Darts: Why I hope Lewis fails to defend his title

Lewis is showing incredible arrogance at Alexandra Palace

Predictably, Adrian Lewis blamed the crowd for the closeness of his quarter-final with Terry Jenkins last night.

Lewis let a 3-0 lead slip and eventually came through it 5-3, but instead of giving any credit to the fight and talent of his opponent, he once again looked for excuses.

He really thinks he is God's gift and it would be fantastic to see him fall flat on his face in his title defence.

When Lewis is flowing, there aren't many better darts players to watch.

For most of the match against Jenkins, he was at his best, hitting trebles and doubles with ease.

But the way he does it and the attitude he shows mean I will never support him.

Lewis has one world title to his name yet he seems to think he has 20.

He is arrogant, shows no respect for his opponents and seems to think he has a divine right to win tournaments.

Any other player would have given Jenkins the respect he deserved after such a stirring comeback, but Lewis barely looked at him while they shook hands and didn't even have a word for his beaten opponent.

He also failed to mention Jenkins in the post-match interview just to underline his arrogance and lack of respect.

Lewis is playing well but showing no class

If he wins the world title again this year his head won't even be able to fit on the stage.

He thinks he's Phil Taylor. He's not. He's won one major - albeit the biggest one - and is still erratic when the pressure is on.

He switches off in games - probably because he thinks it's so easy - and seems to think he is some sort of darting God who everyone should bow down to.

It isn't just Lewis being confident in his own ability, it's downright arrogance and ignorance.

In the first round, where he deserved to be knocked out by Nigel Heydon, he showed very little humility and acknowledgement of his luck.

This has escalated with each match he has won and now it is hard to see how much more unbearable he can get.

When asked about his upcoming semi-final match against James Wade - a player who has achieved a lot more than Lewis despite not winning a world title - he put Wade down and said "this is my stage" which just about sums him up.

When earlier asked who his main rival was to win the title, he said he couldn't see anyone winning the tournament but himself.

It would give me great pleasure to see him fail.

I would much rather any of the other three semi-finalists walk away with the trophy than Lewis, despite him being one of the best and most exciting darts players ever seen.

It would be nice to see Simon Whitlock win it, as it is hard to see him getting too big for his boots.

Whitlock dispatched Gary Anderson 5-1 in emphatic fashion

On form, Whitlock should give Lewis an almighty game and may even deserve to be classed as the favourite, although Lewis would surely disagree with that.

If Lewis doesn't reclaim the title, he'll have some excuses up his sleeve.

The crowd will be one, the lights may be another, possibly even the heat.

He may not even reach the final because Wade is one of the best players of all-time and deserves more respect than he is given by Lewis.

His win over John Part in the quarter-final was thrilling and will surely go down as one of the best games in darts history.

Both players went toe-to-toe with brilliant scoring and finishing for nine sets of excellence, with Wade eventually prevailing in a last leg shoot-out.

The crowd were captivated by the magnificent match, played in the right spirit and with both players showing suitable sportsmanship, particularly Part in the way he took defeat so admirably.

Andy Hamilton completes the semi-final line-up and he would also give the reigning champion a good game, as if he switched off Hamilton would make him pay.

Lewis deserves to be taught a lesson and I sincerely hope he is given one over the next few days.

Henry's return gives Arsenal a chance to say farewell to a legend

Thierry Henry scored 226 goals in 370 appearances in his first spell at Arsenal

Thierry Henry's two-month return to Arsenal should be a win-win for all concerned.

Anyone expecting the Frenchman to return to the blistering levels of his first spell at the club will be disappointed, but the brief loan deal is more about saying goodbye than making a serious impact on the pitch.

Henry left in 2007 for Barcelona and never got a real chance to say farewell to the club's fans, and vice versa.

He now has the opportunity to do that and remind supporters of his supreme skills, and the deal is a no-brainer for both him and the club.

It will ensure the feelgood factor created by Arsenal's fantastic league form is continued, while the club will have a more than able deputy for Robin van Persie while Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh are away at the African Cup of Nations.

There will be some who worry Henry risks damaging his legendary status at the club as he is clearly past his best, but the short-term nature of the deal ensures this should not be an issue.

Nobody should truly expect him to waltz straight into the side and return to his form of the early to mid-2000s, but he still has enough class to make an impact - probably from the bench - and perhaps chip in with a few goals.

For some, Henry will always be associated with the handball which helped deny Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup, but anyone who saw him play live when at his best will remember a stunning footballer with pace, power, skill and stunning technique.

He is certainly among the best three players the Premier League has seen and whatever happens in his brief spell at the Emirates Stadium, that will remain unchanged.

Henry has been training with Arsenal since the MLS season ended and so Arsene Wenger has had the chance to run the rule over him and judge whether the loan deal was worth it.

Henry and Wenger have always had a close relationship

Clearly, Wenger has been impressed by Henry's sharpness and unquestioned ability, so who better to come in as a short-term signing?

Henry is presumably willing to come in primarily as a back-up and his main role will be cameo appearances, similarly to when Sol Campbell returned to the club in 2010.

Campbell ended up playing a key part in the remainder of that season, and Henry will be hoping for a similar outcome.

He will no longer be the main man, one of the best players in the world, and if he can come to terms with that he could be a fantastic signing by Wenger.

One of Henry's main roles will be in the dressing room, with players like Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain surely desperate to feed off his considerable experience.

Both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain must be striving to emulate Henry, who arrived at the club as a winger and developed into the world's best striker, and his influence on them could be one of his greatest legacies at Arsenal.

