Million miles per hour

It was a fabulous weekend of football for one and all in the English Premier League. Most of the matches if not all, provided glorious entertainment and drama. Right from the Stoke-Wigan game to the Liverpool-Arsenal game, there was fantastic entertainment around the grounds in the Premier League. The televised matches produced some stunning/shocking results for all to see.

We might have possibly seen the goal of the season from Figueroa when he scored from his own half against Stoke. If that was David Beckham, I bet it would have been on the front page of every newspaper. Well, the back page doesnt look bad either.

The world then witnessed some comical defending/comical goals from Everton and some brilliant finishing from Chelsea as that match ended in a 3-3. Another 3-3 encounter between Bolton and Man City almost had Gary Megson and Mark Hughes at wits end.

At the same time, Spurs was left spurning their chance to consolidate their position in the top 4 again, by losing to Wolves. However, this time, they never looked like coming back. Hats off to Wolves. I'm sure Shebby Singh was one of the few who was watching this one ahead of the Chelsea game.

In the late kickoff on Saturday. We witnessed Aston Villa sneaking past United in an encounter which promised goals, but delivered only one. Nonetheless, some of the football on display was magnificent and the only thing missing was 6 minutes of Fergie time.

Sunday promised a mouth watering encounter between Liverpool and Arsenal. Well, my mouth did start watering at Liverpool's display in the first half where they should've finished the game off. As it was, they didn't and my mouth dried up in the second half when a barrage of deflections meant the ball ended up in the back of Pepe's net. Super cross from Nasri I have to say. Then some Arshavin magic ensured my mouth remained dry for the rest of the night (possibly rest of the season). Arshavin at Anfield seems to be a goalscorer unleashed.

All said and done, the pundits were baffled with the results as their predictions for the entire weekend had gone haywire. But it was an advertisement for English Football like none other.

The players/fans of certain clubs might be ruing their missed opportunities. But there was one clear winner in Asia - ESPN Star.

Spurning Spurs

Last weekend might just give an indication on why Spurs, try as they might, may not gatecrash into the top four this season.

Anybody who saw the match between Spurs and Villa will tell you that Spurs deserved to win, in fact, ought to have to won it. But, they failed to do so. Villa was in the game for 10 minutes and for the rest 80 minutes, Spurs managed to score just the single goal.

Anybody who saw the match between Everton and Liverpool will tell you Everton did not deserve to lose, maybe ought to have won it even. Liverpool were in the game for a measly 15 minutes and was absolutely battered for 75 minutes. Yet, Liverpool managed to come out winners by a two nil margin.

Spurs had spurned their opportunity to consolidate their position in the league table in my view. You might say it was one of those days for all the four clubs, but I see this as evidence as to why Liverpool will finish in the top four and why Spurs will not.

From almost to almost

I apologise for the increasing number of posts dedicated to Liverpool, but no other club seems to be making as much news as Liverpool Football Club.

Liverpool's demise in the UEFA Champions League with a game to go has been seen as a shock for many. Liverpool's struggle to keep up with United, Chelsea and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League has got many shaking their heads. And why not. Liverpool have made it to the knock-out stages in every season under Benitez. Liverpool were top of the English Premier League after Christmas last season.

Benitez keeps saying that there is not much difference between last season's team and this season's team. Save Alonso. So, there should be no reason to doubt the team this season.
But I think the fact that there has not been much difference between last season's team and this season's team has contributed to Liverpool's struggle. Lets be frank, Liverpool were lucky last season with all their last minute goals/equalizers. I seem to agree with Sir Alex's comments - "This particular Liverpool team peaked last season." Most of this Liverpool team were playing at their best last season even without Gerrard and Torres. That seems to be part of the problem.

Club finances are a whole other issue. The fact that Liverpool are not willing to spend in the transfer market seems to be incurring the wrath of a few players themselves. You can say, Liverpool are in debt, but, so are United. That doesn't stop them from spending if they want to.
Last season, Liverpool "almost" won the league. This season, I hope, Liverpool dont go on to "almost" finish fourth.

This post is about problems. To think about a solution, there needs to be a change. Where? Who? I do not know. The question is, does Hicks, Gillete, Purslow, Benitez know?

P.S. It has been one year that The Kop End has been alive. Thanks to one and all who have been reading.

"Frank"ly

After taking a minor month long sabattical from the blogging world, watching in dismay Liverpool's results (not so much performance) from the sidelines, I am back to whipping up my thoughts into words. Needless to say, it is the internationals that has got me writing again.

Most of you know my view on international weekends - especially the useless kinds. One of the visible side-effects of these internationals(useless or not) is the unwanted injuries for many players. Somehow, players have a knack of getting injured when they are on international duty. Not surprisingly, a handful of them got injured during/before/after the weekend - Robin Van Persie, John Terry to name a few.

I know it is not right to feel excited when players get injured, but ever so often, fans of rival clubs look out for any injuries for players from fellow rival clubs. Well....

But to be "frank", there is this one particular player who, when he gets injured gives me a personal satisfaction - even though he has done me no harm "intentionally". Well, a lot of his goals were not intended to hit the target either. But.........

I do wish him well though...

Worth hoping?

When Liverpool visited Stamford Bridge, I was one of the countless Liverpool fans 'hoping' that Liverpool win, and in the process, continue/start their challenge on the Premiership crown. But the whole world knows what happened.

Ex-Liverpool greats, many pundits and Liverpool fans were saying, "We got 14 points against the big 4 last season. We have to improve on the home form against the lesser sides."

Well, now, if you dont beat the Big 4 this season, I don't see any point in thrashing the lesser sides at home. I know I sound skeptical after just one game against the Big 4, but that was Liverpool's strongest 11 and their strongest "bench" and that was not good enough. (Do not talk about Aquilani now)

I am going to come out and say what many Liverpool fans know, but maybe unwilling to admit. Liverpool, at present, are not good enough to win the title. Liverpool do not have the squad to win the title. And god, I hope they don't.

P.S. Stay tuned to find out why I hope they dont win the title this season.

Question time

The FA has come under serious scrutiny this season for a variety of incidents. Criticizing the referee is one among the many. That brings me to the incident which had me livid.

Everyone knows the amount of added time that was played when Michael Owen netted his winner against Manchester City. 5 min 20 sec. Fergie was beaming, obviously and he was extending his congratulations to the fourth official on the touchline.

Fast forward a few matches, and Alan Wiley played 4 min 3 sec of added on time (when it was supposed to be 4 min).

Fergie was fuming and he has called Alan Wiley unfit to wear a referee's shirt. He was declared unfit for a variety of reasons. Read this to know more.

There have been a series of managers who have been charged by the FA for showing disrespect or speaking out against the referees. Why, Benitez was charged for being sarcastic towards the referee. Will the FA charge Fergie or will they turn a blind's eye just because he is Sir Alex Ferguson?

How?

After a series of questioned titles, here's another one.

In the past week, the news of Chelsea's transfer ban for "stealing" Kakuta has been hogging the headlines. This has led to THREE teams of the big FOUR of the English Premier League come under some scrutiny or the other for some youngster or the other.

Surprisingly, the THREE teams among the big FOUR which is under scrutiny does not include Arsenal.

Arsenal - the club that has specialized itself in transfers of kids, has not come under scrutiny yet.

Arsenal - The club that does not even want to consider signing someone whose age is more than 21, has not come under scrutiny yet.

Arsenal-The club which every kid wants to play for, has not come under scrutiny yet.

How?

Yes!!! And No!!!!

For quite some time now, Michel Platini - The President of UEFA has been expressing his feelings on the crazy money going around through transfers. I admire the fact that, he realises this cannot go on. I also admire the fact that he wants to do something about it.

But a week back, I was flabbergasted. Michel Platini came out and confirmed that he had the support of many club owners in his fight against the crazy transfers. One of the few mentioned was a certain Mr. Roman Abromavic. In fact, Platini went as far as saying that it was Mr. Roman who had initiated the talk regarding the crazy transfers. I was shell-shocked - at the hypocrisy.

Wasn't it a certain Mr. Abromavic who inflated the market with his millions a few years ago? And now that, the credit crunch has hit him too, and the fact that he cannot spend like he did once before, he doesn't like/want others who have the money, to spend?

I am all for the cause. However, I cannot and will not accept the support of the man who apparently initiated the move.

What's next?

I was waiting for the official confirmation of Eduardo's ban to make this post official.

Apparently, Eduardo has been given a two match ban for diving. More precisely, Eduardo was trying to influence the decision of the referee by diving.

