Embarrassing, Shameful, Cheat

 

Liverpool supporters are probably sick to death of the Liverpool bashing in the media over the last few weeks, but the fact is they are giving the press so much material, and can expect little else. Their form has been terrible, and apart from one match, against United, they have looked more like relegation candidates then league challengers. What that suggests is that they seem to get their spirit up for the derby and are unable to do the same for all other games, domestic or in Europe. That’s a sad indication of the control Rafa has over his misfiring team.

 

Last night they were lucky to get away with a point against Birmingham. That they did escape with a draw, and not their 6^th league defeat of the season, owed everything to do with the bane of football – diving. When Americans think of soccer, they don’t think of the game we all know and love, they think of men falling and writhing around with exaggerated pain. They call it a sissy’s game, forgetting for convenience that their “football” is played with more pads and protection that an over cautious, paranoid, parents baby proofing house. However the fact is that diving, and theatrics, have become an embarrassment and shame of the sport, and not a way to showcase the game.

 

Diving is more prevalent in Spain and Italy than it is in England, but that isn’t saying much. It hasn’t so much as creeped into English football but rather immersed itself in what many see as the strongest league in the world. Make no mistake, these players aren’t being clever, but are cheating. They are conning the ref’s and are shamming and embarrassing their team, their club, their fans and the sport.

 

David Ngog’s goal last night was a brilliant and lethal finish. He hit that ball as sweet as he could ever hope. But his biggest contribution to his team would be by cheating and winning his team a penalty in the second half. He should be ashamed of himself but will probably be congratulated by his team mates for gaining them a point. Rafa even admitted afterwards that Ngog said he didn’t think it was a penalty. While Rafa did admit so much, and that is more than most managers would do, the game needs managers and team mates to come out against such behaviour and not defend it when it benefits them, and speak out when it goes against them. You can’t have it both ways.

 

Lets name and shame divers – even if they play for your team. The best players are as guilt as the less talented players in the league. When Christiano Ronaldo first game to England he was guilty of diving a lot. It was a trait he brought with him from Portugal, as was very evident when Porto played English teams in the Champions League. While Ronaldo curbed his diving as his career progressed, perhaps with prompting from his team mates and manager, his early years of falling to the ground hurt him later as defenders got away with kicking lumps out of him and ref’s letting his early reputation cloud their decisions. Before Ronaldo left for Spain he was denied many legitimate penalties with refs falsely accusing him of diving. The ground work was laid in his teens, much to his disadvantage. Another United player, and again a Portuguese player, Nani, is another who needs to stay on his feet more. Nani doesn’t actually dive in the sense that Ngog did, he tends to go to ground at the slightest bit of contact, rolling around, clutching himself, as if he’s been shot. If Nani stayed on his feet his United career would probably be more advanced then it is. Contact that actually takes him to ground will get him free kicks, going to ground to easily, and the theatrics that follow, will only harm his development and gain him an unwanted reputation.

 

Like Nani, Arsenals Robin van Persie is not actually a diver, per say. When contact is made he makes the most of it, ensuring that he gets a free kick or penalty. He’s more of an embellisher than a cheat. He gets fouled and then theatrically goes to ground, making sure the ref and everyone else knows that he has been fouled. While not as shameful as Ngog’s theatrics, it is again something that should be cut down. While not actually cheating a player of his skill and class has more to offer young fans then this.

 

Another player who’s skill and talent are supplemented by bouts of cheating is Chelsea’s Drogba. Drogba is perhaps one of the strongest players in the league, but like Nani he just needs a feather touch to go down as if he’s been shot. He then rolls around, complaining, limps when he gets up, and miraculously fully recovers once the defender has been given a card, and steps up to take the free kick. Drogba also doesn’t need a touch to go down. He’s happy to dive when he can. There’s no doubt that on form he is up there with the best in the world, but this part of his game is one that he can do without.

 

Ngog is in good company at Liverpool and is following the example of his captain Steven Gerrard. Liverpool fans have been very quick to chastise Ronaldo, Drogba, van Persie and co for diving, but because of the god worshipping they bestow on Gerrard they are blind to see that he is probably the worst offender in the league. Gerrard doesn’t even need the player to be close to him to put in an Olympic style dive. His reputation is well known outside of Liverpool and it is the reason why non Liverpool fans don’t speak highly of a player who on his day can be the best in the world. As captain of Liverpool Gerrard should be setting a better example, but his diving has become part of his game.

 

There should not be a place for diving in soccer. With most top flight games on TV and subject to scrutiny from all angles, diver will be caught out, as Ngog was last night. Ngog has not lived up to the hype that Benitez has placed on his young player, but he has now found a label that all other players and ref’s will be aware of – cheat. The shame and embarrassment must be cast out of the game. Divers must be called out – don’t let your love for a player cloud that.

 

pic from teamtalk.com

When Passion and Will Beat Skill

 

Obviously Liverpool fans will disagree with me, they wouldn’t be fans if they didn’t, but the Liverpool first 11 is no where near as good as the Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal first 11’s. They’d compete with the City and Spurs 11 though. And that’s why Liverpool won’t win the league this season – they aren’t good enough.

 

However on any given day, on once off occasions, derby games, cup ties and backs to the wall stuff, good enough doesn’t always win – the team that wants it most does, the team with more passion and will on the day wins. That’s what happened this past Sunday.

 

Liverpool, having gone on a 4 game losing streak, were looking at there worst run in over 50 years if they had lost to United. Rafa may have got his tactics and team selections wrong on a number of occasions so far this season, but the team he put out on Sunday was the right one. They not only wanted a win more, they needed one. The chances are that, media speculation aside, Rafa would not have lost his job had Liverpool lost again, however with the turmoil that is the Liverpool board room, you couldn’t count that out. The players played for their manager that day, but more so they played for their club and its fans.

 

The much maligned Lucas is a great example of this. The Brazilian midfielder gets more stick and criticism from his own fans then he does elsewhere. Many can’t fathom why Rafa keeps picking him. His general displays suggest he isn’t good enough to play for Liverpool, but then again you don’t win a Brazilian player of the year award without knowing how to play. He’s constant fouling saw him lucky to escape unpunished by a referee who let the occasion get the better of him, but his break up play, passing, positioning and bossing of the midfield shone through. He stood out against more talented players like Scholes and Carrick, and Mascherano beside him. With summer signing Alberto Aquilani nearing fitness Lucas playing time may be limited in the coming months, but on this day he stood above others.

 

Like Lucas, Jamie Carragher has come in for criticism this season. His form has been shaky and not up to his usual standards, but when his team needed him the most, he delivered. Like Lucas he got away with a few key fouls that could have changed things, but again, like Lucas, there was no denying the passion, will and want to win in Carragher.

 

United simply were beaten by a team that wanted it more on the day. That’s not saying United didn’t want the win, of course they did, but with Liverpool having their backs to the wall and being written off by all, one team just played with more will.

 

In Gerrard and Torres Liverpool have two world class players, who on their day can be the best in the world, but they don’t have the players to compete with United, Chelsea and Arsenal for the title. But sometimes, on certain days, that doesn’t matter. Sunday was one of those days. Passion and will, commitment and want, sometimes overcome skill.

 

pic from teamtalk.com

Has Rafa Lost the Dressing Room?

No team has lost 3 of their first 8 games and gone on to win the Premier League. The first decade of the Premier League was a shoot out between Man United and Arsenal (with Blackburn winning one) and the last decade has seen Chelsea buy themselves into the equation. Since Chelsea’s money made an entrance the league has become harder and harder to win, with each dropped point hurting more than before. Last season Liverpool lost only 2 league games and still didn’t win the league. Rafa still thinks Liverpool can win the title. His players performance suggest otherwise.

Cracks began to show in Rafa’s goateed armour last season during his clown like performance in the infamous “facts” rant against Sir Alex. He clearly lost that battle and with it the league title, despite his team twice beating United. He enjoys a somewhat tenuous relationship with the club’s owners, always wanting more money and seemingly not believing he’s spent quite as much as he actually has during his time in England. Torres, Mascharano, Babel and co were not cheap. He sold the glue to his midfield, Xabi Alonso, to Real Madrid, with the Spanish midfielder suggesting afterwards that he’d been badly treated and let down by his Liverpool manager.

Benitez informed all before this season that this was Liverpool’s time to win the league, something they have failed to do since 1990, in the days of the old First Division. Man United matching Liverpool’s record 18 league titles last season would be another reason the fans demand a title win now. Yet his talk has not been matched with performances on the field. They’ve lost 3 times, against Spurs, Villa, and Chelsea. Spurs have started well but have been shown up against title challengers Chelsea and United, with United managing to brush them aside with 10 men. In the Champions League just before the Chelsea lost Liverpool were torn apart by Fiorentina in Italy. They hardly had a kick. Rafa was said to have torn into his under performing players to an extent that surprised many in the dressing room. More cracks.