On the pitch, Henry's legs may have gone a bit but the intelligence will still be there.

He won't be able to score the sort of goals he once did, with rampaging, powerful runs cutting through the opposition, but he won't have lost his finishing ability and overall aura of class.

Opposition teams will not be as fearful of Henry as they once were but they would still rather face the likes of Chamakh and Park Chu-Young than him.

van Persie is now reaching the levels Henry was in his Highbury pomp, and it is the Dutchman who will be in opposition teams' thoughts in the lead-up to games now.

Henry will have to accept van Persie is now Arsenal's main man

But to look to the sidelines and see the real deal there, ready to come off the bench and bid a final farewell to the club he loves, will surely still make Henry a frightening prospect to any defence.

He will be desperate to make an impact, desperate to help Arsenal secure another season in the Champions League and desperate to repay the faith Wenger showed in him to bring him to Highbury in 1999 for a then club-record fee.

He has already repaid that faith by etching his name into the club's history books as Arsenal's record goalscorer, but will feel he needs one last hurrah just to put any lingering animosity over his move to Barcelona to bed.

Henry will act as cover - and legendary cover at that - for a short period to provide perhaps one final chapter to his incredible Arsenal story.

Don't expect him to be the player he once was, but don't expect him to make no impact either.

Henry is an Arsenal legend and this is the perfect chance for him to say goodbye to the club so close to his heart, while also giving the club an opportunity to thank him for all the extraordinary memories.

Darts: Chisnall's toppling of Taylor opens up World Championship

Dave Chisnall stunned Alexandra Palace by knocking out 15-times world champion Phil Taylor

When Dave Chisnall sunk his winning double six to knock Phil Taylor out of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace last night, you could almost hear the cheers of the other players left in the tournament.

Each of them can now sense a real chance of becoming world champion and writing their name in the history books.

Taylor may not have been in vintage form, but would still have had far too much for most players.

His reputation alone is sometimes enough to see him through, but Chisnall was not overawed and if anything it was he who was doing the bullying.

Chisnall's power scoring is up there with the likes of Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson, but it is his doubles which have let him down in the past.

On this occasion though, he barely missed a double and that was the difference.

Whenever Taylor gave him a chance, he took it.

That threw Taylor off his game and he started missing doubles, while his trademark high checkouts never came to fruition.

When Taylor is up against a talented opponent like Chisnall, he normally demoralises them with high finishes, in the 130-170 bracket, but his highest checkout against Chisnall was just 70 and that tells you all you need to know.

Taylor graciously applauded Chisnall after he sealed victory

He missed two darts at a double in the opening leg and later said that put him off his game, and that is very unlike Taylor.

Usually, he can put disappointments to one side and continue hammering the big scores, but there was clearly something not right with him yesterday.

Taylor didn't play badly - his average was above 100, after all - but he didn't take his chances when they materialised and that is so unlike him.

All the credit must go to Chisnall, though.

Everyone knew he had the talent to beat Taylor but it was unclear whether he had the temperament and audacity to do it on the big stage.

To beat the 15-times world champion is one thing, but to beat him 4-1, at a stage of the tournament he had never lost before, was stunning.

It would have been easy for him to suffer from nerves in the closing stages but he was on for a nine-darter in the final leg after two straight 180s, so it is clear his temperament is excellent.

Chisnall has had a superb first year in the PDC

Chisnall only joined the PDC in January but he has already made great strides, and this win should give him the confidence to compete at the business end of tournaments consistently.

Other players would rather face him than Taylor though and so the tournament has now opened up and is anyone's to win.

This is not the end for Taylor - after all, it is only a matter of weeks since he swept everyone aside at the Grand Slam with averages in excess of 110.

He will be back and will win more major titles, but will never be as dominant as he once was.

There are too many other exceptional players out there and so Taylor is inevitably going to take the odd beating now.

He is not as feared as he once was as opponents have seen he is beatable, so the next few years could be the most challenging of his career.

If Chisnall can continue this form and keep hitting his doubles, he will be a major contender for the championship.

He is a former Lakeside runner-up and so has the experience of going deep into big tournaments, so has to be in the running.

He will face Andy Hamilton in the next round - a match which is sure to be a real battle - but should fancy his chances of a real tilt at the title.

Adrian Lewis will feel more confident of defending his crown now Taylor is out, although he has been unconvincing thus far.

Lewis has not looked in title-winning form

Gary Anderson is the new favourite to win the tournament, although he will have to improve to stand a chance.

Paul Nicholson does not lack confidence and is playing some great darts, so he could be the dark horse for the title.

James Wade has the experience of winning majors and has been consistent in his two matches, John Part has been there and done it in the World Championships, Simon Whitlock is in fantastic form despite having a broken ankle, Kevin Painter has renewed confidence after his first major win, Terry Jenkins looked magnificent in the first two sets against Co Stompe and Michael Van Gerwen has the talent to go all the way.

This tournament certainly is there for the taking and everyone left in must feel confident of creating history.

Chisnall has as much of a chance as anybody after his fantastic win over Taylor, and his lack of nerves on the big stage could make all the difference.

Taylor will not be adding to his 15 world titles this year but don't write him off just yet.

Title number 16 could be just a year away.

For one lucky player though, title number one (except for Lewis and Part) could be just around the corner.

Darts: What next for Raymond van Barneveld after yet another disappointment?

Raymond van Barneveld toiled and was eventually beaten by James Richardson

Raymond van Barneveld suffered one of the biggest upsets in PDC history yesterday with a 3-0 World Championship first round loss to virtual unknown James Richardson, and must surely be asking questions of his darts future.

Going into the tournament, the signs were good.

The lack of belief which has blighted him over recent years was thought to be gone, while he had gone back to the darts which won him the 2007 World Championship.

He started with a 180 and checked out on 130 in the opening leg, and there was seemingly no chance of him slipping up.

Barney then began to falter though and played like a drain for the remainder of the first set, with Richardson punishing him and securing a checkout of 145 in the process.

145 is a number Barneveld is unlikely to forget in a hurry.

After he lost the second set with more slack darts, he seemed certain to take the third and pile the pressure on Richardson.

Like the first set, he took a 2-0 lead in legs, but Richardson fought back to 2-1 and then took out another 145 to put himself in a position to throw for the match.

By now, Barney was missing doubles and two more missed darts at double eight let Richardson in to seal a famous triumph.

Richardson said he always believed he would defeat Barneveld

He took out 41 in two darts for Barney's first ever defeat at the first round stage, and enormous credit must be given to him for playing his own game and showing no nerves on the big stage.

Richardson walked out to 'Vindaloo' before the match and seemed determined to grab his big opportunity, and he never lost the belief he was capable of beating the five-time world champion.

If Barney had been at his best though, he would have steamrollered Richardson.

So much of Barneveld's troubles are in his head and once he falls behind, he finds it extremely difficult to find the belief and fight to get back into the game.

He has gone back to his old darts but still showed doubts by changing his flights after the second set, and it seems doubtful he will ever overcome his mental problems.

Barneveld is still a crowd favourite, his 'Barney Army' still turn out in force, but he is no longer producing the goods.

Everyone would love to see him back at his best but the longer his drought goes on for, the more difficult it will be for him to regain the belief.

He is now likely to drop to an unthinkable 13 or 14 in the world and such a slip may even lead to him contemplating retirement.

Nobody wants to see Barney walk away from the game but he doesn't seem to be enjoying playing competitive darts anymore.

Perhaps a break from the game will do him good. He certainly needs to do something.

No darts fan wants to see him retire as he still has so much to offer, but crushing 3-0 defeats like this make it a much more realistic prospect. How many more disappointments can Barney cope with?

As for Richardson, he progresses to face the impressive Belgian Kim Huybrechts, who beat Brendan Dolan 3-0.

Dolan's exploits in the World Grand Prix appear a long time ago now and Huybrechts fully deserved his convincing victory.

Dave Chisnall will play Phil Taylor, and this could be the biggest test Taylor will face in the entire tournament.

Chisnall should provide a real test for Taylor

Chisnall was excellent in beating Mark Dudbridge 3-0 despite missing doubles, and could give Taylor a real run for his money.

If Chisnall can sort out his doubles, he could be a major contender to not only beat Taylor but also win the entire tournament as his scoring power is extraordinary.

Steve Beaton overcame Magnus Caris - with the help of the crowd - on Saturday, but knows he will have to play much better to progress any further.

If it wasn't for the crowd booing Caris and putting him off while shooting for doubles, the Swede would have probably waltzed off with a 3-0 victory so Beaton is extremely lucky to have survived.

Vincent van der Voort also got past a very tricky opponent in Mark Hylton, and could go on a real run in the competition now he is past that tough test.

van der Voort has the fans on his side thanks to his walk-on tune, and his quick style and power scoring will cause any player problems.

The 'bad boy of darts', Paul Nicholson, also safely made his way into round two with a nervy win over unorthodox Mensur Suljovic, although he will have to improve if he is to challenge for the title at Alexandra Palace.

Barney's defeat is the main talking point of the tournament so far though, and he joins Mark Webster as one of the high profile casualties before Christmas.

Barneveld's future in darts is now being questioned but he could be brilliant again if he believed in himself.

He is one of the best players ever and he must not let his talent go to waste.

Manchester City and Arsenal serve up a festive treat

David Silva and Sergio Aguero were instrumental in Manchester City's victory

Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal

If there were any lingering doubts about Manchester City's title credentials, they answered them in style with a hard-fought victory over Arsenal.

Monday's defeat to Chelsea had led many to say City would be thrown off their stride, but they will have been left in no uncertain terms that this team is the real deal.

They won't face many sterner tests than this one in what remains of this season.

Arsenal are back and this display proved it.

They started the campaign in disarray, conceding goals aplenty and in open mutiny, but Arsene Wenger has done a fantastic job to turn things around and with a bit more luck his side would have taken something from the Etihad Stadium.

It wasn't a vintage City display, but it was a performance which would have given manager Roberto Mancini a lot of pleasure.

Once again, he let the attacking talents he has at his disposal loose and that led to a pulsating game, full of end-to-end drama and, perhaps more importantly, excellent defending.

There have been many scintillating performances from City this season but this one may have been the best as far as Mancini is concerned.

City were still free-flowing and exciting, with David Silva and Samir Nasri combining to devastating effect, but they also had tremendous solidity and managed to keep a rare Premier League clean sheet.

Nasri was at his best against his former club (ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

They were only marginally better than Arsenal, who will feel they deserved something from the game.

Their renewed fighting spirit and solidity were evident again, but their defeat ends any prospects of winning the title this season.

On this evidence though, a top four finish and yet another year in the Champions League is achievable.

That will be difficult, with City and Manchester United so strong, Tottenham so impressive, Chelsea so experienced and Liverpool enjoying a renaissance under Kenny Dalglish, but not many teams have given City as good a game as Arsenal did yesterday.

