More often than not, films set in Africa are presented very much from a post-colonial, Western perspective. Whether it's Robert Redford and Meryl Streep smooching on safari in Out Of Africa or Ralph Fiennes earnestly exposing corporate exploitation in The Constant Gardener, the story invariably revolves around the experiences of transient Europeans and Americans rather than the local inhabitants themselves.
How refreshing then to see a picture that actually focuses on Africans living in Africa, with no big game hunters or corrupt, caddish embassy officials in sight. A delight from start to finish, Africa United introduces us to a group of very different young people, each of whom in their own way gives a compelling insight into many issues this continent continues to face as well as the burgeoning opportunities.
There's Dudu, a street kid with infectious entrepreneurial flair, and his friend Beatrice, who dreams of becoming a doctor. Living in the same Rwandan town but in a different world in almost every other respect is Fabrice, a child of the country's emerging middle class with his mobile phone, gated house and TIME magazine-reading mother.
Fabrice is also a gifted footballer, and when he is spotted by a talent scout looking for youngsters to show off their skills at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup, he, Dudu and Beatrice begin a somewhat implausible but utterly engrossing journey 3000 miles overland to the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. On the way, they team up with the marvellously named Foreman George, a runaway child soldier, and Celeste, a teenage prostitute, and together the group overcome a series of dangers, from gun-toting gangmasters to enraged wildlife, in pursuit of their goal.
What this film gives you is a sense of the real Africa, rather than the picture-postcard version. Yes, there's a few money shots of Victoria Falls and lions padding majestically by, but in general we see normal people going about their daily lives in a world that is sometimes chaotic but also characterised by great warmth and humanity. The young, mostly Rwandan and Congolese cast are superb, with a particularly affecting performance from Yves Dusenge as the troubled Foreman George, who has experienced more violence than any child should ever have to witness. But the central figure is Dudu (Eriya Ndayambaje) who constantly cajoles and inspires the others with his relentless enthusiasm for life despite carrying a terrible secret. His frequent malapropisms - for example the priceless 'the world is our ostrich' - only serve to make him even more endearing.
Africa United isn't wholly a homespun affair - director Debs Gardner-Paterson and writer Rhydian Brook are British - but overall it feels very much the work of the continent it depicts. The film strikes a good balance between feelgood factor and an unflinching focus upon serious social concerns, not least the AIDS epidemic which is Africa's single greatest threat, and while some scenes are a little contrived - the ending for one - Africa United's heart is so much in the right place you can forgive its occasional lapses.
Rating: 8 out of 10.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Monday, 1 November 2010
Thoughts on the X Factor
The Sage has been quiet of late, and I must confess that one of the less excusable reasons for this lack of activity is my unhealthy addiction to the X Factor.
As a fan and occasional reviewer of usually obscure but often wonderful independent records, the shameless commercialism and utter banality of Simon Cowell's machiavellian musical manufacturing should be anathema to me, yet strangely I love it. Some people I speak to admit to obtaining a perverse pleasure from watching the car crash TV of the early auditions, with their intriguing array of deluded wannabes, comedy pensioners and alarming Jeremy Kyle Show-style sociopaths, but lose interest once it becomes a serious singing competition. I however know I will remain in the clutches of Cowell and company until the bitter end, resigned to the realisation that I lack the strength to stop planning my Sunday evening dining to coincide with the 8pm results show.
Anyway, on to the competition's hopefuls this year, and I genuinely have no idea who is going to win. You've got your usual likeable but bland favourites (Matt, Scouse Rebecca), the Su Bo clone (Mary), the quirky but slightly irritating one (Katie) and the ridiculously bad one who keeps getting through despite being awful every week (Wagner). I like Cher, even though she invariably has an expression like she's about to headbutt someone outside a kebab shop. She's a bit edgier and more 'street' than the show's normal slushy balladeers, which is my way of saying I've never heard of most of the songs she performs because I'm too old, but she proved with Shakespear's Sister this week that she can really sing too.
Paige seems a nice lad, but he won't win because he isn't pretty enough and dresses like Winston Churchill one week and a hungover student the next. One Direction are presumably so named because of their dancing skills (or rather lack of them, as all they do is shuffle around awkwardly on the spot hoping that noone notices only Liam can sing) while TreyC has little new to offer other than parents who can't spell and Aiden is a smug and deeply annoying Mark Lamarr lookalike who's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is.
Presiding over it all is the imperious Mr Cowell, whose withering assessments of the contestants remain the X Factor's highlight. Occasionally you see in his eyes the look of a shark eyeing up its next prey as an eager young starlet walks on stage for the first time and shows signs they could potentially be his next cash cow. 'Nation's sweetheart' Cheryl increasingly resembles a Geordie mannequin; Louis seems permanently on the brink of bursting into tears; Dannii appears rather disinterested before randomly chanting 'you rock!' while waving a fist in the air after one of her acts manages to sing in tune for the whole two minute duration of their performance.
It all makes for great entertainment, but it's time to pick a winner. Personally I hope Mary does it; a genuinely pleasant, humble lady with an absolutely belting voice - but it won't happen. In the recent past, we've seen charismatic Rhydian inexplicably defeated by the instantly forgettable Leon, and the inoffensive but dull Alexandra saw off the far more interesting Diana Vickers a couple of years ago too. For that reason, my money's on Rebecca - the judges love her, she has a story (young single mother from the rough inner city with confidence issues) and she has another one of those technically perfect but utterly undistinctive Whitney/Aretha/Mariah inspired voices that will sell records by the bucketload. Cher to finish second, with One Direction third. You heard it here first...
Regards
The Sage
As a fan and occasional reviewer of usually obscure but often wonderful independent records, the shameless commercialism and utter banality of Simon Cowell's machiavellian musical manufacturing should be anathema to me, yet strangely I love it. Some people I speak to admit to obtaining a perverse pleasure from watching the car crash TV of the early auditions, with their intriguing array of deluded wannabes, comedy pensioners and alarming Jeremy Kyle Show-style sociopaths, but lose interest once it becomes a serious singing competition. I however know I will remain in the clutches of Cowell and company until the bitter end, resigned to the realisation that I lack the strength to stop planning my Sunday evening dining to coincide with the 8pm results show.
Anyway, on to the competition's hopefuls this year, and I genuinely have no idea who is going to win. You've got your usual likeable but bland favourites (Matt, Scouse Rebecca), the Su Bo clone (Mary), the quirky but slightly irritating one (Katie) and the ridiculously bad one who keeps getting through despite being awful every week (Wagner). I like Cher, even though she invariably has an expression like she's about to headbutt someone outside a kebab shop. She's a bit edgier and more 'street' than the show's normal slushy balladeers, which is my way of saying I've never heard of most of the songs she performs because I'm too old, but she proved with Shakespear's Sister this week that she can really sing too.
Paige seems a nice lad, but he won't win because he isn't pretty enough and dresses like Winston Churchill one week and a hungover student the next. One Direction are presumably so named because of their dancing skills (or rather lack of them, as all they do is shuffle around awkwardly on the spot hoping that noone notices only Liam can sing) while TreyC has little new to offer other than parents who can't spell and Aiden is a smug and deeply annoying Mark Lamarr lookalike who's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is.
Presiding over it all is the imperious Mr Cowell, whose withering assessments of the contestants remain the X Factor's highlight. Occasionally you see in his eyes the look of a shark eyeing up its next prey as an eager young starlet walks on stage for the first time and shows signs they could potentially be his next cash cow. 'Nation's sweetheart' Cheryl increasingly resembles a Geordie mannequin; Louis seems permanently on the brink of bursting into tears; Dannii appears rather disinterested before randomly chanting 'you rock!' while waving a fist in the air after one of her acts manages to sing in tune for the whole two minute duration of their performance.
It all makes for great entertainment, but it's time to pick a winner. Personally I hope Mary does it; a genuinely pleasant, humble lady with an absolutely belting voice - but it won't happen. In the recent past, we've seen charismatic Rhydian inexplicably defeated by the instantly forgettable Leon, and the inoffensive but dull Alexandra saw off the far more interesting Diana Vickers a couple of years ago too. For that reason, my money's on Rebecca - the judges love her, she has a story (young single mother from the rough inner city with confidence issues) and she has another one of those technically perfect but utterly undistinctive Whitney/Aretha/Mariah inspired voices that will sell records by the bucketload. Cher to finish second, with One Direction third. You heard it here first...
