Grant Holt for England?

After England’s two top strikers pulled out of the friendly match against Holland, it provides a great chance for someone to step up and put forward their case for a place in the opening match of Euro 2012.

There appears to be an emphasis on youth in Pearce’s selections up front though. Daniel Sturridge, Frazier Campbell and Danny Welbeck are all relatively young and have shown plenty of promise this season. However, one obvious candidate appears to have been overlooked.

Grant Holt is the second highest scoring Englishman in the Premiership behind Wayne Rooney

Grant Holt is currently the joint second highest scoring Englishman in the Premiership, behind only Wayne Rooney. With 10 goals in his first season in the top flight, he has continued his good run of scoring from the past few seasons. He scored 20 goals in 2008/09 as he led Shrewsbury to the playoff final in League 2, before moving to Norwich for around £400k.

He hit 24 goals in 2009/10 as Paul Lambert’s Norwich clinched promotion from League 1 and dispelled doubts about his ability at a higher level by scoring 21 goals as they made it successive promotions.

Many of his critics have labelled him as simply a big man up front, with little skill or ability. However, he brings much more to the table. Goals against Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have shown that he has the talent to cause problems for some of the best defenders in the country.

Admittedly, at 30-years old, he is not one for the future. However, he has proven that he can score goals at every level of the English game. Having started his career at Workington Reds as a defender, he has battled his way up through the divisions to reach the Premiership, where he can now boast that he has outscored the likes of Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov. He may also point out that he has scored more goals than any other player in the England squad.

His goal against United continued to show he can score against the best defences

The other key point is that he would add something that the other strikers do not. As good as Welbeck, Sturridge and Campbell may be, they are all very similar players – small and quick. Grant Holt is the opposite of this. He is big and strong, he covers a lot of ground and he causes opposition defenders all sorts of problems. Before last weekend’s match, Manchester United’s Jonny Evans admitted that he was expecting a tough time against Holt.

He is likely to provide a different threat for continental defences, who are generally more used to dealing with less physical, more skilful players. Either way, he deserves a chance to show what he can do, whether it be in training sessions or in the match against Holland. It would also send a great message to players lower down the pyramid that if they are good enough, they can make it all the way to the top.

However, once again it seems that playing well for unfashionable clubs is not enough to gain international recognition. Other than the goalkeepers, Leighton Baines and Frazier Campbell are the only two players playing outside the top seven teams to be in the squad, and Campbell came through at Manchester United. Naturally, the majority of the squad will be playing at the top teams. 

Bothroyd was given the chance and Holt has undoubtedly outshone him in the last twelve months

In-form players in lesser teams should be given the opportunity though. Arguably it is more difficult to get goals or create chances in a weaker side. Ten goals is a very good return in your first season in the top flight. Jay Bothroyd was given the chance last season, despite scoring fewer goals than Holt.

He may not be the most aesthetically pleasing of player. He may not have a fancy name or play for one of the biggest clubs. However, he has proven that he can score goals and trouble the top defences. That should be enough to win him the opportunity to prove that he can make his mark on the international level.

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The Importance of Goalkeeping

There is always excitement when you hear the rumours that your team is on the verge of signing that 20-goal striker or the creative genius that will break down even the most stubborn of defences. That same excitement is not always there when that signing is actually new central defender or an experienced goalkeeper.

In the eyes of the fans, attractive attacking football is always the goal to aspire to. Looking back through the ages, it is always the free-flowing flair of the Brazilians and the pass-and-move of the Barcelonas of this world that appeal to the casual fan. The solid, back-to-the-wall style of the Italians is hardly a style to set the pulse running.

Italy have had great success with a defensive style over the years

However, one only has to look at the trophies that the Italians have accrued both at club level and international level to suspect that there may be something in this style that breeds success. Their four World Cup titles are behind only Brazil and Germany, while the likes of Internazionale, AC Milan and Juventus are major players in the European game.

There was an interesting quote from Chelsea’s Performance Director, Mike Forde, in a Financial Times column by Simon Kuper, where he states that there is a stronger correlation between clean sheets and overall finishing position than there is between goals scored and finishing position.

Soccer by the Numbers and 5 Added Minutes have both looked into this. In the Premiership, on average, a clean sheet is worth between 2.6 and 2.7 points per game. Even conceding just one goal is still worth around 1.6 points per game. Of course, a clean sheet will always guarantee you at least one point, even if you fail to score.

