Brit Awards 2013: Predictions, Preferences and General Ramblings of a Layman

Well I see that the Brit Awards are upon us again, which provides a handy reason for me to return to this blog. That telltale sign that we are all getting older as not only does it seem with each passing year as though we have bought/downloaded barely anything from any of the nominees, but increasingly it seems as though there are a few nominees that I haven't even heard of! With some admittedly patchy knowledge of some categories, here's what I reckon this year:


British Breakthrough Act Nominees:
Top 5 selected by Voting Academy. Winner identified by public vote promoted by brits.co.uk and BBC Radio 1
• Alt-J (Infectious Music)
• Ben Howard (Island / Universal Music)
• Jake Bugg (Mercury / Universal Music)
• Jessie Ware (Island / PMR / Universal Music)
• Rita Ora (Columbia / Roc Nation / Sony Music)

Some great names in this category. Jessie Ware, I know her sister called Della. Come to think of it, I think I've come across Rita Ora's sister Kia. Or are they a car manufacturer? I digress. Going by what I have seen and heard this year, Rita Ora has been quite big in the airplay on the radio and done decently in the charts while Jake Bugg has had good write-ups in the music press and toured with Noel Gallagher and the Stone Roses. That suggests to me that it is between these 2 but the lovely Rita's greater commercial will probably just sway the vote in her direction.

My prediction: Rita Ora My selection: Jake Bugg



British Female Solo Artist Nominees:
• Amy Winehouse (Island / Universal Music)
• Bat for Lashes (Parlophone / EMI Music)
• Emeli Sandé (Virgin / EMI Music)
• Jessie Ware (Island / PMR / Universal Music)
• Paloma Faith (RCA / Sony Music)

I look forward to the acceptance speech if the first name is the one that is read out of the envelope. Has anyone ever won a Brit Award posthumously before I wonder? I know it's been done in the Oscars on a couple of occasions, most recently by Heath Ledger if I recall correctly. As much as the Amy Winehouse album that was released after her death had a couple of gems on it, I can't really see her coming out on top of the pile here. Paloma Faith and her array of crazy headgear has gathered quite a gathering over the past year and I liked her cover of the old INXS song that was used in an advert (John Lewis?). She has a chance but Emeli Sande had the best selling album of last year and was everywhere last year, even tinkling the ivories at Sports Personality of the Year. A big-up to Brightonian Bat For Lashes, but Emeli's winning this one I think.

My prediction: Emeli Sande My selection: Paloma Faith



British Group Nominees:
• Alt-J (Infectious Music)
• Mumford & Sons (Gentlemen of The Road / Island / Universal Music)
• Muse (Helium 3 / Warner Bros / Warner Music)
• One Direction (Syco / Sony Music)
• The xx (Young Turks / XL / Beggars)


This one's a bit of a mixed bag with boybands mixed in with guitar bands as well as electronica and a spot of folk too. Can't really see Alt-J or The xx prevailing here and I think Muse's glory days were a few years ago when they brought out their 'Black Holes and Revelations' album. So it really boils down to whether the One Direction juggernaut is bigger than Mumford & Sons' surprising popularity as a live band. I think that 10-15 years ago this award would always have been the preserve of the latest indie wonder, but Take That have won this award in recent years off the back of shifting lots of records and gaining mass appeal and One Direction seem to have conquered America which is no easy feat. Sorry banjo lovers, but I think Harry Styles et al have this one in the bag.

My prediction: One Direction My selection: Mumford & Sons



British Live Act Nominees:
• Coldplay (Parlophone / EMI Music)
• Mumford & Sons (Gentlemen of The Road / Island / Universal Music)
• Muse (Helium 3 / Warner Bros / Warner Music)
• The Rolling Stones (Polydor / Universal Music)
• The Vaccines (Columbia / Sony Music)

Not sure what it says about the strength in depth of live music acts over the past year when the Rolling Stones receive a nomination now that they enter their geriatric period. Coldplay, M&S and Muse are always regulars in this category and probably not much to choose between the 3 of them. Coldplay were touring with their previous year's material whereas Muse and Mumford & Sons had some fresh stuff out and so this might just steer things in their favour. I think this might be where M&S get their gong.

My prediction: Mumford & Sons My selection: Mumford & Sons



British Male Solo Artist Nominees:
• Ben Howard (Island / Universal Music)
• Calvin Harris (Columbia / Sony Music)
• Olly Murs (Epic / Sony Music)
• Richard Hawley (Parlophone / EMI Music)
• Plan B (679 / Atlantic / Warner Music)


Not really an expert on these things, but did Olly Murs release very much last year? If he did then he probably stands a good chance of winning. I'd say it is going to be between him and Calvin Harris. Good to see Richard Hawley has been nominated though as he's been releasing some good material for the past few years and he has a very distinctive, old-school voice. We won't get to hear him use his voice this time though as the acceptance speech will most likely be Calvin's.

My prediction: Calvin Harris My selection: Richard Hawley

BRITs Global Success Award
The winner of this Award will be announced at the Show on Wednesday 20th February.

Presumably an extra award added to the bill to give to Adele?

British Producer of the Year Nominees:
In association with The MPG Awards Identified by a panel overseen by MPG.
• Damon Albarn
• Jake Gosling
• Paul Epworth
Damon Albarn's a new face in the Producer category. By comparison, Paul Epworth is an old hand. Expect experience to win the day here.

Special Recognition Award Winner:
War Child UK


Presumably a Special Recognition Award this year rather than a Lifetime Achievement? Either way, a justified award.


Critics’ Choice Award :
In association with War Child Identified by a panel made up of media music critics
• Tom Odell (Columbia / Sony Music) - Winner
• AlunaGeorge (Island / Universal Music)
• Laura Mvula (RCA / Sony Music)


Don't have a lot to add on this one, other than whoever wins it is going to have a good chance of winning best breakthrough act next year. I'll go for Mr Odell.



International Group Nominees:
• Alabama Shakes (Rough Trade / XL / Beggars)
• The Black Keys (Nonesuch / Warner Music)
• Fun (Atlantic / Fuelled By Ramen / Warner Music)
• The Killers (Vertigo / Universal Music)
• The Script (Epic / Phonogenic / Sony Music)

I'd usually say that The Killers are a cert for this award whenever they are nominated, but their last album was a bit underwhelming and they are also up against some stiff competition. Alabama Shakes and Fun have both attracted good write-ups and The Script always do well commercially. But the best album I bought last year was El Camino by The Black Keys and they also just did well in the Grammy Awards. 2 of their songs - Lonely Boy and Gold On The Ceiling have been used quite regularly on adverts and trails over the past year which is a sure sign of appreciation. I think they will be further endorsed here.

My prediction: The Black Keys My selection: The Black Keys

International Female Solo Artist Nominees:
• Alicia Keys (RCA / Sony Music)
• Cat Power (Matador / XL / Beggars)
• Lana Del Rey (Polydor / Universal Music)
• Rihanna (Def Jam / Universal Music)
• Taylor Swift (Mercury / Universal Music)

Alicia Keys is something of a veteran in this category these days, but probably stands little chance of winning this year. Rihanna and Taylor Swift have shifted lots of records/downloads as per usual and both stand a chance but Lana Del Rey was one of the big sellers in the UK last year and did well in the charts making a major breakthrough in 2012 and on that basis I think she gets to win this award.

My prediction: Lana Del Rey My selection: Lana Del Rey


International Male Solo Artist Nominees:
• Bruce Springsteen (Columbia / Sony Music)
• Frank Ocean (Def Jam / Universal Music)
• Gotye (Island / Universal Music)
• Jack White (XL Recordings / XL / Beggars)
• Michael Buble (Reprise / Warner Music)

You know the apocalypse will be upon us if Michael Buble wins this award. Fortunately I think we will be reprieved for a while longer. Springsteen must be catching Neil Young up for the prolific number of studio albums he's recorded as he seems to get nominated nearly every year. Haven't heard anything Jack White has released as a solo artist but Gotye had one of the most played songs of last year which gained him notoriety which should see him win this one.

My prediction: Gotye My selection: Errr....Jack White I suppose

British Single:
Top fifteen British singles based on the biggest sales success in 2012 - With Capital FM and iTunes
• Adele ‘Skyfall’ (XL Recordings / XL / Beggars)
• Alex Clare ‘Too Close’ (Island / Universal Music)
• Coldplay & Rihanna ‘Princess of China’ (Parlophone / EMI Music)
• DJ Fresh Ft Rita Ora ‘Hot Right Now’ (Ministry of Sound / Ministry of Sound Group)
• Emeli Sandé ‘Next To Me’ (Virgin / EMI Music)
• Florence & The Machine ‘Spectrum’ (Island / Universal Music)
• James Arthur ‘Impossible’ (Syco Music / Sony Music)
• Jessie J ‘Domino’ (Island / Lava / Universal Music)
• Labrinth Ft Emeli Sandé ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ (Syco Music / Sony Music)
• Olly Murs Ft Flo Rida ‘Troublemaker’ (Epic / Sony Music)
• Rita Ora Ft Tinie Tempah ‘R.I.P.’ (Columbia / Roc Nation / Sony Music)
• Rizzle Kicks ‘Mama Do The Hump’ (Island / Universal Music)
• Robbie Williams ‘Candy’ (Island / Universal Music)
• Rudimental Ft John Newman ‘Feel The Love’ (Asylum / Black Butter / Warner Music)
• Stooshe ‘Black Heart’ (Future Cut / Qworks / Warner Bros / Warner Music


The usual mixture of stuff in this category. There is about 2/3s of the nominees that can be readily eliminated as having a chance of winning. In fact, I think the destiny of this award is really between 4 female vocalists - Adele, Rita Ora, Emeli Sande and Florence. 'Spectrum' was one of my favourite songs last year and Flo and her Machine might stand a chance here, but I think the success of 'Skyfall' as a movie and Adele's subsequent success in the Grammys suggests this award is heading for her mantelpiece. Even as someone that doesn't like Bond themes or Adele particularly, I'd have to admit this was a good song.

My prediction: Adele My selection: Florence & The Machine

MasterCard British Album of the Year Nominees:

Supported by The Sun Bizarre Column
• Alt-J ‘An Awesome Wave’ (Infectious Music)
• Emeli Sandé ‘Our Version Of Events’ (Virgin / EMI Music)
• Mumford & Sons ‘Babel’ (Gentlemen of The Road / Island / Universal Music)
• Paloma Faith ‘Fall To Grace’ (RCA / Sony Music)
• Plan B ‘Ill Manors’ (679 / Atlantic / Warner Music)

I bought only one of these albums, which was Mumford & Sons' album 'Babel'. It's not a bad album at all as it goes and they triumphed when they released their previous album so they could well be successful again. The only reason to bet against them is that Emeli Sande had the best selling album of last year and given that the award is endorsed by The Sun, you would imagine that the populist vote will win the day. Expect some grateful record execs that have been kept in a job to applaud when she scoops this award.


