Murray among best at talking sport
UNLESS he is very much mistaken, Murray Walker’s ascent to the great commentary box upstairs completes the full set.
In the pantheon of sport’s definitive voices, Walker goes straight into the celestial dream team.
Richie Benaud told us not to bother looking for Ian Botham’s towering six at Headingley, let alone chase it – because it had gone straight into the confectionery stall and out again.
Sir Peter O’sullevan could identify a jockey’s silks miles away on the Epsom Downs, at Aintree or the Gloucestershire hinterlands at Cheltenham.
David Coleman famously took Italy and Chile to task for their infamous ‘Battle of Santiago’ at the 1962 World Cup, branding their anarchy “the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game”.
None of your ‘Super Sunday’ naffness there.
‘Whispering’ Ted Lowe’s hushed soundtrack at the Crucible, Geordie bard Sid
Waddell’s inspired dottiness at the darts, the glorious baritone of Peter Alliss on the golf course and Dan Maskell’s priceless plums in his mouth at Wimbledon were all part of our sporting landscape. So was Eddie Waring’s sympathy with
Don Fox after his shanked conversion, right under the posts, cost Wakefield Trinity rugby league’s Challenge Cup Final: “He’s missed it! The poor lad...”
When Harry Carpenter wasn’t ringside, commentating on world title fights, he was on first-name terms with the pugilists themselves. Know what I mean, ‘Arry?
With Walker, who has died at 97, the curtain has fallen on a golden age for sport. With the great Muzza’s passing there is a sense the last light has gone out on the outside broadcast producer’s dashboard.
Even those of us who regard Formula One as a glorified trade show readily acknowledge Walker was synonymous with his specialist subject. He was pure gold, one in a bullion.
WOLVES boss Nuno Espirito Santo has put his side on alert for old boy Diogo Jota tonight and promised the striker a hug and a kiss.
Wanderers don’t need to analyse the Liverpool attacker in detail to know he is deadly.
Jota scored 44 goals in 131 appearances for the Molineux side, including hat-tricks in last season’s Europa League against Besiktas and Espanyol.
It followed his successful loan in their 2017-18 Championshipwinning campaign from Atletico Madrid before a £12.8m switch in 2018.
Now the Portuguese international, who joined Liverpool in the close season for
by JAMES NURSEY
£41m, is set to star back on his old stamping ground.
Nuno said: “I will give him a big hug and eventually a kiss – this is how much I like him.
“If I see him before I will hug him strongly and at the end I will hug him no matter what because I have a big admiration for him.
“We had three years together every day. I am absolutely sure if Molineux was full of our fans he would have a huge reception.
“What Diogo did with us was amazing, fantastic and beyond words. He was truly admired because he gave everything he had for us.
“He joined us in the Championship and put his life and heart here, which cannot ever be forgotten.
“He is on his way now and went to a fantastic club and is healthy again and playing football and smiling. We wish him all the best.”
Tonight’s game will also see a reunion for Nuno with his former player Fabinho.
He briefly coached the Brazilian at the start of his managerial career with Rio Ave in Portugal in 2012.
can park lives.
Arsenal dominated right from the off, with Emile Smith Rowe rattling the crossbar with an outrageous dipping effort from long range.
Tottenham were chasing shadows so much it was no real surprise when Son pulled up with what looked straight away like a hamstring injury and limped off.
But goals change games, and Son’s replacement changed this one with an outrageous strike that will be shown over and over again. There was little on the bus and defend for your when Lamela received a pretty aimless header from Sergio Reguilon.
But the cheeky Argentina star went for the spectacular and pulled it off, firing a rabona into the bottom corner.
Spurs had certainly needed it. Then Cedric smacked the upright soon afterwards with a tremendous drive for Arsenal.
And an unmarked Odegaard dragged them level with a shot which deflected in off Toby Alderweireld after Kieran Tierney beat Matt Doherty far too easily. Then, in the 63rd minute,
Davinson Sanchez pulled down Lacazette in the box and the Frenchman stepped up to send countryman Hugo Lloris the wrong way.
Sanchez didn’t need to make a tackle because Lacazette totally missed his kick, but his mistake ended up costing his team.
And when Lamela was shown his second yellow for accidentally striking Tierney in the face, the game was up for Spurs.
Kane had a header ruled offside and hit the post with a free-kick, with Sanchez denied by Gabriel on the follow-up, as the 10 men briefly threatened a comeback.
But it wasn’t to be. In the end, it was only the third time in 23 matches as a manager against Arsenal that Mourinho has lost.
And it meant Mikel Arteta avoided becoming the first Arsenal manager to lose his first three North London derbies.
Who needs Aubameyang anyway…
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