Benitez on the Money?

So today it's reported that Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has slammed Gareth Barry as cash crazy. And it's hard to distinguish if this is fact or opinion.

Last summer Barry handed in a transfer request at Villa to play Champions League football but Liverpool wouldn't meet their valuation (they couldn't decide whether to sell Xabi Alonso - which would've been disastrous) and he stayed in the Midlands.

After a great start to the season Villa were tipped to challenge Arsenal and beat them to that fourth and final Champions League place but there season fell apart and they finished 6th but at least they are in Europe. Manchester City are nowhere to be seen on the European circuit yet he joined the sighting the potential of the club as his main reason.

But with Liverpool still chasing him why did someone of 28 join a team for "potential", it has to be money. So far two big names have joined Manchester City:

• Robinho - because Real Madrid wouldn't sell him to Chelsea and City was his only other option.
• Barry - for the money.

Apparently the Blues are also chasing Eto'o and you would have to question why anyone would consider leaving Barcelona especially when you're other option is Manchester City. You don't need the money that's for sure.

Bids for John Terry have also been rejected. Again, you wouldn't leave Chelsea for City would you? Well, I wouldn't.

The Ashes are back...

....and would you believe it: one day down and the Aussies are ahead (albeit slightly).

The biggest rivalry in world cricket is back and what a topsy turvy day it has been. Australian legend Glenn McGrath unsurprisingly backed his home team although a 5-0 whitewash is a bit far-fetched for this Ashes considering man for man England have the advantage.

Morning looked like advantage Australia but after a powerful partnership of Pietersen and Collingwood in the afternoon the shift swung back into the hands of England only for the evening session to end on a sour note.

The wickets of cheeky partnership Flintoff and Prior was broken first by the Prestonian hitting into his own stumps and then Prior in the penultimate over to make England's score of 336 look a little less promising with seven wickets down.

Tomorrow Strauss will hope to reach 400 before losing the final wickets and seeing Australia in to bat.

"It was that sort of day. Just when one side looked to have forced the other close to the ropes, the opposition would slip away and come back counter-punching", were the words of BBC analyst and blogger Tom Fordyce and that's what it was.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

So Federer's the best?

I know, I know it happened on Sunday but I've been holidaying in sunny Scarborough for the week so have only just got back online.

After watching the epic match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick it occured to me that Federer is perhaps past his best, that a couple of years ago he would've dispatched of Andy Roddick in three straight sets and this year it was a massive slog which he could have easily lost.

So 16-14 it was in the final set and as close as Federer got to losing it always seemed he would get through for his sixth Wimbledon and record-breaking 15th grand slam wins. In fact, he's only lost in a final to Rafael Nadal.

A good friend of mine suggested I was being naive to suggest that Roger Federer was the best player ever and perhaps he isn't even the best player of his generation and he suggested that Federer has only won so many grand finals because his playing style gives him the edge against most opponents during his reign.

All I will say to that is he has beaten Nadal on two occassions to one at Wimbledon (where his playing style is suited) and although he's never beaten the Spaniard on clay Nadal is ultimately going to grow into the best clay court player ever to have lived but Federer for me is (at least for now) the greatest player of all time. Not just because he's won the most grand slams ever but also because he plays with a class and grace no-one else will ever bring to the game.

Here's a brief look to why: