‘LEGEND’ is such an overused word but
IN THIS case it fits — the records are probably too numerous to mention but let’s just keep it simple: Jimmy Greaves, who passed away last Sunday morning, was quite simply the best British striker ever and in the conversation for the best that Europe’s ever seen.
One of the first times I, as a callow ten-year-old standing on a stool in the Paxton, saw him he was making mugs out of Ron Yeats and Tommy Smith, while in the process reducing Bill Shankly to an apoplectic fit.
A few weeks later he did the same to Messrs Charlton, Hunter, Bremner, and Giles, when Leeds came calling, and poor old Nobby Stiles couldn’t get near him when it was Manchester United’s turn to get the Greaves treatment.
The man was special, but obviously he couldn’t do it on his own and he formed highly productive partnerships with bruising Bobby Smith, the marvellously silky Alan Gilzean, and the hulking Martin Chivers, which delivered many more goals to add to the record books.
His England record wasn’t too sad either where his goals to games ratio (44 in 57) is off the charts and will almost certainly never be beaten. Let’s also not forget his TV partnership with Liverpool great Ian St John, which to my mind is still the best footie show on the box and one that I still watch on YouTube. (Check out the edition where Jimmy’s Spitting Image puppet subs in for him when he had flu, it’s hilarious.)
Romela and Harry
One thing we did learn from last week’s Spurs-Chelsea game is that neither Harry Kane nor
It’s not American football
First Gareth Southgate with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho against Italy, now David Moyes and Mark Noble against Manchester United: it really is not a good idea to bring on players in the last minute to take penalties. Yes, I know they should score from 12 yards, but with their first kick of the game having sat on the bench for the entire game?
Number of the week
Forty-one: successive penalties not saved by David de Gea prior to the above.
Team of the week
Vicente Guaita Palace, Marcos Alonso Chelsea, Thiago Chelsea, Oriel Romeu Southampton, Valentino Livramento Southampton, Marc Cucurella Brighton, N’Golo Kante Chelsea, Ivan Toney Brentford, Ismaila Sarr Watford, Allan Saint-Maximin Newcastle, Sadio Mane Liverpool. Managers: Ralph Hassenhuttl Southampton, Graham Potter Brighton. Player of the week: N’Golo Kante Chelsea.
Jimmy Greaves and his Spitting Image puppet
Chelsea were going nowhere at the Lane last Sunday until Kante was brought on at half time. I really do think the little man is the best midfielder in Europe, if not the world.
This week’s games
Premier League today 2:30; Chelsea vs Citeh, United vs Villa. 5pm; Everton vs Norwich, Leeds vs West Ham, Leicester vs Burnley, Watford vs Newcastle. 7:30; Brentford vs Liverpool. Tomorrow 4pm; Southampton vs Wolves. 6:30; Arsenal vs Spurs. Monday 10pm; Palace vs Brighton.
Selected Championship today 2:30; Reading vs Middlesbrough. 5pm; Sheffield United vs Derby, Stoke vs Hull. Tuesday 9:45; Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United. Wednesday Derby vs Reading.
Selected Scotland Today 5pm; Dundee vs Rangers, Hearts vs Livingston. Tomorrow 5pm; Celtic vs Dundee United, Hibs vs St Johnstone.
Champions League Tuesday 10pm; Paris St Germain vs Citeh, Porto vs Liverpool. Wednesday 10pm; United vs Villarreal, Juventus vs Chelsea. Europa League Thursday 7:45; Sparta Prague vs Rangers, Legia Warsaw vs Leicester. 10pm; Celtic vs Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham vs Rapid Vienna.
Europa Conference League Thursday 10pm; Spurs vs NS Mura (me neither.)
Game of the week: Chelsea vs
Citeh. Since Thomas Tuchel pitched up at Chelsea, the Blues have had the Indian sign over Pep Guardiola’s league champions and I can see this game continuing the trend.
Romela Lukaku will look to be the defining factor this time around but he does not have a good record against the top sides and couldn’t even score against Spurs last weekend, so expect Chelsea’s threat to come from midfield.
The other game to watch is the North London Derby, if only to see whether either or both of these sides are as bad as recent results seem to indicate.
Superb bowler superb commentator
“The bowler is Holding, the batsman’s Willey.” That famous (or even infamous) quote from Brian “Jonners” Johnson came during the Oval test in 1976 as Peter Willey was facing the awesome Michael Holding, aka Whispering Death, and it came to mind last week after Holding announced his retirement as a commentator on Sky.
Holding had a beautifully graceful action as a bowler and in the commentary box spoke with a smooth West Indian lilt as he brought his years of expertise to the microphone. He’ll be missed.
Russian Grand Prix tomorrow, 3pm. Seconds out round three. First round at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton takes out Max Verstappen and goes on to win the race. Second round at Monza, Verstappen takes out himself and Hamilton, both are out of the race, nil points. Which brings us to Sochi – can we expect more of the same? I think not, but it’s clear that neither driver will give way should they find themselves on a tight corner with little room to manoeuvre. But something has to give, given that the Dutchman has a controversial and tenuous five-point lead over the defending champion.
And finally
Last week’s question: who was the first unseeded player to win Wimbledon? That would be Boris Becker who, aged 17, saw off Kevin Curran over four sets in 1985.
Goran Ivanisevic would later become the first wild card entry to win Wimbledon after missing the main draw while ranked 125th, but he had already lost singles finals in 1992, 1994, and 1998 so was hardly an unknown.
This week: what do former Tranmere keeper Eric Nixon and former Leicester striker Tony Cottee have in common?
Richards at Jessic quiz time again, round seven – all answers begin with “B”: What country’s flag has a red circle on a green background? I’d already put down Bangladesh and moved on to the next question when after about two minutes Peter Crowfoot pipes up with “Mozambique”. Draw your own conclusions.