My prediction: Emeli Sande My selection: Mumford & Sons

Brit Awards witterings, ramblings and predictions 2012

So, once again the award season is upon us with this weekend the BAFTA film awards following hot on the heels of the British Comedy Awards, the National Television Awards and the National Envelope Openers Awards. But it is on 22 February that the blue riband event so far as the British music industry concerned takes place, the night when record execs come together to slap their counterparts wholesale on the back.

Yes, it is the Brit Awards, the night that has provided many moments of controversy and comedy, ranging from Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox's inability to read an autocue right through to Jarvis Cocker baring his derriere whilst Michael Jackson performed, and the amusingly named anarchist Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba fame pouring a bucket of ice over John Prescott and escaping a retaliatory jab from Hull's finest croquet playing Jaguar driver.

And so what moments of controversy, debauchery and amusement will be thrown up (hopefully not literally) this year? Well, judging by the nominees, seemingly not very much. Perhaps more than anything it is a sign of the ageing process taking hold, but it is hard to think of a year where I have been less aware of so many of the acts that have made the shortlist. I think this is in part due to me having bought so little music in 2011, either in physical copy or via download. However, I think it is also due to the nature of the charts now. Several of the acts nominated have had very little exposure in the media or via radio playlists over the past year and so consequently, much of their work has crept under the radar.

Maybe I will have to live with the reality that middle age is starting to take hold on me and it won't be long before I start finding myself snubbing music radio altogether and find that Radio 4 or Test Match Special on long wave will be my preferred wireless listening of choice. But it does seem to me that the days of the Brits having an impact and being compulsive television viewing are long gone. Sure, Lady Gaga will turn up wearing something reported missing from an abattoir and some rapper will turn the air blue with a few ill advised F-bombs in their acceptance speech, but these moments will be few and far between in an otherwise anodyne itinerary. James Corden has been booked to compere the show for the second year running, much to universal delight at least in the Corden household. But even a few lame putdowns from Patrick Stewart's old sparring partner are unlikely to give the Brits that much edge.

But, let's not get too bogged down with how the awards stack up with renewals from yesteryear. Comparisons are indeed odious and there are at least some interesting battles that could arise in some of this year's marquee categories. Ed Sheeran and Adele seem to be in pole position to clean up at this year's ceremony and given the commercial success that both have enjoyed in 2011, it would very surprising if either were to walk away empty handed. The Brits panel are an unpredictable bunch, but then so too are the British public, and they have a hand in deciding the destiny of the best single and album categories.

So, I thought it would be a good idea if a musical Nostradamus was to cast his eye over this year's shortlist and provide their expert analysis as to who will win each award, as well as advising the world as to what gems should be scooping the prizes, so far as their musical ear is concerned. Sadly, our correspondent was out to lunch and so the duty falls upon yours truly to predict the night's winners and losers for your delectation. Here goes:


British Male Solo Artist: Ed Sheeran, James Blake, James Morrison, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Professor Green
The days of this category being dominated by Robbie Williams are mercifully long gone. In his place we have some new kids on the scene, along with an old stager appearing as a solo artist for the first time. I have not followed Ed Sheeran a great deal but his songs appear to have received a lot of radio play in the last year and he was also lauded on Top of the Pops at Christmas, which makes him a livewire contender here. Nelly Furtado's former collaborative partner who mended her broken strings should win the battle of the 2 James' here, although Mr Blake continues to make that difficult transition from black US hard court tennis specialist to white, folksy British singer-songwriter. I thought Professor Green generally committed violent crime in the library with a candlestick, but I am not certain of whether his music is equally criminal. That leaves us with one half of Madchester's finest indie sibling combo in his new project and whilst his debut solo album is a very fine listen and reminiscent of Oasis's more mellow offerings, Noel Gallagher sized eyebrows would be raised were he to land this award at a time when old school indie-Britpop music is not particularly in vogue. Disappointing not to see Devonian folk singer Ben Howard make the shortlist (kind of Paignton's answer to Jack Johnson), but of those that have made it, expect flavour of the month Ed Sheeran to edge out James Morrison for the mantelpiece decoration.

My prediction: Ed Sheeran My choice: Noel Gallagher

British Female Solo Artist: Adele, Florence & The Machine, Jessie J, Kate Bush, Laura Marling
Not the most inspiring list of nominees that have ever adorned this category, albeit there are a couple of previous winners amongst the quintet. Jessie J has certainly had a productive year and her song 'Price Tag' has been one of the most played songs of the past year, perhaps because it is appropriate in identifying society's current materialistic obsessions. For all that, however, I found the song somewhat irritating. Florence and her imaginary machine have come back and recorded that difficult second album to general acclaim, although it generally passed me by. Kate Bush seems to be this year's version of Annie Lennox and is nominated just to remind people that she has made her once in a decade trip to a recording studio, while Laura Marling seems to be gaining a reputation as the critics' favourite. She won this category a year ago against the odds, but lightning is unlikely to strike twice as last year was Adele's year. And I say that as someone who does not like her music, or indeed her. When you are the biggest selling recording artist in the States as well as in the UK, you know that you have cracked it and seeing as how sales of CDs and downloads keep record execs away from a Jobseekers' Allowance, expect them to show their gratitude here.

My prediction: Adele My choice: Despite not liking her, it has to be Adele


British Breakthrough Act: Anna Calvi, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Jessie J, The Vaccines
It has been a strange sort of year because whereas in previous years, I would look at this category and would be championing the merits of at least one of the nominees' work, I look at the list this year and know little of their respective merits. Of course, I have heard of Jessie J, Ed Sheeran and Anna Calvi but have only heard the odd song here and there. I did hear one of Emeli Sande's songs on Radio 2 the other week and quite liked it, while I have heard some of The Vaccines' work and just thought they were the type of indie guitar band that has given that genre a bad name these days because their sound was very derivative. On the surface, this looks like a straight fight between Ed Sheeran and Jessie J, and I anticipate that Mr Sheeran will win his second award of the evening.

My prediction: Ed Sheeran My choice: Emeli Sande

British Group: Arctic Monkeys, Chase & Status, Coldplay, Elbow, Kasabian

A lot of the usual suspects feature in this category, although spot the odd one out. Go on, be honest, have you heard of Chase and Status? They sound like a web design company. A little bit surprising that Beady Eye didn't get a look in for this category after the release of their first album in 2011. Of the established acts, Coldplay returned with their first new album in 3 years in 2011 and as staunch a fan of Coldplay as I am, I have to say that I was underwhelmed by their latest offering. Not a bad album by any means, but it lacked as many standout tracks as most of its predecessors. By the same token, Elbow's last album did not quite hit the same heights as 'Seldom Seen Kid' but it would have been unrealistic to expect it to. Arctic Monkeys seem to have faded off the radar a bit these days, no longer going for the populist audience and in doing so, losing some of their fanbase whilst getting further approval from the rest. If Coldplay are to be beaten here, then it is likely to be Kasabian who topple them given their popular appeal to those that attend live music. They also seem to be a band that are remaining fresh despite now being on their fourth album. I have a gut feeling for the band from Leicester to cause a minor upset in this category and for them to defeat Coldplay.

My prediction: Kasabian My choice: Elbow

British Single: Adele - Someone Like You, Ed Sheeran - The A Team, Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me, Jessie J Ft B.o.B. - Price Tag, JLS Ft Dev - She Makes Me Wanna, Military Wives/Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are, Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips A Beat, One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful, Pixie Lott - All About Tonight, The Wanted - Glad You Came
As ever the nominees for this category reads like a playlist for Heart FM's daytime schedule. The Wanted will betray their song title and be wishing they stayed at home because they will not be winning. Nor for that matter will the Military Wives, Ed Sheeran or One Direction, much to Caroline Flack's disappointment. If the queue for their concert at The Dome last year was anything to go by, Example will be getting the teenage girl vote. As much as it would be pleasing to see a Brightonian victory, Rizzle Kicks' collaboration with Olly Murs will not be claiming the prize either. I must confess to a weakness where Pixie Lott is concerned, a perfect mixture of long legs and saccharin sweet electro-pop does the trick. Incidentally where was she on the best female shortlist? Her nominated song was one of the better number 1s of recent times, but even so, I think she will fall short here as I am expecting the winner to come from either Adele or Jessie J, as theirs were 2 of the most played singles of last year. Given that Adele released 3 or 4 singles of note last year while Jessie J's nominated effort remains the one by which she is most readily identified, I think the latter could scoop the prize on this occasion.

My prediction: Jessie J My choice: Pixie Lott

British Album of the Year: Adele - 21, Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto, Ed Sheeran - +, Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials, PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Well, I only own one out of the shortlist this year and that is Coldplay's latest album. I must say that although I am very much a fan of Coldplay's, as I mentioned above, I did feel somewhat underwhelmed by their latest album and do not feel that it has the strength in depth of most of their previous efforts. The problem is, however, that I have not heard enough of the other albums to suitably advise if any of the other nominees' entries are better. I have heard the singles from Adele's album and also a couple of songs from Florence and the Machine and so I would expect them to be at the front of the queue when this award is given out. It is surprising that Noel Gallagher's debut album is missing as that was the best album I bought last year, followed by White Lies' second album 'Ritual'. Ed Sheeran I suppose is also a candidate, while I think PJ Harvey got in because she won the Mercury Prize last year, but that generally does not offer much of a form guide, save for the year that Elbow made their breakthrough. I think it is a close call between Adele and Florence, but although Karl Lagerfield is unlikely to approve, expect another win for Adele.

My prediction: Adele My choice: Somewhat by default in the absence of Noel Gallagher or White Lies, Coldplay


International Male Solo Artist: Aloe Blacc, Bon Iver, Bruno Mars, David Guetta, Ryan Adams
It is to my great shame and possibly a sign of the ageing process kicking in that I was completely ignorant to Ryan Adams releasing any material last year, an artist who I quite like and whose material I have previously bought. Elsewhere, we have Aloe Blacc who I doubt is in need of a dollar these days following the commercial success of his hit single last year. You do sense he could end up being one of those one hit wonders being picked out of the Buzzcocks ID parade in five years time, by which time one suspects Phill Jupitus will be fossilised and Noel Fielding will have become a woman. I was so oblivious to David Guetta last year when he was nominated that I wondered whether he was in fact a Spanish goalkeeper, but he appears to have had another year of recording and producing club records played on the Balearics' party island so comes here as a livewire contender. I'm not particularly familiiar with Bon Iver, but gather he is of a similar musical ilk to Jack Johnson and Ben Howard, so he may be worth checking out. It is Bruno Mars, however, who seems to have had the most commercial success out of this quintet this past year though and on that basis, I would be surprised if anyone else picked up this award.