Evidence of his teams’ performance against Chelsea suggests that his players didn’t listen, or chose not to. Liverpool is a two man team. Gerrard was sloppy and out performed by Lampard and Essien in the middle of the pitch, and Torres was ineffectual, getting no supply and unable to get on the end of any scraps. Liverpool lost more than Chelsea won. They were punished by the strength of Drogba in both goals, first by Anelka and then Malouda, and allowed Chelsea to take control without ever needing to change gear. Gerrard’s lacklustre performance must be most alarming for Liverpool fans.

Benitez has shown a stubborn side in continuing to defend the under performing Lucas, who has become somewhat of a scape goat for Liverpool fans, while at the same time not showing the same support for Babel, who he may be forcing out of Liverpool. As we saw with the selling of Alonso Rafa has his untouchable players and those he doesn’t trust as much.

The truth for Liverpool fans is that they are still living on the memory of Benitez winning the Champions League in his first season. Most will point to that in defence of their manager and ignore the instability he has edged along in the board room and out on the pitch. Yet immediately after that win against Milan Steven Gerrard, Mr Liverpool, put in a transfer request. Fan power convinced him to stay, but did he know then what others are suggesting now?

pic from teamtalk.com

Owen – A Risk Worth Taking

Picture from teamtalk.com

On Wednesday it looked like there was a chance that Michael Owen could be playing for Everton or Aston Villa, but more likely Stoke or Hull. The Newcastle player had just become a free transfer target having let his contract run down and was looking at his limited options. Four years of injury problems at Newcastle had made the once prolific Liverpool, Real Madrid and England striker a player who’s career seemed to winding down with the only real hopes of a mid table or relegation threatened team willing to take a chance on him. And then Sir Alex called.

48 hours later Owen was signing for the Champions, he was a Manchester United player. With Ronaldo and Tevez gone United were looking to reinforce their attacking lines with a goal scorer. The 80 million pounds brought in from the Ronaldo sale meant United have money to burn most of the games big name strikers were mentioned. United seemed on the verge of signing Karim Benzema before it was announced that he too would be heading to Madrid. David Villa seems set on staying in Spain, and the likes of Huntelaar, Fabiano, Kun Aguero and Ibrahimovic have all been linked at one time or other. There is still two months of the transfer window left and United may still bring in a big name expensive signing, but on Friday evening Michael Owen became a free transfer signing for Manchester United.

Many see this as a risk by Sir Alex, with none of the other top teams seeing Owen as a viable option. Liverpool fans have come out violently aggressive and bitter about their once goal scoring legend signing for United. Opinions are split on the signing but one thing is certain, Michael Owen on a free is a risk worth taking, and a great bit of business by United.

If Owens fitness continues to be a problem the consolation for United will be that he was free. But the forward believes his injury problems are behind him and was put through the most stringent medical in the clubs history before signing for far less then he was on at Newcastle. The gamble is one worth taking. The desire is still there from Owen and is clearly evident in his taking a huge pack cut to play for a team that gives him his best chance at honours and at getting back into the England fold. In a world cup year Owen will be best placed to show Capello that he is not finished, and in playing with Rooney, will give the England selectors something to think about. He has a lot to prove, not to the Liverpool fans vilifying him, but to himself and Capello, and has faith to repay in Sir Alex.

United have not played with an out and out goal scorer since Ruud van Nistelrooy left for Real, and Owen will give them that option. Whether coming off the bench or starting, Owen will bring something new to the United attack and the increased options and threat can only be a good thing. A fit Michael Owen, with the desire and burn to restore his name and reputation could be the stroke of genius United need to follow the departure of Ronaldo. Time will tell, but I think this could be a great signing by Manchester United – for them and for Michael Owen.

The Sunday Papers

NEWS OF THE WORLD

Cristiano Ronaldo has pledged: “I am staying at Manchester United.”

Manchester City have stepped up their chase for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

Xabi Alonso has rocked Liverpool by admitting he wants to quit Anfield.

Goodison legend Peter Reid is trying to buy his beloved Everton.

Chelsea are planning for life without Didier Drogba by moving for Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero.

Manchester City are desperate to push through a new deal for Stephen Ireland while Nedum Onuoha is set to sign a three-year contract.