They have come a long way in just a few months and are once again producing the type of football which made them such an admired team.

Their impressive performance was in spite of being forced to play makeshift full-backs, so if Wenger can get all his players fit they could be the team to beat in the second half of the season.

Robin van Persie was bright and showed his quality without really threatening to score, and his goals will prove crucial in the Gunners' fight to secure another season in the Champions League.

Arsenal nearly levelled the game at the death with Thomas Vermaelen going agonisingly close, but there are surely far more positives than negatives for them to take away.

Vermaelen and van Persie should be disappointed with the result but not the performance (ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

For City though, they just keep marching on. Their record of 50 goals in the opening 16 league games is staggering and they are looking more and more like the champions-elect.

Nasri saved his best performance in a City shirt for his former club, Silva was as sublime as ever and tapped in the winner, Joe Hart was again solid in goal and Vincent Kompany was back to his imperious best.

Sergio Aguero was typically bright and should have got on the scoresheet, while Gareth Barry was intelligent and calm.

City are looking more and more like a dream team and the defeat at Chelsea appears to have merely strengthened their resolve.

If the loss at Stamford Bridge was their test of character, then they passed it.

Arsenal could have took something from the Etihad Stadium, but Mancini ensured they didn't.

Mancini can take credit for how his side closed the game out

On 72 minutes, with the game resembling a basketball contest with its end-to-end nature, he took off Mario Balotelli and replaced him with James Milner, a change which took the sting out of Arsenal and calmed City down.

The game deserved more goals as it was perhaps the best of the season so far. It turned out to be a low-scoring classic.

Both teams can take an awful lot from the game.

Wenger must be much more positive than he was a few weeks ago, as his side have proved themselves to be worthy of playing for Arsenal and capable of a top four finish.

Mancini can celebrate his two-year anniversary in charge of City on top of the league and it is going to take a mighty effort to stop them lifting the title come the end of the season.

Arsenal gave it everything they had yet still came up short, while City have played all their major rivals away from home already.

This game was a festive treat with both sides providing great entertainment, but it is City's star which is shining most brightly.

Crucial period ahead for Owen Coyle and Bolton

Owen Coyle is running out of time to turn it around at Bolton

Almost under the radar, Bolton Wanderers have slipped to the bottom of the Premier League.

The future of manager Owen Coyle is rarely questioned, while the club's prolonged status as a top flight outfit appears to be taken for granted.

But the situation at the Reebok Stadium is serious now.

Wanderers' next four games - against Fulham, Blackburn, Newcastle and Wolves - present a great chance of picking up crucial points, but a paltry return would leave them cast adrift and make Coyle's position almost untenable.

12 defeats from the opening 15 league games this campaign tells its own story. That is in addition to a very poor end to last season, where Bolton slipped from European challengers to 14th-place also-rans.

Their 5-0 mauling in the FA Cup semi-final at the hands of Stoke was the catalyst, and since then they have been in a rut which Coyle has failed to galvanise them out of.

This season, Bolton have already lost seven home league games and have shown no recent signs of waking from their slumber, so Coyle needs to work some magic now before it is too late.

His detractors have compared him to Steve Kean, the constantly under-fire Blackburn boss whose side is above Coyle's in the table, but there is something a lot more believable about Coyle which means he should be given more time.

He is positive by nature, but is not afraid to criticise his players when he sees fit and he admits when his team have been second best.

Coyle is positive yet realistic

Kean is exclusively positive, to the extent that he is possibly the most annoying man in football.

He quotes positive stat after positive stat no matter how badly Blackburn have played, while he had no managerial success before his time at Ewood Park to merit any more time in the job.

Coyle's positivity is infectious, while he also has past successes to back it up.

He did great jobs at St Johnstone and Burnley before his time at Bolton, and must be given more time to turn it around.

The situation does look grim - and could get a lot worse in the near future - but he has had a lot of upheaval to deal with and is clearly the man for the long haul at the Reebok Stadium.

The loss of Stuart Holden to serious injury towards the end of last season ruined Bolton's form, while his further injury this campaign was another critical blow.

Holden was key to everything Bolton did well last season - he made them tick - and Coyle has simply found no-one in his class to take his place.

Holden's injuries have been a major blow for Bolton

Johan Elmander - almost unplayable in the first half of last season - has moved on, Daniel Sturridge has returned to parent club Chelsea and Kevin Davies is no longer the catalyst he once was.

Ivan Klasnic has stepped up to the plate with seven league goals, but other than that Bolton have found goals extremely hard to come by.

They also have a woeful defensive record - particularly at home - which is likely to be further dented if Gary Cahill departs as expected in January.

It is clear there needs to be major strengthening of the squad in January but if anyone can turn it around, Coyle can.

His motivational skills appear natural and you only need to listen to top players who have played under him, such as Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge, to realise how highly he is rated.

Wilshere raves about him and believes he is destined to manage at the top, so Bolton would be foolish to discard him now.

Wilshere clearly benefited from his time under Coyle on loan at Bolton

Wanderers' recent form is clearly unacceptable, with four straight league defeats and 12 defeats in 15, but they would struggle to find a better manager than Coyle.

The next few games will be the biggest test of his managerial career so far, but Coyle will use that as a positive as he knows they are eminently winnable.

Bolton should believe in Coyle because, given time, he will turn it around.

Relegation has to be viewed as a serious possibility though and that is why they need to pick up a serious number of points in the next four games.