My prediction: Bruno Mars My choice: Ryan Adams

International Female Solo Artist: Beyonce, Bjork, Feist, Lady Gaga, Rihanna
Again, due to me not following music extensively in 2011, I was not aware that Iceland's greatest singing pugilist had released any material last year, or indeed this side of the Millennium. I'm sure that she is as grateful as a grapefruit for her nomination competing against such stellar names. Nice to see Feist nominated who had a fairish hit with that radio friendly '1234' song three or four years ago, although I was blissfully unaware that she had released anything since. She surely comes in as rank outsider in this category. As for the A-listers, well I think Lady Gaga's seminal year came a couple of years ago when she swept the board while wearing the delicatessen as her outfit. That then leaves Rihanna and Beyonce and while Beyonce starts to enjoy her new role of motherhood, I expect Rihanna to cap a year in which she hit number one for the fifth year in a row with a Brit award to boot.
My prediction: Rihanna My choice: Feist

International Group: Fleet Foxes, Foo Fighters, Jay Z / Kanye West, Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5
First of all, how do Jay Z and Kanye West count as an 'international group'? They are two solo artists that happen to collaborate with many other artists on their material. This is surely a form of cheating and it would be wrong for cheats to prosper. Secondly, who on earth are Lady Antebellum? Thirdly, Maroon 5, why? That much overused and annoying word 'meh' springs to mind when looking at this category this year. The door seems to be left open for the Foo Fighters to be winning this category. I don't profess to be the greatest fan of the Foos and find a lot of their music repetitive, but at a time when rock music seems to have become commercially unfashionable, you have to respect their ability to keep churning out top 20 hit singles, even if their sound, at least to my ear, is formulaic and derivative. The Fleet Foxes are the band I have most of a liking for out of these nominees and although they have never quite topped their single 'Mykonos' from 3 or 4 years back, I think they the best of a mediocre bunch here. That said, expect the Foos to pick up the award.
My prediction: Foo Fighters My choice: Fleet Foxes

International Breakthrough Act: Aloe Blacc Bon Iver Foster The People Lana Del Rey Nicki Minaj
Have not got a great deal to say on this category due to how little of their material I have heard. Aloe Blacc and Foster The People both seem to be one hit wonders, while Nicki Minaj is another one to file under 'acts I've not previously heard of before a Brits nomination'. I am hoping if I haven't heard of them then members of Brits Committee would not be able to identify them either. Although Bon Iver could be a dark horse, Lana Del Rey has been attracting a lot of column inches recently off the back of that 'Video Games' hit single. On that basis, I expect the King of Spain to collect a crown, or an award anyway.
My prediction: Lana Del Rey My choice: No idea

British Producer: Paul Epworth, Flood, Ethan Johns

When I first saw these nominees, I thought the last person was Elton John, which led me to wonder how long he had been a producer on other people's music. I have only heard of Paul Epworth and purely for that very scientific reason, I predict he will win this award.

Outstanding Contribution To Music: Blur

They didn't bother with an outstanding contribution last year for some reason, but it has been restored this year in order to provide recognition for Blur. I would have to say that is a fair enough accolade to dish out. I don't profess to be the biggest fan of theirs, but they have been around now for over 20 years and have released a vast back catalogue of hit singles to the point where even if you are not an out-and-out fan of their music, the chances are you are going to like at least some of their songs. That is the case with me, albeit most of the songs of theirs that I like have tended not to be the major hits. For the record, I reckon that as an overall music composition, you are hard pressed to find a better song they have recorded than 'The Universal', while 'Tender', 'Out Of Time' and 'There's No Other Way' are also amongst their finest works.

Not so fond of the likes of 'Parklife', 'Country House' or 'Girls and Boys', but there are plenty of people who disagree with me and so it is likely, therefore, that these will be the songs they perform on the night, provided they can tear Phil Daniels away from advertising football betting and cutting down on his Porklife in order to lead the vocals.

Critics' Choice Emeli Sande
Emeli Sande is a Scottish soul singer and I think I've heard one of her tracks on Radio 2, which means it must be the kind of music that won't frighten the horses, or Ken Bruce for that matter. She has collaborated before on a number one hit with Professor Green and as has been shown in the past, collaborating as a vocalist on other people's work is not a bad career move in order to get yourself airplay and awareness in the charts. Her Wikipedia entry also informs the world that she is Simon Cowell's 'favourite songwriter at the moment', although given Cowell's track record at promoting sub-standard mime artists on various talent shows, this is not necessarily a glowing reference. She beat Maverick Sabre to win this award, which I previously believed was the name of an Olympic fencing sword.

World Snooker Championships - 1st round previews and predictions

Hi everyone.

Well, as you probably have gathered by now, I am something of a sporting enthusiast, albeit an enthusiast devoid of any natural talent on that front. But, this weekend sees the start of one of my favourite sporting televisual events of the year, namely the World Snooker Championships. There has always been something magical about the 17 days at the Crucible as far as I am concerned. I first remember watching the event as a 7 year old child and one of my first memories is of being allowed to stay up late to watch the conclusion of the 1985 'black ball decider' final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. I was in the minority at the time in as much as the 'Ginger Magician' was my favourite player and so I was disappointed that he lost to the genial Ulsterman who wore his giant spectacles upside down!

The game has moved on a lot since those heady days and both of the 1985 finalists will be confined to commentary duties at this year's event, with Davis having failed to qualify for the televised stages. The sport's other elder statesman, Jimmy White, also misses out this year and so the senior figures in the tournament will be Peter Ebdon, 7 times winner Stephen Hendry, and Ronnie O'Sullivan. The Rocket will be particularly interesting to watch given that he almost pulled out of the tournament just last week, before having a change of heart. Flawed genius that he is, nonetheless, O'Sullivan remains his sport's box office draw card in the same way that Tiger Woods is to golf and Roger Federer is to tennis.

In this blog, I will preview the first round matches in draw order, and will offer my score prediction for each match-up. Here goes:

Neil Robertson v Judd Trump
You do not need to look very far to find the tie of the first round. Australian Neil Robertson is the defending champion at The Crucible and is bidding to become the first ever first-time champion to retain the World Championship since the event moved to Sheffield in 1977. He is also bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the title since Stephen Hendry won the last of his five in a row in 1996. With that burden of history already to consider, you then have to take into account that Robertson has been pitted against arguably the toughest unseeded player in the draw in 23 year old Bristolian, Judd Trump.

Trump's potential has been known about for 3 or 4 years now and he is a fearless attacking player. Reining in his instincts has just been his problem, particularly in shorter matches. However, Trump arrives in Sheffield having taken the first step towards realising his potential by winning his first ranking tournament, the China Open, a fortnight ago. In the final, Trump defeated Mark Selby, who is second favourite for the World Championships, which gives you an indication of the threat he poses to Robertson.

Both players like to go for their shots and there will be no Cliff Thorburn-esque hanging about in this match. Whoever comes out on top in the first session will likely have a pretty crucial advantage. As good as Trump's victory was in the China Open, however, a word of caution. That tournament is not always the best form guide to the World Championships. The players who get eliminated from it early are able to gear themselves up for the long haul in Sheffield with quality time on the practice table, while the players that advance furthest in the Orient, have a tendency to peak early.

Robertson will need to be at the top of his game to win this match, and although his season has been topsy-turvy, it is no different to his preparation heading to the Crucible 12 months ago where he was ultimately victorious. His whole season has been based towards successfully defending his world crown, and on that basis, I expect him to have the edge over a player playing at this venue for the first time in four years.
Prediction: Robertson 10-7 Trump

Marco Fu v Martin Gould
If Robertson-Trump is snooker's equivalent of Manchester United and Arsenal drawing each other in the third round of the FA Cup, then on first sighting, this has the look of an underwhelming tie between two mid-table Championship clubs. That does do something of a disservice to both players in action here, and only handful of ranking places separate Hong Kong's Marco Fu and Londoner Martin Gould.

Marco Fu is something of an enigmatic player, capable of beating anybody on his day, but also capable of crashing and burning to a club player. His recent seasons had seen more lows than highs until he reached the final of the UK Championships a couple of seasons ago. Fu then recorded a mediocre campaign last year before making a return to form by reaching the Masters final at Wembley in January and losing to Ding Junhui. However, the Masters does not carry any ranking points and so the reality is that Fu is heading to Sheffield fighting to keep his place in the world top 16, which gives him exemption to the televised stages of the major tournaments. An early exit here would pretty much seal his fate.

The bespectacled Martin Gould is unlikely to be a household name to snooker's casual observers but he has been an up-and-coming player for the past 18 months now. He perhaps first showcased his potential in this event 12 months ago when he reached the 2nd round before giving the eventual champion, Neil Robertson, the biggest scare he had all tournament. Gould led 11 frames to 5 going into the final session, before Robertson staged a dramatic recovery and eventually won through in the deciding frame. The incentive for Gould to win this match is that his 2nd round opponent could well be Robertson and a chance for revenge. Added to which, Gould is a contender to grab a top 16 place with a good run in the tournament.

This has the makings of a tight and nervy match. If Fu is at his best, then he should have the fluency to win through and the longer frame formats are generally to his liking. However, given the pressure on Fu with his top 16 place on the line and considering Gould has less to lose but a lot to gain, I see Gould setting up a rematch with his Australian nemesis of 12 months ago.
Prediction: Fu 8-10 Gould

Graeme Dott v Mark King
For those traditionalists that like a good old-fashioned scrap on the baize between 2 tactical players who value a good safety shot as much as sinking a long red off the lampshade, then this might well be the match for you. These 2 are seasoned match players who tend to play their best snooker when their back is against the wall. Their mantra is very much one of winning as ugly as is necessary.

That said, it is very easy to forget that the gritty Scotsman Dott has reached 3 World Championship finals. To put that into context, Dott has only won one other ranking tournament, so the Sheffield lights seem to bring the best out of him. Dott's World Championship was won in 2006, but he played the best snooker of his career last year in reaching his third final and losing to Robertson. Whereas Dott won in 2006 with very cagey, attritional play, last year he was knocking in frame winning breaks consistently and quickly, averaging under 20 seconds a shot.

This change in attitude owes much to a new perspective given that Dott suffered a period of depression away from the table. Dott's run to the final 12 months ago as an unseeded player propelled him back in to the world's top 10, but you sense from now on that Dott will play with the shackles off. Meanwhile, his Essex opponent's predicament is the exact opposite with King having dropped out of the top 16 after he lost in a deciding frame to former practice partner, Steve Davis, at this stage last year in a match that was excruciatingly painful to watch.

Dott's record in this tournament marks him down as favourite, but King has a knack of dragging good players down to his level and knocking them out of their rhythm. He defeated Mark Selby in the first round in 2008 when Selby came into the tournament as the previous year's runner-up and he thrives on being the underdog. On that basis, I see this match heading the distance and if King's will is stronger, I fancy him to spring a surprise. Don't expect any quarter to be asked or given.
Prediction: Dott 9-10 King

Ali Carter v Dave Harold
This match sees the 2008 runner-up Ali Carter take on the oldest player in the tournament in Dave Harold, who at 44 years of age, is still in nappies in comparison to Steve Davis, who reached the quarter-finals last year at the age of 52.

Carter is the current world number 8 and as well as reaching the final in 2008, he also reached the semi-finals 12 months ago before succumbing to Neil Robertson. He also is one of a select band of players to have made a 147 at the Crucible, doing so en route to the final in 2008 where he lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan, who had also made a maximum in that year's tournament and so Carter had to share the maximum break prize. Carter has a good record in the longer frame formats, but he does have something of a reputation for choking at key moments.