Regards
The Sage
Friday, 8 October 2010
CD Review: Paul Smith - Margins
Dear all
Here's my latest BBC review attached - the debut solo album by Maximo Park's front man Paul Smith.
Regards
The Sage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/nfm5
Here's my latest BBC review attached - the debut solo album by Maximo Park's front man Paul Smith.
Regards
The Sage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/nfm5
Thursday, 23 September 2010
The Sage is back...
Dear followers
Apologies for the long absence - I've been on holiday (to the wonderful Picos de Europa mountains in Northern Spain) and since then have been keeping myself busy reviewing music for the BBC.
Here's a selection of my recent output. Further original musings to follow soon...
The Sage
The Crookes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/czx2
Twin Sister
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zb28
The Clientele
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cqzb
Bellowhead
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/n8fd
Apologies for the long absence - I've been on holiday (to the wonderful Picos de Europa mountains in Northern Spain) and since then have been keeping myself busy reviewing music for the BBC.
Here's a selection of my recent output. Further original musings to follow soon...
The Sage
The Crookes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/czx2
Twin Sister
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zb28
The Clientele
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cqzb
Bellowhead
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/n8fd
Monday, 16 August 2010
DVD Review - A Prophet
Hot on the heels of the two enjoyable but flawed Mesrine films I reviewed last month, last night I watched a French crime movie that's in a different class entirely. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that A Prophet, released earlier this year and nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, holds its own alongside the very best of its genre produced in any language.
While it lacks the grandiose sweep of the Godfather trilogy or the wise guy wit of Scorsese's early films, what makes this picture so memorable is its complete lack of sentimentality. Set almost entirely within a high security prison, there's no Shawshank Redemption-style uplifting strength in adversity moments here. Jacques Audiard's film is unflinchingly honest in his portrayal of a brutal, unforgiving environment where survival is the name of the game rather than rehabilitation.
Malik (Tahar Rahim), an illiterate teenage Arab experiencing adult incarceration for the first time, is forced to sink or swim in a wing ran by rugged veteran Corsican gangsters. Within weeks, he's forced to murder a fellow Muslim who is set to testify against the external associates of gang leader Luciani (wonderfully played by Niels Arestup) in a horrific but brilliantly directed scene that is instrumental in shaping Malik's future. While the killing haunts his conscience (through a series of ghostly flashbacks), it also hardens him and sets him on the path towards a successful criminal career.
What follows over the next two hours is a young man's gradual development from callow, terrified prison novice to fearless, cunning overlord. Realising he has to play by Luciani's rules to stay alive, Malik does as he's told while learning all the time from his nefarious mentor. Simultaneously, he cultivates the image of a model prisoner, polite, respectful, taking classes and diligently carrying out his inmate duties. As a result, he's granted day releases, which he uses to carry out jobs for the Corsicans while also building his own drug trafficking operation. In the end, after playing all his cards right, he's in the position to become top dog himself.
Audiard vividly captures the bleak, claustrophobic world that Malik and his fellow felons inhabit, shooting A Prophet in an unfussy, ultra-realistic style that makes the story feel horribly but compellingly alive. While the violence that takes place is not for the faint hearted, the film's greatest strength is its characterisation and the alarming broader themes of a racially divided, institutionally corrupt France. In this unforgiving world, Malik does not receive redemption, nor indeed does he seek it. Instead, he realises early on that it is the law of the jungle rather than the law of the land that really matters, and while his journey is scarcely one of hope, it's nevertheless utterly absorbing.
Rating: 9 out of 10. An understated masterpiece, A Prophet is a gritty, intelligent triumph and proof that continental European cinema can often rival or even surpass the best Hollywood has to offer. Highly recommended.
While it lacks the grandiose sweep of the Godfather trilogy or the wise guy wit of Scorsese's early films, what makes this picture so memorable is its complete lack of sentimentality. Set almost entirely within a high security prison, there's no Shawshank Redemption-style uplifting strength in adversity moments here. Jacques Audiard's film is unflinchingly honest in his portrayal of a brutal, unforgiving environment where survival is the name of the game rather than rehabilitation.
Malik (Tahar Rahim), an illiterate teenage Arab experiencing adult incarceration for the first time, is forced to sink or swim in a wing ran by rugged veteran Corsican gangsters. Within weeks, he's forced to murder a fellow Muslim who is set to testify against the external associates of gang leader Luciani (wonderfully played by Niels Arestup) in a horrific but brilliantly directed scene that is instrumental in shaping Malik's future. While the killing haunts his conscience (through a series of ghostly flashbacks), it also hardens him and sets him on the path towards a successful criminal career.