According to me, this is absolute rubbish. UEFA should be ashamed of this decision. What about players feigning injury to get a player booked/sent off? What about players appealing for a throw-in/corner even though they know that they touched the ball last?

Don't these incidents/actions count as influencing the decision of the referee? Would UEFA take action on these players as well?

In my opinion, a referee is there to make decisions based on what he sees and not based on what players appeal for. If a referee feels he has been influenced by the player or any other external force, I'm sorry to say, he shouldn't be in a referee's shirt.

UEFA should stand up, look in the mirror and slap themselves into reality. This is the most ridiculous decision I've ever come across. Yet.

Money over Tradition?

This past weekend, the second best league in the world was back. And how?

Real Madrid played Deportivo in the opening fixture of this season's La Liga. The galacticos had a chance to show what fans can expect for the rest of the season.

But, my attention was drawn not to the result and the performance, but to the goalscorers. One goalscorer in particular. Christiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo scored his first competitive goal for Madrid - from the penalty spot. Now, what bothers me is, why/how did Ronaldo get the nod to take the penalty over Raul who was the regular penalty taker for so many years? Raul is such an icon at Madrid that, even when Raul was not performing, he was not even considered for a transfer.

Has Ronaldo edged ahead of Raul as the first choice for taking penalties? Is this a marketing strategy for Madrid? Is there a clause in his contract regarding this? Who knows?

Know the difference?

There is one particular aspect of football that has me going berserk every time it happens. Well, who am I kidding? There are many aspects of football which makes me go berserk. Here's one of them.

There were two incidents in the Manchester United-Arsenal game which I would like to point out. One was the incident where Fletcher threw himself at Arshavin in the penalty box and Fletcher got the ball after he got the man.

Then, minutes later, there was another incident where Diaby took down Evra with a similar challenge outside the area.

This was the conversation between Martin Tyler and Andy Gray after the second of those incidents.

Martin : You know the difference?
Andy : Ya, I know the difference. One was inside the penalty box and the other wasn't.

One was given as a foul and the other wasn't. No points for guessing which was given.

Wake up!!!!

The start of the EPL season has been very very weird for quite a few reasons. Here are some of them off the top of my head.

1. Spurs are top of the league.
2. There has not been a deflected goal from Lampard yet.
3. There has been only one draw in three rounds of EPL games.
4. Burnley beat Manchester United.
5. Liverpool have lost twice in the first three matches.
6. Michael Owen is in an United shirt.
7. The only person to be sent off in the EPL so far is Sammy Lee (Assistant Manager of Liverpool).
8. Adebayor has scored two in two games.
9. Arsenal have started shooting from distance.
10. Bolton are trying to play football.

Oh, and did I mention Spurs are TOP of the league?

Am I dreaming? Nightmare? Will normal service be restored? I need to wake up...Quick...

Disgruntled

After a lean couple of weeks in terms of the blog scenario, I'm back. I did not have any words to write after the first game of the season.

Well, let me rephrase that. I did not have any words that did not include unparliamentary language. Now that I've got my head straight, I'll dive into the football. To be more precise, I'll dive into Liverpool.

There's no points for guessing why I was not in the right mood after the opening round of fixtures. Liverpool lost in terms of the result and they got beat in terms of the football. The loss of Alonso was there for all to see. Also, the formation seemed all wrong. Gerrard in the hole behind Torres seemed extremely wrong without Alonso. I agree that Lucas is a different player to Alonso. But shouldn't that mean Liverpool alter their play too? There was talk about Gerrard dropping back to midfield in a traditional 4-4-2 and playing Voronin up front with Torres. But all such talk was quashed when Lucas was named "Star of the pre-season". Well, something didn't quite add up with that statement. I have given lots of stick to Lucas in the past and let me assure you I will stick with that. Last night's result against Stoke might have eased the tension but does not prove anything yet. The jury is still out.

Disclaimer : As a football fan, my thoughts might have been different.

Have a good one, Sir Bobby

It is indeed a sad day in the world of football. One of the legends of the sport has passed away leaving behind fans all over the world in shock and in mourning.

Sir Bobby Robson was one of the most loved personalities both among the footballing industry and among the fans. His charisma, his dedication to the sport and his fantastic work ethic made him one of the respected people in his generation. I remember Steve Mcmahon once mention that Sir Bobby played a round of golf (18 holes), immediately came to the studio, worked for 8 straight hours and he looked as fresh as ever. And he was 74. That says it all.

John Travolta's quote about Phoenix in the hit movie Ladder 49 can be compared to the following quote. Sir Bobby loved football and gave his life to football. Let us all celebrate the life of Sir Bobby Robson.

Rest in Peace, Sir Bobby...

Sup"porter"

Well, enough has been said about the footballing world. The players, the managers, the clubs, UEFA, FIFA et all... It's time to talk about the more important contributors to the sport - The supporters.

Warning : This might NOT please many people...

Undoubtedly, the supporters of a football club/country are the most important ingredients to making football what it is today, and what it will be tomorrow. We all know that. But this post is not about that.

A decade ago, not many people I knew, even considered Chelsea as their club to support, to watch, to pay to watch.Then, Mr. Abramovic arrived and shortly thereafter, Mr. Mourinho arrived. Needless to say, many good players arrived and not surprisingly, Chelsea started winning titles(NOT by playing the best football at most times). Suddenly, there were a whole barrage of people supporting Chelsea. People who knew zilch about football were supporting Chelsea left, right and center. People even switched their support from their own club to Chelsea. Is this what you call a "Die-Hard" supporter? Is not a supporter responsible to support a club through the best and worst of times?

I am not saying, people should not watch the football, admire it etc. Hey I am a Liverpool fan and I admire the way Manchester United play at times(Again, I am a football fan first, then a Liverpool fan). But never in a million years would I "yap" about the football United play or
even think of being an United fan.

These people are definitely contributors to the football world (what with the merchandise, tickets et all). But are such people really good for the world watching football? More importantly, are such people really needed for the watching world?

You may be intrigued by the timing of this post, but, it might just be the right timing after all. What with the Manchester City explosion going on.

P.S. I hope you get the subtle pun in the title.

Alonso/Ribery another Ronaldo?

Disclaimer : I am not comparing the players.

All I am doing is trying to make sense of what is happening in the transfer market. Specifically, with respect to Real Madrid.

Madrid have been very open about their interests in Alonso and Ribery but neither Bayern nor Liverpool are refusing to budge. In both cases, it looks like the player wants to leave, but the manager/club do not want to sell.

Any dejavus?

Any ESP's on whats going to happen next season with Ribery/Alonso? (i.e. if it does not happen this season)

Now, besides the "Will he, wont he" sagas, I would like someone to define the term "tapping up". And can someone please tell me if it is legal? Or is it "officially" illegal? I, for one, am getting sick of it. Anyone care to join me?

HELL of a 24 hours

The first time I heard about Owen's imminent switch to Manchester United was on BBC. And one can only imagine the rage I had inside of me. Or for the matter, inside of any Liverpool supporter. The very thought of a Liverpool player playing for Manchester United is mind boggling. And of all the players, Michael Owen. The player who made me who I am today.

On a neutral note, the move might resurrect Owen's career. Not that it needed any resurrection. Just that he needed to be in a top club to produce the goods. As for getting into the England frame is concerned, well, its all up to Mr. Capello.

As for Manchester United, well, they have got themselves a goalscorer. They can go to hell.

When Owen left Liverpool in search of silverware in 2004, they won the Champions League in 2005. Now, Owen has joined United in 2009. The Premier League might well be on its way to Liverpool. Who knows?

P.S. I never thought the 4 labels for this post would ever be connected.

Not so much

I thought Armageddon would hit the English Premier League as well. Except Manchester City (reserved for another day), the other clubs seem to be playing it safe. Too safe, for my liking.

Yes, there have been crazy and monstrous bids from Chelsea and Manchester United for certain players. The likes of Pato, Maicon, Ribery, Benzema and co have been subject to bids from the big clubs from England. But, nothing concrete has happened yet.

On the contrary, it is the cash strapped (supposedly) Liverpool who have made the first big money signing (Glen Johnson) among the big four of the EPL. I would be amazed if the transfer window ends like this.

More to come, I assume.

Armageddon

What a summer of transfers it has been already. To think, it has just started.

In the day of the so called financial crisis, ridiculous amounts of money have been flying around and my guess is, they will continue to do so. The past 2 weeks in football has dwarfed anything that has happened in the past.

My only worry is this. I hope (sincerely) that whatever happens this summer (the entire summer) will not have negative effects in the future. There is a distinct possibility of many clubs doing a Leeds or a Newcastle even.

As a Liverpool fan, I think, Liverpool's financial worry at this moment of time is a blessing in disguise. This should be the time to be smart, consolidate, and not be carefree.

This summer might go a long way in deciding football's future. Armageddon, on the cards...

P.S. More to come on individual deals in the market. Stay tuned.

Football - Bloody hell!!

A truly magnificent season for Barcelona, who won the Spanish Cup, La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

All this after going 3 years without a trophy.

All this while displaying a brand of football which goes back to the Johan Cryuff days. Or so I hear. But this Barcelona side has just revamped the modern definition of "football" and "team". Lets just hope it continues.

10 years ago, Sir Alex famously said "Football - Bloody hell!!". Well, this season, it was "Football - Bloody heaven!!"

Arsene "Hmmm"grr

Arsene “When”grr comes across as a coach who likes to bring young talent through(as I’ve mentioned before). And everyone praises him for that. They call him a great manager who has done wonders with kids. At the same time, he’s criticized for his reluctance to buy big. He nurtures relatively unknown young talent and makes them into “Big” players. Henry, Vieira, Ljunberg, Fabregas to name a few.

But there might be another angle to this. The fact that he has hardly bought 4 or 5 “Big” players at a time means that he has not managed 4 or 5 “Big”(bought) players simultaneously(above 25 years of age). Yes, he has managed Henry, Vieira etc etc but most of them were with him from a young age. Yes, he did manage a Bergkamp and now an Arshavin(whom he has bought "Big") but look at his other “Big” players. Most of them were already there. Can he be called a great manager without having to manage Big egos? Is this the reason he is reluctant to leave Arsenal and go to a Madrid for instance?

Hmmm, something to think about…

Red/Yellow menace

Most of you are aware that in the UEFA Champions league, if a player gets 2 yellow cards in the tournament, he is suspended for the next match.

A few years ago, this policy was tweaked a bit in favour of the player. i.e. If a player was on a yellow card at the end of the Group Phase, then the yellow card was scrapped and the players start afresh from the 2nd stage onwards. This was a postive initiative by the UEFA in my opinion. But I would suggest tweaking this policy a little further and scrap all yellow cards for a semi-final.

Nobody wants to miss a UEFA Champions League final(which may come once in a lifetime for a few players). Roy Keane and Paul Scholes for example, missed the 1999 UCL final and Roy Keane did not get another opportunity unlike Paul Scholes. And most recently, Dani Alves will be missing the final of the 2009 UCL final.

Everybody wants to see the best of the best play in the final. Suspending players for the final does not make for a fitting end to the greatest club competition in the world. And frankly, I don't see any positives for anyone in suspending players for the final for suffering 2 yellow cards.

P.S. A red card in the 2nd leg of a semi-final would be the next issue to tweak.

Subtle observation

Anyone with a keen eye(or ear) would've noticed(heard) that, more often than not, when John Dykes hands over the show to the commentators, he says the second commentator's name first and the lead commentator's name after that. For instance "Your commentators for the match are Andy Gray, but first, Martin Tyler."

And needless to say, we hear Martin Tyler's voice immediately.

I always thought this sort of a thing made John Dykes stand out from the rest. What do you think?

Screamers III

As I have pointed out in Screamers, a commentator and his voice goes a long way in etching a football match in a fan's memory. Also, the appropriate "coupling" of commentators makes for fascinating TV coverage as I've mentioned in Screamers II.

But, there is one criticism I have for the Screamers. Especially in certain types of matches.

The disadvantage with British commentators for UEFA Champions League matches and international matches featuring England is that, they tend to be partial towards the English teams. This is evident from their reactions to certain incidents.

Take Mr.Tyler and Mr.Gray screaming "Gerrrraaaarrddd!!!!...You beauty!!...What a hit son! What a hit!" the way they did. Or the way Mr.Gray screamed "Penalty! Penalty!" after Gerrard went down from Gattuso's challenge in the UCL Final 2005. Or Mr.Tyler's reaction when Beckham sent England to the 2002 World Cup with a 90th minute freekick against Greece. Would these reactions have changed if it was Olympiakos scoring the winner against Liverpool, or Shevchenko scoring the winner in extra time against Liverpool, or Charisteas sending Greece to the WC after a 90th minute penalty against England? Well....

I know such situations brings out the best in them sometimes, but more often than not, it becomes predictable. All is fair in love and war eh?