His opponent has been a regular competitor at The Crucible for nearly 20 years and although for the large part, Harold has enjoyed a journeyman's career, he is a player who has reached 2 ranking finals during his long career and will be an obdurate opponent for the man they call the Captain.

Of those players discussed as a potential challenger in this year's tournament, Carter arrives in Sheffield a little off the radar, which is likely to suit the player who started this season by winning the Shanghai Masters, which at the time lifted him to number 3 in the world. A slump in form since has seen his ranking fall, but Carter always goes well at The Crucible and should have no problem in seeing off the veteran Harold.
Prediction: Carter 10-5 Harold

Ding Junhui v Jamie Burnett
For some time, the Chinese invasion on the green baize has been talked about by snooker's raconteurs. A world champion within five years would be a formality as millions of people tuned in the other side of the world to hail the new national hero. At the forefront of this invasion was Ding Junhui, who won the UK Championship in 2005 at the age of 17. For all Ding's promise though, there is one glaring omission from his trophy cabinet, namely the World Championship. In fact, Ding has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the Crucible.

Why Ding has underachieved here is difficult to pinpoint. He certainly cannot attribute it to home sickness given that his home these days is in Sheffield. It would also seem simplistic to attribute this to any weakness in longer matches. Ding has twice won the UK Championship, which is second only to the Worlds in the number of frames played. Ding's lack of success here up to now really just seems to be a case of bad fortune mixed with a tendency to throw the towel in when things have not been going for him. Ding has certainly had some unkind draws here in previous years, which have not helped his cause.

But to win a World Championship, tough opponents need to be disposed of and so Ding will need to be mentally tough to last out the 2 and half week duration of this tournament. A turning point for Ding, however, may have come in the shape of his Masters victory in January. While the victory carried no ranking points, it will have exorcised demons from one of Ding's most crushing defeats at the hands of Ronnie O'Sullivan, with a partisan Wembley crowd revelling in his misfortune. That defeat took Ding a long time to recover from, so to return to Wembley and win the tournament 4 years later may well mark a significant watershed in his career.

Ding's first round opponent Jamie Burnett first played at the Crucible in 1996, when he lost in the first round to a player making his final World Championship appearance, Terry Griffiths. It took Burnett another 13 years to make it to Sheffield again, but he has enjoyed an Indian summer in his career in the past 2 seasons and reached his first ranking final in Shanghai at the start of the season.

While Burnett clearly deserves respect for the improvement he has made, he is unlikely to pose a stern test to Ding and the Chinese prodigy really should dispose of his Scottish opponent with ease if he has any aspirations to win this year's tournament.
Prediction: Ding 10-4 Burnett

Peter Ebdon v Stuart Bingham
If you were to ask me whether any of these matches would be less appealing than spending 2 hours in a lift with Alan Titchmarsh and Anne Widdecombe and the smell of garlic for company, then this would be the match I would pick out. Peter Ebdon, even now at the age of 40, is a difficult player to derive pleasure from watching given his unorthodox and sometimes downright ugly style of play, added to which he has one of those faces that you have an unfathomable urge to test your pugilistic skills out on. And then in the blue corner, enter Stuart Bingham, something of a nearly-but-not-quite player, who despite being an accomplished break builder is renowned as someone who prefers being a counter puncher, who relies on cleaning up on his opponent's mistakes.

Famous last words, but all of this adds up to a match that is likely to be quite scrappy and which will involve quite a lot of manoeuvring the cue ball from one tight position to another at the other end of the table. That said, Ebdon has had a decent campaign in which he has reached a couple of semi-finals and has returned to the top 16 after a spell of having to qualify for tournaments, during which some had questioned whether he would ponder retirement. As with some of the other hardened match players, Ebdon likes the long matches at snooker's amphitheatre.

Ebdon is not likely to intimidate Bingham though, who has some notable scalps on his CV. He defeated Crucible royalty in Steve Davis in the 1st round here a couple of years ago and more recently he thrashed fellow Essex boy Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 32 of the UK Championship earlier in the season, a tournament which tends to serve as a good trial for the Worlds.

This looks likely to be another match in the Dott-King mould which goes to the wire and where it comes down to whose nerve holds when it counts. It is tempting to call Ebdon in that situation, but he makes more careless mistakes than he used to, and because of that, I slightly fancy Bingham to win through to the last 16.
Prediction: Ebdon 8-10 Bingham

Stephen Hendry v Joe Perry
A few years ago, this is a match that you might have expected to have seen later in the tournament. Hendry's legend, however much it is now consigned to the past, is guaranteed in these parts, but Joe Perry too is a player of some repute. Only 3 years ago, Perry narrowly lost in the semi-finals at the Crucible to Ali Carter. But rather than building the platform for Perry to advance to the next level, his fortunes have taken a major nosedive since.

As for the 7 times former world champion, he seems to have accepted that he is now at the twilight of his career and although in the main, he is nowhere near the supreme cueman of his 90s heyday, he still has his days of genius, such as a recent 5-0 win over Matthew Stevens in the China Open. There is also a principle that generally holds true which is that Hendry is a different proposition at the Crucible to what he is at any other venue. That is not to say that he will win the tournament, but Hendry has pulled off a couple of fine victories in the early rounds in recent years, such as a win over his friend Mark Williams 2 years ago.

While you would hope for a fluent match with plenty of sizeable breaks and good safety play, I think the recent form of the 2 players points towards a match with plenty of tension and unforced errors. From Perry's point of view, he will know that the Hendry he faces here is perfectly beatable and does not hold the aura of a decade ago. From Hendry's end, he will know that if he can get through a couple of rounds and build some momentum, he can dream about reaching another final at his second home.

The added incentive for Hendry is that a first round win is likely to mean a reunion with Mark Selby in the 2nd round, who defeated the Scot at the same stage 12 months ago, after Hendry had more than matched Selby in the first session, only to fall apart thereafter. I expect Hendry's desire to turn the tables on Selby to be the key motivational factor in getting past the awkward Perry at the one place that he still thinks he owns.
Prediction: Hendry 10-7 Perry

Mark Selby v Jimmy Robertson
The top half of the draw is completed with a match-up between a player who is second favourite with the bookmakers to win the tournament and a player who is a rank outsider. A match between a former World Championship finalist and a player who has never played on television before, never mind the Crucible Theatre.

This really would appear to be the David versus Goliath tie of the 1st round draw. However, one warning should be heeded which is that Jimmy Robertson should not be under-estimated, not least because he has had to play three matches just to get through qualifying to this stage, and in the final qualifying round, Robertson defeated a former World champion, Ken Doherty, to make it to Sheffield. Admittedly, Doherty's best days at the green table are quite some way behind him now, but Robertson still did well to claim his scalp.

'The Jester From Leicester' as Selby is sometimes nicknamed on account of his home town and his tendency to wisecrack during matches comes into the tournament having enjoyed a very consistent campaign and through his regular participation in the extra tournaments on the schedule this season, he has risen up to provisional world number 2 in the rankings. His status as the bookies' 2nd favourite is a reflection on his form, but also his proven suitability to longer matches. He reached the final as an unseeded player in 2007 and narrowly lost out to Graeme Dott in the semis 12 months ago. In between, in 2009, Selby went out in an astonishing quarter-final to eventual tournament winner John Higgins. A quarter-final loss for Selby in a tournament in which he had compiled 10 century breaks did not do his level of play justice.

Selby without a doubt is a major player in this year's tournament, but at 28, it is high time for him to shake off the 'nearlyman' tag. Sure, he has won 2 Masters tournaments which is an impressive feat, but these are non-ranking tournaments. As far as ranking pots are concerned, Selby only has a solitary Welsh Open trophy to his name so far, a tally that does not do him justice. Another close shave in the China Open occurred 2 weeks ago. Selby should have no problem getting past his rookie opponent, but he will have some tough matches to follow on this side of the draw.
Prediction: Selby 10-4 Robertson

Mark Williams v Ryan Day
There will be some divided loyalties over the Severn Bridge in this year's World Championship with no fewer than 5 Welshmen taking part in the televised stages of the tournament. Curiously, all 5 players find themselves in the bottom half of the draw and 40 per cent of the representatives from the Valleys are drawing battle lines in this match.

Southpaw Mark Williams is a double world champion, having won at the Crucible in 2000 and 2003. 2003 was the apogee of Williams' career given that during that year, he held the World Championship, Masters and UK Championship crowns all at the same time, which no-one has managed to do since. Then, at the very point that Williams' world should have been his oyster, curiously his career fell into alarming decline, and by 2007 he had slumped to world number 47 and was threatening retirement after suffering the igmoniny of losing in qualifying in front of 2 spectators and a dog.

As improbable as Williams' decline was, his resurgence has also been surprising but also very refreshing to see and Williams arrives in Sheffield with his best chance of winning a third World title for several years. If he gets his cueing arm flowing, it will take a very solid player to remove him from the tournament. In a recent tournament, Williams lost a first round match despite scoring four centuries! He also narrowly lost in the UK Championship final this season after his opponent John Higgins mounted an astonishing comeback from a seemingly hopeless position.

While Williams' career has been prone to wild fluctuations these past few years, it is easy to forget that his compatriot Ryan Day was also talked about as a future World champion a few years ago and was responsible for knocking out John Higgins in the 2nd round in 2008, when Higgins was the defending champion. Day was in snooker's top 16 for five years before dropping out of it last season and he has reached a couple of ranking finals. A victory here could be the kickstart that his career appears to need.

Of the players Williams could have faced in the first round, he would probably have wanted to avoid playing a fellow Welshman, but it will at least get his competitive juices going for the later rounds. The Ryan Day of 2 or 3 years ago would give Williams a very tough examination of his tournament credentials, but Day's weakness has always been his shot selection. He takes on shots that are far too bold when he should play safe, and Williams with his experience and nous should make him pay for any misjudgements that he makes.
Prediction: Williams 10-7 Day

Jamie Cope v Andrew Pagett
The third Welshman to enter the fray at the Crucible is 30 year old Andrew Pagett, who like Jimmy Robertson, is also making his Crucible bow. He is also Mark Williams' practice partner and so he has the added incentive of potentially setting up a second round match with his friend.

To make that possible, Pagett has to get past the man that I would mark down as the dangerous dark horse in this year's tournament. Jamie Cope has been around for the past 4 or 5 years now and has reached a couple of tournament finals, but he has particularly shown signs of progress this season and made it through to the semi-finals at the Masters, in what was his first appearance at the Wembley Arena. The Stoke player is nicknamed 'Shotgun' because of his quickfire style of play and he gave John Higgins a major scare in a second round match 2 years ago in which Higgins came from 12-10 down to win in a deciding frame on the way to winning his third title.

The new rolling ranking system has benefitted Cope this season and he is now established in the world's top 16 players, a status that his potential over the past few years suggested he warranted. Although there are some very tough players in the bottom section of the draw, Cope will be a difficult opponent for any of the big guns to face and if his potting game holds up and Cope does not get overly ambitious and go for needlessly wild shots against the top players, he could be a lively outsider in the business end of the tournament. I certainly expect him to be too powerful for Pagett in this match.
Prediction: Cope 10-5 Pagett

Mark Allen v Matthew Stevens
Another match-up which could perhaps have been played at a later stage in the tournament 2 or 3 years ago. Left-hander Mark Allen made it through to the semi-finals at the Crucible 2 years ago and made the last 8 here 12 months ago. As with many of his contemporaries, the fiery Ulsterman is a blistering long potter but also has a pretty impressive safety game.