The interesting comparison is then in terms of attacking. Scoring three goals in a match is worth between 2.7 and 2.8 points per match, while scoring twice is worth around 2.3 points per match. In other words, in terms of points gained, which is the ultimate goal of a football team, a clean sheet is worth the equivalent of scoring almost three goals per match.

This then raises the question of why strikers and attacking players are valued so much more highly than defenders and goalkeepers.

There are a whole host of strikers that transfer for fees of over £15m – it is rare that a transfer window passes without at least five or more strikers moving for this size of fee. Even in the more economically challenged period that many clubs are going through, strikers still continue to be the most prized.

Fernando Torres is an example of a hugely overvalued striker

Since January 2011, we have seen Fernando Torres move for £50m, Andy Carroll for £35m, Darren Bent for £24m, Luis Suarez for £23m, Sergio Aguero for £38m, Edin Dzeko for £27m amongst others, and that is only in the Premiership. There are many similar fees throughout the major leagues in Europe. A Premiership team would not think twice about splashing out £10m plus for a striker.

However, compare this with the transfer valuations of goalkeepers. Until Manchester United spent £18m on David De Gea in the summer, the previous record transfer fee paid for a keeper was the £9m that Sunderland spent on Craig Gordon. Indeed, there have only been four keepers transferred for over £10m in history.

Goalkeepers generally do not begin to reach their peak until at least their mid-twenties. Naturally, there are exceptions, but those keepers who reach their peak young are rare. This is several years older than outfield players, but this is balanced by the fact that keepers can keep playing longer than outfield players.

Brad Friedel is still starring for Tottenham at the age of 40

Indeed, keepers often produce some of their best form in the twilight of their career. Looking around the Premiership, we see 40-year old Brad Friedel still producing the goods as Tottenham challenge for the title. Until he retired at the end of last season, 40-year old Edwin van der Sar was still widely recognised as one of the best keepers in the game. Mark Schwarzer continues to impress at the age of 39, while Jussi Jaaskelainen, Tim Howard, Shay Given, Paddy Kenny and Thomas Sorensen are all in their thirties.

Signing a 25-year old striker could potentially lead to around five or so years of play at the very top level, before he begins to decline. In comparison, signing at 28-year old keeper could feasibly lead to ten years at least.

It is no surprise that keepers tend not to move clubs often, especially compared with outfield players. Once a team has found their keeper, they do not want to lose them. Looking around Europe, many of the leading teams have had the same keeper for many years. In Spain, Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes have been at Real Madrid and Barcelona for years. In England, Petr Cech and Pepe Reina have been fixtures in their sides for five years plus.

Once a team loses a top keeper, it is often difficult to replace them. After all these years, Arsenal have arguably still to replace David Seaman. It took Sir Alex Ferguson several attempts to replace Peter Schmeichel – the likes of Massimo Taibi, Mark Bosnich and Fabian Barthez all came and went without success. Thus far, the same problem seems to be happening trying to replace van der Sar.

Manchester United struggled to replace Schmeichel for many years

Naturally all managers and clubs look to spot the next big thing, before he is spotted by another club. Picking up a talent on the cheap and turning them into a star is not only economically sensible, but it also pleases the fans of the club. However, in terms of the goalkeeping position, there is an argument to suggest that spending big on proven talent is the more effective and efficient strategy.

It is the one position where others cannot cover for the mistakes that you make. A mistake from a keeper will invariably lead to a goal. If an outfield player makes a mistake, there is generally a teammate around to mop up, or at least the keeper will provide an additional line of defence.

Gambling on the keeper can cost a team an entire season. Many people have suggested that had Arsenal had a top quality keeper, they may have won several titles in the past five years – instead they have not won a trophy in almost six years. Arsene Wenger, for all his talent, appears to have resisted the urge to bring in a proven keeper. The likes of Manuel Almunia and Lukas Fabianski have made blunder after blunder, probably costing Arsenal silverware.

When a leading keeper becomes available, teams should do everything in their power to snap them up. For example, had Manchester United signed Manuel Neuer, a proven top level international keeper, in the summer rather than taking a risk on David de Gea, a relatively unproven young keeper, they may well be top of the table and still in the FA Cup right now.

