Top-Heavy Economics: Clegg's Cat's-Cradle

The last few months can't have been easy for Nick Clegg and his 'put-it-right' Liberal Party. After entering a coalition with the Conservatives many commentators and passing observers have eagerly pointed out who is 'wearing the trousers' in their seemingly uneasy relationship. While the press sharpen their knives for the slightest hint of division, it's hardly surprising that the Liberal party conference has highlighted a number of troublesome issues.

It's fair to say that both sides have baulked on political ideals for the sake of the coalition and the Liberals' decision to make immediate spending cuts have not evoked a positive reaction in the commons and further afield. While the Deputy Prime Minister talks of a positively Soviet 5-Year Plan for economic recovery, he has back-tracked on his election rhetoric which included not making cutbacks as a knee-jerk reaction to the recent economic crisis.

Cutting through the spin in his recent interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson, Mr Clegg spoke of ensuring that the timing of the defecit reduction be governed by economics. All well and good nailing your colours to that particular mast in times of manageable recession. Lord Turner today added further fuel to this raging bonfire by claiming that bank bonuses alone were not responsible for the banking crisis and that ill-designed policy had done more harm than individual greed. Is there not something strange about this announcement? It sounds like Lord Turner has told the stable hand to shut the gate after the horse has bolted. Then to add insult to injury, to suggest that the UK 'move on' from demonising overpaid traders is quite frankly an insult.

Earlier this week it was announced that thousands of high-ranking government officials and senior civil servants earning over £100,000 a year, with over 1,000 earning twice as much. Is it any wonder that this country is in such financial ruin. Surely there must be a way to curb these ridiculous salaries and bonuses. Otherwise what will have changed? The fat cats still pocket their millions while the coalition becomes the new scapegoat. Yes Mr Clegg, inject funding where it is so desperately needed but taxing the public just to give it back to them is not the way to go.

As public sector borrowing hits a record high, let's hope for the sake of economic parity that Mr Clegg can deliver on his promises of stability. Otherwise certain quarters will be calling Gerry Anderson to make the deputy PM the 6th Tracy brother...

The Return of the Sleeping Giant

Newcastle United's start to the new season has highlighted a seemingly forgotten about jewel in the crown of English football.

The status of the iconic 'number 9' shirt has fallen by the wayside over the last decade or so with the introduction of squad numbers. Perhaps more importantly, the gradual extinction of the type of player that wore the number nine has also contributed to the erosion of its status. People of a certain age will remember the fictional "Roy of the Rovers" that charted the adventures of Melchester Rovers and their talismanic centre forward Roy Race, a perfect exponent of what the 'number 9' was all about. A big, no-nonsense striker who combined height, strength and skill to score and create goals. More recently, Alan Smith (of Arsenal), Les Ferdinand, Ian Rush and Andy Gray have been strikers who had success in the role of the 'number nine'.

The folklore of the 'number 9' is perhaps most fondly remembered on Tyneside with a host of famous players wearing the iconic shirt. Jackie Milburn, Malcolm MacDonald and Alan Shearer are Toon legends, all with proud goalscoring records.

Andy Carroll was handed the number nine shirt at the start of the season and has re-kindled my love affair with this neglected protocol of traditional English football. Four goals as Newcastle's brand new centre forward have rubber stamped him as a potential England striker of the future. Far from being the finished article, Carroll appears to possess the necessary attributes to be a traditional centre forward: his height enables him to win the ball in the air and act as a targetman. He's proved himself to be adept at scoring with both feet and has the strength to hold up the ball and bring others in to play as well as causing havoc in an opposition's back line.

A new, sleeker and more powerful breed of 'number nine' is emerging, exemplified by the effervescent Didier Drogba. Not since Alan Shearer has the English game had an iconic target man. The likes of Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey have never managed to carve themselves a niche as a classic centre forward but could Carroll step into the shoes of his hero and add his name to the long list of England number nines?

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