P.S. This doesn't mean I prefer Zee sports commentary for such matches.

Special decisions

In The Scapegoat, I had mentioned that the referee gives(or not) a freekick based on what he sees. In To be or not to be... I had debated that a foul had to be a significant foul to be given these days.

But there are some fouls in certain areas which the referee does see but thinks twice about calling it. Well, you might've guessed the "areas" I'm talking about is the penalty box. Some fouls in the penalty box are not given which would've otherwise been given had the fouls been outside the box.

I have heard many commentators say that the referee must be absolutely sure before calling for a foul in the penalty box. I have also heard them say that had that foul been outside the box, it would've been a freekick. I question these statements. Does this mean the referee need not be absolutely sure of fouls outside the penalty box? Or does the penalty box deserve a special kind of foul?

My question to you is this - Should fouls in the penalty box be treated any differently than fouls outside the box?

Garbage

"Senna's brilliance shows Wenger's decision not to sign Brazilian was a mistake"

This was the headline in one of UK's leading newspapers. This sort of a headline pops up every now and then whenever someone scores against a former club or someone who scores against a side which almost signed him. This is what I call a load of trash.

If you have to sign someone or not sell someone just because there is a possbility of him scoring against your side, well, you've just gone absolute bonkers, haven't you? I'm sure Rafa wouldn't have thought of the possibility of Robbie Keane scoring against Liverpool on the last day of the season while deciding to sell him. Or did he?

Screamers II

In Screamers!!!, I had talked about the importance of commentators to viewers and also compared some of the best that are around. Well, I decided to go further this time and talk about the importance of the commentary pair for a particular game.

For the past 3 seasons, Sky has been experimenting with different "couples" in the commentary team. While this may be good for the commentators to mix with the best of the best, the best of the best don't sound their best in these matches. When I was hearing Andy Gray the other day, it was as if he was there on compulsion. But needless to say, he comes alive alongside Martin Tyler. The same goes with Alan Parry and Brian Marwood.

When the best of the best are with their regular partners, they bring out the best in each other without a shadow of a doubt. Well, maybe that's why Sky don't take chances with the BIG games.

On a personal note, I don't think the Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler of English football should be separated.

"Slipping" away to glory

A few seasons back, Jesper Gronkjaer slipped as he was striking the ball and the ball ended up in the back of the net. That slip meant that Chelsea pipped Liverpool to 4th place in the league on the last day of the season and denied Liverpool Champions League qualification. That slip also meant the arrival of a certain Roman Abromavic and glory beckoned.

Fast forward 7 seasons - A certain Macheda slipped as he was striking the ball and the ball ended up in the back of the net for an injury time winner for Manchester United. Has the title just "slipped" away from Liverpool's grasp?

P.S. Who am I kidding? They were both great goals.

'G'Owen

It looks almost certain that Michael Owen's international career is all but over. Atleast as long as Fabio Capello is the boss.

Fabio's explanation that he's picking players "in form" is weak. There are many players in his 8 matches in charge so far who have not been "in form" at that moment. Even when John Terry wasn't "in form" at times, he was "the captain". And you may say that Rio Ferdinand is not "in form" at the moment (considering the latest results). And he's in the squad. Even though he's injured. What about Emile Heskey? Is he "in form"? I beg to differ. He's in as much form as Gabrian Agbanlahor is at the moment. Just to cite a few examples.

Also, Fabio's explanation(sometime back) that his international players should play for big clubs is nauseating. Look at the number of non "big club" players he's picked in the current squad.
Agreed, Owen was not fit for most of the games, but even when he was, he was overlooked. And even when he was in the squad, he was given a run-out for 45 minutes and that too in a formation which doesn't suit him.

Agreed, players cannot rest on their past reputations. But reputations and past exploits should count for something.

PS : This comes out of frustration from a Owen fan.

To be or not to be...

When Mcartney was sent off for Sunderland for having a slight tug on Sean Wright Philips' shirt, everyone said, "What was that for?"

Such is the change in the English game that the challenges considered to be fouls a decade ago are no longer so. There is pushing and shoving(i.e.wrestling) in the penalty area every time a corner or a free kick comes in. And yet, the referee chooses to do nothing about it most of the times. When he does say "Hey, Enough is enough. It's time to give a foul.", everyone says, "Thats harsh. You see that kind of challenge every week."