Neuer was a major capture for Bayern Munich last summer

Instead, Neuer will probably be at Bayern Munich for at least the next five to ten years, while, unless de Gea can prove that he can be anything other than an expensive, but average, keeper, United may well be looking for a new keeper in the near future.

There are not too many top keepers that might feasibly be on the market in the next couple of years. If they fail to make the Champions League, a top side might be able to tempt Pepe Reina away from Anfield, although he is unlikely to make the switch to Old Trafford.

Lyon and France keeper, Hugo Lloris, could certainly be an option. While it would take a lot of money to prise him away, the expenditure would pay off over the next decade. Another option to keep an eye on is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. While he is still young, he is rapidly building a reputation in Germany and several well-respected experts have already suggested he is on a par with Neuer.

However, the truth is that top keepers rarely come on the market. You cannot see Joe Hart leaving Manchester City, Petr Cech leaving Chelsea, Gigi Buffon leaving Juventus, Iker Casillas leaving Real Madrid or Manuel Neuer leaving Bayern Munich. Similarly Victor Valdes is settled at Barcelona as is Julio Cesar at Inter.

These clubs would sell the majority of their players if a huge offer came in. However, the keepers are almost certainly not for sale. Not only because no club would offer huge money for a keeper. The real reason is because they are simply irreplaceable.

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2012 Volta ao Algarve Preview

The 2012 Volta ao Algarve sees several high-profile names looking to gets some solid early season form under their belts, whether they are eyeing up the spring Classics or the Grand Tours later in the season.

The defending champion, Tony Martin, returns again this year, and is a strong favourite to defend his title. He won this race by 32 seconds last year ahead of his teammate, Tejay van Garderen, with Lieuwe Westra pipping the big names of Alberto Contador and Andreas Kloden to the final spot on the podium.

Tony Martin is the overwhelming favourite to defend his crown

The two crucial stages will be the finish atop the Malhão in Stage 3, and the final stage time-trial on day 5. The climbers will be looking to put enough time into Martin on the Malhão to try and give themselves an opportunity to limit their losses sufficiently in the time trial. However, last year proved that Martin is capable of sticking with the climbers on this climb at this stage of the season, when he finished in the lead group alongside the likes of Contador, van Garderen and Taaramae.

One potential outsider could be Radioshack’s Tiago Machado. The Portuguese rider finished third in the time trial last year, 26 seconds behind Martin, and he is an aggressive rider on the climbs. This can often backfire when he looks to attack in breaks or on his own, but if he can get away up the Malhão, he could give himself the opportunity to clinch the overall victory.

 

Tiago Machado could be the best hope for a local winner

One major loss for Tony Martin this year is the support of Tejay van Garderen. After the break-up of HTC-Highroad, Martin moved to Omega Pharma-Quickstep, while van Garderen joined BMC. It remains to be seen whether Martin’s teammates can help him on this occasion.

Team Sky have brought a strong team to this race this year. Bradley Wiggins will lead the team, but has strong support in the shape of Chris Froome, Edvald Boassen Hagen and Thomas Lovkvist. Although it is early in the season, Wiggins will be looking for a solid performance here to get his season off to a good start. However, given the profile of the climbs and the stage of the season, it would be little surprise to see Boassen Hagen finishing as the highest ranked member of the team.

Martin’s former teammate and last year’s runner-up, Tejay van Garderen, returns again this year as the likely leader of the BMC team. With strong support from the Brit, Stephen Cummings, he will be a real threat this year. However, if his form is not quite there, Cummings is more than capable of taking over, having won atop the Malhão last season.

Tejay van Garderen will be looking to go one better than his 2nd place last year

Among the other names who might find themselves in the pack is Jurgen van den Broeck, hoping to begin strongly after a year interrupted by a serious injury in the Tour de France. Andreas Kloden, Carlos Barredo and Luis Leon Sanchez will also be hoping to feature, while Rui Costa and Sergio Paulinho joins Machado as the local hopes.

However, it is very difficult to see beyond Tony Martin. Any challenger is likely to have to put at least 30 seconds or more into him on the Malhão to have a chance, but last year demonstrated that this is much easier said than done.

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Borussia Monchengladbach - Germany's Cindarella Story

Everyone loves a Cindarella story. However, in the modern age of football, the chance of a team coming from nowhere to launch a serious title challenge is virtually zero. Generally the established order can only really be threatened by a club gaining a new owner and spending the money – Manchester City and Chelsea are two examples in the last decade.

