Manchester United want Nigel de Jong to arrive today

De Jong could be on his way to Old Trafford (©GettyImages).

Manchester United are hoping that Italian outfit AC Milan give permission to Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong to fly to Manchester today in order to complete a £10 million switch to Old Trafford. 

This has been reported by the Daily Star, who have suggested that United have identified Arsenal target William Carvalho and Juventus ace Arturo Vidal as alternative options should a move for De Jong fall through before tomorrow's transfer deadline. 

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De Jong switch

It appears, then, that Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal has identified Dutchman De Jong as the tough tackling midfielder he wants to bring to the Theatre of Dreams, as his club go in search of improvement. 

The Red Devils have struggled in the middle of the park in recent time, with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Co. struggling for consistency, and now it appears that the ex-Manchester City man could be on his way to Old Trafford. 

Alternative 

United will now hope that Milan give the player the green light to complete the move back to England. If the Italian giants don't allow De Jong to move on, then it appears that United will turn their attentions to Vidal or Carvalho - two players they've been linked with for some time. 

Vidal, of course, is recognised as one of the leading midfielders in world football, whilst Carvalho could prove the cheaper option. But, the United hierarchy may well have to battle Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for the Potruguese star's signature, with the north London outfit looking to add him to their squad. 

Manchester United fans: Do you want your club to sign De Jong? Have your say below! 

Northampton Saints confident of retaining Premiership title

Saints beat Saracens in the Premiership final last season (©GettyImages).

Northampton Saints ended last season with the Aviva Premiership title after defeating Saracens in the grand final, and now director of rugby Jim Mallinder believes his side could go on to retain their championship.

Saints finished second in the table and edged Leicester Tigers to claim a final spot against the favourites Saracens, but on their day Northampton took the tie to extra time to beat Sarries 24-20 at Twickenham.

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Jim Mallinder

Now as a new season approaches, with Saints taking on Gloucester on the opening day, Mallinder is confident of his teams' chances once again.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Saints' director of rugby made it clear that retaining their title isn't going to be easy, but understood his team have the quality to do well.

"We're very happy with the squad we have. We have several senior players blended with youth. We're now seeing the fruits of our academy," Mallinder said.

'Without a doubt it will be tight again and it becomes difficult in the autumn when you lose your internationals.

"The teams are improving all the time, so it's a brilliant competition. You can never go into a game half cocked, half baked."

Northampton Saints

Northampton has a number of well-established players among their ranks with a lot of players featuring in a number of autumn internationals earlier in the season.

The squad is full of internationals who will be fighting it out for an place in the 2015 World Cup: Ben Foden, Alex Corbiseiro, George North and Dylan Hartley all have a key roles to play this season.

But in transfers Mallinder has only brought in two players; one through the youth academy while also bringing in 22-year-old Joel Hodgson from Newcastle Falcons.

Dylan Hartley

Hartley also spoke on what Northampton have to do to retain the title, basing it around having already been in that position of chasing the league leaders before.

"As a squad we've been chasing the title for many years and we have finally won it, so we are well aware of what it takes and we will be aware of teams coming after us as well."

Harlety has previously had heartbreak in a Aviva Premiership final being sent-off for swearing at an official in 2013, but has bounced back well to clinch last years' title for Saints.

The 28-year-old is a controversial figure having been banned for eye-gouging on top of foul language, but with his outbursts comes a true leader who can play a pivotal role in how Northampton and England do in the next year.

Northampton have to make sure they don't get lost in the limelight heading into the next season, as they have a brilliant squad and need to put it to good use.

With the squad there is no reason why they can't go on to retain the title, it is just whether Mallinder can blend the players together and repeat what was an impressive season.

There will be tests with the European Champions Cup and International tests, including the Six Nations, but this is where squad-depth comes into it and it will be whether Mallinder has enough quality in his reserves to see them through these difficult periods.

Alastair Cook must step down from England ODI team

Cook doesn't score quickly enough to justify place (©GettyImages).

Alastair Cook has no place in One-Day cricket. It seems almost everyone can see it apart from Cook himself. Oh, and Peter Moores.

As England stutter into yet another World Cup where they will fail miserably and inevitably come home to the usual inquests, Cook continues to plod along at the top of the innings, blinkered in his view that he is the right man to lead England to Australia and New Zealand in February.

Unfit

This is self-centred and arrogant. Cook does not possess the skills with the bat to thrive in the one-day format. He has very few scoring shots and, along with most of the England team, is incapable of playing spin.

Over the last three years, Cook is the third-highest run scorer in ODI cricket. That sounds impressive, but he has played far more games than most of the top ten. The main issue with Cook’s batting is not the number of runs but how quickly he scores them.

During that period since 2011, Cook’s strike rate is 78.60. That is simply not good enough. Any batsman opening the batting, especially heading into a World Cup on the fast pitches in Australia has to be capable of a strike rate of at least 85. Cook isn’t.

Openers

What is more, the opening batsmen at next years World Cup have to be capable of clearing the ropes or at least the infield in the powerplay overs. Cook isn’t. Out of the top ten run scorers since 2011, Cook has hit the joint fewest number of sixes. He has managed just eight in three years. Compare that to India’s Rohit Sharma, who has faced 500 fewer balls than Cook but has managed to hit 35 more sixes. This demonstrates the pedestrian nature of Cook’s batting.

His plodding in the opening overs puts England behind the game. The rest of the batsmen have to come in and one by one attempt to increase the run rate from the near Test Match rate that Cook has set. This inevitably results in wickets lost and England posting average totals of between 200 and 250, while the nations in contention to lift the World Cup will consistently rack up 300 plus.

Alex Hales has been brought into the England side to open the batting alongside Cook, off the back of his outstanding 50-over form for Nottinghamshire and his T20 showings for England. He has been brought in as the power scorer but at Nottinghamshire, Hales is able to take his time to build an innings and then accelerate as the overs tick by.

Pairings

That is because he opens the batting with Michael Lumb, who gets the team off to a flyer and then is backed up by the likes of James Taylor and Samit Patel who also score quickly – allowing Hales to develop his innings. With Cook, Hales will have to set the pace, as Cook will potter along at his own pace, waiting for the short ball for him to play his only attacking shot.

Cook’s continued selection demonstrates everything that is wrong with the England selection process. For some reason England will not pick the power hitters from the County scene. Instead they persist with the traditional Test Match type players such as Ian Bell and Joe Root. It makes a mockery of the County scene, with players who are outperforming the usual batch ignored time and time again.

Aggressive

England must be more aggressive if they are to stand any chance in the World Cup. The likes of Cook, Bell and Root must be replaced by the outstanding County performers such as Jason Roy, James Vince and James Taylor. Peter Moores must be bold enough to push for a squad capable of playing a modern brand of one-day cricket, where striking boundaries throughout the innings is essential.

More importantly Cook must quit the side or be removed. His batting is a virus that England need to rid themselves of and fast. With just months left to the World Cup, if they persist with the pedestrian opener and the other band of negative Test Match batsmen, it will be yet another tournament England will let pass them by.

Hennie Otto takes control at the Italian Open

Otto shot a second round of 10-under par (©GettyImages).

Hennie Otto shot a magnificent 10-under par during the second round of the Italian Open in Turin to lead by three shots.

The South African's round of 62 included a remarkable nine birdies and an eagle to leave him on 15-under par as he heads into the weekend three shots ahead of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

England's Ross Fisher is in third place, six shots adrift of Otto with Scotland's Stephen Gallacher eight shots off the pace after an inconsistent round of 65.

Ryder Cup aim

Gallacher needs a top-two finish to guarantee his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team as he aims to overtake Graeme McDowell in the automatic qualifying places. But the Scot looked as though he wouldn't even make the cut at one point as he went into the back nine of day two just one under par.

But the 39-year old completed his back nine in 30 shots, which included six birdies, to climb the leaderboard and give himself a chance of the top-two finish he needs.

Although Gallacher may have experienced a see-saw round, Otto was superb throughout his 18 holes at the Circolo Golf Torino.

In-form Otto

Six birdies on the front nine saw the 2008 champion start well and, although two pars halted his progress, he looked like he may card the first ever 59 on the European Tour when he reached 10-under par after 15 holes.

But he was unable to create European Tour history as he parred the 16th and bogeyed the following hole.

But Otto was determined not to let a bad end ruin his day as he finished with yet another birdie at the last as he heads into the weekend looking for his first triumph since he won the 2011 South African Open Championship.

Otto admits he didn't realise he was close to writing European Tour history but hopes to can pick up where he left off over the weekend.