Chelsea’s £25million move for Zenit St Petersburg’s Portugal midfielder Danny has been dealt a serious injury blow.

Newcastle are desperate to keep young goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Wigan want to sign Alan Smith from Newcastle.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has lined up a move for FC Twente’s Austria striker Marko Arnautovic.

Everton face stiff competition for Inter Milan striker David Suazo with Manchester City and Villarreal also interested.

THE PEOPLE

Angry Patrice Evra has accused Cesc Fabregas and Arsenal of trying to kick him out of the Champions League final.

Sunderland are set to have a £200million transfer budget thanks to new owner Ellis Short.

Gareth Southgate will be asked to oversee a fire sale of players if Middlesbrough are relegated.

Bayern Munich want Portsmouth’s England right-back Glen Johnson.

Manchester City are ready to offer Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry £19million in wages to tempt him to Eastlands.

Arsenal are ready to launch a club-record move for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz.

Aston Villa are set to make another move for David Bentley of Tottenham.

Stephen Hunt and Andre Bikey are on their way out of Reading. Hunt is a target for Everton while Wigan want Bikey.

Everton are closing in on a £12million deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Moutinho.

Manchester United want Charlton’s England youth defender Carl Jenkinson.

Middlesbrough want Leeds winger Robert Snodgrass.

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson is ready to sign Hibernian’s Polish goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski.

Lucas Neill and West Ham are set to agree a new deal.

Kettering boss Mark Cooper is favourite to take over at Chesterfield.

Salomon Kalou has hinted he may leave Chelsea.

Preston boss Alan Irvine is on Reading’s short-list for their vacant managerial position.

DAILY STAR SUNDAY

Djibril Cisse is closing down his classy Newcastle clothes shop The Pr9ject – sparking fears that the Sunderland striker will be leaving in the summer.

Manchester City are set to join the race to land Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry.

Tottenham will switch their attention to Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta – if they fail to land Kenwyne Jones from Sunderland.

Derby are launching a £500,000 bid for Blackpool defender Shaun Barker.

Southampton winger Nathan Dyer is wanted by Ajax.

French club Marseille have joined Wigan in showing an interest in Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora.

Oldham want Bradford skipper Graeme Lee on a free.

Coventry are chasing Leicester outcast DJ Campbell.

Derby manager Nigel Clough is ready to get rid of £3million flop Claude Davis to Crystal Palace – for nothing.

SUNDAY MIRROR

David Beckham is set to join Chelsea as part of Carlo Ancelotti’s blueprint for the club.

Kanu is anxiously awaiting a decision from Portsmouth as to whether he is to be offered a new deal.

Micah Richards has been assured he has a future at Manchester City.

Aston Villa are preparing a £9million offer for Almeria’s 27-year-old left-back Mane.

Ipswich and Sunderland want Bristol City midfielder Marvin Elliott.

Fulham have turned down the chance to sign Derby’s Giles Barnes on a permanent deal.

MAIL ON SUNDAY

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at Manchester United but Carlos Tevez looks set to leave.

SUNDAY EXPRESS

Texan millionaire Ellis Short will complete his buy-out of Sunderland this week.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson is gathering pace.

Early Start My Favour Liverpool

The Premier League season has barely begun and already we have two massive weekends, with Manchester United v Liverpool tomorrow and Manchester United v Chelsea next weekend. The fixture list has not been kind to the champions.

United have had a stop start beginning to their season and have already played a game less then their chief rivals, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. They played in the European Super Cup a couple of weeks ago meaning that their weekend fixture was postponed. Then came the international week just past meaning that United haven’t played a league game since the second weekend of the season. So they may just be coming into this heavy week, with a Champions League game against Villarreal in between, a bit colder than they would have liked.

Until this season, when the rules were changed, the Italian Serie A seeded teams according to where they finished in the season just past, when compiling the fixture list. This was designed to ensure that the top teams would not meet each other early in the season. Effectively hoping that when they did meet they would be a top form and condition and the match would be “fairer.”  They have since done away with that, making the fixture list as random as it is supposed to be.

United go into this match with a great recent record against Liverpool. But it has been a while since they have met them this early in the season and they would no doubt, if given the choice, elect to play them when their season is well and truly up and running. With the league so close these days teams don’t want to fall behind early, and the losers of this match will already be playing catch up.