However, in Germany, fans of fairy tales may have a new set of heroes come the end of the season. Rewind back to May last year and Borussia Monchengladbach only survived in the Bundesliga by scraping through a relegation playoff against Bochum 2-1 on aggregate. Even that was an achievement though given the position the club had found themselves in when Michael Frontzeck had been sacked as head coach and was replaced by Lucien Favre.

Lucien Favre has been the architect of the turnaround

Bottom of the Bundesliga, with relegation seemingly a formality, Favre had no opportunity to bring in new faces with the January transfer window already closed. However, a resurgence late in the season saw them cling onto their Bundesliga status, and the trickle of promise has turned into a torrent.

Back to the current day, Lucien Favre’s side find themselves fourth in the Bundesliga, almost guaranteed a Champions League position, one point behind Schalke and German superpower, Bayern Munich, and a further two points behind league leaders, Borussia Dortmund.

He is beginning to give hope that success can finally be restored to one of Germany’s most famous and popular clubs – success that has eluded one coach after another for almost 35 years. Some of Germany’s most talented players have come and gone without silverware – Stefan Effenberg and Lothar Matthaeus are just two of the names that have played for Die Fohlen.

The base for the resurgence this season has been the defence. Last season, Monchengladbach had one of the leakiest defences in the league. This season, they have the best defensive record – better than both Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

The man gaining the headlines for this is 19-year old keeper, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Despite the fact that he still has only 28 appearances in the Bundesliga under his belt, he is being talked about as a peer of Manuel Neuer, widely recognised as one of the best keepers in the world. Ter Stegen has won awards in every age group that he has played in, and it is only a matter of time until he is called up to Joachim Low’s full German squad.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen - rapidly proving himself to be one of the best young keepers in Europe

Thrown into the club’s relegation battle by Favre, he was a key reason for their survival, conceding only 4 goals in the 8 games he played from April onward. He has continued this excellent form this season, having conceded a mere 12 goals in 20 games, including 9 clean sheets (only Neuer has more clean sheets this season).

He is a big presence, standing 1.89m, but has exceptional speed and reflexes for a relatively big man. He shows excellent body language, spurring his teammates on, and has quickly gained the respect of his defenders ahead of him. Most keepers tend to bloom in their mid-20s. Neuer only really began to come to the fore in his mid-20s, and Olivier Kahn was 24 when he joined Bayern Munich and came to prominence. So for Ter Stegen to be making such an impression at only 19, he joins the illustrious ranks of the likes of Gigi Buffon and Iker Casillas.

However, the improved defensive record is not only down to the keeper. The experience of Dante in the defence, alongside either Martin Stranzl or Roel Brouwers, has been key. Dante has 3.8 clearances per match, while Stranzl and Brouwers have 4.8 and 4 respectively, suggesting they are quick to clear the ball away from the danger area. All three of them are only dribbled past 0.5 times per match, showing that passing them is a difficult task.

The fullbacks, Tony Jantschke and Filip Daems, also provide additional support. While Jantschke is dribbled past 2.2 times per match, a club high, he also makes 3.4 tackles per match, which is also more than any other teammate. He also makes 2.9 interceptions per match, suggesting that he usually attempts to go for the ball and win it back quickly, rather than simply preventing his opponent from getting past him. Conversely, Daems only allows opponents to get past him 0.7 times per match, making only 2.8 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per match.

However, there is a reason for this difference in styles. On Monchengladbach’s right-hand side, initially Reus and now Herrmann often track back well to support Jantschke. Reus has 2.1 tackles per match and is only passed 0.6 times per match, while Herrmann makes 1.9 tackles and is passed only 0.9 times. So, their support allows Jantschke to try and win the ball, knowing Reus or Herrmann are there to back him up if he fails to stop his man.

On the left-hand side, Juan Arango provides much less support. With only 1.6 tackles and dribbled past 1.3 times per match, he is less capable defensively, meaning that Daems must hold his man up more, rather than take the risk of trying to win the ball every time.

Roman Neustadter provides key support for the defence

The defence is also backed up well by Favre’s formation, which includes two holding midfielders – Roman Neustadter and Harvard Nordtveit. Neustadter’s 3.3 tackles, the second highest in the team, and 3.7 interceptions, also the second highest, shows the key role that he plays in stopping opponents playing through the middle. Alongside Nordtveit, they create an excellent shield, and this unit of six players provides the freedom for the front four to express themselves.