What follows over the next two hours is a young man's gradual development from callow, terrified prison novice to fearless, cunning overlord. Realising he has to play by Luciani's rules to stay alive, Malik does as he's told while learning all the time from his nefarious mentor. Simultaneously, he cultivates the image of a model prisoner, polite, respectful, taking classes and diligently carrying out his inmate duties. As a result, he's granted day releases, which he uses to carry out jobs for the Corsicans while also building his own drug trafficking operation. In the end, after playing all his cards right, he's in the position to become top dog himself.
Audiard vividly captures the bleak, claustrophobic world that Malik and his fellow felons inhabit, shooting A Prophet in an unfussy, ultra-realistic style that makes the story feel horribly but compellingly alive. While the violence that takes place is not for the faint hearted, the film's greatest strength is its characterisation and the alarming broader themes of a racially divided, institutionally corrupt France. In this unforgiving world, Malik does not receive redemption, nor indeed does he seek it. Instead, he realises early on that it is the law of the jungle rather than the law of the land that really matters, and while his journey is scarcely one of hope, it's nevertheless utterly absorbing.
Rating: 9 out of 10. An understated masterpiece, A Prophet is a gritty, intelligent triumph and proof that continental European cinema can often rival or even surpass the best Hollywood has to offer. Highly recommended.
Thursday, 12 August 2010
My Premiership predictions
With the World Cup fading into the memory as England come roaring back with a scintillating 2-1 victory over the mighty Hungary ;-) the new Premiership season is almost upon us.
I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my predictions for how the table will finish. In reverse order:
20) Blackpool: It's great to see Blackpool get their taste of glory and we all love Ian Holloway, but the harsh reality is that his current squad is arguably the weakest ever to reach the Premiership (Derby were just unlucky). Will require a miracle to stay up.
19) West Brom: The ultimate yo-yo club, they've done nothing in the transfer market to suggest they can buck their usual trend this time out.
18) Wigan: Have done wonderfully well to survive this long in the elite considering the size of the club, but their were warning signs last season and I'm not sure their assorted obscure Latin Americans will be enough to save them.
17) Wolves: Hard to see any improvement on last year, but with a battling attitude and Kevin Doyle up front, they should have just about enough to live to fight another day.
16) West Ham: Avram Grant is a very underrated manager, but there's still not enough quality in the Hammers' ranks to enable them to push on, especially with Carlton Cole, Upson & maybe Parker seemingly on their way out. Another undistinguished season awaits.
15) Newcastle: On paper, this side isn't any better than the one that went down in 2009, but the mood is more settled at St.James's Park now under Chris Hughton, which should be enough to ensure survival is relatively comfortable.
14) Bolton: Never ones to please the purists, but improved under Owen Coyle last season and Martin Petrov could introduce some welcome attacking flair. Solid but unspectacular once again.
13) Sunderland: Steve Bruce's team are frustratingly inconsistent and following the questionable decision to sell Kenwyne Jones will be over-reliant on Darren Bent for goals. A top half finish will be demanded but looks unlikely.
12) Stoke: The arrival of the aforementioned Mr Jones for a club record £8 million signals Stoke's ambition, but while the Britannia Stadium is undoubtedly one of the Premiership's most intimidating arenas, Tony Pulis's team still lack the finesse to break down the better teams away from home.
11) Blackburn: Similar to Bolton in that they are unlikely to win many points for artistic merit but have become hard to beat, led by Kiwi World Cup hero Ryan Nelson and boosted by a good crop of youngsters. Nevertheless, hard to see them progressing beyond mid-table respectability.
10) Aston Villa: Three consecutive sixth place finishes may be as good as it gets for Villa. With Martin O'Neill's ill-timed departure, speculation over James Milner and other key players and a chairman keen to run the club frugally, it's hard to see anything other than regression this term.
9) Fulham: Mark Hughes is a proven Premiership manager and he has inherited a strong, settled and increasingly confident group of players from Roy Hodgson. Their European adventure distracted them from the League slightly last season, but expect a top ten showing this time with Bobby Zamora leading the way.