The stop start season thus far has given the likes of Carrick and Giggs time to recover from injury, both went off in the opening fixture against Newcastle, and Berbatov some extra training with his new team mates. Nani, who has been suspended for the opening games , is one to have benefited from the internationals, as they would have given him competitive games that he has so far missed.

For Liverpool, both Torres and Gerrard, their best players by far, have been out injured for the last few weeks and both missed their countries games. While they were declared unfit to take part in the internationals, don’t be surprised if they were to suddenly find themselves well enough to play tomorrow. England and Spain may be annoyed if that were to happen, but Liverpool won’t be. Miraculous recoveries like that are common place in football.

Being played this early in the season means that from a footballing point tomorrows game should not be as good as it would be if they had played later. However this is United v Liverpool, and the rivalry and bad blood between the two means that it will be as hard fought as ever and neither team will want to give an inch.

The early fixture may favour Liverpool more than United, but United will be looking to extend their good run against their northern rivals, and tomorrows game should be a close, if ill tempered, affair.

(Pic from teamtalk.com)

Thanks For Spain and Holland

With Euro 2008 about to reach its knock out stage, the business end of the tournament, the most pleasing aspect of the two weeks of matches thus far has been the progress of Holland and Spain. Their performance has been a triumph for football, as much as Euro 2006 was a dark period in recent international competitions.

While the title can never be taken away from Greece, they won it ahead of much better teams and should rightly be pleased with that moment of history, it was still a blight of a tournament that bored rather than entertained. At that stage, at the end of a long season, the Greeks managed to bore the world better than the rest of the field. Blame it on whatever you like, tired legs, the fact that the Greeks were mile fresher then any other team, luck, good for the Greeks, bad for everyone else, history will still tell you that in 2006 Greece won the European Championships. And that’s all it will say. There will be no side not about the way they played, or rather the way they didn’t. So it has always been. This would have been the excuse needed by all in sundry to put out the same stall as the Greeks, and make sure that results are all that matter. 2006 was a tournament that saw teams put out predominately 4-5-1 formations and look to wear the opponents down, get a goal, put everyone behind the ball, and hold out for the win, creating little and using very little imagination or artistry. The Greeks weren’t the only ones to do this, they just managed to do it well at this time. This was the way football was headed, with results become of far more importance than entertainment. Today in England Arsenal and Manchester United are commended for their attacking, flowing, entertaining play. Yet only United have married this with winning. Arsenal must be given credit for continuing with this philosophy despite the lack of trophies. They will continue with it for as long as Wenger is in charge and so lets hope that that is for a long time to come. They could easily adopt the style, or lack of it, of Chelsea and Liverpool, the other two forces of the “Big Four” in England. Liverpool play with one up front, pack the midfield, and launch balls up to the terrific pace of Torres. Chelsea say they play a 4-3-3 and on paper it is exactly that. But on the field, where it matters, they play a 4-5-1. They have been successful with it and so have persisted with it. Abramovich wants fantasy football, like United, Arsenal and Barcelona play, but both Mourinho and Grant brought dull but effective football to the Bridge, winning was more important than putting on a show. Abramovich will be hoping Scolari shares his vision but must be aware that there is a lot of pressure on a manager who spends 100 million a season, pressure to make sure he wins, and this will become more important than how he wins. Will he be happy with a season where his team play the best football in the world, as Arsenal have at times, yet finish with nothing? I doubt that.

And so we come back to Euro 08. Spain and Holland have played football the way it should be played and, with Spain to complete their group matches tonight, have both topped their groups and thus far have both got 100% records. Holland have counter attacked with a true 4-3-3 formation, not Chelsea’s false one, with pace and drive down the flanks, and Ruud in the middle. Spain have done what so many in international and club football have forgotten to do – play with two up front. With Villa and Torres up front you always know that if you create chances they will be put away – and so they have been.

International football was headed into the dark ages but has been rescued by Holland and Spain this year. It would only be right if one of these two teams were to take home the trophy in 10 days time and show the world you don’t have to be dull to win. Football is about passion and entertainment. Let them entertain.

Should Gerrard Stay or Go?

There comes a moment in every season, usually around December/January, where Liverpool realize that they are out of the championship race and that the best that they can hope for is 4th place, and the Champions League place that comes with it. It’s then that they begin to talk of next season, about how they will regroup, and come back next season with a sustained championship challenge, that next season will be the season they have been waiting for 18 years. And come December/January of that season it is Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea fighting it out at the top with Liverpool again lagging behind and trying to hang on to 4th place. Steven Gerrard, Liverpools captain and driving force, knows this talk is not good enough and that things must improve.