The front four consists generally of Juan Arango, Marco Reus, Patrick Herrmann and Mike Hanke. While there is a certain amount of flexibility, we usually see Arango on the left and Hanke through the middle. Early in the season, Reus would play on the right, but he has since switched to play through the middle and Herrmann has moved to the right.

The star though has undoubtedly been Marco Reus. The 22-year old, who has recently agreed a deal to join Dortmund in the summer for €17.5m, has been outstanding this season, scoring 12 goals in 18 matches, as well as racking up 3 assists.

Reus has electric pace and is capable of keeping the ball at high speeds. This is demonstrated by the fact that he makes around 3.4 successful dribbles per match, almost double anyone else in the side. He is also very unselfish. His average of 2.5 key passes per match is second only to Arango, suggesting that while he has not only scored almost 40% of his team’s goals this season, he is instrumental in creating chances for his teammates.

Marco Reus has been the outstanding performer this season

On the opposite flank, Juan Arango has had an excellent season. His 7 assists put him in the top 10 in Europe’s top leagues, while he also lays on 2.7 key passes per match, the highest in his team. The relatively low level of his dribbles per match compared with Reus suggests he tends to look to play the killer pass, rather than look to beat his man. This is backed up by the passing statistics – Reus averages 39.6 passes per match compared to Arango’s 50.5. While Reus has a better success rate, this only serves to back up the suggestion that Reus tends to beat his man, then lay on the simple pass, while Arango looks to play the killer pass.

While Mike Hanke’s statistics appear to suggest that he is nothing special – only 4 goals and 2 assists in 19 appearances, the third lowest shots per game rate of any of the front four, the fewest key passes and dribbles – he does play a key role. He provides a focal role for the attacks, employing the attention of the defenders allowing additional space for the likes of Reus and Arango. He is excellent at making clever runs to create space, even if he doesn’t receive the ball – something that is difficult to find from the statistics.

The other interesting thing to note is the possession statistics. Monchengladbach have 32% of their possession in their own third, suggesting they are very comfortable playing it around the back – something backed up by the fact that four of the top six passes in the team by quantity and success rate are the back four, with Neustadter also featuring. This 32% is higher than any other side in the division.

Similarly, they have only 22% of their possession in the opposition third – again the lowest in the division. However, they average 14 shots per match – the fifth highest in the division. This fits in nicely with Favre’s style – a patient build-up from the back, but once they get it forward, they attack quickly and dangerously. When they get the ball into the final third, they tend to create the opportunity to get the shot away.

Arango, Hanke and Reus - the golden triangle for Monchengladbach

They started the season by shocking Bayern Munich, winning 1-0 at the Allianz Arena. Since then, they have proved that it was no fluke, holding Dortmund and Leverkusen to draws, hammering fancied pre-season contenders, Werder Bremen, 5-0, before completing the double over Bayern Munich, beating them 3-1 at home.

While they are not a one-man team, the major worry would be an injury to Marco Reus. He has only missed two games this season, through a broken toe, but Monchengladbach only picked up one point from those two games, scoring one goal. However, if they can keep him fit and firing, the title will remain a real possibility.

The real challenge will be next season. They have already lost Reus, joining Dortmund in July, and scouts will undoubtedly be sniffing around the likes of Neustadter and Ter Stegen. Indeed, Bayern Munich have already suggested that they see Lucien Favre as a future coach of Bayern. However, fans of Monchengladbach will be optimistic that Favre will stay with them for next season, and with the Reus’ money, strengthen further ready to launch another attempt at the long-elusive title.

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Davis Cup Preview: Part 2

Czech Republic v Italy

 

 

Tomas Berdych, fresh off his first title of 2012 in Montpellier, leads the Czech Republic as they look to avoid consecutive first round defeats. Backed up by the experienced Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol and doubles specialist, Frantisek Cermak, the Czechs will be expecting to overcome the Italians on the hard courts of Ostrava.

Italy are back in the World Group for the first time in a decade, although face an uphill task to trouble the Czechs. They will be relying on Andreas Seppi to try and clinch a couple of points in the singles as Starace and Bolelli are both much more suited to the clay courts. Daniele Bracciali might give them some hope in the doubles, but it would be little surprise to see an easy win for the Czechs.