His opponent Matthew Stevens has twice reached the final of the Worlds, losing to compatriot Mark Williams in 2000 and Shaun Murphy in 2005. Much like Mark Selby now, Stevens was something of a nearly player at his peak, but he always seemed to produce his best snooker in the longer frame formats. Stevens' problem was that he stopped winning matches in the shorter matches and consequently he fell out of snooker's top 16 three years ago, and he has not returned to the elite club since, and only occasionally shown any signs of his former glory since. A recent 5-0 whitewash to Stephen Hendry in China does not bode well.

Stevens' slump in fortunes seem to owe much to him not putting as many hours in on the practice table as he once did, due to the family commitments. This was also what resulted in Mark Williams' years in the wilderness, and if Stevens does not have the hunger he once had for the game, there are plenty of players around who certainly do have the appetite for success.

Stevens comes up against one such player here in the shape of Mark Allen. Allen is looking for his first major breakthrough as semi-finals have proven so far to be an insurmountable glass ceiling in his progress towards world domination. Allen has the talent to win a World Championship, but questions persist as to whether he has the temperament. Stevens will give Allen a tough test first up, but if Allen's potting game is firing, he should have the ammunition to see off the Welsh wizard.
Prediction: Allen 10-6 Stevens

Stephen Maguire v Barry Hawkins
If it wasn't for the continued presence of Ronnie O'Sullivan, snooker's great enigma could well be Stephen Maguire. The Scotsman, like the Rocket, can on his day make the game appear easy to play when he is in full flow. However, when he is not focused and cannot get his game together, he can be surly and very frustrating to watch. For several years, Maguire has turned up as one of the players who could win the World Championship, but he seems no nearer to accomplishing that mission than he was 7 or 8 years ago. In fact, Maguire has never even made the final at the Crucible, despite having been world number 2 on more than one occasion that he has played here.

His first round opponent, Barry Hawkins, was ranked in the top 16 for all of one season some 5 years ago, but has largely been ranked in between 20th and 30th in the world ever since scaling those dizzy heights. Hawkins has been a regular qualifier for the Crucible in recent years, but has only made it past the first round on one occasion.

The attitude that I would take to this match is that there is only one player that can beat Stephen Maguire and that is Maguire himself. As long as he is switched on and keeps his head, he should have too much for Hawkins to deal with. The only way for Hawkins to win is for him to frustrate Maguire, keep him off the table and force him in to making mistakes and sealing his own fate. That is not beyond the realms of possibility, but I expect Maguire to take his place in the second round.
Prediction: Maguire 10-5 Hawkins

Shaun Murphy v Marcus Campbell
The 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy hails from Rotherham which is just up the road from the Crucible, so he should be guaranteed plenty of home support in the auditorium. Murphy's victory in the 2005 tournament was somewhat unexpected given that he was ranked number 48 in the world at the time, but he has since proven that his victory that year was no fluke by being a mainstay of the world's top 10 players pretty much ever since. The only surprise has been that he has not won more tournaments since, with just 2 further ranking tournaments to his name, including the 2008 UK Championship.

Murphy does, without question, thrive in the longer matches. He has a tendency to be a slow starter in matches, which can be very costly when matches are just the best of 5 or best of 9 frames. Whereas, he knows exactly how to pace himself in matches lasting for 2 or 3 sessions. He is also a pure potter and if his cue arm is flowing and he has his eye in, he could prove to be the immovable object in the bottom half of the draw.

What doesn't help Murphy is the draw because a first round win could well see him face Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round, a player against whom Murphy has a wretched record. The fact that those 2 players could face each other in the last 16, seeded as they are 7th and 10th, is something of an indictment of the times and this is where Murphy has paid for losing in the early stages of the shorter format tournaments.

Marcus Campbell is a classic example of a snooker journeyman and whose career highlight came in 1998 when be beat fellow Scotsman Stephen Hendry 9-0 in a televised tournament. More recently, he scored a 147 in the Bahrain Championship in 2008. This suggests he is an awkward match player and although his ranking is over 30 places below his opponent's, this could be a closer match than you might first anticipate. Nonetheless, it is hard to see past a Murphy victory.
Prediction: Murphy 10-7 Campbell

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Dominic Dale
For people that do not follow the snooker scene on a regular basis, it will come as a shock to learn that the most naturally talented player of his generation pitches up at Sheffield this year ranked the world number 10. The last time that the Rocket was ranked so low he would have still been a teenager back in the mid-1990s, since when he has won three world titles. For such an outrageously gifted player to be ranked so low is almost criminal, but therein lies the constant enigma that is Ronnie O'Sullivan.

In fact, O'Sullivan appearing in the tournament is progress of sorts. Just a week ago, so disillusioned was he with life, that Chigwell's finest told his sport's governing body that he would not be participating, only to have a change of heart the next day. As O'Sullivan grows older, he seems to have less time for the longer tournaments and it is little surprise that his best results in a barren season have been in the short competitions which can hold his interest, such as the Premier League Snooker competition. There are off-table factors that have also played a part, such as a custody battle that O'Sullivan is involved in and also the release of his father from jail. This in particular will have been a major upheaval, given that it will have been the first time in O'Sullivan's adult life that his father will have been a free man.

The fact that Ronnie has turned up in Sheffield is encouraging, but it would take a major leap of faith to expect him to rediscover his magic and win the tournament. It has been some time since O'Sullivan has shown the patience to last out for 17 days and he would have a very difficult run to the final, with the likes of Shaun Murphy and John Higgins potentially waiting for him in later rounds.

O'Sullivan's first round opponent Dominic Dale is the right kind of test for him first up. Dale is a vastly experienced player who has also won a couple of ranking tournaments in his long career, albeit some ten years apart. The Welshman, perhaps surprisingly, has not played at the Crucible since 2004 and is sure to want to make up for lost time. He is decent enough that Ronnie cannot afford to take him lightly, but it is a match that is there for Essex's Exocet to win and I expect him to do just that.
Prediction: O'Sullivan 10-6 Dale

Ricky Walden v Rory McLeod
This does not jump out as one of the ties of the opening round, but Ricky Walden is another fast improving player who has a tendency to play a gung-ho, attacking method of snooker, which when it is effective, makes him a dangerous player against anyone. As with many players of that ilk, however, consistency is Walden's main weakness, but he has now crept into the top 16 for the first time, which could prove to be the making of him.

One of the elder statesmen in the tournament, Rory McLeod serves as something of a phenomenon in snooker circles due to him being the only high profile black snooker player. Other than this piece of trivia, McLeod has also spent part of his time coaching young snooker players in the United Arab Emirates, so he could play a role in future champions emerging from that part of the world.

It does not strike me as being a classic, but there is an incentive to possibly play John Higgins in the second round up for grabs. Although Higgins has held the upper hand in recent times, Walden did defeat Higgins in the UK Championship a few years ago and would pose a threat if they were to meet here. I expect Walden to keep his side of the bargain.
Prediction: Walden 10-5 McLeod

John Higgins v Stephen Lee
Other than Robertson against Trump on the opposite side of the draw, this has the potential to be the tie of the opening round. It is easy to forget with the passage of time, but between them, these two players have amassed 27 career ranking tournament victories. Admittedly, Higgins has claimed 23 of those, but any player with 4 tournament victories as Lee has should be given respect too.

This is the tournament that John Higgins has building towards for his whole season. A year ago, he was unceremoniously removed from the tournament by Steve Davis in the 2nd round, only for sordid allegations to emerge courtesy of film footage from a Sunday newspaper with previous where investigative journalism was concerned, which seemed to imply that Higgins had given an undertaking to throw a match in exchange for a pile of notes with a monarch's head on them. Higgins was cleared of fixing, but banned for six months not declaring the incident and thereby bringing the sport into disrepute. Although Higgins was cleared of corruption, there are plenty of people that follow the sport that felt he had been let off lightly.

As if Higgins' loss of livelihood was not enough, he has also had to contend with the death of his father, who had been a huge mentor in his career. Such setbacks would test the resolve of most mere mortals, but Higgins' response has been extraordinary, even for those familiar with the granite hard determination and will to win that the 'Wizard of Wishaw' has displayed over the years. Since returning from his suspension, Higgins has won 2 ranking tournaments, including a magnificent comeback victory in the UK Championship final, just weeks after his return.

Given how the allegations about Higgins' involvement in match fixing cast a huge shadow over this tournament 12 months ago, I think there will be great determination on Higgins' part to try and atone by winning his fourth World Championship this year, to move him ahead of Ronnie O'Sullivan. He is certainly capable of doing so and there is no-one in the field with a better tactical brain than him, which will be an extremely handy attribute to have over 17 days of play, and he rightly starts the tournament as favourite.

But Stephen Lee is no pushover and comes into the tournament in good form having thrashed Steve Davis in the final qualifying round for the tournament and then beaten Mark Williams in China. He is building breaks again, having struggled in this department for a few years, and if he can keep Higgins off the table for a sustained period in the match, he could force mistakes from his opponent.

This has all the makings of being an epic first round match and although I think that ultimately, Higgins' greater resolve and fighting spirit will see him through, he cannot afford to be involved in too many epics in this tournament, because at 35 years of age, he will quickly get mentally and physically drained as the tournament wears on, whereas he would not have done so much a couple of years ago.
Prediction: Higgins 10-8 Lee

Champions League last 16 previews - week commencing 22 February 2010

Another batch of 2nd round 1st leg Champions League matches are taking place this midweek. Here's my take on affairs:

Stuttgart v Barcelona
The holders have been in imperious form in La Liga this season, although their unbeaten domestic campaign was ended by Atletico Madrid last weekend. They have continued to be the free scoring force that they were in winning this competition last season, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic having been a regular goalscorer since his signing from Inter Milan. Stuttgart by contrast have had a poor season and their place in the second round owed much to being in the weakest first round group. A 5-1 win at struggling Cologne at the weekend was a rare moment of joy in what has been a poor campaign. Stuttgart have Barcelona old boy Aleksandr Hleb in their ranks and will look to him to provide their creative spark. Given that Stuttgart are out of contention for Champions League qualification for next season, they can enter this match with a nothing to lose and that could make them dangerous. All said and done though, Barcelona should have enough technical quality and experience to negotiate this tie and to finish the job in the Nou Camp.
Prediction: 1-2

Olympiakos v Bordeaux
Greece's most regular participants in the knockout stages of the Champions League take on the reigning French champions and this will be an awkward match for Laurent Blanc's side, given that Olympiakos are always strong on their home turf, helped by a vociferous support. The important thing is that Bordeaux managed to retain their best players during January and that gives them the best possible chance of advancing from this tie. Olympiakos should have former Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire available to them again after a spell out injured. Bordeaux showed in the group phase that they are not afraid taking on quality opposition and as long as they do not concede an early goal and then wilt, I see them having enough quality to grab a draw and then complete the job in the south of France.
Prediction: 1-1

Inter Milan v Chelsea
The blue riband tie of the week sees the much anticipated return of the Special One to take on his former employers with whom he achieved much success. The acrimonious way in which he left though will ensure he is very motivated to plot Chelsea's demise from this season's competition. Mourinho's present employers have much to prove in the Champions League, having continually stumbled at this stage in recent years. Inter have shown the pragmatic and efficient qualities befitting a Mourinho side this season without being spectacular. By contrast, Chelsea have at times been excellent but on other occasions fallible and their away form has been a concern. Inter have not been defeated in the San Siro under Mourinho's watch but their hopes of establishing an advantage will depend on how their back line can cope with the power of Didier Drogba, who has been in magnificent form. This has the look of a tie in which both teams will set up cautiously and not give much away, with the game being particularly congested in midfield. I therefore see only one goal, which I can see going to the home team to put the second leg in the melting pot.
Prediction: 1-0

CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
The early kick-off on Wednesday sees Sevilla travel to opponents currently experiencing their off-season. CSKA showed some attacking qualities in the group stages, in which their highlight was a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford. Sevilla's passage to this stage was easier due to being a straightforward qualifying group. The Andalucians' preparation for this match was not helped by finishing their weekend La Liga match with 9 men and so they could tire noticeably in the latter stages of the match in Russia. By the same token, CSKA's lack of match fitness is likely to have an effect on them in the final 20 minutes. Due to this and because both teams have a natural inclination to attack, I see this being an open, entertaining affair with the honours shared.
Prediction: 2-2

Champions League last 16 previews and predictions

This week sees the return of the Champions League after its mid-season break and there are four quite interesting match-ups, with two ties involving English teams. Here is my take on how these matches will shape up:

AC Milan v Manchester United
I think that the key to this tie is going to be the ability of Manchester United to dictate the tempo against Milan. If you look at their recent matches, United have reverted back to playing 4-3-3 and looking to exploit teams on the counter attack with their pace and interchangeable wingers. I would expect United to deploy this formation against Milan, particularly given the ageing spine of the Milan team. Milan will look to try and slow the game down and get the likes of Pirlo to orchestrate the game from deep positions. United have a dreadful record in the San Siro stadium against Milan previously and I expect they will be content to grab a draw with an away goal to set them up for the 2nd leg. I expect United to get what they came for.
Prediction: 1-1

Lyon v Real Madrid
In recent seasons, Lyon have generally gone further in the competition than Madrid and they have beaten them a couple of times in the group stages. But that was then and this is now, and with the loss of players like Juninho and Benzema in recent times, I do not think Lyon are as much of a danger to Madrid's star names as they would have been a year or two ago. Lyon remain difficult to beat at home, but Madrid have started to pick up momentum since the turn of the year and must feel as though they are equipped to go a long way in the competition this season. I particularly feel that Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to take his new employers far in this competition and so if Real bring their recent form into this match, I can see them inflicting a rare European home loss on the hosts, standing them in good stead for the second leg.
Prediction: 1-2

Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
These teams' seasons have been going in different directions since the beginning of 2010. Bayern have enjoyed their customary upturn in form after the New Year and are currently level on points with Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga. By contrast, Fiorentina are having a miserable run in Serie A and are currently eleventh in the standings. Bayern seem to have been buoyed by their victory in Turin that saw them through to the knockout phase at Juventus's expense and the return of Franck Ribery has greatly boosted them. They are scoring plenty of goals at the moment and are always strong at the Allianz Arena. By contrast, Fiorentina are poor travellers with far less Champions League experience than their opponents. Fiorentina need to score an away goal to stand any chance of progressing, but I can only see a comfortable Bayern Munich victory on all known form.
Prediction: 3-0

Porto v Arsenal
I feel that some pundits are guilty of underestimating Porto, who gave Manchester United a very hard match in the quarter-finals last season. They may be short of star names but they are always difficult to beat at home and possess plenty of technical ability in their team. Arsenal's morale will have been boosted by their win against Liverpool in midweek, but the win could not mask a mediocre performance. In keeping with their previous two matches against Manchester United and Chelsea, they enjoyed plenty of the ball but created only a handful of shots on target. Their lack of incisiveness in the final third of the pitch is a criticism that could also be levelled at Porto at times, and so I envisage this to be a low scoring match, although I expect the template of the game to be pretty open. If Arsenal can score an away goal, it would put them in a very strong position for the 2nd leg, in the knowledge that they beat Porto 4-0 at the Emirates just last season. But I am not entirely convinced by Arsenal's ability to score a goal with Arshavin playing centrally and so I fancy Porto to shade the first leg and leave the tie on a knife-edge.
Prediction: 1-0

BRIT Award predictions 2010

The past week has seen the BRIT Award nominations for 2010 take place, with the results to be declared on 16 February at the ceremony at Earls Court. In general, the shortlist appears a little lightweight and predictable this year, with pop and dance acts seemingly faring better than indie and rock acts. This reflects the dominance of these genres in the charts during 2009.

In order to build up a sense of anticipation (and to build up my sense of self-importance!), I have decided to provide my lowdown on who is likely to walk away with some decorative pieces for their coffee table or en-suite lavatory, while also stating who I would dish out the gongs to. Let's just hope I don't upset any Russian Pet Shop Boys fans this year. Enjoy!


BEST BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST (Bat For Lashes, Florence & The Machine, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen & Pixie Lott)
All of these artists have attracted a fair amount of coverage in the past year. Leona Lewis in particular would win a Brit Award for ubiquity. Pixie Lott has enjoyed plenty of chart success in 2009 so I guess she is a frontrunner. I don't like either Lily Allen or her music but she attracted plenty of coverage last year and her album sold well. Florence and her machine have been the darlings of the music press over the past year and her album was one of the top sellers last year, so that suggests she is likely to win this. Brighton's very own Bat For Lashes aka Natasha Khan though released one of my favourite albums last year and so she would get my vote.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Florence & The Machine MY SELECTION: Bat For Lashes

BEST BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST (Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal, Mika, Paolo Nutini, Robbie Williams)
A curious list of nominees here, not least because I didn't realise Mika was even British! According to Wikipedia, he was born in Beirut. As per usual, you sense that the Brits committee had difficulty drawing up a shortlist for this category. Calvin Harris and Dizzee Rascal have had the most chart success over the past year which puts them in the running to win this. Robbie Williams is being given the lifetime achievement award which is usually a polite way of saying that the music you are releasing now should only be played to scare away stray cats. Paolo Nutini has released a couple of good tracks although I'm not sure he is cut out to sing reggae as he tries on his latest effort. Not a vintage renewal of this award, but I think Calvin might just edge out Dizzee.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Calvin Harris MY SELECTION: Paolo Nutini

BEST BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT (Florence & The Machine, Friendly Fires, JLS, La Roux, Pixie Lott)
This looks like a hard one to call as you have a couple of acts that will appeal to teenage girls in the form of JLS and La Roux and then you have a couple of acts that the critics quite like in the form of Florence & The Machine and Friendly Fires. So it really depends on which audience is going to influence the vote the most. Florence has got nominations elsewhere and she will walk away with best British female at least, so I think this might be an award she misses out on here. I'm not sure JLS winning would do the street cred of the Brits much good, although it could cause a crush in the mosh pit. I've got a sneaking suspicion that La Roux might walk away with the honours here.
PREDICTION TO WIN: La Roux MY SELECTION: Florence & The Machine

BEST BRITISH GROUP (Doves, Friendly Fires, JLS, Kasabian, Muse)
I'm trying hard to suppress laughter in seeing that JLS have been nominated for this category. In saying that, it's not really a vintage shortlist in comparison with previous years. The only album out of these acts that I bought last year was by Doves and it was one of those albums I listened to a couple of times and then didn't bother with again, certainly not as good as their previous album. I like Muse but didn't buy their last album, but they have released a couple of good singles cuts. With Oasis having called it a day in a sea of acrimony, Kasabian have entered stage right and they released a couple of good singles too in 'Fire' and 'Underdog'. Acts that are quite popular live tend to do quite well in this category, so maybe JLS have a chance after all! But Kasabian and Muse are both well regarded as live acts, so I think the winner comes from one of those 2 and as Kasabian's album sold particularly well last year, I'd take them to edge it.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Kasabian MY SELECTION: Muse

BEST BRITISH ALBUM (Dizzee Rascal, Florence & The Machine, Kasabian, Lily Allen, Paolo Nutini)
The best British album of last year in my opinion was 'To Lose My Life' by White Lies, but that doesn't appear to have been nominated. What a travesty. I guess it is a sign of the times because for the first time in a good number of years, I don't own any of the albums that have been nominated. That makes it difficult to offer much of a meaningful appraisal on who should win. Kasabian and Florence were responsible for the best sellers last year and so that suggests to me that one of those two acts will probably win. I can't really see Dizzee Rascal winning, that would be a bonkers decision and I don't have the fear that Lily Allen will win (did you see what I did there, did you?). Again, a close call, but I think this might be Florence's second award of the night.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Florence & The Machine MY SELECTION: Erm....I guess Kasabian as it's the only album out of these I've really heard anything of

BEST BRITISH SINGLE (Alesha Dixon: Breathe Slow, Alexandra Burke: Bad Boys, Cheryl Cole: Fight For This Love, Joe McElderry: The Climb, JLS: Beat Again, La Roux: In For The Kill, Lily Allen: The Fear, Pixie Lott: Mama Do, Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart, Tinchy Stryder: Number 1)
As usual, the best single seems to be largely influenced by pop songs. Would I be right in thinking that these nominees are largely determined by the best selling singles of the year? Alexandra Burke would win the award for most annoying song of the year and The Climb was such a good song that it got outsold for Christmas number 1 by a metal song that was originally released 17 years before. Cheryl Cole is bound to be in with a shout for this, as will Tinchy Stryder and Pixie Lott. But I think this award will provide JLS with their moment of destiny.
PREDICTION TO WIN: JLS MY SELECTION: I wouldn't pick any of them, but The Fear is the best of a bad bunch

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEMALE ARTIST (Lady GaGa, Ladyhawke, Norah Jones, Rihanna, Shakira)
Always nice to see Shakira nominated, not least so we can see whether a certain part of her anatomy are as humble as mountains. Rihanna's presence would not be too shabby either. I didn't realise Norah Jones had released anything for about 5 years but I can't imagine I missed anything. I've got Ladyhawke's album. If you haven't heard of her, check her out, she's an Australian singer-songwriter with a sort of electronica/80s feel to her sound and she released a particularly good song called 'My Delirium'. The fact I'm telling you all this though informs you that she won't win the award. There can only be one winner though. Lady GaGa had an incredible 2009 in terms of commercial success and she's performing on the night, she won't be going home empty handed. I imagine her acceptance speech will be worth seeing, as will her outfit.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Lady GaGa MY SELECTION: Ladyhawke