8) Birmingham City: Came on in leaps and bounds last season, and with Ben Foster replacing Joe Hart behind a miserly defence and the addition of the giant Serbian striker Nikolai Zigic to improve their goalscoring threat, they should at least emulate last season's 9th place.
7) Manchester City: Many observers believe a top four finish or even a title push is inevitable, but I just can't see it. Roberto Mancini has assembled a vast, bloated squad of highly paid players, but with the exception of Tevez and Robinho (both of whom can be as disruptive as they are deadly) and David Silva (unproven in England) they lack the world class quality to be found in Chelsea, Man Utd or Arsenal's squads. Deciding on a first choice side and keeping the fringe players happy will be a big enough challenge for Mancini without the added pressure of silverware, and a failure to deliver it will cost him his job - assuming he even makes it as far as next May.
6) Liverpool: After last season's alarming decline and continuing uncertainty over who will own the club, Roy Hodgson's steady hand is just what Liverpool need. Joe Cole will add quality in midfield while Stevie G and Torres remain unstoppable on their day, but the squad still lacks depth, especially in defence where Jamie Carragher is creaking alarmingly. Better than last season, but not much.
5) Spurs: Well capable of equalling or even improving on last year's fourth place, but I fear the excitement and demands of the Champions League may cost them a little this season and see them just miss out on a second consecutive qualification. Still just short of the depth and top, top drawer quality to challenge on two fronts.
4) Everton: But for an injury-plagued first half of the season, Everton would have been in the mix for fourth last season, and with their full squad available and star man Mikael Arteta on a new contract I expect them to be this year's surprise package. Much will depend on Louis Saha staying fit often enough to guarantee goals, as their other striker options are limited.
3) Arsenal: Were in the race for much of last season and should be in the mix again, with the talismanic Fabregas still at the Emirates and Marouane Chamakh adding extra physicality and goals up front. But the suspicion remains that for all their attacking brilliance, their defence and goalkeeper still aren't quite up to the task.
2) Chelsea: Should really have won at a canter last season, but in the end nearly threw the title away to an unremarkable Man Utd side. The return of the superb Essien will add to their energy in midfield, but there's no escaping the fact that their best players are all the wrong side of 30 and probably past their best. With little evidence of top quality young talent ready to share the burden, expect a slight dip although still a strong challenge.
1) Man Utd: There's arguably no outstanding team in the Premiership at the moment, and this certainly isn't a vintage Utd team. Even more than Chelsea, key players like Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Scholes and Giggs are entering their twilight years, and Utd continue to lack real authority in midfield if the latter two veterans aren't in the team. But with players like Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Valencia and Rooney, plus the arrival of Javier Hernandez to help share the goalscoring burden, Utd have more options than Chelsea and I expect them to improve enough this season to narrowly reclaim their title as the best of a relatively bad bunch of contenders.
So there we have it! Would be good to hear your thoughts.
Regards
The Sage
I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my predictions for how the table will finish. In reverse order:
20) Blackpool: It's great to see Blackpool get their taste of glory and we all love Ian Holloway, but the harsh reality is that his current squad is arguably the weakest ever to reach the Premiership (Derby were just unlucky). Will require a miracle to stay up.
19) West Brom: The ultimate yo-yo club, they've done nothing in the transfer market to suggest they can buck their usual trend this time out.
18) Wigan: Have done wonderfully well to survive this long in the elite considering the size of the club, but their were warning signs last season and I'm not sure their assorted obscure Latin Americans will be enough to save them.
17) Wolves: Hard to see any improvement on last year, but with a battling attitude and Kevin Doyle up front, they should have just about enough to live to fight another day.
16) West Ham: Avram Grant is a very underrated manager, but there's still not enough quality in the Hammers' ranks to enable them to push on, especially with Carlton Cole, Upson & maybe Parker seemingly on their way out. Another undistinguished season awaits.
15) Newcastle: On paper, this side isn't any better than the one that went down in 2009, but the mood is more settled at St.James's Park now under Chris Hughton, which should be enough to ensure survival is relatively comfortable.
14) Bolton: Never ones to please the purists, but improved under Owen Coyle last season and Martin Petrov could introduce some welcome attacking flair. Solid but unspectacular once again.