It is likely that it will not be a happy return for the Italians. A 5-0 whitewash could easily be on the cards and they will probably be turning their attention to a likely playoff to remain in the World Group for 2013.

Czech Republic: Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol, Frantisek Cermak

Italy: Andreas Seppi, Simone Bolelli, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali

Serbia v Sweden

 

 

Even without their star man, Novak Djokovic, Serbia are massive favourites for this tie. Spearheaded by 2010 stars Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki, and backed up by the 43-time title winning doubles star, Nenad Zimonjic, it is difficult to see any way that Sweden can trouble them.

Sweden are without their top player, Robin Soderling, who has been out for over six months through injury. Without him, they are relying on world numbers 348 and 505, Michael Ryderstedt and Carl Bergman, and it would be an enormous shock were either of these to win a match, let alone the minimum of 2 that they would need to give themselves a shot in the doubles.

It is difficult to see this finishing anything other than 5-0. Last year, Serbia beat Sweden 4-1, losing only the doubles, but with only one doubles specialist this year, Sweden are unlikely to even win the doubles rubber.

Serbia: Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki, Ilija Bozoljac, Nenad Zimonjic

Sweden: Michael Ryderstedt, Carl Bergman, Filip Prpic, Robert Lindstedt

Japan v Croatia

 

 

This is the first time that Japan have played in the World Group in 17 years, but they will be fancying their chances of an upset. In Kei Nishikori, they have one of the most talented young players, who is rapidly moving up the rankings and reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final in Australia last month. Backed up by Go Soeda, who has a Challenger title to his name this season, Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita, they have a chance on the indoor hard courts of Hyogo.

Croatia are without their top men, Marin Cilic and Ivan Ljubicic, but have the ever dangerous Ivo Karlovic, and the talented Ivan Dodig to spearhead their attack. The key rubber could be the second of the match where Karlovic takes on Kei Nishikori. Karlovic has admitted that it will be a tough tie, but feels that they can come through it and progress to the quarter finals.

This has the potential to be the most exciting of all the first round ties. As both sides have admitted, this could easily go down to a final rubber, and home advantage could potential be the difference-maker in that situation. Croatia will be relying on Ivo Karlovic to make the most of the fast indoor courts, while Japan will be hopeful that Nishikori can continue to enhance his burgeoning reputation.

Japan: Kei Nishikori, Go Soeda, Tatsuma Ito, Yuichi Sugita

Croatia: Ivan Dodig, Ivo Karlovic, Antonio Veic, Lovro Zovko

Germany v Argentina

 

 

Germany come into this tie with high hopes. With a team consisting of Florian Mayer, Philipp Petzschner, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Tommy Haas, they have plenty of talent and experience. Interestingly though, they have elected to play the tie on a clay court, which you can’t help feel plays into the hands of the South Americans, although three of the Germans do have clay court titles and Philipp Petzschner is a Grand Slam doubles winner.

Argentina are the most successful side never to win the Davis Cup, having lost in the final four times, including a heartbreaking defeat to Spain last year. They are without Juan Martin Del Potro this time around, but in Juan Ignacio Chela and Juan Monaco, they have two clay court specialists, and the exploits of David Nalbandian in Davis Cup ties is well-documented, having won 22 of his 27 singles rubbers, losing only once on clay to Nikolay Davydenko four years ago.

This is probably the highlight tie of the round and it remains to be seen whether Germany will regret the decision to choose to play on the clay courts. David Nalbandian is the only Argentinean to have won a title on a hard court, compared to three of the Germans, but they are obviously confident in their players’ abilities, so it will be interesting to see whether the gamble pays off.

Germany: Florian Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Philipp Petzschner, Tommy Haas

Argentina: Juan Ignacio Chela, Juan Monaco, David Nalbandian, Eduardo Schwank

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Davis Cup Preview: Part 1

The 2012 Davis Cup kicks off this weekend, albeit without a host of star names. There is no Novak Djokovic for Serbia, no Rafael Nadal or David Ferrer for Spain, no Andy Murray for Great Britain and no Juan Martin Del Potro for Argentina. So with five of the top ten players missing, it is easy to see why people question the relevance of the trophy.