BEST INTERNATIONAL MALE ARTIST (Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Eminem, Michael Buble, Seasick Steve)
As ever, this category should be sponsored by Stannah Stairlifts or Saga Holidays given that both Bruce Springsteen and Seasick Steve would probably qualify for a bus pass. Let's hope that the latter chooses to fly to the ceremony. Michael Buble seems to be one of these crooners who is popular with the ladies, so he's not without a chance. But that then leaves us with the battle of the rappers and although Eminem returned to the fold last year, Jay-Z seemed to be everywhere. When he wasn't recording his own material, he was collaborating on other people's. His work ethic probably gives him the nod for this award.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Jay-Z MY SELECTION: Jay-Z

BEST INTERNATIONAL ALBUM (Animal Collective, Black Eyed Peas, Empire Of The Sun, Jay-Z, Lady GaGa)
As with the best British album, for the first time in several years, I own none of the nominees in this category either. Must say that I'm surprised U2's album didn't make the shortlist though, as it was their best album for quite some time. Animal Collective are one of those bands that critics talk up a lot but I've not heard any of their material. Not really familiar with Empire Of The Sun either, other than the film with a young Christian Bale in the lead role. Black Eyed Peas had another good year and they are not without a chance here, but I expect the assembled audience will be going GaGa again.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Lady GaGa MY SELECTION: Don't care

BEST INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ACT (Animal Collective, Daniel Merriweather, Empire Of The Sun, Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift)
You know who aside, these artists all made such an impact in breaking through last year that I barely heard any of their material. Daniel Merriweather and Taylor Swift have their followers and the other 2 bands may well go on to bigger and better things, but there is a certain air of inevitability about who will be winning this award. Hat-trick for the poker faced oddball.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Lady GaGa MY SELECTION: Pass

CRITICS' CHOICE (Ellie Goulding, Delphic, Marina & The Diamonds)
Not sure if this award has already been decided, but I remember Florence & The Machine won this last year before the ceremony took place. Given that, presumably Marina & The Diamonds must stand a good chance this time. Ellie Goulding just came top of the BBC's 10 acts to follow this year, so that must give her a very good chance too. Judging by how last year's winner fared in the award nominations this year, whoever wins is likely to be up for some of the main awards next year.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Ellie Goulding MY SELECTION: Ellie Goulding

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION (Robbie Williams)
I suppose you tend to forget how long Robbie's been around now. His first solo song was released in 1996 and his first album came out the following year, plus if you include all his early Take That work then he's been in the industry for nearly 20 years. His past 2 or 3 albums have been pretty mediocre from what I've heard of them and I wouldn't say I was a massive fan of his earlier stuff, but he has always been about his live performances rather than someone who releases great albums that live long in the memory. In terms of showmen, he's always managed to put bums on seats and made money for the record execs, so given that this is their awards showpiece, they were bound to show their gratitude sooner or later.

BEST BRITS ALBUM OF LAST 30 YEARS (Coldplay: Rush Of Blood To The Head, Dido: No Angel, Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms, Duffy: Rockferry, Keane: Hopes & Fears, Oasis: Morning Glory, Phil Collins: No Jacket Required, Sade: Diamond Life, The Verve: Urban Hymns, Travis: The Man Who)
As this is apparently the 30th BRIT Awards, there are a couple of extra categories this year and the first of them is the best album of the past 30 years. Considering some of the great British albums that could have been chosen but weren't, you have to wonder about the sanity of the shortlisting panel for suggesting Phil Collins and Duffy for an award that marks the best of music in the past 30 years. Phil Collins might just be eligible to win an award for best portrayal of a Great Train Robber on film, but there is very little else he is best at. As a fan of both Coldplay and Oasis, I would question whether the albums nominated are those respective bands' best albums. There is a case for Definitely Maybe and X&Y being their best work. Nonetheless, these albums are their most commercially successful which is why they are here. I think 'The Man Who' is an excellent album and would come very close to winning this. But if pushed, Morning Glory would have to get the honours.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Oasis MY SELECTION: Oasis

THE BRIT HITS 30 - BEST BRITS LIVE PERFORMANCE
Some rather odd nominations in this category which is for the best live performance at the BRIT Awards in its 30 year history. As you'd expect, Robbie Williams, Take That, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney are all nominated. Rather more surprisingly, Bros and the Spice Girls are also nominated. Coldplay's performance of Clocks a few years ago rocked and is certainly a contender. I also remember the Scissor Sisters set being well received a few years back, so they have a chance. And of course, how can we forget Kylie? But I'd go for Michael Jackson, although not so much for his performance but because Jarvis Cocker's stage invasion which is one of those iconic BRIT Award moments. I'm not so certain the judging panel have a sense of humour though, so I expect this award may be heading elsewhere.
PREDICTION TO WIN: Paul McCartney MY SELECTION: Michael Jackson with special credit to Jarvis Cocker's derriere, just edging out Kylie and her, erm, derriere

Champions League tests for English teams

Well, I don't know about anyone else among the football fraternity, but for me, the Champions League really comes alive when the knockout stage arrives. The group phase is a necessary evil I suppose and it sorts the men from the boys, but very rarely does it produce really memorable matches and usually the qualifiers from each group runs in accordance to the script.

Once the knockout phase begins though, every game counts. OK, so the matches up until the final are over two legs, but with away goals coming into play, every stage of every match makes for an absorbing encounter. While the Premier League's frenetic pace makes for plenty of thrills and spills and edge of the seat action, the Champions League produces the champagne football with the technical excellence of all the world's great players on show allied with the tactical nous of the world's top coaches.

And so the action re-commences this week with the last 16 matches first leg ties. For the four English clubs left in the competition, there are 4 intriguing ties in prospect which should promise close fought contests. Sir Alex Ferguson renews his friendly rivalry with Jose Mourinho as Manchester United travel to reigning Italian champions Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Mourinho's old club Chelsea come face to face with their former manager Claudio Ranieri who brings his Juventus team to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. Liverpool are also in action on Wednesday night and Rafael Benitez will be returning to his homeland to Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium, hoping to improve on their recent stuttering league performances. Completing the English quartet are an Arsenal team likely to field an entirely non-English line-up in their clash at the Emirates Stadium against Roma.

All four of these matches look like being on a knife-edge and for the English teams starting up away from home, Manchester United and Liverpool, their main priority will be to avoid defeat whilst also scoring an away goal. A goalless draw for either team would not be a disaster but it could be a dangerous score because of the away goal rule. A deficit wiith an away goal would not be the worst case scenario, but it would nonetheless be a difficult situation to achieve in the second leg. For Arsenal and Chelsea, their primary objectives should be to keep a clean sheet while getting a win. If Arsenal and Chelsea can win their matches 1-0 or 2-0 it will make it very difficult for their opponents to turn things around in the 2nd leg, especially given that both teams possess players who are perfectly capable of scoring on the counter attack.

Manchester United's battle with Inter Milan promises to be an intriguing match. United have been in excellent form in the Premier League, having won all 8 of their league matches in 2009 and having only conceded one goal in the league since early November. However, Jose Mourinho has an excellent track record in previous matches against Manchester United, having lost just one competitive match in 10 previous encounters against United, including a 3-2 aggregate victory in the last 16 of the competition in 2004 while managing Porto, which saw Mourinho dance down the touchline before going on to win the competition and provide him with his ticket to South West London.

Man for man, there is no question that United have the stronger players and certainly their attacking flair will provide a stern test of Inter's resolve. Inter have struggled to transfer their dominance of Italian football into European competition in recent years and succumbed to Liverpool at this stage of the competition last season. Previous history suggests that when things start to conspire against Inter in Europe, they lose their discipline. Mourinho's arrival is sure, however, to have stiffened things up and he is the master at getting teams up for one-off matches. He also has an astonishing managerial record as a "home" manager having not lost a league match at home since 2002 for either Porto, Chelsea or Inter. Admittedly, he did see Chelsea lose to Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in this competition three years ago, but even so, that is a remarkable record.

Mourinho's teams focus on being well organised, powerful and having a collective work ethic. Inter will certainly need to display all of these attributes against Manchester United if they are to eliminate the reigning champions. They will also need their star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic to come to the party. Ibrahimovic is regarded by some as an enigma and a player who goes missing when it really matters, but his detractors would be extremely myopic to ignore his threat. When he is in the mood, he is a player of outstanding technical quality and Mourinho was no fool in talking up his star striker recently in advance of the United clash. Saying Ibrahimovic was better than Cristiano Ronaldo was an outrageous comment, but you can see the method in Mourinho's madness. He makes Ibrahimovic feel important and at the same time it is reminding that Ibrahimovic that he needs to live up to the billing if his team are going to get through.

As I said earlier, all being equal, United should expect to win this tie over two legs because pound for pound they have better players across the pitch compared to Inter. However, if there is one weakness for United where they could be exposed in the first leg, it could be in defence, strangely enough. United's central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic is a big reason for their success of recent times and Vidic has to many observers been the Player of the Year so far this season and the fundamental reason for United's excellent clean sheet run. Vidic, however, will be suspended against Inter due to his red card in the World Club Championship final in December. Meanwhile, his understudy Jonny Evans picked up an injury playing against Blackburn at the weekend and is unlikely to recover in time, while another possible replacement Wes Brown is also currently on the treatment table. This will mean possibly having to play John O' Shea at centre back. This is not an ideal situation at the best of times, but least of all in an important Champions League away match against opponents who are such difficult propositions in their own backyard.

As if Vidic's absence was not enough, United are also likely to miss Gary Neville who is also currently struggling with an injury. This will mean having to play young Brazilian right back Rafael in his place. The young right back is undoubtedly a talent, as demonstrated by his goal against Arsenal in the Premier League earlier in the season, but as with many Brazilian full backs, his instincts are to get forward and sometimes his positional play can be naive when in his own half and he can take the odd risk. Fortunately for Rafael, Inter do not possess a lot of natural width because if they did, you would imagine Mourinho targeting Rafael as the player to test out. On the plus side, United do have Patrice Evra back on the left flank and it will be interesting to see how his contest against Inter's veteran Argentinian right back Javier Zanetti shapes up. Zanetti signed for Inter in 1996, when Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney would still have been at junior school! Goodness knows how many Inter managers Zanetti has seen off during that time.

As important as it is for United's defence to perform and not make any individual errors, I think the midfield battle will play a big part in affecting the outcome of this tie. Inter will play a narrow midfield and will look to congest the centre of the field and deny United the space and time to play their natural passing game. They will also do their best to slow the tempo of the game down, starving United of their oxygen. United play best in Europe when they keep a quick tempo to their game, when opponents successfully slow them down and play the game at their preferred pace, United find it much harder to impose themselves. Mourinho will be all too aware of this and you would expect him to try and double up on Cristiano Ronaldo. But what United need to be wary of is the possibility of Inter playing through them when United lose possession. Michael Carrick has been in excellent form for Manchester United this season and he will need to carry over that level of performance in order to ensure United come out on top in midfield. I expect Ferguson to opt for experience alongside him in the middle of the park with one of Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs to play alongside him, with either Wayne Rooney or Park Ji-Sung coming deep to give the midfield added support to negate the numbers Inter throw into the middle of the pitch.