Oblivious 

"It's always special to shoot a 62 but a 59 never even crossed my mind," he said afterwards. "I didn't really think about my score until my caddie said if I made par on 17 we would have been on course for a 10-under-par round.

"Something about courses in Italy suits my eye and it would be great to win the tournament. Hopefully I can keep it up and keep going over the weekend."

Incidentally, Wiesberger was the runner-up to Otto when he last won a tournament three years ago and is now his nearest challenger again. His second consecutive round of 66 leaves him at 12-under par at the halfway stage.

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Rest of the pack

Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Scotsman Richie Ramsay, Denmark's Morten Orum Madsen, England’s James Morrison and American David Lipsky are all level on eight-under par.

Italy's Francesco Molinari had been the joint overnight leader after his six-under par but he could only manage a level-par round during day two.

Grigor Dimitrov is the US Open dark horse

Dimitrov is yet to lose a set at the US Open this year (©GettyImages).

While the tennis world is anticipating a likely final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the US Open, there is one dark horse going very quietly about his business.

Despite having never previously won a match at Flushing Meadows, Grigor Dimitrov has seemed unperturbed on his journey towards the second week, and on current form he should expect no less than a run to the quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old is yet to drop a set in New York after two convincing three set wins over American Ryan Harrison and Israel’s Dudi Sela (in a match where he dropped just five games), and at the time of writing, he is due to face Belgian David Goffin in the third round on Sunday.

A successful year

It is every sign of how far the world number eight has progressed this year that the Bulgarian has ended his run of three consecutive defeats at the last Grand Slam of the year, but his expectations have changed since then.

Despite not being able to advance to the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam before the start of 2014, runs to the last eight at the Australian Open and the last four at Wimbledon have increased his stature among the top players, and his world ranking has increased by a staggering 59 positions from 67th at the start of the year.

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Three of his four ATP singles titles have been secured in 2014, in Acapulco, Bucharest and at the Queen’s Club in London, as he has built experience of winning on more definitive occasions.

There is an air of ruthless efficiency about his game that is reminiscent of 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras, particularly when serving, and he is more than able to match the seven players ranked above him on power alone.

Opportunity

With world number two Rafael Nadal being forced to miss this year’s tournament with a wrist injury, an exciting opportunity has opened up for the seventh seed, should he be able to come through a likely match-up against Federer in the quarter-finals.

When it comes to his chances of winning the tournament, it is likely that his lack of experience at the top level would work against him against the top two seeds Djokovic and Federer, but it is certainly a possibility.

Confidence and momentum can play a crucial role, particularly when a player is searching for their first Grand Slam, as showed when world number four Stanislas Wawrinka caused a shock by winning the Australian Open this year, beating Djokovic and Nadal to win his first major.

He showed in his run to the last four at Wimbledon that he is not intimidated in a best of five set match against a Grand Slam winner, as his serving and clinical baseline winners in his quarter-final win over then defending champion Andy Murray were born out of nerves of steel on the big occasion.

Djokovic was certainly given a test when they met in that semi-final, as the Serbian edged his opponent on the third and fourth set tie-breaks in a four set victory, and there were no signs of nerves in what is so far the most important match he has played in.

Next up

Going into his meeting with Goffin, which will be played in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, there will be an air of the unknown, as it will be the first time the two players have faced each other on the ATP tour.

But the world number 56 should not pose too much of a threat, as he has not followed up on an impressive run to the fourth round of the French Open in 2012, and victory would see Dimitrov face the winner of an all-French battle between Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.

Either of those players would be likely to force an exciting battle, with their stylish brands of tennis posing a contrast to Dimitrov’s power and brutality, but if he were to make it through to the last eight, who knows where that momentum could take him?

Golfing World News - August 29

Beatriz Recari (©GettyImages).

We start with the Stephen’s Gallacher’s race for the Ryder Cup.

The Scot needs at least a second place finish at the Open d’Italia but has plenty of work to do after carding a level par round of 72.

After Thursday’s first round it’s home favourite Francesco Molinari and Bernd Wiesberger out in front, six shots clear of Gallacher. Molinari is aiming to repeat his success at his home Open in 2006.

It’s I.K. Kim who leads after the LPGA’s Portland Classic.

This putt on 13 was the last of her seven birdies to give the Korean a one stroke lead over Amelia Lewis and Jennifer Song.

Beatriz Recari is also in Portland and although she finished the day one over par, the Spaniard still found time to respond to our very own Cara Robinson’s ice bucket challenge nomination.

“Hi I’m Beatriz Recari, I got nominated by Cara Robinson to do the ALS ice bucket challenge and I nominate Craig Kang, Damon Hack and Catriona Matthew; here we go. Oh, jeez it’s heavy. One, two, three - oh my god. Wow that’s so cold. Thank you Cara, now guys it’s up - 24 hours.”

That’s all for today join us on Monday for more from the golfing world - before then follow us on Twitter @golfingworldtv and we’re also on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for watching.

Novak Djokovic could miss Davis Cup tie

Djokovic may take a break after the US Open (©GettyImages).

Novak Djokovic is considering pulling out of Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against India in September in order to spend more time with his wife.

The world number one married his partner Jelena Ristic in July, who is currently pregnant with their first child, and he is yet to make a decision as to whether he will participate in Bangalore or return to his wife.

Ristic has not been in attendance at the seven-time Grand Slam winner’s matches at the US Open this week, where he reached the third round after defeating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in just one hour and 28 minutes on Thursday.

The World Group qualifier will take place less than one week after the end of the tournament at Flushing Meadows, and there is a strong possibility that the 27-year-old could reach his fifth consecutive final in New York, which would leave him little time to recover before the tie.

Undecided

Speaking to reporters after his comfortable win over Mathieu, the former champion at the hard court Grand Slam said that he is still weighing up his options.

He said: “It really depends few things, but for now I'm on the list. I spoke to the players. I spoke to Davis Cup captain, and, you know, I'm on the list. But we have to see how this tournament goes.

“My wife is not here. I haven't seen her for a while. I just see stomach is growing on Skype and Facetime, but I want to spend some time with her. Of course playing for the country is something that awakens a real passion in me and a sense of, you know, kind of belonging and really positive emotion and drive.

“But the other hand, I also have a very important stage of my life. I'm about to become a father, so that's something that is a priority now.

Past glories

Djokovic holds a history of success with the Serbian Davis Cup team, as he was part of the first Serbian team to win the competition in 2010, when they defeated France 3-2 in the final in Belgrade, and it was Djokovic who won the decisive point by beating Gael Monfils in three sets.

The Serbians appeared in another final in their capital city in 2013, as despite beating Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, Djokovic’s two wins were not enough to prevent his team from a 3-2 loss.

They were forced to play without Djokovic in their last Davis Cup tie, as they lost their first round match to Switzerland earlier this year, with Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka proving too strong for them in another 3-2 negative scoreline.

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Should they beat India, a team they would strongly expect to beat, particularly with Djokovic’s services, then Serbia will return to the World Group, but defeat would see them drop down into Group I of the Europe/Africa Zone.

Pulling out of the tie could give Djokovic a three week break before his next scheduled tournament at the China Open in Beijing, as the indoor season gets underway.

His summer schedule has not been as long as he would have hoped it would be since winning Wimbledon in July, as he was knocked out in the third round of both the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters in August.

Arsenal to sell Joel Campbell in order to sign Edinson Cavani

Arsenal are working hard to sign Edinson Cavani (©GettyImages).

Arsenal are working hard to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani before the summer transfer window closes on Monday night. If a deal is finalised, Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger will allow Costa Rica international Joel Campbell to join Benfica.

This is according to the Metro, who cite Portuguese newspaper Record as claiming that Arsenal are pushing to sign Cavani, despite PSG insisting that the Uruguay international will stay at the Parc des Princes.

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Arsenal in pole position for Cavani

Cavani has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool this summer, but it’s Arsenal who currently lead the race to sign the 27-year-old, with Olivier Giroud out of action until January after undergoing surgery on his ankle this week.

Following Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory over Besiktas in the Champions League play-off round, Wenger admitted that he might not sign another striker, stating that Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Lukas Podolski and Campbell are all capable of playing in the centre-forward position.

Wenger weighing up his options

He denied bizarre speculation that Arsenal were poised to sign Nikola Zigic, while he confirmed that Radamel Falcao was out of the club’s price range.

Falcao could reportedly join Manchester City before the transfer window closes, but Wenger appears to be preoccupied with bringing Cavani to the Emirates Stadium instead.

