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Let's not get too down on Murray
THE moment Andy Murray lost in four sets to Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon semi-finals I expected the critics to round on him.
The world number three had been expected to reach the final once Rafael Nadal withdrew, but he was unable to overcome American Roddick who last week played some of the best tennis of his career.
Murray said he could win Wimbledon - he did not say he would.
And hopefully the fact that he did not will not add fuel to the fire so loved of those who revel in so-called British sporting failure.
There have been many false dawns in British tennis over the past few years.
This is a nation that has had precious little to cheer about and fans have been quick to elevate the average - Buster Mottram, Jeremy Bates, and the like - to something they will never be.
A couple of good results and they are lined up to lead the sport out of the wilderness.
Then came the 'glory years' when we had a couple of players with real potential at the big tournaments.
Tim Henman was in the top 10 for years and years but deemed a failure because he never reached the final of a major, although he made the semi-finals on six occasions.
Greg Rusedski was a US Open finalist in 1997, but was he ever really accepted as a British player?
Both were close to the top of their chosen sport and very fine players, but deemed failures by those who only watch the game a couple of weeks a year.
As their careers waned, a young Scot was coming through the ranks.
And the key world here is young.
Murray is still only 22 and has already made it to the final of the US Open.
He may not have lived up to the hype that surrounded him going into the Wimbledon fortnight.
But let's not make him another of those sportsmen we build up just so we can knock him down.
MUCH has been made of the big money summer signings in the Premiership, with a lot of cash changing hands for the likes of Ronaldo, Johnson and Santa Cruz.
But the best bit of business so far has to be Manchester United's move to take Michael Owen on a 'free'.
There is little risk for Sir Alex Ferguson who has done this kind of thing before with the likes of Teddy Sheringham and Henrik Larsson.
Owen is rumoured to have taken a massive cut in wages - up to a quarter of what he was on at Newcastle as a basic salary - so United will not exactly feel the pinch because of the move.
And if they can get the striker firing, he will be a major asset as United look to pack more silverware into their trophy cabinet.
Owen could also be onto a winner as he looks to impress Fabio Capello sufficiently to be included in the England squad for next summer's World Cup in South Africa.
Is this not the perfect win-win situation?
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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