That starts with a trip to face Fulham at Craven Cottage tomorrow, where even a win would not take Bolton out of the bottom three.

It would, however, set them on the right track and set Coyle on the track of salvaging his reputation.

Bolton need points quick or Coyle will become the latest casualty of the cut-throat managerial circus that is the Premier League.

Their perilous position cannot be ignored for any longer.

We are about to find out just how good a manager Owen Coyle is.

Darts: World Championship starts with a bang as Adrian Lewis sneaks through

Lewis (left) was pushed all the way by Heydon (right)

The PDC World Darts Championship has grown to become one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the sporting calendar, and its opening night yesterday certainly didn't disappoint.

Defending champion Adrian Lewis came within a whisker of crashing out in the first round to undertaker Nigel Heydon, while Mark Webster suffered a surprising loss to fellow Welshman Richie Burnett.

Lewis deserved to lose.

There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, with Lewis far too often falling on the side of arrogance.

He walked onto the stage as if he thought he could just turn up and win, but was in for a rude awakening as Heydon showed more quality than he anticipated.

Heydon raced into a two sets lead before Lewis hit back with two nervy sets of his own.

In a topsy-turvy deciding set, both players showed nerves and missed crucial doubles, with Lewis eventually sealing it in the tie-break.

Lewis did not look like the world champion and did not act like one.

If he thinks he can simply sweep opponents aside with minimal effort, it won't be long before the defence of his crown does come to an end.

Lewis struggled to get his game going

Nerves may have played a part in it, with Lewis under severe pressure as defending champion, but on this evidence, he will be no match for some of the bigger players in this tournament.

One of the main talking points after the match was the wasp sting Lewis suffered to his non-throwing hand while playing, but nothing should be taken away from the magnificent Heydon.

Not many people gave him a prayer of producing one of darts' greatest ever upsets before the match, but he showed tremendous consistency throughout and only showed nerves in the crucial final legs.

He hasn't been in the PDC for long but experiences like this will boost his confidence and give him a good chance of forging a successful career.

Lewis must be given credit for never giving up when he was behind - someone like James Wade may have thrown in the towel - and should forget this match immediately.

He needs to start afresh in his next match and refocus his efforts, because the strength in depth in darts is so good that anyone would be able to beat him on their day.

Robert Thornton is likely to be Lewis' next opponent and he is more than capable of beating 'The Jackpot'.

He will not be able to afford another nonchalant performance.

As for Mark Webster, his defeat to Richie Burnett must be very hard to take.

Burnett and Webster produced a thrilling game

Webster has had a terrific year since his Premier League nightmare and must have felt confident of challenging for the title after being a losing semi-finalist for the last two years, but was always going to find Burnett a tricky opening opponent.

Burnett is in the form of his life - better than he was when he won the BDO world title in 1995 - so in some senses, his victory is no more than a minor upset.

He is back among darts' elite and must feel very confident of a long run at Alexandra Palace, although he will face a very difficult second round opponent in John Part or John Henderson.

Burnett v Webster would have been a decent quarter or semi final, so it is a real pity one of them had to go so early.

There were 20 180s - 11 to Burnett and nine to Webster - and that is pretty much unheard of for a first round encounter.

Webster did very little wrong and can feel extremely unlucky to have been dumped out in the first round, but he simply lost to a better player on the night.

These two classic matches have got the World Championships off to a cracking start which has surely whetted the appetite of all darts fans.

There were also impressive wins for Roland Scholten and Wayne Jones, while Phil Taylor will get his campaign underway tonight.

Of last night's players, Richie Burnett appears the most likely to have a long run in the competition, although Lewis could still launch a challenge if he concentrates better and stops taking victories for granted.

There is sure to still be plenty of drama and mayhem ahead in this darts feast.

The party has only just begun.

Darren Fletcher should take all the time off he needs

Darren Fletcher has been forced to take an indefinite break from football

There are some things more important than a game of football. Health is certainly one of them.

Darren Fletcher is taking an "extended break" from the game as he is suffering from ulcerative colitis, and he needs to take all the time he needs to ensure he makes a full recovery.

Fletcher comes across as the type of player who would play through almost any injury, but he has done the right thing by taking time off and accepting medical advice.

His absence will pose a real problem to Manchester United and Scotland, but his health must come first.

Fletcher has grown in stature as a footballer in recent years and, at full fitness, is one of the first names on Sir Alex Ferguson's teamsheet.

When Fletcher is fit for the big games, he plays.

He may not be the most talented player to ever come out of Old Trafford, but no-one has put in more effort and hard work than him during Ferguson's tenure.

Fletcher has made the very most of what he has got and it is such a shame his career risks being snatched away from him just as it is about to reach its peak.

He is widely regarded as a fantastic professional, available whenever he is needed and always willing to do the dirty work for his more high-profile team-mates.

Fletcher will never receive the accolades he truly deserves, but the greatest honour he can receive is the trust of Ferguson. He definitely has that.

Fletcher has become a big part of Ferguson's plans

Fergie will be gutted to have lost one of his key men for what looks like a sustained period of time - possibly for the rest of the season or longer - but will recognise that Fletcher must miss however long is necessary to return to full health.

His absence will leave a massive hole in United's midfield, though.

Ferguson must already be ruing his failure to replace Paul Scholes in the summer - indeed his failure to bring in any world-class midfielder - and now must make do with Michael Carrick, Darron Gibson, Ryan Giggs and Phil Jones, with Tom Cleverley still out injured.

That quartet will not strike fear into any opposition team and the blow of losing Fletcher will be another major headache for Ferguson.