The world-class number nine is valued at a cool £51 million, meaning Arsenal would need to smash their transfer record in order to sign the player.

The Gunners could expect to receive a fee in the region of £16 million if they decide to cash in on Campbell.

Conor O'Shea ignores Lawrence Dallaglio criticism

Harlequins will want to bounce back after last season's disappointment (©GettyImages).

Conor O'Shea recently made a difficult decision by dropping Chris Robshaw as Harlequins captain due to the World Cup next year, but after being criticised by former player Lawrence Dallaglio O'Shea has described the Englishman's words as "rubbish".

Harlequins had a painful end to a long campaign last season having been demolished by Saracens 31-17 in the semi-finals of the Aviva Premiership finals, after finishing fourth in the league.

But as a new season approaches O'Shea came to the conclusion of replacing Chris Robshaw as captain, giving the lead role to fellow England player Joe Marler as the prop recently admitted his joy of receiving this honour.

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Load of rubbish

However former England player Lawrence Dallaglio caused controversy stating that this was a "strange" decision to make from O'Shea considering this is a year when Quins could be challenging for the title.

In a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports, Quins' director of rugby brushed aside his statement commenting that the 2003 World Cup winner was looking for attention by speaking his opinion.

"I take these things with a pinch of salt," O'Shea said.

"You put a microphone under someone's mouth and they say something people want to hear and it becomes a headline.

"If you dig a little deeper, then it's a load of rubbish."

The Irishman failed to sugar-coat his response coming out with a strong opinion, but O'Shea should respect Dallaglio's comments to a degree.

Meanwhile at the same time Dallaglio doesn't have a say in what O'Shea decides behind the scenes.

Chris Robshaw

There is a factor with the Robshaw captaincy considering the next year will be massive for England and their captain, mainly because England will be hosting the 2015 World Cup.

O'Shea has realised that the 28-year-old needs to put his country first and can't be balancing that with leading Harlequins to an Aviva Premiership title.

He has realised that this is an important time for any player, especially for the England captain, as O'Shea continued in his interview to state they spoke on what the future holds and believed it was the best decision for both parties.

"Chris has been incredible for us and has been captain of England and Quins for the last three years and with that comes pressure.

"I want what's best for Quins and for England. This decision was made to help Chris be the best he can be for England and Quins.

"Captaincy is second nature to him and he will still be a leader."

Harlequins

The only problem to look at is whether Joe Marler can fill the boots of Chris Robshaw, and if he can play a vital role on improving last seasons final position.

Harlequins need a fix because they haven't won a piece of silverware since 2013, which was the LV=Cup, and a team of their calibre needs 2015 to be a memorable campaign.

At the moment O'Shea is focusing on the youth aspects at the club having brought in a few academy players and England youngster Marland Yarde from London Irish.

Their first game will take place at Twickenham against London Irish in the double header on September 5th, and this match will be the first step in the marathon of what is O'Shea's telling season.

Caroline Wozniacki loses point after hair tangle at US Open

Wozniacki got herself in a tangle (©GettyImages).

There are many reasons you could lose a point in tennis, but Caroline Wozniacki must have feared it wasn't going to be her day when she got her hair tangled up in her racquet and lost a game.

The Dane will be hoping to go one step further than she did in 2009 when she was a losing finalist at Flushing Meadows, and it's so far so good for the tenth seed... sort of.

Wozniacki may need to reconsider her hairstyle for the next round, and potentially beyond, after getting herself in a tangle during her second round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Tangle

The 24-year-old hit a powerful shot, but the follow through meant that the racquet got itself caught in the blonde-haired player's ponytail. The former world no.1 tried desperately to free herself as Sasnovich returned the initial shot.

Even with the racquet still attached to her, Wozniacki attempted to hit the ball anyway; a shot, that, if successful, would've perhaps been the best ever. Unfortunately it wasn't to be and the world no.11 lost the point. 

Fortunately Wozniacki wouldn't go on to rue the accident as she strolled into round three to face 18th seed Andrea Petkovic with a 6-3 6-4 win over her lowly-ranked opponent. 

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Haircut

After the match, Wozniacki took to social media to laugh at the incident. Alongside a picture of the racquet stuck in her hair, she tweeted: 'Hair trouble! Maybe I need a haircut!'

The US Open is typically the Dane's best Grand Slam in terms of results. After losing in the 2009 final to Kim Clijsters, she then suffered the same fate in consecutive semi-finals and hasn't reached that stage of a major since then.

Tough year

Its been a tough year for Wozniacki, much of her year has been spent in negative headlines after golfing star Rory McIlroy called a halt to their engagement and relationship just before the French Open, even though the wedding invites had already been sent.

McIlroy has enjoyed a new lease of life; winning multiple titles and becoming world no.1 golfer since the split. Wozniacki, on the other hand failed in round one of Roland Garros and could only reach the fourth stage at Wimbledon.

US Open hopes

To put all the heartbreak behind her; a strong showing in New York would be the perfect tonic, but Petkovic represents a tough hurdle.

The German has broken into the top 10 of the rankings before and reached the semi-finals of the French Open earlier in the summer. Fortunately for Wozniacki, a victory for Petkovic would be a shock and there haven't been too many in the women's draw thus far.

Agnieszka Radwańska is easily the highest-profile to be sent packing in the first two rounds. The likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are still going strong. 

Serena Williams shocks US Open with leopard print dress

A leopard never changes its spots (©GettyImages).

A leopard never changes its spots, so the saying goes, but Serena Williams should certainly consider changing hers. She may be world no.1, but Serena has had a fashion shocker at the US Open.

It's early doors at Flushing Meadows but the 32-year-old is already destined to pick up the title of worst dressed in New York. I hope she doesn't wear the outfit - which can be seen above - when mixing with the great and good in the city that never sleeps. 

Leopard

Why leopard spots? - That's what I can't understand. 

These players are involved in multimillion dollar deals with the top sporting companies like Nike and Adidas to display their kit, so why would they give the 31-time Grand Slam champion something so horrific.

Andy Murray is apparently involved in a tussle between the aforementioned duo for a five-year contract, maybe the way that Nike have dressed Serena is enough to steer clear of the big tick. 

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They deserve a big cross.

The US Open is the last major of the year, so lets take some time to reflect on the worst outfits from the other big tournaments this year. 

Do you disagree? Maybe you like Serena's kit and the ones I'm about to show you. If so, feel free to comment in the box bellow.

Sam Burgess to play centre role for Bath

Bath coach Mike Ford doesn't want Burgess to change his style of play (©GettyImages).

Sam Burgess is getting ready for his debut season in the Aviva Premiership, and after a long time waiting Bath head coach Mike Ford has announced he will feature as a centre.

The 25-year-old grew up playing Rugby League having featured in both the English and Australian Super Leagues, where he came up against some of the best talents.

But now his focus is on Bath's season however the Englishman won't be able to join up with the squad until October 15th.

The brother of four knows he will feature in a centre position and can now focus on how to improve his game and how he can instigate a change in Bath's luck, bringing success to the west of England.

Mike Ford comments

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Bath coach Mike Ford explained how he wants Burgess to get straight into the thick of the action and hopes the former South Sydney player doesn't change a single thing in his game.

"We'll start him in the centres, so he can see the game live," Ford said.

"We need to get him into the nitty-gritty of the game. We don't want to change who he is. We've got to figure out how the game-plan fits Sam."

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Centre role

The centre role for any team is a very attacking and open-minded position, as the player in contention helps designate attacks and has an eye for a pass.

Burgess has the qualities to fulfil this role but it may take the 25-year-old a while to understand what will and won't work in the Aviva Premiership, but Ford is aiming to throw the Englishman into the deep end which may do him good.

There will no better way to learn as Burgess' first game for Bath may come against Glasgow Warriors, or if he was to make an earlier return could travel with the Somerset side to take on Wasps.

Ford also stated that he wants to take his time with Burgess, as he doesn't want his tank to run out too soon.

"We're going to have to look after him, see where his body is. I don't want him to be burnt out, come March and April.

"Hopefully, when he comes, there's a platform for him to perform well."

England

The last thing Ford wants is to ruin the team's chances of achieving silverware this season, but also not to ruin Burgess' hopes of making the 2015 World Cup.

Now that his position has been confirmed, there will be intense competition from a number of standout players who'll want to impress over the next year.

Two outstanding regulars for England in the centre position are Manu Tuilagi and Billy Twelvetrees.

Tuilagi missed a majority of the 2014 Six Nations due to injury but has played a key role in England's core, and considering the 23-year-old is still young he has a big future in Lancaster's team.