The mentality and mindset of the English game has changed over the years which just adds to the fascinating zeal for the viewers.

Inconsistency from the referee though lives for us to debate another day.

Best Midfielder?

On Sunday night, Steve Mcmahon proclaimed Steven Gerrard as the best midfielder in the world.

I disagree.

If you recall, Zidane called him one of the best "players" in the world.

To be called the best midfielder in the world, you need to play in midfield. And Gerrard has not done that in a long time now. For both club and country.

Zidane was, is and always will be the best midfielder in the world. With Kaka coming a close second.

Here's my top 5 of the best midfielders in the world to have grazed the grass for the past decade.

5. Gerrard (when he was playing in midfield)
4. Roy Keane
3. Xavi
2. Kaka
1. Zidane

WOW!!

Andy Gray summed up Liverpool's performance against Manchester United in a single word.

"WOW!!"

I agree. Liverpool were magnificent. Twice in a week. How often has that happened?

After the midweek performance against Real Madrid, everybody asked (obviously), now why can't they do that in the league? And when they did do so in the league, everyone asked (obviously), now why can't they do that to your so-called lesser teams?

Well, instead of pondering over all these questions, I decided to just enjoy the occassion for a change. And you should too.

PS : A special mention to Alan Wiley. Magnificent display.

Tech"no"logy

Considering the number of wrong decisions these days, lots of people want technology to be implemented in the game. It would ensure fewer debates, fairer decisions and lesser confrontations.

For eg, every time Liverpool face Chelsea, especially in Europe, people inevitably talk about the "ghost goal". The reverse also happens where for eg, the ball appeared to have crossed Buffon's goal-line and a goal was not given (Juventus vs Chelsea). In all these cases, everyone's crying out for technology.

But personally, I don't like the idea of technology to be introduced in the game. It will inevitably slow the pace of the game considering the number of stoppages. Also, it takes that element of luck out of the game. Call me old-fashioned but "luck" is a very important factor in any sport and it has already been taken out of many sports (Cricket, Tennis to name a few).

Besides, if there were no dodgy moments like the "ghost goal" happening every now and again, what is there for us to talk about?

Take a dive son

Gerry Armstrong's quote "The fact that he's rolled so much tells me he's ok." says it all. What's more to say?

How it all went wrong for Liverpool

Well, the usual questions would be "What went wrong" and "Where it went wrong. Since I got bored of that, I decided to analyse how it went wrong.

To be fair to the American owners, it started long before they got there. The very first time Benitez walked into the club after "walking out" of Valencia should've got everyone thinking. Then, the sale of a certain Michael Owen. Now, I know Benitez is not solely responsible for that considering Owen wanted to leave but Benitez hardly did anything to persuade him to stay. Look at Sir Alex and Ronaldo for eg. Benitez could've done better there.

But for me, the real trouble started when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005(and continued when they won the FA Cup next season). Lets be fair. No one expected them to win the UCL(luck perhaps?). They were not good enough in the league to qualify for next season's Champions League through their league position also. They only got in after the "special" dispensation by UEFA. I guess things would've been a lot different had the dispensation not been "special".

It's there for all to see that the Champions League has been Beniitez's saving grace from day 1(or rather year 1). 3 semifinal appearances, 1 final and 1 winner's medal is there for all to envy. But, the fact that he couldn't transform that into a Premier League's medal remains. The reason is simple. He employs almost the same tactics in both competitions. And that involves "NOT" to get beat. While it works like a charm in the Champions League, it only makes for too many draws in the Premier League as is evident in the last 4 or 5 seasons.

People may rant about Benitez's tactical genius in bringing on Hamann for the second half in the UCL final 2005. But what was it that made him not to make that decision after 20-25 min of the 1st half. The answer is simple. His negativity. Just for comparison, a Jose Mourinho would've made a substitution or two if he thought things are not going to plan. And he would do it in the 15th minute of a game. That's the difference.

Then along comes this season. I am not getting into the Keane-Barry saga as I've discussed it before. What I'm looking at here, is the attitude of the players and the manager himself. And I'm not talking about the second half comebacks. Players like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have come out and said that "We want to win the title, and if not, then we want to be atleast competing for the title come April or May." For me, that just says it all. The ambition is there for all to see. Do you see any Arsenal, United or Chelsea player say "We want to be there and thereabouts come the end of the season"? No. They simply say they are going for the title. That's the mentality that Benitez has instilled in the players in my opinion.

