Sporting Saturday
With the Premiership back on a typically sunny hot day, there was always going to be loads of football to savour.
However, my sports watch began at 8/05 with a rugby match between the All Blacks and the Pumas from Argentina. There is no more dangerous side in any sport than the avenging All Blacks who lost last Saturday to the Pumas. Under new coach Scott Robertson they have dropped stalwarts like Brodie Retallack and Aaron Smith so it was a new look team that easily disposed of the Pumas 40-12. They still have world class players like new captain Ardie Savea.
Next up on tv was the much-hyped return of Ipswich to the top flight after 22 years. In the 1970s Ipswich under Bobby Robson chased down Liverpool, won the old UEFA Cup – the precursor of the Europa League – and were a very good team indeed.
Sadly the John Cobbold era (he also appointed Alf Ramsay) came to an end and the club was in the doldrums for many seasons but for a period under George Burley and chairman David Sheepshanks.
I was so delighted to see them back after successive promotions under brilliant manager Kieran McKenna.
They were playing Liverpool themselves under new stewardship Arne Slot taking over from Jurgen Klopp.
The difference between the two sides is the bench aa Ipswich held out for an hour but the big boys have game changers on the bench.
Whether Ipswich survive will not be dependent on beating a top six club but rather the bottom six and taking points from those at the next level ( Crystal Palace , Brentford , Fulham , Brighton, Wolves).
Ipswich have to play Manchester City but after that have an easier run. They have acquired Omari Hutchinson and Kalvin Phillips on loan and I do hope they manage to avoid relegation. No one pointed out their significant injury list.
The match was on TNT. They use as pundit Peter Crouch who towers above the other pundits on everything but intellect. They satisfied their and the public demand for celebs by interviewing Ed Sheehan.
He is born in Ipswich is a real fan who has sponsored the shirts and now a minor shareholder. He is not there for the kudos nor the money.
We had some guests for an early evening drink and after they left I watched the end of West Ham 1 Aston Villa followed by the Sky Game of the Day Arsenal 2 Wolves 0. Villa may well qualify for Europe. There is a media view that this could be Arsenal’s year as they have assembled a powerful squad but I think Manchester City will make it 5 in a row.