Billy Twelvetrees meanwhile was recently announced as Gloucester captain by David Humphreys, so he has a key role to play in leading his club side to a respectable finish whilst also performing for England too.

Burgess has the ability of making a lasting impression with Bath and England, having captained the England Rugby League side to the semi-finals of the 2013 World Cup.

But with competition high for a place in the 2015 World Cup, Burgess will need to make sure he transfers the qualities of his rugby league days into Bath's promising season.

Gary Ballance Diary: Sad day for everyone at Headingley

In action for Yorkshire (©GettyImages).

I would just like to start my latest diary by offering my condolences to the family and friends of David Gronow after the Yorkshire member passed away during our quarter final yesterday.

It was a really sad day for all concerned at Headingley after one of our loyal supporters suffered a heart attack in the stands which caused the game to be postponed for around half an hour.

It was really tough for all the lads in the field and it really did put things into perspective so I would just like to reiterate my thoughts are with the relatives of David.

Unfortunately we ended up losing the match but it almost paled into insignificance.

It was very disappointing, we had a great chance of winning after we put ourselves into a great position, needing just over 100 with eight wickets left so it is hugely disappointing but fair play to Durham, they bowled really well as we lost wickets in clusters which meant we didn’t really give ourselves  a chance in the end.

It was great to be back, I love playing for Yorkshire at Headingley and we were in front of a good crowd. It was disappointing but it was great to be back with the lads and hopefully I can get in a couple of games towards the end of the season.

Those games at the end of the season could be the clubs biggest in years. The Championship could be really close and if I do get chance to play in them then hopefully I can put in some good performances in to get Yorkshire over the line to win the Championship.

It was good of the ECB to release me to play for Yorkshire but it was disappointing to miss out on the second ODI in Cardiff but that’s the way it goes when there are so many good players about. I have to keep impressing because I want to keep pushing for a place in this team.

With the likes of Ravi Bopara not in the squad you can see how tough it is to get into this side, lots of these are young players too and have done well for the Lions so hopefully if I do get a chance I can take it.

If that comes in this series I just after make sure I am ready to take it and try and get a score that gives England a great chance of winning. I do think I am hitting the ball nicely and batting well soit’s just a waiting game at the moment but I want to be in the side.

Serena Williams denies Wimbledon rumours

Williams has denied rumours about her health at SW19 (©GettyImages).

Serena Williams has made a series of denials about her state of health at Wimbledon this year, rejecting the idea that she was pregnant, drunk or on drugs.

The world number one was forced to pull out of the women’s doubles at SW19 in July, where she was playing alongside her sister Venus, as she failed to make a legitimate serve in her opening service game.

That retirement came three days after she was surprisingly beaten in the third round of the women’s singles by France’s Alize Cornet, and she was bedridden for the following three days, before returning to action later in July.

It was thought at the time that the 32-year-old had been suffering from a viral illness, based on the Wimbledon doctor’s diagnosis, but there were rumours abound that this was not the case.

Rumours denied

But five-time Wimbledon champion Williams has rubbished rumours that the reasons for her lack of mobility were due to more severe reasons.

The American said in an interview with Sports Illustrated: “I have nothing to hide. “No, I didn’t take anything. If you want to ask me if I took drugs, I didn’t take drugs. I’m not on drugs. I’ve heard it all.

“I’m not pregnant; I wasn’t pregnant. Although I think a baby would be great, but there’s a time and place for everything.

“But no, I don’t do drugs. Never did ’em. I’m scared of ’em. I’m not on that stuff.”

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Hotel room 

Drug testers arrived at Williams’ hotel room the morning after the doubles match against Kristina Barrois and Stefanie Vogele while she was still suffering from sickness.

“At seven, as I was throwing up, she knocks on my door.

“I’m like, ‘come on. They always come at the worst times’.”

The 17-time Grand Slam winner also laughed off the idea that she could have been drunk going into the match, and said it was her determination to please her supporters that forced her to start the match in the first place.

“God no. I wish.

“I hate to let people down. I felt like, ‘I don’t want anyone to be upset thinking I pulled out because I lost. I’m no quitter. I should have just taken that moment and said, What the heck are you doing? Just stay in bed today’.”

Return to action

Williams is currently playing at the US Open, where she beat compatriot Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-1 in her opening match on Tuesday evening, and she will face another American, Vania King, in the second round.

The Florida-born player has come into the tournament as the top seed, and she is still seen by many as the player to beat in New York, and she has won two of the three tournaments she has competed in since returning to action, in Stanford and Cincinnati.

This will be her last chance to add another Grand Slam to her trophy cabinet this year, as she has failed to make the quarter-finals of a major so far, with defeats in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Ana Ivanovic and in the second round of the French Open to Garbine Muguruza making it a disappointing year for her.

But some strong performances on the WTA tour have allowed her to keep her spot at the top of the rankings, as she has won five WTA titles in 2014.

Alex Corbisiero targeting European glory for Northampton

Corbisiero believes Northampton have the squad to challenge on all fronts this season (©GettyImages).

Northampton Saints prop Alex Corbisiero is targeting success in the new European Rugby Champions Cup this season, reports BBC Sport.

Saints won their first-ever Aviva Premiership title with a thrilling win over Saracens in May, earning them a spot in the revamped European tournament which was previously called the Heineken Cup.

Confidence

They were knocked out at the group stages of the competition last season but Corbisiero is confident they can do better this time around.

He told BBC Radio Northampton: "We've set the bar high. Backing the Premiership up will be a tough task.

"But it's the same thing with Europe, we want to aim one higher and go after that new competition.

"We're an ambitious side, but we have the depth in our squad and the key ingredients to go out and do that. We just have to put in the hard work and the performances when they are needed."

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Silverware

Northampton enjoyed arguably the most successful season in their history last time out, adding the Challenge Cup to their Aviva Premiership triumph.

However, they struggled against Europe's best in their continental campaign after a second-placed pool finish behind Leinster following two defeats, and the club will be eager to turn around their fortunes during this campaign.

Torrid time

On a personal level, last season was one to forget for Corbisiero, who was out for the majority of Saints' campaign with a knee injury.

That not only hampered progress at club level but also on the international scene, and the 25-year old has not featured for Stuart Lancaster's men since the clash with Argentina in November 2013.

Corbisiero then missed out on selection for the Six Nations and the tour of New Zealand but he is hoping to win back his place ahead of the World Cup which takes place in England next year.

"I've had a good pre-season, good time off and I'm fit, healthy and ready to go," he said.

"Every year is a big year for club and country but this season there is a big prize and the opportunity of a World Cup at the end.

"If I was chosen for the World Cup the next year it would be a dream."

Keep an eye on GiveMeSport's dedicated rugby union page for exclusive quotes from a number of top Aviva Premiership players over the coming days.

Timothy Fosu Mensah close to securing Manchester United move

Manchester United set to sign Timothy Fosu Mensah from Ajax. (©GettyImages).

Timothy Fosu Mensah is close to becoming Manchester United's latest summer signing under Louis van Gaal.

According to reports from The Daily Mail, 16-year-old versatile Ajax defender Fosu Mensah was at the Red Devils' training complex yesterday and his move from the Eredivisie giants will cost Manchester United around £300,000 in compensation.

Indeed, similar speculation cited by The Express suggests that the player has undergone a medical at Carrington, with rivals Manchester City and Serie A outfit Inter Milan having also been credited with an interest in his services.

One for the future

Ajax have a long and cherished history of producing some of Europe's top players and Manchester United's scouts have obviously spotted a real talent in Fosu Mensah, who is supposedly comfortable in defensive midfield and well as centre-back.

While he will presumably not be ready for first-team duty for some time yet, his arrival at Old Trafford would appear to suggest that Van Gaal is keen to ensure that the club continues to promote and nurture young talent for the future.

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Further deals in the pipeline

The imminent deal for Fosu Mensah is slightly more low-key than Manchester United's previous transfer deal, with £59.7 million British record capture Angel di Maria officially unveiled to the waiting media on Thursday afternoon.

The Argentine's arrival could not come at a better time for a squad that has endured another difficult start to the season, although there have been notable questions over Van Gaal's transfer priorities given his current needs.

Manchester United - whose signing of Di Maria would appear to prove that a rare absence from the Champions League is not a hindrance when it comes to signing truly top talent - look as if they will be very busy indeed in the coming days with their experienced manager clearly on the hunt for further recruits.

Arturo Vidal is one particular rumour that refuses to relent, although it remains to be seen if any agreement with Juventus can be reached for the Chilean international prior to Monday's deadline.

Outgoings on the horizon

While further incomings are expected at Manchester United, it would also appear that several fringe players will be departing before the window slams shut.

The quartet of Wilfried Zaha, Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa and Javier Hernandez have all been the subject of transfer bids in recent days, and it seems that Van Gaal is willing to let them go and revive their stalling careers elsewhere.

Lumafit Is a Beautiful Blend of Technological Innovation and Personal Fitness

 

 

In recent years, the most worrisome health problem in the United States has been obesity. A small problem two decades ago, it has quickly risen to the top of the list. This is in a large part due to the way many Americans lives are structured. Busy days filled with stress and little relaxation lead into poor eating habits and unhealthy living. Many people also have a difficult time fitting in the gym every day. On top of that, the gym is not the most inviting place. Gym memberships are expensive, they aren’t always close to home or work and they sometimes are not even a mentally comfortable place to work out.

Over and over again companies have come out with the best and newest and most advanced workout tool or personal trainer that will motivate people to lose weight and stay in shape. The creators of Lumafit, however, believe that exercise in not the only piece to a healthy body.

Having little to no financial backing, the makers of Lumafit turned to popular funding website Kickstarter. In order to begin production and shipping, the Dublin, Ireland-based company wanted $60,000 in monetary backing. As of June 6th of this year the project was successfully funded on the site with 1,039 backers and just over $100,000 in financing.

Lumafit is an interactive fitness coach worn on the ear with the ability to sync with multiple smartphone apps. The idea behind this fitness tracker is keeping a bulky band off the wrist and putting the equipment in a spot that won’t get in the way of exercise. The plastic piece actually rests on top of the ear while a clip attaches to the earlobe. This clip is actually where the technology is.

The makers knew that identifying exact motion at the wrist was difficult because the wrist goes through large motions that are unrelated to core body movement. The earpiece is built with comfort in mind with soft material on the inside to make it feel like it isn’t even there. With the clip and snug fit, the piece is ensured to stay on during all levels of exercise. While the earpiece only weighs 38 grams, the best part is it only needs to be worn during exercise and meditation sessions to get the information it needs. Tracking at the head allows the Lumafit to precisely identify and rate cardio workouts. The Lumafit can track the user wherever they choose to work out. At home the device can track boot camp sessions including exercises like lunges, sit-ups or squats. Gym workouts can also be tracked for the purpose of knowing stats and being able to visualize personal progress over time.

According to Lumafit, it is not only important to be body fit, but mind fit as well. The product provides medical grade heart data allowing the company to develop apps that guide and analyze yoga breathing sessions.

To go with this information gathering, there are three apps that work with the Lumafit. They are the Gym Tracker, Home Fitness and Yoga Breathing. The gym tracker obviously tracks gym workouts, while the home fitness app runs interactive Bootcamp sessions which are designed to burn over 200 calories in twenty minutes. The Yoga breathing app gives a ten minute interactive and mindful deep breathing session.

Lumafit is aiming to add more tools to their product as additional funding pours in. One is the ability to analyze and improve running style. The Lumafit currently has a high resolution motion sensor that can gather information on running style. These include: impact force, air time, cadence, symmetry and stride variance. With the goal of $100,000 reached, this should be added on to the system.

The world can now rid themselves of bulky chest strap heart rate monitors and heavy wrist bracelets. The Lumafit does more, weighs less and is less troublesome during workouts.

 

Alvaro Arbeloa open to Arsenal move

Arbeloa is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid..

Alvaro Arbeloa is willing to agree a move to Arsenal after the Premier League club opened talks with Real Madrid over a possible transfer, reports El Confidencial.

The 31-year-old is out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti and the Bernabeu chief is looking to move him on before the transfer window closes on Monday. His publicised feud with Iker Casillas continues to invite controversy to the team and Arbeloa is no longer welcome.

Arsenal interest

With Arsenal seeking reinforcement in defence, Arbeloa has been highlighted as a potential short-term, cheap option for Arsene Wenger. Having accumulated 66 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, Arbeloa would also come to the Emirates with experience in the English game.

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Arsenal have been encouraged by Real Madrid that a deal can be agreed. Arbeloa is ready to move and Real Madrid are keen to sell.

Rival interest

However, Arsenal are not the only club circling the Bernabeu. Napoli have also been in touch with Real Madrid and have received the same encouragement. Arbeloa is open to the idea of moving to Serie A as well.

Stronger competition may come in the form of Chelsea, who, according to Spanish newspaper AS, are readying a late move to sign the Spain international. Jose Mourinho built a strong relationship with Arbeloa during his three-year spell as manager of Real Madrid and is ready to offer him the chance to link up again at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal's alternative

Arsenal's late move for Arbeloa has appeared just one day after talks with Olympiacos broke down over a deal for Kostas Manolas. The young centre-back seemed on the verge of a move to north London, but a late offer from AS Roma saw the deal cancelled at the 11th hour.

WIth just three centre-backs in the squad, including the inexperienced Calum Chambers, Arsenal are looking worryingly thin in defence. Nacho Monreal has already been deployed as a makeshift central defender and looked far from comfortable.

Striker problems

The Gunners are prioritising a defender despite growing fears for their striker options. Olivier Giroud appears set for a spell on the sidelines, leaving Wenger with the choice of Yaya Sanogo or wide player Lukas Podolski up front.

Despite calls from fans to sign a replacement, the Arsenal boss seems happy to rely on his current squad options to cover for Giroud, regardless of how long he is out.

Maria Sharapova's spat with Ana Ivanovic intensifies at the US Open

Potential animosity between the pair (©GettyImages).

In any sporting event, there's always an added amount of drama when two players clearly don't quite see eye to eye. And now at the US Open it appears as though there could be a mini storm brewing between Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic.

Sharapova and Ivanovic, two of the higher-profile names in women's tennis, have been busy dropping sly, yet snide remarks towards one another since they met in the warm-ups at Cincinnati.

Their semi-final clash saw Ivanovic struggle with apparent nausea, and the Serbian opted to take a medical break before she rallied afterwards to book a spot in the final  with a 6-2 5-7 7-5 win, though she would go on to lose against Serena Williams in that final. 

Medical break

The medics duly came on to check the world no.9's blood pressure, without detecting any cause for concern, and the match continued.  

However Sharapova seemed less than impressed with her opponent's medical break, sensing foul play, and issued a thinly-veiled swipe towards the 26-year-old when asked of her opinions on breaks such as Ivanovic's.

"I’d probably start charging for medical timeouts," said the 27-year-old to a reporter. The Russian had been visibly frustrated at the time when Ivanovic took her break.

"I think we’d all see who really uses them and who doesn’t. Yeah, I don’t know what we put on it, maybe like 2500 or something. Yeah, I think we should do that. That would be fun."

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Financial charge

Ivanovic has now sought to defend herself after Sharapova's comments and dismissed the notion of charging players feeling unwell.

"I think that's a little bit harsh, you know," Ivanovic retorted. "But I'm sure many players would agree to pay if it's about health, you know. Maybe toilet breaks. That's another story. But medical timeouts, I think players use them when they really need them."

Before the matter could be swept under the rug as a simple disagreement, Ivanovic potentially re-lit the fires for another argument by highlighting an issue that she feels needs changing: "I think some players take way too long between the points."

Feud

Perhaps that comment needs some explaining, it seems harmless enough: Well, Sharapova - five-time Grand Slam champion - is never far away from criticism when it comes to her apparent time-keeping issues. 

With the world's media and audience keeping an eye on the events at Flushing Meadows, there's every possibility that we haven't heard the last in this new feud.

No on-court settler 

Unfortunately the duo, despite both coming through their openers, aren't likely to meet on-court anytime soon because of the way the draw works.

Sharapova, former world no.1, is hoping to bag her sixth Grand Slam title and her second at Flushing Meadows, and the fifth seed will face Alexandra Dulgheru in round two.

Meanwhile Ivanovic, the eighth seed and also a former world no.1, is targeting her second major glory following her French Open title in 2008. Karolína Plíšková, who has never won a match at the US Open, is next up for her. 

New Zealand Rugby Union bans stadium fireworks

The fireworks caused a bigger explosion than anticipated (©GettyImages).

New Zealand beat Australia at Eden Park on the weekend 51-20 in a dominating display of rugby, but after the match New Zealand Rugby officials announced their intentions to ban stadium fireworks for future reference.

After the traditional Haka performed by New Zealand, a common fireworks display goes off after the dance to get the stadium pumped before kick-off, however on Saturday the display backfired disastrously.

