The New Year has not been happy for a number of sporting stars and teams around the world, but some have rung in 2014 with some glorious success.
Alastair Cook
Another man in the spotlight after a string of terrible performances is the England skipper - who may not be entirely to blame on the field but who inevitably faces the music when his team puts in such a truly awful display in such a big series.
It was not the defeat in the Ashes,
not even the 5-0 scoreline, but the complete lack of any competitiveness throughout the series - England hardly won a session - and the skipper has to take some responsibility for that - it will not be a pleasant trip back for Cook.
Sam Allardyce
Big Sam is also under the microscope after the Hammers w
ere hammered 5-0 in the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest. West Ham are struggling near the bottom of the Premier League table and the former Bolton boss is favourite to be the next manager to be fired.
Allardyce insists he will turn things around, but just when things couldn't get any worse he was given the dreaded backing by owners David Sullivan and David Gold - usually a sure sign that the end is near!
Andy Dalton
He's fast becoming the new Tony Romo in the NFL, with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton yet again playing well below par as t
hey lost out to San Diego Chargers in the first round of the play-offs.
Not just the defeats, but the manner of Dalton's woeful performances have cost a talented team a big play-off run, and the team will hard to take a long hard look at their quarterback and decide if keeping him could cost them even more.