It is his influence in the biggest games which will be most sorely missed, while United may now be forced to strengthen in January to cover Fletcher's loss.

Fletcher will be sorely missed at Old Trafford

It is a measure of the Scot's character that he has battled on for the last year with such a debilitating illness.

Fletcher has not looked the same since it was revealed he was suffering from a mystery virus which had led to severe weight loss, so this prolonged break may be exactly what he needs to give him the best chance of returning to peak fitness and form.

Whether he will ever return to his levels of two or three years ago is unclear - judgements like that are better left to medical experts - but one thing is for sure: it will not be for want of trying.

Fletcher has come back from devastating football knock-backs before - he missed the Champions League final in 2009 through suspension and was only well enough for a place on the bench at this year's showpiece - but now his health should be his only priority.

He deserves to make a quick and full recovery and if anyone can overcome such an illness and recapture old form, Fletcher can with his dedication, hard work and humility.

Manchester United season on verge of collapse after Champions League exit

Sir Alex Ferguson is now contemplating the Europa League

It is a situation surely nobody could have envisaged.

Manchester United, the most decorated English club in terms of league titles, have dropped into the Europa League.

They have paid the price for complacency and a lack of quality depth in the squad, and as Roy Keane said, they got exactly what they deserved.

A Champions League group containing Benfica, Basel and Otelul Galati would hardly have sent shivers down United fans' spines before matchday one, and in truth they should have qualified with ease.

However, they took qualification for granted and were sloppy throughout, with their only wins coming against the minnows of Romanian side Galati.

United had reached three of the last four Champions League finals, but European football has such a strength in depth now that teams cannot simply turn up and steamroller their way through a group with minimal effort.

Only Barcelona and Real Madrid can realistically take qualification to the knockout stages for granted.

Every game should be played with the same intensity. There are no longer easy games in the Champions League.

United's exit will lead to a humiliating stint in the Europa League, a competition regularly used by Red Devils fans as a way of mocking rivals.

In the past, when Liverpool and Manchester City have played in the competition, supporters have chanted "Thursday nights, Channel Five", but now it is they who will be ridiculed.

United fans have ridiculed the likes of Liverpool in the past for playing in the Europa League

They should have the quality to challenge for the competition, as long as they take it seriously.

United could follow the path of other English teams and send out virtual reserve sides, which would probably lead to an early exit as their back-ups are simply not good enough.

The Europa League may be Sir Alex Ferguson's side's best shot at silverware this season, with other competitions not exactly going to plan.

Just over a week ago, they were humbled at home to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, while they are five points behind Manchester City in the Premier League.

They were also humiliated 6-1 by City in the league and face a daunting away fixture against their local rivals in the FA Cup third round.

United's season is on the verge of collapse and they lack the star quality to turn it around.

Wayne Rooney's goals have dried up, they are nowhere near as potent as they were earlier in the season and they have looked shaky at the back, in Europe at least.

They miss Paul Scholes dearly in the centre of midfield, while injuries to Tom Cleverley and Nemanja Vidic will not help them.

United need a creative player in the centre. Wesley Sneijder could have solved the problem had he been brought in last summer, and someone of his ilk will need to be signed as quickly as possible.

They are much further away from Barcelona now than they were in May, so perhaps it is a blessing in disguise they won't get the chance to play against them this season. The likelihood is they would have been humiliated.

There is some good young talent there - Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Cleverley and Danny Welbeck - as well as established stars like Rooney, Nani and Javier Hernandez, but beyond that they simply do not have enough.

Hernandez missed yesterday's defeat to Basel through injury

Ferguson will have been stung by his side's Champions League exit and determined to launch a real bid to win the competition next season, but that could be one of the biggest challenges of his illustrious career.

As for Manchester City, they will also be deeply disappointed to have dropped into the Europa League but their emotions will be different to United's.

This was their first jaunt into the Champions League and they were beaten by two excellent sides in Bayern Munich and Napoli, while the experiences they gained this season will stand them in good stead for future campaigns.

Their main goal has to be to win the Premier League before even thinking about winning Europe's premier competition, despite all the hundreds of millions they have spent.

City have a distinct lack of Champions League experience as a team, but United can have no such excuses because, as a club, that competition has been their home for two decades.

They do have some younger players with little experience, but they still should have had far too much for Benfica and Basel.

They failed to beat either side, home or away, and that is a shocking return.

Basel took a 3-3 draw from Old Trafford

Away games are always tricky but Benfica and Basel should both have been swept aside at Old Trafford.

United and City's respective exits should act as a wake-up call to themselves and fellow English clubs: progression to the Champions League knockout stages cannot be taken for granted.

City are likely to get over their disappointment quickly, as they have so much to look forward to and look imperious in the Premier League.

For United though, Ferguson will have to work extremely hard to ensure the disappointment does not lead to a slump in form in the league.

Although you should never write United and Ferguson off, their season is on the brink of collapsing and the Scot is about to find out exactly what this team are made of.

Their second half to their season will be punctuated with Europa League games on Thursday nights and Premier League games on Sundays, a scenario which must be one of the most unattractive imaginable for a club used to showpiece finals and nothing but success.

Games against the likes of FC Metalist, PAOK Salonika and Legia Warsaw are hardly likely to set pulses racing at Old Trafford.

Michael Appleton steps into the fire at Portsmouth

Michael Appleton's dream first crack at management has quickly turned sour at Portsmouth

Michael Appleton can be forgiven for thinking football management is not worth it.