Three spectators were seriously injured with pieces of metal shrapnel penetrating the crowd, as Cecillia Wang was said to have lost a large amount of blood due to the injury sustained to her head.

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Horrific scenes

According to the Telegraph, Cecillia's husband, Jimmy Wang, spoke to the media after the game and re-lived the horrific event that took place before kick-off in Auckland.

“She was just screaming and lost consciousness, she was pouring with blood. I tried to hold her cut but the blood wouldn’t stop, it was like opening tap water, it kept coming out,” Jimmy Wang said.

“The piece of metal hit her glasses first and because of that it changed direction and just cut through her forehead.”

This event deserves the upmost attention because it is based around a failure within the actual display, so questions need to be asked about the health and safety of the equipment and set-up, as well as who was in charge of the fireworks.

New Zealand Rugby Union

New Zealand's rugby board have done well to tackle the incident straight away and to ban fireworks for future games, as it takes the fan's consent into view and shows that they stand for the welfare of their spectators.

Whether fireworks will be banned from other matches on the other hand, when New Zealand travel to the UK for their Autumn series in November, is still undecided.

But then again the stadium needs to be taken into consideration. Eden Park has small stands that are situated close to the pitch making the effects of these fireworks worse.

Stadium Size

At grounds like Twickenham, where it is a bigger stadium, fans are further away from the pitch so the stadium size needs to be discussed on top of safety.

It would be understandable if the crowd are literally touching the turf because then the fireworks are a definite hazard to the public and even the players.

But with some stadiums the fireworks play a role. When England or Wales play at their home ground during international matches it brings a fire and passion to the arena, urging fans to make more noise and pump up the players.

It is also a traditional feature to have fireworks after a victory such as when New Zealand win the Bledisole Cup or even in next years' Rugby World Cup, considering that it may not be a problem, as this has been the first time something like this has happened at Eden Park

It wouldn't be the worst rule the RFU or NZU bring into rugby, as they are just fireworks and Haka itself should get the crowd pumped up before the game. Fireworks bring a spectacle and that can easily be replaced by the roar of the crowd.

Tiger Woods can return to greatness on his own, insists Els

Els believes Woods is good enough to go it alone (©GettyImages).

Tiger Woods can return to the top of world golf without the aid of a swing coach, according to four-time Major champion Ernie Els. 

The 38-year-old American announced earlier this week he had ended his professional relationship with Sean Foley after four years of working together culminated in a disappointing 2014 that saw the 14-time Major winner ravaged by back injuries throughout. 

And with the guessing game underway to determine who may take up one of the most difficult coaching roles in sport, 2012 Open champion Els has stated he believes Woods can return to his best form alone. 

Lone ranger

"I think he doesn't need a coach," the Big Easy told reporters. "He needs maybe a friend of his to lay eyes on him all the time to check his fundamentals. 

"And I think he just needs to look at tapes and see what his body can do, and see if his body can do the same as what he did back in the day."

The South African won his fourth Major honour at Royal Lytham and St. Annes two years ago at the age of 42, and is enjoying a satisfactory end to an average PGA Tour season after he contended at both the US PGA and more recently The Barclays, the opening leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

Life over 40

That makes him an ideal candidate to discuss Woods' immediate golfing future. 

"I don't think it's the passing of the torch yet. Because I know where I am at 44, and Tiger's not 40 yet, so there's still a lot of life left in the dog. 

"He's young enough, he's strong enough. He's had some really bad injuries to his tendons and back now, that's not a great sign. But if he's healthy, he's shown that he can win," Els added. 

Foley's Major failure

Despite remaining Major-less throughout Foley's four years of tutelage, Woods won five times on the PGA Tour last season which included two WGC titles as well as the lucrative Players Championship title. Those accomplishments saw him named PGA Tour Player of the Year for an incredible 11th time. 

However, it is no secret that breaking Jack Nicklaus' record haul of 18 Major wins is the ultimate career goal for Tiger, and his failure to add to his tally of 14 under Foley as well as the back injuries he has suffered with his rebuilt swing appear to be the reason behind the split. 

Els, though, believes Woods is not finished winning Majors just yet: "He's obviously got enough talent and his record shows for itself, he's a winner. If he gets healthy I think he can win a couple more Majors, definitely." 

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December return 

For now, Woods will not appear at this autumn's Ryder Cup at Gleneagles after ruling himself out of the running for one of Tom Watson''s wildcard picks.

Instead, he insists he will spend the new few months getting stronger and healthier before returning to the course at his own tournament - the Northwestern Mutual Challenge - in December. 

Nick Kyrgios nearly thrown out of US Open

Kyrgios walked a tightrope (©GettyImages).

Nick Kyrgios is rapidly becoming the man to watch on the tennis circuit, but his own behaviour on-court almost cut-short his run at the US Open. 

The Australian teenager had a breakthrough earlier this summer when he shocked 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. His all-action style and hard hitting has led many to tip Kyrgios as a future star.

First round win

He showed once again in the first round at Flushing Meadows that he has the quality to match the hype after beating 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny, but he may well need to work on his attitude.

The world no.60 displayed his ability to dismantle his opponents with a lethal serve - he hit 26 aces - and Youzhny is certainly no pushover; the Russian is a two-time semi-finalist in New York.

However Kyrgios nearly undid his own stellar performance - a 7-5 7-6 2-6 7-6 win - with a number of on-court violations related to his language and aggression.

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Warnings

The umpire issued two warnings, and then docked the 19-year-old a game for racking up a third violation. One more would have seen Kyrgios disqualified and therefore eliminated from the Grand Slam before even having a chance of jumping the first hurdle. 

Nobody has been defaulted from a tournament since Jeff Tarango at Wimbledon 19 years ago. It would've been an unpleasant record to break.

Luckily Kyrgios was able to keep his emotions in check as he took the match in the fourth set courtesy of a comprehensive tie-break (7-1). Experienced Italian Andreas Seppi lies in wait in round two after the world no.48 comfortably routed Serhiy Stakhovsky in straight sets.

Temper

Kyrgios must know, however, that he may need to throw cold water on his burning desire to win in order to remain on-side with the officials.

“I guess it was just heat-of-the-moment stuff,” Kyrgios said following the match. “I was frustrated the way I was playing and it was just an outburst. Hopefully I will be able to control that the next time I play.”

Part of the issue may be sourced from an increase of expectations for the talented youngster; inevitable after his displays at SW19.

The Canberra-born star still has a lot to learn, this is only his second time at the US Open after all, and the win over Youzhny was his first in the tournament after David Ferrer defeated him as a qualifier last year. 

Expectation

“Yeah, it’s gone up a bit," he said of any added pressure. "I’m probably expecting a lot out of myself at these sort of tournaments. I have to know I’m still young and it’s a long journey. I have to just be patient. I think it’s good to have high expectations, as well.

“I have been an emotional player most of my career. Maybe I will be able to manage it in the future. It’s a work in progress. It’s something that’s always been there.”

There were no major shocks on day one at Flushing Meadows. World no.1 Novak Djokovic sailed through and he was joined in the second round by the likes of Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

How Technology Has Moved In On Fitness and Is Not Leaving Anytime Soon

 

Technology is changing the way individuals are working out. (Healthy Travel)

In such an increasingly mobile and connected world, many of our daily activities have been streamlined and made easier by the Internet and technology.

In fact, for some of us, it’s hard to imagine life without a smartphone. Our devices ensure that we are always connected, even when we’re away from home. Having access to the internet on the go is a convenience we’ve grown accustomed to, but how has it shaped the fitness industry?

Tracking Fitness in Cyberspace

Fitness tracking websites, apps, and devices have skyrocketed over the past few years, trending along with our need to be connected. MyFitnessPal is a calorie counting app and website that has grown in popularity in recent years. With their prodigious database of nutrition details, you can accurately count your calories and then use their exercise features to stay on pace with your fitness and weight loss goals. All of this can be done simply and easily on a mobile app. MyFitnessPal has over 65 million users – and is still growing.

As you can imagine, MyFitnessPal, with its widespread use and tracking nature, has created one of the largest databases of its kind. This data is at their disposal to analyze for demographic segmentation, personalization, and further innovation of their products and services, among many other uses. MyFitnessPal is not done yet, either, as they recently announced a partnership with Garmin, a leader in GPS technology. With Garmin’s GPS technology in tow, yet another avenue of fitness tracking is available to users of MyFitnessPal services. Compatible devices link up to your MyFitnessPal account and using the massive database, will compare calories consumed against calories burned on a daily basis to give you an overall view, in turn keeping you on track with your health, fitness, and weight loss goals. This technology will allow both companies to use analytics for all of the new data collected in order to enhance the future of technology as it relates to health and fitness.