Let's just say the Gods have been shining on Liverpool during their frequent comebacks this season. Had it not been for that, I guess Benitez would've been long gone and we wouldn't be talking about a 5th or 6th contract offer.

Players and managers, past and current, have been ranting at the American owners to get the new contract done with. If it was me, I would say goodbye to Benitez before he said goodbye to me. He did it at Valencia. What makes you think he can't do it again? And if and when that happens, Liverpool will be back to rebuilding just like Valencia was when he left.

Sir Alex can quit now and whoever comes in will have a fantastic squad to work with without having to overhaul. Can we say the same for Benitez? I don't think so.

Screamers!!!

Considering I've already written about Scolari and Benitez, I thought I'll look at something which makes football even more interesting. The people behind the camera. And of course, the voice behind it.

Needless to say, the commentators for a particular match and the studio along with the guests for a particular day goes a long way in getting the viewer glued to the TV. Well, sadly enough, the reverse is also true.

Here are some polls I've always wanted to have.

Martin Tyler's "Gerrard" and Andy Gray's "You beauty!!!!!" OR
Martin Tyler's "Riise........My goodness" and Andy Gray's "Goodness Gracious me!!!"

Martin Tyler and Andy Gray OR
Alan Parry and Brian Marwood OR
Ian Darke and Alan Brazil OR
Kevin Keetings/Rob Palmer and Gerry Armstrong

Steve Mcmahon OR Sam Allardyce OR Graeme Souness

And finally,

John Dykes OR Richard Keys OR David Basheer

PS : I go into a trance every time I even think about Alan Brazil's "I don't like Wiltord.."(Valencia vs Arsenal Champions League after Carew scored). Can someone please get me that audio/video?

Statement

Long before Robbie Keane's official return to Spurs, he was gone. You could even see the smile on his face when he was in the stands during the Chelsea game. He must've known he was getting rid of his boyhood dream/nightmare.

Keane was never at his best at Liverpool. His partnership with Torres hardly got going and he was not able to play in his prefered position. One might argue that he was not played enough. And that he got to play only because Torres was injured for most part of the first half of the season. People might compare the Keane situation to the Berbatov situation at United. Berba took sometime to settle in but Sir Alex continued to play him and now they are gelling as a team. Perhaps Rafa should've done the same thing.

But this one goes beyond Robbie Keane. Its all about the man-Rafael Benitez. According to his comments in the recent past, it was Rick Parry and not Rafa who got Keane to Anfield. This clearly frustrated Benitez since the purchase of Keane meant a certain Gareth Barry would not be heading to Anfield.

Benitez did not play Keane and was even dropped for many crucial matches, the latest being the Chelsea game.

The reason is simple-Keane was NOT Benitez's player.

Now that its looking more and more likely that the owners are giving Benitez complete control over transfers, I think, the sale of Keane was a test of character for the American owners. More like an audition before Benitez signs his new contract.

Keane out-Round 1 belongs to Benitez. Statement made.

I guess the real Rafa-lution starts now.

Disturbing

When I heard about the 175 mil pound move for Kaka, I started writing this post. I actually started writing this post 10 times and each time I kept coming back to a blank page. Finally, I came up with this.

I have no words.

Anyone who can describe their true feelings regarding this on pen and paper, be my guest. Cos I got nothing.

PS : I should probably start a "I have no words" series.

A Long Weekend

The EPL took a week long break to accommodate the oldest competition in football - The FA Cup. I didn't mind the FA Cup weekend as there was still football on TV unlike the international weekends, where you hardly get any football on TV.

If you notice, I had mentioned "didn't mind" the FA Cup weekends. Till last year, there were atleast 3 or 4 matches on a Saturday and 2 matches on a Sunday for all to see. So you hardly missed the lack of the EPL, since you still got to see some football. But this weekend, the first weekend of the FA Cup for the big teams(3rd round), there was ONE match shown on Friday, ONE on Saturday and ONE on Sunday.

What has the public done to deserve such a sparse weekend of football on TV? Has the importance of the FA Cup - "The oldest competition in football" - hit rock bottom that the media doesn't care about how many matches they are showing? Or has the credit crunch hit them too, that they cannot afford it?(I don't believe that)

Thank goodness for La Liga, I still got some football this weekend.