Just three weeks after taking his first full-time role as a boss at Portsmouth, he finds himself at the centre of a financial crisis which threatens to make his job almost impossible.

The company which owns the club - Convers Sports Initiatives - has gone into administration, a situation which may lead to Portsmouth facing a 10-point deduction in the Championship.

If Pompey were to take the 10-point hit, it would leave them rock bottom of the table, seven points adrift of safety.

They would then be facing the very real prospect of dropping into League One, something which must have been almost unimaginable when Harry Redknapp led them to FA Cup glory in 2008.

Since then, things have alarmingly unravalled - they almost went out of business after being relegated from the Premier League - and their latest crisis is just another blow for their long-suffering fans.

Redknapp must take some of the blame as he left behind a number of expensive failures on extravagant salaries.

It is the string of woeful owners who should take most of the blame for the plight of Portmouth, though.

Appleton, regarded as an "excellent" manager by Roy Hodgson, is now likely to have to fight fires at Fratton Park on a regular basis and face more battles off the pitch than he will on it.

Hodgson is impressed by Appleton, who worked under him at West Brom

He couldn't have picked a much more difficult job to start off his managerial career but this could be the making of him.

If Appleton holds things together and helps stave off the threat of relegation, his reputation will improve enormously.

He has a thankless task on his hands at Fratton Park but it could be a very rewarding one.

Portsmouth are looking for new investors - and probably new owners - and Appleton would then have to work under a board who did not appoint him.

It's certainly not the easiest job to start off your managerial career.

When Portsmouth went into administration in 2010, they were given an immediate points deduction but this time their case is not as cut and dry.

It is the company which is in immediate financial trouble, not the club.

That could spare them the points deduction but it may just be a short-term reprieve unless new investors come forward.

The club have stated they only have cash for the "short-term", and that statement must be worrying for Pompey fans.

Portsmouth fans have had to deal with poor owners for years

If nobody comes forward to help them, they will presumably be in financial peril again.

Their fans deserve much better, as do Appleton and the players.

Portsmouth supporters have had to suffer one ownership farce after another and are used to hearing their club described as being in a "crisis".

How are these owners passing the Fit and Proper Persons test?

Vladimir Antonov had a well-known chequered past yet still managed to get his hands on the club.

He has now been arrested for bank fraud and forgery. It really is a joke that people like this are being allowed to buy clubs.

Surely it wouldn't have taken much research to find out about Antonov's dodgy past.

Steve Cotterill, who recently left his role as Portsmouth boss to take over at Nottingham Forest, must be counting his blessings he is no longer at Fratton Park.

Cotterill must be relieved he left Portsmouth when he did

For Appleton though, the hard work now begins. How can he keep events on and off the pitch separate?

His task starts with a home game with Coventry on Saturday, a fixture which is a relegation six-pointer even if Pompey avoid the points deduction.

This is just yet another mess at Fratton Park and it is left to a manager just three weeks into his managerial career to keep things stable.

The FA have a lot to answer for, as do the Football League. How did Portsmouth find themselves in such dirty hands again?

Balram Chainrai - the owner before CSI - should not have sold the club to anybody with such a questionable past.

Pompey fans have already had to put up with disastrous regime after disastrous regime at boardroom level, with CSI being the club's fifth owners in three years.

Surely there must be someone out there who would want to turn their fortunes around and has the resources to do so?

Portsmouth is a great club with fantastic fans. There can't be many better projects to take on in English football.

Pompey fans are among the most passionate in the country

They have been incredibly unlucky with owners in recent years and they deserve to have much better fortune with their next change.

If Pompey keep going on this way, they could again face the prospect of going out of business. That is simply unacceptable.

It is time for a true football person to take a chance on Portsmouth.

The fans deserve it, the players deserve it and Appleton deserves it.

This is not what he signed up for and you have to feel sympathy for him.

He has to try and push the financial worries to the background and focus on improving performances on the pitch. This will be a true test of his ability and character.

Those who put him in this situation should hang their heads in shame.

Steve Kean's latest own-goal should be final straw for him at Blackburn

Steve Kean admitted he forfeited yesterday's Carling Cup tie at Cardiff

It is common for managers to treat the Carling Cup as a distraction and name weakened sides in the competition.

But it is simply unacceptable for them to forfeit matches, as Steve Kean has admitted his Blackburn side did against Cardiff City last night.

Rovers, currently bottom of the Premier League, do have a crucial run of league fixtures coming up, including games against relegation rivals Swansea, Sunderland, West Brom and Bolton, but Kean needs every win he can get.

Fans have turned on him massively over recent months and a serious tilt at winning the Carling Cup could have helped turn some dissenters around.

Kean even said in the lead-up to the Cardiff match he was going all out to win the Carling Cup, so has again been proven to be a liar who fans simply cannot trust.

The Scot, in effectively throwing the quarter-final tie, showed complete disrespect to all those Blackburn fans who spent their hard-earned money to travel to Wales.

They should all be given a refund as they travelled there with their manager stating the Carling Cup was being taken very seriously.

If Blackburn had a proper board in place, full of people who have been in football for some time and understand the game, Kean would have been gone long ago.

His position has been untenable for months and he will never turn those fans around now.

Kean has no credibility whatsoever, after lavish claims Rovers would soon be in the Champions League and stating there is no chance of them going down this season, and his constant positivity has now turned into a farce.

Blackburn fans have made their feelings towards Kean clear

You get the sense that even if they are thrashed at home to Swansea on Saturday Kean will still say his side were unlucky and there are no problems. He would probably try to bombard fans with irrelevant statistics to suggest everything in the garden is rosy.