Another major player at the intersection of technology and fitness is Fitbit. These wearable bands use sensors and wireless technology to track your movements throughout the day, automatically syncing with your smartphone and computer, in turn helping you seamlessly integrate fitness into your busy daily schedule. They can help you keep track of calories, map routes for walking, jogging or running, and much more. Much like the aforementioned Garmin partnership, you can connect your Fitbit band to your MyFitnessPal account and take advantage of their huge collection of accurate data to better plan your meals and exercise routines.

The technology behind Fitbit is based on its accelerometer system, which allows the devices to accurately track motion and even the degree of intensity behind the motion. This data is collected throughout the day by your device and then converted by Fitbit’s proprietary software algorithms, which have been perfected over time. Once the motion is converted by the algorithms, it is able to tell you how many calories you burned with your activity throughout the day. You can then view this information on a mobile app and helpful online tools to see your progress on an intuitive user interface.

A Growing Market of Wearable Tech

The Nike FuelBand (Nike)

 

Wearable devices seem to be the latest trend in consumer technology, from smart watches to fitness bands. While Fitbit has been at the forefront of the wearable movement in fitness, many other companies are eager to have a hand in the growing pot:

• Nike has the Fuelband, which, although noticeably pricier than most versions of Fitbit, is very stylish and gets the job done. It counts your actions during the day – whether you’re actively exercising or not – and converts them to Fuel points to let you know how you’re doing

• Strava Run and Cycling are bands aimed towards runners and bicycle enthusiasts; much like Garmin technology, they tap into GPS for enhanced accuracy but can be a bit cumbersome with the necessary attachment to your mobile phone

• The Griffin Adidas Armband is similar to the Strava in terms of functionality – but the design is more forgiving as your smartphone resides in a patch that’s attached to your arm

Fitness in Video Games

No longer can video games be associated with laziness and low activity levels. With the onset of interactive video games, you can now engage in fitness in the comfort of your own living room on your favorite console. Some examples of fitness technology in video games are the Wii Fit and Xbox Kinect. Practices like Zumba, popularized in gyms and clubs across the country, are now being utilized on video game consoles.

The Wii Fit is one of the longest standing and most popular fitness video games. It uses the Wii Balance Board along with the Wii sensor to track user's movements during interactive games. The Wii Balance board has load sensors in each of its four corners to track movements as you shift your center of gravity and weight over the board. This technology has tapped into the need to be entertained while exercising, and has been a success for Nintendo. Xbox has followed suit with their Kinect sensor and there are now quite a few fitness games you can enjoy on your console.

These are just a few examples of how technology is revolutionizing fitness as we know it. With fitness tracking apps connecting to the devices we use every day – along with the adoption of new devices – it’s never been easier to stay active and on track with your fitness goals. Look for technology to continue to morph the way we stay healthy and active.

 

Arturo Vidal reaches agreement as agent in Manchester

Vidal in preseason action for Juventus.

Manchester United have tentatively reached an agreement with Arturo Vidal's agent after Fernando Felicevich arrived in Manchester for talks.

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Chilean international is set to earn €8m a season (€153,000-a-week) for five years. The Old Trafford club have wasted little time in moving for Vidal after clinching the signing of Angel Di Maria.

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Agent in Manchester

Vidal's agent, Felicevich, was in Manchester on Tuesday for discussions with United officials while the midfielder, often receptive to fans requesting autographs, left Juve's training without a word.

United are ready to offer more than the €42m they bid the first time despite fears over Vidal's lingering knee complaint. The Chilean international rushed back from surgery for the World Cup, but was not at 100 per cent.

Humiliation

He can't come soon enough though, for a United squad struggling for performances and results. A 4-0 humiliation to third tier MK Dons in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening followed an away draw to Sunderland in the Premier League and an opening day home defeat to Swansea.

Although many of the club's first-team did not feature against the Dons, the manner of the defeat was still hugely embarrassing for Louis Van Gaal. The Dutchman insisted afterwards that he was 'not shocked' by the scoreline, but in truth, it was a truly unbelievable performance.

Van Gaal reaction

Poor performances all round

Senior players like Jonny Evans, Danny Welbeck, Anderson and Javier Hernandez did their first-team chances little good with lacklustre performances. And the club's young stars looked some way short of making an impact on Van Gaal's plans, in the immediate future at least.

The shocking loss followed the announcement of the Di Maria signing, which reportedly broke the British transfer record.

With less than a week of the transfer window left, United are clearly working hard to reach a breakthrough on the Vidal deal next, a transfer that has dragged on since the end of the World Cup.

Sir Ian Botham rubbishes England's 2015 World Cup chances

Sir Ian Botham has no faith in England.

England comprehensively lost to India in the second ODI and Sir Ian Botham has rubbished their chances of winning the 2015 World Cup.

Botham referred to England's batting performance, in particular against the spin bowling of India as "Clueless" and certainly does not register any faith in the team's chances at the World Cup.

At the Swalec Stadium, England could only muster a measly total of 161 runs and Alastair Cook's side suffered a 133-run defeat to India, who are currently the reigning world champions at the one-day format.

India's spin bowlers took the game to the toothless England batting line-up and Ravindra Jadeja (4-28), Ravichandran Ashwin (2-38) and Suresh Raina (1-12) took seven wickets between them.

The Sky Sports pundit had to watch India rack up a total of 304-6 in their 50 overs before toppling a far from potent batting performance from England and Botham believes their frailties with the bat will ultimately cost them in New Zealand and Australia this Winter.

Beefy's comments

Botham said: "We have absolutely no chance of winning the World Cup as on the evidence I’ve seen here we are miles behind the rest,”

"We had batsmen not scoring and too many dot balls and we have three of the top four batters – Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root – all scoring at around the same pace, around mid-70s."

“Most other countries have rates in the high 80s or 90s and that’s what wins you games, as India showed by recovering from 19-2 after eight overs to amass over 300."

“India also knew that all they needed to do was bring on the spinners to make England look absolutely clueless and that’s what happened, something we saw in Australia and something we see everywhere we go."

“We also didn’t have the discipline to keep the opposition under pressure when we had them in all kinds of trouble when we were bowling."

“We have a hell of a long way to go as it was the same old story with us getting behind the eight ball and not recovering.”

Further thoughts

Botham also went on to discuss the inclusion of Chris Jordan in the England bowling attack, his strange grip on the ball worries the 58-year-old who feels that Steven Finn would give England a more reliable option.

Jordan went on to bowl 12 wides during his spell as he registered figures of 10 overs for 73 runs.

One of the only positives to be taken from the second ODI contest was the performance of Alex Hales, who managed 40 runs off 63 deliveries. 

Butch Harmon rules out Tiger Woods reunion

Harmon helped guide Woods to eight Major titles during their 11 years together (©GettyImages).

Tiger Woods' former coach Butch Harmon has ruled himself out of the running to be the 14-time Major champion's swing tutor, following Monday's announcement that he had split with Sean Foley. 

In a statement released on Woods' website, the 38-year-old American revealed he had decided to split with his current swing coach Foley after four years of working together.

Past relationship

That led to his former coach Harmon, who coached Woods between 1993 and 2004 in the most successful period of the athlete's career where he won eight Major titles, being touted by bookmakers as the favourite to take up the role once more. 

However, he has since stated that will not be happening. "No I would not (reunite with Tiger), and he's not going to call and ask," he said.

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Woods split with Harmon in '04 and announced Hank Haney would be his new tutor, who went on to help the 79-time PGA Tour winner cement himself in history with six further Major honours.

Despite the success of those six years, Haney resigned as Woods' swing coach, paving the way for Foley to take up the role in 2010. 

Search for a major

He helped Woods rebuild his swing to accommodate the various knee injuries he has suffered throughout his career, but after four Major-less years as well as troublesome back that saw him miss three months of the season - an injury that is still seemingly impairing his golf game - Tiger has called time on his professional relationship with Foley. 

The search is not entirely underway - Tiger's refused to put a timetable on it - but one man who certainly won't be taking up the role is Harmon. 

As well as coaching Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler, Harmon has television commitments with broadcasters Sky Sports, making it almost impossible for him to take Woods into his stables as well. 

No coach needed?

Harmon added: “I don't think he needs a swing coach. If I were advising Tiger I’d tell him, ‘you’re the greatest player that ever lived, just go to the range and hit shots.’ Only he knows what his body can and can’t do.