The key to this match is that United do not take any kind of deficit into the second leg. If they can get a score draw from the first leg, that would be a satisfactory outcome as Inter are not normally good travellers in European football and I would fully expect United to finish the job at Old Trafford. Give Inter any kind of advantage in the first leg, even a slender one such as a 2-1 win and it plays into Mourinho's hands. He sets his teams up to be counter attacking sides and he will be fully aware that United then need to go chasing goals in the second leg and could leave them exposed to the counter whenever their attacks break down. Nonetheless, I think United's quality should just get them through this tie, although I expect Inter to be a far sterner proposition this time compared to their previous campaigns because Mourinho will squeeze every last drop out of his players and will demand a team performance. I expect United to get through with a one goal aggregate victory.

The pick of the Wednesday night matches comes in the Bernabeu Stadium where Liverpool visit Real Madrid. Real Madrid are having a poor campaign by their own high standards, but they did have the ideal preparation for this match by thrashing Real Betis 6-1 in the Spanish League at weekend, a match in which club legend Raul broke the club's goalscoring record by scoring twice. By contrast, Liverpool approached this match by drawing 1-1 at home to Manchester City, their fourth draw in six league matches. Since Rafael Benitez read out his dossier of Sir Alex Ferguson's outbursts and Manchester United's perceived fortunate decisions, Liverpool's form has taken a hit, although Benitez's own unresolved future must also be a factor as well.

The decision to sell Robbie Keane back to Tottenham in January will also be scrutinised, not least because it has left Liverpool drastically short of experienced forwards. If Fernando Torres is injured for any length of time, Liverpool are short of adequate replacements. They also currently find themselves without Steven Gerrard, although his participation in Madrid is a possibility as he has travelled with the squad. In the past, Liverpool's other players have taken more responsibility when Gerrard has not been available and it is high time those players did so again. Players such as Alonso, Kuyt, Babel and Riera all have their strengths and are capable of affecting a match, but all too often Liverpool are left to rely on Torres and Gerrard's contributions and Jamie Carragher's solidity at the back.

If Benitez and Liverpool's heart is in it though, they are perfectly capable of progressing against Real Madrid. They won in the Nou Camp against Barcelona two seasons ago before Torres had joined Liverpool and the Barcelona side back then was a stronger outfit than the Real Madrid outfit now. The absence of Ruud Van Nistelrooy for the rest of the season also denies Real the services of their most bankable goalscorer and their talisman. Without him, although Real have other players who can hurt Liverpool, I do feel that they will find it hard to establish much of a lead, if any, going into the second leg. Perhaps the one area of danger for Liverpool could be down the flanks where Liverpool's full backs can be caught out of position and the quick feet of Arjen Robben on the left will provide a stiff test.

My main concern if I was in the Liverpool camp would be their ability to score an away goal in the Bernabeu, owing to their current reliance on Fernando Torres. But Liverpool have set themselves up right in away matches in Europe before and although there have been games where they have had few chances, they have been good at taking the chances that fall their way. So long as Real do not score a very early goal, I cannot see them running away with the first leg and I think Liverpool will be in a position where if they are trailing heading into the second leg, they would still fancy their chances of turning things round at Anfield where the home crowd gives them added impetus and where an early Liverpool goal has so often turned the tide. This is not Real's strongest ever team and although they will be keen to take something from a disappointing season, I simply think they are short of the players needed to go any further this year.

Chelsea's recent managerial manoeuvrings have been well documented but the appointment of Guus Hiddink until the end of the season was made to knock a few underperforming players back into shape. And on the evidence of their first match of Hiddink's tenure, this strategy had the desired effect as Chelsea earned a well deserved 1-0 win at in-form Aston Villa, whose Villa Park ground has been something of a bogey ground for the Blues in the past decade. Hiddink has bags of experience and in fact won this competition prior to its Champions League re-branding back in 1988 when he was manager of PSV Eindhoven.

Hiddink has been renowned in both club and international football for his ability to build a team ethic and get teams to function as a collective unit far beyond the value of the sum of the team's parts. Hiddink should not have so much of a problem in this respect when managing Chelsea, as the talents of his players are not so much in doubt as the desire of the experienced, decorated players to achieve more. It was noticeable from watching the Aston Villa-Chelsea match how Chelsea's players showed much more determination and worked that much harder than had been seen throughout Luiz Felipe Scolari's time as Chelsea manager. Didier Drogba was back to his combative best while Nicolas Anelka, often an invisible figure under Scolari, not only expertly took the only goal of the game but worked incredibly hard for his team.

It was also noticeable how much the victory meant to Chelsea's players on Saturday. There had been question marks about the unity in Chelsea's dressing room but the jubilant scenes at the end of the match were shared by everyone, as were the celebrations in the aftermath of Anelka's goals. Scolari's departure and Hiddink's subsequent arrival have certainly instigated this apparent return of a united front within the Chelsea dressing room, but I think the media's writing off of Chelsea has bruised a few fragile egos in the dressing rooms. There are plenty of winners in the Chelsea dressing room and you can only imagine how angry some of the players feel about their regression in the past 17 months since Jose Mourinho left, and particularly since the start of this season. Admittedly, Chelsea's chances of winning the Premier League this season are matchstick thin, but they remain in this competition and the FA Cup and memories of their heartache in the Moscow rain last May will serve as a poignant motivating factor in driving this team onwards and upwards again.

Whether Chelsea can ever expect to hit the heights they did under Jose Mourinho is very questionable, but they certainly have experienced campaigners still at their disposal who with some fire in their belly can be a force to be reckoned with in European football. To prevail against Juventus though, they have to take a first leg advantage to Turin for the second leg and preferably without conceding a goal. Chelsea have lost their air of invincibility at Stamford Bridge and their lack of width has meant that they have struggled to deal with opponents who visit the Bridge, pack midfield and park the bus. In the interim period, I don't think Hiddink has any quick fix solutions to Chelsea's lack of options in wide areas, other than to play Anelka out wide, with Kalou stationed on the right. In time though, an alternative could be to play a more narrow midfield in a diamond formation, once the much missed Michael Essien returns from injury.

Juventus should not be under-estimated, as they are after all a team that won home and away against Real Madrid in the group phase and also removed the reigning UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg from this competition. Claudio Ranieri's return to Stamford Bridge is sure to be emotional as the Italian is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and he will also be keen to prove his managerial credentials are worthy. The "Grand Old Lady" of Italian football are still finding their feet again after their demotion to Serie B in 2006 for their part in the match fixing scandal that swept Italy, but they have retained the services of the world's top goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and also their veteran playmakers/forwards Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero. Much like Ryan Giggs, these two players have kept themselves in good shape and have enjoyed a fine Indian summer to their career over the past year. If Chelsea can keep these stalwarts quiet though, I think that is half the battle negotiated.

Hiddink is renowned as a master of tacticians while Ranieri's "Tinkerman" continues to haunt him and so if the match gets bogged down into a tight, tactical affair then you would expect Hiddink's nous to shade things in his favour. Chelsea may need to be patient in breaking Juventus down at Stamford Bridge and must be careful not to panic if they don't score early on and must guard against giving Juventus set pieces, as this has been a situation where Chelsea have been particularly vulnerable this season. However, if Chelsea keep a clean sheet at the Bridge, I think they will be in the driving seat in the second leg, even allowing for Chelsea's recent patchy away form in Champions League combat. I expect a narrow Chelsea victory on aggregate.

Arsenal's task against Roma has been made harder in recent times due to a series of injuries to key players, not least the prolonged absence of Cesc Fabregas. Eduardo recently returned from his long lay-off after his leg break at Birmingham last season, only to then pull a hamstring in his first game back where he scored twice and now is on the sidelines again, while the mercurial Emmanuel Adebayor also finds himself on the sidelines. They did sign Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin during the January transfer window but he will be ineligible for Champions League participation due to his appearances for Zenit St Petersburg during the group phase.

Because of the depleted nature of the Arsenal team and because they have some inexperienced players in defensive and midfield positions, it is difficult to gauge quite how Arsenal will play against Roma. Arsenal have had the better of a number of their recent encounters in the league but have been profligate in front of goal. Such wastefulness will be punished by Roma, who having made a dreadful start to the season, have picked up well in the last three months. They ended up winning up their Champions League group ahead of Chelsea, and have also climbed the table in Serie A since Christmas. Their coach Spaletti has a well established system of play and the nucleus of his team has been at the club for a few seasons now, with long serving forward Francesco Totti remaining as important to his team as he ever was.

As well as defeating Chelsea in the group stage, Roma have had several encounters against Manchester United in the past couple of seasons. They were defeated 3-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals by the Red Devils last season and memorably lost 7-1 at Old Trafford the previous season. Arsenal will need to be particularly mindful of the threat that eminates from Roma's midfield runners. They are a team that use possession well and who also have plenty of balance in midfield. Roma's system generally sees Totti as the player who plays furthest forward with support then coming from deep from Roma's midfielders. Arsenal's lack of an established holding midfielder could be a problem when Roma find themselves breaking with possession.

Arsenal did win in Italy at this corresponding stage last season with a famous victory in the San Siro against AC Milan, having drawn 0-0 in the first leg. A 0-0 draw in the first leg this time would not be a disaster, but a win by one or two would certainly be significantly more preferable. Arsenal are capable of winning at the Emirates and if they score early and then dominate, a win by 2 or 3 goals is not out of the question, as Roma have been known to capitulate before. But Arsenal's problem is going to be preventing a Roma away goal. Roma had opportunities to score at Old Trafford last season and didn't take them and also missed a penalty, but Arsenal's defence is nowhere near as settled as United's. Arsene Wenger is still trying to find the right defensive combination and his defence can be susceptible to powerful players. Roma's Vucinic could make an impact in this respect. I expect Roma to score at the Emirates and it is for this reason that I expect Roma to advance against an Arsenal team shy of some of its star players. The absence of Fabregas and Adebayor will be noticeable, even allowing for Adebayor's poor attitude this season. Adebayor's physical play would have asked questions of Roma's centre backs, whereas I feel Nicklas Bendtner is less likely to. I see an aggregate victory for Roma.

In the other Champions League ties, I expect Barcelona to see off a talented Lyon side. Lyon are difficult to beat in their own backyard and Karim Benzema is a real star in the making, but I expect Barcelona's all-stars to get a draw at least in France and finish the job with aplomb in Catalonia. I expect Barcelona to be joined by fellow Spaniards Atletico Madrid in the last 8, who should establish enough of a lead at home to see off the 2004 winners Porto. Completing the Spanish contingent should be Villarreal, whose defensive solidity should prove too strong for Panathinaikos to break down. Completing the quarter final line-up, in my humble opinion, will be Bayern Munich in what should be a close tie against Cristiano Ronaldo's former employers, Sporting Lisbon. Lisbon might take a slender lead into the second leg but with Bayern's forwards, I always fancy them to score a goal and I expect them to complete victory in Bavaria.

MY TIPS FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS
Manchester United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Roma
Barcelona
Atletico Madrid
Villarreal
Bayern Munich