How are players supposed to be motivated by that?

There are clear issues at Blackburn, and Kean doesn't seem to have the ability to address them.

He needs to slate his team when they need slating and treat the fans with more respect.

Kean has cheated those supporters by forfeiting the Cardiff match and with it the chance of cup glory.

When are Blackburn going to have a better chance of getting to a semi-final, and possibly a Wembley final?

The league has to be prioritised, with the financial rewards of staying in the Premier League more important than ever, but Kean has turned into an even bigger joke with his "forfeit" comments.

The next few league fixtures are crucial to Blackburn's chances of staying up this season, so Kean should be sacked now before he inflicts any more damage on the club.

With him in charge, the winnable run of games are likely to provide few points and leave Rovers in an even worse position. He should have been sacked in the summer, but this is Venky's last chance for redemption.

Venky's have turned Blackburn into a laughing stock

If they sack Kean now, Blackburn might have a chance of staying up.

They would need to convince an established manager to work for them then - which may be a thankless task - but that is their only hope of salvaging this campaign.

Kean's public statements are getting more ridiculous by the week - he even said earlier this season that points and league positions are "just one way of measuring progress" - and he needs to be put out of his misery now.

If he is to make it as a successful manager, he needs to start at the bottom and work his way up.

If Blackburn sack him, he may get a job in League One or League Two and the chance to build a reputation away from the high-pressure cauldron of the Premier League.

Kean has just been laughably "rewarded" for his work at Ewood Park with a new contract, but he must go now.

His latest insult to fans should be the final straw.

Gary Speed: RIP

Wales manager Gary Speed committed suicide yesterday at the age of 42

The sad, sad passing of Gary Speed yesterday put everything into perspective.

He was one of my football heroes as a kid.

My earliest memories of the game are of going to see Sir Bobby Robson's swashbuckling Newcastle side at St James' Park, a team Speed was an integral part of.

His late bursts into the box from midfield to score crucial headed goals were his trademark, while the way he carried himself on and off the pitch was the perfect example for any impressionable youngster.

Speed's death is an extraordinary blow for football; he was one of the game's good guys and the perfect professional.

However, this is not just a footballing tragedy. It's a human tragedy.

Speed leaves behind a wife and two children, whose distress at his suicide is unimaginable. Everybody's thoughts must be with them during this dreadful time.

It is rumoured Speed suffered with depression and if that is true it is a further indication the illness is still a taboo issue in football and one which must be addressed.

On Saturday, Stan Collymore was mocked on Twitter for explaining his battle with depression and "suicidal thoughts".

Most people simply don't understand depression.

Former England cricketer Marcus Trescothick had a high-profile battle with depression

No-one can truly understand it unless they have suffered from it. It is an illness, not a character flaw, as Marcus Trescothick's compelling autobiography explains.

But whether Speed suffered from depression or not, the game has lost one of its great men.

He was one of those unique individuals nobody seemed to have a bad word to say about. He just got on with his job and was seen as a "normal" guy.

That's what makes his death that much harder to take.

The news of his passing was a real bolt out of the blue. It was the most devastating of news and one which will hit the football community hard.

Speed was doing a magnificent job as Wales manager and seemed to have a long and successful managerial career in front of him.

The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale were flourishing under him and he seemed destined to manage at the top.

There was no public indication of what was to come from Speed, something perhaps typical of the man.

He never seemed to moan or complain. He just got on with it. Perhaps that cost him in the end.

He appeared the day before his death on the BBC's Football Focus, and seemed to be himself: a warm, intelligent man with a bright future ahead of him.

Speed on his final public appearance, on BBC's Football Focus, on Saturday

It just goes to show you can never be sure of what is going through a person's mind and the battles they are facing.

Speed would have been a great manager, but he was a fantastic player.

He served all his clubs with great distinction and just seemed to go on forever, while he was certainly one of the best players of the Premier League era.

Speed is loved at Newcastle for his spell under Sir Bobby Robson

Speed broke all manner of appearance records and rarely missed games through injury, while he was one of the few players opposition fans would not have a go at.

He was the sort of player - and person - you were proud was representing your club.

Inevitably, he never gave anything less than 100% on the pitch and was a role model to any aspiring youngster.

The whole of football was left dumbfounded by his death.

Shay Given, Speed's teammate at Newcastle, wept before Aston Villa's game at Swansea while Craig Bellamy, another former Magpies colleague, withdrew from Liverpool's clash with Manchester City after hearing of the passing of his mentor and friend.

Given was visibly moved by his friend's death

Everyone was affected by his death, even those who didn't know him.

I didn't know him personally, but was left deeply saddened by the news. A tragedy like this puts the game of football into perspective.

I struggled to concentrate on anything else yesterday as I just couldn't get to grips with the fact he was dead. The fact he hanged himself makes it even more difficult to bear.

Depression is a destructive illness. It doesn't matter how much money you earn or how good your job is - it can hit anybody.

Football should learn its lessons from Speed's death. Depression - regardless of whether it was that which tipped him over the edge - needs to be addressed and players who suffer from it need to be supported through the tough times.

Having such a high-profile job is fantastic to most but extremely difficult for others and for every big-mouthed egotistical player out there, there will be a Gary Speed, suffering in silence.

One of the game's true good guys has gone. Dead at 42, no age at all.

A great player and potentially even greater manager has been taken from us, but much more tragically, from his wife and kids.

Rest in peace Gary Speed. Gone but not forgotten.