"In this day and age you can get all the technical coaching you need with TrackMan. He’s good enough to do it himself.”

Chuck Cook, David Leadbetter, Todd Anderson and Jim McLean are just a sample of other names in line for arguably one of the toughest coaching roles in world sport. 

Arsenal to make bid for Edinson Cavani

Arsenal are set to make a £50m bid for Edinson Cavani.

Arsenal are poised to make an audacious £50 million bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani after it emerged that Olivier Giroud could be out until 2015 with an ankle injury.

This is according to reports in France - and brought to our attention by the Express - which claim that Arsene Wenger is determined to sign the Uruguay international before the transfer window closes on Monday.

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Arsenal rocked by Giroud injury blow

Arsenal have been rocked by the news that their first-choice striker Giroud, who sustained the injury against Everton on Saturday, could be out until the New Year. The France international has visited a specialist, but early reports suggest he will be sidelined for up to four months.

If these reports are accurate, Arsenal would be left with the raw and inexperienced Yaya Sanogo as their only other recognised centre-forward.

Wenger was keen to remind journalists in his latest press conference that Lukas Podolski and Joel Campbell are capable of playing as the team’s most-advanced forward, while the veteran French coach has already stated several times this summer that Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott can also be deployed as out-and-out strikers.

However, this could merely be a smokescreen from Wenger to avoid the possibility of other interested clubs making a late move for Cavani, who has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool - amongst a number of top clubs - this summer.

Cavani: One of world's best No. 9s

The 27-year-old is widely recognised as one of the world’s best number nines thanks to his exploits with Napoli and PSG, where he has scored 26 goals in 44 appearances since completing a €64 million transfer last summer.

Despite his impressive statistics, Cavani endured a frustration debut campaign at the Parc des Princes, having been shifted out to the right flank for much of the season in order to accommodate star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

PSG want Karim Benzema

Cavani has had assurances from PSG head coach Laurent Blanc that things will change this season, but there is speculation that the French champions are poised to launch a stunning bid to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

In order to finance the deal, PSG - who have already fallen foul of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations - would need to offload one of their key players, and it’s accepted that Cavani would generate the most cash.

The chances of PSG signing Benzema have been enhanced by the news that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is keen to spend the money acquired from the £60 million sale of Angel di Maria to Manchester United on AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao.

Benzema, despite his fearsome reputation, has only scored two goals in his last 16 appearances for Los Blancos - and Perez regards Falcao as a significant upgrade on the misfiring France international.

Jonathan Sexton agrees Leinster deal

Sexton is an established fly-half for both Ireland and Leinster (©GettyImages).

Jonathan Sexton has spent one year at Racing Metro having moved from Leinster in 2013, but now the Irish fly-half is set to return to Dublin having signed a new four-year-deal, according to reports.

Sexton spent one season with Racing Metro having been offered an emphatic wage along with Top 14 rugby, as the 29-year-old shocked Irish fans by making the move to France after spending his entire career in Dublin.

But it seemed as though the Irishman couldn't settle in France after making 25 appearances, as now the fly-half has made a return to the Pro12 and will reclaim his place as Leinster's number one fly-half after signing a new deal.

Homesick

In a recent interview, the 29-year-old stated how he was finding it hard to even train with Racing Metro as his new born child made the fly-half weigh-up his options on where his future lies.

"I'm just sort of taking my time," Sexton said.

"Obviously I just have a baby boy that's taking up a lot of time, that's taking up all of my time to be honest, I can barely fit in training at the moment. That brings challenges with living abroad, you do what Laura and I are doing living by ourselves.

"We'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. I think it will obviously be sorted out sooner rather later. I think everyone knows where I stood after, with the interviews that I gave when I left so I will see what happens."

It is shame things couldn't work out for Sexton and Racing Metro, mainly because the French club put a lot of money into bringing the Irishman to France, and considering things didn't go to plan in the first season they were capable of building as a club.

Also, with the inclusion of Ronan O'Gara as a coach this could have helped Sexton develop in the Top14, mainly because they understand each other's game to a degree having both played for Ireland.

Leinster

Sexton previously spent seven years with Leinster, before taking a year out in France, having represented the Irish club 110 times and scoring over 1,000 points whilst playing as their main fly-half.

He also helped the Irish club win the European Champions Cup three times and the Pro12 title twice, so in a way Sexton achieved everything he could at Leinster.

Maybe it is a time now for the Irishman to settle down with the club where his career began, as the fly-half realised within a year whether he suited the Top14 and came to the decision that his family were more important than his career.

Now Sexton has the chance of pushing on with his home club whilst not feeling homesick anymore, as the 29-year-old can focus on helping Leinster defend their Pro12 title and challenge once more for a European Champions Cup.

On top of this Sexton has a key role to play on the international level considering the Six Nations and the 2015 World Cup are quickly approaching and the Irishman will need to find his feet quickly.

Rafael Nadal is destined to be greater than Roger Federer

Nadal has had an upper hand in his rivalry with Federer (©GettyImages).

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the greatest of them all?

Crack! It seems this question is too much even for a magical mirror. For between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, there is very little to choose.

One thing is sure though. The contest to be crowned the “Greatest of all Times” is between Federer and Nadal as they are undoubtedly the two most successful players ever to have walked onto a tennis court.

Federer and Nadal have a jaw-dropping 31 Grand Slams between them. With the maverick Swiss currently stuck at 17-slam haul, Nadal is fast gaining on this mark and has been backed by many to surpass Federer’s tally and become the most successful Grand Slam player of all times.

However, between the two, who is the better player?

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Head-to-head

Just taking a glance at their head-to-head stat, the above statement hardly remains a question. Nadal has tormented Federer throughout the full stretch of their rivalry spanning over a period of almost ten years.

He has compiled a remarkable 23-10 head-to-head record over the Swiss, which includes a 9-2 lead in Grand Slam matches. Such has been the dominance of the Spaniard over his great rival that he has not lost a Grand Slam contest against him since 2007!

Apart from the fast courts of US Open, where the duo is yet to face off, Nadal has got the better of Federer in all the other three majors. He has decimated Federer on his beloved French Open turf having floored him in four finals and one semi-final, has got the better of Federer in all three of their duels in the Australian Open and has also beaten him once in their three Wimbledon clashes.

The other side

Well, everything said above indicate Nadal to be a better player, but there is the proverbial ‘other side of the picture’ too.

Federer has dominated the men’s game like no other player. While there is no question that Nadal has remained his nemesis, Federer has been the number one player in the world for a record 302 weeks as oppose to Nadal’s 141. That is more than twice of Nadal’s tenure at the top!

The Basel native has thrice won three Grand Slams in a year (2004, 2006, 2007) as compared to once for Nadal (2010). On two occasions he has won two majors in a calendar year (2005, 2009). Nadal has emulated that feat, having twice won two slams a year himself (2008, 2013).

Federer has also got six ATP World Tour Finals to his name, a silverware which is still missing on Nadal’s trophy shelf.

However, Nadal has collected more ATP Masters 1000 trophies and leads Federer by 27 titles to 22.

Clay court success

Though Federer has been the more dominant force in Grand Slams and has staked up a plethora of records throughout his sparkling career, perhaps none of his achievements are as impressive as what Nadal has accomplished in the French Open.

In his ten tournament appearances so far – which makes it ten years – Nadal has blown away all his rivals at the red dirt of Philippe Chatrier. The burly Spaniard has triumphed 9 times in Paris and has lost only one match so far. His record at the competition, an unfathomable 66-1! If you think Federer and Sampras’ haul of 7 Wimbledon titles is astonishing, how would you rate Nadal’s reign at the French Open?

Many have cited Nadal’s credentials in other Grand Slam competitions and his underachievement on hard courts as the major reason for not labelling him the greatest ever player. However, he moved to quell those doubts too last year, as he went on to sweep the US Open series, capturing titles in Toronto and Cincinnati and culminating it with his second US Open title; a feat only achieved by Andy Roddick before him.

Djokovic in the mix?

Besides, Federer has a big blemish of having a nemesis in his profile as oppose to Nadal, who has not been dominated by any player on the tour. Novak Djokovic came close of being labelled as his nemesis but Nadal seems to have solved that riddle too, having won their previous four Grand Slam battles.

Everything said, the game’s adherents are fortunate to be witnessing the two greatest players of the game in the same era. Who is the better of the two? I am more inclined towards giving my vote in favour of Nadal purely because of how he has dominated Federer throughout their rivalry. And this is coming from the most ardent Roger Federer fan.