When Liverpool reached last seasons Champions League final, only to lose to AC Milan, the fans expected the team to carry that performance through to the new season, to finally give them hope of adding to their record 18 league titles. They have been waiting 18 years to make it 19, and will have to wait a while longer. Just as 3 years earlier, in Rafa Benitez first season in charge, when Liverpool won the Champions League, great things were expected the next season, and yet again all that was felt was disappointment. Last season the talk was that Liverpool just needed to add a top class striker and a winger to their squad and they would be up there with the big three. Fernando Torres arrived from Athletico Madrid and Ryan Babel from Ajax. Surely the jigsaw was complete? Yet again they have been left in mediocrity. While Torres has been a revelation, especially in his first season outside Spain, and is surely in contention for player of the year, Liverpool are even further behind the top 3. Torres goals have been flying in, when he has played, and only the incredible Christiano Ronaldo and dynamic Adebeyor have scored more in the league this season. While the team continues to struggle with Benitez clearly ineffectual rotation policy, it is captain Steven Gerrard who has the most to lose.

Gerrard has been Liverpools best player for a decade now. The life and blood of the team, who has almost single handedly driven them forward in the Champions League and carried them in the league. Liverpool have been as close to a one man team as is possible during the last few years. Without Gerrard it wouldn’t be a far stretch to suggest that they would be a lower half team. Add Torres to the mix and they have effectively become a two man team. If they lose any of these two players they’ll have a real struggle competing for 4th place never mind any talk of actually being championship challengers.

When Gerrard hangs up his boots, and no doubt he will go down as one of Liverpool’s best ever players, he will come up way short in terms of medals. He needs a league championship medal as much for himself as for Liverpool, and as much as he would love to give the Liverpool fans the title they crave, he may have to move on to fulfill the successes he himself needs. As much as Liverpool runs through his blood, any fans who think he will stay no matter what are living in hope more that realism. That glass was shattered when he handed in a transfer request after Liverpool champions League success three years ago. He should with that move, regardless of him deciding to stay, that his ambition will trump his heart. And the longer Liverpool fail to make a sustained challenge for the title, the more frustrated Gerrard will become and the more likely he will look to throw his lot in with one of the worlds biggest teams, more likely Madrid, Barcelona, Milan or Inter, then Chelsea or United, but I wouldn’t rule out that option either. Ambition is a hungry monster.

As much as Gerrards heart tells him that next year will be different, next year Liverpool will last the pace, they’ll buy well in the summer, and come back stronger and with endurance, the truth is far less likely. Each season Liverpool are able to improve their squad, but the so are the top three, and each season the gap in class between the top three and the rest gets bigger and not smaller. United added Hargreaves, Tevez, Anderson and Nani to their squad, Chelsea can buy whenever they feel like it, and Arsenal’s young players keep improving each passing season. Torres apart, and maybe Babel in the future, Liverpools acquisitions have been far less impressive.  This is made all the more apparent when you look at the number of players Benitez has actually bought each season. For every Torres and Babel there are three or four unknown players who are never heard of, fail to make it, and are shipped off a season or so later. He may try to be a Wenger in terms of unearthing undiscovered gold, but his record shows he has a long way to go. If he continues with his rotation policy he wont be improving that record at Anfield in the near future.

Steven Gerrard will have to leave Liverpool if he has any aspirations of going down as one of the greats in the modern game. To do this he has to win titles, and that is something that he may never achieve at Anfield in the prime years of his career. All the worlds big teams will be watching closely, putting feelers out, and hoping. They would all love to have a Steven Gerrard in their engine rooms, and he may come calling sooner rather than later.

No Christmas Cheer for Liverpool and Chelsea

 

While many of the top European teams will be heading for a winter break after this weekends round of matches, those in England will be heading into their busiest period of the season. This weekends games will be followed by the boxing day, next weekends and New Years fixtures. Squads will be tested and it is this period that will see the league table really begin to take shape. Come January and we can expect the league to truly become a two horse race, with Arsenal and Manchester United fighting for the title in May.

United’s slow start to the season, where they failed to win any of their first 3 matches, is well and truly behind them. They now trail Arsenal by only a single point, have safely progressed through a difficult Champions League group, with 5 wins and a draw, and have beaten both Chelsea and Liverpool, as well as drawing with Arsenal, who needed a late goal to rescue a point. With Ronaldo still the driving force of last season, the Tevez and Rooney partnership getting better each week, Giggs still leading from the front, and new boys Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves settling in nicely, United are looking very strong this season, and have a squad that can cope with injury and loss and form, and that should see them in a strong position come May, this season could be very fruitful for the Red Devils.

