on this occasion”, yet this “embarrassment” was caused by the European Tour’s stubbornness to admit that they are inferior to their American counterparts.

The US PGA Tour is, without a doubt, the most prestigious tour in golf. It has the best players and the biggest prize money. These factors make it irresistible for any professional golfer wishing to challenge themselves against the best in the game and have drawn much of the talent away from Europe’s “Race to Dubai”. The Ryder Cup is Europe’s finest against the best of the United States; it is not the European Tour versus the PGA Tour.

Encouraging participation in the European Tour by offering Ryder Cup points is clever, yet shortsighted. If the European Tour officials believe that their policy will force more of their players’ home from across the Atlantic, one just has to remember the last European qualifying tournament.

At Gleneagles, Casey, Harrington, Donald and Rose all needed to play in an attempt to gain an automatic spot. Not one of the four attended the tournament in Scotland, instead preferring to take part in the first round of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs in New Jersey. Each of the “FedEx Four” knew the consequences of their decision, yet the lure of the PGA Tour and its end of season playoff structure proved more appealing than a spot in the Ryder Cup.

On a positive note, however, Europe has a good mixture of youth and experience – six of the team being first timers. Harrington’s two Open Championships and a USPGA Championship title are no longer all Europe can show for their efforts at the majors.

Irishman Graeme McDowell won this year’s US Open, while Martin Kaymer of Germany proved victorious at the PGA Championship. That said, while the European team is excellent, it could be better. Paul Casey and Justin Rose are unequivocally inside the top twelve European players in the world and deserve to be on the team.

If “Mr. Ryder Cup” himself, Montgomerie, is unable to lead Europe to the 14.5 points needed to claim the trophy back from the Americans, then the selection process must be altered – just as the Americans did after losing the Ryder Cup in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Ironically, a US win in two weeks time is required to reform, and indeed develop, the European game.