However, it has been running for over 110 years since the United States beat Great Britain in the first ever edition back in 1900, organised by the Harvard tennis player, Dwight Davis, and it still holds a place in the hearts of many players and fans alike.

Spain v Kazakhstan

 

 

The defending champions, Spain, may be without four of their six highest ranked players, but they are still strong favourites to defeat the Kazakhs in the first ever meeting between the two countries. With a completely new four-man team, it provides a chance for some new stars to stamp their mark on Spanish Davis Cup history. Led by world number 11, Nicolas Almagro, Spain will look to defend a 12-year unbeaten record on Spanish soil.

Kazakhstan enter their second year in the World Group, aiming to try and remain there. A famous victory over the Czech Republic last year was the highlight, before falling to Argentina in the quarter-finals. They will be led by Mikhail Kukushkin, fresh off a run to the last 16 of the Australian Open, beating Viktor Troicki and Gael Monfils, and Andrey Golubev, the former world number 33.

Despite a much-weakened squad, it would be a major surprise if Spain were not to come through this tie comfortably. Nicolas Almagro is a tough proposition for any player on clay, while the experience of Juan Carlos Ferrero and the doubles ability of Marc Lopez should see them through.

Spain: Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marc Lopez

Kazakhstan: Mikhail Kukushkin, Andrey Golubev, Yuriy Schukin, Evgeny Korolev

Austria v Russia

 

 

Two of the lesser fancied teams in the World Group clash in Wiener Neustadt. Austria thought they had the beating of France last year in what would have been an upset, but Jeremy Chardy fought back from a set down to clinch the deciding rubber. Jurgen Melzer remains the star of the Austrian team as the veteran of 55 Davis Cup matches.

Two singles victories from him will be crucial if the Austrians are to stand a chance, although they will fancy their chances of winning the doubles rubber with the combination of Marach and Peya, who have 15 doubles titles between them, as well as Melzer’s 3 Grand Slam doubles titles and 10 other doubles titles.

The major talking point for the Russians is the appearance of Russian-born American, Alex Bogomolov. He joins the experienced pair of Mikhail Youzhny, fresh off his first title in 18 months in Zagreb, and Nikolay Davydenko. They will fancy picking up two victories against Andreas Haider-Maurer, leaving them only needing to win one additional rubber to clinch the tie.

The Russians are rightly favourites here, but if Jurgen Melzer can win his two singles rubbers, they have every chance of taking this tie in the doubles.

Austria: Jurgen Melzer, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Alexander Peya, Oliver Marach

Russia: Alex Bogomolov, Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolay Davydenko, Igor Kunitsyn

Canada v France

 

 

With six top 50 players, France are the favourites to lift the Davis Cup this year. Only beaten by the Spanish last year, they have named both Tsonga and Monfils in their team for this tie. There are growing doubts surrounding Monfils though, but with Gilles Simon the likely replacement, it will hardly weaken the team. With top doubles player, Michael Llodra as well, they have a formidable team.

Canada are making their return to the World Group after an eight year absence. Led by the young pair of Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil, and backed up by the experienced doubles player, Daniel Nestor, who played the last time a Davis Cup tie was hosted in Vancouver twenty years ago.

Milos Raonic will be the key man for Canada and will need to win both his matches if Canada are to have any chance of shocking the pre-tournament favourites. However, even if he does, France could easily still progress by winning the doubles.

Canada: Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, Frank Dancevic, Daniel Nestor

France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau, Michael Llodra

Switzerland v USA

 

 

Switzerland will fancy their chances as an outside bet for this tournament with the strong pairing of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka. Having already won Olympic gold together, they clearly click as a doubles pairing, and clearly nothing needs to be said about the singles ability of the 16-time Grand Slam champion. With growing rumours that his career could be winding towards the end, the Davis Cup is one of the only honours in the game that still eludes Federer.

The USA have a strong team, but might struggle on the clay in Switzerland. Mardy Fish and John Isner are both more at home on a hard court, while Bob Bryan misses the tie due to the birth of his child.

Had this tie been on a hard court, it might have been a close run thing, but on the clay, you would expect Federer and Wawrinka both to have the edge over their American counterparts. However, stranger things have happened and it would be a fool to completely write off the USA.

Switzerland: Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka, Marco Chiudinelli, Michael Lammer

USA: Mardy Fish, John Isner, Ryan Harrison, Mike Bryan

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