Arsenals young stars have caught everyone by surprise, by coping with the loss of Thierry Henry by blazing out in front, playing an attractive style of football that has managed to marry entertainment with results, something they failed to do last season, even with Henry. Cesc Fabregas has become the new leader of this young team, a role that he could fulfill for many years to come, and a role that could end with him being Arsenals greatest ever player. What Arsenal do lack however is experience, particularly in depth. So it could be a year or two too soon for them to maintain a sustained title challenge, particularly when they are still involved in Europe. However they have maintained their form for the first half of the season, and they will feel there is no reason why they wont be able to replicate this run in the crunch part of the year. So long as the poison that is Jens Lehmann does not harm team spirit within the camp, Arsenal could be giving their brand of football the perfect acknowledgment this May – a Premier League trophy.

Chelsea have had a rocky season thus far, and that could lead to the type of inconstancy that will end up with them being satisfied with a Champions League place and not a title challenge. What they will fear is that this season is the beginning of the end for their brief period of dominance and not the transition that they hope it is. The arrogance and cockiness of Jose Mourinho’s period in charge is being diluted by a identity crisis within the camp. The team is stuck between the steely resolve of Mourinho’s team, and wanting to be Arsenal, owner Abromovich’s wish. Convincing wins over high flying Manchester City and struggling teams have been nullified by loses and poor performances against title challengers and rivals Manchester United and Arsenal. When Terry doesn’t play, and that’s becoming more and more frequent this season, Chelsea look vulnerable at the back and lack in leadership. Lampard has not been the player of seasons past, and fleeting performances not withstanding, is not going turn draws in wins and loses into draws, feats he used perform when Chelsea were going well. The Chelsea dream may be bursting this season.

Liverpool have been Liverpool once again this season. Changes in personal have not helped them find the consistency that is needed to sustain a long championship challenge. This has been in no small part due to the too frequent rotation policy of manager Benitez. They brought in Fernando Torres for big money from Spain and in the first few weeks he showed that he was every bit as good as his Spanish reputation. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal must have been kicking themselves for allowing a player of that quality to go to Liverpool. Yet instead of playing him every week Liverpool have rotated him as they would other squad players. A big mistake that may cost Benitez his job. Liverpool, for all their talk and self hype are still no closer to ending their 18 season wait for another league title.

The busy period in English football will end up with the league table showing no real positional changes at the top, Arsenal and United will still be top, something that wont change for the rest of the season. The title race is well and truly a two horse race.

End May Be Near for Rafa

 

The fate of Liverpools season rests on their next two games, and tightly linked to this is the job of manager Rafa Benitez. Liverpool need a win tonight against Marseilles in France to progress to the knockout stage of the Champions League, and a result on Sunday, when they host Manchester United, to stay on the tails of Arsenal, United and Chelsea.

The idea that their season could be all but over before Christmas, if results go against them this week, is one that Liverpool should be well used to, in the league anyway, but is not what Liverpool feel they deserve. However if they are to step up to be actual challengers to Arsenal, United and Chelsea, something that only those who follow Liverpool already think they are, they need to improve on pitch performances. So far they have talked the talk but failed to walk the walk.

The nature of the English Premier League means that on any given day any team can beat any team. This is born out when you look at the games lost by the top teams in recent weeks, United lost to a Bolton side in bottom 3, Arsenal to a Middlesbrough team faring little bitter, and Liverpool to Reading. However the nature of the losses is something to take notice of. United and Arsenal both at off days against teams that were prepared and drilled for the battle. Both United and Arsenal were beaten on the day but kept trying to rescue themselves until the final whistle had blown. Liverpool did not show this fight. They had all but given up by the 70^th minute, when their three best players, Gerrard, Torres and Caragher, where all taken off. 3-1 down with 20 minutes to play and they had thrown in the towel. Hardly what is expected of a title challenger.

With Rafa taking his feud with the Liverpool owners into the public he will have very little board room support should Liverpool lose either match, and could find himself out of a job if they fail in both games. He has had time and money and has failed to take Liverpool anywhere near a league title. This season will be their 17^th in a row without winning the league. Rafa may not be around to see them in their 18^th.