13) Sunderland: Steve Bruce's team are frustratingly inconsistent and following the questionable decision to sell Kenwyne Jones will be over-reliant on Darren Bent for goals. A top half finish will be demanded but looks unlikely.
12) Stoke: The arrival of the aforementioned Mr Jones for a club record £8 million signals Stoke's ambition, but while the Britannia Stadium is undoubtedly one of the Premiership's most intimidating arenas, Tony Pulis's team still lack the finesse to break down the better teams away from home.
11) Blackburn: Similar to Bolton in that they are unlikely to win many points for artistic merit but have become hard to beat, led by Kiwi World Cup hero Ryan Nelson and boosted by a good crop of youngsters. Nevertheless, hard to see them progressing beyond mid-table respectability.
10) Aston Villa: Three consecutive sixth place finishes may be as good as it gets for Villa. With Martin O'Neill's ill-timed departure, speculation over James Milner and other key players and a chairman keen to run the club frugally, it's hard to see anything other than regression this term.
9) Fulham: Mark Hughes is a proven Premiership manager and he has inherited a strong, settled and increasingly confident group of players from Roy Hodgson. Their European adventure distracted them from the League slightly last season, but expect a top ten showing this time with Bobby Zamora leading the way.
8) Birmingham City: Came on in leaps and bounds last season, and with Ben Foster replacing Joe Hart behind a miserly defence and the addition of the giant Serbian striker Nikolai Zigic to improve their goalscoring threat, they should at least emulate last season's 9th place.
7) Manchester City: Many observers believe a top four finish or even a title push is inevitable, but I just can't see it. Roberto Mancini has assembled a vast, bloated squad of highly paid players, but with the exception of Tevez and Robinho (both of whom can be as disruptive as they are deadly) and David Silva (unproven in England) they lack the world class quality to be found in Chelsea, Man Utd or Arsenal's squads. Deciding on a first choice side and keeping the fringe players happy will be a big enough challenge for Mancini without the added pressure of silverware, and a failure to deliver it will cost him his job - assuming he even makes it as far as next May.
6) Liverpool: After last season's alarming decline and continuing uncertainty over who will own the club, Roy Hodgson's steady hand is just what Liverpool need. Joe Cole will add quality in midfield while Stevie G and Torres remain unstoppable on their day, but the squad still lacks depth, especially in defence where Jamie Carragher is creaking alarmingly. Better than last season, but not much.
5) Spurs: Well capable of equalling or even improving on last year's fourth place, but I fear the excitement and demands of the Champions League may cost them a little this season and see them just miss out on a second consecutive qualification. Still just short of the depth and top, top drawer quality to challenge on two fronts.
4) Everton: But for an injury-plagued first half of the season, Everton would have been in the mix for fourth last season, and with their full squad available and star man Mikael Arteta on a new contract I expect them to be this year's surprise package. Much will depend on Louis Saha staying fit often enough to guarantee goals, as their other striker options are limited.
3) Arsenal: Were in the race for much of last season and should be in the mix again, with the talismanic Fabregas still at the Emirates and Marouane Chamakh adding extra physicality and goals up front. But the suspicion remains that for all their attacking brilliance, their defence and goalkeeper still aren't quite up to the task.
2) Chelsea: Should really have won at a canter last season, but in the end nearly threw the title away to an unremarkable Man Utd side. The return of the superb Essien will add to their energy in midfield, but there's no escaping the fact that their best players are all the wrong side of 30 and probably past their best. With little evidence of top quality young talent ready to share the burden, expect a slight dip although still a strong challenge.
1) Man Utd: There's arguably no outstanding team in the Premiership at the moment, and this certainly isn't a vintage Utd team. Even more than Chelsea, key players like Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Scholes and Giggs are entering their twilight years, and Utd continue to lack real authority in midfield if the latter two veterans aren't in the team. But with players like Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Valencia and Rooney, plus the arrival of Javier Hernandez to help share the goalscoring burden, Utd have more options than Chelsea and I expect them to improve enough this season to narrowly reclaim their title as the best of a relatively bad bunch of contenders.
So there we have it! Would be good to hear your thoughts.
Regards
The Sage
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Album Of The Week: The Count And Sinden - Mega Mega Mega
Hi all, please see below a link to my latest BBC review - one for the clubbers among you!
Regards
The Sage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zdq4
Regards
The Sage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zdq4
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